Product Information:
Leaf Type: Green
About This Product:
A zesty blend of chipotle pepper, spices and green tea. The flavor and spice of a Mexican Sopa.
To Learn more about this Millie’s Savory Teas, click here.
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Taster’s Review:
I was excited to try this savory “tea” because I’ve enjoyed the other green tea infused sipping broths that I’ve tried from Millie’s Savory Teas. I felt confident that I’d also enjoy this Spicy Tortilla.
I could smell the spices of this tea the moment I opened the package! It smells like Mexican Food! YUM!
Oh, this is tasty! As I’ve mentioned in the first paragraph, I’ve tried a couple of other tea infused sipping broths from Millie’s – you can read my review for the Indian Spice sipping broth here, and for the Tomato Basil sipping broth here. If you were to ask me before tasting them which of these three I think I’d prefer, without a moment’s hesitation, I would have said the Tomato Basil. But as it turns out, the Tomato Basil is my least favorite of the three. This one might just be my favorite thus far.
It has a nice amount of spice to it, but this isn’t so spicy that it has me running to the kitchen for a glass of water to cool my tongue. It’s zesty, warm and delicious, much like a tortilla soup that I might order at my favorite Mexican Food restaurant. I can taste notes of chipotle, garlic, tomato and onion. All that’s missing, really, is strips of tortilla chips!
Oh … and the green tea is missing, too. As I’ve mentioned in my reviews of the other savory teas, the green tea is difficult to detect in these sipping broths. Of the three, I think I tasted more green tea in the Indian Spice. There isn’t a whole lot of green tea flavor to this.
That is my one big complaint about these blends. I find myself wishing there was more green tea so that I can actually think of it as a “tea.” It’s a bit like adding a little bit of tea to my soup … I’m still eating soup, not drinking tea. That’s what’s happening here too. I’m sipping broth, not tea.
It’s still really tasty, though, and something I’d sip again.
Mexican Cocoa Rooibos Blend from Trail Lodge Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Honeybush
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tisane Description:
Mexican Cocoa Rooibos is a Trail Lodge exclusive herbal tisane. You’ll feel like you’re having a Mexican Fiesta when you sip this tea. It’s a rooibos and honeybush blend with the perfect amount of cocoa and chilli. There’s just enough chilli to give it a little kick, and it will help warm you up an a cool day. Add milk for an extra special treat. Ingredients: Organic Rooibos, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Honeybush, Organic Cacao Bits, Chocolate Seeds, Organic Safflower, Organic Chili Flakes and Natural Flavor.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Mexican Cocoa Rooibos Blend from Trail Lodge Tea is seriously YUMMY! I’m not always big on rooibos, but, I find this blend to be very good, and I attribute this to a couple of factors: first, the rooibos used in this blend is organic rooibos, and I’ve found that there is a notable difference in taste between organic rooibos and conventionally grown rooibos. Second, the base of this tisane is crafted not just of organic rooibos but organic honeybush as well, and I find that tisanes created using both of these South African herbs are very tasty.
And … let us NOT forget about the CHOCOLATE! This blend has lots of chocolate-y flavor, enough to bring a big smile to this chocoholic’s face. I also love the fact that there is a touch of spice from the chili pepper flakes in this blend. There is just enough of the pepper flakes to add a gentle warmth that gradually increases, offering a very soft “burning” sensation in the throat without becoming too spicy or hot. I like that gentle warmth that radiates in the throat, and I LOVE the contrast of the spicy notes with the sweet, rich chocolate flavor.
The spice is further accentuated with the addition of cinnamon … adding a touch more warm spice but also a nice hint of sweetness to the cup. I like the way the cinnamon is represented in this tisane … there is a pleasing cinnamon note that gives the overall cup a very satisfying “Mexican Cocoa” kind of flavor … but they didn’t go overboard with the cinnamon. Cinnamon can often be a selfish spice in blends – but it’s not like that with this blend, and I applaud Trail Lodge Tea for managing to keep this tisane so nicely balanced.
I also applaud Trail Lodge Tea for going the extra mile with this tisane, and turning it into a “charitea” – for every 2 ounces of this tisane that is purchased, a dollar is donated to the “Ninos of Mexico.” Here’s what Trail Lodge Tea says about this charitea:
Trail Lodge Tea now has a new “charitea” that is also are own exclusive blend. It’s called Mexican Cocoa Rooibos. You will feel like you are having a Mexican Fiesta when you sip this tea. It is made of a blend of rooibos and honeybush with just the right combination of chocolate, chili, and flavoring as well as other high quality ingredients. Trail Lodge tea is donating a portion of every sale of this tea to Ninos de Mexico. That’s why we call it a “charitea”. Ninos de Mexico is a wonderful Christian Mission that’s main purpose is to help orphaned and at-risk children living in the Mexico City area. They do this by raising children in loving Christian homes and providing the children with medical care and education. The mission currently runs four homes for children, a medical clinic, and a private school. So you can enjoy some delicious tea and help disadvantaged children at the same time. Click the link below to learn more about Ninos de Mexico or go to the herbal tea page to order some Mexican Cocoa Rooibos.
I like this tisane … not only for its amazing chocolate flavor and warm spice notes … and not only because its all ORGANIC … but also because when I sip it, I know that there are children who are benefiting from this charitable organization.
Mexican Wolf Chai from Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
This is a Mexican twist on Chai. It contains vanilla and chocolate, and if you add milk to your cup of tea, it will be just like drinking a cup of Mexican hot chocolate. Ingredients: Fair Trade CertifiedTM black tea, cinnamon, ginger, clove, chocolate, cardamom, vanilla, and mint.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow!
This is one of those chai blends that I sip and elicit an audible response, something like mmmmm~! but with more rapaciousness to it, so I think that the name of this chai – Mexican Wolf Chai – seems a very appropriate name.
The spices are warm but this is not what I’d call a strongly spiced chai. It isn’t exactly a gently warm chai blend either, it’s somewhere happily in between. Warm and delicious, with an emphasis on the cinnamon which I think is actually necessary to this blend, since it is a “Mexican” chocolate chai… and anyone who has enjoyed a Mexican hot chocolate before is familiar with the cinnamon-y taste to it. This blend is vaguely similar to a delicious Mexican hot chocolate thanks to the addition of the chocolate to this blend, and I am really enjoying the chocolate-y notes to this.
But this is not really a strongly chocolate blend, so this isn’t something I’d really recommend to a chocoholic in search of a chocolate fix, this chai wouldn’t satisfy that need. But, it is one that I’d recommend to those looking for a unique twist on chai, because this is definitely one of the more unique blends I’ve tried in a long time.
What makes it really unique is the addition of mint to the blend. Mint flavor can sometimes be a little bit aggressive and overpower a tea, but that doesn’t happen here, it is nicely balanced to offer a hint of mint flavor that complements the chocolate notes nicely as well as highlights some of the spices quite well. To bring it all together, there is a touch of vanilla that gives it a smooth, creamy-sweet taste that negates the need for milk or cream to make this a latte. This is very “latte-ish” on its own, without those additions. I would, however, recommend a little pinch of sugar (I chose turbinado sugar for this), as it does bring out some of the subtle notes of this chai, particularly the spice.
This is a remarkable chai blend – definitely worth keeping on the shelf for the times when you want something warm and comforting and satisfyingly sweet to sip!
Mexican Mango Chili Maté from Capital Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté, Rooibos & Green Tea
Where to Buy: Capital Teas
Tea Description:
A superior blend of green mate, rooibos, and green tea forms a perfect canvas for infusing the brilliant colors and flavors of chili peppers and mango. Inspired by Aztec recipes blending chili with fruits, we’ve also added a dash of coconut and an energizing pop of ginseng for the perfect combination. Try over ice for a spicy cold treat on hot days or enjoy its lingering warmth when brewed hot on a cold day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea has a lot going on, but, I’m enjoying the way the flavors come together.
The title suggests that this may be a spicy blend, but, it doesn’t start out that way. A gentle warmth, perhaps, but, I really thought that this would be spicier right from the very first sip. The spiciness gradually builds, starting with a gentle, cozy warmth and building to that spicy tickle that hits the back of the palate and throat. By mid-cup, it is much spicier than at the start, and my palate is quite warm long after I’ve taken a sip.
I think that the sweetness of the mango counters the spicier notes of the chili … softening the blow, so to speak. The mango adds a distinct sweetness, but this doesn’t taste overwhelmingly MANGO. By mid-cup, though, the mango is much more distinguishable. The coconut adds a creaminess to the taste as well, which seems to smooth out all the flavors and bring them all together into one unified flavor. This is not a mango tea, or a chili tea, or a coconut concoction … it is a seamless beverage that offers pleasing notes of many different ingredients, like a treasure chest of flavor, offering many surprises along the way.
The background flavors are earthy, with barely-there notes of vegetation. I don’t taste a lot of flavor from the Yerba Maté, green rooibos, green tea or even the ginseng as individual components, but, I do taste their collective input. It becomes more of a medley of collected flavors rather than specific flavor notes that I can pick out and say “this is the Maté” or “this is the green tea.”
From the very first sips as a mild, intriguing set of tastes to the last drop where the flavors are zesty can even be categorized as hot … this is a very enjoyable cuppa. I really like the way the flavors present themselves, a mass medley of tastes that allow the drinker to discover the various flavors.
Definitely a fun and creative cup!