Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
As difficult as you might imagine it would be to replicate a Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster here on Earth, particularly since the only ingredient we could obtain here would be the olive, it is an even MORE difficult task to create a non-alcoholic tea inspired by the drink. BUT I think we have succeeded in creating something awesome. Here’s our awesome premium black tea base blended with organic lemon-, brandy-, bourbon-, sherry- and red hot cinnamon flavors, cinnamon chips, lemon balm, lemon myrtle, lemon verbena, lemongrass, some chili pepper flakes and a TEENY touch of cayenne pepper to give it that little extra bit of BITE. Instead of an olive we added a tiny touch of organic maraschino cherry flavor for sweetness. I’m sure my creation can’t hold a candle to the awesome concoction from the fertile imagination of Douglas Adams, but I’m pretty sure it will put a smile on your face anyway, and now you can offer your guests a cuppa PGB.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
OK, I can’t tell you how excited I was to learn that 52Teas’ tea of the week was this PGB which – for those of you unfamiliar with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – stands for Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. It’s one of my favorite movies.
I still haven’t read the book. I have the book, but I just haven’t taken the time to read it yet. I plan to do that soon. As in eventually.
At the same time, I was a little afraid of the tea. I mean … I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to have my brains smashed in by a slice of lemon that’s been wrapped around a large gold brick. As amazing as that sounds, I just thought that might be something that’s a little like skydiving: it sounds fun. But jumping out of an airplane doesn’t sound like something I should do.
But I decided to summon up the courage and brew some of this tea and try it. Even if it meant that I would soon feel as though I had my brains smashed in a brick of gold that’s been wrapped in lemon.
At first the tea starts out rather mellow. But after about three sips, I start to pick up on FLAVOR. A lot of it! I taste cinnamon and notes of citrus, a hint of chili pepper. It’s sweet and spicy and fruity. The description states that there are flavors of brandy, bourbon and sherry in this, and I’m having difficulty discerning specific alcohol flavors in this. This could be that I’m either not very good at determining alcohol flavors because I’m a tea-totaler, or it could be that these alcohol notes meld into the background, behind the stronger flavors of black tea, cinnamon, citrus and zesty pepper.
I REALLY like this concoction. It’s different from any tea that I’ve tried before but it’s also similar enough to things that I’ve tried in the past that it doesn’t taste weird to the point of being off-putting. It’s a good weird. Kind of like 52Teas.
As I continue to sip, I’m picking up on a delicate sweetness from maraschino cherry. It’s a really nice contrast to the low and slow burn that I’m getting from the red hot cinnamon/natural cinnamon and cayenne and chili pepper.
The spice is the best part of this because it’s not TOO spicy. This isn’t one of those hot-cha-cha kind of spicy teas that becomes too difficult to drink because the spice is overwhelming. It isn’t sending me to the kitchen for a drink of ice water to cool the mouth. I’m not in need of a bite of yogurt to tame the zesty flavors that are dancing around in my mouth right now. It all works together very well. It’s warm and it’s – as I said before – a low and slow kind of burn in the back of the mouth and toward the back of the throat.
This is the kind of drink that I’m going to want to turn to when autumn arrives and there’s a cool crispness to the air. It’s just warm enough to give me that all-over sort of warm feeling that I would get if I just drank a shot of whiskey but without the flavor of whiskey in my mouth. That’s a big bonus for this tea-totaler.
I really like this. It’s definitely a suitable tribute to one of my all-time favorite movies.
Just Tulsi with a Twist from Just.Organic.Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Just.Organic.Tea
Tisane Description:
Tulsi, Lemon Myrtle, Ginger, Peppermint, Cinnamon & Pepper
Learn more about Just.Organic.Tea’s stance on Social Responsibility here.
Taster’s Review:
Just Tulsi with a Twist is a blend that isn’t currently available on the Just.Organic.Tea.’s website, but I really like this company, and since they did send me this sample, I figured I’d try it and tell you what I think about it.
Here’s why I like this company: I like that they are a company that isn’t just “talking” about making this planet a better place for us and for future generations, they’re doing something about it and their products prove that. They strive toward selecting organic and sustainable products, and they choose those products that are Fair Trade certified. Sure, it’s easy to find products that are less expensive, but, I like that this is a company that won’t compromise like that. I appreciate that.
And I’m really enjoying this Tulsi blend! It’s sweet, lemon-y, and with just enough of a warm spice kick to keep the taste buds happy. I’m a little surprised that I’m not tasting more from the peppermint than I am, usually, peppermint is a very assertive flavor. But the blenders at Just.Organic.Tea. have blended this in such a way that it has a gentle minty note that plays well with the other flavors in this blend.
I like that I’m tasting each component in this blend. I taste the basil-like notes of the tulsi. The slight “minty” note of the tulsi is accentuated my the soft peppermint-y flavors. It tastes herbaceous but not overly so. I can taste the cinnamon and the ginger and the pepper, and these give the cup a pleasing, soothing warmth.
What I taste most is the Lemon Myrtle, and it gives a really lovely lemon-y note without the pucker. It’s like that sweet-tart lemon flavor you’d find in a lemon curd.
A really nice blend from Just.Organic.Tea. I hope that this will eventually return to their collection of teas that they offer, because it’s one that I think that many tea drinkers would enjoy. It’s a tasty caffeine-free alternative, especially nice after dinner. I found it to have a calming effect on the tummy after a meal … bonus!
Spicy Apple Tisane from Tea People
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit & Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Tea People
Tisane Description:
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. May we add our own to that ‘an appy a day keeps you happy all day’. The tea is made with luxury dried apple spiced with natural dried ginger, cardamom, pepper and cloves and sweetened with cinnamon and stevia. Add to that beautiful dried petals of cornflower and you have the tea of your dreams! A perfect drink for cold days to spice up your day, it also tastes heavenly as iced tea on a hot summer day.
Ingredients: Natural dried Apple, Hibiscus, Dried Ginger, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pepper, Stevia, Cornflower petals and Natural flavours
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
As I was reading through the ingredient list of this Spicy Apple Tisane from Tea People, I found myself wishing that they didn’t include stevia in this. This is my “usual” complaint when it comes to tea or tisane blends with stevia in it, I personally prefer the option to sweeten or not sweeten, and I prefer to choose my sweetener. Stevia isn’t my favorite sweetener, because it’s one of those things that when overdone … it’s just wrong. That said, I have tried several teas/tisanes that have had stevia in the blend and I liked them just fine, so I’m going to keep an open mind until I’ve tasted it!
Hey – this is pretty good! I do think that the stevia is a little too much, and that it would be better without the stevia, but, I really like the taste of the apple and the spices. It’s kind of like an apple cider with masala chai spices!
The hibiscus is on the lighter side here, and really all it seems to do to this particular blend is add a little color and texture to the brewed liquid. I’m not getting that hibiscus tart from this, and that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned.
The apple flavor is well-defined, as are the spicy notes. The spices are nicely balanced. I taste ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, and there is just a hint of pepper to this that sort of tickles the back of the tongue in the aftertaste. I like that the spices are not competing with one another in this tisane and it’s spicy but it’s not overdone. I think that even those who are not generally too keen on spicy teas or tisanes could enjoy this because it’s warmly spiced, but not too spicy.
Overall, a nice tisane. If I were blending it, I would have omitted the stevia, because I think that there is just a little bit too much of it in this blend. It has a slightly “funky” sweetness to it, and while it doesn’t deter from my enjoyment of the drink, I think I’d enjoy it a lot more if the stevia wasn’t there.
Ayurvedic Immune Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
About Tea of Life Ayurvedic Collection:
The word “Ayurveda” is derived from two words – “Ayus” meaning life and “Veda” meaning ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is ‘The Science of Life.’
Life or Ayus, according to Ayurveda, is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul. So Ayurveda does not just limit itself to the body or physical symptoms, but also provides comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and emotional health.
The traditional healing system of Ayurveda is based on a theory of balance between the body (physical), the soul (spiritual) and the mind (psychological).
Ingredients:
Green Tea with Ginger, Coriander, Pepper, Cumin Seed and Tumeric.
Taster’s Review:
When I got my package from Tea of Life, this super cool hexagon package of Ayurvedic teas was among the many teas that were included. The photo doesn’t really do this packaging justice – it’s really neat! There are six different Ayurvedic teas in this package: Stimulating, Slimming, Calming, Detox, Immune and Destress.
Since my husband is currently battling an awful cold and I don’t want to suffer with that same cold, I decided to dig into this hexagon and try the Ayurvedic Immune Tea from Tea of Life to see if it will help me avoid what seems to be an inevitable fate. Whenever anyone gets a cold in this house, I end up getting it too. So, here’s hoping that this will help me … if not avoid it all together, at least minimize my bout with it.
Right off the bat, one thing that I like about this, before I even brew it, is that it has real tea in it. It’s not a blend of herbs. Not that there’s anything wrong with a blend of herbs, but, I like tea. You might have noticed that.
The aroma of the dry tea reminds me of the fragrance I’d experience if I were walking into a restaurant that serves Indian Cuisine. I could smell the tumeric and the other spices. I didn’t get a lot of green tea essence from the aroma.
The brewed tea smells very much the same. A strong tumeric scent, with notes of ginger, cumin, coriander and pepper. I can smell notes of green tea – a light, fresh ‘vegetal’ note.
As far as “functional” teas go, this is really tasty. It reminds me a bit more of a spiced vegetable broth than it does a tea, but, I’m enjoying the flavor. If I’m going to be drinking this for the next few days (as I plan to do to help ~hopefully~ avoid the cold that my husband has right now), then I’m very pleased that the flavor is enjoyable.
While the spices are strong, this is not an “in your face” kind of tea. It doesn’t overwhelm my palate with lots of spice flavor. I can taste the green tea, and the spices keep time with the lightness of the green tea. That is to say that the spices don’t overpower the green tea – a balance has been achieved with this blend. A really good balance.
I consumed this straight up with no additions, and it was just fine like that, however, I think it would be really nice with a dollop of honey (and honey has the added benefit of antioxidants and every little bit helps when you’re trying to avoid a cold.) The sweetness of the honey would accentuate the spices nicely.
Mayan Cocoa Spice Tisane from Yogi
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Spice Melange
Where to Buy: Yogi
Tisane Description:
Embark on a journey to the ancient Mayan temples, where prized cocoa beans were ground and mixed with spices to create a sacred beverage that symbolized fertility and prosperity. We’ve taken this combination into the modern era by combining Organic Cocoa Shells, which supply antioxidants, with the traditional Ayurvedic warming and invigorating spices of organic Cardamom, Clove and Cinnamon Bark. Enjoy this rich tasting and enlivening blend any time of day for a delicious treat.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Even though this Mayan Cocoa Spice Tisane from Yogi isn’t marketed as a “chai” … because it has many of the “usual” spices of a masala chai blend, I decided to categorize it as a chai. And even though this is a tea that can be purchased at my local Chuck’s Produce and it’s a bagged tea, it’s not too bad.
It’s actually pretty good.
Perhaps it’s the cacao that won me over here. I love the spiced chocolate taste of this, it reminds me a bit of a mild Mexican hot chocolate. The chocolate is good and strong (which makes the chocoholic in me very happy) and the spices don’t overwhelm the chocolate, instead, they enhance the chocolate-y flavor. Especially nice is the chicory, which lends a “coffee-esque” sort of flavor to the cup without coffee’s bitterness, and coffee and chocolate seem to go together very well. And so it would seem that chocolate and chicory work equally as well together.
The other spices are well portrayed in this melange too. The cinnamon is the strongest of the spices, but it isn’t an overpowering taste. The cardamom and clove add a nice background of warmth, and the ginger and black pepper add just enough “kick” to this to spice it up without becoming too spicy (although, I can’t help but think what an interesting taste it would be if there was just a hint of cayenne or something stronger in this!)
My biggest issue with this blend is the stevia in the blend. I don’t like it when any tea or tisane includes stevia or other sweetener in it, because I like to decide how sweet or not sweet I want my beverage to be. I don’t like that predetermined for me. And the stevia does impart a slightly “funky” taste to the cup, fortunately, the spices are strong enough to curb this funkiness a little bit, so I’m just getting a wee bit of funky, and its not enough funky to stop me from sipping on this spicy chocolate drink.
Not a bad beverage. It’s not something I’d buy again, but, if it were offered me, it’s not something I’d turn down. I liked it.