I brewed it in freshly boiled water (~8-10 oz) for 3 minutes as suggested. I love loose leaf tea, but the pyramid sachets this tea comes in are super cute and convenient. It’s just one less step (putting the tea into the brew basket) but can make a big difference, especially if you’re in a hurry.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a Thyme tea before, so this was new and exciting to me. This tea doesn’t seem to have any other herbs/spices besides thyme (the ingredients are black tea, thyme, and vanilla) but the flavor is pretty strong and the vanilla gives it more depth and richness. It’s a nice medium-dark, transparent honey-brown when steeped and smells both Thymey and sweet.
First sip: There’s a bit of cognitive dissonance here because I’ve only ever had Thyme in savory dishes so my brain is expecting this tea to be savory rather than sweet. It is sweet, though. I can identify the tannic astringency of the tea base, along the sides of my tongue, while the Thymey bouquet invades my nose. The astringency transitions into a sweetness on the top and back of the tongue that somehow connects it to the flowery herbal fragrance, keeping the whole thing somewhat coherent. So although the black tea flavor is mostly subsumed and the astringent component is the only part of it that really sticks out to me, it still contributes to the overall taste profile.
I next added a bit of sugar (only a little, since it’s so sweet already), which helped the various flavors flow together even better. I then added milk, which worked out great. It made the tea taste warm and strengthening (I mean, it technically already tasted warm, but still) and helped my taste buds get over the funky “no really, this should be savory because it has thyme in it” idea. I think I like it best with milk, but then I usually do with chais and other strong black teas.
This is a very different sort of chai, with a Mediterranean rather than a South Asian inspiration, but I really enjoyed it and I think I could add it to my rotation with great success.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description
This is what my papa called “a signature tea”: refreshing in summer and protective in winter. We love the distinctly herbaceous, yet sweet and comforting taste of this black tea.
Ingredients:
Black Tea – The finest Ceylon tea. Fortifying, yet refreshing.Wild Thyme – Our thyme is wild-harvested in the Mediterranean to ensure its intense aroma and taste. The Romans believed Thyme to be a mood enhancer. My family used to drink it whenever we were feeling under the weather.Vanilla Pieces & Flavour – Smooth, sweet and luxurious.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Anniversary Blend from Tozy Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Tozy
Tea Description:
Celebrating Tozy Tea’s anniversary, this wonderful black tea blend features a smokiness and hints of caramel and vanilla.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love teas with a convenience factor to them. Prepping loose leaf tea is something I’m now used to and have worked that into my everyday. But there are some days that I don’t have time to boil the water, steep the tea, and pour it into my travel mug. Sometimes I just need to throw in some tea and go. I don’t yet have a travel mug that would steep the tea as I take on my daily grind. I need to look into getting one. But until I do I have this gem.
This tea has a slightly smokey black base finish with sweet caramel and vanilla notes in each and every sip. There are slight notes of tobacco, but very slight. I actually am surprised this tea sachet can pack this much flavor. I’ve had a few other offerings from Tozy Tea and this one ranks right up there with their Cherry Blossom, which I adore!
As this one cools, the flavors just continue to grow stronger. I even tried making this into an iced tea and the results were very similar. The only difference is the caramel and vanilla notes were more pronounced.
I think overall I preferred this one brewed hot. The tea gave me that warm and cozy feeling that a good tea will give you. I instantly wanted to curl up with a book and this cuppa. This particular tea sachet has such a simple yet delicious flavor.
Another winner from Tozy Tea!
