Lisbet Send Message

Oh this is gooooood. I knew I was in for a treat when I smelled the tea bag and it smelled like the most delicious vanilla ice cream you’d ever hope to sniff. And brewed, it’s just as delectable. The black tea isn’t too astringent, but it keeps the tea from being too sweet. I had been really sick of dessert teas (particularly cacao ones), but this reminded me that I need to not ever make pronouncements about an entire category of tea (except hibiscus tea, which can stay away from me). This is a great accompaniment to the cupcake I also have.

I was super surprised when I reached my scoop into this bag, and what came out was a kind of powdery substance. What the? I actually assumed this was a black tea blend before getting to try it (thanks Kristin!) when I’d see it come up on people’s feeds. As I drink it, it definitely has an overtone of red fruit tisane. Behind that is the cinnamon spice. It makes my mouth pucker a bit. Overall, I cannot decide about this one. I wouldn’t buy it, but I don’t dislike it per se. Um, hm. Will have to experiment with it.

It’s chilly in Houston- in the lower 30s, which is not common here! So, thinking “I’m in Texas.” I was underbundled this morning. By the time I got to school, I was pretty shivery. Although I generally like milk in my Earl Grey, I decided it would be worth it to try this one plain just to warm up, even though all I had was hot water cooler water.

Pretty good earl grey! I didn’t brew it under optimal conditions, to be sure, but I think I may still prefer Tea Gschwender’s Earl Grey 69. This one just didn’t taste quite as rich to me. It was delicious, but a bit muted. Perhaps I under-steeped it. Thanks to Kristin for the bag!

This one smelled great in the envelope so I decided to give it a shot. Thanks, Kristin! I tried it plain and then, for fun mixed in Choco-Peppermint Westsoy that I had in the house. It didn’t turn the tea into a disgusting bog, either.
Anyway, this one reminds me of Adagio’s Chocomint green tea, which used to be a favorite of mine until I o.d.‘ed on it. But of course, this one contains overtones of rooibos. I like it, but I think I may be still sick of this particular set of flavors. I actually left the old Adagio tin in the kitchen area of my department in Chicago, and it may very well still be there more 2 years later. (That’s what I do with all tea that I don’t want- bring it to school, leave it near the departmental source of hot water. Hope for the best.)

I got this from Kristin! Apparently I have somehow gotten off RoT’s mailing list, so I didn’t get this in the mail myself. Boo. Well, I feel lousy- I’ve been dragging for days. So a new tea is a lovely thing. I actually expected to dislike this immensely. I hate pomegranate teas most of the time… BUT I don’t dislike this one. (Notice that I tried it anyway, because I’ll try any tea once.)
It’s actually sweet with a berry undertone. My sister used to like these Cherry Creamsaver Lifesavers… and it’s like that, but less artificial tasting.

I actually almost misidentified this as not being by Ten Ren, because it’s more prominently labeled as being from “Midori & Tea” . I am also going to admit that I bought this for the gorgeous tin that it’s in. I’ve actually had a whole bunch of teas labeled Oriental Beauty Tea that weren’t oolong as this is. I think my favorite was a Pu-ehr by Life Rising. This is mild and generally a good tea. It’s a good thing I’m enjoying it as much as I am, because I now have a lot of it. Tastes a lot gentler than your average Chinese restaurant oolong. Beauty enhancing effects? Unverified.
(I forgot to set the timer and steeped this a bit long. No harm done.)

This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, which might make you wonder why I tried it at all. I’m going through the teas that my in-laws have in their cupboard, and I love Kalahari’s other Chocolatte blends. They’re pretty good for you too- or at least I assume so with the combination of cacao and spices and tea. (Does drinking an infusion of cacao have similar benefits to eating it? I left the tea box in the other room.)
Anyway, it’s not disgustingly sweet at all, actually. Rather mild. It’s like any number of chocolate chais I’ve tried before, but with a less artificial overtone. I hate the chocolate flavoring used in a lot of choco teas- yeuch. This one is much more muted, which is why I can even stand it.

Ouch, I just poured half of this down my shirt by accident. But this doesn’t impact my review in any way. Though steeping this for a while, I find this tea a bit weak. I do taste some delicious ginger, but I’ve had much much better versions of ginger tea, chai, etc. I suppose I’m being too hard on a cup of Celestial Seasonings, but I’m just not a huge fan. Am dragging the little rating slider to right under the ambivalent face.

If anyone ever has a surplus of Kalahari tea and wants to unload it, look me up. Teabag snobbery be damned, this stuff is tasty. The orange is really bright, and the cacao and ginger make for a truly delicious combination. I oversteeped a bit with no ill effects. I found this originally in a Chicago Whole Foods, and got my mother-in-law addicted to it. Another tea I miss from Chicago!

I LOVE this tea. LOVE love love love. I am primarily a Vata type according to Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine, which Western medicine is painstakingly verifying the soundness of via experiment and testing). This tea just makes me feel balanced and well; it calms me and seems to increase my overall feelings of wellness. I did without it since leaving Chicago and being able to taste it again reminded me of how badly I need to order a bag.
(I do like the taste as well- slightly herbal, slightly sweet, but I am mostly in it for the effects. Your mileage may vary.)