Moroccan Mint

After spending an entire day baking in the sun at an event I most definitely did not want to be at (and getting sunburned to boot), I was in desperate need of something cold, sweet, and refreshing. I’m sure there are lots of teas that fit that bill, but for me my go-to “oh dear lord I NEED some iced tea” tea is Moroccan Mint. And since there are about a hundred different variations of it everyone is bound to have a favorite: this one is mine.

This was actually one of my very-first loose leaf teas years ago. I remember my surprise when the gunpowder unfurled and busted open my tea ball! It was love at first sip, and this has been a staple in my cupboard ever since, even when I had to leave most of my teas behind for dorm life. Of course, I don’t use tea balls or spoons now for tea like this so I get to watch it bloom beautifully. This is such a pretty tea—I really love watching tea brew (kind of weird?) and this one is some great eye-candy.

The peppermint in this is very strong: many other Moroccan Mint blends are either not quite minty enough/are too minty for me or they use spearmint (which for some reason makes me ill). The mint-to-green-tea ratio is perfect here: you get a punch of cooling mint followed by a really interesting green. There are almost no grassy/vegetal notes, and like many gunpowders it has a hint of smokiness that perfectly counterbalances the sharp, strong mint and also has a nice depth of flavor. I do like this hot, but iced and with way too much sugar it’s just… perfect! Thirst-quenching, heat-cooling, lip-smacking delicious.

Loose
Appearance: deep green gunpowder pearls
Aroma when Dry: powdery mint
After water is first poured: vanilla mint icing
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: faint green
Staple? Type yes, won’t buy brand again
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first?: mint candy, slight chalkiness
As it cools?: mint notes open and flatten somehow
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, very mild mint and vanilla notes

Every company seemingly has a moroccan mint tea in their stash and Republic of Tea is no different. The strength of the mint flavor is mitigated by the green tea, which makes for a nice blend of green tea and peppermint. It has a grassy aftertaste that’s quite pleasant. Definitely a win for green tea lovers who want a little peppermint in their cups.

http://www.thatpourgirltea.com/2010/07/battle-of-mint-teas-drink-off.html

I bought this because I needed a Moroccan Mint fast with the very early summer in the States. It had no flavoring, which is the way I prefer my teas. However, my previous experiences with Moroccan Mint have been with spearmint-this tea is blended with peppermint. I have never been a fan of straight peppermint-I prefer it with chocolate or with other flavors such as in Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane, but I thought I’d give it a try.

RoT instructs you to brew at water temperatures just before boiling. I steeped at 195 as little as 2 minutes and as long as 4. The peppermint in this tea is just not to my liking. It’s not overpowering, but the peppermint still tastes like a lifesaver candy. I cannot imagine enjoying this iced-which was the way I had planned to drink much of it. Mostly, I would say this is just my personal preference and not an indictment of the tea, therefore I am not giving a number rating to it. I would rather just give in and have flavored spearmint Moroccan than buy it with peppermint again. No way I am finishing this-I’ll give it to my mom the next time I see her.

I can’t get enough of the smell of this tea! Nice minty flavor with what is basically just a green tea.

perfect for an hot summer… how i miss an hot summer!

Delicious! I really haven’t found a Morocco mint blend that I like quite as much as this one. Cool and refreshing without feeling like you’ve been chewing gum when it’s done.

Republic of Tea’s version stands out from the rest, because they use peppermint instead of spearmint. I wager you’ll not find a tastier mint tea outside Morocco.

This tea is pretty good. At first I was turned off by the name “gunpowder” in it, so I purchased a sampler and found out I should have just purchased a full size container because I love the mint taste.

The mint is mild and the tea is lovely, very refreshing, esp with a bit of honey.

This is an outstanding, beautiful, and elegant cup. The green tea is flavorful and light. The mint is soothing. I feel very healthy after a pot of this. Drunk neat, the taste explodes on the tongue. It makes me chant “Carpe Diem! Carpe Diem!”

For the record, this really wasn’t anything at all like the mint tea I actually had in Morocco – that is very very minty and very very very sweet (like “the sugar won’t totally dissolve in your hot cup of tea” sort of sweet).

The gunpowder green tea is an interesting twist on “Moroccan” mint tea, and while I was initially taken aback by the difference, I really like it – its not all about sugar and mint, its about the green tea too. I’ve started loving this on cool fall mornings, but its also amazing as an ice tea when sweetened (moderately). I don’t know if “Moroccan” is the right word, but “good” definitely is.

I don’t drink it very often, but when I do I really enjoy it. Goes way back to before I really started drinking tea, and I had this at a friend’s place. So there’s a part of my brain that always associates it with Middle Sunday at Steve & Paula’s. Nice mix of flavors. (Often good during a cold.) Occasionally add sugar, but plain is also good.

Nice strong DEEP minty flavor.

I love mint so this tea was perfect for me. It was great hot and just as good cold. When you can breathe in that mint aroma and your nose and eyes tingle you know you have a good thing in a cup.

Disappointing. The mint flavour isn’t as strong as I generally like.

Iced this and sipped it all day long. The peppermint is a really nice flavor when cold or hot.

Strong Blend. Refreshing Aroma. Nice Cuppa. Fun Stuff.