Repubic of Tea: Peppermint Bark Tea

Republic of Tea sent me this sample of Peppermint Bark along with a catalog, so time to put it to the test. Steep time is provided by company: 5-7mins. This is a rooibos tea, but since it has strong peppermint flavor, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to herbal tea drinkers. This tea has a sweet taste despite not being sweetened in any way. Pair it with sweet potato casserole or cinnamon buns.

Single tea bag packet

Directions on back

Now steeping in mugs near you!

Cold-Brew Coffee: Seattle's Best Coffee

Decided to try out cold brew overnight in the french press. Drop in a 1-to-1 Tbs to filtered water ratio in the pitcher. Enjoy with milk (or mylk) and sweetener of choice.

French pressed with love

Guayaki Yerba Mate: Endurance

Today, I'm trying Guayaki-brand Yerba mate (endurance-type). Ingredients include: Yerba Maté, Orange, Lemon, Rosehips, Cinnamon, Stevia. Steep-time is recommended at 5-10 minutes, but since this is such a strong tea, I prefer it on the shorter steep time. 

Steeped Yerba mate, 5 min steep time

Try yerba mate cold also for a slightly bitter, but refreshing drink. This flavor has a slightly citrus taste, however, still tastes strongly of yerba mate. Pair yerba mate with cinnamon scones or a salad.

Jasmine Tea

Purchased from our nearby Asian grocery store, this jasmine tea (by Wei-Chuan) is a floral bouquet perfect to pair with coconut rice or brie and a baguette.

25 tea bags for $1.99, not bad!

Package-recommended steep time: 3-5 mins
My steep time: 3 mins

We found that a 3 minute steep time was more than generous and allowed the fragrant jasmine scent to be released into the tea. This tea would probably taste perfect cold, so I look forward to testing that out in the future.

Bigelow's Spiced Chai Black Tea

Today I am sampling Bigelow's Spiced Chai Black Tea (Decaffeinated variety). Although this tea is satisfying as I would expect of a Bigelow tea, the flavor cannot really compare to authentic chai tea. 

A wrapped tea sachet, taunting and ready to go.

After the suggested 4 minute steep time.

A scrumptious black tea, by no means spicy enough to merit the title "chai", still a nice belly warmer and goes well with a splash of soy milk and a spoon of maple syrup. Ready to make a mock-chai tea? Brew a pot or kettle of this tea and stir in a pinch of each of the following: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, ginger. Stir very well until the spices have all but disappeared. Try that blend with honey and milk for a chai-substitute.

Rooibos with Asian Pear Tea

Bigelow produced this unusual red tea combination: pear rooibos tea. Seeing it in the discount area of my grocery store (assumedly due to the strange combo and possibly due to the lack of red tea following), I decided to pick up a box to see if the demotion was merited or not.

A single tea bag packet

Steeping produces a deep maroon color.

I steeped it for two minutes before removing the tea sachet. The smell is reminiscent of pear skin, so I guess you can say they nailed that. The taste simply seemed to fall under the rooibos category in my opinion. Although this isn't a tea I would drink everyday, it's not half bad and would be a great pick for a cool spring day, to accompany a big bowl of salad or a side of sliced fruit.

Samurai Chai Tea

Can you believe this turns into a cup of yellow-green-colored tea?

Hanging around on a cool autumn day, this tea is very calming and comforting. Though it lacks the typical chai tea spiciness, the blend of fruitiness and chai is appealing.

I recommend a steep time of five minutes for a couple of teaspoons of this loose tea. The second brew is noticeably weaker. Try with a tsp of honey or maple syrup, but note that these will affect the taste.

Ginger Green Tea

Another fantastic Asian market find, this green tea has the added twist of ginger root to add a slightly spicy kick.

Home remedy central?

We purchased a box of 50 sachets of Ginger Green tea with the hopes it would alleviate stomach pain. 

A single sachet

A slightly over-steeped cup

 After a bit of fail, I finally succeeded in creating a delicious tea with a 5 minute steep time. With a full five minutes, you get a big gingery flavor without the bitterness. Unfortunately on second or third steeps of the same bag, the ginger seems to be mostly lost.

We did notice that there is a big difference in ginger-to-green-tea ratio (ie strength of ginger flavor) from sachet to sachet. So luck of the draw, maybe?

China Green Tea

Everyone touts the health benefits of antioxidant-rich green tea, so let's give it a try.
We purchased this big box of 100 sachets of Chinese green tea at our local Asian market.

Check out that rockin' gradient box!

After a bit of trial-and-error (as well as following the helpful hints on the box), we've determined a 3-5 minute steep time is best for this tea. Too long and you get a bitter tea. Too short and you get a cup of hot water. This tea is a mild, soft green tea that goes down easy.

Can you tell which is the 2nd brew?

 Once again, we have discovered a tea that is a great candidate for a second steeping. In the above photo, the tea on the right is the second steeped cup. Could you tell? Perhaps a little less golden in hue, however, the taste is comparable if a bit less perfume-like in fragrance and a bit less strong in taste.

Iron Buddha Tea

100 sachet box

We purchased a big box of Iron Buddha from our local Asian grocery store. Pretty brave of us to go for a big box when we've never tried it before, huh?

Single packet

Open packet

Be wary when buying cheap tea that the packet hasn't opened up - if it has, your tea will be full of leaves - bleh!

30 second brew time difference!

Iron Buddha tea is a type of Oolong tea. We experimented with a few steep times and found that 6 minutes was the sweet spot for the first brew. The awesome thing about Oolong tea is that the second brew is more flavorful than the first. For the second brew, give it about the same amount of time, but check on it periodically until it turns a light brown color (left cup in above image). You will notice that the second brew is in a league of its own. Give it a try!

Synergy Kombucha Tea: Gingerberry Flavor

Sleek Synergy Kombucha bottle

We were excited about opening this kombucha tea the second we got home, but upon further research, we discovered that it is recommended one drinks kombucha first thing in the morning.

The next morning, we cracked it open. It is recommended you start out drinking kombucha with a small serving and work your way up to a decent serving size. We started with 1/4 cup, but if you have a delicate constitution, you may wish to reduce the serving size further on your first dose.

The kombucha was a sweet, crisp almost soda-like drink (without the sugary blast) with a very pleasant taste. We recommend you savor the serving, however small it may be, in order to prevent digestive distress.

We have since seen sales on this brand of Kombucha tea at Whole Foods, Publix and Target, so you may be able to find it at a discount for your first taste. If you get a taste for kombucha and want to make it a part of your daily routine, you should consider making your own at home, as the bottles can run from $2.50 - $3.50 for a 2 cup bottle (as we have seen in our area).