October's Teatourist theme is 'Hats and Scarves': a selection of 'cosy cuppas' to keep the wind out of your nooks and crannies. This month we have 4 black teas and 2 herbals, which suits me very well, as I've been deserted by my fellow reviewers and I'm drinking alone. More tea for me then?
Mazawattee Earl Grey by Mazawattee Tea
Black tea, orange peel, lemon peel, natural flavouring.
Ah, teabags! I usually buy my specialty tea loose-leaf these days, but I have to admit that when I’m reviewing I often go for the teabags first, as they’re quicker and cleaner when I’m short on time or feeling lazy. Now, I’m a bit of a geek, and I can’t say ‘Earl Grey’ without mentally adding ‘hot’ onto the end of it. But whilst it might be Captain Picard’s tea of choice, I find that some blends of Earl Grey (hot!) can give me a headache and make me feel slightly odd. Does anyone else experience this? I assume that it’s the bergamot oil, or perhaps the bergamot flavouring. Anyway, I’m pleased to report that this blend did not make me feel odd nor induce a headache! This is a full-bodied Earl Grey, fresh, with a lovely clean scent from the orange and lemon peel, and would make a good everyday cuppa.The Mazawattee website has some excellent information about the history of the company (it was once the most famous tea company in England!) and the name itself (which is a combination of 'maza', a Hindi word meaning 'pleasure', and 'watte', a Sinhalese word meaning 'garden'). I feel enriched for knowing this.
Ah, teabags! I usually buy my specialty tea loose-leaf these days, but I have to admit that when I’m reviewing I often go for the teabags first, as they’re quicker and cleaner when I’m short on time or feeling lazy. Now, I’m a bit of a geek, and I can’t say ‘Earl Grey’ without mentally adding ‘hot’ onto the end of it. But whilst it might be Captain Picard’s tea of choice, I find that some blends of Earl Grey (hot!) can give me a headache and make me feel slightly odd. Does anyone else experience this? I assume that it’s the bergamot oil, or perhaps the bergamot flavouring. Anyway, I’m pleased to report that this blend did not make me feel odd nor induce a headache! This is a full-bodied Earl Grey, fresh, with a lovely clean scent from the orange and lemon peel, and would make a good everyday cuppa.The Mazawattee website has some excellent information about the history of the company (it was once the most famous tea company in England!) and the name itself (which is a combination of 'maza', a Hindi word meaning 'pleasure', and 'watte', a Sinhalese word meaning 'garden'). I feel enriched for knowing this.
Mint Choc Royale by Jollybrew
Black tea, blackberry leaves, peppermint leaves, natural flavours.
This… This is just what I have been looking for: the perfect dessert tea. I avoid sugar, but of course I still want dessert, so specialty blended and flavoured teas are the answer for me, providing that hit of sweetness and flavour, and bringing a meal to a close. This tea uses a beautiful Ceylon as a base, and adds the perfect balance of mint and chocolate notes. The info card suggests adding milk, and I wouldn’t have thought to do this with a mint-flavoured tea, but it is absolutely right, as the milk (in this case soya) brings out the depth and flavour. Teatourist have sent out a few chocolate teas in previous boxes, but I think that this is the first one to use black tea as a base, and it works a charm. I loved this.
This… This is just what I have been looking for: the perfect dessert tea. I avoid sugar, but of course I still want dessert, so specialty blended and flavoured teas are the answer for me, providing that hit of sweetness and flavour, and bringing a meal to a close. This tea uses a beautiful Ceylon as a base, and adds the perfect balance of mint and chocolate notes. The info card suggests adding milk, and I wouldn’t have thought to do this with a mint-flavoured tea, but it is absolutely right, as the milk (in this case soya) brings out the depth and flavour. Teatourist have sent out a few chocolate teas in previous boxes, but I think that this is the first one to use black tea as a base, and it works a charm. I loved this.
Spiced Orange Pekoe Tea by Spice Kitchen
Black tea, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, natural orange flavour.
As we head into autumn and winter it’s natural for the spiced teas of the world to come out of hiding and once again take their place proudly on the counter top. I would have been disappointed not to see a spiced tea in this ‘Hats and Scarves’ selection, and I imagine that this was a popular choice for inclusion. I mentioned headaches earlier, and spiced teas are another type that can sometimes leave me with a headache. But, again, all was well this time, and this nicely spiced blend conveyed only warmth and festive thoughts. A note on ordering more: on Spice Kitchen's website this is just called 'Orange Spiced'.
As we head into autumn and winter it’s natural for the spiced teas of the world to come out of hiding and once again take their place proudly on the counter top. I would have been disappointed not to see a spiced tea in this ‘Hats and Scarves’ selection, and I imagine that this was a popular choice for inclusion. I mentioned headaches earlier, and spiced teas are another type that can sometimes leave me with a headache. But, again, all was well this time, and this nicely spiced blend conveyed only warmth and festive thoughts. A note on ordering more: on Spice Kitchen's website this is just called 'Orange Spiced'.
Fika Tea by The Tea Experience
Blended black teas, vanilla, marigold blossom.
The scent of this in the packet is light and vanilla-ey. But my first attempt at brewing it was not a success. I followed the instructions: measure the tea, measure the water, correct temperature, correct brewing time. But it didn’t come out quite right. I was expecting more vanilla and floral notes, but these were very subtle and were overwhelmed by the blend of black teas, one of which was slightly bitter. On my second attempt I used less tea and brewed for less time, and this time the floral and vanilla notes came through more strongly, although I could still detect an underlying bitterness from the black tea. If I were to try it again I would go for an even lighter brew. It was still enjoyable, but I found it to be rather unbalanced and couldn’t get past the strange bitterness.
Time For Winter by Caley's Apothecary
Liquorice root, thyme, elderflower, ginger root.
This is a strange blend. It's warming, and the sweet notes come through eventually, but it's thrown completely off-kilter by the overwhelming taste of thyme. Now, I appreciate a good pun during the tea-naming process, and perhaps there is a bitter lesson here. And I did get used to the taste after a while, but I'm not sure that one should have to get used to a tea! Very odd, and not one that I'd drink again.
The scent of this in the packet is light and vanilla-ey. But my first attempt at brewing it was not a success. I followed the instructions: measure the tea, measure the water, correct temperature, correct brewing time. But it didn’t come out quite right. I was expecting more vanilla and floral notes, but these were very subtle and were overwhelmed by the blend of black teas, one of which was slightly bitter. On my second attempt I used less tea and brewed for less time, and this time the floral and vanilla notes came through more strongly, although I could still detect an underlying bitterness from the black tea. If I were to try it again I would go for an even lighter brew. It was still enjoyable, but I found it to be rather unbalanced and couldn’t get past the strange bitterness.
Time For Winter by Caley's Apothecary
Liquorice root, thyme, elderflower, ginger root.
This is a strange blend. It's warming, and the sweet notes come through eventually, but it's thrown completely off-kilter by the overwhelming taste of thyme. Now, I appreciate a good pun during the tea-naming process, and perhaps there is a bitter lesson here. And I did get used to the taste after a while, but I'm not sure that one should have to get used to a tea! Very odd, and not one that I'd drink again.
Turmeric, ginger, liquorice, lemongrass, cinnamon, elderflower.
Elsewhere this might be categorised as a herbal spiced chai. You know what I mean. I was expecting something punchy and curried, but actually this is a mild, warming and fragrant blend, with sweet and sharp notes. Very enjoyable.
And what's this? Teatourist have included some delicious-looking biscotti as a complimentary treat! I wasn't able to try this, but I gave it to a friend, who wolfed it down and came back with the review that it was 'biscotti-tastic'. So, there you go.
What's New(ish!)?
I've been saying for some time now that I'll talk about the new packaging and info card design, and each month I've run out of time. So they're not all that new now but I'm going to talk about them anyway!
First up, the packaging that the tea comes in. This has changed from resealable clear plastic bags to Teatourist-brand green bags, with just a small clear window for viewing the tea. I was a little worried about this change at first, as when I opened the first subscription box that used the new packaging I got a strong whiff of plastic, and I was concerned that this might affect the taste of the tea. However, the smell seems to have vanished with subsequent boxes and it didn't affect the taste at all.
Labelling-wise, the round name sticker has gone, and in its place we have proper card labels, with space for the tea company logo. Along the top is a colour-coded strip, so that you can see, at a glance, what different types of tea the box contains. Grey for black tea, blue for herbal, pink for fruit, and so on. Also printed on is the type of tea (black, herbal, etc), the weight of tea inside (which will vary with each blend), and approximately how many cups it makes. The new bags also have the advantage of hiding the information cards, which are attached on the back, giving the whole thing a slicker, more modern look.
It's worth mentioning again that you can order any past Teatourist box to try, so do take a look at my previous reviews and see if there's something that takes your fancy. It's all rather tempting...
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