Teas Etc | Mango Tango

When you just want a fun, fresh, and flavorful cup of black tea – Mango Tango hits the spot. It’s refreshing and balanced. Obviously, to enjoy this tea, you need to appreciate mango flavored beverages.

Mango Tango has a very smooth black tea (Sri Lanka/Ceylon) flavor. I’ve steeped several cups, and I’ve yet to have a bitter brew. The mango flavor mixed with marigold petals blends well with the black tea. The mango flavor shines through without overpowering the black tea.  The fruit flavor compliments the tea.  For me this is an excellent morning beverage. I’ve been steeping the tea with water around 200 degrees for about 3 mins. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure Mango Tango would taste great iced.

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Teas Etc | Tea Traveler™

I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy tea.  Lately, I’ve been drinking more coffee on the go  than tea because my wife always has a pot ready in the morning and we have plenty of coffee travel mugs handy.  In order to get back into my usual tea consumption habits, I had to find a companion for my early morning travels.  Teas Etc offers a product called the Tea Traveler™.  There are pros and cons to this product, but the pros far out weigh the cons for me.  The issue some people will have with this product is it was designed to allow you to place your tea leaves in the container, add water, seal the strainer and lid, and go.  You drink the tea with the leaves in the Tea Traveler™.  The strainer separates the leaves from your mouth as you take a drink.  If you try to use your normal tea leaf to water heat ratio, you might be left with a bitter brew – no one wants that.  So, you need to apply some common sense.  Going with the suggestions from Teas Etc., the common sense approach was to use less tea.  I have been using approximately the same water temperatures I would normally use to steep tea.  To date, I’m very happy with this approach.  The Tea Traveler™ is a stylish and functional on-the-go tea container.  The product is 100% BPA free.

So far, I’ve tried Teas Etc.’s: Huang Jin Gui (oolong), Golden Monkey Superior Organic (black tea), and Bai Hao Silver Needle Organic (white tea).

Teas Etc | Bai Hao Silver Needle

Today, I want to focus on Bai Hao Organic Silver Needle (Yinzhen).  This tea has been a real treat.  As the name suggests, the dry tea leaves show the white “hairs” of the tea buds with a needle-like appearance.  As the tea steeps, the leaves take on more of a darker green color.  It has a very pure flavor,  and it is a refreshing tea to drink.  The natural sweetness mixed with a hint nature’s breeze gives this tea a very calming characteristic.  What I love about elegant white teas of this quality is the fact that not only is it organic, but it makes you feel grounded and healthy as you drink the tea.

Preparation: Steep the leaves for at least 2-3 minutes in water that has cooled from a boil (maybe 190 degrees) for about 3-4 minutes.  Filtered water definitely helps to bring out the subtle notes of the white tea.

Teas Etc.’s view of the tea: “A scrumptious all bud white tea from the world renowned Fujian province in central China – obviously a cut above. The pure clean character and woody tone stands out with a lingering, smooth finish, and makes this tea quite memorable.”

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Bret Michaels’:

• Charity: American Diabetes Association
• Tea: Diet Trop-A-Rocka™ Tea

Holly Robinson Peete’s:

• Charity: HollyRod foundation (focus on Autism and family)
• Tea:  Compassionberry™ Tea

I can’t wait to try the new teas not only to taste the creation, but to support both foundations.

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I give SoBe a ton of credit for coming out with a zero calorie green tea.  I’m sure a lot of consumers will enjoy this product.  I tried the product on multiple days to make sure I wasn’t being overly critical of the sweetener.  If you are trying to watch your calorie intake, and you are used to SoBe or similar products – you might enjoy this green tea.  Did I mention it has Z-E-R-O calories?

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Ito En | Peach

Today, I did want to write a note about Ito En’s peach flavored RTD.  I’ve been a big fan of Ito En’s authentic and healthy ready-to-drink teas (here are some of my favorites): Oi Ocha, TEA’S TEA, and Sencha Shot

Ito En’s Peach flavored ready-to-drink tea:  This is a black tea that is sweetened with natural cane sugar.  It is not too sweet (15g sugar per fl oz).  The natural peach flavoring is well balanced and it makes the beverage very refreshing.  The black tea flavor definitely takes a back seat to the fruit flavor.  So if you are looking for a strong black tea flavor, you will not find it in this RTD.  This tea is all about fun.  It’s not nearly as serious as some of their other brands.  As a consumer, I appreciate their variety.  I’m not always in the mood for a Sencha Shot.  Sometimes I want a flavorful iced tea from a trusted brand and that is what Ito En offers.  This tea makes for a good lunch time companion.  Again, if you are looking for a serious black tea with a recognizable black tea flavor, this is not going to do it for you.

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Rishi | Organic Green Needles

It has been a while since I’ve had a pure green tea.  It was a perfect time to get back to the basics.  Rishi’s Organic Green Needles (roasted) is an excellent pure green tea option.  I’ve made several cups now and each cup has been enjoyable.  The green tea flavor really pops in this variety.  Much of the flavor and aroma has to be contributed to the attention to detail with the processing of the tea.  I get a wide range of flavors from this tea.  It’s buttery sweet with a very smooth vegetal flavor.  The aroma of the tea rivals the flavor.  So you get this blast of fresh green tea with every sip.  I often find myself just enjoying the steam rising from the cup before taking a sip.  From my previous blogs, you may know that I’m a huge fan of roasted teas.  This one was actually a lot less roasted than I anticipated.  It’s a very subtle roasting.  You are not going to be overwhelmed with a smoky flavor by this tea.  The subtle roasting is an excellent accent to an already flavorful organic and fair trade certified green tea.  I didn’t find the green tea to be bitter, but the roasted accents are noticeable (as I mentioned they are subtle).  I stuck with a traditional steeping method of 180°F water for a few minutes – great every time.

One compliment I want to give Rishi is their description of their teas.  Those of us that love tea and are always looking for information to expand our tea knowledge really appreciate Rishi’s descriptions.

Rishi describes the tea as : “Green Needles, known as “Lu Zhen,” is the most famous green tea from the Xuan En Yulu Organic Fair Trade Tea Association in Hubei, China. This grade of Organic Green Needles was made in early April of 2009 during the Qing Ming harvest season. Green Needles is noted for its brisk, energizing character and artisanal hand-shaped appearance. Composed of one leaf and a bud, this tea has a superb balance of freshness and brisk bittersweetness. This tea is made by roasting after withering and the final drying temperature is a bit higher than for the steamed type of Green Needle.”

I recommend this tea as an excellent every day green tea.  If you are a new tea drinker and you are ready to experience a true green tea that isn’t overpowering – this is an excellent option.

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Rishi | Organic Yi Congou Special

I am enjoying many new teas from Rishi.  My wife was very kind to buy a lot of teas for me for Christmas.  Rishi’s Organic Yi Congou Special was very enjoyable.  With Yi Congou Special being both organic and fair trade certified, it makes this tea even more special.

Let’s start with Rishi’s description of the tea: “Yi Congou is the traditional black tea from Xuan En County that evolved from the rise of Keemun black tea’s popularity in Western tea markets during the mid-19th century. Often mistaken for Keemun and exported falsely as such, Yi Congou has a smooth, sweet flavor with a light chocolate note and sweet finish.”

Most of us that drink a wide variety of teas appreciate the vast differences between the many types of black, green, white, and oolong teas.  The range of flavors and extremes is endless with the many choices that tea vendors offer.  Yi Congou Special is just a simple pleasure.  It has a strong, yet smooth, black tea flavor that reminds me more of a Ceylon than a Keemun.  As Rishi mentioned, it’s not to be mistaken for a Keemun.  The dry tea also displays nicely for your guests.  The deep-dark color of the tea leaves are accented by copper leaves evenly scattered throughout the tea.  This tea shouldn’t be viewed as boring by any stretch.  It is an every day kind of black tea.  It’s an excellent morning and afternoon tea and it pairs well with many foods due to the fact that it doesn’t have dominating characteristics.  It’s a pure and true high-quality black tea.  The sweet finish makes it very enjoyable to me in the morning.  If you are looking for something slightly stronger than a Ceylon, but not as dominating or defining as a Keemun, I highly recommend Yi Congou Special.

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