Maharaja Chai Oolong - Teavana

Where to buy:  Teavana

Description:  Rich spices wafting together create the exotic intoxicating taste of India. Alluring chai intensely mixes with royal splendor oolong tea creating taste bursts of cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutty cardamom. The famed 'Spice Route' is conjured up in every rich cup of this robust and most favored chai.

Robust infusion full of rich spice notes from cinnamon, ginger, pepper and cloves

Ingredients:  Cinnamon, oolong tea, ginger pieces, carob pieces, chicory root, artificial flavoring, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom

My Review:

I found a small tin of this tea in my pantry and thought it would be a perfect addition to a cool fall day.

Upon opening the tiny tin (it is really tiny as it only holds maybe 5 or 6 teaspoons of tea) this tea looked like a standard chai with its collection of spices and tea and the wonderfully spice-filled scent.

The recommended brewing is 1 tsp. of Maharaja Chai, 8 oz. of water heated to 90 degrees Celsius (or 195 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 3 minutes. I brewed my standard large cup with 2 teaspoons of tea for 3 minutes and added a little sugar and a splash of milk.

Once brewed, this tea smells very spicy and just like a chai should smell. The cardamom, ginger, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon combination is relaxing and warm and really comes through in the taste. This tea has just the right amount of spice for me and the pepper adds a little kick to the chai but it is not overpowering. I like a stronger chai, but if you prefer a milder taste you may want to use a little less tea than the recommended preparation or steep it for a shorter time.

This tea really is the perfect combination for a cold day. It will warm you up with it’s fragrant smells and flavor. I think this tea would be heavenly when mixed with an evaporated milk instead of my regular 2% milk, and I plan to try this on Halloween when I'm outside handing out candy.

Crème Caramel Rooibos - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  SHEER DECADENCE

There are few dessert teas more satisfying than Crème Caramel Rooibos. Smooth, sweet and creamy, it’s a taste sensation. And the best part is it's made with South African rooibos, which is caffeine-free, nutty and naturally sweet. So indulge in a caramel dream. With virtually no calories, it might be the healthiest thing you do all day.

Ingredients:  Red Rooibos, caramel pieces, artificial flavouring 

Contains milk

My Review:

After dinner I was craving something sweet. I rifled through the pantry and discovered that my sister had a pouch of Crème Caramel Rooibos that I thought would be perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth.

When I opened the pouch I was hit with a very caramel-y smell. The blend isn’t particularly attractive as this tea is really only red rooibos and tiny cubes of caramel pieces, but the smell is heavenly!

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Crème Caramel Rooibos, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed my standard large cup (which holds about 2 cups of liquid) for 7 minutes and added some honey and a splash of milk.

When brewed, the smell of the rooibos is very prominent with a hint of vanilla. The taste is very smooth and creamy with an undertone of caramel that is not too overpowering, but adds a slight welcome sweetness.

I really enjoyed this tea. It is warm and comforting and I think it would be great after dinner or just before bed. This tea just makes me happy!

Sugar and Spice - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  EVERYTHING NICE

Some teas are great conversation starters. All you have to do is steep a cup and before you know it, people are asking “what is that wonderful smell?”, “did someone just bake a cake?” and of course, “can I have some?” This comforting black tea blend is no exception. With the warm aromas of cinnamon, cloves and vanilla, it smells and tastes like a spice cake fresh out of the oven. But consider yourself warned: you might want a little bit extra to share around…

Ingredients:  Black tea, apples, cinnamon cassia, cloves, carrots, marigold petals, orange peel, natural vanilla flavoring

My Review:

After my disappointment with the Pumpkin Chai, my sister recommended that I try Sugar and Spice.

As I opened the pouch I was immediately hit with the wonderfully spicy smell of orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. There are good size chunks of orange peel, blended with dainty marigold petals, apples and carrots. The addition of these ingredients to the black tea gives it a subtle yet striking color contrast.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Sugar and Spice, water heated to 94 degrees Celsius (or 201 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed a double serving again for 6 minutes and added a tiny bit of milk.

Once brewed, this tea smells strongly of cinnamon and cloves with an undertone of orange and apple. The scent reminds me of the orange pomander balls and spice cookies that we make at Christmas. The tea itself is not very strong, but does have a hint of spice and the apple gives it a mild sweetness without added sugar or honey. The clove is definitely the stand out spice in this blend. I found this tea to be quite pleasant, not overly spicy but not too bland.

This has to be one of my favorite teas. I love the subtle spice flavors mixed with the fragrant orange peel and the sweet apple. I think this tea will quickly become one of my favorite fall/winter teas!

Pumpkin Chai - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  Let’s face it, the best thing about fall is pumpkin pie. And this spiced black tea is arguably just as delicious. It’s got all the warmth of cinnamon, pumpkin pieces, cloves and cardamom, plus the sweetness of caramel and pumpkin candy. For a true autumn treat, top it up with steamed milk and stir in a spoonful of brown sugar. It’ll make you wish it were fall all year round.

Ingredients:  Black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel bits, pumpkin candies, natural and artificial flavoring  

Contains milk and soy

My Review:

I found this tea on the David’s Tea website the other day and really wanted to try it. I LOVE pumpkin pie and the thought of a tea that claimed to taste just like pumpkin pie was too hard to ignore. Luckily, my sister had a pouch that she had just bought and she let me use some of hers.

When I opened the pouch I was immediately drawn to the little pumpkin candies. Pumpkin Chai is made with black tea, so the little orange candies really stand out and they are adorable! There are chunks of lemon peel, squash, pumpkin pieces and carrot along with whole cloves that blend well with the black tea and give the overall impression of an earthy tone. This tea smells very sweet with a hint of spice.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Pumpkin Chai, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-6 minutes. I brewed a double serving again for 5 minutes and added a little milk.

Once I had brewed my cup of tea it smelled faintly of pumpkin and mostly of cinnamon. I was super excited because I figured that to taste like pumpkin pie it would have to have a very strong pumpkin and cinnamon taste. On my first sip I was a bit disappointed. The taste was very light and it only tasted mildly of pumpkin. I’m sure that this tea would be a good accompaniment to a slice of pumpkin pie (or a whole pie!), but on its own it wasn't as spicy or as strong as I thought it would be. I think this tea could benefit from a little more cinnamon and pumpkin flavor, and maybe a little nutmeg thrown in.

All in all, this tea was actually a pleasantly comforting tea that does remind me of the fall. I think the only reason that I was a bit disappointed in the strength of the flavor was because I had hyped myself up so much about it tasting exactly like pumpkin pie that when it didn't I was a bit disappointed.

Jessie's Tea - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  WISH YOU HAD A JESSIE'S TEA

Let’s face it, we all get stressed out sometimes. But everyone seems to have a different way of dealing with it. Some people relax with a hot bath. Others go for aromatherapy. And if you’re anything like us, you reach for a sweet treat. But this pretty, soothing tea is a little bit of all three. It’s got soothing rooibos to warm you up. Fragrant lavender to help you unwind. And creamy coconut to satisfy any craving. It’s like having your own personal spa.

Ingredients:  Rooibos, honeybush, coconut bits, lavender, blue cornflowers, natural and artificial flavoring

My Review:

Upon opening my little pouch of Jessie’s Tea, the first thing that I noticed is how pretty this tea actually is. Little purple flower petals and buds are speckled throughout the rooibos and small pieces of coconut add little white flecks of contrast. This tea smells perfume-y with a definite lavender scent.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Jesse’s Tea, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed a double serving (my tea cup is huge!) for 5 minutes and added a little honey and milk.

The scent of brewed Jessie’s Tea honestly reminds me of the subtle taste that vomit leaves in your mouth (however my sister claims that it smells like lavender – I guess to each their own). Once I got over the initial smell I was actually pleasantly surprised with the flavor. The flavor is very much lavender with a tiny undertone of sweet coconut. I found this tea to be very soothing and strangely comforting. I can’t wait until my next cup!

Aside from the brewed scent of this tea, the only complaint that I have is that the rooibos is very tiny and a bunch of it escaped from my steeper. Other than that, this tea actually quite enjoyable.