Hawaiian Islands Tea Company

Another review will likely be forthcoming when I’ve gotten over my cold and fully regained all my senses, but I did enjoy the 2 cups of this tea that I had tonight. Like its counterpart, Pineapple Waikiki, the fruit flavor wasn’t synthetic, and it wasn’t overpowering. It was just enough to add interest.

I’ll probably have to write another review when I’ve gotten over this cold, and fully regained all my senses, but this tea is absolutely lovely. A wonderful departure from plain black teas, and a welcome diversion from said cold. I had 2 cups this evening, and it was wonderful – the fruit flavor wasn’t synthetic (as I’d feared it may be), and it was just enough to add interest without being overpowering.

This was definitely an impulse buy at the grocery store, they had several different kinds of Hawaiian Island Teas and I chose this one. I decided to use two teabags in a large-ish mug. Eh, it isn’t terrible but not that great either. It tastes of mostly rooibos and I was hoping for something with more of a punchy flavor in terms of the coconut or the macadamia. I added some soymilk and some coconut extract to this and that did improve upon the flavor slightly but it still leaves something to be desired. Anyway I am also giving it a solid “meh”

My dad got this for me. It just wasn’t for me. It has a mild strength of guava. It has a cold medicine feel to it, does ginseng have that effect? I have had ginseng tea, but don’t remember that feeling. It reminds me how Coldeeze feels in your mouth, but not as extreme. It’s something that made me not like the tea. The tea itself was just mediocre. I am donating the rest to a friend who has a cold, I hope she enjoys it. I really was looking forward to the guava flavor. First guava flavored tea.

I give this tea a ‘meh’. It’s not bad for a red rooibos-based tea but it’s not spectacularly good either. I can sorta taste the coconut and a creaminess that that might or might not the be the macadamia nut, but none of the flavours really shout out to me; they’re there but at a background level.

I got this at my local Japanese store. I was looking forward to passion fruit flavor. I LOVE anything passion fruit. It’s hard to find products that include it, since it’s so pricey here in the USA. It shouldn’t be though.

I made this into an iced tea. The passion fruit is in a perfect strength, and very real tasting. You can’t smell it, but it’s there. I might have to check out the other flavors they offer. The black tea in it is brisk and refreshing. No astringency.

I have some passion fruit puree in my freezer, I might have to make a fun drink with this tea!

I recently received this one from a friend that lives in Hawaii. This smells of glorious guava once opened! Intensely scented for a bagged tea!!! As for the taste – it was more ginseng at first! The it was half ginseng and half green tea tasting. The more it cooled I could finally get the guava notes! I prefer to wait on this one to cool a bit so I can get that guava flavor tied in! Once that happened I enjoyed this cup more!

I received this from a friend…straight from the islands! This is highly fragrant! VERY juicy and fresh aroma-wise! YUM!

This is a fine flavored black! The Mango is delightful! But you can still tell it’s a black tea. The aroma and flavor from this bagged fellow really amazes me! Very tasty!

I purchased this tea during a trip to Hawaii – I love all things guava! This tea is quite good, but it really needs a sweetener to bring out the flavor – I find a little bit of honey does the trick nicely.

The green tea is mellow, and the flavors of the guava and ginseng aren’t overpowering. I steep it for 5 minutes (the directions advise 3-5 minutes) – usually I wouldn’t steep green tea for so long, but this one seems to need it or it doesn’t come out well.

Licorice is the first thing that came to mind as the hot water hit the tea bag. I almost dumped it but thought it can’t really taste like licorice. Well, I was right but I’m not sure what this tastes like. It certainly isn’t pineapple. I think it’s trying to be fruity but it fails. It does smell a tiny bit like pineapple after I removed the tea bag but that does not carry over into the taste. Adding some Sugar in the Raw to see if that helps it any. Nope. Somehow that removes what little flavor it had.

I only had 1 bag of this, which my non-tea-drinking mom got in the mail free with some Hawaiian black sand. I drank it yesterday, but it left an impression. I can still write about it.

I didn’t let the water get hot enough, so I let it steep longer than the recommended 1-3 minutes. I’m weird. Anyway, it was sweet. I thought I could taste the macadamia, but I’m really not sure what all was in it. It wasn’t coconutty, which was nice for me. It was hard to describe, but it was definitely sweet. For all I know, it could have had rooibos in it. There was something in there that wasn’t sweet (wasn’t bitter), but I couldn’t place it. It was definitely more than coconut (if it actually had that) and macadamia! I wasn’t sure when I was drinking it whether or not I thought I tasted fruit in there. It wasn’t floral. It confused me quite a bit. I probably won’t be looking for it to buy.

Okay, I’m drinking this as I write about it so I can hopefully do a better job this time. I don’t get any coconut OR macadamia flavour from this, and no sweetness at all. There’s a definite taste to it, but I guess I can’t recognize what that is, so I can’t put a name on it. I brewed this pretty strong this go ‘round and it didn’t get bitter, but it made that taste even “louder” so to speak. I guess one word to describe this tea is weird. I can’t really describe it and I don’t really love it, but it’s different.

I forgot to review this as I was drinking it today (and I guess I didn’t review it the last time I drank it either), so I can’t go too in-depth, but there isn’t really much coconut flavour in this. It also says it’s an herbal tea but it contains black tea so I think their definition of herbal is a little funky.

I enjoy this tea just because it’s different, but I’m not sure I’ll be too sad when I use it all up. I stuck some in the Traveling Tea Box, so I’m anxious to hear what other people think!

Hawaiian Islands Tea impresses me again with this smooth, creamy black tea with a yummy vanilla flavor that’s not too overpowering. I added milk to my cup, which goes very well, in my opinion, with vanilla/black teas. Next time I think I’ll try it without milk to get an even better taste of the flavour of this tea.

Fabulous comfort tea!

Had this again today and I forgot how old it is. Got a slightly cedar-ish note from it and then read my previous review and had to laugh because I said there was something “woody” in it. I think this is going in the trash along with the other 2 blends it came with.

My sister got this for me years ago (when she lived in Hawaii). It came in a pack with two other tropical teas, and I keep forgetting to drink them. The reason for that would be that they’re pretty forgettable. Unfortunately, this “pineapple” blend isn’t fruity at all. At most, I get a slightly woody note out of this tea, and otherwise it’s just a slightly funky-tasting black tea. I’m sure it doesn’t help that I’ve had it for so long, but I remember being terribly disappointed after first trying it as well.

Iced and mixed with lemonade

Iced

Had it iced for a good after-lunch pick-me-up

Hot days in Boston recently; iced tea season is back in full force! My first pitchers of iced tea this year have been made with Mango Maui, which is light and refreshing for a black tea. I LOVE it. I’m often torn between black tea and fruity flavours, and I love when both meet in a perfectly balanced tea. I’m generally impressed with all of the teas I’ve tried from Hawaiian Islands Tea Company, but Mango Maui has been a constant staple in my cupboard.

And like I said last year, it’s HAPPY. :)

I agree with TeaBoat – this tea is downright happy. I use it for both hot and iced tea, and the mango is a pleasant reminder of summer. Fruit teas can often be too cloying, but mango pairs very well with black tea.

Brings back warm memories of hiking on the islands. Cool and refreshing. If a tea could be “Happy” this would be it!