Tea Xotics

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66
drank Naked Grass Skirt by Tea Xotics
6444 tasting notes

Sipdown (243)

I got a small packet of this stuffed with matcha and powdered coconut milk from Sipsby probably about a year ago. I finally decided to brew it up and was shocked to learn this stuffed package was actually a single serving. I thought I must be confused so I checked their site and they recommend 5 tsps of the mix for a serving so I guess not. I was unsettled though so instead of following the directions and using an 8 oz glass, I used a 12 oz glass to make myself feel better.

This brewed up looks very milky, which is promising. It also smells very coconutty, which is also promising. While I have had coconut milk before, my exposure to coconut has predominantly been to the sweetened shredded coconut used in baking so I was taken aback when this was not as sweet as I had anticipated. It definitely has coconut flavor, natural coconut flavor, and it is creamy/has a thick mouth feel like coconut milk but the matcha adds grassiness and keeps it from being overtly sweet. For those that like matcha or matcha lattes, that could be a good thing. But I am not a huge matcha fan (unless it is flavored) so for me I would want more coconut and less matcha. Not bad though.

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90

Is it a “pure” matcha? No. But it is a very smooth drink and a lot easier on people who either haven’t had matcha before or don’t care for it. The powdered coconut milk provides a nice balance of creamy sweetness against the strong grassy/green flavor of the matcha.

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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80
drank Jungle Monkey Chai by Tea Xotics
2955 tasting notes

No notes yet. Add one?

Flavors: Cinnamon, Coconut, Fruity, Pineapple, Spicy, Tropical

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This tea had a sweet smell to it when it was unsteeped, and some of this sweetness was found back when steeped, mixed with apple flavor. Overall, not a very remarkable tea.

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drank Cinnamon Girl by Tea Xotics
27 tasting notes

I got a sample of this from Liquid Proust, but it is not really my cup of tea. Sure, if you like cinnamon a lot, you will likely like this tea as well, but the taste combination just didn’t work for me.

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85
drank Jungle Monkey Chai by Tea Xotics
961 tasting notes

Herbal TTB

Interestingly, there were two tropical-themed chais in this box: this one and Mowgli’s Fire Chai from Bluebird Tea Co. Of the two, I much preferred this one! It wasn’t a typical chai at all…the spices were quite light and really just provided some depth to the chocolate, coconut, and banana flavors. Actually, the flavor overall was rather light, but quite delicious! I’d be curious to try this one with milk as well.

Flavors: Chocolate, Cinnamon, Coconut

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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45

Was up for trying some of my samples this morning.

I like the name of this one. It goes along with the book I’m reading: EarthSea- The Farthest Shore. The book has dragons in it . Also had some dragonwell before this tea. It’s a dragon morning!

In spite of the nice name this tea is nothing fantastic. I usually don’t like artificially flavoured teas and I definitely get a lot of apple from this tea. There’s supposed to be a blend of white & green but my taste buds are very sensitive to any artificial flavours and all I could get was apple and a basic green tea taste (like you might get in a green tea teabag) . I suppose I might have enjoyed a tea like this at one time but think I’ve been spoiled with better quality teas.

Christina / BooksandTea

I remember reading The Farthest Shore about a decade ago. Even named one of my WoW characters after Lebannen, one of the main characters.

__Morgana__

Is that the third Earthsea? I have it on my Kindle. I’ve read the first two in my effort to remedy the gaps in my classic SFF reading, but I tend not to read things by the same author back to back. Now that I know this has dragons, it is going higher on my list. ;-)

Ubacat

I read all 3 books in this series but I found it very dark (Much taking place in the dark and much about death). After finishing book 3, I don’t think I would read book 4 even though I did like the parts about the dragons.

Christina / BooksandTea

Morgana, I’m the same way! I find that even reading two books in a row by the same author frustrating.

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84

Well, I’m sick again, which means little or no caffeine for a few days. This turned out to be a good choice tonight! The coconut is wonderful and gives the tea some creaminess even without milk (I really don’t like putting it in rooibos). I’m usually not a huge banana fan but it works well with the other flavors. There’s definitely some cinnamon here, but this isn’t a spicy chai—it’s mellow and easy to drink.

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60

Herbal and Decaf TTB.

I think I’m getting to the point where I’m a lot pickier about flavored teas. Maybe my most recent pregnancy altered my tastebuds, or maybe I’m just at that point in my explorations. This tea tastes too sweet and a bit too artificial for me, even though I liked it a handful of months ago. I did probably brew it too long, but still it’s just not very appealing to me today. It tastes strongly of sweet coconut, but I wish it had less sweetness and a fuller coconut flavor.

Flavors: Coconut, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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60

This is one of the teas donated by Liquid Proust for the Herbal and Decaf TTB. Thank you!

This is pretty good. It tastes mostly of sweet coconut, and seems to use a decent quality rooibos, since the flavor is fairly appealing. I wonder if I would have gotten more from the spices if I had used more leaf? But it might have ended up too sweet for me if I had. As I said, the coconut flavor is quite pleasant by itself.

Flavors: Coconut, Rooibos, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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73

Sipdown (141)!

I almost feel like this is the most my cupboard has swollen up to in like half a year, though not sure if that’s factually accurate. I do know that my cupboard number of “141” doesn’t factor in any of the teas I’ve received for my Sommelier course; if it did I’d definitely be over 150. I have to step up my sipdown game!

This tea comes from Liquid Proust! It’s an incredibly different, interesting looking chai and despite the presence of ginger in it I was very excited for the chance to try it out purely ‘cause it’s so unconventional. In particular, I love that there’s pineapple in this! While I’m not too big on Chai in general fruitier Chai have been better received by me, and pineapple is my favourite fruit so…

I cold brewed my sample; Chai to me is more of a fall/winter thing and I’m not waiting that long to try this so I had to find a way to make it seem more summery and “in season”. Cold prep was the easiest solution.

Initial thoughts when having my first few sips were that this was quite sweet, with a bit of a ‘peppery’ fennel sort of flavour? After I got over the initial wave of sweetness and ticklish spices I thought that there was a nice even level of pineapple, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom notes along with that sort of sweet licorice/fennel note. I wish the ingredients were more specific and didn’t just like “flavour” as an ingredient; I don’t really know how off base I am for tasting fennel (and to a lesser extent cardamom) since it’s not a listed ingredient but because of how general “flavour” is that could very well be an added flavour…

As for other elements of the blend, like the base(s), visually I didn’t really see much rooibos in the dry leaf but I definitely felt like I was tasting it more than the white tea. Red rooibos, to me, sometimes comes off as very peppery and this was something I definitely observed through much of the blend. The white tea contributed a little sweet hay flavour but compared to all of the other elements of the blend it was very mild.

The last few sips were horrible though; for whatever reason it was like all of the cinnamon had ‘sunk’ to the bottom of the tumbler and I was drinking super dry, concentrated cinnamon water. BLECK! But apart from that gross finish I thought this was quite nice and interesting. A very unique take on Chai!

Side Note: Can I just point out how much it frustrates me that the option in the flavours list is “CardaMON”! This isn’t Digimon folks; the ingredient/flavour is CardaMOM!!

Flavors: Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Fennel, Ginger, Hay, Licorice, Pineapple, Sweet Potatoes

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Brewed this up for my brother and yelled, “HERE HAVE A PINEAPPLE CHAI” (we yell a lot because we can…)

Let’s keep this short and simple:
This is a white chai
This has pineapple
Saying its name makes me feel powerful
I will buy this again

Nuff’ said.

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This is a decent green tea with fruity notes. However, as far as being a sencha goes it falls short from what I would expect in regards to vegetable taste. The fig also doesn’t match so well with the berry flavoring. While I enjoy this tea, I think it’d be much better without fig (I just wish I could remove the fig flavoring myself)

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95
drank Santa's Cup by Tea Xotics
1271 tasting notes

Oh man, this is Christmas in a cup! Spicy, flavorful, sweet! It is like drinking a cinnamon heart or cider. The spices are strong enough to tingle the tongue and the sweetness level is perfect. Despite it being a rooibos (and I dislike rooibos) the flavor is full on and not watery. Santa’s Cup is perfect for a spiced tea lover and holiday tea! This is the tea if you love cinnamon heart candies too!

I had this tea back at the World Tea Expo and have been saving it for the Holidays and it’s super tasty! I also love TeaXotics packaging – it has this patterned white and clear windowed bags that are quite pretty and bright.

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/santas-cup-herbal-rooibos-tea-teaxotics-tea-review/

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec
Cameron B.

Aw, Hooty-Claus is adorable. :P

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85
drank Aloha Girl by Tea Xotics
1271 tasting notes

Aloha Girl! This rooibos honeybush blend packs lots of flavor. I found this tea was best iced – lots of sweet tropical and pineapple flavor, earthy rooibos background with a light amount of spice that adds warmth to each sip – it was like being back in Hawaii again with the exotic and tropical feels and warm sun. There is a slight tartness to this tea, so Aloha Girl works well with a bit of extra sweetener.

I’m a tea drinker who generally dislikes red rooibos, but I found this blend to be pretty good and not watery. By the way, Tea Xotics has really pretty packaging too!

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/aloha-girl-tea-tea-xotics-oolong-owl-tea-review/

Preparation
Iced
albertocanfly

I just looked them up based on your review. Wow, this tea isn’t the only one that sounds absolutely incredible! Anddd…you are right, their packaging is adorable :D

Cameron B.

Yeah, that Jungle Monkey sounds good! :)

Oolong Owl

I wish they had more information on their website about each tea – it was much better in person to view their teas and see them. Their Santa’s Cup tea is a North American Tea Championship winner too!

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81
drank Jungle Monkey Chai by Tea Xotics
4170 tasting notes

’Here’s Hoping’ traveling teabox Round #2 // Tea #39
Oh the ingredients here are fun! A rooibos chai with coconut, banana, chocolate! If only you could taste them more. The rooibos is a nice one. There is a hint of spice. The coconut is nice – it’s the big flakey type that has the best flavor in teas. The chocolate and banana would have been something special. What I can taste is cohesive though!

I think I’m getting burned out on all these teabox tasting notes! Almost done with them, then I’ll be sipping my favorite teas for a while, I think.

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78
drank Jungle Monkey Chai by Tea Xotics
1118 tasting notes

From the HHTTB2

A coconut, banana, chocolate chai that won’t keep me awake all night? I’m there.

This is a nice herbal. I like the robust coconut flavor and the sweetness of the banana. I don’t taste the chocolate at all. I kinda wish it were there even a little. I do like that the rooibos does not have a strong medicinal taste or an overly strong woody note. All in all this is a good herbal. I think my kids would enjoy it even more than I did.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
VariaTEA

Were the spices strong?

Veronica

No, they were pretty mild. Coconut was the dominant flavor followed by banana. The spice was kinda hanging out in the background.

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75
drank Jungle Monkey Chai by Tea Xotics
788 tasting notes

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 500ml at 212°F
Tool: make your own paper teabag
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes https://www.teaity.com
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: pepper, so strong nothing else is making it to register as a small
Steeped Tea Smell: pepper, something sweet hiding under the pepper
Flavor: pepper! with a cinnamon sweet finish
Body: Full
Aftertaste: pepper!
Liquor: nearly opaque cloudy light orange brown

Post-Steep Additives:
added sugar
more cinnamon, hints of banana
chocolate coconut finish

I think this requires sweetening to bring out all the flavors.
Very fun!

I got this as part of my Amoda Tea subscription which i sadly can no longer afford. It was heat fun.

Rating: 3/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2014/02/tea-xotics-loose-leaf-rooibos-tisane.html

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML

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80

Fragrant dragon is a good tea. Home to a sweet smell, it is fruity and floral tasting. A smooth cup. I like their green dragon a little more.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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98

The weather is deceptive! I looked outside and saw the sun shining and a complete lack of wind…perfect weather for a stroll to the thrift store (hunt for a new teacup!) but the minute I stuck my head outside I yelped and slammed the door. COLD!! I was under the impression that it was going to be warmer, but it seems I was deceived. At least I didn’t have to go out, unlike Ben who came home and icicle after his bus was late. I need to think about something warm and exotic, like this tea.

Today’s tea is Jungle Monkey Chai by Tea Xotics, a spicetacular (it’s a word now) blend of Rooibos, Cocoa, Bananas, Coconut, Chai Spices, and Flavors. The aroma is intense, mixing chocolate, banana, and coconut for a sweet and creamy taste. Toss in the earthy aroma of rooibos as an afterthought and a pleasant undertone of spices and you have a crazy, mouthwatering blend. The aroma reminds me of an ice cream that I ate tons of as a teenager (it also had monkey in the name) but with the added bonus of chai spices.

The brewed leaves still have a very clear sweet creaminess reminiscent of ice cream, but the chai spices and rooibos earthiness become much more distinct. It does make the aroma seem a little muddy since there is so much going on, but it is still pretty mouthwatering. The liquid is very sweet and creamy, with notes of earthiness and strong spiciness. At the end there is a kick of rich chocolate.

After the aroma of this tea being nothing short of a decadent dessert, I have high hopes for the tasting. As is typical with chais, I have this with a copious amount of Half & Half, but I did not add my usual sugar since Rooibos is pretty sweet on its own. First impression: Sweet! Bananas! Chai! ICE CREAM TEA!! This tea tastes so much like the ice cream I used to eat that I am practically dancing around with happiness. The chai spice taste is distinct, but it does not overpower the tropical goodness of coconut and bananas. The mid to aftertaste is earthiness and chocolate, which is a nice finish for such a sweet tea. I do wish the chocolate had been stronger (but when don’t I?) but other than that, this is an awesome tea.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/tea-xotics-jungle-monkey-chai-tea-review.html

Yvonne

Mmmm…this sounds lovely.

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84
drank Samarai Rush by Tea Xotics
4843 tasting notes

backlog:

A nice aroma that reminds me of doublemint gum. It brought me back to my childhood when my father always seemed to have a pack of doublemint in his pocket.

The mint is subtle, as is the ginger. It’s surprising to me how gentle these two flavors are since they typically tend to be very aggressive types of tea additions. The flavor of these two ingredients is front and center, but not overly assertive. I taste the green tea, and overall, it’s a very soothing, enjoyable drink.

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84
drank Bengal Peach by Tea Xotics
4843 tasting notes

Backlog:

Another tasty tea from my Amoda Tea Tasting box (this one is from the August box, but I reviewed it in September. Yeah … I’m still behind.)

I like the combination of the green and black teas, and the sweet, fruity tones of the peach. I can also taste hints of mango. The ginger is very moderate … just enough to add some warmth to the cup without overpowering it with a peppery kick. It reminds me a bit of a warm peach dessert that’s been “kicked up a notch” with some mango.

The black tea is more noticeable than the green here, but I do notice that the green tea seems to lighten the flavor of the cup.

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91
drank Jungle Monkey Chai by Tea Xotics
4843 tasting notes

Backlog:

One of the yummiest rooibos chai blends I’ve tasted … ever. It’s a very cinnamon-y chai, but I also note peppery flavors as well as clove.

But what makes this chai unique is the coconut, banana and chocolate! I love that the coconut and banana are in there, and they are strong flavors. I wish that the chocolate was stronger than it is (because more chocolate always = better.)

The nutty flavor of the rooibos works well with this tisane too, it all comes together in a very flavorful way. Really much better than I would have expected given how much is going on with this chai.

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