TeaAmigos Tea Reviews

Bentley’s Earl Grey Green Tea – First Name Earl, Last Name Struggle

Amigos — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:56:55 +0000

Mike:

If you’re buying Earl Grey tea, you’re probably buying it because you like to savor that bergamot flavor. Otherwise you’d be enjoying that black tea goodness sans bergamot. Do yourself a favor and skip Bentley’s Earl Grey tea, where beramot was an obvious afterthought. It’s kind of like watching these 3D movies that weren’t filmed in 3D but then had the 3D added post production so they could sell some glasses. The black tea base is sub-par as is, so this is like Clash of the Titans.

Rating: C

Dax:

Well Bentley, you offered me such a great amount of tea for a low price, how could I resist? I mean, I came into Marshall’s looking for cheap soccer jerseys and possibly a nice long sleeve button down. When a healthy sized tea sampler presents itself to a teasan, yakwii. Bentley’s Tea is usually meh-at-most, but of course I gotta steep everything for the goodness of all you steepers out there. Bentley’s Earl Grey Green Tea was on the plate today. Was there even a need to bring green tea into this situation? I say nay, but Bentley say yay. Too bad this weak, bergamot-less earl grey did just amount of justice as the O.J. trial. The taste just wasn’t present enough to justify either leaf, but if I had to say it was closer to the EG than green tea.

On a second steep, still the same synopsis. Earl Struggle faces 10 years solitary confinement in the back of the cupboard.

Rating: C

Tea Of Life White Lavender Tea – There Are Better Things At Marshall’s

Amigos — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:37:39 +0000

Mike:

Tea of Life is a newish brand featured on Tea Amigos and so far it has delivered some interesting and delicious chai teas. The Tea of Life Lavender White tea is not that interesting or out of the ordinary but a solid daily drinker. I honestly don’t have too much to say about it. Nothing stands out in particular, just a nice staple tea to have in the mornings. The scent of lavender is present and not overwhelming. The white tea base feels a little lackluster, not like it’s bad but more that it can use a little more character.

Tea of Life Lavender white tea is a spare but not a strike (and definitely not a turkey).

Rating: B+

Dax:

Tea of Life White Lavender tea is like a golden retriever, straight up mediocre. Not dissing anybody that has a golden retriever, but to me that dog, similar to this steep, barks mediocrity. I took my nose to the sachet…nothing. First aroma once the H20 got involved…nothing. I even thought I oversteeped it because something became immediately more important…not even bitter. This white lavender tea even fails at failing. At least it is drinkable. I’d recommend giving this tea as a secret santa gift. To give it credit though, this is a tea brand that I found at Marshall’s, so “gourmet” is not its first name.

“Life” is its last name though, and that’s what I’m gonna have to go on with, cuz this was meh as a mofo.

Rating: B-

Hawaiian Islands Guava Ginseng Green Tea – Not Rusty At All

Amigos — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:34:07 +0000

Dax:

I was fortunate to get out with the wifey to visit Hawaii, Kauai to be exact. One of my best homies from NIU now lives there and good times were had. Fresh lychees by the sack, roosters running around with their families, and lush environments abound. Fortunately for the TeaAmigos, there are some excellent teas to be steeped as well. Hitting up a local store on the way to a secret swimming cove opened my eyes to Hawaiian Islands brand tea. Don’t let the simple packaging fool you, as there is a metric ton of flavor sealed in the sachet. Today’s steep is the Hawaiian Islands Guava Ginseng tea.

Steepalicious to say the least.

This Guava Ginseng tea puts on its Sunday’s best with a bomb first impression. Right when that 325 degree water hits the sachet your nose gets bombarded with a sweet guava aroma. You may not know what guava smells like, but this will illustrate the scent to a T(ea). Cuidado with the oversteep, as this green tea base is bold, heavy bodied, and knows Chuck Norris. Heavy as it is, it doesn’t linger on the palate too long, leaving you longing for another mouthful. When you book your tickets for that Hawaiian getaway, keep $3 on you at all times so that you can cop some Guava Ginseng upon sight.

Rating: A

Mike:

Aloha. So Dax lives in Arizona now and I still live in Chicago which makes Tea Amigos a cross-country effort. I got a package from the wild west with Dax’s name on the return address and I knew what was coming: a box full of exotic teas. Who the hell has ever heard of Hawaiian Islands Tea Company? Intrigued and doubtful, I began the steep. Do they even grow tea in Hawaii?

To my surprise, this Hawaiian Isands green tea is not only drinkable, it’s rather enjoyable and emanates prime steepability. The green tea base is unremarkable but the guava and ginseng herbal hodge-podge really adds some unique sweetness you just don’t get out of teas these days. Not sure how good guava is for you but gensing will help a man be a man…if you know what I mean.

Rating: B+

Impra Imperial Ceylon Tea – Less Mesquite For Your Daily Drink

Amigos — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:09:29 +0000

Mike:

That’s it, it’s official. Impra is my favorite daily drinker brand. Steep steeply approved, Impra Imperial Ceylon delivers a blow somewhere between a Haiduken and a Falcon Punch. Considering this is a low-budget steeption (steep-option), Impra, as usual, delivers ultimate bang for your Buckingham.

Easily pole-vaulting over an oversteep-challenge bar set at any level, Impra can be left to linger lowering your tea maintenance cost. After steeping, bring this tea up to your mouf. I recommend attempting oral entry before other orifaces because you will be unable to taste the natural sweetness present in Ceylon. Ceylon is unlike Assam or Darjeeling and has no natural mesquite component but is enjoyable nevertheless. It lacks some of the nuance of higher priced teas but you can’t get much better for a tea sold in 100 satchet boxes.

Rating: B

Dax:

Mike is definitely correct with the daily drinker quality this Impra Imperial Ceylon delivers. To fully appreciate this black tea, you have to be fully versed in the characteristics of Ceylon tea. It does give you that full body that one asks for in the A.M., and also the smooth sipability that keeps intake effort at a minimum. No surprises on the backend bitterness either, as you can get like 3 full steeps out of one teabag. If you are mesquiteability maestro than you may be a tad disappointed.

There are, however, some ceylon teas that come correct with the mesquiteability, namely the rare Hedley’s Ceylon Tea, but with that added mesquiteability comes great caution for the oversteep. In its own light, Impra still shines bright. Cop a cup and steep.

Rating: B

Zhena’s Gypsy Caramel Chai Tea – Customizable Cardamom Combustion

Amigos — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 05:49:15 +0000

Dax:

The moment I knew that I was to steep Zhena’s Gypsy Caramel Chai tea, I had my assistant cancel all my calls and clear the afternoon appointments. Zhena doesn’t play, and my breakfast beverage gears started turning mad rpms as to how I was to ingest.
First steep, plain.

Second steep, iced with milk.

Third steep, Pimp My Chai.

This Caramel Chai is one-of-if-not-the bomb. With a silky introduction, the chai nuttiness creeps up on your palette like a smooth operator, and then your mouth is left with some sort of residue that can only be described as “healthy”.

Accessories aren’t necessary, but the potential to emulate a 7 dollar drink was right there. I went overbudget by adding:

Milk
1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon
11 Organic Raw Brown Sugar Crystals
1/8 teaspoon Spirulina
4 Peanut Butter Chips

You can already imagine the fireworks that went off after steeping this. Safe to say, this gets an A.

Rating: A

Mike:

Once in a blue moon you get a chai tea that is so popping, you forget that you don’t even like chai that much. That once in a while just happened here. Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Caramel Chai is off the hook.

Let me describe the scene for you: an internet marketer sits quietly in his room twerking on his latest money-making scheme. He starts feeling tired and decides it’s time to steep some love. He opens the tool box he received from Dax and picks out a tool. The instant he drops it into the hot water, the entire room fills up with the smell of cinnamon and cardamom, a smell so rich I knew it would go without a hitch. He waits 5 min and sips. Don’t stop till you get enough come on, the steep don’t stop. He burns his tongue because he can’t get enough.

The caramel is a spectaculus touch and Zhena’s tea comes through again. If you ain’t buying Zhena’s Gypsy Caramel Chai, you a fool.

Rating: A+

Bentley’s French Vanilla Tea – Good? Bad? No Clue.

Amigos — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 22:32:20 +0000

Mike:

: Among French Vanilla flavored teas, there are champions and there are bench warmers. Bentley’s French Vanilla tea is the latter. This Bentley’s tea just tastes uninspired, like it was designed under the auspices of generic tea corporation rather than the watchful eye of a teasan or a Level III tea master, at least. The black base tea has no character to give this tea a solid foundation. The French vanilla flavor feels like an afterthought and tastes artificial. Come on, you can do better than this!

Rating: C-

Dax:

Bentley’s French Vanilla Tea was a breath of fresh air today. Sitting alongside some freshly cut cantaloupe Bentley’s French Vanilla came correct. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much in the field of vanilla flava, but lo and behold there was nothing lo about it. The entrance is crisp, signifying not only a good leaf, but also a perfect steep timing. My first sips were heavy in the caramel department, accurately reflecting the colors in my cup. As I steeped on, the luxurious, caressing texture seemed to die down, resulting in an above-average black tea.

Overall, Bentley’s French Vanilla tea would make a good daily drinker for those looking for a touch of nuttiness in their afternoon tea, though you may not find in your favorite boulangerie.

Rating: B-

Numi Emperor’s Pu-Erh Tea – Wet Leafy Fall Goodness

Amigos — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 02:40:05 +0000

Mike:

Of the mainstream brand no one really fudges with pu-erh. It’s rare and takes a while to process and make so I commend Numi for taking on the pu-erh challenge (81st annual). Numi has 8 pu-erhs in their lineup. I’m a fan.

Numi Emperor’s Pu-Erh is a solid steep with plenty of that soil-taste you have come to know and love. Maybe even a little too much. It’s fall right now in Chicago but I can’t help but be reminded as a kid playing in the fall rain. It’s dark and it’s only 6:00. The leaves are wet from the rain and the dew and there’s a particular smell to them. It’s Pu-erh!

Pu-erh is not for everyone. It’s for me, but I can see amateur teasans with simple tastes hating on pu-erh for its earthy-by-nature nature. This particular one, Numi Emperor’s pu-erh is a nice fingerroll but not a 180 dunk.

Rating: A-

Tea of Life Black Chai Tea with Ginger Citron – So Complex It Almost Disappoints

Amigos — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 06:35:40 +0000

Dax:

Sometimes you just gotta stick to what you know, and Tea of Life knows about mixing more ingredients than necessary in their steeps. Tea of Life Black Chai Tea with Ginger Citron sounds more like P. Diddy’s new luxury vodka flavor than a tea. Tea of Life tea reviews are always a mouthful in both nomenclature and execution, and this was no exception. The chai tea starts out basic but then morphs into a diet trainwreck of twings and twangs. I think it’s the ginger kicking it after hours, but my mouth is currently coated in a lemony spice struggle – not awesome. Perhaps a victim of the oversteep challenge? Regardless, mediocre effort.

Rating: B-

Mike:

Going on with the Tea of Life circuit. Today’s target is the Black chai Tea with Ginger and Citron. Now I’m familiar with Absolut Citron and a French car called Citreon but what the hell is citron? I thought this was a word made up by marketers to sell sour-face causing citrus fruit flavored beverages. A quick Google search yielded a sad truf: I didn’t know that citron was a fruit.

Tmoving onward and forward. Random consonant insertion intentional and intelligent, don’t hhhhate. Anyway, this black chai packs punches on the awakeness front. It’s 4:45 AM and I’m restless. It could be the other 6 cups of tea I had earlier today. The life of a teasan…

This Black Chai doesn’t stand out to me as much as some of the other offerings from Tea of Life. That being said, it appears to have prime steepability and a nice tmixture of standard Ceylon black tea and a sprinkle of that chai umph to bring you tongue to fruition. A solid blend, to be sure, a daily drinker and a good companion, but not one that screams steep me repeatedly.

Rating: B+

Tea of Life Green Chai Tea with Lemongrass – Heartwarming, Pleasant, and Funky

Amigos — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:24:17 +0000

Dax:

Tea of Life tea is an interesting breed with a family tree that extends into the umpteens. Their packaging is of the gift genus, with extra plastic and bows throughout. Granted this was another one of those Marshall’s pickups, the sheer amount of varietals included made it a must-splurge. I started with the Tea of Life Green Chai tea with Lemongrass. At first glance, the nomenclature threw me off. Where did this green come from? Why did they need to inject lemongrass unnecessarily like high fructose corn syrup in bread?

After the first sip, I wasn’t mad.

This green chai with lemongrass is more heartwarming that Disney’s Up. I could relate it to when you are warming up a burrito at 7-11 and you have a pacemaker – really gets you going. The charisma of the lemongrass clouds the chai tea base, but I can see it crouching in the back. There also is a lingering funk that I can’t say is very pleasant. An overall good tea that you should drink pre-marathon.

Rating: B

Mike:

When you sip Tea of Life Green Chai Tea, you’re not really sure what taste is going to hit you next. It’s like that two-face episode of Seinfeld. One sip you’re enjoying a totally decent Green Chai tea and the next moment you get hit in the face with 20 flavors and you don’t even know what to do. Lemongrass? Pomegranate juice? Come on who puts this stuff in chai?

To illustrate, I steeped this bad boy 2 hours ago and tried to eat it with a sandwich (tuna on white bread, no big deal). I literally had to steep a second cup of Twinings Earl Grey because lemongrass+tuna=booty. They didn’t teach you that formula in school, did they? Now I’m drinking the same tea cold and it’s good. I don’t know what to think. Maybe it’s the lighting.

Rating: B

Prince Of Peace Oolong Tea – Who Switched The Labels?

Amigos — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 01:09:20 +0000

Mike:

Prince of Peace Oolong – UF DASH DADDY

Prince of Peace is undeserving of a last name. You got your Twinings, Ahmads, Bigelows, etc. These fore bearers felt their tea was worthy of their last name. Unless your last name is Dooky, it does not belong on the package. So, it’s no surprise the name Prince of Peace has religious overtones. If you can’t sell something based on its merits, taste, design, etc, wrap it in religion. We already know of another brand guilty of this low-level marketing ploy: Mount of Olives.

Man, it doesn’t even taste like oolong! It’s stale as hale and I took one sip and poured the rest out. I can’t even be funny in this review. This tea blows.

Rating: F

Dax:

After Mike ripped this tea a new sachet, I had to dive in and see wii. I’d like to disagree, but he right. This Prince of Peace Oolong Tea is more like Prince of Peace A Little Hojicha Mixed With Parakeet Food Blended With Crabgrass. I mean honestly they might have fudged on the nomenclature straight up. The tea has the hearty notes of a genmaicha with the crisp, hay-like finish of a hojicha tea. – neither of which are an oolong. I got this tea from my mom so perhaps it could be three years old, but I digress. Your tea should not shapeshift like a mutant during its shelf life.

Prince of Peace Tea reviews usually come with good graces, and I’m not really mad at the actual taste of the tea. The problem is lying to the voters. Not just a little white lie like “two chickens in every pot” but I’m talking like “free whiskey Fridays worldwide” kinda lie. This is the latter, and for that, fail. Anybody want some Prince Of Peace? TeaAmigos ain’t drinking it. Hit us up.

Rating: F