Nil Organic Tea

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66

Here is a tea I picked up at the Portland Saturday Market in March of 2017 when I was on vacation in Portland with a friend. I had a blast that day; it’s like a farmer’s market on steroids! Nil Organic Tea was a tea vendor booth I found there, that makes their own tea blends using organic ingredients. This was one of the sampler teas they had at their booth, prepared iced, and I enjoyed the flavor and had made it my goal to learn to make iced tea that summer so I picked it up. Note I grabbed their herbal blend of this tea; something notable about this company is they offer herbal and tea versions of most of their blends!

My most hated tea I’ve tried to date has been Traditional Medicinals bagged raspberry leaf tea, but I actually really enjoy this tea, and it is very raspberry leaf-heavy! It does have some noticeable grassy flavor notes in the base from that ingredient, but since this tea uses a lot of (trigger warning, I’m about to use the dreaded h-word here on Steepster!) hibiscus petals, it has a very tart and tangy flavor that helps me out a lot when it comes to tolerating the raspberry leaf (and I’m really in need of it right now for some hormonal health issues). The tea also has some nice citrusy lime notes, but they aren’t overwhelming like the Lime Pistachio tea from Fusion Teas that I tried not long ago… here the lime is blended in with the fruit punch hibiscus flavor and the grassiness of the raspberry leaf so it feels more like a cohesive lime fruit punch.

Over the last year I’ve tried this tea warm, warm brewed and then chilled, made into tea pops, and cold brewed, with varying levels of success. To me, the flavor profile just doesn’t really work for me as a hot tea, and I find it has a nice, full flavor when prepared iced both prepared warm and then chilled or simply cold brewed from the start, so now I opt to just cold brew it for an easy batch of lime-flavored fruity tea that helps me get that raspberry leaf down. The tea pops weren’t a bad way to go either, but I haven’t figured out the proper way to sweeten them yet, and when I make it as iced tea, I find I don’t even need to add sweetener, since my tongue takes those tart n’ tangy flavors like a champ. As a popsicle, it just seemed strange without some sweetness. With a bit of practice I’m sure I’ll figure out the proper sweetener-to-tea ratios before freezing, though.

This is a refreshing iced tea and I’m sure I’ll be finishing it off this summer. It’s quite the testament that it manages to make raspberry leaf palatable for me!

Full review: https://teatimetuesdayreviews.wordpress.com/2017/08/22/tea34/

Flavors: Citrus, Fruit Punch, Grass, Hibiscus, Lime, Tangy, Tart

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more 4 tsp 32 OZ / 946 ML
Lexie Aleah

As someone who really likes the taste of medicinal teas if you don’t like Raspberry leaf tea then you probably won’t like milk thistle tea either.

Mastress Alita

Well, it at least seems as long as the raspberry leaf is well enough blended with other flavors that I don’t taste it, or at least don’t taste it very strongly so it’s muted a bit or just in the background, I can handle it. I definitely can’t take it plain though. I have never tried milk thistle, but if I ever see it lurking in anything I’ll try to make sure it’s blended with some pretty dominant flavors too, then!

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83

Mastress Alita sent over some generous tea samples along with some of Bluebird’s Candied Yams that I wanted more of… I only had a little left of sample! So THANK YOU SO MUCH Mastress Alita for that amazing tea package! I really appreciate it and hope you love the Bluebird teas I sent over. I think the picture for this tea is the black tea version and not the rooibos that I was able to try here. I really like this rooibos blend. I think it has a balanced mix of the spices and a slight sweet apple flavor. I somehow haven’t ran into a blend like this in all my tea drinking days, which is why samples of unique blends from other Steepsterers are so fun. :D

Flavors: Apple, Spices

Mastress Alita

You’re welcome! I’m new to Bluebird but excited to try them (my boss first name-dropped them to me from some British YouTubers she follows, as everyone at the library knows what a tea addict I am!). I was doing the dirty deed of descaling the kettle today (ugh!) so I have one of their fruity green blends currently cold brewing in the fridge right now. :-)

Nil only has a photo for their black tea version available on their website, but one of the interesting things about their company (other than the “organic” angle) is they have a tea version and an herbal alternative for all their blends. I ran into them at the Portland Saturday Market (a Farmer’s Market on steroids) on a birthday vacation to Portland, Oregon last year. I wasn’t crazy about this blend though, but only because I wasn’t picking up on the apple flavor. It was a nice spice blend though, and I would use it to blend into other teas that I felt were low on the spice sometimes.

tea-sipper

I was a fan of Bluebird when they were hand stitching their tea samples, so I’m glad they are growing so much and people are discussing them on Youtube. :D I didn’t even realize this tea is organic, which makes it even better that it can taste this nice. Also, I wish I could take vacations to Portland. haha :D

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92

Throwback Thursday! I was a bit sad to see this tea was discontinued… because it was a tart/tangy blend with hibiscus/cranberry/goji I guess it wasn’t very popular so Nil Organic Tea stopped blending it. I’ll admit, when I sampled this a year ago, even me, Queen Hibiscus, found this a bit tart, but it made the most decadent chocolate almond milk latte and I remember it tasted exactly like a cherry cordial, and even plain, it reminded me of those bittersweet dark chocolates with the tart, fruity notes. I had rated it quite highly! I’m a bit sad to see it’s gone. It’s been a while, so it’s well worth revisiting.

The tea is very thick, and I actually have to strain it through a hand strainer, as it is too thick from the cocoa powder and the abundance of fruit to strain through the gravity well mesh. Since the fruit is very thick and chunky, though, it catches easily. And… yes, it is still way too tart to be taken plain. Queen Hibiscus hath spoken. But once that milk goes in… once again, heaven in a cup! I’m sure the most stalwart of hibi-haters would probably still not like this, but the chocolate milk creates that much needed sweet, creamy counterpoint, and the tea was already very thick and slightly creamy from the cocoa powder in the blend, and the tangy/tart berries compliment against that flavor so nicely. It’s like chocolate-covered cherries with a little extra bite, and I love it.

Whenever I have some chocolate almond milk around, and I need to use it up before it goes bad, this is going to be my go-to tea. It isn’t palatable otherwise, but simply divine when turned into a fruity hot cocoa. So my opinion on this one is the same a year later. Rating unchanged.

Maybe when it’s gone I can try infusing a small amount of hibi into cocoa powder… I wonder if it would have the same effect…? Hmm…

Flavors: Berries, Cherry, Chocolate, Dark Bittersweet, Sweet, Tart

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Todd

Ooh, that sounds like a good one.

tea-sipper

Hmm.. hibiscus with berries and chocolate DOES sound somehow delicious.

Mastress Alita

It’s really nice. Tonight I just skipped infusing in water altogether and dumped the tea into my milk frother and let it wisk, then put a strainer over my cup to catch the berries. Perfection as far as taste and saves the extra step. Should’ve just thought of that from the start.

Kawaii433

I’m disappointed that it was discontinued. :( I hope they bring it back so we can all try it. :D

Mastress Alita

They are a smallish indie company out of Portland. They are currently making a blend with the cocoa powder and fresh mint leaf, but no longer making the hibi one. I’m betting it wasn’t popular… unless she was having trouble sourcing one of the ingredients? Which could also be a possibility. If I still had a bunch of this left I’d offer it out but now I only have a serving or two left at the bottom of the bag!

I’m hoping to go back to Portland in July, if she’s still doing the Farmer’s Market and I can talk to her I may ask her directly about the blend, and if there is any possibility of getting it via special request if the ingredients are still available, or something.

Kittenna

The milk doesn’t curdle because of the hibby?

Mastress Alita

Nope, not at all. The tea was basically some hibi petals, dried goji berry, and dried cranberry thoroughly dusted in cocoa powder, and when I was finishing it off (which I did this weekend) I actually started to infuse it directly into milk, foregoing water altogether. I’d just dump the tea and milk into my milk frother and let it wisk, and it looked like really frothy hot chocolate. Then I’d put a strainer over my mug as I poured to catch the petals and fruit. It basically tasted like hot chocolate with a subtle tangy cherry undertone.

Kittenna

Fascinating. I was under the impression that it did – I think DavidsTea won’t do teas with hibiscus in them as lattes. But this actually sounds pretty good.

Mastress Alita

I think it has to do with how acidic the tea is vs. the milk. This is pretty strongly hibi so I don’t think it was a case of being light in the acid content, but I’m wondering if the cocoa binds into the milk in some sort of way that just doesn’t cause the same sort of chemical reaction… I never took chemistry so I haven’t the slightest clue. I only know this tea doesn’t have that issue.

Kittenna

For some reason I didn’t catch this the first time around – are you using non-dairy milk (almond?) If so, maybe that’s the key (although I believe at DT, they have both almond and soy milk available).

Mastress Alita

Oh, yes I am. I use almond milk or coconut milk depending on the tea latte; in this one I used chocolate almond milk!

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92

I picked this one up at the Saturday Market in Portland, Oregon last March during vacation, but tried it for the first time a few weeks ago. I should’ve sampled it sooner, this tea is amazing! The recommended steeping instructions on my packaging said to use two teaspoons of leaf and steep for five minutes in boiling water, but that created a very strong, tart flavor. My palate tends to take tart flavors fairly well, and it reminded me a bit of those “love ’em or hate ’em” specialty ultra dark South American chocolates that have a really rich, strong bite to them, that tend to be a bit on the bitter side, and have some natural fruity flavor notes. I got the impression the tea was meant to be taken as a latte, so I added a bit of warm chocolate almond milk, just to add a little sweetness and creaminess all in one go, and… oh goodness, suddenly this overly-tart tea turned into rich chocolate-covered cherries! It tasted just like cherry cordials! It is just the right amount of sweet, with a fruity bite, and creamy, creamy chocolate! I think I’m in love… It definitely takes a little fiddling to find your sweet spot of tea/milk/sweetener ratio, but once you do, it’s so worth it!

Full Review: https://teatimetuesdayreviews.wordpress.com/2018/01/23/tea56/

Flavors: Berries, Cherry, Chocolate, Dark Bittersweet, Sweet, Tart

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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35

For a tea called “Spiced Apple Cider”, this tea is all spices, no apple. Even using a full tablespoon of tea, the tea is all spice notes — cinnamon, nutmeg, and in particular a strong clove flavor that is left lingering on the tongue — but there is just no apple flavor left in the naturally sweet rooibos base. Adding a touch of sugar helps the tea become much more palatable, as it rounds out and mellows the spices a bit and brings out a slight hint of the apple notes lingering in the background, but it simply isn’t enough to make me think “apple cider.” I think the name “Spiced Rooibos” would have been far more appropriate.

Full Review: https://teatimetuesdayreviews.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/tea55/

Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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59
drank Masala Chai by Nil Organic Tea
2965 tasting notes

Sipdown!
While I was never wildly impressed with this, it wasn’t at all bad. It just never seemed to have enough tea in it, to balance the chai spices.
But now a Sipdown!

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59
drank Masala Chai by Nil Organic Tea
2965 tasting notes

I’ve had a few cups of this at work today, to fufil more of my desire to pour hot water with things brewed in it down my suffering throat. Damn this smoke! Its like having a colds milder cousin over for a visit.
This, no matter what I do to it, is just a very mild blend of almost spices. Well, that’s great for today!

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59
drank Masala Chai by Nil Organic Tea
2965 tasting notes

I’ve drunk this several times this week without a desire to log it. Does it actually contain tea? I am not so sure. It seems to be the worlds mildest blend of chai spices, but I cant see anything in there that resembles tea.
But, its a nice warming cup when the air conditioner is turned up too high.

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59
drank Masala Chai by Nil Organic Tea
2965 tasting notes

The law of inverted thermostats is in full swing. It is about 105 degrees as of this typing, but I am ensconced in scarf, sweater and with hot tea at my elbow, as the temps inside have been plunged into deepest winter.
Brrr.
I turn into a nomad, staggering outside to warm myself, then limping back in to freeze once more.
This, which is hot water with pleasant spices in it, is an excellent shield against the cold.

Evol Ving Ness

You poor thing with that subzero air-conditioning temperature thing. Almost, almost worse than the killer heat and humidity.

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59
drank Masala Chai by Nil Organic Tea
2965 tasting notes

A cup of the afternoon, well needed, but a little disappointing.
I don’t get a lot of “tea” out of this, mostly warm water with spices. Very nice spices, but I feel a solid grounding with a tea blend would be welcome.

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59
drank Masala Chai by Nil Organic Tea
2965 tasting notes

I decided that the afternoon hot liquid would be this, which is a mild chai, mostly a pleasant taste of spice. Perfect! Down the gullet it goes, to sooth the sore throat.
Bleh, summer colds. Bleh!!!!

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59
drank Masala Chai by Nil Organic Tea
2965 tasting notes

The inaugural cup of this, which was the gift from my friend to brighten my work desk. So, obviously, it had to be a work tea!
It seems, upon opening my package, that this is almost entirely chai spices. I hardly can see any leaf at all.
And it brews up like that too- a faintly chai flavor, generally pleasant, but missing much of the punch of tea.
Still! I think this will make an excellent afternoon cuppa, and I am just to chuffed that she thought of me this way.

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