Monterey Bay Spice Company
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Well, I have been holding off on this one for a while! It’s not as bad as I thought it would be based on the aroma! It smells like fennel, coconut, and dirty socks! Ok…maybe not dirty socks…but socks.
Anyhow…the taste is spicy and floral but malty and coconut. I can pick up on the carob and fennel individually. I think the coconut and the crystal malt was probably the saving grace.
It’s not bad but I know I wouldn’t buy it in a store for my own personal stash. If you like herbals and lots of the herbally-tasting stuff you will prob like this!
I usually don’t care for herbally herbals – only minty ones.
I will usually try almost all teas at least once, however.
So…I have been pushing this one to the back of my stash for a while – only because of that.
It’s actually not too bad, considering the herbally aroma and contents. I can taste the floral, herbal, and lemony notes. Thankfully the cinnamon isn’t getting in the way!
It’s alright…cool…
Smells of grassy/woodsy/mossy/musky type green tea. It tastes of a grassy/mossy type green tea on the verge of bitter but still pretty good. It finishes with a sweeter taste. Not my favorite from Monterey Bay thus far but still a good tea to try, indeed!
Preparation
Dry Loose Leaf Scent: Papaya & Flowers
Wet Loose Leaf Scent: Green Tea, Papaya, Pineapple
Liquid Scent: VERY slight mixture of all of the above
Color: Typical medium Green Tea look to it
Taste: Primarily a Sweeter Green Tea Taste with hints of Pineapple and Papaya…more Pineapple than Papaya. The floral notes sneak in towards the end of the sip and throughout the aftertaste.
A pretty solid flavored green!
First and foremost this is a BLACK flavored tea…It’s a TRUE Black tea that is gently flavored with several lovely ingredients. The dry loose leaf mix is colorful and fun and smells pleasant…mostly of the black tea and Passionfruit and Mango in the background. For the taste…POW! Like I said…BLACK Tea…the flavors are on the assist but nothing takes the lead over the Black Tea. If you are looking for a flavored black that is gently flavored and can still taste the boldness of the black try this! I think you might like it. I know I do! It’s very nice!
Smells of a fruity black tea. I’ll never get tired of the color of those ’lil flowers! :)
Post infusion it’s dark brown in color and the fruity scent blend in better with the black tea…prior to infusing the fruity aroma was more in-your-face.
I can certainly tell there is both black tea as well as fruity in this when I sip it but the play nice with each other and the fruit nor the black tea taste race ahead of the other. I’d say they are pretty “Even Steven”.
I can taste the flower at the very beginning of the sip but then it turns into fruit to never be heard from again. I’m actually happy it’s that way because then you taste the fruit and black tea which is the main feature of this flavored black. It works well!
Preparation
Smells and tastes of Vanilla and Rooibos. I had about a half a dozen sips HOT and let it cool and then went iced with it. I like it better iced! It’s a lovely refreshing drink. Very smooth and creamy! The orange is more in the last part of the sip and aftertaste.
Preparation
ok n00b question: is tea iced when u make it like normall then just let it cool down in the fridge or is it iced when u steep it in cold water to start with? or just both? which teas do u normally make in iced versions? curious me i know…
Good question…there are several ways to do it and I do do it different ways – for this one specifically I was in a hurry and added 1 iced cube after it already cooled. I did over infuse to begin with so I didn’t lose much or any flavor. I know Cofftea and some other people ice them with iced cubes made of the same tea sometimes so it doesn’t change the flavor at all…
other times I just refrigerate but I didn’t have time for that this morning. :)
For scent…if you were to take your stereotypical Chai smell add a little orange scent and even a little more chocolate – that’s what you will smell with this creation!
After infusion – add a ginger scent and that would be the only different I would say as far as sniff goes.
To this day I think Rooibos has a distinct smell but it it’s clouded here and that’s ok with me. This is a medium brown in color post infusion. The taste is pleasant and sweet but the spices are still there…mostly ginger but the ginger isn’t obnoxious. It’s surprisingly smooth and I can pick up on the chai notes as well as the chocolate and orange. It’s lovely that the other ingredients pulls away from the stereotypical rooibos flavor as well.
Many of you know I am trying to do at least 1 rooibos a day…so…this is my official Rooibos of the day but I wouldn’t be shocked if it isn’t the only one.
I must say this little gem surprised me…the more I drink this the more I like this. This is yummers!
Preparation
Kinda surprised you don’t do your rooibos in the morning… but then again I’d take any chance I got to have chocolate in any form in the morning:)
Not sure why…but…I always think black or black flavors for morning…just a habit, I guess…
black is my way to start a day too…
Rich, malty, steeped 5 min without bitterness! Bright amber liquor with delicious aroma and very little astringency. Great by itself, and just as good with milk and sugar. I bought a pound. Some will be used in blends from Aeon Infusions. Second steep was okay, but maybe not if you have guests.
Preparation
Trying a 2nd steep on these leaves, 3 min again. Very smooth and quite flavorful. I’m thinking white tea is underappreciated. It (or this one, at least) doesn’t tend to get bitter if not handled just so, yet it has a little piquancy — you just have to listen for it. =)
4 min in 185 degree water, glass infuser in cup. I am beginning to be able to distinguish the delicate, subtle flavors of a simple white tea. Tonight, the aroma has a bit of a tang, even as I appreciate the profound smoothness of the flavor. This is definitely growing on me.
