When it comes to food, I will be the first to admit, I don’t like spicy foods at all. I always check when I order anything to confirm it isn’t spicy. However, when it comes to teas, if I see spices in them, like ginger, I expect it to have a kick to it!
So, when I was going through my teas from 52Teas, I noticed that three of them had spicy ingredients. Two of them were green teas and one was a black tea. So, I figured, why not try them together! Let’s go!
As a side note, I will start to use 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 as part of my rating out of 5. I have been considering this for a while and I realize this is the best way to truly reflect my thoughts. Hopefully, it makes everything a lot clearer!
RandyCandy Green Tea Blend
Description: “[T]hey wanted a green tea blend that was a little bit sweet, a little bit minty and a little bit spicy – and they wanted to call it RandyCandy!”
Review: Anne occasionally will create blends for people, and I think that this was one of them. As noted in the snippet from the description, the customer wanted a sweet, minty, and spicy tea.
The dry blend smelled more floral to me than sweet, but I did pick up the minty notes. I think because of all the spices, it actually made my nose tingle when I was sniffing it. The green tea and herbs did look very lovely next to one another. There was a minty and herbal aroma after steeping the blend.
The golden yellow liquor, however, smelled very herbal, almost medicinal. It tasted like how it smelled, with a hint of moss, like a forest. The tail note was peppermint. I didn’t taste anything spicy.
I personally found the smell a bit too strong and it gave me a bit of a headache. I do have sensitivities toward strong aromas, so that might be the cause of it (2/5 rating).
- Type: Green tea
- Origin: China, India
- Caffeine: Low to medium
- Ingredients: Organic green teas, organic green tulsi, organic purple tulsi, organic wild leaf tulsi, organic peppermint, aleppo peppers, organic smoked chili peppers, organic crushed peppercorns, amaranth petals, organic natural flavors
- Company: 52Teas
Hot & Unbothered
Description: “It is NOT a tea for those timid about heat – this one packs a spicy punch!”
Review: Like RandyCandy above, the dry blend had a very strong herbal aroma. I also detected some cayenne pepper, which, again, made my nose tickle! The wet blend leaned towards minty.
The liquor was also a dark yellow, but surprisingly, the mild spicy aroma came back. The head note of this blend was lemony, which turned spicy. I found it made my mouth feel dry and there was a tingling at the back of my throat. It was a nice combination of lemon/citrus flavour, ending off with a spicy kick, just as advertised (3/5 rating)!
- Type: Green tea
- Origin: China, India
- Caffeine: Low to medium
- Ingredients: Green teas, tulsi, lemon verbena, ginger root, red clover leaf & blossom, cayenne pepper, dried lemon segments, natural flavors
- Other: Organic
- Company: 52Teas
Mango Pineapple Habanero Black Tea
Description: “This tea starts out smooth and rich (from the black tea base) and fruity, but it doesn’t take long for the heat from the Habanero to come forward.”
Review: I admit, out of all of them, this is the one I was the most worried about because it had ‘habanero’ right in the name. When I gave it a tentative whiff, the aroma was very tropical and smelled of mangos. I found this blend very striking with the dark black tea leaves against the dried fruit pieces.
While the dry and wet blend was more mango-ish, the liquor was actually more earthy, with an underlying sweetness. The liquor was a dark reddish brown and tasted sweet and mango-y. There was a hint of spiciness in the tail note. I didn’t feel the heat until the very end. I enjoyed how the flavours went from sweet to spicy! I don’t think that I have ever experienced that in a tea before (3.5/5 rating).
- Type: Black tea
- Origin: China, India
- Caffeine: High
- Ingredients: Organic black teas, organic freeze-dried pineapple bits, organic freeze-dried mango, dried habanero pepper, organic and natural flavors
- Company: 52Teas
Final Thoughts
Of the three I tasted today, I think I enjoyed Mango Pineapple Habanero the best! I think the first two were a bit too herbal for my taste when I was hoping for something a bit spicier!
I have to say first that I am a bit sad because this will be my last long post of 52Teas. I really went on a journey with all the unique blends that Anne has created! That being said, I do have one tea left from 52Teas to try….pineapple bacon anyone?