Trader Joe's Bali Blue Moon coffee

 

A few months ago, I traded in my Keurig for a much more practical two-cup (16 oz) french press, partially because K-cups were a waste of money and partially because I heard that french presses were one of the best ways to brew coffee.   Since then, I've become pretty good at using it, developing a system even more precise than the way I brew my tea and trying out some sample blends at the supermarket.  I also went to Trader Joes and ended up getting two of their coffees, the Joe blend and Bali Blue Moon.  The Bali was supposed to be a gift for my boyfriend's brother but I figured it would be a good thing to try out.

Outsides:  Bali Blue Moon is labled as a medium roast that is very full-bodied, rich and smooth and supposed to make a clean, smooth cup of coffee with a chocolaty finish.  The cool thing about Trader Joes coffees is that you grind them in store (or buy them whole bean and grind them at home), so they should have a lot of flavor when you take them home.  At first, the coffee smells robust and sweet but then you're hit with a slightly pungent bitter smell.  I've had to play around with the press method for making this a few times but best way I've found is adding 3 tablespoons for 8-10 oz of water, starting the timer at 4 minutes right before you pour in the water and making sure you press down at 30 seconds (if you want to make 16 oz, use 5 tablespoons).  I like drinking my coffee with a foam so that's what you see there.  The sweetness in the smell is still there as well as the bitterness, but the rich robust smell isn't as...robust.

Insides:  First off, this is a bit of a pain to press.  I usually add 2 tablespoons for 8 oz and start my 4 minute timer after I put on the lid, but that resulted in it tasting weak yet bitter.  I think I got it right this time as it does taste like something that's drinkable.  It has a sweet top note with a touch of roasty malted flavor but is quickly followed by a harsh bitterness that I just can't get rid of.  As for the claims on the package, the aftertaste does remind me of dark chocolate but it really does lack smoothness and has a medium body to it.

Tilt:  This was one of the more expensive coffees at Trader Joes being $8.99 for 13 oz.  Although this isn't a bad price for coffee, you do have to use more coffee per cup to make something acceptable (this was true with the Joe blend as well but at least that one is cheap as dirt).  I mean, this is just bad.  I can't give any reccomendations on what to do with it.  It's too light to be used for iced coffee but too bitter for anything else.  It might be good to someone who likes Starbucks though.

Overall:  I was skeptical of the brother's taste in a lot of things but hearing this was his favorite blend from Trader Joes just put another nail of the coffin for me.  Someone just take this away from me!  Blegh.

My Rating:  Pass.

Trader Joes coffee can be bought at Trader Joes in America (and I think it's Aldi Sud in Europe).  Coincidentally, they offer a full refund on their products which is actually quite nice.  The cookie butter they sell there is pretty amazing.

Some coupons and deals for November 2nd.

Amazon has a coupon for 20% off of Stash Teas (including loose-leaf), 25% off of Davidson's Bulk tea and various other tea retailers such as Tea's Etc.  I got the Stash Jasmine Blossom 3.5 oz loose leaf (pack of 3) for less than $10 with a gift card and the Davidson's Bulk African Green Rooibos (a whole pound) for $12 (both free shipping).  So yeah, I have enough cheap tea to last me a month now.

Also, Red Leaf Tea was giving away samples of their Caramel Matcha but the sample is gone.  However, you can purchase a sample of their Caramel Machacchino (I'm guessing it's like a Frappuccino except with matcha) for $1.00 and some special custom blend Caramel Machaccino (it apparently uses a lower grade of matcha) which is 10 servings for $2.10.  Shipping isn't too bad ($6 for 2-4 day) so it might not be a bad idea to try some of their teas. 

Happy Drinking!

Prestogeorge's Raspberry Passionfruit black tea

It's a good thing that tea shops let you smell their tea because I wouldn't have gotten this if I haven't.  I'm not the biggest fan of raspberry tea since a lot of them use raspberry leaf and that tends to make the tea super bitter.  However, I adore passion fruit and like how you have a commonplace flavor mixed with a tropical flavor.  I actually got this a few months ago so the purpose was to make iced tea, but it's 40 degrees here so I need a summer pick-me-up.

Did I show you guys this cup?  It's the Kati Brewing system by Tea Forte.  The holiday season IS coming and this makes a pretty nice gift for that special tea lover.

Outsides:  It's loose-leaf tea with a few raspberry leaves, dried passionfruit bits and red things for color.  I put in 2 tablespoons per 12 oz of almost boiling water for 5 minutes.  The color is a typical black tea color with a small hint of red.  In the bag, this has a lovely fruity smell that has an overtone of passionfruit with a berry undertone and it keeps it when brewed.

Insides:  First off, the tea is much more flavorful after cooling for 5 minutes or as iced tea, but I would not advise drinking it right away or you might be disappointed.  I like the way the two fruits combine.  Passionfruit is good but tends to not add a ton of flavor unless you really pile it on.  The raspberry complements the sweet and sour aspect while adding a bit of an earthy undertone.  The tea part is ok, it works well to complement the fruit flavors and I know I'm drinking tea and not some fruit drink.

Tilt:  This tea is $1.92 for 2 oz which is honestly a pretty good deal.  Sometimes, I get tea at Prestogeorge that's super cheap but is a little weak in terms of flavor but this stuff has a good, strong fruit flavor.  It makes a good iced tea and honestly, that's what it should be used for.  This would be super tasty at a get-together especially with some passionfruit syrup.

Overall:  I actually really like this and think it's worth the price.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Prestogeorge is a local tea and coffee retailer located in the Strip District in Pittsburgh.

Tazo Decaf Lotus Blossom Green Tea

 Excuse the extremely stained cup.

Outsides:  Tazo Decaf Lotus Blossom is in its own little individually wrapped little packet.  The ingredients are simple, just green tea and nautral flavoring.  The tea actually smells pretty fruity.  I soaked the bag in lukewarm water (I'd say 65-70 degrees C) for 3 minutes in about 10 oz of water and yes, I know that is very wrong of me (you're supposed to soak a green teabag for 2 minutes in 6 oz of water).  The tea is on the more golden side of the green tea spectrum and it smells fruity with a light, sweet mango scent.

Insides:  So, I never go into a Tazo tea expecting something good in hopes that I might be pleasantly surprised.  The green tea here is a bit lacking in flavor but that's as much of my fault as it is the company's.  It's not the worst green tea base though as there is no overwhelming bitterness or chemical taste, just a nice smoothness with a hint of sweetness.  The sweet smell gives it a hint of a fruity flavor and a small pinch of floral, but ultimately, it tastes a bit like a lighter mango green tea. 

Tilt:  Tazo can be found everywhere and isn't too expensive and considering good green tea flavor variations are hard to come by (they either all seem to taste very artificial and tend to either lack flavor or overwhelm the tea with it), this one is pretty unique if you want something with a bit of mango flavor.  That being said, I've had moon cake before and this tea doesn't remind me of the lotus used in that.  It's also not a very strong flavor so that can be a good or bad thing depending on whether you really love lotus and how much you want to share this tea with company.  The slight fruityness will make this nice cold.

Overall:  Surprisingly, I like this.  I wouldn't go out and seek this, but it's worth a try and will be one of the teas I get at the cafeteria. 

My Rating:  Try it!

Tazo can be found pretty much anywhere.

Quick Review: Twinnings Hazelnut Chai and Free Samples!

I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures but I had just gotten these samples in the mail and really wanted to try the Hazelnut Chai for breakfast.  Twinnings USA has a site where you can get free samples of three different teas.  Naturally, I'm all about the free stuff despite not even drinking bagged tea so I ended up getting the hazelnut chai, spiced apple chai and lady grey (which I've tried but have really enjoyed).  Anyway, I just got the samples yesterday so don't expect them for a few weeks after ordering them.

Outsides:  Twinnings Hazelnut Chai black tea is part of their holiday collection and is their blend of chai tea with hazelnut flavoring added in.  It's in a normal tea sachet.  I let the tea steep in almost boiling water for 5 minutes.  Honestly, pictures of this tea would be pretty boring because it's just a boring black tea color.  The hazelnut adds a nice scent that is noticeable and strong but not as overpowering as something like Adagio's Chestnut black tea (which has been a fall favorite of mine). 

Insides:  Although there is a strong hazelnut smell, it doesn't really add much to the taste of the tea and if you've had the normal Twinnings Chai, that's pretty much what it tastes like.  For those of you who don't know, Twinnings actually does a pretty decent job making a chai tea.  It's not as good as Margaret's (or actually, Metropolitan Tea Company) but Twinnings has a small amount of heat to their tea with a nice amount of sweet spice and it goes well with half-and-half.  For a bagged tea, it's fairly well balanced and I was surprised at how smooth and un-bitter it was despite me thinking I oversteeped.  I did end up adding hazelnut Coffee Mate to it because I wanted a treat for breakfast, and the extra hazelnut flavor complemented the tea nicely. 

Tilt:  Twinnings is relatively inexpensive and I like how they have a few varieties on their chai tea (Hazelnut, extra spice, apple cider and vanilla).  I'm a big fan of hazelnut flavoring and appreciate that a big-name brand is providing slightly more unique tea flavorings.  I'd imagine this tea would be good cold, but it's not quite strong enough to make lattes and such out of (btw guys, I bought a cheap milk-frother and find that it makes the best matcha whisk). 

Overall:  Is this tea something you REALLY need?  No, not really.  If you want a fun bagged tea for work, this might be a good choice but I'd just buy a normal chai you know you'd like and some hazelnut syrup/creamer/flavored stevia drops and achieve it that way.

My Rating:  Pass/Try it.  

Twinnings is one of the most famous tea retailers in the world and because of that, is available in pretty much every drug and grocery store.

Speculations: David's Tea Fall Collection

Hey Tea Lovers!  I've decided to try something new and do a preview and speculation of collections from tea boutiques such as David's Tea and possibly Teavana.  I have not tried these teas yet so don't take what I say to heart, but feel free to voice your opinions about these teas and if you've tried them, share with us.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

The Teas:  

Pumpkin Chai

 

Ingredients:

Black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel bits, pumpkin candies, natural and artificial flavouring*. 

 

Mmm...pumpkin.  It's something a lot of people are polarized about and I'm on the love side of that polarization.  People also can be particular about their chai and honestly, very few companies deliver a good one.  This particular one looks a bit sparse on the spices but the squash, carrots and candies seem like they could add an interesting sweetness.  I imagine the strange ingredients also are there for color and the candies are there to weigh it down.  Still, this seems like something worth trying.

 

Mom's Apple Pie

 

Ingredients:

Green tea (China), apple pieces, cinnamon, artificial flavouring*. 

 

I'm actually pretty sure I'll like this.  The ingredient list (minus the artificial flavoring) seems simple compared to their other teas and I have been looking for a green tea flavored with apple.  This seems like something light and sweet and a good alternative to the heavily-spiced blacks and herbals you see for fall.  

 

Sugar and Spice

 

Ingredients:

 

 Black tea, apples, cinnamon cassia, cloves, carrots, marigold petals, natural vanilla flavoring*. 

 

I wish they added caradom in there so that it would be a chai because the world needs more unique chais.   I also appreciate the natural vanilla flavor.  Honestly, I wouldn't want to buy this and it seems like the least interesting in the collection.  There are tons of spice teas out there and this one just seems like a glorified apple spice.  These kinds of teas are also pretty subjective to taste.  

Pistachio  Creme

 

Ingredients:

 

 Mulberry leaf, pistachios, chamomile, natural cream, macadamia and pistachio flavouring*. 

 

This actually sounds really interesting.  I've only had a few nut-flavored teas and think they work quite well for the fall and winter when you want that roasty toasty flavor.  The chamomile is also an interesting but rational ingredient since I feel that it adds sweetness while also giving teas a slight increase in mouthfeel.  This is definitely one I'd love to try and I feel like this would be a wonderful herbal for a desert alternative.  

Cocoberry

 

Ingredients:

Black Tea, black currant, mango, barberry, coffee bean, juniper berry, hibiscus, roasted yerba mate, lucuma powder, acerola powder, baobab fruit powder, acai powder, coffee flavor, natural strawberry flavor, natural and artificial plum, sugar cane and cherry flavour*. 

 

Dat ingredient list!  This is actually a mate, so it's full of caffeine and David's Tea seems to be promoting this one as the healthy one.  Lucuma is supposed to be a natural sweetener that tastes a bit like maple.  Honestly, this seems a bit too crazy for me plus I haven't had good experience with coffee-flavored mates.  There just seems like there's so much going on with the fruit, coffee, hibiscus and random flavorings.  It might be good but I'm a bit meh about this one.

 

The Teaware:

 

 

 

 

I didn't include all of them, but this should give you the general idea of the patterns used.  

Adorable.

I love the colors but also the simplicity.  I love the leaves, birds and chevrons.  I just love them all.  In fact, I'd rather have these mugs and teapots than the sampler they have.

David's Tea's Fall Collection Website:  All pictures were taken from here. 

 

 

 

 

 

Celestial Seasonings Black Cherry Pomegranate Black Tea

So, I stole a few boxes of tea from my mom in order to make some cold brew tea.  It's obviously not because I need more tea or anything, but because I happen to like fruit-flavored tea for the summer and am running low on it and funds.  This tea is old and I don't know if this even exists anymore, but I'll use it.

Hot version:  the color is darker in this one.

 Outsides:  Celestial Seasonings has those weird sachets that I personally think are pointless to me.  They're not individually-wrapped  and don't even have strings on them.  For the hot-brew, I put one sachet in 8 oz of almost boiling water.  It's a light brown color with a hint of orange or red and it smells like cherries.

Insides:  The hot one has a nice balance between the tea and fruit flavors, partially because the tea is just not very strong or full-bodied.  There's a pinch of bitterness in there but it's not too astringent.  The cherry flavor is light but tends to overpower any other fruit flavor in the tea.  It's sweet but has a nice tart note that pairs well with the tea.  And no, I don't taste any pomegranate except possibly as it complements the cherry flavors.

The cold tea is a bit different.  There really isn't as strong of a tea flavor and cold brewing gets rid of a lot of the bitterness.  Thankfully, the cherry flavor is brought out nicely and makes this more of a natural version of Kool-Aid.  It's actually quite fragrant and smells a bit like cherry chapstick. 

Tilt:  I honestly don't even know how old this box of tea was but I'd guess it's easily two years old.  Celestial Seasonings is cheap for a bagged tea but something people will learn when they become closer to the ultimate tea snob like me is that you can get whole-leaf teas from various places that are cheaper and tastier.  I like it more cold-brewed and during the summertime or when I feel like having iced tea.  I also think that fruit teas are generally a good thing to serve when you have company around since most humans tend to like sweet, fruit-flavored things. 

Overall:  It's ok.  I'm glad I finished the box and my housemates drank it. 

My Rating:  Pass

Celestial Seasonings is an American tea company specializing in flavored teas with beautiful artwork on the packaging (in my opinion, the artwork tends to be the only reason to get the box).