Bigelow

This my favorite tea. I was first introduced to it as a child when my mother would give me this tea before school on cold mornings, and maybe with some lemon and honey if I had a cold. Tastes and smells perfect. I take it with me when on long hiking trips as an alternative to coffee.

Thanksgiving at mom’s Day 3, Tea 2. 13th overall. Might have time for one more after this, might just get ready to head to the Sierra Nevada Brewery. Priorities.

Anyway, this one.

I’ve always seen this one around. I’ve seen it in stores, online, heard people talk about it, it’s just a pretty famous old school tea. For some reason I’ve never tried it, until now.

Here we go.

The aroma is a combo of a underwhelming chai and a relaxed spiced tea. Sort of bland and spicy at the same time. Odd balance. Hopefully that will change in the mouth.

Sort of. It’s an odd flavor. There is a hint of orange in there, along with all the spice, and at the very bottom just a hint of the black tea base. Very British.

Now, I’m not a fan of spiced tea in general, so on that list, this would sit at the very top. Sort of an eased off, relaxed spiced tea, not so in your face. The hint of orange helps that a whole bunch. Overall, it really does have a very nice balance.

In the end, if I was looking for a spiced tea that I actually liked, this would be near the top. But near the top of a group of teas I’m not a huge fan of….

Thanksgiving vacation at mom’s, Day 3, Tea 1.

Found this gem in the back of mom’s tea cabinet. I could have brought it here many years ago, as this was one of my favorites for a long time before discovering the wonders of high quality loose leaf tea. This, the Twinnings Black Tea Variety Pack, and a couple of mint teas where what got me into tea in the first place.

I’m surprised I have never rated it on here yet. Oh well, here we go!

It. Is. So. Good.

Crisp and clean, well balanced, not to much spice like many boxed Chai teas can get. Leave it to Bigelow to make a simple, solid, tasty tea once again. Nothing special, it’s not trying to be anything it doesn’t need to be.

The chai spice is not overwhelming, allowing the black tea base to shine through. But it is still prominent, I’m not loosing what I think of as a good chai for the sake of balance. Everything is there and present, in the right place. From aroma to first sip to mouthfeel to aftertaste.

All good.

Thanksgiving at mom’s, Day 2, Tea 5.

Darjeeling is one of my favorite styles of black tea, but it’s sometimes hard to find a good one. Lots of it is pretty bland and boring, and then there’s the designer brands’ version that is more experimental blend than anything I am looking for.

Here we go Bigelow. A company known for no nonsense, basic, straight forward teas.

This does not disappoint. Basic, straight forward, nothing extra or out of the ordinary. It’s not trying to be anything it isn’t, it’s just a simple Darjeeling. And a good one at that.

I’ve had good Darjeelings, freaking amazing Darjeelings, weak Darjeelings, and designer Darjeelings.

Where does this one fit in? This is the solid, consistent, well balanced and great tasting boxed Darjeeling. Sure there’s better out there, but I would call this the benchmark for the rest.

Well done, Bigelow.

Vacation continues. Day 2, Tea 4. And old school favorite, one of the first mint teas I ever had back in the day.

It’s been a while, but it’s nice to return to the roots, to bring back the simplicity of an old stand by. Nothing special, no hidden special ingredients, no nonsense, just straight up good mint flavor over a solid and simple tea base.

In a world were everyone seems to be trying to make something out of the ordinary, something that stands apart, something that is different from the rest, it’s nice to find that old school simplicity in the back of the tea cabinet.

Like running into an old friend that reminds you of your roots.

Good stuff. This isn’t necessarily an amazing mint tea. It’s not all that well balanced, and the mint flavor is not all that fresh tasting, it’s a bit bland in general. But I really appreciate the simplicity and the minimalist honesty in this cup.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this one yet. It’s a staple in my tea collection – I always have this on hand. It’s my favorite lemon ginger tea out there. I don’t drink this everyday but when I do it’s several cups at a time. A very relaxing cup and very delicious.

Nice before going to sleep.

Wait, I’ve had this before? Yes, it looks as if I must have!
I was sent a teabag of this by, of all things, a perfume vendor, who adds little surprises to her packages. It was a nice touch, though I like the perfume better than this tea.
This is not the Christmas in a cup that I was expecting with a name like orange and spice. I don’t get either orange or spice, actually. I get hibiscus and maybe the tinest hint of orange?
In any case, it was hot and soothing on the throat today.

Flavor-wise, this is one of the best teas I’ve ever had, and I love that it also has health benefits (immunity, skin, and more). It’s sweet with an underlying tartness, which I appreciate as I don’t like teas that are too fruity/sweet without any kind of “sour” undertone to balance it out. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes the taste of blueberries!

I’ve been craving a vanilla black tea and surprisingly didn’t have one, so I picked this up while getting groceries. The spice from the chai just helps me get into the autumn season!

This is probably one of the best bagged teas I’ve had. The spices are flavorful but not overpowering, and the vanilla is nice and smooth. Next time around, I’m going to try this one with milk, but this is a chai that can hold up on it’s own!

My husband found this on sale at the grocery store so he brought a box home for me to try. I like it. I tend to like lemon ginger teas, and this has a sweet cookie note that makes it pleasantly unique.

Had this for breakfast. Very good, but I’ve had similar teas that were better.

My husband picked this up since he saw it on sale at the supermarket. It’s definitely but a little on the artificial side for my tastes and not quite chocolatey enough. It is best as a latte. I don’t know if I’ll buy this again but I’ll happily finish this box.

I can’t taste black tea anymore (due to meds), so it’s nice to find some earl grey green! the bergamot can be a bit overpowering, so I definitely only steep it for 2 minutes; any more and the tea is a little bitter and the bergamot is too strong. otherwise, a nice, cheaper tea – I get it more because of nostalgia than anything else. :)

Soothing and summery. Not a staple tea by any stretch, but good for an inexpensive pick me up.

Ack! Why did I even bother to try this? Ack, ack, ack.
Not good. The kind of Earl that makes your teeth squeak with how lousy it is.
I mean, I’ve tasted worse, but this is just so uninspired, so depressing. Not again!