New Mexico Tea Company

Thanks for the samples, jubjubs, they smell heavenly. Unfortunately I was dumb and I oversteeped it/added too many leaves and it got bitter. When I poured in boiling water, it got really dark immediately. I’ll try it again soon.

Tea of the morning……. (SRP #21)

Initial thoughts: I am undecided on this one. It definitely comes across as jasmine vanilla, but I think the tea base is too smokey (which does not really mean it is all that smokey, just too smokey for this flavor profile.) When I imagined this tea, I imagined the flavor of jasmine and vanilla on a lighter, sweeter black tea base. This one seems a little heavy. In my opinion, jasmine and a heavy black tea base just don’t seamlessly blend on the palate. I taste the distinct flavors. They did do a good job of matching the depth of the jasmine to the vanilla. I might have to play around with the steeping parameters a little. I did go with slightly lower temps on the water just because there is green tea involved in this blend.

Usual mug method with slightly cooler water.

Edit to add: I am going to try adding some jasmine pearls to my Vanilla Black from Harney. I have a feeling that this one will be rehomed. Surprising, because I love the Earl Grey Jasmine Monkey King.

Still not crazy about most greens. The taste that really stuck out to me was: Breaded fried shrimp. All but one of the green teas I’ve tried tasted like a weak veal or seafood stock. Not that It’s a bad thing, just not what I expected.

Thank you Nicole!

So I was a little wary of this one because I am not a fan of floral/jasmine teas. However, it’s not often you get a jasmine tea with a black base so I was totally curious.

As it turns out, even with the black base I am just not a fan. However, setting aside my dislike of jasmine, I can see how this is is a pretty decent tea. It’s smooth though I’m having trouble identifying any “green” tea.

Thanks again for the sample nicole! :)

This came my way via a generous, thoughtful gift from nxtdoor. Thank you for the teas!!!
The rooibos is definitely present in this tea. I like rooibos so that wasn’t a problem for me, but for others that aren’t keen on it, it may get in the way. It was really sweet with lots of caramel flavor, and just a hint of creaminess. My only minor complaint about this tea was the mouth feel. I thought it felt thin, and then somehow that translated into watery. The flavors are not watery, but it’s hard to wrap your head around those rich flavors in a thin tea. At least is was for me.
All in all a solid caramel rooibos that I certainly will enjoy drinking. Thanks nxtdoor.

Mmm… orange and spices. That is both the scent and flavour. It’s like having a hot orange cider, except is summer.

I have been wanting to try this tea for quite awhile. Cardamon is my favorite of the “chai” spices in tea. The thought of having JUST cardamon in a black tea sounded devine to me. Thanks to the very generous, and special nextdoor – who sent me a gift order from NMTC – I finally got to try it.
This was everything I was hoping it would be. The cardamon is warm and inviting without being over powering. There is no doubt that this is CARDAMON but it’s not offensive in your face. It blends really nice against the black base. This could have a permanent place in my cupboard.
Thank you so much nxtdoor, it’s awesome!!!!

Backlog:

A really nice twist on the classic Earl Grey. You know me, I love me some Earl Grey. I’m not always fond of smoky teas though, so this was a questionable tea for me to order, I guess I was feeling adventurous when I did order it.

I’m glad that the smokiness is not overwhelming. It IS smoky, but, the smoked notes do not interfere with the tangy citrus notes of bergamot. In fact, I really liked how these two flavors mingled together to create a very unique and lovely kind of flavor that was kind of new to my palate, but at the same time, familiar. I like!

A memorable tea.

This tea is very very tart, so unless you can drink tart, be prepared to add sugar. I bought this tea to make iced.

Lots of cherry flavor with raspberry, blackberries and hibiscus notes. Iced, the cherry flavor stands out more than the other berryness going on. Both hot and cold, this tea has a tart dryness, despite sweetening. However, I found Pondi Cherry not flat at all!

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/pondi-cherry-from-new-mexico-tea-company-tea-review/

This smells like the Lemon Lime Tart (except with ginger instead of cream). Which is to say…. so very good. The ginger comes out well in the flavour too (with a bit of fruitiness). And this would be good iced.

This is another one of those evening teas that I take a while to actually write up. Don’t hold that against the tea though – this one is fantastic. I got it as a sample with my Extra Sleepy Bear and I actually like it better. This definitely deserves a spot in the regular rotation.

10 minutes is a long time to wait for such a yummy smelling tea! It’s like inhaling manuka honey. And you know what? It tastes like honey too! There’s a nice thick mouthfeel and it tastes like hot honey water with a hint of citrusy tartness. A touch of mintiness rounds out the sip and lingers on the tongue. This tea usually leaves a comforting touch of warmth in my chest, though that’s perhaps less comforting in the summer heat.

There is stevia in this, which I’m always wary of, but it’s deployed really well in this blend to support the other flavors without being overwhelming or cloying. I will say that it’s a bit too strong in the aftertaste, but the mintiness keeps it from being awful.

I finally bough myself some of this tea after enjoying a swap sample from GiggleGoddess.

The huckleberry flavor seems a lot more fresh and sweet than before. The base isn’t as malty and bold as I remembered, but it still comes through nicely.

ETA: The black base is indeed a touch bitter and astringent as my husband described (see first note), but it is hardly noticeable while the tea is still hot. This is also when the huckleberry flavor comes through the best IMO.

Swapped with GiggleGoddess for this one. Huckleberries remind me of Montana, which reminds me of home (Montana will always be home to me), so I had to try this tea.

This tea has a very strong and malty black base. The huckleberry flavor is very slight, just enough to add a touch of sweetness to the tea. This is perfectly alright with me.

My husband on the other hand, does not like this tea. He says he can’t detect the berry flavor and that it tastes like unsweetened Lipton to him. I don’t think he’s tried (m)any other black teas, so Lipton is his only grounds for comparison. I’m also pretty sure that he has impaired taste and smell. His teas need to be loud and flavorful. He used to drink Lipton iced tea with a pound of sugar (according to southern tradition) and since being introduced to other teas through me, he favors strong cinnamon, mint and various overly-flavored varieties. After drinking this tea for a while, he added that it was bitter and acidic. I’m not too surprised by our difference of opinion. I like me an acidic cup of dark roast coffee and he has to ‘pollute’ his with a bunch of creamer. yuck! So it’s no wonder that our taste for tea matches accordingly :)

ETA: I suggested to him that he try adding milk to it, but he says that milk/cream doesn’t work for him in tea the way it does in coffee. Oh well.

I found this wonderful little sample hiding at the bottom of my tea drawer. I can’t believe I missed this one for so long! This is my first tea from New Mexico Tea Company, and I think I’ve read a few reviews about this one that made me even more excited to try it. It smells very floral and lightly sweet. The tea is very thick and heavy. There is a strong jasmine flavor and finish. The aftertaste is sweet and fruity and it lingers for awhile in your mouth. It reminds me of fruit sherbet, or even of fruity pebbles cereal, yum! This tea was surprising, and not what I was expecting, but in a good way. Thank you, Nicole, for this sample that I’ve neglected for so long!

-Dry blend has medium black and green tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell floral and lightly sweet. Tea liquor aroma is heavily of jasmine.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium brown color.
-Heavy jasmine flavor and finish. Lingering sweet and fruity aftertaste. Thick mouthfeel.
-Milk and sweetener optional.
-Good tea. Strong floral flavor. Aftertaste is reminiscent of fruit sherbet.

I was planning to do a blog review of this tea, but decided against it.

First off, my tea was very twiggy. The tea starts off delicate, sweet and smooth. Mid sip is floral and a really flat wine taste, ending with a bit of grape flavor and quite of bit of dryness. Also, I thought this tea would be much sweeter like icewine. I added sweetener which perked up the icewineness and reduced the flatness.

Ehh, maybe my sample was old? I dunno. Alas, rest of the sample goes to the swap box.

Thank you for the sample, NM Tea co. I’ve never had a tea that attempts to mimic wine before and was very excited to try this. I’m so grateful that there a couple of mugs-worth in the packet because it’s going to take me a few tries before I figure out how I feel about this one. On first impression I like it a lot.

This is a nice floral tea. I wasn’t expecting that and thought it would be more on the sweet and fruity side from the name and the smell of the dry leaf. There’s a hint of roses, with a sweetness that drifts up from the liquor’s aroma. The base is also giving me those crisp and fresh cucumber-melon notes, which contribute to a sense of sweetness.

The same profile that reminds me vaguely of roses also lends itself to a flavour that I can only describe as grapey- I get this more near the finish and when I inhale and sip (I probably look funny). The aftertaste, in particular, is fruity sweet. It does make me think of a sweet wine.

Second steep accidentally went over six minutes and tastes a lot like the first steep. It’s silky with a mildly fruity astringent finish.

I have yet to try a Riesling, and the one icewine I’ve had the pleasure to sample was of the red variety, so I can’t fairly say how this tea holds up to what it’s trying to imitate. My obsession with Silver Needle has also made me neglect getting familiar with White Peony, the base of this tea. I’ll have to amend some of these things.

Makes me think of my aunt living way out in Henrietta, her whole family (all those cousins) working summers at the berry farm, and how she lives off Huckleberry Lane. Again, for a fruit tea (for someone who generally doesn’t like them I sure am plowing my way through a lot of ’em this month…oh well, knock ’em out right away I guess) this was surprisingly palatable.

I can tell this wants very badly to be iced; it will be super refreshing, like nearing jamaica-level refreshing, that way. Bet when I do that my husband will be all over it. The fact it’s going to make perfect iced tea is what bumps this rating up.

Not bad straight up hot, but there are so many (!) good teas out there I don’t think I would get around to drinking it that way too often.

Had this last night as my last cup of the day. Wasn’t crazy about the mint smell or taste in this one, made it taste medicinal and almost bitter. Not enough licorice root to counter that (I admit though I love the stuff). It wasn’t terrible—I liked it more than the Blood Orange Rooibos—but it reminded me of the elements of Extra Sleepy Bear that make me sigh and suck it up before drinking, without the reward of practically narcotic sleep. Might do OK iced.

The orange zest is immediate and strong both dry and in the cup. This is the first NM tea that smells “off” to me—like it could include something artificial as it’s so cloyingly sweet, almost like a kids’ orange drink flavor a bit. I’m not saying it actually is artificial, just that that’s the impression I get from the aroma.

Oh, I’m bummed! Upon first sip I get that immediate “oh no it’s Celestial Seasonings from my childhood all over again” repulsion I had with Joy’s Teaspoon Almond Cookie. I guess I’ve figured out the main culprit—apparently I really don’t like apple bits in my hot tea (which is strange considering really tart, crisp apples are one of my very favorite fruits)! Sad. This isn’t a strike against the tea and how it’s blended per se, and now I’m wondering if I can give this a good home anywhere…I might try icing it first; maybe then I won’t mind that fruit-tartness so much.

Like everything I’ve had from NMTC, I’m impressed with the quality of the ingredients here—I find it’s hard to do coconut in any form without it being really heavy and artificial seeming, overly sweet, or kind of oily. The coconut presence is absolutely there but it’s not fake seeming in the slightest, and even though it’s quite strong and sweet in a genuine way somehow it never feels overpowering (I can still appreciate the taste of the black tea, and by the way it seems rather good for a flavored blend). I dig how it seems to get creamier and richer the more you sip. Bet this would do well with the latte treatment. Have yet to be disappointed with anything from them.

Oh, I like this one very much! I could see it rotating with Upton Imports Baker Street Blend for my occasional afternoon “smoke break” tea. I love the way it smells. The tannins and astringency build by the end, but it’s hard for me to tell if that’s just because this is the third earl grey I’ve tested this afternoon. :b