New Mexico Tea Company

Very perfume-y without some of the elements that typically are part of that package that I can’t stand (jasmine, tons and tons of rose). I could see getting this as a novelty/change of pace once in a while for my EG tin. It smells lovely but it’s not overpoweringly floral in flavor, just right.

Beginning to feel like I need to do an earl grey plot map or something, with creaminess as one axis and bergamot/floral character as another maybe. If I could do it in 3D that’d be even better, ‘cause there’s so many other possible dimensions…smokiness, briskness, fruitiness. My goodness.

But anyway, if I were to do that, Della Terra’s would be much further to the creamy side than this one. This has more of the classic earl grey character—the taste of smooth black tea and floral notes. There is some vanilla, but it’s with a much lighter hand. It’s not as like-eating-ice-cream dessert-rich as Della Terra’s. And it’s not as harsh as Harney and Sons’. It smells fantastic both dry and in the cup. It’s very…smack dab in the middle of everything, relative to all of the others I’ve tried. No one element is way far out there with everything else receding. Balanced, I guess. The floral aroma is particularly vivid and lovely, I must say. There’s some tannin and astringency build-up as I finish the cup (but I think I might’ve used slightly too much tea leaf, granted). I could definitely drink this again with pleasure. It’s a good afternoon earl grey.

The tea blender for NM Tea Company must be a genius, every tea I’ve tried has been just right. Perfectly balanced bergamot and jasmine, a delicate green tea.

The scent is almost as good as Casablanca.

Had some trepidation with this one because as much as I love love LOVE lavender (!!) I tend to hate rose (yeah really). But I want more “teas” I can drink after 5pm beyond just baked good/candyshop dessert offerings, and New Mexico has impressed me in the past with the freshness and quality of their tisane ingredients. I’m glad I risked it because I think I love this! It’s so clean and refreshing, yet it has a floral and fruity thing going on too. Not too astringent, surprisingly smooth. Really love that I finally have something in my repertoire like this, not a sugarbomb but totally delicious and satisfying as well as calming. Yay! Prospective bonus, it has a flavor that makes me think it’d be fantastic iced, and also like it’d be delicious mixed with gin. So. Fingers crossed! Even if that doesn’t live up to my hopes this is still a definite keeper.

EDIT: As with other NMTC stuff I’ve had, this resteeps alright too, yay.

Cannot say enough good things about NMTC. The quality is way up there, the customer service has been great (and my stuff’s come really fast and packed appropriately), and the price is oh so right (especially because they have free shipping). Love.

Sipdown the sixth! This blend sounded intriguing to me, but I ended up finding it a bit weird. There was sweetness from the vanilla and tartness from the pomegranate, but the two seemed at odds with one another. The black base was a bit more astringent than I would have liked, but still drinkable.

Thanks for sharing, GiggleGoddess!

White pu’er stuffed in an orange? Sign me up!

This thing is a mess! After unwrapping it, the skin of the orange was thin and brittle, flaking all over the place. You are supposed to steep the tea without the peel, but that is a tricky when the thing is falling apart!

Taste? White tea, floral with some orange notes. The flavor became very crisp and delicate at the end.

Full review and pictures of the experience on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/white-puerh-mandarin-orange-from-new-mexico-tea-co-tea-review-and-experience/

At the end, I was wondering what else they can stuff pu’er in to..

Anyone wanna split an order of melon pu’er? Need like 60 of us, lol! http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Melon-Tuocha-Pu-erh-Tea/dp/B0002H8OUE

Backlog:

Maybe I’m just not a fruity tea drinker, but this tea was not that great imho. It was super strong and did not have much of a Rooibos base to me. It was just sweet and the “orange” flavor just didn’t taste right.

I think I finally found a chai too hot for me. I’ll have to try these spices blended with a tea, maybe add a little vanilla.

I have grown very fond of cardamom. This tea is simply black tea and cardamom but it’s wonderful. Not quite a chai but has the cardamom spiciness. It’s amazing with milk and just a little sugar.

Another awesome tea from the NM Tea Co. I have had other floral Earl Greys where the flower would overwhelm the bergamot, but this tea has a good balance. The rosemary is a nice touch. The tea is a touch bitter, I wish I hadn’t steeped it so long, 3 minutes would probably be better.

I love the smell of this tea too, it’s like having a cup of Earl Grey in a flower garden.

Backlog:

I liked this variation of the classic Earl Grey. I’m an earl grey fanatic anyway, as many of you are probably aware. The bergamot, rose and lavender are really tasty together… and I like the accent of rosemary. Definitely different from the traditional Earl Grey … but different can be good, and in the case of this Vintage Earl Grey, it definitely IS good.

I’ve tried dozens of chai’s in my time since it’s my favorite type of tea blend but this has to be the worst chai I have ever had. Vanilla was super artificial tasting and very bitter (yes I brewed at correct temp and time). First tea I have ever owned that I have tossed in the trash with no hesitation at the loss of 4 oz of unbrewed tea leaves. I didn’t even want to sample it out to anyone it was that bad.

UPDATE: (4/28/13)
After reading my review of this tea on Steepster the owner of New Mexico Tea Company personally emailed me with apologies. He then followed up with a gift card in the amount of the tea I bought so that I could order something else more to my liking! This is customer service at its best and why I love to support small business owners!

Can never get over how well this works. I tried Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra out recently (I know! But the ingredient list was almost identical so I was curious, and it’s at the grocery store so if I ever ran out of the loose, good stuff it might make a good backup option, plus I just love doing close comparisons) and it wasn’t nearly as effective. Took this last night ‘cause my sleep cycle’s been off, gradually shifting later and later in a bad way, and once again was hit with a double whammy of instant sleepiness followed by deep, crazy deep sleep. You could have shook me and I don’t think I would have gotten up before 8 hours passed. And when I did wake up I felt like I’d been asleep for years, and come back from a long journey. It’s so effective I know now not to use it if I’ll have to get up super early—I don’t think I would!

For someone like me who isn’t that crazy about mint and chamomile and prefers “dark” roasty flavors, this isn’t the most delicious thing (it’s sweet in a strange rooty, not creamy or soft sort of way, and there’s a hint of bitterness I’m guessing is from the hops) but it’s definitely at least drinkable. The smell was a little odd to me at first—vaguely like mold or mildew—but it softens and a cleaner more herbal aroma takes its place.

More importantly than any of that though, I’m so pleased to find this works really well for me! I’ve tried valerian in pill supplement form before to help me sleep—I have a terrible time falling asleep/getting relaxed enough to go to sleep, though usually once I do fall asleep I’m out nice and deep—and it didn’t really work while having a noticeable effect on my mental perception (my brain felt…“softer”, perception more muted and gauzy, not in a bad way, kind of relaxing but more a steady twilight thing than a strong shot towards going to sleep…it was like being dissociated, floating outside of myself watching myself and my reactions through a veil). This feels similar, but less weird (not as dissociated) and more comforting, gentler yet more pervasive all around. A single cup alone was immediately super relaxing and that sleepy-in-a-good-comforting way really lasted! Last week I was averaging 2-4 hours of sleep a night the entire week (ugh), then I made 2 cups of this Saturday night and pretty much immediately got sleepy, aaaaand slept for 12 frickin’ hours (!), and it was the deepest sleep imaginable. I feel completely rebooted, like last week’s insomnia-induced nightmare has been wiped clean from my body and brain. I’m so happy to find a sleepytime blend that really works.

Update: Yeeeeah, I don’t think I will ever be without this tea. Bonus, it resteeps quite decently, so my regular bedtime cuppa won’t add up quite so quickly.

I think this is the first honeybush tea I’ve had. I’m not sure if it’s that or the mixture or everything else (orange peel, lemon grass, rose-hips, safflowers, with orange, and lemon flavor) that makes it so delicious. Everytime I take a sip, it makes me smile.
This is a light tea which flavors well with sugar. I’ve only tried it hot and I’m wondering how much better it would be iced. (Note to self – buy more of this sometime.)

Oh my gosh! I can’t believe no one has rated this one yet! I’m glad to be the first:) I can’t believe it took me so long to try this one (well I did have a million others I wanted to try from swaps and purchases SOO…..). I tried rating it on their website but it was over 500 characters, lol! So, I came here instead – I would have come here anyway but I know companies like it when there are reviews right on their website.

I’m going to give you two words….pure bliss.

It’s a simple blend of gunpowder green tea and peppermint.

This blend is simply delicious! It reminds me of Tazo Zen green tea blend (which I also really like). There is a nice balance of both the green tea and peppermint. I’m usually not a huge fan of peppermint (toothpaste, gum, etc) but this is so well done I love the minty aftertaste it has. Well… maybe not “aftertaste” but “lingering essence” maybe? Aftertaste seems a negative connotation. No silly artificial flavorings added or spicy stuff (like Davids Tea North African Mint Green – the closest thing they seem to have to a “mint green” unfortunately:(…it’s not bad but just not exactly what I was looking for like with this one).

I steeped 2tsp in a large Thumper mug I have from Disney. I used my Davids Tea Timer/thermometer and filled have the cup with boiled water…waited for the temp cool down. When it beeped (at 159) I put in the tea bag and the rest of the hot water (but it stayed around 170 instead of the 160 that is recommended …oh well it still tastes amazing).

Whenever I get access to updating this tea’s information I shall update it:)

This is a wonderful chai with a good spice. I like my chai spicy and pepper this is both. I will be putting this on my go to list.

Mmm… blueberry. This smells so good! I do love blueberry. The flavour is nice like berries. I don’t even mind the other fruit or hibiscus.

It’s even better with vanilla rooibos.

I am lovin’ this one! I’ve worked the bag down several cups and brought it to work today to enjoy. It’s not what I would call a morning cuppa, but it’s just a nice tea to enjoy when you’re not sure what tea to start your day with. :)

I’m surprised I’m the first to review this one!

This is a true gem for minty and spicy tea fans – as I am. I purchased this recently while obtaining the Sleepy Bear tea (which has a koala on it, so I had to get it). I wanted to round out my order so I got a few teas to sample but put my faith in my love of mint and spice (and green tea) for this one. I wasn’t disappointed!

This has a light taste – thanks to the green tea – but the mint and spice combo is out-of-this-world! It’s unique but refreshing. I taste anise and cinnamon, two of my fave spices. The blend of peppermint is sweetened with spearmint, which is light but there.

This is a great after dinner tea, and I’m sure it’s amazing iced! Will try that out soon as spring/summer are approaching (YAY – finally)! :)

Took me a few days longer than I’d hoped to try this tea again. The first time I had a cup before bed, I slept very badly (though not so much more so than usual that I would blame it on the tea). Last night, I tried two cups. Still tasty, if nothing else! Well balanced and soothing. I slept fairly well, but now I can’t say that my sleep was so much better than usual that I could chalk it up to the tea. So the score is 1-1, and I will keep trying!

I don’t sleep well, so I am perennially on the hunt for a good bedtime tea. This tea was mentioned somewhere on the discussion boards and the name (and positive review) piqued my interest. I ordered on Saturday and it got here Monday – with free shipping! Plus it was reasonably priced, so the company has made a really positive first impression.

Now for the tea itself. Dry and brewed, it has a fairly mild smell of chamomile, spearmint, and grass. It brews up a light yellow color that reminds me of sunflowers. The taste is like chamomile with a hint of lemon, and spearmint on the back end. I want to say that I can taste the valerian, but I’m not familiar enough with that flavor to say for sure.

This is easily one of the best chamomile teas that I have ever had; I would only put Harney and Sons chamomile on the same level. I don’t know yet whether this will actually help me sleep, so I’ll update tomorrow.

boiling water, 1 tsp for 8 oz, steeped 7 mins, per package instructions

I must admit that earl grey teas are not my favorite. My experience with them is that they’ve been a little bit too bitter, drying and sharp. My friend did give me a nice earl grey from The Tea Spot and I enjoyed that whole tin. I also have sipped Teavana’s earl grey cream, but I found myself wanting a bit more cream.

I know that some love earl grey cream teas so much.. and after seeing the potential of Teavana’s blend, I thought it was time to try more! This tea smells very much like a typical earl grey, but with the addition of something else… milk perhaps?

Sipping… ah.. that signature bergamot taste. This one is very smooth, though and has somewhat of a creamy finish. The cream doesn’t overwhelm the blend, but adds just a hint of softness. It’s delicious even though I would like more soft, lovely cream! I will definitely finish the rest of my bag, but I’m still on the hunt for the creamiest earl grey out there!

Midnight (Beastmaster) sipdown.

This tea smells so good. It’s more like caramel dry, and a bit like caramel cappuccino brewed. The flavour is sweet and creamy like vanilla caramels.