Numi Organic Tea

I tend to mentally categorize Chai teas into one of three categories: Sweet Chai (blends that are heavy on the cinnamon and/or contain vanilla), Savory Chai (blends that are heavier on the ginger or cardamom), and Balanced Chai (blends that strike a happy medium between the two; these tend to be my favorite!). Holiday Chai from Numi is definitely on the savory end of the spectrum, with a heavy cardamom flavor, a strong bite of ginger, and an unexpected anise note that pops out mainly in the aftertaste. This is a Chai that I’d have to add sweetener to before really enjoying it. I’ll finish what I have, but this isn’t something I’ll be reaching for again.

This was my first foray into Numi’s Pu-erh and I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I opened my one pound bag (another good deal), I was surprised by the strong spicy aroma that burst forth. Having a mouth full of sweet teeth, I was hoping that the dominant smell would be chocolate. However, so far the chocolate was missing in action. There also were yellowish chunks of…something…mixed in with the muddy brown leaves.

I steeped the leaves for five minutes at 212 degrees. The brewed color was a very dark amber, close to brown. The aroma that wafted from the pot and cup was full of spice, similar to ginger.

At first sip, the flavor seemed almost like I was drinking liquid potpourri. After a few more gulps from my cup, I kinda, sorta, maybe, tasted very faint accents of chocolate. The one thing I am sure that I did not taste was the expected leathery and earthy presence of Pu-erh.

I also thought that the overall flavor could have been bolder. The taste had no astringency while drinking or afterward.

Give this selection a try if you are in the mood for a Pu-erh tea that doesn’t taste like a Pu-erh tea. If you are craving a strong Pu-erh offering that is bursting with chocolate flavor, you might be a bit disappointed.

I decided to take advantage of Numi’s advertised 15% off sale and grab a few of their teas. I don’t believe I’ve had any Numi teas since I switched from bags to loose leaf four years ago.

When I opened the one-pound bag (yeah, when I see a good deal I buy it by the pound and hope I like it), I could instantly detect the Assam aroma blended with a bergamot scent. I brewed the leaves for five minutes at 212 degrees. The brewed aroma was again Assam-ish. The color was dark amber.

At first taste, I was deluged with the Assam flavor. The bergamot undertones frolicked underneath but not as strongly as I expected.

The flavor was not bad. I’d rate it as being medium-power. I would have liked more bergamot, though. It could be that my taste buds have been hypnotized by the extremely heavy bergamot presence in Rishi’s organic earl grey selections. I’ve been drinking Rishi’s earl grey offerings almost exclusively for the last two years.

In any event, I like this tea enough to continue drinking it (especially since I do have a pound of it to imbibe). If I purchase it again, it will be in smaller quantities.

I was a little bummed when I caught a fishy aroma coming from my cup while this tea was steeping. That’s NOT what I wanted this morning. Thankfully, the aroma didn’t come across in the taste and this turned out to be a nice, creamy cup of cardamom tea. Definitely strong on the caffeine, this one.

I must be in the mood for spicy black teas because my next one will be this pu-erh. The cardamom is a light aroma in the steeped liquid compared to the punch of it in the dry tea. The liquid is very dark which I’m glad of. It’s a littler bitter which is surprising to me since I steeped at a lower temperature. Cream and honey make everything right again, as usual.

This smells like real-deal, full-on cardamom. Wow, is it potent. I love cardamom and have actually been having some in my iced coffee these last couple of days so I was excited to find this one recently at the grocery store. I’ve been a fan of Numi’s teas for a while so I’m sure I will enjoy it.

The cardamom has really mellowed out after the steep. It’s just a touch bitter, but with added honey and cream this is an incredibly comforting cup. It’s very dark and rich. Just so good. Normally, I would try a second steep, but I wasn’t thinking and tossed the teabag. It might not have worked anyway, but I probably still would have tried it.

This is an ancient teabag. Maybe the last from my box of Numi samples. I think I was avoiding this one because it sounded great, was a great idea for a blend (Darjeeling, berries) but I knew it would be terrible….hibiscus. I’m glad I didn’t drink this one when I got the Numi sampler and I was oversteeping most of my teas. It would have been much worse. Sadly, the only thing I can taste here is the hibiscus. The mug gets very red very fast. I can’t really taste any berry or Darjeeling. Just sour hibiscus.
Steep #1 // 15-20 minutes after boiling // 2-3 minute steep

Sweet, and thank heavens my meal plans come with this tea on occasion. Almost like honeysuckle.

I liked this one iced or hot oddly. My roommate actually thought it was weed based on the musty Pu-Erh smell, but was pleasantly surprised by the chocolate. I had a similar reaction, and it was like a creamier, mossy light hot chocolate. The flavor profile was inconsistent with each bag, which is why I rated this lower than I think it deserves at its best. There were times were it tasted only like cocoa dirt water, or times that I got the full flavors that are already described on this page. Not worth close to nine bucks, though.

I’m actually very surprised that I didn’t brew this as a joke for someone…

This did not taste like broccoli, carrot if anything… then again, broccoli is my favorite vegetable so I am picky with it.

This wasn’t bad though, but it also wasn’t as satisfying as a soup broth. The flavoring is off, but it is drinkable to the point that I drank 10 ounces; then I got hungry though.

Thank heavens I get this with my lunch combos at Michigan State. This is a staple for me since it’s the easiest for me to buy and access. I personally buy this one on discount at my Kroger, and would not buy it full price since I’ve had better jasmine greens, I.E. Jasmine Dragon Pearls. The taste does come fairly close though.

As for the taste and aroma, I’ve had either really great bags with a great smell and buttery body, or I’ve had grass, flower dust from this same brand. I think it really depends on how new the bags are; the younger, the better.

I’ve had this tea once before but my computer cleared my note before I was able to finish it. I do remember that it tasted of rooibos and rose which is strange since this is a white tea. It’s certainly darker than any white tea I’ve had before, much like a rooibos or a lighter black tea once brewed. The tea bag is so sweetly speckled with pink and it smells of rose.

After steeping, the liquid is bitter so I’ll need to drop the temperature down next time. I can taste the rose though and tea this time instead of rooibos. The liquid is murky so I keep swishing it around in my cup to mix it. Overall, it’s okay. It’s not my favorite Numi tea.

I need to try more of this and update my rating, but the one sample bag I had was light and refreshing. The rose petal scent had me saying “aaahh” after each sip. Yes, out loud. It’s like taking a nap without falling asleep. I have one more tea bag, but I am saving it to share with a friend. This is my first white tea, and my first rose tea. I will probably make it stronger next time.

I am consistently satisfied with the quality of Numi’s teas. As distinctive as this tea is, I feel like it is versatile enough to pair well with almost any small plate or dessert. But it may be overwhelmed by a heavy meal. It is smooth and satisfying with a sophisticated air. The bergamot is much kinder to the palate than other orange-flavored teas. I foresee this being a staple of mine.

This mint brews up dark, herbal, and satisfying. The box calls this refreshing, but it’s so much more hearty and grounding than that. This is, for me, delicious and filling. Some of that is the mouthfeel and color. This clings to the cup when swirled and has a bourbon color.

The slightly spearmint-like taste reminds me what I like best about mint. It can be at once herbal and candy-like. I’m pleased to find that everything I am after in a mint can be found in this little bag.

One should definitely follow the instuctions regarding “waking up” the tea leaves; otherwise, you will want to dump the first pot as it will be decidedly non-delicious.

The first steeping following the initial “wake up” brew is tasty, but strong. I steeped in 10oz of filtered water for about 2 minutes, and it was still stronger than expecteed. I prefer a milder taste if I am tasting it straight, without milk or sugar. And I prefer to taste it straight.

The 3rd & 4th steepings were right up my alley because I generally prefer a milder tea that also retains max flavor – a tall order, I know. The first two steepings tasted like generic black tea – which I am not a fan of. I much prefer the subtleties of the later steepings.

The fantastic aspect is that just one broken-off bar can produce a solid 30 – 36 ounces of liquor. Even though my husband had 2 cups and I had 4, I have refrigerated 16 ounces to have in the morning. I hope that doesn’t decrease the probiotic benefits.

It is certainly a good tea, but my ideal taste would be to steep 4 times, in more water than recommended, and then combine all 4 resulting liquors into 1 pot. I will update this review once I try that.

The Toasted Rice is delightful compared to Numi’s Gunpowder Green, which I didn’t like at all. Rather than gulp it down, I am enjoying each sip along with the aroma. It’s like a non-alcoholic sake.

EDIT: I added a dash of salt to my second cup of this. Is that weird? I don’t care. But then, I happily sip veg broth and miso broth. And that is what the salt did – turned this tea into more of a broth. And it was delicious! I will try cooking with it at some point :-)

Pleasantly surprised! I am a fan of puerh (pu-erh), but I wasn’t sure I would like this flavor, especially in the morning. I wondered if it would be too sweet or overwhelm the tea. However, the balance was wonderful. Some teas are under-flavored or over-flavored, but this was just right. If Goldilocks drank tea, this would be it :-)

Compared to a “regular” green tea like a jasmine green like I had most recently, the flavor here is stronger and more astringent. I only steeped it in 8oz of water for 3 minutes, but it was quite bitter. I don’t think even adding cream & sugar would help, and I don’t think a good green should need it. The aroma is more like that of a black tea, and the aftertaste reminds me of a cheap grocery store brand. To say it tastes like compost would be generous, because it’s not that complex.

This is my first gunpowder, so I don’t know if the same applies to other brands, but I won’t be buying this. Glad I got just a sample to start.