Trader Joe's

My second Monday evening watching Downton Abbey, while enjoying a cozy flavored rooibos. This episode was pretty jarring. I’m all worked up now, but at least there’s still time to wind down before bed, unlike when I watched the final episode of last season. :P I think I have a love/hate relationship with this show! Maybe I need another cup of rooibos…

In other news, my husband got me some flowers, just because. I love when he does that!

After trying a cup of this from my coworker’s tin the other day, I ran out to TJ’s last night and picked up my own tin! It’s really nice to have these flavors in a noncaffeinated tea, so I can drink it at night. I also picked up some pumpkin cream cheese. I love how they have lots of pumpkin-flavored foods this time of year! The instructions on the tin say to steep it for 5-7 minutes, but I must warn you 2 minutes is plenty strong! I think I may resteep my little sachet too. :)

So, what do you do when you are furloughed due to the government shutdown? You invite coworkers over for tea!! That’s exactly what I did today. I made cinnamon pecan scones, tea sandwiches, and they brought lemon cookies and cheese muffins. Yum! One of my coworkers also brought some of this tea. The tea is in little sachets and it’s quite delicious! Really well blended spicy pumpkin rooibos. Would definitely drink that again. I may have to stop by Trader Joe’s. Not like I don’t have the time! :P

Forgot to mention, this stuff brews as dark as coffee.

Why does this have to be a holiday season only treat? And most of all, why can’t I have a Trader Joe’s??? Pretty good. Cute box.

Not my favorite basic black tea…but makes a pretty decent iced tea that my dad is a big fan of. Almost has a pretty red color…am I imagining this?

Really sweet and very much a tea latte. It smells REALLY strongly of pumpkin, so I was afraid that the flavor would be an artificial pumpkin taste. But I was wrong, the pumpkin is pretty balanced. Overall, very tasty.

**A review of Green Tea by Trader Joe’s

Company: Trader Joe’s
Tea Name: Green Tea
Tea Type/Varietal: green
Region:
Steeping Vessel/Amt Leaf: cup/ tea bag
Liquor Color: light brown
Leaf Characteristic:

1st Steeping:
Water Temp: 180 Fahrenheit
Time: 2 minutes

I have been enjoying this green tea since rediscovering it again after my herbal tea trials and tribulation as it now seems to have been. I mean that herbal teas, is a difference experience all together and at times not with good results. Anyhow, I am back to drinking plain green teas. Using freshly boiled water I put one tea bag in my cup and leave it to steep for two minutes. The tea’s aroma is clean and fresh and the tea’s color is light brown; almost the color of honey. I take sips after sips of this tea savoring the tingling sensation on my palette and upon swallowing of the tea there is that slight after taste that lingers reminding me that this is how green tea is meant to taste.

Overall tasting notes: crisp and clean with slight tingling on the palette.

Cup’s characteristic: fresh and mildly astringent

Liquor color: light brown (honey colored)

Taste: mild to very astringent if steep for longer

A review of Green Tea by Trader Joe’s

Company: Trader Joe’s
Tea Name: Green Tea
Tea Type/Varietal: green
Region:
Steeping Vessel/Amt Leaf: cup/ tea bag
Liquor Color: light brown
Leaf Characteristic:

1st Steeping:
Water Temp: 180 Fahrenheit
Time: 2 minutes

Using freshly boiled water I put one tea bag in my cup and leave it to steep for two minutes. The tea’s aroma is freshly clean and light brown in coloring. I happily take sip of my tea because this is one of my all time favorite teas.

Overall tasting notes: crisp and clean with slight tingling on the palette.

Cup’s characteristic: fresh and mildly astringent

Liquor color: light brown

Taste: mildly to very astringent if steep for longer

I love the flavors in this. :) it is perfect for the holidays.

This is one of those Rooibos teas that I really enjoy. Especially, right now because I’m pregnant. I usually drink this tea nice and warm but I forgot about it and now it’s a little chilly. Surprisingly, the cup is still a bit warm though. Flavor is also good. Which I think I would have been sad if it wasn’t.

For you chai drinkers you will enjoy this one. Not many other companys come this close to making a good Rooibos chai. Chai should be a bit spicy and this one does the drink without letting the Rooibos cover it.

This is alright. The pomegranate and hibiscus overwhelm the white quite a bit, but that is to be expected…

I’ve had this at my mom’s before. I picked some up with her, there is no Trader Joe’s near me. I like their Jasmine Tea too. I’m having the toughest time telling time in Spanish. I’m not doing bad in Spanish so far. I think Trader Joe’s has good tea. I’m also eating a sticky bun from Panera. I volunteer for a food pantry, and we get day old bread free from Panera, so I asked if I could have some. I spread butter on it, and stick in in the microwave for 15 seconds, and it is yummy with the tea. Perfect combination. After a hard day of a class I wasn’t prepared for. I’m going into office hours tomorrow morning.

Firstly, I should probably mention I lean more towards Japanese green tea rather than Chinese. So, perhaps I am not the right drinker for this. I have enjoyed the yellower, more bitter Chinese varieties before, but I found this one too much so. I did finish my box, but I did so with much coaxing.

Smells like jasmine, tastes like green tea. I agree with the temperature comments – too hot (also too long) and it’s bitter. Good for a cheap tea. I’m going to try to do the cold steeping that a few people here have mentioned (in fact, off to pop a bag in a water bottle to steep overnight).

It’s warm and cozy and naturally sweet.
It’s not very strong, so it would probably do better as an afternoon tea.
It’s too bad Trader Joe’s only carries it during the holiday season

So my bestie came over and after lunch I offered tea (of course). She must reduce caffeine so requested something herbal. I made this chamomile tea. I have been drinking a cup almost daily since I too have to keep caffeine to a fraking minimum. Which I’m handling with such grace as you can see. We sipped our tea dutifully and then left to go out. As we walked away, I said, “I hate chamomile tea so much.” Relief and solidarity in her eyes, my friend responded fervently, “I do too!” It was fun to hate it together.

Whats good about this is the vanilla, I’ve realized. Cinnamon in tea can be overwhelming, but the addition of vanilla is a mellowing agent to that. I like this. I might get it again when it rolls around, but for now its a Sipdown!

Pensive Lemur tea! Hurrah!
Its actually really good, especially for a bagged tea. Not too warm, due to the pleasant note of vanilla cutting through the cinnamon. Very nice.
Only a little of this left. I’ll have to try it against Glitter and Gold and see how that all shapes up!

Its going to be 100 degrees today. Buy my sinuses are still unhappy, and so an unseasonable tea is called for!
Why precicely I thought cinnamon would be good for gunky sinuses, I do not know, but I do like this. Its warm and fun. Not precicely the mood people usually goes for during 100 degree weather, but hey.
Give me tea or give me heatstroke!

There are many reasons to love this tea. Firstly, its very good. The cinnamon is just the right amount, and its smooth and warm and gives you that Christmas-time feeling.
Then there is the box, which has a pensive lemur on it. I really wish more boxes had pensive lemurs on them, now that I think about it.
Its only available around the holidays, so that means I’m just about out of this, but I’ll be getting some more when it rolls around again!
I hope they keep the pensive lemur packaging.

I have tried many different teas. Some expensive. But when I found this one, I went “this is it!”.
Strong, yes! But that’s just what I need in the morning. As long as you drink it hot, it won’t be bitter.
And at that price, it could not be beat.
Except that TJ’s discontinued it – as of June 2013!
Not the first time that they pull one of my favorites off their shelves.
So, now, they have replaced it with “something” called Iris Breakfast Tea too.
But it ain’t the same at all. The new box is yellowish, not green and smaller. The tea bags are smaller as well. And round. And the worst part, this new tea tastes like… Anyway, I just had to throw the box away!
Oh well, so I am searching for a good tea again…

Not bad as iced tea