Trader Joe's

Recent Tasting Notes

60
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
94 tasting notes

Tried my first bag as a milk tea today. I ended up putting too much SCM in cause I was using up what I had left. I’m glad this tea is so strong cause it stood up pretty well to my overdose of sugar. I’m gonna hold off rating it until I try it by itself, but at least I know that it’ll serve well as a milk tea base.

mpierce87 15 years ago

I love Irish Breakfast tea! In my experience, however, it is rather unimpressive plain, but your version may be better than the ones I’ve had. Just a thought in case it doesn’t turn out great…I think Irish Breakfast is just meant to have milk and sweetener. Let me know if this is good plain though, I would have to go get some.

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77
drank Bedtime Tea by Trader Joe's
94 tasting notes

Tastes mostly like chamomile, but there’s something else as well, cause I don’t enjoy straight chamomile that much, but this one is nice. And I actually did drink it as a “bedtime tea”. Not sure how much it gets me to relax faster, but at least it didn’t keep me up.

malomorgen 15 years ago

having one pretty similar to that one right now

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60
drank Bedtime Tea by Trader Joe's
15 tasting notes

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45
drank Chamomile by Trader Joe's
96 tasting notes

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71
drank Jasmine Green Tea by Trader Joe's
96 tasting notes

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23
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
96 tasting notes

This is the first “plain” Irish Breakfast tea I’ve had (that I can remember) and I have say…I am not fan. It brewed up very dark and looked like coffee, which is neat. Surprisingly it wasn’t bitter at all.

But the flavor….gag me. I love English Breakfast and black teas, but this just didn’t work for me. To me, it smells and tastes like salty yams and garbage. Someone else’s tasting note said “sewage”, ha. I had tried Adagio’s Aries blend, and it had the same yucky taste, which I assumed was from the chai…nope. It must have been from the Irish Breakfast mixed in.

If this is was “malty” tastes like…well, I don’t think I like malt, then.

takgoti 15 years ago

Eep. Not having tried this tea, I can’t speak to how I think it rates as a malt taste, but malt is often used in milkshakes, and some beers are malted. Erm…whoppers are malted, too. If you’ve ever had those Carnation instant breakfast things they can take on a malty taste.

Knowing this from listening to a recent podcast that was coincidentally discussing malt, malt is comprised of barley grains that have been soaked in water until they sprout. Then it is dried before they grow into actual plants and is ground up to make malt powder. Something to do with releasing certain sugars.

I need a shooting star with the tinkly music. The More You Know!

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14
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
16 tasting notes

The only thing worse than Trader Joe’s tea is Trader Joe’s bagels. I mean really, have you tried those awful things? my friends have this story about the bagels.

So back in their old place i guess they used to have a raccoon problem. raccoons would break into the trash all the time and tear all that up. anyway one day i guess some raccoons break into the house and pretty much destroy the kitchen. they get into everything and eat everything they can get their hands on. everything EXCEPT for the Trader Joe’s bagels, which were totally out and they didn’t even touch them. those bagels aren’t even consider food for wild hungry animals!

so yeah the tea is almost as bad as those bagels.

Show 1 previous comments...
Cherry 15 years ago

That story is too funny.

takgoti 15 years ago

HAHAHA!

JustDuckyInNE 15 years ago

Great story.

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59
drank Mango Black Tea by Trader Joe's
16 tasting notes

On it’s own this tea is pretty mediocre (what trader joe’s tea isnt!!). HOWEVER, if you like iced tea, i recommend this recipe.
4 or 5 bags of plain ole Lipton tea + 1 bag of this mango black = 3 quarts of some pretty decent mango iced tea. seriously, i can drink this stuff everyday.

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52

This is a decent green tea, can be a bit bitter. I really, really love the way it smells. Been having a difficult time finding it lately, wondering if TJ’s has discontinued it.

Preparation
3 min, 0 sec

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65

It’s a staple in my tea cupboard… but I can’t say that I enjoy it black. It’s bitter, tannic, and incredibly strong.
But it’s great with milk and sugar. It’s English Breakfast’s stronger, meaner brother. For when you feel like punching Lipton in the arm.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 45 sec

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85
drank Mango Black Tea by Trader Joe's
4 tasting notes

The mango is well pronounced and it is hard to over-steep black tea, so I am a fan. Also it is “effectively” priced at Trader Joe’s.

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75
drank Jasmine Pearl by Trader Joe's
4 tasting notes

Pretty tasty I must say, one of Trader Joe’s more costly teas, but not expensive by any means. Worth a try, it has a good aroma and is tasty but still light.

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75
drank Spicy Chai Latte by Trader Joe's
433 tasting notes

This is surprisingly good for a powdered/instant mix! I am always pleasantly surprised when I have some. Too bad it’s not a little bit lower-calorie, but don’t I always say that when it comes to chai?!

Cofftea 15 years ago

This makes me think of my best friend! I’ve only had it once, and it was a gift from her. The best instant chai w/ dairy I’ve had. Pacific is a close second which is good since I live nowhere near a TJ’s. Doesn’t hold a candle to Tipu’s (which does not contain dairy) though.

Alannah 15 years ago

My sister (who sent it to me, since we don’t have TJs in Colorado) told me last night that they changed this blend and it’s not as good now! I’m taking my time finishing what I have, but now I’ll REALLY enjoy each cup knowing that it won’t be as good when I get a replacement canister!

I generally steer clear of these instant blends, because they’re way too tempting to have around the house and I don’t need the extra calories, so I don’t have many other powdered kinds to compare it to. The last one I had before this one was finished off many years ago!

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75
drank Spicy Chai Latte by Trader Joe's
433 tasting notes

My sister bought me a tin of this for xmas maybe two years ago, and I just re-discovered it, unopened, in my tea cupboard. I put off trying it because it’s pretty high-calorie for a drink and I hate wasting my daily calories that way! Anyway, I was skeptical because most powdered chai mixes are pretty lacking, especially if you just use water, but I actually liked this!

I didn’t use milk, and I didn’t feel it was missing anything. I was careful to only fill my huge mug part-way, because it said to add 6 oz. of water per scoop and I didn’t want to dilute it. It’s definitely very sweet (and the ingredients list 3 different kinds of sugar), but not grossly so. It was a nice treat for a not-so-nice day.

When looking for info. about this tea online, I read several comments that this has been discontinued, but there aren’t any Trader Joe’s in Colorado so I can’t be sure.

Preparation
0 min, 15 sec
Show 7 previous comments...
Cofftea 16 years ago

I looove TJ’s chai latte mix! The closest one is 2 hrs away, but I got some when I visited a friend last year.

Alannah 16 years ago

I would definitely love to have one nearby! I think AZ is the closest location to us. :(

Cofftea 16 years ago

I think WA state is closer… but when you’re talking that far, who cares? lol. Sad day.

Keemun 16 years ago

…enjoyed reading your bio/profile…I always get a raised eyebrow from my wife while shopping or travelling when she catches me holding ANOTHER tin of tea in my hands.Happens weekly…most of the time I give in and cry myself into sleep

Alannah 16 years ago

Fortunately, I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t allow myself to buy new tea (unless I’m replacing one I’ve finished off) unless we’re travelling. I have gone on a couple of binges with these Steepster Select things but mostly I hold to it!

Starla H 16 years ago

We have one nearby and I remember seeing it advertised around Christmas time, so I think they still make it, but maybe only at certain times of the year.

Cofftea 16 years ago

Only at certain times??? That makes no sense.

Alannah 16 years ago

It could be seasonal (which I really wouldn’t get, because it’s just chai)—?

Starla H 16 years ago

Personally, I like chai year round, but I guess the cinnamon and spice of it could invoke holidays. I really have no idea if this is the case for TJ’s blend or not. Was just offering a theory. :)

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100

Agree with the other comments that this pomegranate tea hits the spot. Being a white tea, it isn’t overwhelming, but enough flavor to keep it interesting and it won’t get bitter if steeped for too long. It’s a great change up from the typical black tea!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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10
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
48 tasting notes

Smells bad, tastes bad. This is my first Irish breakfast tea and I wonder if they are all like this? I love English Breakfast and don’t mind a stronger tea but the sewage aroma is difficult to stomach.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Heyes 16 years ago

You mention a sewage aroma, that leads me to wonder if the quality of your water might play a part in your experience with this tea. This isn’t meant as a slam, but I only bring it up because I have had far worse bagged teas (even bagged Irish Breakfast Tea) than Trader Joe’s.

li-chan 16 years ago

Ha, maybe. This tea was shared at our office ;) But the tea bag itself did smell not so pleasant. I was curious though! :)

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55
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
58 tasting notes

Well it’s been a while since I’ve updated my tea log. Mostly because it’s been a while since I’ve had a new tea to drink. But in the interest of keeping up a vibrant community presence…

Blech. This whole box of tea has been really distasteful. No floral, no tobacco, no nothing. Just stale, and old. It’ll have to do for now though…

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C
Heyes 15 years ago

Normally this tea is a good in-a-pinch tea, but this box in particular has been like drinking diluted spitoon juice. Well, I have no idea how that would taste, but it’s been just bad.

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55
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
58 tasting notes

Well, this is one of the last bags of tea in the box, definitely getting a thinner flavor. Having it with a drop of whole milk (all that we had at the time, and I had to cool it down and fast). Still a good groggy tea for when I have to get some in the body quickly, especially when I haven’t taken the time to clean my french press (oops!)

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55
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
58 tasting notes

Okay, so sometimes you can’t take the time to brew tea. Sometimes you can’t get out to your favorite tea store of choice. It happens. Sometimes the bills come in and you can’t justify spending $15 or even $8 on your standard favorites. Sometimes you want to give tea to someone who refuses to drink loose tea.

Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast Tea is a solid well balanced tea that is a little on the bitter side. It tolerates a wide range of brewing times (from 1 – 4 minutes or so) and tolerates very warm to boiling water.

This tea lacks the bright floral notes of, say a Lipton, but compared to other bagged teas the flavor is rich, having earthy and woody tones. Buy a box, throw it in your cupboard, and keep it around for emergencies. It also has a maltiness to it, as described by GREEN TEA TV here on Steepster.

I tend to drink this tea without adornment, but it can be enhanced with a small amount of sweetener and even a small splash of low fat milk. I don’t usually recommend low fat milk specifically, but anything more rich that 2% quickly overwhelms the tea.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec
gmathis 16 years ago

This is a very sensible analysis—I’m with you on every element of Paragraph 1!

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100

Before drinking this tea, I wasn’t a tea drinker. After having one sip of this delightful brew, I was immediately hooked. It is so smooth and soothing, with a pleasant cooling sensation soon after sipping. I recommend TJ’s candy cane tea to anybody looking for a gentle, cozy hug of a tea.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 30 sec
Santiago 15 years ago

hi im from Colombia and was wondering where can i buy this tea, i know it is imposiible to get this tea here. Is there any possibility that i can send you the money to your account and you send me back to Colombia the box???? i know is too much to ask but you never known……

linsygen 15 years ago

Hi Santiago! This tea is actually seasonal, and is sold at a store called Trader Joe’s. It’s sold in late November and/or early December, and it usually only lasts on the shelves for a few days. So I don’t have access to any right now! Sorry :/. It is a wonderful tea… Celestial’s candy cane lane is similar (but doesn’t quite match up to the yumminess of this tea).

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66

This is a nice tea for its price tag ($1.99/20 ct). The list of ingredients is quite long (peppermint, vanilla, orange peel, cinnamon, milk thistle, chicory, carob, blackberry leaves…) but what you’re basically getting is a vanilla tea with just a hint of cool peppermint. I’m a little weird about vanilla in tea as it tends to overwhelm everything else, which is indeed the case here. Still, this makes a perfect stocking stuffer. The box art is adorable (be-sweatered polar bear and narwhal with ornaments hanging from its horn) and it won’t break the bank.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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34

Girlfriend loves it, I’m not partial.

Preparation
0 min, 45 sec
Cofftea 16 years ago

I LOVE Trader Joe’s! And I LOVE green chais! Do they have a caffinated version?

Mitch Donaberger 16 years ago

I believe they do, but I haven’t been to a TJ’s in years.

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60
drank Mango Black Tea by Trader Joe's
62 tasting notes

Very smooth! The actual mango taste is not too subtle nor too pronounced, and it melts softly into the taste of the black tea. I drank it without sweetener or milk as usual, but adding those (especially the former) would probably heighten the experience by bringing out the sweetness of the mango…otherwise, the flavor might just be a bit too weak.

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99
drank Irish Breakfast by Trader Joe's
8 tasting notes

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