Tag: Black Tea

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Naked Teas Galore’s Ms. Grey

Ms. Grey by Naked Teas Galore
Black Tea / Flavoured
$7.35 for 50g

First Impressions

Ms. Grey was one of my purchases from Naked Teas Galore, and it appealed to me because it’s an Earl Grey-inspired blend. This black tea blend is organic and comes in a matte black bag (sealed and resealable). The aroma is very zesty and beautiful, I can definitely see some cornflower petals.

Ms. Grey consists of organic: ceylon, orange peel, lemon peel, lime peel, lavender, blue cornflowers, and natural flavouring. It definitely has a bright citrus aroma and I get a hint of lavender when I smell the dry leaf.

Preparation

Naked Teas Galore recommends steeping Ms. Grey in 100°C (212°F) water for 3 to 5 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep of 4 minutes.

First Taste

Ms. Grey steeps to a reddish orange colour. There’s a pleasant citrus aroma (reminds me mostly of lime over lemon and bergamot). It is a touch bitter, but I do get the floral notes from the lavender coming through. I find that the black tea base to be a bit astringent at my steeping time of 4 minutes. I also tried Ms. Grey with a touch of honey and milk, and found that it helped to temper the bitterness and made it more palatable.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Ms. Grey, but found it to be lacking the lavender and citrus notes from the initial steep. I would recommend Ms. Grey for just the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I liked Naked Teas Galore’s Ms. Grey. I thought that it made an interesting twist on a classic Earl Grey blend by adding the orange, lemon, and lime. It really added a zest quality to the flavour and I thought it was nice. I do wish that there was less bitterness to the .

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Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

September is always the start of the #PSL season- Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte.

While I know a lot of people who enjoy a good PSL, I happen to be a non-coffee drinker (of course) and I want to enjoy the pumpkin spice lifestyle as well! But what’s to stop a tea lover from making it a tea-based Pumpkin Spice Latte? From a blend of pumpkin pie spices to real pumpkin puree and topped off with whipped cream, this recipe for a Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte is decadent treat, and sure to make for a cozy mug of tea on a cool autumn evening.

Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte – Serves 2

Pumpkin Spice Mix¹
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
½ tablespoon ground cardamom

¹ Use the mix in the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte, and in other pumpkin spice recipes!

4 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree²
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Spice Mix
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2½ cups milk (dairy or dairy-free – I used unsweetened soy milk!)
3 teaspoons black tea (or 3 tea bags)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

² Make sure you find canned puree pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie filling (canned pumpkin pie filling often comes premixed with spices, and you’ll be adding in your own spice mix).

³ I highly recommend choosing a black that that either comes with spices already included (e.g. a “chai spiced” tea) or a plain unflavoured black tea – since you’re already going to be mixing it with (pumpkin) spices.

Garnishes – Optional
Whipped cream (canned or freshly whip) or whipped coconut cream
Cinnamon (ground or stick)
Nutmeg (ground)

Prepare Pumpkin Spice Mix
Mix all ingredients together.
Store in air-tight glass container.

Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
In a saucepan on medium heat:
Mix together Pumpkin Spice Mix, canned pumpkin puree, and brown sugar.
Add milk, continue to stir.
Add black tea and allow it to reach a boil.


Turn down the heat to low and allow the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte to simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Using a strainer, pour the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte into 2 cups.
Top with optional garnish (I like whipped cream with or without a dusting of ground cinnamon).

If you make this Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!

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President’s Choice’s Chai

Chai by President’s Choice
Black Tea / Flavoured
$2.97 for 40g (20 tea bags)

First Impressions

I picked up Chai on a whim when I was at the grocery store, mostly because it had been on sale and I do like having a good cup of chai from time to time. This black tea blend came in a cardstock box that features a nice perforated opening, all the tea bag come individually packaged in coated paper packing. The tea bags feel papery with a string and tag attached.

The aroma of Chai is mostly cinnamon and ginger, which are nice warm spices. I don’t really smell much of anything else, but those are the primary spices that I enjoy in a Chai so they’re appreciated. Chai consists of: black tea leaves, cinnamon bark, black pepper seeds, cloves, natural flavour, star anise fruit, ginger root, and cardamom seeds.

Preparation

President’s Choice recommends boiling water (100°C/212°F), allowing the water to rest for 1 minute, and then steep the tea for 5 to 6 minutes. I did an initial steep of Chai for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Chai steeps to a reddish brown, the predominant aroma from the steeped tea is the cinnamon and ginger. I found that the tea was smooth, but there was a hint of bitterness at the end of each sip. Not quite sure where it comes from, but it’s obviously enough that makes me want to add a touch of sugar or cream to help temper the bitter flavour. I find the cinnamon and ginger to be quite strong, and I do get a hint of pepper in the background as it adds a nice warming quality to the tea. I don’t really taste the star anise or cloves, which I feel like should have been stronger and more in the forefront of the flavour profile.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Chai once, adding an additional 30 seconds to the steeping time. I found the taste of the tea to be very watery compared to the initial steep, and quite lacking in spice flavour.

My Overall Impression

I thought that President’s Choice’s Chai was just okay. The aroma of Chai was pleasant in the dry leaf and in the steeped tea, I found the warming qualities of the cinnamon and ginger to be pleasant. I was disappointed with the lack of cloves and cardamom in the flavour though, because I really enjoy those flavours in a cup of chai. I think it’s a nice black tea blend for an introduction to chai, but there’s certainly better ones out there. I think it’d be great to add some milk to it to make it into a latte.

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