Tag: Wize Monkey

Earl Grey by Wize Monkey
Herbal Tisane / Flavoured
$10.49 for 35g (15 sachets)

Wize Monkey has provided me with Earl Grey for the purposes of providing an honest review.

First Impressions

I am not going to lie, I was a bit apprehensive about trying Wize Monkey’s Earl Grey. If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while (or following me on Instagram, where I share tea photos every day), you’ll know that I love Earl Grey. I love Earl Grey so much that I’ve published two recipes on One More Steep using that very tea because it’s one of my absolute favourites. There’s something relaxing about a good cup of Earl Grey, and seeing that it’s one of my favourites it made me nervous about trying this one – if only because I probably have absurdly high standards for a good Earl Grey (sorry, Wize Monkey).

With that in mind, I opened up the packaging on the Earl Grey sachets with enthusiasm (it is Earl Grey, after all!). The pyramid sachets emitted the very familiar aroma of bergamot oil. The citrus aroma overwhelms the coffee leaf base just enough that it makes me think it’s a regular Earl Grey. Wize Monkey’s Earl Grey consists of arabica leaves and bergamot oil.

Preparation

Wize Monkey recommends steeping Earl Grey in 95C (203F) water for as long as you’d like, since coffee leaf doesn’t get more bitter the longer you steep it – which is fantastic if you’re prone to steeping a cuppa, walking away and forgetting about it until it’s too late. My initial steep of Earl Grey was for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Earl Grey steeps to a golden orange that is quite similar to most of rest of the Wize Monkey tisanes that I’ve already tried (and reviewed). The aroma that comes up from the steeped tisane is that of the bergamot oil, so we’re already off to a good start. The flavour of this coffee leaf tea is both familiar yet… not. I can definitely taste the bergamot oil, it’s something that I can smell from the tea and taste as I sip it. The nuttiness from the coffee leaf tea is very much present, and I thought it’d make me a bit sad that it’s not a cup of black tea, but it doesn’t. It adds a certain something to this version of Earl Grey, but it lacks the pep that I’ve come to expect from previous Earl Grey experiences. I think the coffee leaf tea makes for a different type of Earl Grey experience, but still presents itself well as a black tea alternative.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Earl Grey twice. I found the first resteep to be fairly similar to the initial steep, while the second resteep was lacking some of the bergamot oil that I was hoping to find. I would say that Earl Grey is good for one more steep.

My Overall Impression

I liked Wize Monkey’s Earl Grey. I’m probably overly critical because I love Earl Grey tea so much, but I really did enjoy this coffee leaf version of Earl Grey. The bergamot oil played a good role in presenting itself as an Earl Grey, while the coffee leaf made for a lighter version of Earl Grey. I’m really used to Earl Grey made with a black tea base, so with that punch of flavour and caffeine. I found that the coffee leaf made for a milder base, which lacked that pow of caffeine, but still held its own. I think if you’re looking for a milder version of Earl Grey, Wize Monkey’s would be a great choice. It retains the trademark qualities of an Earl Grey but holds itself up with the coffee leaf base well.

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Minty Marvel by Wize Monkey
Herbal Tisane / Flavoured
$10.49 for 35g (15 sachets)

Wize Monkey has provided me with Minty Marvel for the purposes of providing an honest review.

First Impressions

Spring has me feeling the bright colours lately, and check out the bright aqua that Wize Monkey has chosen for their Minty Marvel! I’m a picky herbal lover, and I really have to be ‘in the mood’ for certain flavours – mint being one of them. I was happy to open up the packaging on these sachets to give them a try. Minty Marvel comes in pyramid sachets, much like the other Wize Monkey blends that I’ve tried so far. The mint aroma is strong, I can’t quite pinpoint with my nose which mint that I smell though.

Minty Marvel consists of arabica leaves and natural mint flavour.

Preparation

Wize Monkey recommends steeping Minty Marvel at 95C (203F) for as long as you’d like. The fun thing about coffee leaf is that, unlike tea leaves, it doesn’t get bitter if it gets steeped for a long time. My initial steep of Minty Marvel was for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Minty Marvel steeps to a beautiful golden orange that is really pleasant to look at. The aroma from Minty Marvel is undoubtedly mint. I get the strong minty aroma right off the bat and it’s got a refreshing aroma that makes me think of summer. The flavour of this minty tisane is primarily that of the coffee leaf base, with a coolness that kind of just coats the inside of my mouth as I drink it. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s conflicting as I’m drinking a cup of hot coffee leaf tea while having this cooling sensation in my mouth. The coffee leaf base has a nice roasted nuts quality about it, and the mint flavour is just kind of hanging out at the end of each sip.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Minty Marvel once, and found it to be mostly the coffee leaf base on resteep. I would say that Minty Marvel is good for one steep.

My Overall Impression

I thought that Wize Monkey’s Minty Marvel was just okay. I enjoyed the coolness from the mint flavouring, and the coffee leaf base was pleasant to taste. I wish the mint flavouring had been more pronounced, since it was aromatically present in the dry leaf and in the aroma of the steeped tea. I think it could be improved with the addition of mint leaves in the blend, or a heavier hand with the mint flavouring. That said, if you’re a fan of the coffee leaf tea base, I think you’d be quite happy with this one since it retains the flavour of the coffee leaf quite well throughout.

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Jasmine by Wize Monkey
Herbal Tisane / Flavoured
$10.49 for 35g (15 sachets)

Wize Monkey has provided me with Jasmine for the purposes of providing an honest review.

First Impressions

Jasmine from Wize Monkey came to me in individually wrapped sachet form. I still love the cute monkey logo (can’t get over how cute it is). Each pyramid sachet contained the coffee leaf tea. I found the aroma of the Jasmine sachet to be quite floral. It reminded me a lot of a jasmine green tea (surprised?), with just a hint of the coffee leaf tea in the background.

Jasmine consists of arabica leaves and natural jasmine flavour, so the only ingredient I could see was the dried arabica leaves. I wish that instead of jasmine flavouring, they used jasmine flowers instead – just for the added flavour and the aesthetics.

Preparation

Wize Monkey recommends steeping Jasmine in 95°C (203°F) for as long as you want. My initial steep of Jasmine was for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Jasmine steeps to a beautiful golden orange. The aroma that wafts up from the steeped tisane reminds me a lot jasmine green tea. The floral notes are quite strong and have a presence behind it. On first sip, the first thing that I notice is the floral sweetness from the jasmine flavouring. The coffee leaf base is overwhelmed by the jasmine flavouring, so most of what I get is the floral flavours. There’s almost a honeyed sweetness to it, but not cloyingly so.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Jasmine twice. I found the first resteep to be remarkably similar to the first, with the same bright floral notes. The second resteep lacked a considerable amount of jasmine flavour to it, so I would say that Jasmine is good for one more steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Wize Monkey’s Jasmine. I really quite enjoyed the fact that Jasmine reminded me so much of a jasmine green tea, with the added bonus that it didn’t get bitter or astringent from being oversteeped. As I’d mentioned in a previous Wize Monkey review, the company makes it a point to state that their coffee leaf base doesn’t get bitter if it’s steeped for a long time. This is such a nice feature, because despite the fact that I love jasmine green teas, all of them can be sensitive to being oversteeped and the last thing I ever want to drink is a bitter cup of regret. Jasmine would be an excellent alternative to a jasmine green tea if you’re constantly forgetting your steeping cup of tea somewhere.

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