Magic Hour

Tried this out with cream and sugar-much better. The chicory +cocoa combo= more coffee like tasting tea overall.

Deeply appreciate getting an oz of this with the $9.99 flat shipping. This one was interesting, and definitely another coffee alternative marketed tea.

I was not a huge fan of this one because it reminded me of Bengal Spice, but I do appreciate it and see it more as a mixing/latte kind of tea. It’s like a chai version of a Cafe du Monde, and I enjoyed it a little more as I read Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour, right in the chapter where Michael Curry fawns over its syrupy taste in New Orleans. The tea itself is meant to emulate Cafe du Olla, and it’s definitely got that vibe.

Back to the tea, I’m going to have to serve it with cream and sugar. Many people on the site mix it with chocolate almond milk, but I’ll be more straight forward with it. I enjoyed it more cold than hot without additives. When I oversteeped it, it got a little bit too spicy like a fireball. Still pleasant, I’m not sure I’d drink this one on its own often.

My nitpick is really with not being able to drink it straight and the chicory, but it’s intended to be served with some kind of milk or cream from utter or plant grinding. Reading Anne Rice while looking at a Witch Themed Tea company is also not a good combo for my wallet. Luckily, this was a free sample and I’m still thoroughly happy I got to try some.

As it’s gotten colder, I have not enjoyed this one as much. I don’t know if it’s the weather influencing the flavor or if I’m using too many leaves, but it’s mostly been grassy and earthy lately. Maybe I should use less leaf?

Yes. The answer is yes, this has moringa, and therefore, it will be more earthy with too much.

I also drank this one in a sip down quickly. I used it as a work tea/calm the f down tea, and it was comforting. Oddly sweeter as a coldbrew, but the matcha didn’t mix as well. Again, I like the flavor profile more than Bohemian Breakfast, but it’s not as complex. I’m going to miss this one and would likely reorder in the future. It had the right combo of amino acids and flavor to cool me down.

Down the marketing hole I went, and this one was hyped a lot on youtube and the website. This is one of many of the Chakra teas, and it’s interesting that they went with a vanilla almond combo. Usually, heart chakra teas tend to be jasmine or a green herbal combo, yet this one has more appeal to a western palette. Many people raved about the creaminess of it, and some described tasting cocoa or milk chocolate.

I’ve only had it western, cold brew tumbler, and tumbler so far. You have to be pretty friendly with your servings and steep times (3-5 min) to get a fuller flavor and to rebrew it more than two more times, but it’s not bad grandpa style. I’ve avoided using temperatures hotter than 175-180 F so far, and the vanilla really comes out cold, but it takes a few more hours for the matcha to diffuse. The leaves are also small to medium sizes, so a strainer is necessary, maybe not a whisk.

Okay, I didn’t expect chocolate profiles from a Matcha tea. I had a feeling I was going to like it though and got the traveler bottle. Smelling it, it’s heavy on the almond and vanilla amidst a pretty earth tea. I was surprised that it felt like smelling vanilla flavored chocolate powder. Trying it, it’s more white chocolatey than grassy….which again, surprising. There’s enough earthiness to pull you back into the reality that this is a green tea, but it’s far more subdued. I know that’s due to the flavoring. Companies make white chocolate with matcha all the time anyway, so I should not be surprised…even though I am.

I really like this one, but I’m not sure how to rate it. Biggest gripe is price because I’ve had almond and vanilla flavored matcha before for a lot cheaper, but I’m impressed the matcha is pretty light in combination with the green tea (I’m assuming sencha-could be wrong). The moringa addition is nice too, and is one of the few herbs that might actually have nutritional benefits. I also love the flavor profile, but usually don’t get more than three cups of tea out of a single serving of leaves.

I enjoyed this change of pace from my oolongs this summer and might cut back on some. I’ve started liking green teas again recently as I’ve noticed more people have with more warm weather in the last few years. I could easily see myself drinking more of this tea regularly to help me chill the F out while maintaining some energy.

Sipdown. Considering how often I down this, I upped the rating. I’m actually regretting my decision not saving for another serving of this tea. Again, the pu-erh combo with currant, vanilla, and pomegranate is amazing. I used way too much tea this time finishing it off, added oatmilk cream, again, and it tasted like cookies. Now to finish all my other blacks. Hopefully, the new ones I’m getting are comparable to this one.

Sip down….a fast one. I’m half tempted to raise the rating. If I didn’t already order the current Astrology samples, I would have gotten a Jar of this one. I apologize for any pandering in this review, but I could easily seeing this as my breakfast tea. It’s got enough malt and energy for me, it’s got no astringency and barely any bitterness, it’s got an unconventional flavor profile matching creamy vanilla with creamy and woody pu-erh+black tea sweetened by subtle pomegranate and currant, and best of all-no headaches. I’ve used it at work, into cream and sugar latte form with collagen protein justifying my use of calories, and blended it with some Jin Jun Mei. The Jin Jun Mei brought out more dark chocolate, malt, and pomegranate somehow. There was also more astringency and breadsiness.

Either way, I’m missing it already. I might raise the rating, but it only get’s through 2-3 rebrews.

I was surprised to find out that Zhena relaunched another brand. When I started drinking tea, my mom used to get Zhena’s pretty often. The Egyptian Mint and both Green and Black Coconut Chais were my favorites before I upgraded to loose leaf tea.

Now, Zhena has upgraded too selling exclusively loose leaf blends. A lot of people on Steepster would be turned off by the SoCal health marketing approach-each ingredient-even vanilla-is described by health benefit-but the blends and the quality of the teas in their catalogue is higher than normal, and the flavoring is actually fun and clever.

While some of the old Zhena blends still exist in a loose leaf form, there are many new flavors that have become trademark for this company that are actually unique. This one is heavily sold as an coffee alternative and as the buyers next staple breakfast tea. However, the pomegranate+currant+vanilla combo is not something you see in something like an English Breakfast, nor is a Pu-Erh as the most prominent tea in the base with Rwandan Tea. The only other comparable teas I’ve had to this one are Morning Mojo, and more so, Boulder Breakfast. However, this tea is significantly more mild than even those two.

Opening the bag up, it’s really nice to smell as a dry leaf. It’s woody and heavy with vanilla with fruity notes sneaking in without being overwhelming. Brewing the tea up, it’s the same way and thankfully has no Pu-Erh stank. It’s exceedingly smooth, and resistant to bitterness and astringency.

I could see some people using dark chocolate as a note, though I’d say dark wood, malt, and clear hints and textures from the flavors. The vanilla is what I’ve tasted the most, but the pomegranate and currant add a lot more thickness to the body of the tea while the other black teas prevent it from being too heavy. I was able to rebrew three cups western before it lost flavor, and steep four actually retained light vanilla.

Making it with a splash of cream and sugar (and collagen for protein-I know-stupid health nut thing), the fruit flavors stand out a lot more. Even my mom liked it, and she’s not a fan of Pu-Erh.

Overall, this is not a super bold breakfast tea that my weaker stomach enjoys. I also know I’m a blasphemer and prefer Pu-Erh in blends over true pure pu-erh. I think the tea is a little bit too expensive for being around $8 an oz, but the company makes up with it by sending an oz sampler with my order, great customer service, and insanely pretty packaging.

I’m fairly sold on this one even though I’m usually an unflavored tea purist. I can see a lot of purists enjoying this one because it takes advantage of the qualities of the leaf bases and enhances them with slight flavoring rather than heavy flavoring. On the other end, some drinkers might think this tea is too weak, whereas others might be impressed with the full silky body and texture without astringency or bitterness. Ignoring the heavy marketing, this is a good quality blend that could make a great morning work tea.