Bengal Spice

the only tea I’ve ever returned to the store. YUCK it stinks like a wet tiger.

You know, years ago, before the interwebs, when tea in this tiny dirtweed town was limited to the grocery store, I tried a box of something from CS that was good, it had a built-in sweetness, and I liked it, went back for a second box, and they’d discontinued it. I even called the company, but it was gone forever. Wish I knew what herb they used to make it sweet like that.

So I picked up a box of this junk and it was sincerely dreadful. Took it back to Safeway and never bought their stuff ever again. That was about 10 years ago, and I can’t believe this ‘tiger wee’ is still available, but my mystery blend isn’t. But then again, I might turn my nose up at it now… and I certainly would have to hide it if I had any, as I wouldn’t be caught dead with Celestial Seasoning in my kitchen

I went into Whole Foods today and ended up picking up a few caffeine free options to expand my selection for the remainder of my vacation. This was amongst the few I grabbed because I recalled my roommate saying something about a Bengal Spice tea (though it may not have been this particular one). I neglected to really think about it and if I had taken a moment I might have realized “Bengal Spice” probably meant chai tea which I tend to not be a huge fan of.

Good news, I don’t hate it. The vanilla is really coming through for me and helping tone down the spices. Bad news, spices can only be toned down so much and so I am still getting a chai tea which is really not my favorite thing to drink.

ETA: I added some sugar free (or fat free? Something Jenny approved) Caramel Macchiato creamer and so now the sip starts with a sweet vanilla caramel taste and ends off being a bit nutty given the combination of spices and caramel. Not horrible but definitely weird. Next time, plain milk might be a better option.

This smells so familiar somehow. It smells like my grandma’s home when I was younger, in a way. It smells like Christmas and horchata with my girlfriends. The teabags themselves don’t smell the most awesome, but brewed I think I’m going to enjoy this. I think that store teas get a bad rap. I actually enjoy most herbal store bought brands.
I think I’m in the “I enjoy roasted chicory club”. This is very calming. I was expecting more black pepper flavor for whatever reason, but it isn’t too evident. This is plenty sweet without adding anything, but reminds me of a chai base meant for milk. I really like this one!
More grocery store herbals for me!

My university wellness center stocks this in their lounge area/waiting room. It’s a sweet kind of spicy and reminds me of essentially every lotion I’ve ever worn in the fall, and every candle I’ve ever gravitated towards in the fall. It’s a really sweet cinnamon chai- and I’m not a huge fan of sweet cinnamon. You could probably just steep cinnamon in a tea strainer and get a similar cuppa.

Still, free tea, right? Yeah, ho hum. It did help my throat feel a little less congested.

Risengrød!
That’s what it reminds me of! Risengrød is something you get at christmas. Uhm, don’t know the english word for it, but it’s rice boiled in milk (?) covered by a layer of a blend of cinnamon and sugar. And a spoonfull of butter in the middel.

This smells exactly of risengrød – The cinnamon/sugar/butter combo.

The liquid is dark orange with a lot of dust in it. Fist sip taste exactly as expected, like risengrød without the rice. But this combo is very spicey!

Hmm.. 7 stars out of 10. But I rather drink it next winter.

Mmmm, this is perfect for a cold night like this! The warm chai spices and cinnamon always remind me of Christmastime and the holidays. I usually add just a spoonful of sugar, too, although this is good straight, too.

I’ve had these sachets for a long time, so they’re not as fresh. But it’s still a nice, warming blend that I can feel all the way to my toes.

One of my absolute favorites from Celestial Seasonings!

I don’t know why I bought this, to be honest. I like cinnamon, cloves and cardamom — but it’s not like there’s a shortage of these flavors in my cupboard right now. And I usually loathe vanilla. But I bought it anyway in some payday-fueled grocery haze and gave it a shot. And you know what? It’s actually pretty good.

My favorite part was opening the box and getting a whiff of the scent. It smells delicious, and not a bit like vanilla, thank goodness. The spices are strong without being overwhelming, which is always nice. You can really taste the cloves, in a good way. And, while you taste the vanilla, too, it’s not strong enough to drown out the other flavors, just enough to give this a smoother, sweeter taste.

All in all, this is really good for a bagged tea. I will definitely buy it again.

I’m with the sentimental lot on this one AND I really like cinnamon- lots of cinnamon- so I actually like this tea, no matter how “not cool” that makes me in liking a bag tea from…wait for it….Celestial Seasonings. I am old enuf to remember these folks when every flap of the box had poetry and sayings all over it and they had maybe 55 different kinds of tea in outrageous arty boxes. If you’ve ever been to Boulder this all makes sense. If I need a cup of warmth late at night with NO CAFFEINE or dieting and want NO SUGAR ADDED this is still my go to cheater tea.

My bagged tea day are pretty well a thing of the passed but this one is still a favourite of mine. It’s a good caffeine free alternative to chai, with the cinnamon, cardomom, etc. flavours. It’s great with milk or as a tea latte. I shared some with my best friend’s daughter when she was 2 1/2. She called it “Tiger tea” because of the tiger on the box. And so Tiger tea shall forever be its name.

A few weeks ago I made up a short list of teas I wanted for autumn. This tea was on it. The fact that I wanted it is pretty remarkable considering my history with various chais. I try them pretty regular but hardly any merit a second purchase.

I ran out of this some time back and didn’t replenish it, probably because I was up to my eyebrows in lesser teas and was making myself drink them first. Then near the end of summer as I became open to new purchases, the local stores were running out of all the good teas including this one, so I had to make due without. Now they’re stocking up for fall and it’s available once more.
I opened my box this morning. The first whiff of those spices reminded me why I had bought it and made me chide myself for waiting so long to replace the last box. Cinnamon, of course, but with warm undertones of far more. Ginger, cardamom, a hint of something buttery. I read the label and smiled at the mention of carob—I’m allergic to chocolate so carob blends have a special place in my heart.
I drank it hot, a departure from my usual cold brewing method, and found that I like it both ways. No cream or sugar were added, though I’m sure they’d be good in it too. But like any good tea that makes my second purchase list, it could stand alone. Too often, they get so heavy handed with the cinnamon you can’t taste anything else. Not the case here. Yeah, it tasted like cinnamon, but there was far more going on in my cup. Plenty of other flavors balanced it into a wonderful autumn spice blend. It was a pleasantly spicy way to start my day.