I believe this  Zhena's Gypsy Tea Hazelnut Chai was a gift, because I have no recollection of buying it. This morning before work I was looking for something to put some perk in my step, which made me reach for a chai.
(Thought I'd give you all a different angle of my tea mug on this review.) I'm sad to say that I was not impressed! There was no flavor. I was trying so hard to find SOME kind of flavor. Near the end, maybe after 15 minutes of brewing, I was able to taste a little bit of some spice -- I'm thinking it could have been the clove but it wasn't strong enough for me to be sure. There was some creaminess, which I think could have been from the vanilla bean or the natural flavoring that should have provided us with the hazelnut. In any chai you expect a punch of spice -- this tea did not give me that satisfaction this morning.

Well isn't that name a mouthful! This is one of the staple sample flavors they have in their store -- it's typically the Youthberry / Wild Orange Blossom Tea Blend and a chai tea blend (don't worry, we'll review that one at a later time as well). I won't lie, this one took me some getting used to. My mom and I used to go to Teavana every time we went to the mall. She would love the Youthberry blend while I preferred the chai. To me, for some reason, I equated the taste of the Youthberry blend tea to medicine. Man, do taste buds change, because now I quite enjoy this one!
You get a gorgeous red color from the hibiscus, rosehip,  and beetroot. Just look at that bright red collected at the bottom of the mug!
 The tea tastes sweet, mainly due to the candied mango and pineapple, the orange juice pieces (funny ingredient, I know), as well as, of course, the natural and artificial flavoring. There's a nice tang from the orange slices, red currants, and acas fruit powder. There's a nice floral overtone that ties in the sweet and sour brought to you by the rose petals and orange petals. All of this deliciousness blended with a gentle white tea.
Overall, I would rate this a 9/10, given that I like sour, fruity teas. If sour isn't your thing, I would stay away. However, if you're down with the get down, this sour, floral, sweet tea is a good one. There's a reason it's always used as a sampler in front of the store!

Happy Tea Drinking
<3 TTT

Hello world!

I know, I know, it's been a while. Did you miss me or what? I could go on and on about how I was in a transition phase and everything was up in the air for a while, and even though TTT was always in my heart, it was difficult to find the energy to sit down and type -- but I'm just going to jump right into a review! Also, please note the updated layout by my favorite, Natalie! Isn't she great?

So this tea instantly caught my eye at Trader Joe's. It was one of those moments where I'm walking, see something delicious in my peripheral, and before I know it, it's in my cart. Black Forest Cupcake. Doesn't that sound just delectable? I ended up with two tins of this on my tea book shelf because my step mom was not a fan. It does have licorice root and sarsaparilla root (root beer type of flavor), so if you're not a fan of either of those, I would not advise purchasing this product. Instead, you should persuade a friend to buy it and try it at his or her place before making your own commitment.

Now, let's get down to business. Personally, I like this tea. I'm not in love, but I am definitely in like. It is sweet tasting from the cocoa and carob, so it's a great breakfast tea. Pairing the cocoa with chicory root (often used as a coffee substitute) is brilliant and enhances the chocolate flavor. As it is a black tea, I would not advise this as a dessert tea, unless you are one of those magical unicorns who are immune to caffeine. The hibiscus gives it a slightly sour taste, alluding to the sour cherry portion of a traditional black forest cake. I like adding a splash of almond milk for a slightly more decadent taste. Overall, I would rate this tea a 8/10. It's tasty, gets the flavor across, but isn't something I would write home about (yet clearly enough to write a blog about).