Zhena and Republic of Tea Offer Spring Brews
When we last did some tea tasting, we were using loose leaf blends. But we don’t want to overlook bagged teas- our writers like convenience as much as anyone. We’re even suckers for powdered chai on occasion!
We’ve seen Zhena’s Gypsy Teas before, and they recently sent us some samples of their newer types. Now, we only got one bag of each kind, so we weren’t able to necessarily get a perfect idea of them… but we did have over a dozen varieties to try! These included their nice eco-friendly sachets on the certified Biodynamic line, with KiwiPeach and MangoGinger being standouts- both excellent green tea bases, slightly sweet and fruity. The Blueberry Vanilla from the same line wasn’t quite as noteworthy, but for those looking for berries, the Black Forestberry offered strawberry, elderberry, raspberry and wildberry (?!). Their new packaging is bright and distinctive, though we found the individual plastic packets a little over-sized.
Zhena also offers several teas in their Pink line, positioned as women’s health blends and with flavors like Pomberry (our favorite) to Acaiberry (a bit too sharp), Cherryberry, and Wholeberry (cran/blue/straw), all with a Sencha green tea base and a bit of rosehips and hibiscus for that herbal quality (and color). We liked the Premium Couture line’s Acaiberry, which used Rooibos for a no-caffeine brew that included some interesting additions like lemongrass and orange peel to make for a perfect afternoon Spring sunshine tea. For those looking for something a bit more straightforward, they still offer organic whole-leaf teas without fancy extras- their Dragon Well and Jasmine Dragon are both quite good, and we’re always a sucker for Egyptian Mint. Their Earl Greater Grey was nice and strong too. Available in tins and boxes, and loose leaf as well. Prices vary, and teas are available in tins, sachets, and even loose leaf directly from them online.
We’ve also seen Republic of Tea grace these pages before. This time around, we’ve been sipping their seasonal Year of the Tiger Tea. Kids will love the cute tin, and you’ll enjoy the Chocolate Orange Rooibos blend. Once again, caffeine free, you get 36 bags per tin for $11- with $1 going to the Room to Read charity. If you like citrus and cocoa and chocolate, you’ll like the tea- it’s got a nice color, and is fairly smooth, and is great with biscotti.
