The Tea Pig Trials - Chapter 1

Tea Pigs made a huge appearance in the blogging world a few months back, have you tried them?

I've been on the hunt for some healthier teas for a while. I love mint tea but after being introduced to tea pigs, I decided to branch out further and ordered a box of 12 sample teas. I've been hoarding these for a while and thought with my new fitness focus, now is the perfect time to try them.

Theres so many to choose from on the website!!!! This isn't even all the choices they have. I decided to split this into 3 posts rather then do a long heft post or short uninformative reviews.

Which tea would you try?

Spiced Winter Red Tea (Rooibos with Orange, Cloves & Cinnamon)

Made from Rooibos this seemed like a great caffeine free tea to warm you up on a cold winters day. Being full of antioxidants and minerals that can help the nervous system, circulation and and improve skin conditions, this was one I was most excited to try. I was really disappointed by this tea. I was expecting something along the lines of mulled wine but this was nothing like that.

In the bag the smell was so strong, it was overwhelmingly spicy (not in a good way) and made me think it would have a hot kick. Once I added the hot water and attempted to embrace the spicy aroma, I was left feeling rather underwhelmed. Unfortunately I found the taste even weaker than the brewed smell, and no matter how long I left it, it never seemed to taste strong or spicy. It just tasted like warm water with a bit of an odd taste. Although I personally didn't like this, I think anyone looking for a caffeine free drink to keep them warm and provide health benefits should take a look at this.

Oriental Treasure (Jasmine Pearls)

Jasmine is a scent that grows on you. At first I wasn't fond, but now every time I smell it it takes me back to the wonderful adventures me and my boyfriend have had in North Africa. Our first holiday together was to Morocco where jasmine is a popular fragrance. The more I smell the more I love it, it's so relaxing and this tea takes me back to those wonderful experiences. I wasn't expecting to like this tea but I actually love it.

I couldn't drink a lot of it, it's really strong (probably because I leave the tea bag in) but I have found it really relaxes me. The little tea temple is filled with little pretty smelling green tea tips that have been infused with pure jasmine and rolled into balls. When in hot water these little ball unravel and produce a beautiful smelling water (I think I would buy this tea to put in a bath it's that nice!!!!) Since it's made from green tea, it has all the benefits of the anti-oxidants with some added aromatherapy benefits. If your looking for a nicer alternative to green tea that will also help you unwind, this could be one for you.

Who Knew Tea Could Look, Smell and Taste so Different?

Marrakesh Mint (Green Mint Tea)

I have been drinking mint tea since my teens. Theres so many benefits from healthy digestion to whiter teeth. I usually drink Twinings, but when I went to Tunisia last November I remembered just how amazing loose mint tea was and brought a whole box back (it's rather cheap). When I smelt Marrakesh Mint I was disappointed that it didn't have that fresh minty smell, it didn't really smell any different to normal tea.

Considering I can't stand green tea, this was pretty nice, in-fact for me it was like the comfort of a normal cup of tea with the refreshment of mint tea. I think this would be great for anyone looking to get into green tea or having trouble with digestion. To be fair, I probably won't be buying this again mainly because I get my green tea dose from my morning match and I prefer mint tea.

Tung Ting Oolong (Between Green and Black)

I seriously didn't know what to expect with this one, what I did know is it had a rather funny name!!!!  It's also known as blue tea, and teapigs have described it as the yoga of the drink world, keeps you skinny and young apparently. I can't confirm this but from what I have read it has similar health benefits of green tea, as it is only semi fermented the leaves seem to retain some goodness. It appears to be full of vitamin C and help break down fat and increase fat metabolism. Sounds promising!!!! 

It smelt like really strong normal black tea in the bag, the leaves where rolled up into little balls, and I couldn't quite tell if they where green or black (quite fitting really). I let it brew in boiling water as with the other and didn't add any milk. I will be honest it smelt like normal tea. I take mine with a bit of milk and a sweeter, I imagine if I had used this tea with my normal habits it would have been amazing. Not to say it tasted bad on it's own, it was like plain old black tea (no milk etc) with a strong but more refreshing flavour. I quite liked it on it's own, but I think this could be replacing my PG Tips!!!! I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to drink green tea, but can't stomach the taste, this is like the Hovis bread of the tea world!!!!



Check back next week for more tea reviews, theres still 8 more to go!!!!