My name is Zoe and I am a tea-aholic. Ok so I’m a lot of other things-aholic too, but mainly, and honestly, I am addicted to tea. It probably comes from being brought up in the Salvation Army (Sings: Oh there’s nothing like an Army cup of tea……..) – ever since I can remember tea has been for every occasion going.
Cosy Tea is an organic tea range of black, green and fruit teas. Beyond the Bean sent me the full range of nine teas to try, and oh how I’ve enjoyed this one.
I always like to comment on the look of things I review. Tea bags are tea bags though, right? Not here. The thing I love about Cosy Tea (and I have bought this brand of tea myself before) is that the little cardboard cubes look really nice sat on the side or stacked up in the cupboard. The design of each is based on a different knitting stitch or pattern – and the packs tell you which one it is and why it was picked to go with that particular tea. Nice touch. These aren’t boxes of tea bags to unpack and put in your tea caddy. Each box contains 20 tea bags in little individual paper wrappers, and the boxes are designed as dispenses so you get that coffee shop look at home. Packaging overload? Perhaps. But it looks good and is all recyclable.
The tea bags themselves are unbleached and so look a little brown, but that’s ok, don’t panic, it’s just another way Cosy Tea are trying to make their tea better than any other… the organic leaves inside are very well looked after in the bag and that paper wrapping helps to preserve the flavour too.
Unfortunately, I seem to have, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, a problem with fruit and green teas. As someone who doesn’t have much caffeine at all (I drink mostly decaf tea and buy decaf coke) you would think I’d have mastered the idea of sissy teas by now, but the fact is I just haven’t. I find they smell amazing, really gorgeous, and exactly like you expect them too based on the title or ingredients. But when it comes to the taste test it all goes pear shaped… the taste is just not nice. In my head I imagine the smell and the name and hope every time that when I sip it I will get what I imagined, but I don’t. I just can’t drink it.
In the interest of this review I did, of course, try every single tea I was sent. But I’m afraid my opinion hasn’t changed. I want to like them, I really do, but the fact is I don’t. That’s not a criticism of these teas though, as I gave some to friends and they assure me they are great. In fact I had quite a conversation with one person who only buys Cosy Tea because “they make the best Peppermint Tea around”. I have not given them all away though, I will be trying them again soon (and would welcome any comments on how to learn to love them like I do black tea)!
But… the Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey Tea and Decaf Tea are just lovely. Not just organic but fairtrade too, and with loads of flavour. It’s nice to find a really decent decaffeinated tea actually, it’s got the same taste as the Breakfast Tea but without the caffeine which is a must in our house. The website says you should brew each of these teas for 2-4 minutes and I would absolutely agree with that. These tea bags aren’t for quick cuppas, they are for properly brewed and flavoured hot drinks to sit and relax with. Pour over the water and wait – it really does make a difference.
For further information about Cosy Tea visit www.cosy-tea.co.uk and don’t forget to like them on Facebook and follow them on twitter. Have you tried them? Which is your favourite?
Oh, and I have a competition to win two sets of these teas going on this week too – check it out.