Argo Tea: Charitea

This is the second Argo Tea variety that I have tried in the past couple of months, and I am happy to say that I now have enough data to officially regard Argo Tea as a favorite of Drinkable Review. I really like these drinks a lot, and I am eager to continue trying some of the other flavors. 

I spent a good bit of time talking about the fantastic bottle in the last Argo Tea review, so I'll steer clear of it this time by simply stating that the bottle is, in fact, still fantastic. However, what is inside of the bottle could not be more different. Argo Tea's Charitea is comprised of a relatively straightforward combination of hibiscus tea (just hibiscus and water), cane sugar, cherry juice, and vanilla flavoring. The hibiscus, cherry, and vanilla are all immediately evident in the drink, with the hibiscus and cherry tastes being more dominant than the vanilla. This strikes an excellent balance, though, as I think that vanilla works much, much better in the background rather than acting as a primary flavor. 

My only warning about the drink would be that the hibiscus flavor may be a bit strong for those who are not incredibly keen on botanical flavorings. If you fall into this group, I would recommend trying out one of the other varieties. Otherwise, there is really a lot to like here. Everything in the Charitea tastes very natural, and the added sugar really helps to bring the three seemingly disparate flavors together into a unique and interesting beverage that is quite easy to recommend.

And, as an added bonus, Argo Tea donates a portion of the proceeds each year from seasonal sales of the Charitea to various non-profit organizations. This season, they are partnered with the Sierra Club, one of the largest environmental protection and sustainability organization in the United States. For more information on Argo Tea's charity involvement, feel free to visit the Charitea page of their website.

Verdict: Recommended

Purchased: Whole Foods Market [Greenville, SC]

Size: 13.5 fl. oz. [400mL]

Price: $2.99

Tradition Barley Tea

I am a big fan of Tradition's teas. They make quality products, and I always get a little bit excited when I find a new kind of loose leaf tea sitting on the shelf in Tradition's definitive, glossy box. I was just recently introduced to barley tea for the first time a few weeks ago, and despite having initial hesitations about the concept, I found that I really like it. Naturally, when I found this during a routine trip to the Asian market, I seized the opportunity and grabbed a box off of the shelf.

For those unfamiliar with the product, the picture on the front of the box is actually a bit misleading, as the tea bags are not simply filled with barley grains as depicted in the image. Instead, each bag contains a fairly even mixture of barley grains and black tea leaves, as shown in the horribly lit photograph below. Some more traditional barley teas are prepared by simply stewing barley seeds in hot water to release the flavor, just as you would with "conventional" tea leaves. Tea bags containing ground barley seeds can also be found as a method of preparing individual servings of the tea. Ironically, Tradition has decided to break from the routine by combining the tastes of whole barley seeds and fresh black tea.

Tradition's barley tea has an excellent flavor. The black tea tastes very fresh, and the barley seeds add a slight grainy taste to the bitterness of the tea. Although barley does not have a particularly strong taste, its flavor is very distinct, and is certainly present amongst the black tea. This is a good thing, though, as the two stark flavors act as mellowing agents for each other, and both of their distinct aromas combine smoothly into one pleasantly mild and natural taste that leaves the palette feeling clean and refreshed.

Although I have a hard time imagining a tea-drinker not enjoying Tradition's barley tea, I would say that this may not be the drink for everybody. Those who do not enjoy the taste of natural, earthy grains are not likely to find great pleasure in this beverage. While I still encourage those who harbor hesitations towards the drink to give it a try, I'd definitely say try it before you buy it. I, on the other hand, am a huge fan of all sorts of grains, and I really found a lot to enjoy about this tea. I would say that it's one of my recent favorites, and I definitely offer it my recommendations.

Verdict: Highly recommended

Purchased: Asian Market [Columbia, SC]
Size: 2.8 grams [20 bags/box]
Price: $3.49

Assi Instant Honey Chrysanthemum Tea

A friend of mine gave me a sampling of this tea a few days ago. It is an instant tea, a kind of tea towards which I typically have aversions, but this one is interesting. It still has the mild aftertaste of an instant tea, but it is not as strong and overbearing as others of it's type. This may be due partly to the fact that instead of being packaged in powder form like most instants (or a syrup like at Starbucks...ick), the tea formula is loosely packed together into small pellets that dissolve almost immediately after pouring. The first time that I made the tea, I had a chopstick at the ready and automatically began to stir the concoction after pouring in the water, only to realize that it was mostly unnecessary. The pellets were gone almost instantaneously, although I did continue to stir just to insure even flavor distribution. 

The tea itself is pretty good. Like I said, there are weird hints here and there of the instant nature of the beverage, but they are understandable and are not terribly difficult to ignore. I have never had chrysanthemum tea before, and the strongest flavor was definitely the honey, but what I could taste of the tea I liked. However, I make those judgments with a grain of salt, as I usually try not to base my initial opinions on an artificial or instant version of the item in question. Overall, this is a great instant herbal tea, and with its low price point, it's pretty easy to recommend.

Verdict: Recommended

Purchased: Hyuneai Oriental Market

Size: --

Price: $1.99