Review: Indie Tea’s The Road to Hana Tea

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The Subject:	The Road to Hana
Company:	Indie Tea. [More info]

Flavored Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Flavorings work with tea?	Yes
Tea can be tasted?	Yes
Flavor blend balanced?	Yes

Water temperature:	175° F
Steeping time:	4-5 mins.
Tea type:	White
Additions:	Mango, coconut, hibiscus flowers
Dry leaves:	Big pieces of all ingredients, blend of fragrances that seem maple syrupy

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Kind of nondescript, was expecting mango
Taste, plain —	Lightly smoky, mild, pleasant, mango tang as cools
Color, plain —	Peachy
1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Same
Taste, plain —	Not smoky, more mango tang, mild, pleasant
Color, plain —	Peachy

Comments:

For those of you wondering what “Hana” is, I’m guessing that Carolyn and her crew are referring to Hana, a small town isolated from the rest of the island of Maui, which is part of the group of islands known as the U.S. State of Hawaii. It is a tropical paradise, which is what inspires this blend that incorporates mango, coconut, and hibiscus flowers with the large leaf pieces of Pai Mu Tan (also called Bai Mu Dan and White Peony).

I must confess that one reason we wanted to try this tea is because hubby and I generally find Pai Mu Tan rather uninteresting, meaning that it’s perfect for “flavoring up” as has been done here. In fact, they have done a superb job of matching tea flavor with the added flavorings. Like some other flavored teas we’ve tried, Indie Tea also uses real ingredients, not just flavored oils. This means that a second infusion and maybe even a third is possible, making this tea quite economical.

They have great steeping instructions on the tea tin label and even show a touch of humor in their description of the tea.

Look at the lovely before and after. It’s quite clear that you’re getting something that the company has put a lot of pride and effort into creating.

Tins block light and moisture, but as you use the tea, air gets trapped in the tin, filling the empty space that used to be occupied by the dry tea leaves. You could use a little piece of plastic wrap pushed down in the tin over the tea to keep the air away. It would also help keep the various scents in this blend from fading quite so quickly.

My Wedgwood cup and saucer were proud to be the drinking vessels of choice for this tea, just as Little Yellow Teapot was happy to steep it.

Oh, yeah, it’s organic which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better quality (often, it’s just more expensive and puts extra strain on an industry that in many cases is all the local residents have).

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.