There is more green than just green tea at Joy’s Teaspoon, a family-owned, environmentally responsible distributor of delicious loose leaf teas.  As a loose leaf tea enthusiast, I was very excited to try the eight samples of tea generously provided by Joy’s Teaspoon for this Tried and True Green Product Review.

For many, the joy of drinking tea often depends on the process and presentation just as much as the taste of the tea itself.  For us environmentalists, the process by which the tea comes to us can be an important part of that experience.  Joy’s teaspoon is on a mission to bring you “quality, full bodied loose-leaf teas and aromatic, savory spices,” while being kind to Mother Nature.

So how did the tea measure up?  First, if you’re not yet sold on the merits of loose-leaf tea, I strongly suggest you try a few ounces (I must warn you, though, that once you’ve had great tea there is no turning back).  Avoid discarding individually packaged tea bags, invest in a good infuser, and find out just how flavorful tea can be.

From Joy’s Teaspoon, I got to sample Creamsicle, Emperor’s 7 Treasures, Japanese Cherry, Genmaicha, Cinnamon Roll, Margaret’s Hope, Perfect World, and Moroccan Mint.  Opening up this package of beautiful little sample tins came with wonderful aromas, and the accompanying flavors I sampled over the next few weeks did not disappoint.

A bit about my tea habits to help you evaluate my review: I am a sucker for teas that combine a variety of flavors, and I especially love nutty, fruity, and Rooibus combinations.  Since I take tea hot and without cream or sugar, the flavor really needs to stand on its own to impress me.  I like to have an afternoon green or black tea as a pick-me-up, and then an herbal tea to wind down before bed.  My favorites of the samples I received are:  Japanese Cherry, a green tea with sour cherry pieces; Creamsicle, a dessert-like orange rooibus; and Emperor’s Seven Treasures, a mouth-watering blend of green and black teas with rose and sunflower blossoms.  I used each of these tea leaves for two to three brews, and every cup was flavorful.

I admit I procrastinated sampling the last two: Perfect World and Moroccan Mint, (above).  I in fact love mint tea, but I always make it from fresh mint leaves because I have never found a mint tea I liked.  I can honestly say that both of these flavors exceeded my expectations and blew me away.  I’m very picky when it comes to mint, and I don’t do well with any mint flavor that doesn’t taste like it’s straight from a mint leaf.  The problem is that I like to drink mint tea when I have a headache, but if I don’t have fresh mint around, the last thing I want to do is drive to the grocery store with a headache.  I can’t quite describe my aversion to most mint teas, but whatever the offending nuance may be, it’s not in either of these flavors.  I’m very happy to know I can have mint tea on hand whenever I want it now.

If you are looking for a very minty cup, I recommend the Moroccan Mint; for a wider range of relaxing flavors I can attest that Perfect World is well worth your sip (with melissa, chamomile blossoms, peppermint leaves, strawberry leaves, black currant leaves, orange blossoms, lavender blossoms, rose blossoms, heather blossoms)—especially around bedtime. I will definitely be buying mint tea from Joy’s Teaspoon from now on.

While many of Joy’s Teaspoon teas are organic and/or Fairtrade certified, I am equally compelled by businesses that go out of their way to ensure they are earth-friendly through and through.  I’ve opened my share of sustainable products shipped in unsustainable packaging, but Joy’s Teaspoon does not add to the trash can; they use recyclable tins or glass bottles for all of their packaging, creating a tea to enjoy without contributing to overflowing landfills.  As a packaging filler, Joy’s Teaspoon collects paper from local businesses that do not have established recycling programs, with the double benefit of reclaiming paper that would be otherwise trash-bound, without having to transport the paper halfway across the continent just to recycle it – in turn, you can go ahead and recycle these shipping materials again once you unpack your teas and spices.

In their office, Joy’s Teaspoon uses energy star equipment, recycles paper and cardboard, refills printer ink cartridges, and print marketing materials and business cards on recycled, chlorine-free paper.  Even their website is hosted by a carbon neutral, wind-powered company.

Overall, I was impressed with the distinguished flavors of these teas.  While I certainly had favorites among the ones I tried, I cannot say there was a single flavor I did not enjoy.  My only disappointment is that I ran out of these teas too quickly, and now I want more.  I look forward to buying these teas by the ounce from the Joy’s Teaspoon website, as well as trying more of their unique blends in the future.

find your cup of tea @ joysteaspoon.com