Ahmad, Primetime

Ahmad Description:
For the quintessential cup of English tea, look no further than our Primetime. A special blend of Assam, Kenyan and Ceylon black teas, each sip delivers a strong, bold and rich taste. Add milk to this, if preferred.

Product was obtained through a give-away on Ahmad's Facebook page

My Review:
Up front, I have to admit Ahmad is my favorite tea company for everyday comfort teas. For those who have never experienced an Ahmad tea, the closest comparison I can draw is to Twinings. The difference is this is Twinings with guts.

Ahmad Earl Grey is my go to comfort tea. I have not been without it for more than a few days in the last decade. So, yeah, I admit some bias here.

I scored this 10 pack sampler by simply replying to a post on Facebook. And you thought nothing good ever happened on social media.

Opening the sample box, I found a plastic wrapper containing 10 tagless tea bags. Each bag contains just over 3g of leaf. That is not common in American sized bags. At best they usually run 2g and too often even less. 3g is more in line with Yorkshire Gold and PG Tips, both are UK favorites.

Giving it the sniff test, it passes with flying colors. It smells very fresh and fruity with almost a pipe tobacco scent.

I used boiling water and a 3 minute-ish steep. The result is a deep rich cherry mahogany brew. It is almost a purplish hue.

The sip is full bodied, and feels thick. There is a briskness present that does not overwhelm or become excessively bitter. The taste is woodsy with fruity notes - its very tea, if that makes sense.

I found this very pleasant to drink straight up. Far more so than the two I compared with on bag size. I found both Yorkshire Gold and PG Tips too bitter for my tastes.

Next I added sweetener. Meh. It is better without it in my opinion. Finally, because the box says "best with milk", I added a splash. Again, for me personally, almost meh. Why? Because it destroys that beautiful color and way mellows out the bite that I was enjoying, though in fairness it took milk well. Your mileage may vary. Never be afraid to experiment. As long as you enjoy it, there is no wrong way to prepare tea.

You can find Ahmad Primetime direct from Ahmad Tea USA. Also check with your local grocer or world food mart.

Ahmad, Mint Green Tea

Ahmad Description:
A fine blend of green tea, enhanced with the aroma of mint for a truly refreshing experience. Enjoy our Green Tea with Mint as a healthy low-caffeine choice of beverage.

My Review:
Full disclosure before I taste - Ahmad is my favorite go to brand of bagged tea. It is pretty high quality for the price. That being said, I have never had a spearmint tea I like. It tastes like drinking tea with gum in your mouth. That might be OK except I never chew spearmint gum. This can't end well.

I was hoping this was peppermint. I love peppermint. Opening the mylar envelope and sniffing reveals the scent of spearmint. It is not overwhelming but its there. Be brave.

I heated the water to heavy steaming and steeped for about 3 minutes. The scent is minty. The taste is, uhhm... minty. No surprise. What is a surprise is this isn't horrible. I will never ever crave spearmint tea, but if someone offered me a cup of this one I would say, "Yes please!" I can actually taste the green base tea.

By far my favorite spearmint tea and no surprise it comes from my favorite go to tea brand.

Ahmad Tea, Green Tea

Ahmad Tea Description:
Reminiscent of summer meadows, this delicate, calming blend has a smooth light taste. Our Green Tea is an ideal health drink with a floral aroma and delicate taste that can be enjoyed any time of the day.

My Review:

OK, I admit it. I am biased towards Ahmad tea. They make some of my favorite bagged teas and my favorite inexpensive comfort loose leaf Earl Grey. That admission aside, this is way better than it has to be for bagged green tea.

Seriously, have you had some of what passes for green tea in the grocery store? Most of it is barely recognizable as tea. Some of it even tastes like paint. This one actually tastes like Chinese green tea, even if it is fannings in a bag.

I removed the bag from the envelope and sniffed. Often bagged tea has little if any scent unless it is a flavored tea. This one has a definite green tea aroma. I steeped for three minutes in well below boiling water. The bag plumped up nicely. The liquor had a green tint, turning darker as it cooled.

The taste is like a simple Chinese green. It does lack the depth of a good loose leaf, but it will do when you need a fix on the quick.

This is the best green tea I have tried in a standard paper bag. I should have expected this, after all it’s from Ahmad Tea.

Ahmad Tea, Strawberry Sensation

Ahmad Description:
The delicious taste of this classic summer fruit fused with black tea makes an unusually refreshing drink - the perfect complement to a hot summer’s day.

My Review:
I have avoided strawberry tea for the longest time as I expected to hate it. A good tea friend sent an award winner of a very inexpensive strawberry tea bag my way and it changed my mind. Strawberry and tea are excellent companions. Now this one by Ahmad is one I had planned to buy the first time I saw it. Ahmad is hands down my favorite company for tea bag tea. They just seem to get it right more often than not. It just so happened that before I could find this to buy, a new tea friend sent this my way.

I opened the envelope and swore I had just opened a box strawberries out of the fridge. The aroma is awesome! I boiled my water and steeped this for 4 or 5 minutes. I am pretty loose with my parameters with Ahmad tea because it always forgives and produces a good cup.

The taste is lighter than the smell but the flavor is pretty close to the real deal. I actually like that the strawberry is light enough that I can taste the tea. It gets bonus points for that. If you are going to drink bagged tea it might as well be a good one. I will still buy this when I see it in the store. My taste buds rate this a high yum factor.

Ahmad Tea, Lemon and Lime Twist

Ahmad Description:
The zesty flavour of lemons lend this tea a warm aroma and generous flavour, which can be appreciated either warm or iced.

Ingredients: Black Tea, lemon peel, lime peel, lemon and lime flavoring

My Review:
I slept in late the morning of this review. Now I need tea. I was just recently permanently laid off from my job of 31 years. I know, I know, but I had a couple months warning which is more than most people get. Of course that meant bringing home years of accumulation including nearly all of my teas.

This morning most of my tea stuff is still packed up. Happily I found the tea bags I intended to take on my last day of work but had forgotten them on the counter (It's all good, I borrowed some from a friend). Today, I can't locate my kettle so I heated the water in the microwave (which I try to avoid) and steeped for… uhmmm... well until the water was getting cool. You would think I had never done this before. This tea took it in stride. It is pretty forgiving.

The first thing I notice is the lime really pops. Lime is not a flavor I am used to tasting.  It kind of opened my eyes. Next I taste the lemon. The lemon and lime are actually well balanced after the initial shock. The big bonus for me is I can taste the tea. A lot of grocery store bagged teas aren’t balanced. Ahmad generally does a great job as they have done here. Lemon and lime are never flavors I have on their own so I think they taste natural in this but maybe you would disagree. Anyway the taste is very flavorful. The base seems mellow for Ahmad. In their Earl Grey the base has rougher edges. For a no fuss cup this worked well.

When life hands you lemons (and lime) make some tea!

Ahmad Tea, Cardamom

Ahmad Tea Description:
We at Ahmad Tea are proud to present our Cardamon tea, an exquisite choice of selected black tea expertly blended and enhanced with the exotic flavour of cardamon to give a truly delightful cup of tea. A warming and relaxing experience to be enjoyed at any time of day, cardomon tea can be enjoyed with or without milk. For a truly Eastern experience, it can be used to make the infamous Indian “Chai tea” .

Known as the “Queen of Spices”, Cardamon one of the most valued spices in the world. It is one of the oldest Eastern spices and was part of the wonderful eastern delights that were shared with the rest of the world through the Silk Route trades.

My Review:

I have seen cardamom listed as an ingredient every now and then in tea but usually with a bunch of other ingredients. It is often listen in chai tea. I really had no idea what it tasted like on its own, so I had no way of knowing if I was tasting it. This bagged tea is simply Ceylon tea and cardamom. I stand a good chance of tasting the cardomom :p I poured a cup of boiling water over the bag and steeped. The brew was nicely black tea dark and aromatic. 

I can taste the Ceylon tea. I always enjoy Ahmad's tea base, though the main flavor is the Cardamom. To me it tastes kind of like ginger and clove got together and had a child and then maybe sprinkled it with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. It is sweet. It is not exactly perfumey, but in this blend it is a little soapy tasting. I think I like it. I certainly would not turn down a cup but I am not sure I would buy a whole box either. Keep in mind I may occasionally drink chai but I never crave chai tea. This is not chai but is in the same flavor range. I think I could add a little orange zest and it would appeal to me.

Ahmad Peach & Passion Fruit

The bag smells mostly of black tea with some peachiness. Once boiling water is poured over it, your senses become overwhelmed with peach. I was concerned it would be too much on the taste buds. It isn’t, which I actually found weirdly disappointing. I have never tasted passion fruit so I am still not sure of its flavor. I suspect it is that odd taste at the back of the sip that I am not liking, and it lingers. I have tried a peach apricot tea where the peach flavor came forth and then the apricot lifted it higher. To me, the passion fruit in this blend does just the opposite. The peach soars and then takes a nose dive. Ahmad understands the subtle nuances of blending but this blend is not one I really enjoyed. Others on Amazon have rated it highly. The typical Ahmad quality is there, I just don’t enjoy the taste. Only seen in bagged form. You may not find this brand at your grocer. You can probably find it at an international food market. It is also available online. Amazon is where I buy it.

Ahmad Lemon Green Tea

Contains green tea and lemon flavor. I have only seen this in bagged form. Normally when I tear open the foil envelope of a flavored tea I immediately notice the aroma. That is not the case here as I notice only the grassy hint of green tea. Brewing results in a pail green/caramel colored liquor. The aroma of the brew is only slightly lemon scented. First sip brings to mind hard lemon candy. It is not quite the taste of fresh squeezed lemon and it is not the subtle lemongrass influenced flavor of Stash Lemon & White. This is bold and bright with a bit of green tea after taste. I can’t quite make up my mind about this tea. On the one hand it isn’t exactly natural lemon tasting, on the other I keep brewing another cup. You may not find this brand at your grocer. You can probably find it at an international food market. It is also available online. Amazon is where I buy it.

Ahmad Jasmine Green Tea

First admission, I did not realize the box was past the expiration date when I bought it. Always check the label before walking to the check out counter. Second admission, I have tried to like jasmine tea. I know it is a popular blend. I just can’t learn to enjoy it. Personally, it reminds me of fish oil and the smell and taste of jasmine are usually really overdone. I guess it’s just me as others don’t share my complaints. Tried this tea in bagged form. I have not seen this in loose leaf. It is a Chinese green tea with jasmine buds. Removing the bag from the foil envelope I notice a green tea aroma – smells a little grassy for a Chinese tea – and the very faint scent of jasmine.

First cup, I used too hot of water and steeped too long. It was very bitter. Second cup (new bag) I used much cooler water and steeped 2 minutes. The jasmine smell is quite mild. Upon sipping the jasmine does not overly dominate. As the flowery taste fades the green tea becomes more noticeable. It is a mellow cup that only improves as it gets cooler. I still much prefer lotus but I have at least found a jasmine I can tolerate. For fun I made a second cup from the same bag. I poured boiling water over the cool water soaked bag and steeped for 5 minutes. I actually preferred the second cup. The tea and jasmine flavors were almost too light and weak, but that odd oily flavor I don’t like with jasmine tea was gone. Maybe if I steep the first cup for only 90 seconds both cups would be enjoyable? Ooh another experiment to try... You may not find this brand at your grocer. You can probably find it at an international food market. It is also available online. Amazon is where I buy it.

Ahmad English Tea No.1

A blend of black teas lightly flavored with bergamot. When they say lightly flavored they mean just that. This is not Earl Grey but that is ok. This produces a very dark liquor that is smooth and delicious. My first thought was Twinings Prince of Wales but with more character. I enjoyed the first sip while steaming hot and as it cooled it changed flavors slightly and became even better in my opinion. There was no bitterness and no aftertaste. This blend is definitely worth trying. Available in bags and loose. You may not find this brand at your grocer. You can probably find it at an international food market. It is also available online. Amazon is where I buy it.

Update - I finally had the pleasure of trying this from a loose leaf tin. The dry leaf smells exquisite. There is a light touch of bergamot. I steeped about 2g of leaf for 4 minutes with boiling water. The wet leaf is fresh looking small torn pieces. There is a lot of green in the leaf which I am not used to seeing in a black tea. The aroma is leafy with fruity notes – like wine – and bergamot, though this is not an earl grey. The sip has a slight bite, and leaves a dry mouth feel, followed by a fruity aftertaste. I think a shorter brew time would be better. Second cup I steeped 3 minutes. Yep, shorter steep did the trick. This is a really delightful cup that changes character nicely as it cools. About the price of Twinings but I think this is a more refined cup.

As an experiment I kept the leaf overnight to see if I could get another cup out of it. I really expected a lifeless cup that I would pour out after a few drinks. This is the 3rd steep of an inexpensive tea. Steeped 6 minutes with boiling water. When the cup is really hot it is a bit bland, but when the cup cools the flavor jumps out. It isn’t as bold as yesterday but then my first steep was way too long (4 minutes). I think if you keep the first cup at 3 minutes or less all three steeps would be pretty even. Ahmad is a champion at inexpensive blends. Worthy of a try.

Ahmad Earl Grey Green

I first tried this in bagged form when Twinings stopped selling their version of this tea in the U.S. a couple years ago (Twinings version seems to come and go). I was instantly hooked. I have also bought it in loose-leaf form which is much more economical. This used to be my favorite everyday cup. The green tea is very good. The dry leaves are about the size of a pine needle. After brewing, they swell and unfurl into very large pieces. The bergamot flavoring is just the right amount to give the tea a wonderful aroma and a taste that draws you in and begs you to relax. Not every one likes green tea. I believe it is because they have never tasted a good cup of green tea. Try this a few times and I am pretty sure you will agree that when you go back to black tea it tastes bland and flat in comparison. You may not find this brand at your grocer. You can probably find it at an international food market. It is also available online. Amazon is where I buy it.

Ahmad Earl Grey

I have a weakness for Earl Grey tea. It began years ago and shows no sign of easing up any time soon. I have tried this bergamot-flavored tea in bag form but it is also available in loose leaf. The Ceylon black tea taste comes through very well, as the bergamot does not overpower it. Twinings Earl Grey is a little heavier citrus flavored. I prefer this Earl Grey which is a little less pronounced. Ahmad does an excellent job of balancing the bergamot with the tea. The citrus flavor is complex and changes with the temperature of the drink. If you are a fellow Grey junkie, you will really like this tea. You may not find this brand at your grocer. You can probably find it at an international food market. It is also available online. Amazon is where I buy it.

Update - I finally got to try Ahmad’s take on this classic in loose leaf. The bergamot is citrus/orange not flowery. It is the main flavor but does not overpower the smooth Ceylon base. No bitterness. A good solid basic comfort cup. Similar in taste and quality to Twinings but the bergamot is a little less intense and the base a bit tastier.

Ahmad Darjeeling

Ahmad is a 50 year old English company that I only discovered a couple years ago. While I have tried only a few of their teas, based on just that small sampling I would not be hesitant to try any of their other blends. This is very good tea. Available in loose and bags. A fine black tea grown in northern India at ‘the foothills of the Himalayas’. Also known as the champagne of teas. Ahmad’s blend is my first Darjeeling. It has a very distinct taste that I am really enjoying. This is obviously a black tea but with a bit of an edge. In the cup it is amber and not nearly as dark as Ahmad’s Earl Grey. This is a very enjoyable cup of tea but the brew can become bitter if you steep for too long. The instructions say 3 to 5 minutes steep time. I say stay on the low end of the limit and go longer only after tasting. Whereas Ahmad’s No. 1 tea is simply smooth goodness, this blend has a bit more attitude, refined though it may be, that I found interesting. Definitely recommended.