Stash Tea Review

Stash Premium Organic Teas were created to meet growing demand for organic products. Stash tea searched for many years for premium quality organic teas and herbs that would meet their exacting flavor standards. We have chosen popular tea flavors for consumers who want an organic choice - a Breakfast Blend, Earl Grey, a Premium Green tea, Cascade Mint herbal, Chamomile, Chai Spice, and two superb Darjeeling teas from the unique Ambootia™ tea Estate in Northern India. To review Stash Tea one must first look at where the tea comes from to fully understand all aspects.

Stash buys the leaves for its teas direct from the world's premier tea gardens in China, India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Stash processes its black tea using only the top two leaves and bud of the tea plant. If consumers open a Stash tea bag, they will see only flat, brown, high-quality tea leaves, not stems. (Stems indicate an inferior tea and are added for bulk, not flavor. Lower grades of tea also contain more dust -- finely broken tea leaves -- which results in a bitter taste and cloudy appearance.)

Stash sets equally high standards for its herbal and spiced teas. Stash purchases herbs and spices whole from the world's best sources and mills them right before blending for superior taste and flavor. They are tested against strict guidelines set by the American Spice Trade Association, the Food and Drug Administration and, ultimately, the Stash Tea Company's own, even more stringent guidelines. The flavors and extracts used in Stash Premium Specialty Teas are all natural.

A closer look at some of the popular Stash Teas indicates the care taken to ensure that only the world's finest ingredients are used. For example, Stash Earl Grey tea is a blend of the highest quality Ceylon, Assam and Yunnan black teas, and 100 percent pure bergamot oil. The hallmark ingredient of any traditional Earl Grey tea is bergamot oil which gives this tea its distinctive taste and aroma. Bergamot oil is extracted from the fruit of the bergamot tree, which grows almost exclusively in a narrow coastal strip in the southern part of Calabria, Italy. Many Stash competitors use a mixture of bergamot oil and other natural citrus oils or artificial oils in their versions of Earl Grey tea.

Tea grading is one of the most confusing and misunderstood subjects. To begin with, the grades of tea are not standardized worldwide and may vary according to origin. Also, a tea's grade does not necessarily indicate flavor or quality. Rather, tea flavor and quality are determined by many different factors including: the country of origin, the variety of the tea (usually named after the district where grown), the garden or estate, the elevation, the particular flush (picking) and the manufacturing after harvesting.

With over 3,000 varieties of tea and thousands of combinations, there is a tea or tea blend to suit every taste. To enjoy tea to its fullest, it is important to brew the tea properly. Always start with cold bottled or filtered water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and steep the tea from 3 to 5 minutes depending on the tea variety and desired strength.

Stash Tea's emphasis on quality products and innovative marketing strategy has garnered widespread recognition for the company. Stash Kashmiri Chai was selected as a finalist for the 2000 NASFT (National Association For The Specialty Food Trade) Product Awards Competition in the Outstanding Beverage category. The competition is an annual event and is considered one of the most prestigious product competitions in the specialty foods industry. Stash received the Award of Excellence from the Fine Beverage & Food Federation for its Earl Grey and Premium Estate Iced Teas. So the final Stash Tea review? You need to try it and see for yourself, but the facts are apparent that Stash Tea is an excellent organic tea!