But there's another one, which I'm sure you've taken for granted, that if you have small kids and a kitchen/housecleaner supply you're almost sure to have, but have taken for granted. Failing that, you almost assuredly recognize it from your youth: the Mr. Yuk sticker. Alerting kids all over the nation about stuff you shouldn't drink/ingest since the 1970s.
At this point, with that build up, you're probably bracing for a blistering review of Trader Joe's Moroccan Style Mint Tea. Truth be told, after first sip, I was so so tempted to go there. I almost dug out a Mr Yuk from the depths of the sticker drawer just to place on the bottle for a photo op...
...but then I kept drinking it. First it was under the guise of "trying to understand the flavor." It's, well, somewhat foreign to my palette. This kettle-brewed concoction has a green tea base, with a little mint blended in, with an odd twist of citrusy lime. And, in a spirit of restraint I suppose, there's not a lot of extra sweetness, so it's all in this subdued, mellow blend, with each element seemingly in competition to be the least offensive.
All that to say, the Moroccan mint tea remains a likely candidate for return. I like the idea behind this brew, but the execution is just a little too off. I can't see myself happily drinking a whole bottle anytime soon, especially when there's a plethora of other tasty drinks at TJ's right in the 3 dollar range. And Sandy? No, not at all. She outright deplores this, which is odd, because usually mint teas are right up her alley. "I think it's because of the lime," she said. "It throws it all off." I can buy that argument. Anyways, for the first time I can recall, she's going with a flat-out ZERO here. Wow. Zero. Nil. Nada. Mr Yuk. I'm going to compensate somewhat with my score, because I do not wish to condemn the tea to the realm of blahhh, so I'll give it a 2.5.
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Moroccan Style Mint Tea: 2.5 out of 10 Golden Spoons
Trying to figure out if I should try this. I generally like unsweetened or lightly sweetened teas. Do you think the sweetness had anything to do with you not liking it?
ReplyDeleteIf unsweetened or light is your thing, this may be worth your try. I think with a littl more sugar it had potential...and this is coming from a guy who generally doesn't put sugar in his coffee or tea.
DeleteIt seemed it has potential! That sounds good. Good thing the refund policy helps there. Thought it would be very minty
ReplyDeleteUntil you said "lime" i was considering this...but what the what?!? Morrocan tea certainly doesn't have lime juice in it- and honestly that sounds like a dealbreaker. Weird.
ReplyDeleteAnd since i have to schlep my groceries several flights of stairs, a subway and walking i want to make sure heavy stuff is worth it!
Ttrockwood
I don't taste any lime in it at all. I've bought this two times now. I think it tastes great.
DeletePicked up a bottle this morning because it sounds like something I'd like. And I do. It's vey refreshing, more subtle than anything, and I didn't really notice the lime. I'm not into sweet drinks at all (can't stand regular sodas, etc.) and this hits the spot. The mint is relatively mild, not mint-chewing-gum minty. It tastes light and refreshing, not even quite as minty as the TJ's green/white mint iced tea. http://www.whatsgoodattraderjoes.com/2011/02/trader-joes-kettle-brewed-green-white.html And no sticky=sweet aftertaste, which works for me. Thx for the heads-up on this!
ReplyDeleteBTW, from walking out my front door to walking back in with this tea, some eggs, coffee, bananas, etc. took just 20 minutes total. :)
DeleteI've already drunk three bottles. It's really good mixed with the low-cal lemonade (which the TJ website actually suggested) for a not-super-sweet Arnold Palmer-esque drink. I've been drinking this tea with pretty much everything I eat.
ReplyDeleteFun fact: The entire 64-oz bottle of this tea has the same amount of sugar as a 12-oz can of Coke (40g)!
ReplyDeleteI love Moroccan Mint tea. It's just about my favorite tea in the world so this product really excited me when I heard about it. And after tasting it today I'm so very disappointed. What's up with that lime? I suppose it could be a good minty, citrusy tea drink if that's what you're looking for, but the lime ruins it for me totally. I guess that's why it's called Moroccan Style. If you're looking for authenticity, look elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI was also really excited about this tea and way too disappointed. What they missed is: Real Moroccan mint tea is supposed to be sweet sweet extra sweet. It is how people drink it in Morocco and anywhere else where good mint tea is served. Definitely false advertisement. I add two packets of splenda a glass and it resembles what real mint tea would taste like. Will definitely not buy again.
ReplyDelete