Whenever I had green tea, I made sure I was having a decent-sized or large meal. I usually drank tea or coffee in the afternoon, because that was when my slump would occur. It helped keep me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. (Although really it just kept me functional!) But I realized back in the fall of 2010 after months of not having any caffeine, that my health was overall better without it.
I searched for caffeine substitutes, and found Teecino. I couldn't wait to try it, and finally got the chance about a week ago. While at my local health food store, I found samples and I grabbed one of each: Vanilla Nut, Hazelnut and French Roast.
I had also learned that ginseng did not have caffeine so I bought a box of the Yogi brand. That very day, last Monday, I tried Teecino's Vanilla Nut. I had gotten Teecino's tee bag version. I will say this, I ma not giving up on Teecino. I've had Maxwell House's coffee in a tee bag and prefer ground to that.
Vanilla Nut Teecino
(No picture of tee bag)
The cashier at the health food store said he liked it, and had mixed the Vanilla Nut with almond milk and a packet of stevia. I used my Lactaid milk, some creamer, and sugar. I would add my packet of stevia if I needed more sugar. The tee bag had a smell I was familiar with but could not place. I could smell the vanilla, though. It was slight but I could smell it. I want to say the overall smell was sweet.
I added my piping hot water, and followed the instructions. I let it steep and then dunked it several times. I took my first sip. I knew not to expect coffee, so I wasn't shocked by that. There was, however, something going on that I could not place right away. Finally, I realized what was going on. It was too watery. It's like you first tasted the drink, and then it was followed by water. I stirred to see if that would help. No. The flavor did not grow on me, and I love vanilla in coffee.
I put it down, and forgot about it. By the time I took another swig, it was lukewarm. Absolutely terrible. I drank it all, and decided that maybe it was my fault for the taste. One reviewer on Amazon said if you want a stronger cup, use two tee bags, and I had used one and 16 ounces of water. Of course, it's watery! (See below for more.) The aftertaste was most unpleasing.
French Roast
I was a little iffy about French Roast after the Vanilla Nut, but another reviewer said (about a different brand) that if you did not drink your coffee black, you would not like it. I used a smaller cup (12 ounces versus 16), and I added a lot more creamer than the first go around, and left out the milk. French Roast worked for me. There was no watery sensation. Its smell was a little bitter, but otherwise sweet. That may be the chicory. It was delightful. I could forget it wasn't coffee. This time I didn't let it get lukewarm. I would try the tee bag again.
Hazelnut
Hoping for the best, I did a repeat performance as the French Roast. I like Hazelnut coffee or creamer. It's not in my top five, but I'll drink it. Not this. No, no, no! The watery sensation was back, and no amount of sugar (artificial or natural) could save this. It was just like the Vanilla Nut, except blander. I must say no to the tee bags for these two flavors. I give Teecino tee bags a 1 out of 5.
I am not giving up on Teecino just yet. I'll try the samplers they have of the ground version, and will write more later. But I am going to go with a few different brands first. Teecino is expensive for someone on a severely limited budget. It's like buying coffee from Whole Foods or Trader Joes. I'm willing to swing for it if the taste wasn't so bad, and because of this first impression, I am in no hurry to try other Teecino samples. But I want coffee so I will try other coffee alternatives like Cafrix or Inka before coming back to Teecino.
As for the Ginseng tea, I think I'll try ginseng in capsule form, because after drinking it Tuesday afternoon, my slump still occurred. It wasn't as bad as it usually is, but it wasn't gone either. Yogi Ginseng Vitality Tea will join the others, and I will continue my search.
Have you tried any alternatives or maybe a better ginseng tea you want to tell me about? Please do!
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