Unquestionably, I am obsessed with tea. Most people drink coffee in the morning, I drink tea. I have an entire drawer in my kitchen for my teas. I go on a trip and see a tea shop and inevitably I buy more tea! While I enjoy a variety of different teas, my favorite is chai tea. Some of my friends even refer to me as a chai snob, as I’m pretty picky about what makes a good chai tea. So, the opportunity to try Cusa Tea was right up my alley. Especially since there was a new chai tea for me to try. While excited to try Cusa Tea, I was also a bit nervous because Cusa is an instant tea and I tend to be a loose leaf tea drinker. I wasn’t real sure an instant tea was going to have the strong flavor I enjoy from a loose leaf tea.
My tea drawer. Proof that I’m a bit tea obsessed.
Since I’m such a chai junkie, I had to try the chai tea first. The first thing I noticed was that it smelled surprisingly spicy. For a tiny little packet of tea, they packed a ton of flavor in there. I could taste the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, and black pepper just bursting out of the tea. It was flavorful enough to feel the spiciness on my tongue . . . just the way I like it! This definitely is a premium instant tea. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
I also had a variety pack of tea with English Breakfast, Green, Lemon Black, Mango Green, and Oolong teas. Oh boy! So many flavors to try! The Mango Green had an amazing burst of mango flavor. I would definitely recommend that as an iced tea. Yes, you can make your Cusa Tea either hot or cold. Finding the right ratio of water and ice for the iced tea is still in process for me, but it is definitely a great quick option for iced tea. No waiting required! The Lemon Black had a lot of lemon flavor! It was a little much for me, but it still was way better than that certain brand of lemon-flavored instant tea I remember from my childhood. In fact, I can still remember the aftertaste of that brand – which shall remain nameless. I don’t drink straight tea very often, as I like a burst of flavor in my teas, so I didn’t enjoy the Green or English Breakfast teas as much. I am still working my way through the many flavors, but what I can say with certainty is that Cusa has figured out how to make instant tea that even a discerning tea drinker will enjoy.
All of the teas are natural and made without sugar, flavorings, or preservatives. Cusa Tea is organic and made from real fruit. And, don’t forget how fast it is to make! Fast doesn’t mean you can’t adjust it to your liking. You can still make your tea stronger or weaker – depending on your preference. Just change the amount of water you add to adjust the intensity of the flavors. If you prefer some sweetness to your tea, you can easily add something to your tea to make it just the way you like it. I added some German Rock Sugar and a small amount of half and half to my Cusa Chai Tea to give it that chai tea latte effect. Yum!
The tiny little packet of Cusa Tea packs quite a punch!
Overall, Cusa Tea surprised me. They took instant tea and improved on it significantly. The instant tea aftertaste I thought was inevitable is gone and the flavors are bold. While you’d be hard-pressed to get me to give up my loose leaf tea, I am happy to have an option for travel. Packing loose leaf tea and the necessary supplies that go with it just isn’t worth it. But having a tiny little packet you can throw in your bag for an enjoyable cup of tea no matter where you are, is definitely a win! Thanks, Cusa Tea! I’ll be taking you with me on my next trip.
Company: Cusa Tea
Products and Prices:
- 10 pack = $9.99
- Bulk pricing starts at $22.49 for 30 sticks
- 10 pack on Amazon = $9.49-$9.99
More About Cusa Tea:
Our founder, Jim Lamancusa, discovered his passion for tea while exploring the traditional tea shops of Hong Kong as a study-abroad student. Inspired by southeast Asia during that first trip, he ended up living in the region for over two and a half years. While there, he received a complete education in the craft and culture of tea, visiting tea plantations and shops throughout China and India simply because he loved the experience of a premium cup of tea. Fast forward through fifteen years of dedicated tea drinking to a backpacking trip in the Colorado Rockies. As his friends prepared instant coffee around the fire, he steeped a tea bag he would have to pack out at the end of the trip and thought to himself, “why hasn’t anyone developed a high-quality, instant tea?”After returning from the mountains, Jim began to experiment with tea and quickly realized that existing production methods for instant beverages damaged tea characteristics, resulting in a final product that didn’t reflect the flavor and nuance of high-quality tea. After nine months of trial and error, he found a completely new brewing and dehydration process that could deliver a perfect cup of premium organic tea in seconds. This new Cold Steep Technology retained all the taste and character of the teas Jim hand selected from specialty organic plantations, and Cusa Tea was born.At Cusa Tea, our mission is to recreate the taste and experience of tea Jim found in the traditional Asian tea shops over 15 years ago in just seconds. Our convenient, single-serving packets will deliver a precisely brewed cup of delicious organic tea that’s free of chemicals, additives, fillers, or excess sugar when you need it.
