Local Hideaway/Pacific Tea. . . . .

Local Hideaway from Pacific Tea. I have to admit…I was sipping on this because of the name. That and because it was a flavored green tea and I was craving a green!

Lets take a look at the ingredients in this one, shall we? Contains green tea*, licorice root*, coconut pieces*, natural coconut flavoring, carob*, vanilla pieces*

The * indicates ingredients are certified organic. I have to say the green tea base was of medium strength and somewhat of muted flavor on the tongue. I could smell and taste the licorice but it wasn’t overdone, thankfully. I couldn’t really taste or individually point out the coconut, carob, or vanilla…but…I knew there was another flavor in there to make it more than ‘just licorice’.

The overall taste on the tongue was fairly good. I wouldn’t place it in my personal top ten but I wouldn’t cringe at a cup either. It was pretty middle of the road for me…and that is NOT a bad thing, REALLY!

Sometimes you just NEED a mellower cup. One that you can sip on and not really put too much thought into trying to figure out. It’s a much appreciated cuppa and I’m so glad I was able to try it. Which reminds me…if you do one thing today…why not share a cup of tea with a friend!?


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Pacific Tea

Description

Take me back to the summer of enveloping coconut trees on roads less travelled. Lingering notes of coconut, carob, liquorice and vanilla remind of days better spent.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Golden West from Pacific Tea Company. . . .

Golden West blend from Pacific Tea was “inspired by a golden afternoon” outdoors.  This herbal blend is made up of a variety of fruits and herbs, many of them tropical like coconut and pineapple.

This tea brewed up pink and sweet with little pops of spice between the fruit.  Sweet apple, tart rose hips, and juicy hibiscus are the main flavors of this blend.  There is a much appreciated hint of pear at the end of each sip. With all the fruity ingredients, it is no wonder that this tea tastes to naturally sweet, but is is a miracle that the fruits are able even to counteract the sour flavors that come with brewing hibiscus.

I don’t taste much coconut or pineapple, they seem to get drowned out by the sweet apple and pink hibiscus.  Likewise, there is only a hint of spice from the added ginger, adding just a mild heat and texture.

I don’t know if this is a “golden” blend, with very little pineapple and pear.  Instead of reflecting on a golden afternoon, I think this tea feels much more like a “pink sunset,” still very flavorful and outdoorsy, but more in line with the driving apple and hibiscus combination I tasted.

Golden West would be great as an iced tea when mixed in with sangria or to when mixed in with lemonade to make it fruity and pink.  As long as you go into this this blend expecting a sweet and pink fruity tea, you will definitely be satisfied. This is especially as the weather gets warmer and it is time to reach for more iced teas than ever.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Pacific Tea Company
Description:

Inspired by a golden afternoon in the Solomon western province, the low-acid blend of pear, coconut and ginger, tops any day with notes of pineapple, marigold and hibiscus.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Isla de Coco from Pacific Tea. . . . .

Isla de Coco from Pacific Tea just conjures images of tropical islands, palm trees, and coconuts.  While there is coconut in this blend, it’s not the pina-colada herbal tea you might expect!

Isla de Coco has an unusual mix of spices, with chai flavors like ginger, cardamom, and clove, as well as more dessert-like flavors like cocoa shells, cocoa beans, and licorice root.  The result is an amazing, sweet and savory, cookie-flavored blend.

The cocoa shells are surprisingly nutty, almost salty like the sweet-and-salty mix of caramel corn.  These flavors pair especially well with the buttery coconut pieces.  As for the other spices, there is a little heat from the ginger on the back of each sip, and the licorice and cloves add their own herbal sweetness and silky mouthfeel.

Despite all the cocoa shells and cocoa beans, this blend is not dominated by chocolate.  There is just a hint of cocoa powder, mainly adding to the warming, bakery notes of the overall blend.  In fact, vanilla almost ends up being the strongest flavor, between the creamy coconut and smooth vanilla bean.  No milk or whipped cream needed to get that smooth vanilla taste (though, you can’t really go wrong with adding whipped cream to a tea latte).

This is a great blend when you’re tired of the usual chai, but still want a fun herbal tea with a variety of herbs and spices.  Not to mention it has a much-need hint of chocolate to reward yourself on those especially long days.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Pacific Tea
Description: Live life a little less ordinary with a grounding melody of coco-cocoa, vanilla perfection. This caffeine-free herbal blend entices with ‘natural-sugar, spice and everything nice’.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

In Love With The Coco from Pacific Tea. . .

The name of this tea refers to a rap song. The coco in its lyrics is not cocoa; nor is it coconut — it is a more forbidden, snowlike substance.

(My young coworkers explained this to me months ago… with the weariness one typically reserves for one’s grandparents.)

The “coco” in this blend refers to the innocuous coconut.

It’s a wholesome blend altogether (ironically). It has a sweet coconut-pineapple-banana flavor with a splash of berries and petals to round it out. The brew blends up clear, but don’t let that fool you; it cooks up very flavorfully. It tastes like if Lilo and Stitch were a tea.

Normally I’m not into bananas as anything other than bananas. No banana-flavored things. No semi-dried bananas in bags (feel free to look this up). No bananas in smoothies. No banana bread.

But here it works pretty well. I think I only allowed it past The Gates* because I didn’t realize it was there until I was actively drinking it.

* Note: (“The Gates” are what I am now calling my mouth. Like, literally, just now. I will forget it by the end of the day unless you, dear reader, make it catch on.)

The banana flavor does stick around after I’ve swallowed, which is why I probably wouldn’t buy this for myself, but if you like sweet things and banana herbal teas, you should give this a whirl. I drank it hot, but I think that it would also be pretty good iced.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Pacific Tea
Description

The essence of the islands. A smooth, warming harmony of coconut, pineapple and banana to whisk even the most discerning wanderlust traveller away …

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Coconut Green Tea Anyone? #PacificTea

Whenever Pacific Tea Company is located, I can with pretty good authority say it’s probably not close to me, you guys. This blend (dubbed “Local Hideaway”), had it been a hideaway local to ME– would probably taste like a snow-covered forest floor. Or a tundra-infused Great Lake. Needless to say, all of the hideaways local to my current home are not exactly flavors you’d want steeping in your cup.

But luckily, wherever is local to Pacific Tea tastes far, far better than here. This green blend is strong on the vegetal green notes at the front of the sip, with delightfully fresh coconut-and-vanilla lingering at the end. I’m still coming around on grassy green teas, so at first sip, I wasn’t too sure if this would be the brew for me.

But it’s absolutely redeemed and made all the more interesting by those sweetly lingering tropical notes at the end of each sip.

Pacific Tea, wherever you are, I’m comin’ for ya. If this is what your local hideaways taste like, I want to go to there.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green Tea
Where to Buy:  Pacific Tea
Description

Take me back to the summer of enveloping coconut trees on roads less travelled. Lingering notes of coconut, carob, liquorice and vanilla remind of days better spent.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!