Leaf Type:  Rooibos

Where to Buy:  Supple Skin Boutique

Tisane Description:

Rooibos is caffeine free, rich in naturally occurring trace elements, and contains healthy amounts of Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Fluoride, Manganese, Zinc, Calcium, and Vitamin C. It also contains fair amounts of alpha-hydroxy acid, which is known to promote healthy skin.

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

I have mentioned several times the fact that I’m not a particular fan of plain, unflavored rooibos.  That being said, I have found a significant difference in flavor between organic and conventionally grown rooibos, and I prefer organic.  In fact, while I do not usually enjoy unflavored, conventionally grown rooibos, I actually do enjoy unflavored, organic rooibos.

And, apparently, the consumption of rooibos is good for one’s skin, due to the fact that the South African herb contains alpha-hydroxy acids.  And that is a good reason to start drinking more rooibos… so if I am going to drink it, I want to enjoy it!  And I am enjoying this.  It’s not my favorite, but, it is tasty and a nice tisane to enjoy later in the evening, when I’m trying to limit my caffeine intake, as it’s a naturally caffeine-free tisane.

This unflavored rooibos from Supple Skin Boutique is nice, with a woody undertone and a pleasantly sweet, nutty overtone.  The “funky sweet aftertaste” that I sometimes mention when I write about rooibos is not as prevalent with this organic rooibos as it is with the conventionally grown rooibos, which is why I tend to prefer the herb to be organically grown.

A tasty way to achieve a healthy glow!

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Aiya

Tea Description:

Premium Gyokuro (meaning “Jade Dew”) is the pinnacle of Japanese loose leaf green tea. Similar to Matcha, the leaves are handpicked and shade grown to preserve its amino acids bringing out its natural sweet taste. Best served steeped in a lower temperature to maximize taste.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

What a wonderful Gyokuro – one of the best I’ve sampled in a long time!

The flavor is so sweet yet crisp and light.  The taste really does evoke thoughts of what the flavor of a fresh dew drop on a young blade of grass might taste like.  It has a delicateness to it that is very spring-like to me … like the fresh, young growth of a sprig of grass or the budding leaf on a tree in spring.

The aroma of the dry leaf is grassy, and after brewing the tea maintains that grassy fragrance, although it is quite a bit softer.  This translates into the flavor.  It tastes lightly grassy, but, not in an off-putting way.  More like the fresh, exhilarating flavor of sweet grass.  A hint of buttery tones in the background – just a hint, nothing too heavy or overwhelming – just a kiss of creamy sweetness to enhance the overall cup.

There is no bitterness to this cup, just pure, sweet green tea goodness – just what you’d expect from a Premium Gyokuro, and the high quality I’ve come to expect from Aiya.

Photo from Wikipedia

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Lupicia

Tea Description:

Taiwanese oolong tea flavored with sweet pineapples and coconuts.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Warm, sandy beach with the waves rolling in.  Palm trees shading me from the sun, as I lie in a hammock, just soaking in the wonderful tropical atmosphere.  Yep.  This is the life!

Even though it’s cold and winter-y outside, this tea has taken me on a tropical getaway!  The pineapple flavor is juicy and sweet, but with a distinct tart finish – just like I’d experience if I were eating a piece of fresh pineapple.  There are hints of coconut to this too which are more like a creamy, sweet background note than a strong essence of coconut.

Together, the flavors of coconut and pineapple create a sensational flavor combination that screams:  tropical paradise!  So delicious!

The Oolong tea makes a delightful base for these two flavors.  The Oolong has a natural creaminess to it that accentuates the creamy tones of the coconut so well, and the lush sweetness of the Oolong highlights the tangy sweet flavor of the pineapple.

This is a delicious tropical treat … almost like a smoothie in a teacup.  All that’s missing is a paper umbrella … and the hammock.

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Arbor Teas

Tea Description:

Matcha is a variety of Japanese green tea that is stone ground at the end of the manufacturing process, resulting in an ultra-fine tea powder that is typically whisked in hot water until a frothy consistency is reached, as in the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. The resulting brew has much more body and flavor than tea brewed in a conventional fashion, with a thick, rich green taste and slight bitterness.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is one of the very best Matcha teas I’ve yet to encounter.  The color is vivid green – a very bright and beautiful green!  It whisks into a frothy, creamy liquid that stays frothy long after I finished whisking!  More often than not, a Matcha may froth up but after about 10 minutes, the froth begins to disappear.  This Matcha stayed frothy until I finished the chawan!  And the Matcha remained dispersed throughout – it didn’t begin settling at the bottom of the chawan.  It was smooth and grit-free until I finished.

The flavor is sweet and vegetal, with a buttery flavor that adds to the creamy aspect.  It is thick and satisfying.  There is a hint of bitterness that arrives about mid-sip … not a off-putting bitterness, but a savory tone that seems to rescue the palate from the sweetness of the Matcha, providing balance and a well-rounded taste.

One of the very best things about Matcha – aside from the incredible health benefits that comes from the consumption of the entire leaf – is its energizing qualities.  After a chawan of Matcha I get a huge energy boost, and it keeps me going for quite some time.

And this Matcha … is the best of the best!  I highly recommend it!

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Tea Valley

Tea Description:

Our Phoenix Yunnan Gold is quickly becoming a favorite in our fine selection. The lasting sweetness in every cup will keep you brewing for more. If you enjoy black teas, this is certainly not one you would want to miss out on.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve been busy trying to get my tea stash organized – that’s my only excuse with being so behind on reviewing the teas from February’s Steepster Select box!  Of all the months to be behind … February is not the month is not the month I would have chosen (fewer days to get caught up!)

This is the first of the three teas that I’m reviewing, and it is the only black tea of the three selections.  This month’s theme is “Year of the Dragon” to commemorate the Chinese New Year.  About their choice of this tea, Steepster stated:

The Yunnan Gold varietal uses the robust leaves of classic Yunnan black teas with a healthy portion of young, golden buds.  In Chinese culture, the Phoenix is a complement to the dragon, forming both sides of Yin and Yang respectively, and we think the bold, fruity flavor of this brew is a fitting complement to the other teas in this month’s box.  It’s a tea for coffee lovers, and it comes to us by way of The Tea Valley, a company founded by a China expatriate named Chaozhou, who returned to his birthplace to rediscover tea and its heritage.

Whatever reason they chose to put this tea in the Steepster Select box for this month, I’m good with it … because this tea is fantastic.  It is a richly flavored tea with a delicious spiced overtone.  I find that this tea is best served hot, but not piping hot.  After it’s had a few moments to cool, the aforementioned spice notes seem to really come alive.

In the above description from the minds at Steepster, they mention that this is a tea for coffee lovers, and I understand where they’re coming from with that statement.  It is a very full-flavored tea, quite bold and in that way it is quite similar to coffee.  Fortunately, though, this lacks the bitterness that I have experienced with coffee – instead, I get a lovely honey-esque sweet note that I can’t ever recall tasting with coffee.

This is a remarkable Yunnan – deserving of high praise!

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Hampstead Tea

Tea Description:

A uniquely strong, full bodied malty tea from the sun drenched region of Assam.

Ingredients: Fairtrade black tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Do you ever wake in the morning, only to wish that you could sleep longer?  Of course!  Don’t we all?  Truth be told, I experience that just about every morning!

On the days when I can’t hit the snooze button, this is the kind of tea that I need in my tea cup.  It is a strong, stout kind of tea, with plenty of gusto to help me wake up and get focused.

This full-bodied cup has a rich, malty character, and takes the addition of milk and honey quite well, if you care to add them.  These additions will help take that Assam “edge” off just a little.  I find this to be quite enjoyable without additions, as well.  Very bold and spirited, yes, but sometimes, that’s just what I want from a tea.  This one delivers.

I do recommend exercising caution when brewing this tea, though.  I found that 2 minutes is the perfect time for this tea … any longer and you may wind up with a cup with a bitter bite to it.  Assam tea is celebrated for its strength and rich flavor, but not for its forgiving nature!

This is the kind of Assam that you want to have on hand for when you need that extra push in the morning!  One of the strongest Assam teas that I’ve yet to encounter!

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

Ingredients:  Premium black teas, organic cacao nibs, natural flavors.

This tea is part of 52Teas Box of Chocolates sampler.

Taster’s Review:

OK… this is the one, the one I’ve been waiting for!  The one that I saved for last, hoping it would be the best.  I mean, yeah, it’s no secret by now, I love chocolate, but, if there is one “sweet” that I love just as much as chocolate, that would have to be caramel.  And when they’re together in one confection, it’s almost heaven.  (To reach heaven would require the addition of salt on said confection, or perhaps peppered bacon … yes, yes, I’m a sweet tooth, and I love flavor contrasts like salty and sweet, or even better would be salty, spicy and sweet)

Anyway … I’m happy to say that this tea did not disappoint.  Of the six new-to-me chocolate teas in this Box of Chocolates sampler, this tea is my favorite (followed closely by the previous favorite:  Cherry Cordial).  It has a very pleasing level of chocolate and caramel flavor, and the very first flavor that I tasted with my first sip was that yummy burnt-sugar caramel taste.  Mmmmm!

The black tea base works quite well with these flavors.  The hint of malt from the Assam offers some dimension to the caramel flavor, while the overall flavor of the tea gives a pleasing depth to the chocolate notes.  The tea tastes rich and satisfying, and the sweeter notes of the caramel seem to soften the astringency a bit, creating a smooth, well-rounded taste from start to finish.

This cup of tea made the entire Box of Chocolates sampler worthwhile to me.  Yes, I love it that much!

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Jaipur Avenue

Tea Description:

A celebration with delicate fragrances, luxurious cream and soft spice.

Learn more about this chai here.

Taster’s Review:

Oh my goodness … this is like comfort food in liquid form!  It is so creamy and delicious.

This Vanilla Chai mix is different from the Original Masala Chai mix in a couple of ways, most notably that this chai is very vanilla-y.  I’ve tried several different vanilla chai blends in the past, but, this one takes vanilla to a whole new level.

The spices are more of an accent to the vanilla.  In most cases, I’d be disappointed by that, but with this particular chai, it’s hard to be disappointed because it is so good.  SO GOOD!

The black tea is noticeable, but, it is somewhat masked by the creaminess of the vanilla and the milky notes.  I will say that I found the black tea flavors to develop as I continued to sip, and despite the fact that the flavor was somewhat obscured, this chai definitely has the energizing factor of a black tea.

This would make a good chai mix for someone who likes their chai on the mild side (rather than the spicy), although, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who dislikes sweet drinks.  That’s because this is sweet.  It could easily replace a dessert.  It has a decadent creaminess to it, like a warm, liquified vanilla spiced custard.

As for me, I absolutely love this.  It is incredibly decadent and rich and oh-so-yummy.  My sweet tooth highly recommends this one!

Photo from Wikipedia

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

Ingredients:  Premium black teas, almond slivers, organic cacao nibs, coconut, natural flavors.

This tea is part of 52Teas’ Box of Chocolates Sampler.

Taster’s Review:

This is the fifth “new-to-me” tea from 52Teas’ Box of Chocolates Sampler, and I think that this is the one I was the one that elicited the most excitement from me when I first opened the box.  I think I actually squealed when I saw the tea through the lid of the tin, and then turned the tin over to read the name.

When it comes to chocolate, I generally have pretty expensive taste, but, in a pinch, I’ll settle for a readily available candy bar and this tea is created with one of my favorites in mind (I don’t really need to tell you the name of that candy bar, do I?)  So, needless to say, I had high expectations when I brewed this tea.

The aroma wafting from my tea cup at the moment is absolutely delicious.  I can smell the sweet almond.  YUM!  I do wish there was a bit more coconut both in the fragrance and in the flavor.  That’s not to say that it isn’t a noticeable flavor, because it is, but in the candy bar, the coconut is the strongest flavor, and that isn’t the case with this tea.  Here, the almond dominates, followed by the chocolate and then the coconut.

So while I am enjoying this cup (immensely, I might add!), I do think it could be improved with a little more coconut flavor … and perhaps just a touch of vanilla to amplify the creaminess factor.  Because while that candy bar may be for those who feel like a nut… its that creamy coconut that most of us really crave.

I also believe that by increasing the coconut flavor, it would help soften the black tea base here, which isn’t bitter but it is quite astringent, and I think that this takes away from the “joy” just a little bit.

Overall, it is still a VERY good tea, but, I think it could still use a little tweaking to make it even better.

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Mandala Tea

Tea Description:

Like many of China’s famous greens, this tea also has a rich history.  Known in China as Ding Gu Da Fang (Valley Peak Da Fang), it was named after the Buddhist monk who originally grew the plants on Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) centuries ago.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is my first tea that I’ve tried from this new tea company (or perhaps I should say, a company that is new to me!) and based upon this very positive experience, I am glad it won’t be the last tea I taste from them.  I am absolutely LOVING this tea.

In the website description of this tea, Mandala Tea compares it to a LongJing (aka Dragon Well).  And while I do enjoy a good Dragon Well Tea and can see where Mandala Tea is coming from with such a comparison, I have to say that I prefer this Ding Gu Da Fang to most Dragon Well teas that I’ve tried. It is lighter, sweeter and smoother than a typical LongJing.

There is such a charming nutty tone to this tea.  It is light and crisp and reminds me of the snap (or crunch) you’d experience when biting into a cashew.  It has a creamy smooth flavor that reminds me of the mild, creamy taste of a delicious roasted nut.  The texture is light and clean, with a very mild astringency at the tail of the sip.

The sweetness and smoothness of this tea reminds me a bit of a yellow tea, so I have categorized this as both a green tea and a yellow tea, because even though it is a green tea, it has so many characteristics that remind me of a yellow tea.  This is an extraordinary tea; I highly recommend it.