Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Ette Tea
Tea Description:
Shaded as the quintessential earl grey, Kris Grey (Blend no. 050) is a western classic brew fortified with south east asian ingredients.
Kris Grey is a blend of black tea, javanese vanilla beans, blue corn flower, bluepea flower, bergamot oil & edible silver dust.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My second blend from Ette Tea!
So, I’m not the biggest Earl Grey fan; not that I dislike it, but I just don’t crave it often either. Under normal circumstances I probably wouldn’t have gone for this one – but who can resist sample sizes and the idea of sparkly silver tea? And really, the dry leaf is stunning! It’s covered in this really fine, gorgeous silver dust. So pretty!
Steeped up I’m not going to lie; I’m a little disappointed. The tea is still gorgeous and sparkly, but it’s not as dramatic as I’d have thought given the amount of noticeable glimmer in the dry leaf. Maybe about the same amount of sparkle as DT’s Gitter & Gold blend that people like to ooh and aah over.
The taste is solid though; it’s a good EG with a medium level of citrusy bergamot and silky smooth black base. I feel like a little bit more of vanilla would have really sent this one sky rocketing though. As it stands I can hardly taste the vanilla at all, but as is it’s just fine too. People who really love EG should definitely take a closer look at this because while it isn’t mind blowing, it’s got a really taditional taste with that fun sparkly element that makes it different from the average EG you can get at any store.
So for me, it’s a step down from Pandan Chiffon (which set the bar very high) but still not a flop! Definitely excited to try my next tea from this company!
Ginger Twist Herbal Tisane from Sloane Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
This tea is available from Amoda Tea.
Tea Description:
This tea is incredibly warming and comforting. A herbal blend that’s both sweet and spicy. Lemongrass gives a dominant , but smooth, citrus flavour. Hints of mint and tropical fruit blend seamlessly, making individual ingredients subtle to detect. The sweet comforts of the liquorice root coat the throat and help the flavours of the tea linger.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I admit that I entered into my experience with this Ginger Twist Herbal Tisane from Sloane Tea with a little bit of intrepidation because I had heard from a friend of mine who is also an Amoda Tea subscriber that she was a little less than thrilled with this tea. And after reading the ingredient list, yeah, I was a little nervous about this one.
What’s In It: Lemongrass, mint, ginger, ginseng, licorice root, apple, papaya, citrus peel, cornflower petals, natural flavour.
Lemongrass, mint, ginger? OK. Ginseng … ugh. Licorice root – in most cases, I’d be enthusiastic about it, but it’s been my experience when ginseng and licorice root are blended together the result is a flavor that … evokes thoughts of dirty socks. The rest of the flavors seemed OK to me. It’s the ginseng with the licorice root that was causing my anxiety about this blend.
But, despite my intrepidation, the tea beckoned to me to try it and since my friend was asking for suggestions on how best to brew and serve this tea, I figured I needed to try it.
What’s the worst that could happen? Since I’m not allergic to any of the ingredients, an allergic reaction isn’t the worst thing that could happen and I trusted Amoda Tea not to send me poison so I didn’t fear for my life if I were to drink this tea. I surmised that the worst thing that could happen is that I hate this and after I take a sip or two, I unceremoniously dump the rest of it down the drain.
So I brewed it. I decided to go with a ‘light’ brew and only steeped it for 6 minutes rather than my usual 8 – 10 minutes for a non-hibiscus tisane. Then I let it cool for a few minutes and took my first sip.
Here goes…
This isn’t horrible. As suggested by Amoda in the above description, it is a warming drink. The ginger is the strongest component to the cup and the peppery warmth of the ginger is accentuated by the snappy flavor of the licorice root.
Fortunately, it doesn’t taste of dirty socks. Or what I think dirty socks might taste like if I were to brew them. This is not something that really appeals to me so I’ve never actually attempted to brew my socks. Plus, I usually wear wool socks and if I were to put them in boiling water, the wool might fuse.
The lemongrass and mint are very subtle to the point where it’s really difficult to identify them in the sip. If I had been given this brewed tisane blindly – not knowing what was in it – and then asked what I ingredients I thought were in it based on what I was tasting, I don’t know that I would immediately pick up on the lemongrass and the mint. I would definitely pick up on the ginger and the licorice. I wouldn’t notice the apple or papaya, nor would I immediately notice the citrus peel.
Now that I’m about halfway through the cup, I do notice some light citrus-y tones to this. I can also taste the faint earthiness of the ginseng, which I find myself wishing wasn’t there. If I inhale sharply so that a breath of air floats over my palate after I take a sip, I can taste some minty notes, but I don’t actually get much of anything that resembles mint in the sip unless I slurp the sip, and even then, it’s more like a faint hint of mint that could just as easily be mistaken for a faint hint of basil in this tisane.
Overall, I have to say that this isn’t my favorite cuppa from Amoda Tea. Rarely am I disappointed by a tea from Amoda (they’re my favorite subscription) and I don’t know if I’d say that I find this tea disappointing but rather, I’d say it’s perplexing and not necessarily in a good way. I think that there are about a hundred other tisanes out there in this great big world of tea that Amoda could have chosen for the box that I would have appreciated more than I have this.
But I guess they can’t all have me jumping for joy, can they?
Tim Finnegan’s Wake-Up from Cuppa Crew Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Cuppa Crew Tea Company
Tea Description:
Top’o’the’mornin’ our pasty Irish butts. If you need a kick with a kick to start your day (or wake you up after lunch), here’s your tea, good ma’am or sir.
We start with our hearty Irish Breakfast blend and add a drop of the craythur — Irish Cream (cream + Irish whiskey). The resulting cuppa is bold, creamy, sweet, and just reminiscent of a fine Irish whiskey. Feel the burn (in a fabulous way)! Uisce beatha (“water of life”), indeed.
The name of the blend is borrowed from an old Irish street ballad by the name of, “Finnegan’s Wake,” embedded below. We thought it appropriate!
Ingredients: Black Tea, Blackberry Leaves, Cornflower, Sunflower, Calendula Petals, Natural Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Tim Finnegan’s Wake-Up from Cuppa Crew Tea Company tastes like a good merlot in my opinion. There is not a thing wrong with that! It’s no surprise it is after all an Irish inspired blend and since I have Irish blood in me I think I am politically clearned to say the Irish do love their alcohol although not necessarily wine. Okay now if I have not offended everyone I will continue. Alright so maybe my Irish blood is not thick enough for a stout whisky and perhaps this is spot on for Irish Whisky but to me I keep tasting that wine note, although I am far more partial to wine than whiskey. I hope my ancestors are not turning over in their graves.
The creamy element to this tea is lovely. Its not too creamy that you feel like your drinking something heavy or cloying but it does evoke that Irish Cream flavor quite well.
I do not usually do this but I did add some sugar and a splash of milk half way through the cup as it is recommended by Cuppa Crew even though the tea was rockin without it!
Sure I do think the sugar and milk, only a splash, do help highlight some of the notes in the tea, especially the more savory notes of calendula, a wonderful healing herb, but I believe I may prefer this one just as is, why mess with something that is good on its own? Still it is nice that we have choices and its great both ways!
The dry leaf is pretty with sprinkles of purple, and gold color from the calendula, and cornflower, and it has a lovely aroma. The steeped leaf expands to at least twice its size. A note on the leaf from Cuppa Crew:
We use only orthodox tea leaves in both our standard Irish Breakfast and in Tim Finnegan’s Wake-Up, so the texture of the leaves is beautiful and consistent. We also like the somewhat mellower flavor of the full leaf versus a CTC blend.
The folks at Cuppa Crew are awesome people with in my opinion a good sense of humor and good nature. I enjoy reading their web site and blog with the quirky sense of humor and antidotes.
Check them out and give a nod to a new and upcoming tea company!
As for last notes on this tea … I have never had a tea like it! Truly unique and original! Kudos Cuppa Crew!
Love Flavored Rooibos from TeaFrog
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: TeaFrog
Tisane Description:
Our most popular Rooibos blend, the Love blend is an aromatic delight that you will not be able to resist! This tea is so good, we sample it at every show, and sell out at every show! The scent and flavor are simply to die for!
Learn more about this rooibos blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m generally pleasantly surprised when I come across a rooibos blend that I enjoy. And really, I don’t know why I should be surprised anymore, as I tend to find more that I actually DO enjoy versus those that I do not like. But usually, the blends that I do like are ones where the flavorings have managed to mask the flavor of the rooibos in such a way that it obscures the flavor of the rooibos entirely. It’s a more startling discovery, though, when I come across a rooibos blend where I can actually taste the flavor of the rooibos and I’m still enjoying what I’m tasting.
But this Love rooibos blend from TeaFrog has managed to do just that. I can taste the nutty flavor of the rooibos, and it works really well within this blend. The nutty flavor adds depth to the sweet, luscious orange notes and the lovely floral tones, without coming off as too funky or sweet. Instead, it is very evenly flavored and has a richness that I don’t often find with rooibos (which usually tend to taste kind of thin).
This is nice served hot, but I like it even better cold! I had intended on drinking it hot this evening, but, after taking a few sips of it, I got busy doing something and when I returned to my teacup, the beverage had gone cold. Rather than toss it, I added an ice cube or two, and sipped on this deliciously orange-y, nutty tisane. I like the balance, I like that I can taste the rooibos without tasting some of the funkier flavors of the rooibos, and I like that while it is sweet, it isn’t too sweet. Very enjoyable, indeed!
Morgantau Green Tea from Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Description:
A blend of high grade green Sencha tea, rose petals, beautiful blue cornflowers and brightly colored yellow sunflowers. This offers a refreshing and smooth flavor that awakens your taste buds.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Spring is here! Signs of spring are all around me, from the beautiful pink plumage of the trees that line the streets in my neighborhood, to the promenade of the proud robins hopping around the lawns, to the bright yellow daffodils that pop up in random patches along the roadsides.
This tea seems a perfect choice to sip when contemplating the magic of spring. It is a gorgeous tea, not only to the eye with its colorful petals and lush, green tea leaves; but it is also lovely to the nose and the palate as well. The aroma is so incredibly beautiful, with hints of fresh grass and the air that sweeps over rose blossoms in the spring. That divine fragrance filled the kitchen as this tea brewed, and the brewed tea – while its bouquet is quite a bit softer than the dry leaf – it still holds on to hints of that flowery, fresh scent.
The tea tastes very much the way the aroma led me to believe: it tastes fresh and lively, with delightful floral touches. It isn’t an overwhelmingly flowery tasting tea, though. The rose is the strongest of the floral tones, and it is more like a whisper of rose flavor rather than a powerful rose taste that you might experience from a rose scented tea (a rose congou, for example). Here, the floral notes are much more delicate, but I like the way they enhance the overall cup.
The green tea is a very bright, refreshing tea with floral notes of its own, which are highlighted by the presence of the flower petals in this blend. There are vegetal notes and a buttery undertone. There is some astringency to this, but not much. It’s more like a slightly dry feel to the tongue in the aftertaste, followed by a lingering floral note.
A lovely tea to enjoy these early days of spring … or any time of year for that matter!