Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Decaffeinated Black
Where to Buy: Dammann Freres
Tea Description:
Coming from the ‘Little Cristal’ collection, Cola is a decaffeinated black tea with a cola flavor that children have so dear.
At tea time, a flavored tea to enjoy the “Five O’clock” like grown people.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Prior to trying this blend, I’ve had exactly three cola flavoured teas: Cola Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, Cherry Cola & Cake from Della Terra Teas, and DAVIDsTEA’s Cherry Cola black tea. I remember that so specifically because all of them were super memorable experiences, and not for a good reason. In fact, DT’s Cherry Cola blend may actually be the worst black tea I’ve ever had. Cola just seems to be something that doesn’t apply well to tea, so I’m going into this tasting with extreme reservation and fairly low expectations.
I probably wouldn’t have purchased this one at all if it weren’t for the fact I got some in a group order, and therefore got to pick up a small size of it. It also helps it’s from Dammann Freres – I’ve yet to really find a “flop” from them, though there have been a few blends that just didn’t click because of personal taste. I have faith that if any company can pull off a cola tea they’re likely to be the ones to do it.
I’m cold brewing this – I just personally think that cola flavor kind of only works cold. I’ve had hot coke before (it was a dare) and it didn’t go over well. I have to say, the dry leaf of this smells pretty wonderful. It definitely conveys the smell of coke without any of the chemical/artificial qualities that I’ve experienced with every other coke tea. I don’t know how they do it! There’s even a whiff of vanilla to the smell as well!
I’ll come right out and say it; this is easily the best cola tea I’ve had. Simply put, it tastes like those shimmery silver cola ball candies that are basically pure sugar – though not as cloying as you’d imagine. There’s a really nice freshness to the tea and more natural notes as well like very mild citrus and possibly also pear. It’s ‘fancy’ cola ball candy! Definitely no sweetened needed with this one though; it’s just barely treading the line between natural sweet and ‘cavity’ sweet. I like that the base is also pretty strong, but not overly brisk. The fact it’s decaffeinated is a huge plus – as a generalization black tea is my favourite type and being limited with how much I can drink at night without the jitters is definitely a concern of mine; this will fit seamlessly into my evening routine.
I can totally see why this is marketed towards children as well; it’s something familiar flavor-wise, definitely sweet enough on its own, obviously healthier than actually giving a child a bottle of Coke, and what parent is going to complain about the lack of caffeine!?
My opinion on cola teas has been completely changed; and I’m already imagining interesting ways to try this one: tea soda, as a latte (because ‘floats’), and possibly even hot…
Serenity Ayurvedic Tea from TeaVeda
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Decaffeinated)
Where to Buy: The Veda Company
Tea Description:
Delicious and intriguing blends of peach, pineapple, organic decaffeinated black tea and passion fruit make our “Serenity” tea a welcoming treat to sip slowly and enjoy.
Learn more about the teas from TeaVeda here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice! Of the various TeaVeda Ayurvedic teas that I’ve tried thus far, I think that this Serenity Tea is my favorite. I love the fruit flavors of this blend. I also appreciate that I taste black tea here, but I don’t taste that “off” taste that I sort of expect (and dread) when it comes to decaffeinated teas. This tastes like black tea. It doesn’t taste like decaffeinated black tea even though this IS a decaffeinated black tea. So, like I said. NICE!
While the fruit flavors are strong, the decaffeinated black tea base is a solid flavor – it doesn’t taste or feel thin the way some decaf black teas do. Nor does it have that chemical aftertaste that some decaf teas do. This tastes like a rich, malty black tea. And it’s a robust black tea, strong enough to hold its own against the plentiful flavors of peach, pineapple and passion fruit!
These tropical fruit flavors are tasty! The peach is the strongest of the three fruit flavors and it tastes sweet and juicy. The pineapple adds a bright flavor to the cup. And the flavor that ties it all together is the passion fruit. It adds a sweet, luscious flavor that makes the peach taste a little more “tropical” and the pineapple a little more like a fruit from an orchard in Georgia. This medley of fruit is summery and refreshing and evokes thoughts of laying out on a hammock on a tropical island, watching the sun as it sets over the horizon. A very serene scene, indeed!
This is a very aptly named tea – sure to inspire Serenity from the inside out.
Balancing Ayurvedic Tea from TeaVeda
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Veda Company
Tea Description:
Organic decaffeinated black tea lovingly mixed with delicate flavors of jasmine and bergamot blissfully soothe and stimulate with our “Balancing” tea.
Learn more about the teas from TeaVeda here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the different teas that I received from The Veda Company, this was the one I was timid to try. I mean, you know that I love bergamot and jasmine, however, I can recall a couple of bergamot/jasmine blends that have been less than successful as far as I’m concerned. And this blend has a decaffeinated black tea base and I’ve had a few decaffeinated black teas that I’ve not been crazy about. So, a few of my ‘red flags’ popped up when I read the description for this tea.
But it’s actually alright. Maybe even a little better than alright. Yeah, this is definitely better than alright. It isn’t the best tea that I’ve ever tried but I am enjoying it.
The bergamot here is on the subtle side. It’s a little citrus-y, but not really a distinctly crisp, tangy bergamot note that I’d usually expect from a typical Earl Grey. Perhaps the presence of jasmine softens it a little. The jasmine offers a delicate floral note to the cup.
I am noticing a slightly ‘thinner’ flavor from the black tea which is a typical “side effect” from the process that decaffeinates the tea. It doesn’t taste as rich or robust as a typical black tea would. But I don’t taste that “chemical” aftertaste from the decaffeinated tea and that earns this tea big points.
It’s not my favorite from TeaVeda/The Veda Company, but I enjoyed it. It’s a tea that I’d drink again if it were offered to me. It’s pleasant and has a nice balance of flavors. It tastes good served hot and it’s also nice as it cools.
Decaffeinated Green Tea from Sarabeth’s
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Sarabeth’s
Tea Description:
Green Tea is one of the most natural of all teas and contains many of the natural compounds which make teas a healthy drink. The preference to green teas lies in their light, delicate and refreshing taste. It is meant to be consumed without milk or sugar and is a pleasant accompaniment to a meal thanks to its digestive properties.
Learn more about Sarabeth’s teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little hesitant to try this one. I admit it. I’ve had a few bad experiences with decaffeinated tea (long ago) and those experiences have stuck with me, and when I see “Decaffeinated” on a tea, the memories of those bad experiences come flooding back.
Since then, most of the decaffeinated teas that I’ve tried have been pretty good. I’ve even had a few that I might not have known that it was decaffeinated had I not brewed the tea myself and read the packaging. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to determine with this Decaffeinated Green Tea from Sarabeth’s: does it taste decaffeinated?
The answer to that question would depend on what you meant by “decaffeinated taste.” Does this taste chemical-y or just … weird or off? No, it doesn’t. It tastes like a light, refreshing green tea. But it does have a slightly thinner taste than a caffeinated green tea might. In that way, it does have a slight decaffeinated taste. But it isn’t an unpleasant or off-putting taste – not at all! It just tastes and feels a wee bit thinner than a green tea from Sri Lanka would otherwise taste.
The flavor is lightly buttery, sweet, and slightly vegetative, reminiscent of lightly buttered lima beans. It doesn’t have a chemical taste (or aftertaste). It’s a pleasant green tea, and the fact that it is decaffeinated makes it quite alright to drink any time of the day and not worry about whether or not the caffeine will keep you awake past bedtime.
I would definitely recommend this to someone who either can’t have caffeine or is looking to limit their caffeine intake, but still wants to enjoy a tasty green tea.
Autumn’s Walk Custom Blend from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea & Honeybush
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
A caffeine-free blend, Autumn’s Walk is the perfect companion on brisk fall and winter nights. Brew a cup of this decaf vanilla, honeybush hazelnut and honeybush chocolate tea and relax peacefully.
A Carolynne Keenan Custom Blend.
Learn more about this custom blend here.
Find more of Carolynne Keenan blends here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little skeptical about this blend when I read the description. I’m not all that crazy about Adagio’s black teas, and while I don’t recall having tried any of their decaffeinated black tea bases, because my opinion is generally less favorable of decaffeinated teas versus the caffeinated, seeing that there was an Adagio decaffeinated black tea in this blend gave me a reason to be skeptical.
But, I’m actually enjoying this Autumn’s Walk Custom Blend from Adagio Teas – a custom creation by Adagio Teas’ customer Carolynne Keenan. It’s really quite tasty.
This blend is a combination of Adagio’s vanilla decaffeinated black tea, hazelnut honeybush and chocolate honeybush, and it’s a really clever blend, indeed! The black tea isn’t a strong flavor here at all, and given my past experiences with Adagio’s black tea they use for their flavored teas, the lack of black tea flavor here is an absolute PLUS. I do taste the vanilla though, and I like the way it melds with the chocolate and hazelnut, as well as the sweet, honey-like tones of the honeybush.
It is sweet, creamy, nutty and flavorful. I don’t taste a “funky decaffeinated tea” taste in this at all, in fact, if I hadn’t been aware that there is a decaffeinated black tea in this blend, I wouldn’t have known it by taste. A really pleasant cuppa!