Product Information:
Product: Ready-to-Drink Black Tea Beverage
Where to Buy: Cheribundi
Product Description:
We made our name with juices that pack 45 tart cherries into each bottle. Though we love these products, one gets the urge to spread their all-natural-juice-loving wings once in a while. This time, our juice makers looked east. To the far east, to be exact.
To the source of fine black tea. The range of benefits in black tea have been touted for centuries. It’s the perfect partner for the nutrients in our cherries.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love summertime. I love the longer days, the hot weather, the chance to dip my toes in the ocean, and the visits to the Farmer’s Market. Going to my local Farmer’s Market might be my favorite thing, especially when the cherries arrive. For a few short, wonderful weeks there is a plethora of lovely bright red cherries at many of the stalls, and I buy several bags of them for my family to enjoy. In my opinion they are one of the perfect summer fruits. Unfortunately, cherry season is very short here, so I’m often left looking for something with a real cherry taste that I can continue to enjoy throughout the summer. Thanks to Cheribundi I’ve found not only a great cherry drink, but a great cherry tea. Win!
Cheribundi’s Tart Cherry Black Tea Refresh is made from fresh pressed cherries and fresh brewed black tea. The flavor is simply amazing. The cherry juice and tea are well balanced. The tea is brisk while having some depth. There’s a bit of a malt flavor that pairs well with the cherry. The cherry juice gives the tea some sweetness, but since tart cherries are used it’s not an overly sweet flavor. I enjoyed the balance that Cheribundi managed to achieve with this drink. I like that I was drinking a high quality black tea with a super fruity cherry kick. This is so much better than many of the cherry teas I’ve tried that either ended up tasting like cough syrup (yuck.) or highly artificial and candy-like. Having real cherry juice in my iced tea is an absolute yes for me. Now that I’ve tried it I can’t believe I haven’t been drinking this for years!
If you are a fan of cherries then I highly recommend trying this drink. The quality of the tea is top notch, and the added cherry juice adds a refreshing twist on an already tasty beverage. Well done, Cheribundi!
Carolina Honey® Bottled Black Tea from Argo Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Ready to Drink)
Where to Buy: Argo Tea
Tea Description:
Argo Tea’s Carolina Honey® is an energizing Nilgiri black tea from the highlands of Southern India, which is blended with sweet grade A wildflower honey and a splash of tart lemons. Each ready-to-drink Carolina Honey® comes in a 13.5 oz signature Argo Tea glass bottle. One case contains 12 bottles.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Earlier this year I decided to quit drinking diet soda. I can’t say I’ve been perfect at it, but I am drinking much less than I used to. One way I’ve said “no” to the carbonated stuff is to say “yes” to bottled teas when I’m out running errands and want something cool to drink. On a recent trip to the drug store I picked up this tea. I have tried loose leaf teas from Argo, but I’ve never had the opportunity to try one of their bottled offerings. I was excited to see a good quality tea product in the case next to all the sodas and juices.
The first thing that impressed me was the container. It’s made of a fairly heavy glass with a thick plastic twist-off lid, and I knew it would be perfect to keep and reuse for other drinks. The lid fits securely on the bottle, so I don’t have to worry about the tea splashing out or leaking. As I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for good packaging, and this one is a winner for being both pretty and functional.
As for the tea inside the bottle, it was good. The base tea was a Nilgiri black tea which was smooth and well suited to iced tea. Any subtle notes that might have been present in the tea were lost to the honey and lemon flavors, but the clean, fresh taste of the tea did act as a good foundation for the other flavors. The honey had a wildflower taste to it, and while I enjoyed it I found myself wishing I had continued to shake or stir my tea as I drank it because the last few sips were overly sweet due to the honey settling to the bottom of the bottle. The lemon was my least favorite flavor in this tea. It had a slightly artificial taste to it, and at times I felt that it clashed with the flavor of the honey. I’d definitely prefer this tea without the lemon.
Overall I found this tea to be nice. It definitely peaked my curiosity about Argo’s other bottled tea flavors, and I’m looking forward to giving them a try. The next time I’m out and about it’ll be easy to pass on the diet soda and reach for a bottle of tea instead.
If you’re interested in trying Argo’s bottled teas you can buy it by the case on their website (there’s a link to their site at the top of this post) or you can check out your local Walgreens to purchase individual bottles.
Chocolate Hazelnut Decaf Tea by Stash
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Stash
Tea Description:
Our Chocolate Hazelnut is a deliciously smooth and rich dessert tea. Chocolate, hazelnuts, vanilla, and premium black tea combine to create a fascinating blend of flavors. Sugar and a splash of milk bring out the taste of the chocolate and hazelnuts. The black teas are naturally decaffeinated, so you can savor this tea any time of day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am always on the hunt for good decaffeinated black teas. My desire to drink tea late into the night is often at war with my desire to eventually get some sleep. Of course, herbals or tisanes are great alternatives, but sometimes I just want the comfort of a tasty cup of black tea. So, when I have the chance to try a decaf black tea I jump at it in the hopes that I’ll be able to add some more teas into my nighttime drinking rotation.
While I was excited to try Chocolate Hazelnut Decaf from Stash I have to say that I do not like this tea. The flavoring of both the chocolate and the hazelnut was fake and had an off-putting sour aftertaste. The base tea was slightly astringent but otherwise had no defining characteristics. Perhaps a base tea with more body or a strong biscuit-like note could help balance out the other flavors, but as it is I did not find this tea enjoyable. I did add both sugar and milk to my cup in an attempt to make this something I’d like, but I could not escape the sour note this tea left at the end of the sip.
Chocolate Hazelnut Decaf has too much working against it between the artificial tasting chocolate and hazelnut flavorings and the weak base tea. My hunt for good decaf black teas continues. This is one tea I’ll pass on.
Green Chai Tea Passion Fruit and Guava With Real Pomegranate Juice from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I was excited to try this offering from Tea of Life. So many things about the name intrigued me: chai, green tea, passion fruit, guava, pomegranate juice… oh my! I was hoping that the contents of the tea bag could live up to the words on the package. Only one way to find out, so out of the wrapper and into the water it went.
The tea bag was steeped in 195 degree water for two minutes. The resulting liquid was a pale greenish gold color with a nice passion fruit aroma. The taste was a pleasant mix of passion fruit and guava. The guava flavor was stronger than I anticipated given that all I could smell was passion fruit, but the two flavors blended together very well to create a fruity tropical treat. I added sugar to bring out the fruit flavors even more. There was nothing that reminded me of pomegranate or chai, both of which are listed in the tea’s name, but the flavors that were present were good. Unfortunately, I was only slightly able to taste the base tea which has a hint of grassiness. Having a base tea that made a stronger statement would have been welcome, and I think it would make for an even tastier tea. Given the flavors I do think this would make an excellent iced or cold brewed tea, but I didn’t have the opportunity to try it as such.
A quick side note: I love the art work on the paper wrapper for the tea bag! The elephant looks so regal, and I thought the drawing was very well done. What can I say? I’m a sucker for cute packaging every time.
Summer is right around the corner, and this tea is an easy way to add a touch of summery tropical fun to your tea time. I’d be more than happy to sip this one again.
North Winds from Whispering Pines Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Whispering Pines Tea Co.
Tea Description:
My house black tea for good reason — North Winds is the essence of northern Michigan. A blend of a malty and chocolaty black tea from Fujian and a rustic high mountain dian hong with subtle fruity notes, this tea brings me home every time. Sweet fruity notes of apricot and white grape bring you to Traverse City while heavy dark chocolate notes allow you to have that Mackinaw Island fudge desert without having to take the ferry. Notes of toasted rye with cherry preserves show up mid-sip with a beautiful malt and wildflower honey finish. Light hints of sweet potato and clean white pepper mingle through the malt. These velvety smooth, decadent notes combine into a medium-bodied tea with a bold and rustic feel that makes for a perfect breakfast tea — but you’ll want to drink this all day long!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is Whispering Pines’ house black tea, and it’s become one of my house teas as well. It sits in a little tin at the front of my tea cupboard, and I drink it several times a week. When I feel like I’m beginning to run low I place an order for a couple more ounces because I never want to run out of this one. Given that I love trying new teas there aren’t too many teas that I say that about! It’s a delicious blend of Yunnan Dian Hong and Fujian Black Tea that makes me happy each time I drink it.
When I first sip this tea I get a nice mix of dark chocolate and malt. The chocolate note is deep but has a sweetness that makes me think chocolate rather than cocoa. There is also a sweet, fruity, cherry note that is eye rollingly good combined with the chocolate and malt notes. The mix of flavors reminds me of the braided cherry chocolate tarts I sometimes buy at Redding Terminal in Philadelphia. Both the tea and the tarts are sweet but not overly so. There is an underlying earthy flavor to North Winds which I appreciate since it grounds some of the brighter flavors and makes this a tea that’s good both in the morning and the afternoon. I’ve paired this tea with eggs and biscuits for breakfast. I’ve also served it with sour cream chocolate chip cake at a tea party, and my guest really enjoyed it. Overall it’s a nice, versatile, and down right tasty blend.
Whispering Pines recommends Gongfu Style brewing for this tea. I have always brewed this Western Style using 1/2 a tablespoon of leaves in 8 ounces of 205°F water, steeping the leaves for 3 minutes. I am curious to try the Gongfu Style brewing to see if it’s possible for me to enjoy this tea more than I already do. If you use different brewing styles with this tea leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts!
North Winds is a winner for me and one that I’ll happily repurchase again. I’d recommend this tea to black tea lovers and anyone who enjoys or is curious about Chinese black teas.