Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Rooibos
Where to Buy: Stash
Tea Description:
This herbal tea combines the sweetness of maple with the tartness of apple for a lively, delicious cup. Fruity hibiscus and rooibos have been blended with sweet cinnamon, maple, apple and caramel flavors for this tasty tea cider. A touch of sugar brings out the flavor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This had a fancier box than other Stash teas I’ve seen so I’m wondering if, based on the flavour, this was a seasonal/Christmas blend? Upon opening up the box, the wrapper itself has a different design too. There’s definitely something different about this blend!
There’s really no smell to the dry teabag; if I concentrate maybe a little apple. It’s very weak though; I hoped the tea itself has more flavour. Steeped up, I could smell the cider part of the tea quite strongly, but no maple. I really hope I pick the maple up in the taste; it’s what intrigued me about this tea in the first place! It made this something a little bit different. And as a Canadian, I can never really resist anything maple anyway.
Sipping on it now though; and there definitely is more flavour than what the dry leaf led me to believe. It really does taste like apple cider; good apple cider too! Just the right balance of sweet, tart, and spice. And speaking of that spice, there’s obviously cinnamon but the nutmeg in here is a really nice touch too. Nutmeg has really grown on me, I never used to be a fan but now when a tea includes it I get so excited! That’s the first wave of flavour but then it eases a little into the maple; it’s a little raw and unrefined tasting with a sappy quality. I like it! It makes the cup sweet and layered, and I like that this one doesn’t feel completely put together, with the ’T’s crossed and ’I’s dotted. Sometimes a little reliable inconsistency makes a tea good. If that makes any sense at all.
There are also a few other interesting notes here; I’m picking woody-cedar like notes too! Maybe it’s a trick of the mind because of the raw, sappy maple or maybe part of it is from the rooibos – but it’s very enjoyable regardless. Actually, now that I think of it the more I’m sure it’s from the rooibos. I love how natural and earthy this tea tastes though; for once the wood like quality is contributing something that enhances the tea flavourings!
There’s surprisingly a lot going on with this tea bag. Colour me quite impressed!
Golden Honeydew from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Lupicia USA
Tea Description:
Caffeine-free green rooibos tea is scented with Californian honeydew melon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yes, this is a rooibos. Now, I have never been a big fan of rooibos. Quite the opposite. I am such a grump about anything with even a little rooibos in it that I avoid it like the plague. While it is a green rooibos, and therefore lighter and grassier in character, I was still skeptical. But a tea friend of mine just had to have me try it. So try it I did. The dry leaf alone sent my nose and I spinning down memory lane. Funny things, noses.
This tea reminds me so much of my favorite flavor of boba, it’s unsettling. For anyone not in the know, boba, or bubble tea, is an incredible liquid substance that comes in a plastic cup. Originating from Taiwan in the early 80s, it’s not so much a tea as it is a delicious, typically creamy beverage that can be made of tea, fruits, or a powdered mix better known as milk tea. Milk tea comes in a crazy variety of flavors, one of the most popular in the world being Honeydew. It’s sickly sweet, and creamy to the core. What makes this into boba is the large, round, gummy-like tapioca pearls. Oh, and the fat straw you sip the pearls through. It’s something that I almost always sneak into a movie. I highly recommend it!
I don’t know, just something about sipping down a creamy honeydew flavored slushie followed by chewing on those yummy gummy tapioca pearls makes me feel all fuzzy inside. Cures any sadness and cools down a sweaty brow.
Everyone close to me at least knows what rooibos is, thanks to my audible distain of the stuff. Now even my man huffs at the mere mention of it. Until this one. I liked it so much, that I almost didn’t tell him what is was when he asked for a little sip. Everything about this tea is delicious, juicy honeydew. The smell of the light green rods of the green rooibos, is exactly like the ripest honeydew you could ever imagine. As I brew this cup, I can just imagine biting into a fresh slice of pale green honeydew melon. I think the realism of the flavoring is what makes this blend. I don’t get that harsh artificial flavor I could have been assaulted with. Even while sipping on a pot of this tea is bringing to mind the velvety smooth fruit and the sweet juice. It’s so uncanny how spot on this tea is! It’s rich, broad, and smooth, I can imagine how great this would be iced.
I’d wager it’s better than the boba version.
Storm In A Teacup Herbal Tea from Cupan Tae
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Cupan Tae
Tea Description:
A stormy, spicy herbal blend with a breeze of anise taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This one has a very, very pronounced dry aroma; the leaf practically oozes with the scent of sweet, black licorice! Not licorice root or anise, mind you, but black licorice. While I have no problem with either anise or licorice root – I love black licorice and I’ve found few teas that convey it well.
That love for black licorice probably comes from my Grandpa; before he passed that was his absolute favourite self indulgent treat in the world. He kept huge tins of licorice allsorts by his lazy boy that he’d snack on during Blue Jays games, and he’d buy black jellybeans in bulk and sometimes he’d just let me grab big greedy hand fulls of from the tins. It’s a really good memory I have of him from when I was a child and the smell of the dry leaf of this tea is making me so nostalgic for it. I know there’s not actually black licorice in the blend and it’s a trick that the fennel, combined with the aniseed, is playing on me. But I’m gonna try and be willfully blind to that; because I want this to taste like black licorice.
Hmm, now that this one’s steeped up there’s a very thick, powdery white residue all along the inside of my mug and I can’t figure out why – I’ve never had that issue with any of the listed ingredients I’m familiar with – and the only one I’m not familiar with is ribwort, so unless it’s from the ribwort I can’t explain it. It’s annoying though; almost as bad as gross melted down chocolate goop from blends that use chocolate chips instead of nibs or shells.
Steeped up, sadly, it doesn’t taste like black licorice though. Not in the same way it smells like it, anyway. I do get heavy doses of both fennel and anise flavour which is sweet and delicious, but it’s fairly overtaken by a very dominating savory, herbaceous note and then milder notes of peppermint and a supple fruit note that I suppose could be apple like is listed in the ingredients. Visually I didn’t see any apple in my measured out tea leaf though. That strong savory note tastes very, very weird to me; and I’m wondering if that’s the ribwort leaves. I’ve never had another tea with ribwort leaves and after a very quick Google search I’ve learned that apparently they can have a mushroomy flavour. I have really, really minimal exposure to what mushrooms taste like given that I am pretty allergic to them; any time I’ve had them it’s been really involuntary and, upon realizing I’ve ingested them I’ve had much more pressing things on my mind other than the flavour.
It’s a fascinating experience for me even if it’s not the one I expected to be having and in that regard I’m a little disappointed this isn’t as black licorice-y as I wanted it to be but I also know I was projecting unfair expectations onto the tea. It’s definitely not a bad tea; just so weird. Am I actually tasting mushrooms!? I’d honestly be interested in going back and having this one all over again; I feel like without the expectation of a more licorice-y tea I might be more observant of the herbaceous qualities that are present. Overall, surprisingly sweet and savory!
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.