Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Addiction
Product Description:
Ingredients: Black tea, roasted chicory root, almond, coffee beans, flavoring.
Are you a fan of both tea and coffee, or are you looking to transition from coffee to tea? If so, you’ll love this new blend of black tea, coffee beans, toasted almonds, and roasted chicory root.
This black tea satisfies like coffee but gives the health benefits of tea. The liquor produced by Coffee Almond Tea has a rich black tea base with a hint of coffee and almond and is great hot or iced.
Taster’s Review:
I wouldn’t consider myself to be a fan of both tea and coffee – although I guess I used to be. I used to drink coffee every morning, until I realized that it was coffee that was causing my mid-day nausea. I have since become a somewhat disgruntled ex-coffee drinker. Truth be told, I do occasionally miss the flavor and aroma of coffee, but I love tea much more than I ever liked coffee.
This tea gives you a little bit of both worlds.
The dry leaf is very attractive, with big slivers of almond and whole coffee beans tossed amongst the black tea leaves and pieces of roasted chicory root. It smells a little bit like coffee, a little like tea, and a little like almond.
This tastes much better than I thought it would. Because of my disenchantment with coffee, I expected to really dislike this. But, it’s actually quite lovely.
The flavor is deep and rich. The tea flavors are stronger than the coffee, but both beverages can be tasted here. It has a little bit of bitterness from the coffee, but, it isn’t an unappetizing bitterness. There is a nice balance between coffee bean and chicory root (which is often used as a coffee substitute because it has a similar flavor) so that the flavor does not become overwhelming. It doesn’t overpower the tea notes.
If I were to change anything about this particular tea, it would be to increase the almond flavor. It almost gets lost with the other strong flavors in the cup. It is a detectable flavor – sweet and nutty – but, I think the tea would be even better with a little more almond taste.
As it is, though, I quite enjoyed it. I drank it hot with a little bit of turbinado sugar (I have never been a black coffee drinker!) I also had a cup with a splash of milk to see how it tasted and I think I prefer this one as a latte. It seems to bring out the almond flavor while lending a creamy texture to the cup! YUMMY!
Snow Flake Black Tea from Sands of Thyme
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sands of Thyme on Artfire
Product Description:
Ingredients: black tea -Ceylon, -South India, -China, coconut rasps, flavoring, almond flakes
Taster’s Review:
We’ve been experiencing some rather warm weather lately here in the Pacific Northwest – and sipping this tea makes me wish for the cooler weather of late autumn and early winter. Even with its tropical flair it has a very cozy, wintery taste to it.
The black tea base is delicious. Just strong enough to establish itself without overwhelming the coconut and almond notes. There is also an intriguing biscuit-y taste in the background that gives the overall cup a “cookie” kind of flavor. It is a brisk, pleasant tasting tea that is free from bitterness and has very little astringency.
The coconut is the strongest flavor of the cup. It is smooth and sweet with a touch of creaminess to it. It isn’t as strong a coconut taste as some coconut teas that I’ve tried, but I like the level of flavor to this – it has enough coconut to know what I’m tasting without being too much. A stronger coconut flavor might overpower the almond notes here, and I really like the way that the two flavors meld together. The almond is sweet and nutty, and enhances the cookie note I mentioned previously.
I like this one well enough that I can comfortably say that this is one of my new favorites from the Sands of Thyme. It’s yummy!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Matcha Green Tea Lollipop from The Groovy Baker
Where to Buy: The Groovy Baker on Etsy
Product Description:
*Real* Matcha Green Tea imported from Japan ~
With just a touch of lemon and creamy vanilla ~ a bit of pear adds depth and the toasted almonds some crunch and complexity.
Pretty clear green ~ just really nice.
Made with pure cane sugar, never any corn syrup.
Taster’s Review:
I found these beauties on Etsy one evening while I was browsing on the site, looking for new tea products. And, yes, they really are as beautiful as they look!
The first thing I taste with these is the pear. It doesn’t dominate the confection but it does come on strong at the start. The Matcha flavor starts off much softer – the flavor is there from the start it is just rather delicate in the beginning. After several licks I noticed that the green tea flavor started to really come through nicely, and by the time I was about halfway through the lollipop, the Matcha was prominent.
One thing that this lollipop does lack verses a bowl of Matcha tea is the bittersweet characteristic of Matcha due to the sugar in the candy. I think that this is where the almonds really play their part well. The almond slivers are embedded into the candy, and I found myself nibbling at them. It offered a tasty nutty flavor as well as an interesting feel and look to the lollipop. Moreover, the almonds helped bring out some of the less distinctive notes of the Matcha.
I just loved these lollipops. Sweet (I guess that is a bit obvious, since it’s candy!) but with a delicious complexity that I wouldn’t get from an ordinary confection. The perfect candy for someone who’s “nuts” about tea!
PS: You can read more of my reviews of other flavors of lollipops from The Groovy Baker here.
Pistachio Lime Maté from Fusion Tea Room
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fusion Tea Room
Product Description:
Ingredients: Green yerba mate, organic green rooibos, organic rooibos, pistachios, coconut chips, lime leaves, lime zest, almonds, lime pieces, lime juice, natural flavor.
Read More about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
As I write this review, it is spring. And even though it is spring, it is chilly and raining. Yesterday, it was sunny and warm. Just a few days ago, it was hailing. Just another week here in the Pacific Northwest where, when it comes to the weather, you must learn to expect the unexpected.
You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this. Well, because this tisane is a bit like springtime in a teacup. So, even though it is not very spring-like outside, I am enjoying spring inside with this tea.
The combination of Green Yerba Maté and green and red rooibos creates a very smooth base for the flavors of pistachio, lime, coconut and almond to develop. The base is mild but with a refreshing, lively taste, complimenting the juicy taste of lime and sweetness of the nuts and coconut.
The lime offers a pleasant tartness, and yet the sweetness from the other ingredients ensure that the tartness never becomes too overwhelming. I like how the lime lingers in the aftertaste. It’s a crisp, zesty kind of taste.
This is a really lovely fusion of flavors. I like that I can taste notes from each ingredient. While the lime is the strongest note, no one ingredient becomes too aggressive to overthrow the balance of tastes. It has a delicious tropical flair to it that is perfect on days like this – when you want springtime but the weather is not complying with that desire.
Apple Strudel from Fusion Tea Room
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Fusion Tea Room
Product Description:
This fruit creation is spicy and fruity with a deliciously creamy aftertaste. Just like the freshly served, steamy apple strudel from Vienna. Air dried apples and strong cinnamon pieces hit your palate as the cream flavor finishes nicely giving it a smooth finish.
Taster’s Review:
My first thought when I reached for this pouch of tea was “Yum! Apple strudel!” I was in the mood for something a little sweet and this tisane certainly filled the bill.
While I can see the connection with apple strudel, this tisane tastes a bit more like warm apple-berry cider to me. It has a very autumnal taste, like something you’d want to share with friends while warm and cozy next to the fireplace.
The apple flavor is sweet yet tart. Off the top of my head I might compare it to the flavor of a ripe Jonagold apple. I like the way the apple is represented here because even though it’s named after an apple dessert, it doesn’t come off as too confectionery. Of course, the hibiscus has a little something to do with that as I can taste the tartness from this herb. But the hibiscus was added with care to this blend – it doesn’t overpower the blend, nor does it come off as too tart. The liquor is not too thick or syrupy, but does have a little bit of body to it (as well as color) that it would lack without the hibiscus.
The berry notes of elderberry and currant also lend a sweet-tart taste to the cup, but again, they don’t overwhelm the cup. The apple is the strongest note of this tisane, and as this is called “Apple Strudel” – that’s just the way it should be.
The nutty flavor in the background is a nice touch, as is the cinnamon. While the cinnamon here is one of the stronger flavors of this cup, it is not what I would consider to be a spicy cinnamon taste. It is more like the sweet cinnamon flavor you’d find in an apple pie (or apple strudel!)
This is a yummy tisane that I enjoy hot for it’s apple-cider-y likeness, but it also makes a very charming iced tea that kids as well as adults will enjoy.