Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tavalon
Product Description:
the health benefits of green tea combine with a soft fruit flavor for an instant classic
Taster’s Review:
This tea is another example of a tea I ordered some time ago, stashed away in one of my canisters, and forgot all about it until I recently went through my stash. I am glad to report though that it has not lost its flavor! It tastes just as fresh as fresh can taste!
Bright, crisp green tea flavor with a vegetative note … but not overly grassy. It is not bitter and while there is a little bit of astringency, it does not interfere at all with the enjoyment of this tea.
The apricot flavor is sweet and luscious, tasting very much like the soft, juicy flesh of a sun-ripened apricot … but it isn’t overly sweet or nectar-y. This is a tea with fruit flavor, not a fruity beverage with a hint of tea.
There is also a floral tone to this tea that is slightly sharp … sunflower! It is a very distinct flavor, and no other flower petal brews to taste quite like a sunflower. It is delicate, but it’s there.
As summer draws to a close here in the Pacific Northwest, this tea is a delightful representation of the sweetness that the summer offers. This is awesome hot or iced!
Apricot Amaretto from Tea Forté
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Tea Forté
Product Description:
A double delight of sweet apricot and juicy peach with nuanced notes of almond, artfully evoking Saronno, Italy, the birthplace of amaretto. Your purchase helps protect fragile ecosystems.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, I was asked to review the newest collection of herbal teas from Tea Forté, called Herbal Retreat. This blend is one of those herbal teas, and so far, I think it’s my favorite.
There is a really nice balance of flavors between the honeybush and rooibos. I can taste the nutty flavors that accent the almond flavor of the amaretto well without tasting the weird sweet taste of the rooibos. A sweet honey-esque tone in the background from the honeybush.
But what I taste more than anything is the apricot! It is sweet and tastes like a fresh, juicy apricot. It’s very nectar-like. There are hints of peach as well as almond, but the apricot is definitely the main event in this cup. It is smooth and sweet and delicious. And it’s naturally caffeine free, so it’s great for a late-night treat.
Trail Mix Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
How about this for unique? Here’s our premium Indian black teas blended with real dried apricot, almond slivers and coconut!
Taster’s Review:
This is really yummy!
The aroma of the dry leaf makes my mouth water. It smells so good. It smells like fresh apricots and almonds. A hint of coconut lingers in the background. After brewing, the fragrance changes a little – now it smells like something freshly baked. A muffin filled with apricots and almonds and coconut, perhaps? It smells delicious and inviting.
With the first couple of sips, I really noticed the black tea. I could taste the other flavors, of course, but, the black tea seemed to be the strongest flavor. And that’s quite alright. This is tea, it’s supposed to taste like tea. It is a strong, crisp black tea taste with a fair amount of astringency. No bitterness (although, I wouldn’t suggest over steeping) – it’s a bold, black tea that provides a solid background of flavor.
The apricot is sweet and it tastes authentic. It tastes so much like apricot that I can almost feel the pulpy texture of it. The almond lends a nutty sweetness to the cup and is a very harmonious flavor with the apricot. The coconut is more of a accent flavor, not particularly strong but, it lends a distinct creaminess to the cup.
Overall, this is a deliciously sweet fruit-and-nut tea. While the flavor combination may seem a little odd, it all works together quite well. I like this both hot and cold, but I think I prefer this one hot … so I will probably be saving the rest of this pouch for the cooler weather that will be here (I hope!) in the next couple of months.
Another uniquely delicious treat from 52Teas!
Apricot Amaretto Tea from Tea Forte
Tea Type: Rooibos/Honeybush Blend
Where To Buy: Tea Forte
Product Description:
Description: A double delight of sweet apricot and juicy peach with nuanced notes of almond, artfully evoking Saronno, Italy, the birthplace of amaretto.
Ingredients: organic honeybush, organic rooibos, organic marigold flowers, natural flavors
Tasters Review:
I really enjoyed Apricot Amaretto from Tea Forte…both hot and cold…I think the new Herbal Retreat offerings are more my speed! At least the offerings without Hibiscus that is…and even some with Hibiscus, I suppose! More on that in future reviews! The Hibiscus/other ingredient ratio is more pleasing to my palate (as many of you know I’m not usually into overly tarty teas or tisanes).
This is WYSIWYG…Apricot and Amaretto sums it up nicely! I’m appreciating the Honeybush/Rooibos blends very much – thanks Tea Forte! Two thumbs up on this one!
Eternal Life from Element Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & White
Where to Buy: Element Tea
Product Description:
The varieties of Green tea in this blend will truly have you living a long life. This mild and subtle tea is the perfect way to start the day!
Ingredients: Green Tea -China Sencha -Ming Mee, -Pai MU Tan, -Gunpowder, -Jiaogulan, -China Wu Wu, Flavoring, Jasmine Blossoms, Red and Black Currants, Cornflower Blossoms, Apricot Bits
Taster’s Review:
I am really liking this! I am usually somewhat skeptical when it comes to “flavored” jasmine teas – that is, jasmine teas that have additional fruit or flower flavors – because I worry that the jasmine notes will be overwhelmed by the other flavors. But that didn’t happen here.
The jasmine flavor is delicate, but, I like that I can taste its sweet floral essence. The jasmine doesn’t taste soapy. It offers a whisper of jasmine that remains throughout the sip and then lingers on the palate in the aftertaste. The lovely floral presence in the aftertaste is especially nice.
The combination of currants and apricot offers a delicious fruity tone to this cup without it being too strong. The apricot is sweet and the currants give this a little tartness and a very pleasing depth to the flavor.
This is a very well-balanced cup. The fruit and the flower come together very nicely and do not compete for the attention. The green tea is a very light taste, but it lends a sense of freshness to the cup with its delicate grassy note. If I were to offer any complaint about this, it would be that the Pai Mu Tan is practically indistinguishable amongst these other flavors. Occasionally, I do taste a very distinct white tea taste, but, it is just a momentary glimpse, and disappears just as quickly as it appears, never appearing very often.
That being said, I am very pleased with this tea. It is very flavorful and would make an excellent iced tea for these warm summer months! It is equally as nice hot. A lovely selection from Element Tea!