Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Twinings
Tea Description:
This tea is not available on the US Twinings website.
Learn more about Twinings Black Tea options for the US here
Taster’s Review:
I am on a quest. A quest to drink down some tea. My tea cupboard has gotten outrageously out of control. So I am now honor and duty bound to drink some up before this coming fall season when there will be pumpkin spice and apple pie teas tempting me to gobble and snatch them up!
The first one I grab is one that isn’t available in the US. This is something that I have always been confused about. Twinings has a US store and an international store. The international store has an amazing selection of teas that make me drool thinking about them. But alas,the same selection isn’t available on the US site. Eventually one of these days, I’ll order form the international store and deal with the higher shipper cost. For now, I’m happy I was able to try this one.
The Full English is a tea I believe I picked up from a Steepster member who was putting together some pretty amazing boxes from her travels. I couldn’t resist. I kept reading these amazing reviews from teas she had picked up from other Steepsterites and I wanted to be part of the club!
I say this with my head low but this is the first time I’ve even cracked into the box. I know! Shame on me. Like I said, my tea cupboard is getting out of control.
I brewed this up like a traditional black-212F-3 minutes and pulled the tea bag out. I didn’t want to leave this one in which turned out to be a good thing. At 3 minutes this tea was already turning bitter. The first few sips were just plain lovely black unadulterated black tea. Nothing fancy, just good. But as this starts to cool, the bitterness is swooping in.
For a tea at work, this one would do, but I would be afraid that I would constantly have an issue with the bitterness. This is definitely one you don’t want to forget about. I can just picture this one being lovely when at a tea party or enjoying a spot of milk in it along with a treat. Yum!
Alps Breeze from Lipton
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Lipton
Tea Description:
Don’t see this one listed on the website anymore but I did find a Steepster review page. This looks to be an older tea or one that is available only overseas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Still on my journey to drink down some of my tea cupboard when I came across this delight. Yes. Another tea bag. And to my surprise, I’m drinking Lipton. I can’t remember the last time I drank Lipton so I’m curious to see what I think.
Lipton seems to be one of the tea companies a lot of newbie tea drinkers tend to stray towards. I think its more of a convenience factor. You can find Lipton teas pretty much at every grocery store around. This particular tea is a mint and eucalyptus herbal tea. I couldn’t find it on their website but I did find a Steepster entry for this blend.
Brewed this like I would any herbal- 5 min with 212F for the water temperature. I took a sip and felt that the flavor wasn’t as strong as it should be so I let the tea bag stay in the water for a few more minutes.
Took another sip and I can’t say that I don’t like this but I can’t say that I like it either. This is one of those teas that you like just about everything in the flavor profile except for one ingredient. In this one, I think it might be the eucalyptus. I’ve had eucalyptus in tea before and liked it but maybe mixed with mint, this one has a weird one off flavor. Or maybe this is just an older tea.
I have a few more tea bags of this one so I’m going to try a cold brew to see if the weird flavor mellows out a bit. Regardless, it was still a fun tea to try!
Front Porch Peach Iced Black Tea from Teakoe
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teakoe
Tea Description:
Enjoy blissful moments and gather inspiration by drinking this juicy blend of peach, ginger and licorice root. Take time to sit back, reminisce and envision what the future will bring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
To say this tea was a hit was an understatement for yesterday’s fam get together.
Yesterday my parents came over for dinner. We rarely seem to have them over for dinner and find ourselves mostly going to their house for any kind of gathering, so I was excited to finally return the favor.
Knowing that my dad was coming, I thought I would make up some iced tea to enjoy with dinner. I was digging thru my tea and saw this package from Teakoe. So far I have enjoyed their Craft Iced Tea line and was excited to sample some of this with my dad and Jason.
This time around, I adhered to the directions on the back of the package instead of just cold brewing the tea overnight like I have before, but I did leave the tea bag in the pitcher and put it in the fridge.
My parents arrived and as I have been taught, I offered them a beverage as soon as they showed up. I asked Dad if he wanted to some tea and he said, “Well Yah!” I gave him his glass and continued getting mom something to drink. Before I had finished getting my mom a glass of sparkling water, my dad is already asking me for seconds on the tea. I couldn’t believe it. I gave him a pretty full cup. So I refilled his cup and gave him and Jason a cup. Before I could finish getting my kids their drinks for dinner, Jason and my dad both are asking for refills. So like I said. . . to say this was a hit would be an understatement.
Jason was out grilling when I handed him his glass and he came in to the kitchen and asked me what I had given him to drink and where would he need to go online to order more. My dad was too busy downing another glass to really add anything more in. Before I was even able to try this tea, the two of them had drained the pitcher and I was hoping the tea bag would hold up to a second steeping. It did.
I was able to try this (I stole a few sips out of Jason’s glass), but I swear this tea tasted like a tea blend with rooibos in it. It didn’t. I looked over the ingredients several times over.
After dinner, Jason and I were talking about the tea and he asked me what was in it. I listed the ingredients on the back of the pouch-peach, ginger, and licorice. He said that he could taste each and every flavor and that it was the perfect iced sweet peach tea with a hint of a wow factor in each sip. I asked him what the wow factor was and he said a hint of a zing with a sweet background. That made me laugh. He couldn’t tell me what he thought of the tea base itself, just that all the flavors worked together and it was pretty darn close to being perfect.
Even tho I may not have cared for the tea, the guys certainly did. To each his own tea I guess and this tea has already been requested as a re-order. I’m happy to oblige! From what I’m hearing from the cheers and praise for this tea, this tea would be perfect to sit on the front porch and enjoy.
Maple Apple Cider Herbal from Stash
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!
