Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Ahmad Tea
Tea Description:
The zesty flavour of lemons lend this tea a warm aroma and generous flavour.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I generally go into a tasting of a bagged tea with a certain amount of diffidence. If my experience with tea over the many years that I’ve been drinking it (more years than I care to admit to!) have taught me anything, it would be that even though there are some bagged/sacheted teas that have been quite lovely, I can’t say that they compare to the quality of most loose leaf tea. As a rule, I prefer loose leaf tea. Loose leaf is just better.
That said, for the most part, I’ve enjoyed teas from Ahmad Tea – even their bagged varieties! And this Lemon & Lime Twist Black Tea is tasty. The bright, citrus-y notes are very uplifting, and the black tea is brisk and flavorful.
Citrus flavors and tea is a classic combination, I mean, who hasn’t twisted a slice of lemon into their cup of black tea (or a glass of iced tea)? The sunny flavor of lemon really elevates a cup of pure black tea. Here, the lemon is given a twist of lime to create a very enjoyable, tarty note that isn’t so tart that I’m puckering when I sip it.
There is a nice sweet contrast here to offset the tartness just enough to where my tart-sensitive palate can handle it. I am getting a tangy-tart taste, notes of sweetness, and there is even a slight bitterness to this. The bitterness is not coming from the black tea although, I wouldn’t recommend oversteeping this tea. I taste the pith of the fruit and that’s where the slight bitterness is coming from. I can taste hints of that fruit pith, and it isn’t an off-putting flavor. Actually, it’s a bit grapefruit-y! I like it.
A really enjoyable cuppa … this is a tea that I wouldn’t mind having with me when I travel – the fact that it’s bagged would provide me with the convenience I need when I’m on the go, and it has a pleasing flavor. This one is also really refreshing iced.
Green Tea Blueberry from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tea Description:
“Tea of Life” is proud to add another line of “Ceylon Tea” in flavors of your choice. These teas are grown and processed on some of the more prestigious plantations in the hill country of Sri Lanka and at “Tea of Life” we take special care in flavoring and packing these teas.
Ingredients: Green Tea with natural Blueberry flavor.
Taster’s Review:
I just love these tins from Tea of Life. It’s one of those teas that I would have probably purchased based on packaging appeal alone, but, I’m happy to say that the tea inside the tin is quite tasty too.
Yeah, it’s a bagged tea, however, I have to admit that the teas that I’ve been trying from Tea of Life have been pretty good bagged teas! Sure, I prefer loose leaf, but sometimes, convenience is of utmost importance, and in those times, I like to have some good quality bagged teas that taste great on hand. This Green Tea Blueberry from Tea of Life is one such tea.
There is a nice balance of green tea and blueberry flavors. The green tea tastes light, refreshing and lightly buttery. It’s not a strong “grassy” taste, rather, it’s more like a subtle vegetative note, like freshly steamed veggies that have been drizzled with a tiny bit of butter. It is sweet, and the slight vegetal note gives the cup a savory tone that counters the sweetness just a little.
The blueberry flavor is sweet, but it also has that “berry tart” note that is especially noticeable toward the finish. It kind of tingles on the tongue, similar to what you might experience if you had just eaten a juicy, ripe blueberry.
A really enjoyable cup.
Cucumber White Tea from Tazo
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Learn more about Tazo here.
Tea Description:
A replenishing blend of delicate white tea, real cucumber and lime peel.
Taster’s Review:
I had my reservations about this tea. First of all, when I think Tazo, my first thought is of Steven Smith, who started Tazo. And then I’m reminded that this company was later acquired by Starbucks and in my opinion, they ruined it.
So, now, my happy thoughts of Tazo and Steven Smith (aka the rock star of tea!) have been tainted by Starbucks and speedy, spendy coffee. But as I prepared this Cucumber White Tea from Tazo, I decided not to let my notions (be they ill-conceived or not) affect my opinion of this particular tea experience. I would do my best to go into this moment with an open mind.
When I opened the pouch, I smelled the lime. The cucumber, not so much. The taste is similar: I taste lime. I don’t taste a lot of cucumber here. I do taste some white tea notes: fresh, light, and almost melon-esque with hints of the air in the countryside after a hay field has been cut. I can also taste SOME cucumber notes … but they are diminished by the presence of the lime.
The lime tastes tart and slightly bitter. I can taste the pithy taste of the lime peel. But it also has a bright, juicy taste too … I can taste all of the lime here, as well as the crisp notes of the white tea. I just find myself wishing I tasted more cucumber. After all, this tea is called Cucumber White Tea.
Overall, it’s not a terrible tea. It has a light, refreshing taste with a bright acidity from the lime. Not bad … just not great.
Green Tea Jasmine Orange from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tea Description:
Since ancient times freshly brewed tea pot was considered a part of luxury living. Today, “Tea of Life®” offer you the same luxury in its Green tea with Jasmine & Orange flavors.
Taster’s Review:
Before opening the package and sampling this Green Tea Jasmine Orange from Tea of Life, I had my reservations. One of the only teas that I do happen to enjoy from the seemingly most popular *grocery* store brand (you know which one I’m talking about, don’t you?) is a green tea jasmine orange tea, so, I hoped that I’d have a similar experience with this tea.
However, I was worried because it appears (by what I’m reading on the packaging) that this is a jasmine flavored tea rather than a jasmine scented tea, and I don’t usually have positive experiences with jasmine flavored teas. (Although I’m over the moon for jasmine teas that have been properly scented rather than flavored with oils.)
But I’m actually quite satisfied with this tea. The flavors are well balanced with the tea – I taste tea and jasmine and orange in every sip. The jasmine doesn’t taste funky or off. It tastes light and sweet. The orange adds a sunny note to the cup and that’s something that’s very welcome on a gray day like today. (It’s cold and drizzly!)
The green tea has a pleasant grassy note to it – but it isn’t a bitter grass taste. It’s light and invigorating and sweet. The orange is also sweet, but there is just a hint of tartness to the citrus note that really gives the cup some ZING.
A nice tea to relax to on a cold winter day … and it would also be a very refreshing iced tea to cool off with when the weather gets warm.
Sea Breeze Tisane from Eden Grove
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Amazon Trading
Ingredients:
Hibiscus, Chai, Rose Hip, Calendula Flowers, Lemongrass, Mango, Pineapple, Papaya, Cinnamon Bark, Cardamom, Cloves, Orange & flavors of Mango & Pineapple.
Learn more about Amazon Trading here.
Taster’s Review:
I didn’t have high hopes for this Sea Breeze Tisane from Eden Grove. When a tisane sports hibiscus as its primary ingredient, that doesn’t sound promising to me.
But this isn’t too bad. I brewed it for just 5 minutes in 195°F water. Usually when I brew a tisane with hibiscus, I keep the steep time to 5 or 6 minutes to keep the hibiscus from overpowering the cup. When hibiscus steeps too long, I find the resulting liquid to be too tart and too thick and syrupy. Fortunately, at five minutes, this tea does not taste too tart, nor is it too thick or syrupy.
I do taste the hibiscus, but I can taste other flavors too! I taste the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. I like these spice notes. They offer a wonderful contrast to the sweet notes of the fruity notes. There are notes of mango, papaya, orange and pineapple! I taste notes of mango and pineapple mostly, but I can also taste hints of citrus as well as papaya.
I still find myself wishing the hibiscus wasn’t there, because the tartness of the hibiscus is still strong here, even with the short steep time. I like this alright, but, it hasn’t been my favorite tea that I’ve tasted thus far from Eden Grove.