Milkie Way Candy Bar Tea from Dori’s Tea Cottage

by liberteas

MilkieWay

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Dori’s Tea Cottage

Dori’s Tea Cottage on eBay

Tea Description:

Just like your favorite candy bar, this tea is a yummy blend of chocolate-, cream- and caramel-flavored premium black teas. All the taste of a chocolate and caramel sweet — without the calories!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is really yummy!  I don’t know if this Milkie Way Candy Bar Tea from Dori’s Cottage tastes just like a candy bar, but, I do taste the flavors of chocolate, caramel and vanilla cream, along with a rich tasting black tea base, and I am really enjoying the taste of this.

The flavoring is about on even keel with the black tea base – that is to say, that while don’t think that the black tea stands out as the strongest taste in this cup, I don’t think that the chocolate, cream and caramel flavors are overwhelming the cup either.  There’s a good balance between flavoring and tea.

This is a very flavorful black tea – I suspect it is a Ceylon, but it very good quality one.  It has a rich taste to it, and I don’t know if it’s this particular combination of flavors that enhances it, but I do taste an ever-so-slight smoky note as well as hint of earth.  There are notes of fruit … very distant notes, but I taste them.

There is a nice level of chocolate flavoring here, and I like the way it mingles with the aforementioned slightly smoky tones.  It brings out the roasted flavor of the cacao.  The caramel is sweet with a vague bitter burnt-sugar note.  And then there is the cream which gives the overall cup a very luscious, sweet, creamy taste.

A very enjoyable cuppa, delicious hot or cold – very nice as a latte!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea

Custard-Filled Maple Long John Honeybush from 52Teas

by liberteas

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Honeybush

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tisane Description:

Continuing our tradition of bringing you guilty-pleasure baked goods in tea form, here’s our take on a custard-filled maple long john (one of my personal guilty-pleasures). Sweet, caffeine-free honeybush blended with marigold petals and natural flavors. Sweet, maple-y, bake-y goodness in a guilt-free, caffeine-free and 100% vegan treat!

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

This is one that I’ve really been looking forward to.  I love maple bars, and while I’m sure that I’ve had a custard-filled maple long john before, it hasn’t been recently.   Maple bars are easy to find, I usually find them in my grocery store bakery.  But custard-filled maple long johns, are not quite so easy to find unless I happen to visit an actual donut shop, and I try to avoid those, as I cannot resist temptation when it’s right there in front of me, you know what I mean?

But, a Custard-Filled Maple Long John flavored tisane is another thing altogether.  This will – I hope! – allow me to enjoy the flavor of one those “irresistible temptations” without feeling guilty. Which is why I had been so looking forward to trying this!

Mmm!  This is really yummy.  My first couple of sips – while it was still quite hot – were a bit more like a “deconstructed” custard-filled maple long john more than the entirety of the treat:  I could taste each flavor but they didn’t really come together as seamlessly as I would have liked.  But after allowing this to cool for a few minutes (about five minutes or so … it’s still hot but not steaming hot) I notice the flavors start to come together in a lip-smacking, delicious way.

THIS TASTES LIKE A CUSTARD-FILLED MAPLE LONG JOHN!

Frank, you did it again.  This is absolutely amazing.  Of course, I guess anyone COULD create this flavor.  All they’d need to do is drop a custard-filled maple long john into a blender, add some brewed honeybush and blend it until it’s completely liquid.  But then, why go through all that trouble (and mess), when you can just as easily brew a cup of this for that same goodness!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Honeybush, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Vanilla Rose Chai from Tea Chai Té

by liberteas
The beautiful waterfall on the patio of the Sellwood location of Tea Chai Té.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Tea Chai Té

About Tea Chai Té:

We are a locally owned casual tea house specializing in handcrafted organic tea blends. We offer over 120 tea selections, of which 75 are organic. 15 unique handcrafted chai blends are made to order. We always have house brewed kombucha on tap and our bubble teas are stellar! We also offer high mountain oolongs, mate blends, apothecary teas, and more. Now featuring a special kids menu for little ones to enjoy the pleasures tea brings.

Taster’s Review:

This is one of the newer blends available at Tea Chai Té – so new, in fact, that I cannot locate it on the website.  I guess it has not yet been added!  I picked this chai up when I visited the Sellwood location about a month ago.

I purchased three teas that day.  The Strawberry Sencha I selected because that is the tea I happened to order as an iced tea, so I wanted to take some home with me to try it hot (and of course, review it!)  I chose the Vanilla Macadamia Nut Maté because I don’t usually order Maté blends and I wanted to step outside my comfort zone.  I chose this chai because I simply could not resist it.  It sounded so yummy, I had to try it!

Wow!  This is incredible!  The spices are mellow and warm.  This is not a spicy chai.  It is warmly spiced; not spicy-hot.  I taste the cinnamon and cardamom most prominently.  The vanilla tones are almost as strong as the cinnamon, which gives it a sweet, creamy taste that is quite luxurious.  The touch of rose adds to that taste of luxury.

The black tea is not overwhelmed here.  It provides a richly satisfying, slightly malty tone in the background.  It supports the flavors of the spices as well as the vanilla and rose notes without attempting to overpower them – it is content to stay in the background and let the other ingredients do their thing.

I absolutely love this.  It is one of the best “mild” chai blends I’ve had, and while I usually tend to prefer a spicy-hot kind of chai, this is one that is so good I can see keeping it as a part of my permanent tea stash.  It’s that good!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea, Chai

Dark Chocolate with Earl Grey Tea from Dolfin

by liberteas

Information:

Dark Chocolate Bar

Where to Buy:  The Meadow and other locations where Dolfin Chocolates are sold.

Chocolate Bar Description:

A perfect mix of contrasts: the refreshing sweetness of the bergamot blends perfectly with the strong taste of the chocolate. For afternoon tea, a chocolate with a British accent.

Learn more about Dolfin here.

Taster’s Review:

Recently, I visited the North Portland location of Little Big Burger, and as I walked toward Little Big Burger, I couldn’t help but notice this little shop called The Meadow.  They sell flowers, an array of finishing salts, bitters and chocolate.  Yes, I said CHOCOLATE!  How could I ignore this little shop?  It begged me to stop in and at least take a look around.

But, of course, if I am around chocolate, I can hardly just “look around.”  I must have chocolate!  They have an entire wall dedicated to high quality chocolates from around the world.  I can feel myself start to drool just thinking about it!

While it was difficult to settle upon just one (or two) chocolate bars, I knew my husband was waiting for me so I needed to hurry!  Finally, I settled upon this Dark Chocolate Bar with Earl Grey Tea!  This is a 52% Belgian dark chocolate bar with crushed Earl Grey Tea leaves.  Not an “infused” chocolate, but, a chocolate bar with real bits of tea leaves.

The first thing I notice about this bar is the packaging.  Very impressive!  The package is a double folded “envelope” that keeps the left over chocolate (it’s quite a large bar!) fresh until you’re ready to eat more.  I really like the package, it is clear that Dolfin is committed to maintaining their product’s integrity even after the package has been opened!

Breaking off a piece of the chocolate, I notice the snap of dark chocolate.  Allowing the flavors to melt on my tongue, I can taste the smooth, rich flavor of bittersweet dark chocolate meld with the tangy citrus notes of bergamot.  As I eat this chocolate, I can feel the tiny bits of tea leaf in the chocolate.  The leaves add a little bit of crunch without feeling gritty and because the tea has been finely ground, it won’t leave leaf particles stuck in between the teeth!

While I don’t taste a lot of black tea flavor (there is some, just not a lot), I definitely taste the bergamot, and when it comes to Earl Grey tea, I want to taste BERGAMOT.  The black tea becomes more distinct as I continue to enjoy the chocolate bar, and it is more prominent when I allow the chocolate to melt on the tongue as opposed to biting into it.

This chocolate bar from Dolfin provides an amazing chocolate experience for the tea lover!  And if your Valentine loves chocolate and Earl Grey … you should consider adding this to their gift.  (How about a Chocolate and Earl Grey Gift Basket?)  They’ll LOVE you for it!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea, Earl Grey, Tea Products and Accessories

PRODUCT REVIEW: Green Kiss (Green Chocolate) from Life In Teacup

by liberteas

Where to Buy:  Life In Teacup

Product Information:

These are not just tea-flavored chocolate. They are Green Chocolate – a certified organic product made in German, with Japanese organic green tea powder and 29% cocoa butter!

Ingredients (all organic from natural agriculture)
– Premium, organic green tea powder and green tea leaves (6%) from Japanese Kabushecha (half-shaded grown traditionally)
– Organic cocoa butter (29%)
– Organic raw cane suger
– Organic milk powder
– Emulsifier: soy lecithin, vanille
May contain traces of nuts, gluten and cereal components

European Union Certified Organic Product!

Taster’s Review:

These are AWESOME!

I like Matcha.  I like white chocolate (it’s alright, but, if given the choice, I’d choose real chocolate every time).  But… when the two are brought together like they are in this product, they become amazing!  I can easily say that I prefer this to a cup of Matcha or a piece of white chocolate.  It is absolutely sublime!

The color of the tiny bar (or “kiss”) is olive green, and I can see tiny particles of leaf in the bar.  It is soft to bite into (but then, it is summer!  It might give a bit more of a “snap” if refrigerated or in cooler weather), and immediately, I can feel the creamy white chocolate texture.

The flavor is sweet and it has a nice Matcha flavor – vegetative and smooth, with hints of bitterness that is a very pleasing contrast to the sweetness of the white chocolate.  It is so smooth and creamy.  YUM!  This doesn’t really taste like white chocolate – it tastes like “Green Chocolate.”  It takes on its own unique flavor.

And that means that you don’t have to be a fan of white chocolate to enjoy these tasty bits of joy!  If you are a chocoholic, you really must try this.  It’s a whole new take on chocolate!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Green Tea, Matcha, Tea Products and Accessories