Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Following the success of our Razzleberry (Raspberry & Blackberry) blend and iced tea, I thought we’d give it a try with our genmaicha. And I am not sorry!
Here’s our toasty Japanese genmaicha considerably cheered-up with the sweet and tart flavors of raspberry and blackberry. This is a unique summertime blend of genmaicha, and the combination of the sea-sprayed Japanese sencha, toasty brown rice and berry goodness makes me think of a picnic on the beach.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum! This Razzleberry flavored Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas is really tasty! It’s got the toasty, nutty flavor of Genmaicha, together with the tart notes of raspberry and the sweet notes of blackberry. It’s quite a treat for the tastebuds.
The first flavor that I notice is that of the Genmaicha – I notice that sweet, nutty flavor of the toasted and popped rice, and the slightly grassy notes of the green tea. Just before mid-sip, I start to notice the sweetness of the berries coming through. The tarty notes of the berries starts to emerge close to the finish, and linger in the aftertaste, providing that “tingly” tart sensation on the tongue that you might experience if you were to eat a fresh raspberry.
This tastes good hot … but really, this is so much better iced! It’s so refreshing – and the fruity taste translates so well with an iced tea.
I know I mentioned this before … but it bears repeating: Please take a moment to watch the videos here and consider donating to help Zoomdweebies – a cool tea bar in Wichita, Kansas – reopen it’s doors!
Pomegranate Blackberry Shou Mei White Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This week’s very tardy blend is a shou mei white tea base with real freeze-dried pomegranate arils, freeze-dried blackberries and organic flavors, and it is delicious.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
YUM! This Pomegranate Blackberry Shou Mei White Tea from 52Teas tastes amazing! I love this!
I love that 52Teas is using Shou Mei more now rather than Bai Mu Dan. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Bai Mu Dan, but, I think that because the Shou Mei has a stronger flavor than a typical Bai Mu Dan … that the flavor of the white tea comes through more clearly in these flavored teas from 52Teas. And the sweet, earthy flavor of the Shou Mei comes together quite nicely with these fruit flavors.
The blackberry tastes sweet. Blackberries are one of my favorite berries, and as a current Pacific Northwest resident, I think that I can say that they ARE my favorite fruit now. While living in California, my favorite berry is, hands down, the strawberry, but, the flavor of the strawberries up here just doesn’t compare to the flavor of the strawberries that have been grown in the California sun. It rains up here too much to get good strawberry growth. BUT … blackberries are plentiful! So plentiful, in fact, that there are blackberry bushes growing wild all over the place! And the blackberries up here are Ah-may-ZING!
And the pomegranate adds just the right amount of tartness to the cup. Not a lot … but, just enough to keep the flavor dancing on the palate. It keeps it from getting sickeningly sweet. And I love the way everything just works together in this cup. The pomegranate melds beautifully with the blackberry … and the two fruits perfectly complement the Shou Mei.
Another winner from 52Teas!
Vanilla Blackberry Sage Tea from Singing Dog Vanilla
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Singing Dog Vanilla
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, Organic Vanilla Beans, Organic Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavors, Organic Sage
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Whenever I’m in my local Whole Foods, I check the tea aisle. Well, I check the tea aisle in every store that I visit, but, Whole Foods is one of the few markets from which I feel comfortable purchasing tea. After having visited a discount store and seeing that they had tea that had passed its expiration date by over a year, I tend to be very picky from whom I purchase tea! Whole Foods hasn’t let me down yet.
The last time I was in Whole Foods, I found this canister of Vanilla Blackberry Sage tea (as well as a couple of other flavor options) from a company I’ve not heard from before: Singing Dog Vanilla. I’m always interested in trying teas from companies that are new to me, and the fact that Singing Dog Vanilla is a fairly local company, that cinched it for me. Into the cart it went!
The first time I brewed this tea, I brewed it the way I normally would brew a black tea: using boiling water and steeping for 2 1/2 minutes. However, my first sip told me that I should have been more cautious with the addition of the sage leaves, and should have lowered the temperature slightly. I find that with teas containing herbals (including herbal tisanes) a slightly lower temperature helps to avoid bitter tastes in the cup … and the sage in that first cup was just a tad bitter.
This time, I lowered the temperature to 195°F, and it has made a huge difference! This tastes so good! The vanilla is strong (and I was surprised to see actual VANILLA PODS in the tea as I measured the tea to brew it) and sweet and luscious. It is so creamy tasting, and I love that. I don’t need to add milk to get a creamy taste and texture out of this tea.
The black tea base is flavorful. Neither the canister nor the website mentions what type of tea is used for this blend – only that it is an organic black tea. It tastes fairly hearty though, and there is a definitely malty tone to it, so I am inclined to believe it is an Assam. It seems strong enough to stand on its own, and with the strong vanilla notes, it needs to be equally as strong, and I’m finding this base to be quite satisfying.
The sage and blackberry are more of accent notes rather than prominent flavors. The sage is stronger than the blackberry, and it adds a pleasing savory tone to the cup that offers a contrasting flavor to the sweet vanilla. The blackberry adds a hint of fruity dimension to the cup, sweet with just a hint of tartness that hits the palate toward the tail. It is not a strong blackberry taste, but, there seems to be just enough of it to add a compelling flavor to the cup, and I find that by the time I reach mid-cup, I notice more and more blackberry, especially in the aftertaste.
This is really a lovely cup of tea. I love the packaging – it is a recycled cardboard canister which houses a compostable cellophane bag that holds the tea. This company seems dedicated to providing organic, fair trade products, and I respect that. And while these things would mean very little if the tea wasn’t also delicious – the fact that it IS delicious makes it even better! This is a tea you can feel good about drinking!
Blackberry Bramble from Della Terra Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Our Blackberry Bramble has the taste of a fresh picked basket of blackberry and raspberry. Made with real blackberry and raspberry this tea is a must for any berry lover! A great tea for any time of the year! Try it hot on a cold autumn or winter day, and iced on a hot summer day. A must try!
Ingredients: Black tea, blackberry flavoring, blackberry bits, raspberry leaves
Allergens: berries
For allergy info visit our FAQ
Suggested brewing tips:
Serving Size: 1 level tsp./6oz serving
Water Temp: 212 degree or to a boil
Steep Time: 2-5 minutes
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The first thing I noticed is that this tea has a sturdy base aroma. All too often flavored teas tend to cover up the aroma and flavor of the base itself which sometimes can be good when I want something quite flavored but other times it is nice to have a lightly flavored tea that allows the base to come through in a bold way.
Della Terra has made me believe that blackberry and black tea were just meant to be married in this delicious brew. They have managed to masterfully create a stunning blackberry tea!
The raspberry is present but lurking in the background offering a slight tartness that gives a nice wake me up feeling.
The blackberry offers a sweeter flavor but a very naturally sweet taste which is not sappy nor does it give any odd after taste.
The base is BOLD, quite bold and I cannot wait to have this iced, or to cold brew it!
If I had to hand over some teas to the name brand companies that you find at your local grocery store, as an example of a well blended flavored tea, this would make the cut!
Its perfectly balanced, not over done, melds a great base with great flavors yet keeps its basic simplicity.
Della Terra has also quickly become one of my steadfast suppliers for great teas, especially flavored teas. Their customer service is top notch, they are actively involved on their facebook page, and they frequently run contests, and drawings for free samples, and account credits. Also their web site is easy to navigate and I love that they list any allergens within their teas on each tea’s description!
Back to this tea though .. This could easily fit into my morning rotation as it is bold enough as a wake up cup and the fruity flavors are understated so its not so much one that I would seek out as a dessert tea.
I just really appreciate that this is a tea that is what it states without trying to play dress up and over do it.
Tropical Island Black Tea from Kally Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
“Arrrgh, Hoist the main sails matey.” We are off on a sailing ship in the Caribbean. Pirates abound, treasure hunting, we land on a secluded shore, and notice the varied fruits and flowers on the islands. A thought hits us… let’s combine these tropical fruits with some tea in the hold! As the rum is ignored for the much more exciting and healthy tea blend of freeze dried pear, blackberry, lime leaves, sour sap fruit flavorings, the pirates are calmed and life is good. Let’s sneak off with the new found “treasure”… Arrrgh!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The name of this tea is slightly misleading … at least for me it is! But I don’t mean that in a bad way, I actually quite happy that this tea is different than I expected it to be. Let me explain: with a name like “Tropical Island,” I expected something tasting of pineapple or papaya or mango or a combination of these “usual suspects” when it comes to tropical flavors. I did not expect to taste the flavors of lime and blackberry!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the “usual” tropical flavors in tea just as much as I’m enjoying the unique combination of lime and blackberry, but sometimes, it’s nice to get a surprise … something a little different than what I expected from a tropical tea … something that allows me to see things and taste things a little differently. And that’s what I’m appreciating about this tea.
The lime is very bright and vibrant, especially in the first sips … this is where I notice mostly only lime flavor and very little else. After the tea has cooled slightly and I’ve tasted a little more, the flavor of blackberry begins to emerge and I start to notice the flavors of the black tea that have been there all along, but the lime wanted to steal the spotlight and let itself be tasted right up front.
After a few more sips, I begin to notice other notes of this tea – it’s very “sweet and sour” like with an emphasis on the sour. This must be the sour sap? I’m not too familiar with this fruit … and I have a feeling that if I were to see this tropical fruit in the produce section, I’d probably avoid it because I tend to shy from the sour flavors … but what I like is that the sour is not so much that I feel the need to curb it with the addition of sugar. There is just enough sweetness to this cup to keep it enjoyable when served straight (although a wee bit of sugar won’t hurt it either).
There is also a subtle … ever so subtle … note of pear that I notice by the time I reach mid-cup. Another nice surprise! This tea is full of them! A very enjoyable tea that’s full of discovery. I think that is what i like best about this tea. It challenges my palate, and takes it on a journey of delightful flavors!