Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zest Tea
Tea Description:
Our Blue Lady Black blends a sultry South Indian black tea base with an aromatic mix of orange, lemon, passion fruit, and hibiscus. A peppering of vivid blue cornflower petals and bits of orange peel make for a visual spectacle. Blue lady will excite all of your senses. No wonder this is a favorite among hot and chilled tea drinkers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Zest High-Octane Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I thought that this Blue Lady Black Tea from Zest Tea was the ideal tea to review on tax day. We got to get those taxes done and in the mail, right? Actually, I finished my taxes in the first week of February, but, I know that there are those who don’t get them done and April 15th always seems to be crunch day, right? So, this one’s for you!
Zest Teas are “High-Octane” teas, that is to say that there is more caffeine in this cup of tea than in the average cup of flavored black tea. The goal, according to the makers of Zest Tea, was to create a high quality cup of tea that had the caffeine of a cup of coffee.
My one concern was this: I can’t drink coffee. Coffee makes me sick. I used to drink coffee every morning until I realized that the reason I was feeling sick around 11 am was that the coffee I was drinking every morning was making me feel that way. Was this “High-Octane” Zest Tea going to have the same effect on me? I kept my fingers crossed that it wouldn’t.
This tea is VERY aromatic. When I opened the pouch, I was greeted with a very fruity “punch” of fragrance: I could smell citrus notes of orange and lemon and I could smell the passion fruit. And despite the images that the “High-Octane” evoked in my head, it doesn’t smell of gasoline. Not one bit. It smells like a fruit flavored black tea. I like that smell.
It tastes great! The fruit notes of citrus and passion fruit are strong, but I also taste the Nilgiri black tea base. It has a pleasing flavor: rich and smooth, no bitterness, and it has lovely notes of malt.
I like the way the notes of malt play with the notes of lemon and orange. I also appreciate the balance that has been achieved in this blend: I taste the strong fruit notes but there is a full-flavored black tea base to fill in the background. There is also an agreeable balance of tart and sweet here. It is neither too sweet nor too tart.
The hibiscus in this blend adds a little bit of body to the cup and a hint of tart flavor that complements the citrus notes. Not a lot of hibiscus flavor, just enough tart and tangy taste to contrast with the sweeter notes of the fruit.
There are no weird/funky flavors associated with the extra dose of caffeine in the tea. Not that I thought there would be, but for those of you who might have thought: “What will that “High-Octane” thing do to the flavor?” I’m here to tell you that I don’t notice anything off with the flavor at all. This tastes like tea. It doesn’t taste different or off or funky in any way. It just tastes like a tasty tea with lovely notes of citrus and passion fruit.
So far, I really like what I’ve tasted from this tea. I’ll come back in a couple of hours to let you know if I felt any ill after-effects from the caffeine.
OK … so a few hours have lapsed since I finished the cup of tea, and here’s what I noticed:
- More energy: Yep. I could feel the extra burst of caffeine. But it didn’t feel like the jolt you’d get from a cup of coffee. It was stronger than the usual energy flow that I’d get from the usual cup of tea, though. A bit more like the unbridled jolt from coffee, but, I didn’t feel jittery or … well, I didn’t feel like I had just consumed a cup of coffee. But there is definitely an elevated level of invigorated energy from this tea.
- No ill effects: I didn’t feel that icky feeling that I would feel after I drank a cup of coffee in the morning. Big bonus points for that.
- No “crash”: After drinking coffee and experiencing that jolt, a few hours later, I usually feel the crash. I feel a lack of energy, like I need another cup of coffee to get me going again. Now, the lack of crash could be from the fact that I drink tea throughout the day, but, my tea drinking today has been limited to this one cup of tea from Zest Tea and then a couple of glasses of cold-brewed black iced tea. I don’t know the level of caffeine from the iced tea, but, I will say that I don’t usually feel “energized” after I drink iced tea. I feel refreshed and I feel my thirst has been quenched, but I don’t feel the burst of caffeinated energy from iced tea.
OK, so there you have it. I like this stuff … it’s a great way to get your act together in the morning on those days that you really need to get it together. And it tastes great too. This tea has it going on.
Blue Ginger Black Tea Blend from Harney & Sons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Tea Description:
For years, we have been honored to supply the tea to Ming Tsai’s famous restaurant: Blue Ginger. This blend is a heady combination of Fujian black tea and floral lychee fruit with a hint of ginger.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
The first thing that was noteworthy to me about this tea was the aroma. Typically with a lychee tea, I get that overwhelming scent of lychee from the dry leaf which … is nice, but sometimes it’s a bit TOO much and can often come off as somewhat chemical-ish, you know what I mean? But with this Blue Ginger Black Tea Blend from Harney & Sons, the lychee notes seem somewhat subdued, which is possibly due to the fact that there is also ginger in this blend.
The brewed tea is wonderfully aromatic with notes of lychee, ginger and a rich black tea base. And that’s exactly what the flavor delivers!
The black tea base is a hearty Fujian black tea which provides a good, solid background of flavor that is rich and full-flavored. Typically with a pure Fujian black tea, I will note hints of caramel and cocoa in the flavors, and I’m picking up on those here. It’s much more subtle than I’d experience from a pure tea, but, it’s still nice that I’m tasting them!
The lychee and ginger seem very compatible. Lychee can sometimes taste a bit “perfume-y” and the ginger seems to tone that down enough so that the lychee tastes sweet and fruity without tasting so much of the perfume-like qualities of the aromatic fruit.
On the other hand, ginger can sometimes come off as a bit too spicy and hot, but in the presence of the lychee, the ginger tastes warm and slightly peppery without experiencing the fire that ginger can sometimes deliver.
Like I said, these two ingredients work very well together! Overall, I really enjoyed this Blue Ginger Tea. According to the Harney & Sons website, this tea is one that is supplied to Chef Ming Tsai’s restaurant by the same name – Blue Ginger. A very cool and delightfully unique tea to feature in a restaurant. I guess I’ve been offered one too many generic tea bags in restaurants becaus I know that I’d be excited to find something like this tea in a restaurant!
Blue and Grey Tea from Tea For All Reasons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea for All Reasons
Tea Description:
A creamy Earl Grey highlighted with smooth, fruity blueberry notes, making this a must-have for all you Earl Grey lovers!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Before reading the description of this tea, I thought that it might be just another Earl Grey Cream, but, NO! This Blue and Grey Tea from Tea For All Reasons is a Blueberry Earl Grey Cream tea! And it is so dee-lish!
This is really, really good. As those of you who have read my reviews for any length of time are probably already aware, I’ve tried many different Earl Grey teas, including many different twists on the traditional, straightforward bergamot flavored black tea. But I can’t recall having tried a Blueberry flavored Earl Grey Cream tea – and after tasting this – I have to wonder … WHY NOT?
This is really a brilliant spin on the classic Earl Grey tea. There is a really tasty balance of flavors here. I taste the bergamot: it tastes tangy and sharp and it lies just beneath a sweet, creamy note of vanilla creme, which softens the sharpness just a little bit – not too much! – just enough to add a silky, sweet taste to the cup that melds beautifully with the flavor of tart, juicy blueberry. These three flavors coalesce to form a serendipitous cup of deliciousness.
And let’s not forget about the black tea base … because, really, that’s what it’s all about, right? It’s all about the tea! And while the black tea base here is on the mild side, I like that I taste it and it isn’t hidden behind these other flavors. No, it’s not a strong, powerful flavor of black tea … but, I don’t want it to be in this blend, because then it would overpower the delicate balance that has been achieved between the bergamot, vanilla and blueberry.
Those who are looking for an strong bergamot flavor won’t find it here. And granted, I do love me some bergamot! But, I really love the way these three flavors present themselves in this tea … I don’t think I’d want to adjust the volume on the bergamot. Don’t add milk to this one – it will overpower it all, and really, with the creamy notes of vanilla … you don’t need dairy! A half a pinch of sugar will help plump up the blueberry flavor, if you want more definition there … otherwise, I’d say that this tea is quite delightful just the way it is!
This is an Earl Grey for those who are looking for something just a wee bit different!
Blue Shadow Flavored Black Tea from The Tea Smith
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Smith
Tea Description:
The Shadow knows that strawberry and South American lulo make a great team! A cup of Blue Shadow is a guaranteed improvement to any day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this Blue Shadow flavored Black Tea from The Tea Smith when I first opened my sampling that my SororiTea Sister, Azzrian, sent me. I could see black tea leaves and blue cornflower petals … and I could smell a delicious fruity aroma. But this did not prepare me for what I was about to taste!
Click on the pic to go there.
OK … WOW! This is really a unique cup of flavored black tea! I don’t know that I’ve ever tried a tea that has been flavored with the essence of lulo fruit before. In fact, before I sat down to write this review, I didn’t even know what the heck a lulo fruit was. As you can see from the photo to the right, it kind of looks like an orange that has had some funky, twisted romance with a kiwi fruit. And since I’ve never tried a lulo, I’m not sure exactly what it is I’m supposed to be tasting.
I taste the strawberry, distinctly. It is a bright strawberry note, sweet with notes of berry tartness. I also taste a citrus-y note that tastes a little bit like lime … more like lime than orange – and I kind of expected it to taste a little more orange-y if for no other reason than the fact that the photo looks like it should taste like an orange (and kiwi). I don’t taste anything vaguely resembling a kiwi … but if Wikipedia is correct and this fruit tastes like a cross between a lime and a rhubarb, then the fact that I taste distinct strawberry notes makes even more sense to me, because the few strawberry-rhubarb teas I’ve had, I notice that the rhubarb is the perfect accent to the strawberry … making it taste more like strawberry.
The black tea is in there too. It’s a milder tasting black tea – I suspect that a Ceylon was used in this blend. It has a strong enough flavor to be tasted, but not so strong that it takes over. It allows the flavors to do their thing, and in this case, I’m really glad that I can taste the flavors, because the strawberry is juicy and delicious (and it’s making me happy strawberry season is almost here!) … and I have this unique opportunity to try the essence of lulo … which is not a orange-y, kiwi tasting fruit even though the fruit looks like someone left the oranges and kiwis in the fruitbowl alone together overnight.
A very unique and delicious flavored tea … I really like this one quite a bit. Sweet … and makes a FABULOUS iced tea!
Blue Mango Green Tea from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tea Description:
Like being carried on trade winds, notes of mango create an exotic fruit pungency. Pineapple cubes added highlight to the mango character and mallow petals accent a clean finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Looking for a great tea to serve iced for these long, hot, summer days ahead? Look no further – Culinary Teas has got just what you’re looking for!
This Blue Mango Green Tea, while quite tasty served hot, is spectacular when served chilled. The light, crisp flavor of the Sencha green tea paired with the sweet, juicy mango flavor and hint of pineapple essence is so refreshing!
The green tea is sweet and offers but a whisper of grassy taste to the cup, a grassy tone that nearly disappears when the tea is cooled, leaving a taste that is fresh and somewhat creamy. The mango doesn’t overwhelm here, while it is the strongest flavor of the cup, I am able to easily find the flavor of the green tea and even the barely-there hint of pineapple that accents the mango notes so deliciously.
The tea finishes with a tangy astringency – not strong, but it’s there – and the aftertaste is distinctly mango, although I don’t find it to be a heavy mango, nectar-like note. More like a hint of mango, just to remind your taste buds of the goodness in your teacup.
This tea requires no sweetening when it’s hot, but I do think that the iced version really benefits from a bit of sweetener. I chose to sweeten my 8-ounce glass of tea with a little less than half a teaspoon of coconut sugar, which is made from the sap of the coconut flower bud. When tasted straight out of the package, I can taste hints of coconut to the coconut sugar, but, when I add it to a tea like this, the coconut is not noticeable at all, but the sugar does really enhance the flavor of the tea very nicely.
A really delicious tropical tea for summertime.