On The Third Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent Me This Tea…

by liberteas

It’s the third day already!  Christmas is almost here!  Wow!

Without further ado, I will go right into today’s tea, because it’s a good one!

Peppermint Perfection

Day3Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Della Terra Teas

Tea Description:  

On the third day of Christmas we have ourselves some French hens.  Well, that is fine of course, but wouldn’t you rather have a cup of some amazing peppermint tea?

Well, here it is!  Peppermint Perfection, pure vanilla and peppermint create this creamy, peppermint-y tea!

Taster’s Review:

I couldn’t find this tea on Della Terra Teas’ website, but I did find their Peppermint Bark tea, and I thought that they might be the same tea, so I contacted Della Terra Teas to find out!  (And may I just say that the customer service at Della Terra Teas is top notch!  They get back to me via email promptly whenever I have an issue.  I like that in a company.)

I asked them whether or not the Peppermint Perfection and the Peppermint Bark teas were the same teas, and here is what they told me:

Actually, though similar, the peppermint perfection has one part more vanilla than the peppermint bark.

That’s really about the only difference other than maybe just a wee bit more mint flake.

So, this tea is similar to the Peppermint Bark, which is formerly known as Candy Cane Lane.  So let’s find out how much the additional vanilla and a wee bit more mint flake changes things up, shall we?

Mmm!  This is really good.  The aroma of the dry leaf is reminiscent of the aforementioned Candy Cane Lane, although I think that the extra vanilla seems to enhance the chocolate-y fragrance just a tad, because I could really smell the chocolate when I opened the pouch this time.

And I can really taste the chocolate too.  There is a delicious concinnity of chocolate and vanilla to this cup, and the peppermint is strong without overpowering the cup.  The black tea is a little less represented than the flavors here, but, I find that as the tea cools slightly, that I’m picking up on more black tea notes.  Everything balances out very well.

This is a tea that certainly benefits from a few moments to allow the tea to cool slightly.  The flavors become more distinct after about three minutes of cool time.  It’s still a tea that I prefer to drink hot (just not straight from the teapot hot!) and it’s a perfect tea for this time of year.

This was one of my oldest daughter’s favorite teas from last year’s box (well, the Candy Cane Lane was!) so I am happy that a new version of it was included in this year’s box so that I can share some more of this tea with her.

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

Peppermint Ice Custom Black Tea Blend from Adagio Teas

by liberteas

pepperminticeTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Adagio Teas

Tea Description:

I wanted something to help break away from the heat and humidity of summer so I opted for cool peppermint candy (candy cane) tea. I also wanted to be enveloped in a silky creamy sweet dream so I added cream and vanilla flavored black teas. I want this to be comforting, relaxing, a tea that can transport you to fresh powdered snow atop a serene mountain. An escape from reality to a place you dream of.

Learn more about this custom blend here.

Taster’s Review:

This Peppermint Ice Black Tea Blend from Adagio Teas is a custom blend created by one of my favorite Adagio Tea custom blend creators, Rachana Carter.  I’ve “chatted” with her a few times via Steepster, and she’s one of the coolest people that hang out at Steepster (and that’s saying something because there are a lot of cool tea drinkers who hang out at Steepster!  I call Steepster the facebook for tea drinkers, which probably makes me more nerdy than cool, but that’s OK, I guess.)

Anyway, I’m not really sure how long I’ve had a sampling of this tea on hand, I was going through some of my stash and came across it, but I’ve got to say that it’s held up very well over the course of time.  This is really tasty.

I’m not a big fan of Adagio Teas, as I’ve mentioned at least once or twice.  Their black tea base that they use for their flavored black teas tends to be very … aggressive and harsh tasting.  However, I’ve found that when the flavors are blended like they have been in this Peppermint Ice blend – a blend of candy cane, cream and vanilla flavored black teas – the black tea tends to taste less harsh.  I’m not sure why that is.  But, it’s been my observation, and so far, of the various teas that I’ve tried, I’ve found this to be true more often than not.

This is a lovely blend of sweet creamy, vanilla-y flavors and just a hint of peppermint.  Really, with a flavoring like peppermint, that’s all that’s needed because peppermint can really overpower a blend very quickly.  Here, the peppermint is soft and while it does have that crisp, minty taste to it, it doesn’t overwhelm the cup nor does it give the cup a mouthwash-y sort of taste.  It’s really nice.

The black tea is strong, but with this flavor combination, I’m not finding it to be a harsh tasting black tea base.  Invigorating, sure.  But not so astringent that it leaves my palate feeling as though it’s been dried off with sandpaper.  (Yeah, that’s the way sometimes a black tea can taste from Adagio.  Fortunately, it wasn’t the case here.)

Overall, I’m finding this to taste a bit like someone had melted a scoop of peppermint ice cream and then added it to my morning cup of black tea.  It’s rich, smooth and creamy.  Minty and fresh!  I like this one – another great blend from Rachana Carter!

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

Santa’s Secret from David’s Tea

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  David’s Tea

Product Description:

Ever wonder how Santa manages to deliver all those presents in just one night? Well here’s the hush-hush formula. He uses a special combination of Chinese black tea, peppermint leaves and spices – all sprinkled with real little candy canes. It’s both energizing and remarkably soothing. All Santa needs is one cup and his motto changes from “ho ho ho” to “go go go”.

Taster’s Review:

Every year I try to tell my family that Santa would prefer tea instead of milk with the cookies we sit out for the jolly old elf.  They don’t believe me, but maybe this tea will convince them!

My first reaction – my first sip – was CANDY CANE!  It was sweet, minty and delicious.  Now that I’ve taken a few sips, it tastes a little less like candy cane (although that taste is still there), and more like a black tea that has been flavored with candy cane.  The mint flavor is just right – it doesn’t taste overly minty.  It tastes crisp and fresh and exhilarating with a sweetness that is not too sweet.  Perfect for dipping your favorite Christmas cookies!

The black tea base is strong without being overly aggressive.  It seems to be in perfect harmony with the mint flavor.  It is a very well-balanced cup.

I find this to be delightful as a hot tea and that’s just what I want this time of year.  It has a refreshingly sweet taste that requires no additions, although it might be nice with a splash of milk.

Yep, I think Santa would be a very JOLLY old elf indeed if you surprised him with a cup of this tea instead of a glass of milk!

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