Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
The aroma of this intensely rich Yunnan black is immediately reminiscent of one of our favorite chocolate’s of all time: the Rogue Chocolatier Hispaniola bar, made with a tangy and nuanced cacao from the Dominican Republic. Imagine a fine dark chocolate melted down and infused with hibiscus. That is the aroma of this tea. It is so rich and fruity it even reminds us of a fine, light roasted coffee.
NOTES: Velvet, Chocolate, Cayenne, Clove, Cinnamon, Molasses, Cream
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Some teas tend to learn toward a specific season for me. Such as Chai which I always prefer in the fall and winter seasons. Or berry teas which I prefer in the spring and summer seasons. What I love about Zhu Rong Yunnan Black Tea from Verdant Tea is that it suits me perfectly in any season!
The aroma of this tea is always inviting, with notes of baked goods, hay, molasses, malt, and even berry!
It has a rich full mouthfeel yet a savory element in the flavor profile that boarders right on the spicy side of life. I can’t think of many unadulterated teas that have so much complexity. From sweet to savory, spicy to fruity. Zhu Rong Yunnan Black Tea from Verdant has it all.
The initial sip gives off notes of chocolate, molasses, and malt, with a spicy kick near the end. The aroma helps you pick up those initial sweeter notes and takes your mind on a baked goods trip, so when the spice elements present themselves it is somewhat of a surprise.
The creaminess of the tea is mostly in the mouthfeel and texture of this tea rather than in the flavor although there is a creamy flavor element as well, that note is more taken over by the spice at the end. You have to notice the creamy flavor in the beginning of the sip.
The spice notes in this tea are not like that of a chai, so don’t let the flavor notes listed above of clove and cinnamon scare you if you are not in favor of spicier teas. I personally pick up more of the cayenne kick rather than cinnamon or clove, and it is only on the tail end of the sip and does not burn or create heat in the mouth. Its just more of a wonderful gentle wake up note that kicks your taste buds and mind into gear. A perfect morning tea!
The berry notes I detect are not listed in the flavor profile of this tea but I get a dark berry and raisin flavor when I swish the tea around my palate.
This is one of my favorite morning teas which is also quite excellent when cooled or iced! Perfect anytime of the year.
Flaming Chocolate Maté from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Ready for a bit of heat and a bit of sweet? How about a nice caffeine kick to boot? Here’s some roasted yerba mate blended with organic cacao nibs and cayenne pepper for a delicious, caffeinated kick in the mouth.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I love contrasting flavors like spicy and sweet, so I was confident that this Flaming Chocolate Maté would be right up my alley.
And yes, I’m loving this! The chocolate is a little on the light side, but, it is incredibly smooth and deliciously sweet. The cayenne pepper doesn’t really launch a full assault on the taste buds, in fact, throughout the sip, it is just barely there.
It is in the aftertaste where I really feel the delightful burn on the back of my tongue and throat. I like that this isn’t too hot where I feel like my taste buds have been burned. It isn’t so hot that I feel like my mouth is on fire, but it definitely brings the heat in it’s own gentle way, like slow-burning embers.
The rich, roasted taste of the yerba maté is there too. Because it is a roasted maté, this is more earthy tasting than vegetative, and I think that works to this tisane’s advantage. The roasted flavor enhances the flavor of the chocolate, bringing out the richness of the cacao.
This is a delicious, invigorating, spicy-yet-sweet cuppa … perfect for those mornings when you need a little something to get you on your way!
Daily Man Tea from BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong, Pu-erh and Herbal
Where to Buy: BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Description:
We’ve gotten enough feedback from guys to know you want your own tea, and you don’t want a frilly peacock feather on it. Point taken. Here you go.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the three different teas from BijaBody Health + Beauty I was sent to try, this was the one with which I hesitated longest. I could think of all kinds of silly excuses, but, if I were to be completely honest, it was because it was a “man” tea, and well, the last time I checked, I’m a woman.
But, really, that’s pretty silly too. It’s a tea! There are some herbals in there that are definitely intended for men, but, I have never claimed to drink tea for its health benefits, so why should I not drink a tea because of its purported health benefits for men?
This tea has a strong earthy quality to it, much stronger than I recall tasting with either the Daily Beauty Tea or the Nightly Beauty Tea from BijaBody. I definitely taste the Pu-erh here, but, it isn’t an overwhelming or off-putting flavor. I also taste the Oolong, and I can feel the texture from the Oolong too – its smooth and almost creamy.
This also has a slight medicinal quality to it, but not so much that it makes me want to stop drinking it. The medicinal flavor is balanced out with the warm spice notes in the background as well as the tea flavors to give this a very enjoyable taste. After a glance at the ingredients, I worried that the cayenne might be a bit too much for the cup, but, it is actually quite subtle, providing a little bit of heat, but, certainly not to the point where I’d categorize this as spicy or even medium-hot. It has a mild spice – it’s warm and energizing.
Overall, this is an enjoyable beverage, even for those of us who are not men. If I were to change anything about it, though, I should like for there to be more of a chocolate taste from the cacao nibs… I taste only hints of cocoa here. But for what it is, I found it quite agreeable.
Daily Beauty Tea from BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong, Pu-erh & Herbal
Where to Buy: BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Description:
Daily Beauty Tea’s blend of fair-trade, organic Oolong and Pu-erh Tea with beautifying herbs and spices -including cacao nibs, burdock, a dash of cayenne, and so much more- supports a fiery metabolism, internal ph balance, natural detox and digestion, and your skin’s exquisite function*.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said many times before, I’m quite hesitant when it comes to herbal blends, but since I’ve recently tried their Nightly Beauty tea and enjoying it, I felt much more at ease while preparing this tea.
BijaBody seems to know what they’re doing. They select the ingredients based not only on their positive benefits, but, also for their contributions to the flavor.
The two blends that I’ve tried thus far – Nightly Beauty and now Daily Beauty – have many similar ingredients. Most notable are the Pu-erh, cacao nibs and sarsaparilla. Some of the other ingredients are the same as well, but, these are the most prominent flavor-wise. But even though they have many similar ingreidents, this tastes quite a bit different from the Nightly Beauty.
I can taste the Oolong tea’s contribution to the cup. It tastes lighter, smoother and a little on the creamy side. I can also taste the cayenne pepper in this, it isn’t a spicy-hot flavor, but, it is certainly warming. I can feel its heat on my palate, but, it doesn’t get to a level where I feel like I need something to cool it down. It’s quite enjoyable, really.
I do taste the Pu-erh, but of the two tea types, the Oolong stands out. The Pu-erh gives a light earthiness to the cup that mingles quite nicely with the other ingredients. I also taste the sarsaparilla and the cacao nib … although neither are as prominent as they are with the Nightly Beauty blend.
While the Nightly Beauty blend tastes more herbaceous, I find that this blend tastes more like tea, albeit a tea blend that I don’t think I’ve ever tried before. But there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I like how different this tastes.
A very enjoyable tea, and if it has health and beauty benefits, that’s a bonus!