Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tealyra
Tea Description:
One of our most popular flavored teas, Citron Potion is a special blend of supreme jasmine scented oolong that has been cured with rare jasmine blossoms, a unique blend of herbs and a combination of refreshing citrus fruits. This organic oolong tea will quickly become a favorite with the pick me up natural orange oil, hint of organic lemon myrtle and the unmistakable rare flavor and aroma of the jasmine flower.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little worried about the tea leaf to ‘other stuff ratio when I opened the package of Citron Potion Oolong from Tealyra. I saw nary a leaf compared to the intense amount of jasmine flowers. The package smelled amazing though, and I made to pick out enough loosely rolled oolong leaves as possible. The style of oolong looked to be a baozhong. Those are among my favorite types of oolong, so I was hopeful about this brew.
Wanting to allow the leaves to do some crazy expansion, I loading 5g of tea into my gravity steeper, and doused it with 190 degree water. To my surprise, I watched the seemingly small amount of tea leaf expand to fill over half of the gravity steeper. The leaves were large and entirely uncut. Huh. Happy to see the expansion of the leaf, I got excited to try the brew. Phew!
The steeped leaf is quite fleshing and light. Tasting the tea, I can easily recognize the bouquet of floral notes that the oolong lays out for me. Roses, peony, and lilies. They are complimented by the sweetness of the orange oil, which probably takes the cake for the topmost note in this tea. I am having a had time finding the jasmine flower essence in this tea. Perhaps the flowers are just a carrier for the orange flavoring. Either way, I am pretty happy with how this tea came out.
I tried this tea two ways, brewed hot, and cold brewed in a large jug. Both methods produce a silky mouthfeel and really great and strong oolong-y flavors and citrus. This is going to be a great summer tea to get me through the dog days of summer! That is, if it ever gets warm again, it’s been so cold and rainy in the Mile High City lately! I’m wearing gloves to type this review, my fingers are freezing. This tea makes me wistful for summer, one day it will come, right? Right??
Citron Maté Blend from The Persimmon Tree
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where To Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
This aromatic and refreshing cocktail of yerba maté, lemongrass, orange peel, and lemon myrtle is the perfect tonic after a workout or tiring day. Citron Maté is a stimulating brew that can give you a little caffeine boost without the shakes or crash that can follow. Try it sweetened over ice with fresh lime juice for a refreshing summer treat!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
For my first cup of the day, I generally prefer a good, strong cup of black tea. However, there are some mornings when I need a little more than the caffeine boost that the black tea can give you, and on days like that, I often turn to Yerba Mate.
Yerba Mate has more caffeine than tea. It’s more like coffee when it comes to caffeine. But with Yerba Mate, I don’t get the jitters or the sickly feeling a few hours after drinking it the way I do with coffee. Yerba Mate is a big win when it comes to a caffeine fix.
And I’m really enjoying this Yerba Mate blend from Persimmon Tree. It has a sweet, citrus-y flavor that perks up the earthy, vegetative flavor of the Mate in a very agreeable way.
To brew this tisane, I used my Breville One-Touch. I measured 3 bamboo scoops of tisane into the basket of the tea maker (I generally like to use a little more leaf when it comes to tisanes) and added 500ml of freshly filtered water to the jug. Then I set the parameters: 185°F – usually I go with 195°F for yerba mate tisanes but because this is a green yerba mate, I thought I’d take this opportunity to “test out” a slightly lower temperature for the green yerba mate – and 10 minutes steep time. Because yerba mate is low in tannins, a longer steep time will result in a fuller flavor without bitterness.
I’m quite pleased with the result! The flavor is sweet and citrus-y with notes of orange and a sweet hint of lemon and lime. There is a light, creamy flavor that I’m tasting that melds nicely with these citrus notes. The citrus isn’t a strong presence, in fact, I think I’d like a little more citrus to this (and I’d recommend serving it with a thin slice of whatever citrus fruit you might have on hand!) but it does add a lovely little accent of bright flavor.
It’s very “morning” bright – this cup of Citron Mate!
The yerba mate has a fresh, vegetative taste with earthy background notes. It has a smooth flavor and isn’t bitter or astringent. Smooth from beginning to finish! I know that some people have remarked that they find yerba mate to be a tad on the bitter side, but to these people I recommend a slightly lower brewing temperature. When I steeped yerba mate at a boiling temperature, I would experience bitterness too, but since I’ve dropped the temperature to 185° – 195° F, I find that I get a smooth, bitter-free taste from every cup of yerba mate now!
If you’re looking for a vibrant way to start your day, you should give this Citron Mate from The Persimmon Tree a try! It’s tasty!
Citron Tisane from Eden Grove
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Amazon Trading
Ingredients:
Naturally Caffeine Free: Hibiscus, Apple, Orange Peel, Lemongrass & flavors of Lemon and Lemongrass.
Learn more about Amazon Trading here.
Taster’s Review:
I am always initially leery of any tisane that boasts hibiscus as the first ingredient in its ingredient list. So, it should come as no surprise to you that when I was offered this Citron Tisane from Eden Grove to try, I was not as excited as I was to try some of the other teas from Eden Grove. (I especially enjoyed their Lovers Leap Estate Indigo Black Tea!)
But, I have been surprised in the past by teas that I was originally skeptical of, and so I decided to give this Citron blend a try. And I’m really glad I did. It might not be my favorite cup of tea from Eden Grove, but, it’s tasty!
Even though the hibiscus is the first ingredient in the list, there is relatively little hibiscus in this. A quick glance through the silky pyramid sachet tells me that the primary ingredient in it is lemongrass. And I like lemongrass. I only saw maybe a couple of hibiscus pieces.
After steeping in 195°F water for five minutes, this tisane brews up a golden color (not pink – another suggestion that there isn’t too much hibiscus in this!) and the texture is smooth – not thick or syrupy. All of the sudden, I feel much better about sampling this tisane!
And it’s pretty good. The flavor (not surprisingly) is citrus-y. I taste a tart note from the hibiscus (but again, this is not an overpowering presence of hibiscus), and that tartness accentuates the tart notes of the lemon and lime. There is a sweetness from these two citrus fruits as well as a sweet hint of orange with just a hint of bitter from the orange pith. I also am tasting a smooth, buttery note from the lemongrass, and a sweet apple note.
Overall, this is a bright and enjoyable tisane to enjoy any time of the day. The sunny flavor of the citrus makes it a good choice for earlier in the day, but it’s also an agreeable tisane for later in the evening when I’m looking for something caffeine free. It would also be nice to brew up and chill for something cool and refreshing.
Citron Oolong Tea from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tea Description:
This blend of high-grown oolong is truly rejuvenating. It’s scented with lemon myrtle, jasmine and natural citrus essences, and the result is light, fresh and uplifting. Hot, it’s soothing and citrusy. Iced, it’s an unbelievable thirst quencher. And infused into vodka, it makes the world’s best martinis.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Citron Oolong Tea from David’s Tea has a really nice medley of flavors. The citrus notes are soft (and I find that they intensify as the tea cools!) and the jasmine adds a lovely floral note to the cup.
In the first infusion, I find that the flavors are all pretty evenly balanced. I taste notes of jasmine, notes of lemon-y citrus, and the lush, vegetative notes of the Oolong tea. The taste is very refreshing, and I think I like this better iced than hot … although it’s quite good hot too.
The second infusion, I began to notice more of the Oolong notes. There is a light buttery note to the Oolong, soft and creamy, and this mingles with the lemon-y notes quite nicely, giving it a sweet note with just a hint of tart. The jasmine is softer than it was in the first cup, but it is still present.
Overall, a very pleasant Oolong blend. I served some to my daughter, and she also found it to be very enjoyable. It’s very smooth and relaxing to sip.
Citrus Green Tea from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
Green tea from China with the delicate flavors of lemon and lime. The clean vegetal notes of the green tea blend seamlessly with the citrus crispness. Delightfully sweet, lifted by the freshness of the lemon-lime. Not too dry or too citrusy. An Adagio customer favorite, perfect hot or iced.
Please note that this is the description from the Citron Green Tea. The tea called “Citrus Green” is part of the Sweet Medley Collection. However, I believe them to be the same tea, except that the Citron Green Tea is the loose leaf version, while the Citrus Green is the bagged (pyramid sachet) version.
Taster’s Review:
This is surprisingly mellow for a citrus flavored green tea. Normally, I would expect a very bright, vibrant citrus-y tone, but this has more of a serene lemon lime taste, reminding me just a bit of the flat lemon-lime soda that I would have been given as a child when I had an upset stomach.
That is not to say that I do not like this, I’m actually quite enjoying it. It has a very soothing and refreshing taste to it. The lemon and lime are sweeter than they are tart, but they do have a little bit of a tang to them.
The flavor of the green tea is equally as mild, with hints of grassy tones but not an overpoweringly vegetative taste. It has a light, fresh flavor. I guess if I were to offer any sort of complaint about this tea at all, it would be that I would like the green tea flavor to be a bit stronger.
As it is though, I am enjoying it just fine. It’s a pleasant tea, one that would be nice to have around when I’m wanting something on the light side.
While I enjoyed my cup of this tea hot, I think that this is one of those teas that would make a perfect iced tea because it is so light and refreshing. Because the flavors of the green tea are so mild, it is one that I think just about anyone can enjoy – even those who aren’t usually fans of green tea.
Cheers!