Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Talbott Teas
Product Description:
All natural premium ingredients: Full leaf Japanese Sencha green tea, hibiscus, grapefruit peel, pineapple pieces, calendula petals, lemon and natural grapefruit flavor.
Taster’s Review:
When I first approached this tea, I didn’t have high expectations. To be honest, I was like, “Oh, another citrus tea.” But this tea blows me away! It is really delicious.
The flavor of the Japanese Sencha is gentle and unassuming, with a pleasing buttery backnote. Not grassy, not vegetative, just soft and fresh-tasting tea. The green tea base allows the flavors of this tea to become the main focus while still maintaining its presence in the cup.
There is such a unique and delicious combination of flavors. All at once, I can taste the flavors of grapefruit, lemon and pineapple swirling on my palate. I can taste the hibiscus, but it is so very gentle that if I were not focusing intently on trying to pinpoint the various flavor notes, I think I probably would miss the hibiscus. Probably the place where the hibiscus is most prominent would be in the color of the tea – because it brewed up to a pretty – albeit unusual – pink-ish green color.
I think what I like best about this particular tea is the grapefruit! For those of you familiar with my tea reviews in the past, you know about how I’ve been searching for the ideal grapefruit green tea, and even though this one has other flavors in it, I do believe I have FOUND my grapefruit green! I think it is the presence of these other flavors that makes the grapefruit flavor so incredibly delicious for me.
This is THE BEST grapefruit green tea that I’ve tasted, and I think that may even go for the grapefruit green tea that started me on this quest! This is YUM!
Health Juice from Shui Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Shui Tea
Product Description:
Herbal blend of freeze-dried orange, grapefruit, tangerine, apple, blackberry and carrot, mixed with lemongrass, hibiscus, eucalyptus, and beetroot. This blend is a harmony of sweet and tart flavors. A poet would describe this blend as a “mélange of fruit ecstasy”. We stick with delicious. Great hot or iced.
Taster’s Review:
Now that the holiday season is pretty much over, it’s about the time that most of us are starting to think “healthy” to compensate for our holiday indulgences. Well, this tisane will get you on your way!
And you know what? This is a tisane you’ll want to drink not because it’s healthy, but because it tastes good!
When I first opened the package, I could smell eucalyptus which can come off either as a pleasant smell to some and medicinal to others. I happen to like the smell of eucalyptus so long as it’s not an overpowering scent, and while this tea smells primarily of eucalyptus, it doesn’t overwhelm the nostrils.
I had planned on steeping this for 5 minutes, but, at 4 minutes, I noticed that the tisane had taken on a very deep red color, and I feared that this would be a strong hibiscus-y tea. Since I’m not terribly fond of hibiscus, I stopped brewing at this point.
And at 4 minutes, the results of the steeping is quite pleasant. The hibiscus notes are very faint, the liquor is not thick or syrupy, and only the occasional tart note.
This tisane is citrus-y with a pleasing background of smooth, sweet apple, beetroot and carrot. These ingredients lend more to the surface of the tea than they do to the flavor – giving it a little bit of sweetness and body so that the citrus tones do not come off as too acidic. The overall effect is that of a refined, pulp-free juice like you might enjoy at a juice bar.
The eucalyptus is not as strong in the flavor as the aroma would suggest, but I do get the sharp, fresh taste of eucalyptus trying to peek through the citrus notes.
Overall, a very pleasant beverage – that is is healthy is just a bonus!
Little Black Dress Citrus from Teaquilibrium
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea, Green Tea & Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Teaquilibrium
Product Description:
Little Black Dress Citrus is a refreshing blend of zesty lemon and exotic bergamot delicious hot and especially refreshing iced. Think poolside or beach with a lemon wedge in a tall frosty glass. The added green tea and green rooibos will give an extra boost of calm energy to this uplifting blend.
So go ahead, have a cup and put on that little black dress!
ingredients: oolong tea, green tea, green rooibos, lemongrass, lemon myrtle, citrus flavor, jasmine blossoms.
Taster’s Review:
I am really enjoying this blend. I tasted it before I read the ingredient list, and I was happy to see that I could discern them without having read the list.
The Oolong tastes nutty and buttery and has a nice mouthfeel – rich and supple. The green tea accentuates the buttery taste and lends a certain fresh taste to the cup, as does the green rooibos. The combination of the Oolong, green tea and green rooibos creates a very full flavor for the palate without being overwhelming or too heavy.
I love the light yet satisfying flavor of this cup. There is a light lemony note that is accentuated with hints of bergamot, and a very light jasmine note that lingers in the background. Very refreshing!
Jingle Bells from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Product Description:
A winter holiday black tea blend with yogurt and citrus fruit flavors.
Taster’s Review:
Lupicia is one of my favorite tea companies. Why? Well, put simply, they have great teas at reasonable prices, the packages arrive astonishingly fast, and I receive a free monthly “Fresh Tea Magazine” which includes a sample of their tea of the month. (For the record, you too can receive a 1-year subscription to their Fresh Tea Magazine when you place an order of $30. or more)
Another thing that I like about Lupicia – they march to the beat of their own drummer. When other tea companies are rolling out their holiday teas comprised of spices, cranberries and pumpkin, Lupicia has their own idea of what holiday teas should be. The “Carol” tea is strawberry, vanilla and coconut. The “Joyeux Noel” is chocolate and apricot. You get the idea, right?
And this… their “Jingle Bells” tea, which is also part of their holiday collection, is black tea blended with the flavors of citrus and yogurt, giving me a creamy, delicious dessert in my teacup!
The black tea base is fairly mellow and very delicious. It has a rich, smooth character but it doesn’t attempt to protrude onto the flavors of the citrus and yogurt.
The citrus tastes mostly like orange to me. It is sweet with just enough tartness to keep it interesting without making me pucker. The yogurt gives it a creamy flavor and texture. What this tastes like to me is a creamsicle that’s been melted in a cup of Ceylon tea! Not a bad taste at all!
I like this hot, and perhaps that’s just the cold weather talking (because this time of year, I prefer just about every tea hot), but I find it to be very comforting and relaxing – which is somewhat remarkable to me since this is a black tea. A really nice tea to sip inside (roaring fire in the fireplace is optional) while it’s cold and wet (or snowy!) outside.
Fireside Blend from Compass Teas
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Compass Teas
Product Description:
This elegant citrus and spice black tea blend will have you imagining cozy, snowy nights cuddling up to the fire, and days that you can actually relax. Brew yourself a cup and enjoy the comforting scents of citrus, cloves, and cardamom.
Tasters Review:
Fireside Blend from Compass Teas is Intensely flavored! It reminds me of walking into a Folk-Artsy-type/Home Decor type store with woodsy, cinnamony, old-time-country flowers, spices from wall-to-wall, or a festive/Holiday Booth at a craft fair…I think you got the picture I was trying to make for you!
It infuses fast and dark. The woodsy, cinnamon, floral smells are more in front after infusion.
The Black Tea is the more intense flavor when tasting which I LOVE. I’m so happy this is flavored the way it is and not overly so.
This is quite delicious. I wouldn’t normally be attracted to a tea like this but am so glad I gave it a whirl. Just goes to show you you should judge a tea based on what you THINK it’s going o be like! Everyone once and a while you get one that surprises you! This is just another tasty offering from Compass!
