Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Coffee Leaf Tea
Where to Buy: Wize Monkey
Tea Description:
Juicy mangoes all up in your boca.
Stay tuned for the official release of our mango flavour.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
You might remember back in November when I reviewed the Armando’s Original Blend Coffee Leaf Tea from Wize Monkey. I enjoyed that ‘tea’ – it was different from anything else that I had tried but similar in taste to Guayusa.
Well, the guys at Wize Monkey sent me some more samples to try, and this is the first one I’m trying: Mango Party Coffee Leaf Tea. The website says that this flavor is “coming soon” and I’m not sure exactly what that means, but if the idea of mango flavored coffee leaf tea intrigues you, keep your eye on the website for when it becomes available.
This is a bagged ‘tea’ but I appreciated that the bag is an unbleached bag and there’s plenty of room for leaf expansion. I put a bag in my teacup and added 8 ounces of water heated to 195°F. Then I let it steep for 4 minutes.
Wow! Mango!
The mango flavor is very prominent and I really like the way it marries with the flavor of the coffee leaf. It has a deliciously juicy, fruity flavor and the coffee leaf has a buttery flavor that I didn’t really pick up on when I tried the original coffee leaf tea in November. I think that the mango brings out the very best in the coffee leaf!
The overall flavor is smooth, buttery and MANGO! Really nice! This is something I’d be happy to drink again and again! Two thumbs up!
Armando’s Original Blend Coffee Leaf Tea from Wize Monkey
Tea Description:
Leaf Type: Coffee Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Coffee leaf tea has more antioxidants than green tea and has very little caffeine. It has a smooth flavour without bitterness or dry aftertaste like regular teas.
Learn more about Wize Monkey here.
Support Wize Monkey’s Kickstarter Fundraising Campaign here.
Taster’s Review:
I was both intrigued and nervous about this product. I have mentioned more than once the issues that I’ve experienced with coffee. I used to drink a cup of coffee every morning and by 11 am, I was feeling quite nauseous. So, I worried that since this product comes from the same plant as the beans that caused that late morning yucky sick feeling, I was a little concerned as this tea brewed that what I was steeping was a cup of nausea.
But I decided to be brave and try it. And keep my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t be feeling horrid a few hours later.
The sample that I was sent from Wize Monkey came in a DIY loose leaf teabag so I decided to go ahead and steep it using the teabag. I put the teabag into a teacup and heated freshly filtered water to 195°F which is my “go-to” temperature for “herbal” teas and since this is not technically a tea leaf, I thought, eh … I’ll see what happens at 195°F. I steeped leaves for 4 minutes.
The aroma is … different. I’m trying to come up with a comparable scent so you can get an idea of what I’m smelling. It smells earthy, similar to the earthiness you’d detect if you had brewed a cup of guayusa or yerba mate. It smells kind of grassy. Like a mossy, damp earth with notes of dried hay.
The flavor is a little reminiscent of guayusa, only a little more herbaceous. Guayusa tastes a little more like coffee to me only not as bitter as a cup of joe. This on the other hand does have some a touch of bitterness to it, at least in the earliest sips. I find that as I continue to sip, the bitter tone sort of dissipates, and I find that I enjoy it the more I drink it.
It has a definite herb-y sort of flavor that reminds me a bit of bay leaf. There is a light honey note to it too, and I like that this honey note develops as I continue to sip. Again … the more I drink this, the more I like it.
This product as been compared to black tea in flavor, but, I am not getting that. It has a similar texture as a black tea but not so much the flavor. I find that there is a certain invigorating quality to it even though the caffeine content is supposed to be about the same as decaffeinated coffee.
It’s a tasty ‘tea’. Different from anything that I’ve tasted, but it is vaguely reminiscent of guayusa. I enjoyed my sample of this coffee leaf tea and I’d definitely be interested in some blends using coffee leaf. Right off the top of my head, I think that this would taste good with cacao shells (a chocolate-y experience!) or with peppermint. Or perhaps a combination of both. And with the honey-like flavors, I think it would also taste awesome as the base of a masala spice blend – coffee leaf chai!
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Library Blend Tea from Murchie’s Tea & Coffee
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green Blend
Where to Buy: Murchie’s Tea & Coffee
Product Description:
Murchie’s Library Blend Tea is a mild blend of green & black teas featuring Ceylon, Jasmine, Keemun and Gunpowder teas that is delightfully aromatic with a rich, smooth flavour. Anything but boring, and as great as the classics in literature!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Because this Library Blend Tea from Murchie’s Tea & Coffee is a blend of both black and green tea leaves, I brewed the tea at a lower temperature (185°F) and steeped it for just 2 minutes to avoid scorching the tender green tea leaves.
This is an interesting blend. I’m not quite ready to call it “tasty,” but it’s interesting. The black teas – Ceylon and Keemun – brewed at a lower temperature and for a shorter period of time offer a mild black tea flavor and they meld with the green tea flavors. There’s a gentle flinty flavor to this. It’s … smoky … but not quite … if that makes sense. It tastes like the soft wisps of smoke when attempting to light a fire: before the fire becomes a blaze.
The green tea lightens the body and the flavor. There are notes of earth, hints of a grassy taste, and the aforementioned wisps of smoke. There is a light astringency to the cup.
The one thing that is holding me back from really liking this is the jasmine. It just tastes a little off. You know me, jasmine is one of my favorite florals, but, it isn’t working for me in this blend. The floral notes here taste contrived.
Overall, I would say that this blend is just OK. Not spectacular in any way, and I found myself wishing that this would have been made a “simpler” blend by eliminating the jasmine. It’s alright, but not a tea at the top of my list to try again soon.
Australian Daintree Black Tea from McIver’s Tea & Coffee Merchants
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: McIver’s Tea & Coffee Merchants
Tea Description:
The Daintree Tea Company is located on the Cubbagudta Plantation, situated in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest and Wilderness area in North Queensland. The plantation was established in 1978 by the Nicholas Family who still own and operate the business. Daintree tea is grown pesticide free. Low in tannin and caffeine, this is the perfect afternoon cup.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Australian Daintree Black Tea from McIver’s Tea & Coffee Merchants is a tea that was sent to me by a friend and I was happy to try it. I’ve not tried any tea from this company, and I love trying new teas from new-to-me companies.
According to the description of this tea, it would seem that this is a tea that is grown in an Australian rainforest without pesticides. Cool!
Very tasty! This is a robust tasting tea, but as the description above suggests, it’s not a tannic flavor. No bitterness here. It is sweet with a molasses-y type taste and notes of freshly baked bread. I also taste notes of malt and raisin.
I really like the flavor of this tea. It reminds me of a bold, breakfast-y type black tea. However, I don’t know if this truly has a low caffeine level and for those of us who need that caffeinated energy thing in the morning, this might not be the right choice for a breakfast tea. Instead, I envision that this might make a great afternoon tea for a high tea type of occasion when you want to add milk and honey to your tea and drink with your pinkies up.
Then again, I’m finding it quite lovely without the milk and honey, in my tea mug, with both hands cupped around the mug to enjoy the warmth.
A really good tea, I’m happy I got to try it.
Tiramisu Oolong Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This week we have a nice toasty oolong blended with cacao nibs, marshmallow root and organic flavors, including some coffee, chocolate, rum and vanilla cake flavors. That’s right, we made a Tiramisu Oolong. I have a feeling this one is going to go fast. It’s a special dessert blend with an extra special base tea. Get it while you can.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! Yummy! The moment I read the name of 52Teas’ tea of the week for the week of November 4 … I was confident that I’d love it: Tiramisu Oolong Tea. That sounds a little too delicious for words.
But words are what I write, so, I am going to have to come up with some as I sip on this teacup full of deliciousness.
52Teas does not say what type of Oolong they use as a base for this, but it is a darker Oolong and the toasted flavor that is mentioned in the description does come forward. It is a roasty-toasty type of Oolong which makes me think of either a Formosa Oolong or a Red Robe Oolong. The toasty notes of the Oolong meld beautifully with the roasted coffee notes to create a very harmonious taste.
The next flavor I notice is the rum. This flavor sort of weaves its way in and out throughout the sip, starting just before mid-sip and imparting a wee bit of rum flavor in the aftertaste. Because I’m seldom big on alcohol flavors, especially when other flavors are involved (we’re talking chocolate here, people), I am glad that the rum is not a really obtrusive note.
Of course, I’m wishing there’s more chocolate. But when am I ever not wanting more chocolate? As I’ve said before, I don’t think that I’d be a helper that Frank at 52Teas would want to hire: I’d always be adding an extra scoop or two (or three) of cacao nibs to the batch when he wasn’t looking. I’m a very trustworthy sort – except when it involves chocolate.
The creamy undertone of vanilla and marshmallow adds just the right flavor to elevate the cup and showcase the other flavors of this cup. This is a sweet, decadent, dessert-y delight that is infinitely kinder to the waistline than the actual dessert would be (well, duh, right?) Sure, it isn’t the dessert, but it does satisfy the sweet tooth craving. If you like tiramisu, you’ll really like this tea!
Personally, I like this tea not only because it tastes like the dessert, but because it also tastes like tea. Two of my favorite things in one teacup. As I write this review, there is but ONE pouch of this tea left. If I were YOU … I’d get myself here immediately and buy it before someone else reads this and thinks I’m talking about them.