Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Harlow Tea Co
Tea Description:
This loose leaf tea blend is a perfect mix of fruit, spice, and everything nice. The honeybush tea does not contain caffeine, making it perfect to relax with at any time of day.
Ingredients: Honeybush tea, candied cinnamon apples, cinnamon chips, chicory root, hibiscus flower, dried apple, and dried plum. Does not contain caffeine
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Apple Cider Tea from Harlow Tea Co, an Etsy store, may have just made my whole day! This tea is exactly what the doctor ordered. Harlow Tea Co is a gem of a tea shop I recently stumbled upon. They offer quite an array of hand blended teas for their customers to enjoy. I love their attitude when it comes to creating their tea blends.
“Tea should be made in small batches right? Harlow Tea Co. believes so. No machines, or heavy equipment is used to make these tea blends.” I just adore tea companies that use this motto and passion. One reason why I love 52Teas so much.
First impression of this tea, I was very happy with what I was seeing. Large chunks of apple-both candied and dried on a bed of honeybush. When I took a quick whiff of the dry leaf, this definitely had those familiar cinnamon and apple notes that you get from apple cider.
So I brewed this tea up like an herbal-boiling and steeped about 5 minutes. The end result was a lovely pale liquor that I couldn’t wait to try. I allowed the brew to cool for a few minutes and took my first sip.
Fresh juicy slightly tart apple flavor with a sweetness that really does resemble and remind you of an apple cider. The cinnamon isn’t overwhelming and really heightens the flavor nicely. The honeybush is the perfect base for this tea, allowing the other flavors to really shine while also adding a creamy note. Each sip is sweet and smooth, delivering a solid flavor.
To say I was impressed by this tea isn’t doing this tea justice. I have had about 7 infusions out of the same tea leaves today and yesterday (each day adding a minute to my steeping) and tho the blend is probably at the end, I”m still loving that apple cider flavor I’m getting.
This blend is a perfect example of an herbal tea done right!
Makaibari Bai Mu Dan from Tea People
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: Tea People
Tea Description:
This fine White Darjeeling tea is from the organically certified Makaibari tea estate located in the town of Kurseong. In the local language ‘Kurseong’ means the land of the white orchid. This tea is made from the delicate unopened leaves and yields the palest liquor with a light chestnut flavour.
Learn more about the white teas that are offered here. This particular variety does not look to be on the website any longer.
Taster’s Review:
Makaibari Bai Mu Dan from Tea People is my first voyage into the lineup of what Tea People has to offer their customers. Lately, I’ve been in a flavored tea rut, not enjoying straight teas like I should. So I thought this would be a great start in forcing myself to try new straight teas.
First of all, I have to say the packaging, website, and the presentation of this tea and tea company are very well done. After doing a bit of research, this is a company I’m going to take another look at the next time I’m buying tea. Their packaging really catches my attention.
So let’s chat about the tea itself. What I first noticed was that the dry leaf really didn’t call my attention or have any defining notes. I was surprised by this but went about steeping the tea per the instructions provided by Tea People.
From what I can gather from the description, this tea is supposed to have a rather light chestnut flavor. That is a note that really does come thru, but that isn’t the attribute that I pick up from this tea. Mostly what I find myself picking up is this lovely whole mouth feel of astringent notes that really captivates the senses. Sure the lovely nutty flavors are quite nice, but that astringency says “Hello! Check me out!”.
So my final thoughts? I can’t say that I love this tea as much as I would love a floral white tea, but this Makaibari Bai Mu Dan was a real treat. I’m really enjoying this cuppa!
Sweet Mirabelle from Fusion Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Fusion Teas
Tea Description:
Sweet Mirabelle is sweet indeed! This tea yields a fresh, fruity infusion that lingers on the palate. Like the yellow plum it’s named after, this Sweet Mirabelle Green Tea has a full, succulent flavor. Big pieces of dried mango adorn this blend and the flavor of the brewed tea is straightforward and honest: it’s all about the fruit!
Tasting Notes:
Plum, apricot, tropical candyPiquant notes of plum and mango create an exotic flavor with a tangy finish. An intoxicating sweetness infuses every sip. Enjoy the charms of this delightful blend for a dose of summer any time of year.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Sweet Mirabelle Green Tea received mixed reviews in my family last night. I have to say that my family loved it. I on the other hand wasn’t the biggest fan. Let me explain.
This vibrant green flavored tea is mango flavored with notes of a tropical feel. I filled my tea pot up with this lovely sweet smelling tea blend and started steeping. Waited about 4 minutes and poured myself, my hubby, and my stepson Casey, huge mug fulls.
After steeping, this tea smelled as sweet as it did as a dry leaf. As you can see from the picture, there are HUGE pieces of mango in the mix, which normally I would love. First sip in, I could hear my hubby and stepson loving the tea. I took a huge first sip myself and found that this tea was incredibly sweet. Overwhelmingly sweet to me unfortunately. Where the mango and tropical flavors are there and quite present. This tea almost needed a contrast from a different flavor ie maybe a vegetal green tea note- that would calm the sweetness down. I typically would love a tea like this, but as a hot tea, it just didn’t sit well with me.
Regardless, as a hot tea, this tea seemed to appeal to the masses in my family. My hubby and stepson greedily gulped this tea down in no time flat and would have accepted more if I would have put on another pot. I can see Sweet Mirabelle being a hit at parties or served at a gathering. This tea might be one of those blends that needs a cold brew to make the green tea notes pop. I have just enough left over to try that later this week!
Super Fancy Oolong from Solstice Tea Traders
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Solstice Tea Traders
Tea Description:
- Loose Leaf Oolong Tea Sampler-Solstice Tea Traders loose leaf oolong tea sampler pack, a selection of awesome oolongs, including both China Oolong, and Taiwan Oolong. Includes an incredibly array of Oolongs. Sure to please.
- Loose Leaf Oolong Tea Packed in 4oz Teas-Our Oolong tea sampler is packed in 4oz metal tea tins, each filled, sealed, and labeled..
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m a sucker for samplers. So when I had the opportunity to review a few samplers for Solstice Tea Traders, an online Amazon store, I was all over it. The first tin I grabbed out of the set was this one, the Super Fancy Oolong variety. I was pretty excited to try it.
This is really a no frills sort of sampler. In the sampler, you get 4 nice 1 oz tins full of different kinds of oolongs. None of them are exotic by any means, but this sampler is a great start. So far I’ve tried a few teas from Solstice Tea Traders and have been more than impressed by the taste, quality, and the value you get.
Super Fancy Oolong has a gorgeous look to it. I love looking at the longer dry leaf and how the white pieces really pop against the darker browns. The aroma I picked up from the dry leaf was that familiar oolong smell that I have grown to love.
I brewed this up with the help of my Breville One Touch and the oolong setting. Allowed the tea to steep for a few minutes and took my first sip. Simple, subtle, and fresh-this oolong delivers those familiar notes of a nutty underground with a sweetness from a stonefruit. I can pick up a very soft floral hint here and there- A lovely contrast to the nuttiness that greets you first.
This isn’t a new flavor by any means, but a solid tea to lean on when you want a flavor you can count on. So far, I’m impressed. I shared this tea with a few loved ones and the tea was greeted with smiles. I can see this sampler being a great one to introduce others to oolong teas.
Orange and Papaya from Tea Shirt
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Shirt
Tea Description:
Orange and Papaya from Tea Shirt
Flavoured Green Tea
Ingredients: green tea (60%), lemon grass, apple pieces, freeze-dried apple pieces, orange slices, mango flakes, papaya flakes, flavouring.
Preparation: Use one teaspoon of loose leaf tea per person.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Orange and Papaya flavored green tea from Tea Shirt had my interest right away. I mean orange, papaya, and green tea? How could this blend be anything but amazing?
When I received the tea, I was surprised by how big the fruit chunks are in it.The picture is exactly what you get. Huge chunks of mango, papaya, and orange peel along with apple pieces. Really lovely to look at and amazing to smell. Very rich in citrus and tropical notes.
I scooped a few heap fulls into my infuser and cold brewed this tea. With how muggy the summer has been lately, I wanted this tea to be a nice iced cold brew.
I let the tea cold brew overnight and tried it in the morning. I was hoping that those gorgeous chunks of fruit and lovely green tea leaves would produce an amazing treat for my taste buds. And it did just that!
The green tea gives a lovely buttery base that the orange and papaya flavors compliment nicely. Each flavor takes its time in the spotlight and there isn’t one flavor that overwhelms. Simple yet lovely. Lush Orange notes mingling with the tropical hints from the mango and papaya. A really nice refreshing take on a citrus tropical iced tea for the summer or really for anytime!
Well done Tea Shirt!