Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Description:
This unusual tea blend combines the sweet flavor of blood orange with black tea, roses, a dash of sweet vanilla and other delicious fruit flavors. It’s a real taste delight similar to an orange creamsicle. It is made with our best black tea, orange peel, rose hips, rose petals, safflowers, natural & artificial flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I was a kid, I loved orange creamsicles. I asked my mom for them all of the time. Those and those Fred Flinstone “Push-Ups”. My whole family loved them. We made a huge mess with them. They always seemed to melt before we were able to finish them. I remember one night my dad almost taking down an entire box himself. This tea tastes just like one of those!!
I have had several teas in the past that say they taste like an orange creamsicle but those always seemed to fall short. Usually the black tea base was always stronger than it should be or the orange flavoring tasted fake. So when I was on Steepster and checking out everybody’s reviews I noticed a new company I had never heard of. Mountain Tea Witch Company. I checked them out and they had several different flavored blacks, greens, whites, and herbals. I was excited about the different ones that they offered. Blueberry Pancake, Bavarian Vanilla Cream, and Blood Orange Tea just to name a few. There were so many to choose from.
First sip, I was expecting that artificial orange taste to hit me, but that wasn’t the case at all. This tasted like a real orange with a creamy vanilla side. I am even having trouble typing up this review because I keep stopping to drink more. This may very well be the best orange tea I have ever had. The vanilla is so perfectly done. It provides that natural sweetness and soft creaminess that blends so very well with the blood orange. All of the flavors taste very fresh and not artificial at all. There is a black tea base but its hardly noticeable. I am even drinking this iced and usually you instantly taste the black tea. Not so here. Just a very well balanced tea. I am extremely pleased with this offering and am looking forward to checking out the rest of the teas they have to offer. Well done!
Orange Creamsicle Flavored Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
You can also learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Ahhh! This is yummy!
As the temperature outside continues to rise, I need something cold and refreshing to sip! I generally prefer hot to iced tea but, over the past couple of years, I’ve come to appreciate having a pitcher full of iced tea chilling in the fridge. I try to keep a pitcher in there at all times, and during the warmer days of summer, I usually need to refill that pitcher daily.
To make a pitcher of this Orange Creamsicle Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas, I hot brewed the sachet. I think I may have to order another package of this so that I can experiment a little and try it cold-brewed as well. By cold-brewing one of Southern Boy Teas/52Teas iced tea sachets, I can get a full gallon’s worth of tea out of the package, however, when I first try a tea from SBT, I have learned that it’s best to start out with a hot-brew and then experiment. The hot brew will tell me whether or not it’s worth my while to experiment.
In other words, the hot brew tells me whether or not the flavors are there. I’ve learned the hard way that with some of the SBT teas, cold-brewing just doesn’t do the tea justice. So, when I’m first trying a tea, I hot brew it so that I can sit down and write a review about it. If I like it well enough to “experiment” then I order another package.
And I like this. There is a good balance between black tea taste and the flavors of orange and vanilla. It’s not overwhelmingly orange and vanilla Some flavored teas seem to go overboard with flavoring and you don’t end up tasting a lot of tea, I like that I’m tasting TEA here!
The taste is sweet but it’s not cloying. The black tea is brisk and full-flavored, not too astringent, and not bitter. It’s a very pleasant, refreshing beverage. And let’s face it, summer’s coming whether I’m ready for it or not. At least I’ll be “armed” with some nice iced tea choices, thanks to Southern Boy Teas!
Dreamsicle Darjeeling Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Orange you glad we didn’t just do another ho-hum Orange tea? Oh, my darjeelings, we couldn’t do that to you!
Instead, here’s a blend of real Margaret’s Hope Estate Darjeelings blended with real orange peel and natural orange and cream flavors. It’s a Dreamsicle Darjeeling. There’s some purists out there who might find it an outrage that we would create a flavored blend with what is known as the “Champagne of teas”, but we’re not scared. Give this a shot and you’ll be wondering why no one has attempted it before.
Just remember that Darjeeling is a bit more delicate than most black teas. Some tea nerds would argue that it is technically an oolong, as it is only oxidized about 90%. The upshot of all of this is that you have to steep it in water just below the boiling point (180-190°) for three to four minutes only.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m actually *revisiting* this tea because I can’t seem to find a review from the first time I tasted it. I may or may not have reviewed this tea from the original batch – but regardless – here’s my review for the reblended batch that was released about the same time that 52Teas announced their VIT (Very Important Tea): Dreamsicle Puerh as their special release for their fundraising campaign.
But I certainly don’t mind revisiting this Dreamsicle Darjeeling Black Tea, it’s one of my all time favorites from 52Teas. I was so happy to see that Frank (Chief Zoomdweebie over at 52Teas) decided to reblend this tea!
Unfortunately, as with nearly all reblends from 52Teas, I can’t say that this Dreamsicle Darjeeling is as memorable as the original batch. Oh, this reblended batch still makes a tasty cup of tea, but it just isn’t quite as … “dreamy” as I remember.
This has plenty of orange flavor, it’s the vanilla tones that I think are lacking. This is not as creamy as I’d like it to be. However, I do get a really nice flavor from the Darjeeling – it’s crisp and I am getting some wine-like, fruity notes that are distinctly Darjeeling-esque. I also taste some of the woodsy notes of the Darjeeling.
The orange adds a nice brightness to the cup, and it tastes very much like the orange I would taste on the outside of the Dreamsicle treat, it’s sweet and refreshing. I do taste some vanilla notes, I am just wishing I tasted more, and I think that just a little more vanilla would give this a more “Dreamsicle” taste.
Overall – it’s good! Just not as amazing as I remember the original batch tasting.
Tangerine Creamsicle from Butiki Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tisane Description:
Our Tangerine Creamsicle guayusa tastes just like it sounds. The juicy tangerine notes are first prominent then creaminess takes over followed by light notes of tangy citrus. We recommend adding a little brown crystal sugar for a sweet creamsicle flavor.
Learn more about this Guayusa here.
Taster’s Review:
A creamsicle for breakfast? Sure, if it’s this Tangerine Creamsicle from Butiki Teas! This creamy tangerine flavored guayusa is not only delicious, but invigorating too – just the ticket to get you up and on your way!
The bold, earthy flavor of guayusa seems a really good match for the sweetness of tangerine and cream. The flavors seem to be very harmonious in this cup. The guayusa is a little earthy and a little vegetative, but more than that, it just tastes smooth and rich, vaguely reminiscent of coffee, but a little lighter bodied.
The tangerine notes seem to brighten the whole cup, adding a lovely sweetness and distinct citrus tang to the overall flavor. And the cream adds just the perfect finishing touch to it, sweet, creamy, and luxurious. This is absolutely LOVELY!
This is truly an inspired blend – one that will not only INSPIRE you to wake up, but, also put a smile on your face, ready and happy to face the day!
Selby Select Rooibos from Local Coffee & Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Local Coffee & Tea
Tisane Description:
Selby Select Rooibos Loose Leaf Tea is our custom blended Rooibos with orange peel and dried yogurt pieces. Created to celebrate the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, this is our perennial best seller. Each sip releases the aroma of sweet ripe oranges, followed by creamy notes on your tongue. You will think you are drinking Florida sunshine in a magnificently serene garden. Savor and enjoy!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had an interesting relationship with this tisane. The very first time I tried it, I didn’t really care for it. But the second time I tasted it, I questioned whether or not it was, in fact, the same tea that I had tried the first time around (I received the first sampling of this tea from a friend, the second I received as a sample direct from Local Coffee & Tea) because I was enjoying it. It wasn’t knocking my socks off or anything, but, it was pleasant, and nothing at all like that first cup I had.
Since then, I’ve come to really like this tisane. It reminds me very much of a creamsicle!
The orange flavor is bright and sweet, with just a hint of citrus tartness. It is a very vibrant flavor and it is contrasted with the creamy taste of vanilla yogurt. I think that yogurt was a perfect choice here (rather than using vanilla flavoring), because the yogurt is creamy without being too sweet. The rooibos is sweet, as is the flavor of the orange, and I think that adding a vanilla flavoring would have resulted in a very cloying beverage. As it is, though, everything tastes well balanced: just enough tart, sweet, and tang to please the taste buds.
The rooibos doesn’t lend too much of its woody flavor to this cup, and that suits me just fine. The rooibos does offer a warm nutty note to the cup that is especially apparent in the finish and aftertaste, and it melds nicely with the orange flavor.
This would make a remarkable iced tea in the summer – very refreshing and naturally sweet. I guess I like this one after all!