Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tisane Description:
Autumn is hands down my favorite season! The spectacular show of fall leaves, the crisp fall air, and the smell of bonfires is amazing. I cannot think of a better tea to accompany this vibrant season than our Creamy Autumn Chai. Reminiscent of pumpkin pie, this delightfully delicious blend of red rooibos, cinnamon, orange peel, ginger root, and cloves makes for a great dessert tea (without the calories of an actual slice of pumpkin pie). Adding a touch of milk and honey (or sugar) will complement the luscious flavor and add to decadence of the moment. Go ahead, celebrate fall.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I was quite excited when my package from Because UR Priceless arrived. The samples were neatly packaged in glassine envelopes that have been colorfully labeled and sealed with a strip of decorative tape. These envelopes were tucked inside a small box that also labeled with an inspirational quote:
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” -J.M. Barrie
The box was finished off with a bright yellow ribbon. I love it when I get packages like this – it’s the special little touches that keep customers coming back for more!
Out of the samples that I was sent, I grabbed this one first. I’m not sure why, exactly, but something about the name of the tea jumped out and grabbed me: Creamy Autumn Chai. It seemed like just the right tea to be drinking today.
As I steeped this tea – 195°F for 10 minutes – I found myself wondering what element of this tea would make it seem creamy? The rooibos? The cinnamon or the ginger or the cloves? The orange peel? None of these ingredients strike me as a particularly “creamy” flavor when infused.
While I’m still unsure which ingredient was considered creamy, I’m guessing that the rooibos is the creamy factor in this arrangement. I never really considered rooibos to be a creamy tasting herb, except when cream and/or vanilla flavors are added to it. Maybe it’s the natural nutty tones of the rooibos that give off a creamy taste?
Anyway, I started to find myself confused and dedicating far more thought to it than maybe I should. I decided to just sit back and enjoy the tisane instead of focusing on the word creamy.
It’s a nice blend of spices. I feel like just the right balance was achieved with these spices. The cinnamon is sweet yet zesty, the cloves are warm and the ginger adds a nice bit of heat to the cup without going too spicy. I like that I can taste each of these ingredients and they seem to be working together in a unified way to create a cozy medley of flavor. No one spice is trying to overpower the others.
It tastes like pumpkin pie spices! Definitely autumnal. Warm and comforting. Soothing to drink. I especially like the orange and the bright touch of flavor that it adds to the cup.
The rooibos is a nice base for these flavors. It’s nutty and woodsy – certainly two flavors that I would associate with autumn. A sweet, honey-like flavor. Quite a pleasant mix of flavors: the rooibos, the spices and the orange.
And you know what, the more I drink this … the more I understand the creaminess. It’s not an obvious creamy note, but there is a certain creaminess to this that becomes more noticeable as I continue to sip.
The flavors evoke thoughts of autumn – specifically of autumn leaves. It probably goes without saying that the spices are very autumnal. But it’s the addition of orange that makes me think of the leaves and the natural woodsy and nutty tones of the rooibos that make me think of the leaves as they change their color and fall to the ground.
This is the first of the teas that I’ve tried from this company, and I’m pleased with what I’ve experienced thus far from them. I look forward to more!
Smooth Orange White Tea from Steep This!
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Steep This!
Tea Description:
We love orange and our line-up seemed amiss without an orange offering of some kind. So we got straight to work on duplicating everyone’s favorite orange/ice-cream treat on a stick (the name is trademarked so bare with the generic description, people) and boy did we nail it. Seriously, you could sell this stuff from an ice cream truck. Same great taste, less running, begging for change and crying. Try it, it’s smooth!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh, this is really good. I almost didn’t order this Smooth Orange White Tea when I placed my order with Steep This! because I thought … oh, wow an orange flavored tea … how boring. But, I’m glad that I ignored my inner voice this time and went ahead and added this tea to my cart. This is really tasty!
The earthy, crisp flavor of the white tea is a really delightful base for the bright, juicy flavor of orange. And the vanilla offers just the right amount of creaminess to the cup, accentuating the natural creamy notes of the white tea, to create a flavor that is very creamsicle-ish. Yes, this tastes like someone melted a creamsicle and poured it into my cup of tea, mixing it with a sweet and refreshing white tea.
The result is a flavor that is a little bit tea and a little bit sweet treat and a whole lot of yummy. It tastes great hot or cold … but I prefer it hot. I find that the orange and vanilla flavors are more distinguished when the tea is hot. As it cools, it becomes more “melded” … with less distinctness in the individual notes.
This tea is good for several infusions too! I found that the second infusion was even tastier than the first, and the third was a little softer tasting, but still very flavorful … and I expect I could have gotten even more infusions out of the leaves!
So far, I’ve tasted two teas from this new company … and I’ve liked both of them … I might just have to call upon them again soon to try more!
Creamy Cacao Delight from Hale Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & White Teas
Where to Buy: Hale Tea Company
Tea Description:
Creamy white cacao pretty much sums it up! Lingering white chocolate flavour and notes of vanilla bean meld naturally with subtle hints of the green and white tea at its base. This is a velvety soft tea that’s surprisingly light.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
Amoda Tea has made some changes with their monthly Tea Tasting Box, and it sounds to me like these changes may be for the better! First of all, the amount of tea will be less per tea – which is fine by me because I am more of a taster than one who likes to keep large amounts of tea on hand. Second … the cost of the monthly box is less! I can live with that! Ha! Finally, Amoda will no longer be selling the tea to the public … oh, they’ll still assemble the boxes, but if you want more of any particular tea after sampling it, you’ll be forwarded to the tea company that sells the tea to order directly from them.
So far, I’m really happy with these changes!
For the month of September, the featured tea company is Hale Tea Company. The first tea that I chose to sample from this company is Creamy Cacao Delight, because … well, did you happen to see the word Cacao in the name? Yeah, I like that word. That word says to me that this tea will be a yummy, chocolate-y tea. And that brings a big smile to this chocoholic’s face!
The aroma of the dry leaf is deliciously creamy with vanilla top notes and notes of chocolate. My mouth started watering the moment I opened the pouch! Once brewed, I notice less of the vanilla tones and more of the chocolate-y notes.
The flavor … oh my goodness! This is yum. As I’ve mentioned before (even in this article!) I’m a chocoholic. But, white chocolate … doesn’t always do it for me. I’d much rather have dark chocolate. I generally find white chocolate to be too sweet, and I enjoy the contrast of bitter and sweet in a darker chocolate. But … I’m liking the sweet creamy notes here just fine!
There is a lovely balance between vanilla and chocolate notes to provide a very rich, creamy, decadent taste. The white tea and green tea provide a nice base for the chocolate flavors, because it doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate, but it’s also not allowing itself to be overpowered. I taste both teas – the green tea is fresh and vegetative and the white tea has a crispness to it, as well as a hay-like note that tastes really quite nice with the white chocolate tones.
And as the description above suggests, the overall tone to this cup is light. It isn’t a heavy feel on the palate, and this I like because even though it’s white chocolate … it’s a flavor that I often find “too much” because it is a very sweet form of chocolate-y taste. The lightness allows the goodness of white chocolate to come through without all that heavy sweetness.
This is a light, sweet, delicious way to experience a balance between vanilla and chocolate. YUMMY! And … this one must be resteeped! The chocolate-y flavors really intensify with the second steeping.
Irish Cream Flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Irish Cream with its intoxicating mix of ingredients gets more exciting when combined with the oriental touch of Matcha. Irish cream Matcha is a perfect treat for adults who are looking for a sophisticated snack made up of adventurous ingredients. This unforgettable treat is perfect for after hours, over the weekend or for those special occasions when adults have gathered to bond and have fun. It’s interesting color and arresting taste makes Irish cream Matcha a firm favorite for many adults who want to expand their repertoire of personal entertainment.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy! I prepared a latte for this tasting of Irish Cream Flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, and it is absolutely divine! Sweet, creamy, and I can taste the hint of coffee as well as a whiskey note.
For this batch of flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, I went with my usual specifications: the classic grade of Matcha and the distinctive level of flavoring, and again, the distinctive level is just perfect for my taste. (That happens more often than not!) There is a good balance between flavoring and the buttery, vegetative notes of Matcha.
And one thing that I notice here, and perhaps it is because the flavoring is representative of an alcoholic beverage, that I don’t notice that sort of “artificial” flavoring that I sometimes get from the flavoring that Red Leaf Tea uses. This just tastes like … Irish Cream liqueur and Matcha. But rather than feeling lightheaded after drinking an actual mixed cocktail with these two ingredients, I feel focused thanks to the invigorating powers of Matcha! (Although, now that I think about it, that could make for a very intriguing cocktail, indeed! I’m envisioning it served warm … something that will warm me up in the winter!)
To make my latte, I used 2% milk and heated it. As the milk was heating, I measured out several scoops of Irish Cream flavored Matcha into my sifter and sifted the matcha into my chawan. (Note: Red Leaf Tea does pre-sift their Matcha for all their customers, but, I still sift the Matcha more out of habit than anything else. I like to keep up the habit even when I’m about to enjoy a Matcha that I know has already been sifted, because I don’t want to fall out of the habit, you know?)
Once the milk was heated, I carefully poured it into my chawan and stirred it with a fork until everything was well-incorporated and I was sure that no clumps were stuck to the bottom of my chawan. I don’t typically use my chasen to whisk Matcha lattes because I don’t want the milk to possibly produce bacteria on my bamboo whisk. After I was sure the Matcha was all mixed into the milk, I took my hand-held frothing tool and whipped the Matcha to get a light froth on top. This didn’t froth up quite as much as I would have liked … I’m not sure if that’s because I used all milk rather than a milk and water combination.
Regardless, the latte was absolutely delicious … and it disappeared from my chawan almost instantly it tasted so good! I really, really like this flavor. If you’ve been hesitant to try Red Leaf Tea’s flavored Matcha … this one would be a great place to start. It’s really good!
Blue and Grey Tea from Tea For All Reasons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea for All Reasons
Tea Description:
A creamy Earl Grey highlighted with smooth, fruity blueberry notes, making this a must-have for all you Earl Grey lovers!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Before reading the description of this tea, I thought that it might be just another Earl Grey Cream, but, NO! This Blue and Grey Tea from Tea For All Reasons is a Blueberry Earl Grey Cream tea! And it is so dee-lish!
This is really, really good. As those of you who have read my reviews for any length of time are probably already aware, I’ve tried many different Earl Grey teas, including many different twists on the traditional, straightforward bergamot flavored black tea. But I can’t recall having tried a Blueberry flavored Earl Grey Cream tea – and after tasting this – I have to wonder … WHY NOT?
This is really a brilliant spin on the classic Earl Grey tea. There is a really tasty balance of flavors here. I taste the bergamot: it tastes tangy and sharp and it lies just beneath a sweet, creamy note of vanilla creme, which softens the sharpness just a little bit – not too much! – just enough to add a silky, sweet taste to the cup that melds beautifully with the flavor of tart, juicy blueberry. These three flavors coalesce to form a serendipitous cup of deliciousness.
And let’s not forget about the black tea base … because, really, that’s what it’s all about, right? It’s all about the tea! And while the black tea base here is on the mild side, I like that I taste it and it isn’t hidden behind these other flavors. No, it’s not a strong, powerful flavor of black tea … but, I don’t want it to be in this blend, because then it would overpower the delicate balance that has been achieved between the bergamot, vanilla and blueberry.
Those who are looking for an strong bergamot flavor won’t find it here. And granted, I do love me some bergamot! But, I really love the way these three flavors present themselves in this tea … I don’t think I’d want to adjust the volume on the bergamot. Don’t add milk to this one – it will overpower it all, and really, with the creamy notes of vanilla … you don’t need dairy! A half a pinch of sugar will help plump up the blueberry flavor, if you want more definition there … otherwise, I’d say that this tea is quite delightful just the way it is!
This is an Earl Grey for those who are looking for something just a wee bit different!