Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tisane Description:
If you love lemon cake, lemon frosting, lemon pie, lemon cookies… shall I go on? You get the point! This tea is for you! This tea is a blended rooibos and honeybush. With the rich and delicious flavor of real, homemade cake and the tartness and fruity freshness of real lemon, this tea will certainly be your morning cup, or your dessert treat.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I can’t get over how crazy good this Lemon Chiffon tisane from Della Terra Teas smells as the cup sits before me, and the aroma wafts from it. It smells like a pan of freshly baked lemon bars! YUM!
The base of this tisane is a combination of rooibos and honeybush, and this combination offers a sweet, nutty flavor that is lightly honey-esque. I know I’ve said this before, but I really like it when tea companies combine these two herbs – rooibos and honeybush – because they seem to work synergistically together.
Rooibos can sometimes taste a bit “off” with a weird, sour wood taste and a saccharine-like sweetness … and having grown up in a household where saccharine was used in EVERYTHING … I managed to develop a huge dislike for this artificial sweetener. And because rooibos sometimes has that funky sweetness to it, that’s why I tend to shy away from it … but when tea companies combine rooibos with honeybush … that icky sweetness seems to be canceled out, and I really appreciate that. And the nutty notes of the tisane base really works to this dessert tea’s favor, because it gives the overall taste a sort of toasty, “fresh baked” kind of flavor.
But the real star of this cup is the lemon and vanilla cream notes. It tastes sweet and lemon-y and creamy! The flavor reminds me of lemon curd … as if someone dropped a spoonful of lip-smacking delicious lemon curd in my cup of tea.
This is really good. If you like lemon teas, and are looking for a nice, caffeine free option, this is something you really should try. Even if you aren’t looking for a caffeine free option, I’d recommend trying this one … even if you don’t usually care for rooibos and/or honeybush. This one is really good, and might change your mind about rooibos and honeybush!
Crème Caramel from The Tea Spot
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot (Be sure to read the review for information on how to save when you order this tea from The Tea Spot!)
Tea Description:
This delicious, aromatic dessert tea is a blend of premium black tea with real pieces of gourmet caramel that quickly melt into the tea. Gently sweetened, with an enigmatic aroma, this tea is wonderful with milk or on its own. This tea yields a deep burgundy liquor and slightly creamy body.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy! I love the creaminess of this Crème Caramel from The Tea Spot. I let it cool for a couple of minutes … it’s still hot, but not fresh from the teapot hot, and this has allowed the creaminess to really emerge. It tastes almost as though I’ve added a splash of cream to the cup … but without the dairy! I love it when I find a tea like this … one that is creamy without having to add the creamy element.
The black tea base is pleasantly bold and invigorating. This tea is about the tea first, and the flavor second … and this black tea has a good strength and delicious richness to it that complements the caramel-y tones well. It is not bitter, but there is an astringency to it that is slightly dry, and I find that appealing because it makes me want to keep sipping!
The caramel flavors are a little subdued here; I taste more creamy taste than I do distinct caramel notes. Toward the finish I notice some deeply browned, caramelized sugar notes that seem to be there throughout the sip, but, they are more like undercurrents of flavor that really emerge toward the finish. It makes the flavor more intriguing somehow, as if my palate is searching for these flavors and then boom! There they are. Very nice.
If you’re looking for a very heavily flavored caramel tea … you won’t find that here. Instead, this is more like a creamy experience with lovely notes of caramel … and it is heavily influenced by the tea rather than the flavoring … which is what tea should be, after all. I really enjoyed this cup.
Now through February 6, 2013, you can save 15% on your next order of Crème Caramel from The Tea Spot! Just enter the coupon code: cremec13 in the coupon field when you check out to enjoy the tea and 15% savings too! Also, be sure to sign up – through the end of January – for The Tea Spot’s January giveaway! Check their Facebook Page for Details!
On the Fifth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent To Me …
Well, I really must admit that this 12 Days of Christmas box has really brightened my holiday season. Every tea thus far has been new to me, and that alone makes me happy.
I don’t really have anything clever to say right here, so instead, I think I’ll just jump right in to the review of today’s tea from Della Terra Teas.
Orange Brulee Oolong
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
On the fifth day, Orange Brulee!
As golden as five golden rings, so is a delicious, juicy orange. That mixed with a wonderful caramel brulee creates a perfect holiday season tea. Enjoy this Oolong tea any time of the day. You’ll thank your personal Santa.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
From the moment I opened the pouch of this tea I knew it was something special … well, actually, I knew that just by reading the name of this tea. Orange Brulee? Um… yes please! Creme Brulee is my favorite dessert, and so the idea of having it recreated in tea form makes me very happy. And while I’ve never actually had an Orange Creme Brulee, I can only imagine what an incredible dessert that would be!
And then when I did open the pouch and smelled the fantastic aroma of the dry leaf, I knew I was in for a real treat. It smells like candy orange slices. Sweet and juicy and distinctly orange, but with a lovely sugar-y note too. I could even smell a hint of cream. I was treated to this fragrance throughout the brewing process.
Once the tea was brewed and poured into my teacup, though, there was less of that amazing scent. Oh, it still smells yummy … just not quite as incredible as it did before or while it was brewing.
But it tastes oh-so-good! The flavor is sweet and creamy … custard-y even! The caramel is a little less distinguishable here than the custard, but, that is also true of every creme brulee I’ve ever eaten. Once you finish that bit of caramelized sugar crust, the caramel notes are pretty much gone. Here, I notice a sweet, burnt-sugar caramel note that arrives at the start of the sip, but wanes toward the finish. The creamy, custard-y note remains from start to finish, and then there is the bright, sunny orange notes that really perk up the whole cup. Every once in a while, I taste a note that reminds me of creamsicle, and this alone is enough to bring a smile on my face.
But this delightful treat would be far less interesting if I didn’t actually taste the tea – and I am glad to say that I do. This Oolong is a darker Oolong, and it offers a lovely texture as well as a pleasing fruit note that seems to enhance the orange notes rather than attempts to emerge as a real individual flavor. There are some woodsy notes as well as a hint … just a hint … of flower.
When I first read the description of this tea, I wondered if Oolong was the best base for these flavors, but after tasting it, I’m really happy with the way this tea turned out. It is certainly different, but, I like the way the smooth, luxurious Oolong interacts with these flavors. It is such a comforting and happy beverage!
Earl Grey Creme from Della Terra Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
If you love Earl Grey you will adore our Earl Grey Creme. It has the classic Earl Grey flavoring matched with a delicious creme.
Ingredients: Black tea, bergamot orange oil, cream flavor
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As most of you know and have read numerous times, I love Earl Grey. I also enjoy Earl Grey Creme blends. I especially love their aroma, and I might even prefer the aroma of an Earl Grey Creme to an Earl Grey without the cream. The soft, creamy notes together with the sharp bergamot creates a very euphoric fragrance.
But, when it comes down to flavor, I usually prefer Earl Grey without the cream. However, when they’re crafted just right, an Earl Grey Creme can be just as magical. Sometimes tea artists can go a little overboard on either flavoring and offset the balance that’s needed for this blend, so it can be even more difficult to find a really good Earl Grey Creme than to find a really good Earl Grey.
Fortunately for this taster… this is an Earl Grey Creme that has been well-crafted. There is a very pleasing balance between the bergamot and the cream flavor. The soft – almost fluffy! – vanilla notes of the cream flavor are in step with the bergamot. The bergamot has a pleasant citrus-y, tangy taste, and the sharpness of the bergamot has been curbed by the cream. The result is a very flavorful brew that’s a little bit citrus-y and tart, and a little bit sweet and very delicious.
And the black tea base is not to be overlooked here. It does play more of a background note, but, it really fills in the backdrop very well. It is good and solid. It isn’t an aggressive black tea. It allows these flavors to take center stage, but there is enough of a pleasant black tea taste to satisfy this taster.
An excellent Earl Grey Creme. I’m very pleased with this.
Strawberry Shortcake Tea from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tea Description:
Imagine 18% cream cascading over fresh strawberries that is our Strawberry Shortcake Tea!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Is there any dessert that says “summertime” quite like Strawberry Shortcake? When we’d visit gramma’s house in the summer, she’d usually serve strawberry shortcake for dessert. She’d buy fresh-from-the-vine strawberries from the strawberry field a couple of blocks away from her house, and she’d slice them, sprinkle them with a little bit of sugar to encourage the juices to emerge and then bake up shortcake biscuits (or my favorite: bits of cinnamon & sugar encrusted pie crust! Nobody made pie crust like my gramma!) and spoon strawberries over the shortcake, and top them with fresh whipped cream. It was so incredibly delicious.
So, I had high expectations when I brewed this tea. With a name like “Strawberry Shortcake Tea” it better do the dessert justice! And this one does! The strawberry flavor is bright and sweet, just like the luscious berry. The aftertaste has that hint of tartness similar to what you might experience after eating a fresh strawberry – it tingles!
There are also decadent notes of cream and as the tea cools, I notice a touch of pastry-like flavor to it too. This tea definitely gets better as it cools. When it is served hot, the flavors are not quite as distinguishable, but, as the tea cools, the strawberry flavors come alive, with notes of creamy vanilla in the background and a sweet biscuit-y taste.
Needless to say, this tea makes an amazing iced tea – perfect for this time of year! And while I’d rather eat the dessert (who wouldn’t?), this makes a nice alternative when you want to enjoy the flavors of strawberry shortcake but don’t want all the calories. This is one you’ll want to stock up on for the summer!