Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Empire Tea Services
Tea Description:
Mango, Passion Fruit and Kiwi flavors with Ceylon tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I brewed this earlier this morning and let it chill in the fridge until this afternoon, because I knew I’d be out and about running errands, and I wanted to be able to enjoy this tea as it was intended – as an iced tea.
I did manage to take a quick sip or two as a hot tea, though, and enjoyed it that way as well. But, I do think that this is much better as an iced tea. The flavor was a bit strong as a hot tea, but because flavors tend to soften as they cool, those big, bold flavors had become just right when it chilled.
This is really tasty. The flavor of the Ceylon tea is prominent, and what I like here is that this is not some wimpy, lackluster Ceylon – this is a robustly flavored, brisk Ceylon that is tasty enough to stand on its own. As a chilled tea, it has a pleasant level of astringency, and has a very thirst-quenching, refreshing quality to it.
The flavors start out a little bit subtle. After the first sip or two, while I can smell the fragrance of the fruit … the flavors are slow to emerge. The first note that I taste is the mango and then after another sip, I begin to notice the passion fruit. The kiwi is the last to come forward, and at first I wished I could taste the kiwi flavor a bit more, but, by the time I reached the end of the glass, the kiwi had reached a very satisfying level.
I like how the flavors develop. They start out soft, and now as I am nearly finished, I can taste the sweet tropical flavors in the aftertaste … making me want more!
Nice and refreshing – a great treat as these hot summer days begin to wane into the cooler autumn months ahead; I like that it’s still warm enough to fully enjoy a delicious glass of iced tea, and this tea makes a great iced tea, indeed!
Caramel Praline Delight from Ovation Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Ovation Teas
Tea Description:
Black tea with caramel pieces, cacao nibs, and hazelnuts with caramel praline flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I had been drooling over this tea every time I’d visit the Ovation Teas’ website, so I finally had to break down and order some. I could no longer resist! I had to try it!
And am I ever so glad I finally gave in to my temptation concerning this tea, because it’s spectacular. The first time I brewed it, it was tasty, but I was just a wee bit disappointed by the bitterness I tasted. I suspected that the black tea base had something to do with it so I decided to try it again and steep it for just 2 minutes, to see if that would improve the results.
Unfortunately, with the two minute steep time, I found that the flavors were not as strong as they were at 2 1/2 minutes … but, I have discovered the way to make this tea absolutely perfect!
This tea is one that you should allow to cool slightly before sipping, because the flavors really emerge as the tea begins to cool. Not cold, or even warm or tepid … this is still hot, but it isn’t fresh-from-the-teapot hot. Steep it for the 2 1/2 minutes (in the Breville One-Touch… otherwise, change the brew time to 3 minutes), and then allow it to cool for about five minutes or so before drinking. Perfection!
The black tea base is a hearty black tea, I suspect it is an Assam or a blend containing Assam. I think this because there is a hint of malty taste, as well as the tendency to become bitter with an extended brew time. The base offers a good, solid background of black tea flavor: earthy and rich. It melds together nicely with the flavors of caramel, hazelnut and chocolate.
And … YUM! Caramel? Hazelnut? AND chocolate? Yes please! With my first sip or two, when the tea was still piping-hot, I noticed the caramel most distinctly. Now that the tea has cooled a bit, the three flavors seemed to have merged into a super-flavor, exhibiting notes of each component without interruption. In one sip, I notice notes of sweet, creamy caramel along with the nutty flavors of the hazelnut and the smooth richness of the dark chocolate. The flavors are all there and they work together so well – like a chocolate covered, hazelnut and caramel confection. Imagine that, dropped into a cup of hot tea, and allowing it to melt.
That’s what I taste right now. And it’s so delicious!
Raspberry & Apricot Green Tea Delight from iHeartTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: iHeartTeas
Tea Description:
A light and fruity handcrafted green tea blend with pieces of sweet raspberries and delicate bits of apricot. Wonderful both hot and cold.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, iHeartTeas rescued from retirement one of my favorite Chai blends from 52Teas – Gingerbread Chai! – and as this is a blend that I’ve missed since finishing off the last a few months ago, I decided to order some. With my order, Rachel (proprietor of iHearTeas) sent along some of her tea creations for me to try. And, I’ll never say no to the opportunity to try a new tea.
Well, allow me to retract that and rephrase it – I will seldom say no to the opportunity to try a new tea, as there are some teas that I really have no interest in trying. For example, I won’t be trying this tea, at least, not willingly, any time soon. But this review isn’t about that tea… it’s about Raspberry & Apricot Green Tea Delight from iHeartTeas!
The dry leaf looks and smells very appealing. Tiny bits of raspberry and apricot, as well as rose petals and marigolds tossed with green spears of tea leaves, offering a deliciously sweet, fruity aroma. Once brewed, the pale green colored infusion has a much softer fragrance, more vegetal, although I can still smell hints of the fruit in the background.
The flavor took a little while to develop for me. The first few sips, I tasted the slightly grassy tones of the green tea and little else. I then allowed it to cool slightly, and I’m not sure if it was the lower temperature or the fact that the flavors just needed a few sips to come to life, but now I REALLY taste the raspberry. It is sweet and just a little tart – tasting very much like a fresh, ripe berry. The apricot comes through nicely too, although I find the apricot to be much more distinguished in the aftertaste. The rose comes through too, but only very subtly, offering a delicate floral note to contrast with the fruit flavors.
Overall, a very tasty cup of tea. One that is delicious hot, but even better when it is allowed to cool – which means it would make a fabulous glass of iced tea!
Organic Turkish Delight from The Rabbit Hole
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: The Rabbit Hole
Tisane Description:
Exotic rose and luscious chocolate mingle to create a decadent herbal brew worthy of your harem. Go on, treat yourself to a little luxury and for a completely decadent hit, add honey.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! This is really good!
This seems to be a fairly simple blend of cacao nibs and rose. But out of such simplicity comes a true delight. Upon opening the pouch, my olfactory sense was greeted with a heady fragrance of rose and the tempting aroma of chocolate. The brewed tisane offers mere hints of the rose but a very delicious chocolate scent.
I recommend steeping this for at least ten minutes – and longer would probably be even better. Since there are no tea leaves in this blend, there is no threat of bitterness by over-steeping, the flavors will just intensify with the longer steep time. I would also recommend adding a little more than the recommended 1 teaspoon of leaf per cup, and I will explain why.
After steeping according to the recommended parameters, I found the tisane to be a bit thin in flavor. Yes, the chocolate and rose flavors were there, and they were INCREDIBLE; however, I – being the chocoholic that I am – happen to think that more chocolate = better. And I think that a richer chocolate flavor here would have been much more satisfying, and this can be easily remedied by simply adding an extra teaspoon of leaf before infusing, and be sure to infuse it a minimum of ten minutes, and fifteen would be even better, if you can wait that long!
As it is, it is still very delicious. The cacao nibs give the cup a tasty bittersweet, dark chocolate kind of flavor. The rose adds a touch of exotic flavor to the cup, tasting floral but without tasting like perfume. The finish has a dry cocoa powder kind of taste, with lingering notes of rose.
This combination of flavors reminds me very much of a decadent chocolate truffle that I might find in a high-end chocolate shop … even though the flavor is thinner than I would like, I still consider this to be a highly enjoyable cup.
Toffee Delight from Element Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Element Tea
Product Description:
With real toffee bits, this is a decadent dessert tea with a tantalizing taste! Surprise guests with this delicious alternative to coffee.
Taster’s Review:
Yum! This is so good!
As some of you know, once upon a time, I used to blend/flavor my own line of teas. I have since closed that business because I came to realize that while I loved the artistic aspect of the business, I didn’t like the business aspect. I’m an artist, and I find myself much more suited to drinking tea and writing about it than trying to sell it.
But I digress.
I mentioned my previous business only because during those days, I created a blend called “Sweet Caramel O’Mine” (yes, I’m a huge Guns N’ Roses fan). I have had several people ask me since then about suitable replacements for this blend, and at that point, I really didn’t have an answer for them. I blended that blend because I couldn’t find a caramel flavored tea that was caramel-y enough while still maintaining the tea flavor. So I created one.
However, I think I have finally found a caramel flavored tea that I could suggest as a suitable replacement for that coveted blend.
And … this is it.
Yep. Now, I can’t say that this is as good as my Sweet Caramel O’Mine (because there is just a wee bit of bias there, that was one of my babies, you understand). But this is the first caramel flavored tea that I’ve tried that tastes so good that I would recommend it as a substitute for those who are missing my Sweet Caramel O’Mine.
Really, I can think of no higher praise for a tea than to recommend it as a replacement for one of my now retired blends.
The black tea is rich and delicious. The caramel/toffee flavor is sweet and creamy. Together they create an amazingly decadent delight.
Well done, Element Tea. Well done!