I have been on an iced tea kick lately. My friend got me an iced tea press and it is my new obsession.
Consequently, I am going through fruit teas like crazy. That is why when this sample arrived, I jumped at the chance to steep it up.
Made with apple, hibiscus, pineapple, peach, papaya, lemon peel, and natural flavors, but no mango to be found. Sipping on it now, it’s flavor is quite subtle and light. There is no tartness from the hibiscus which could be a plus for many but that also seems to be a side effect of lack of overall flavor. What I am getting is a generic fruitiness that leans slightly towards stonefruit. The apple base and dried fruit is contributing a bit of waxiness as well that you sometimes get with fruit blends.
Personally, I am not a fan because I find myself wanting more. More mango, more peach, more flavor. It is not bad but at the end of the day, it is underwhelming.
However, Gypsy Soul Tea has many other offerings to choose from and though this is the first I have tried of this company, I would be interested to see what else they have.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Gypsy Soul Tea
Description
This sweet, peachy temptation, is made from all natural fruit and herbs. Naturally caffeine free, this tea is great for the kids and anyone avoiding caffeine!
Try it iced or with a splash of ginger ale for an extra treat!
Ingredients: apple, hibiscus, pineapple, peach, papaya, lemon peel, natural flavors
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Juicy Strawberry from Dave & Soloman’s Tea. . . .
With a name like juicy strawberry, I just knew I had to make this tea into iced tea. The tea itself is a beautiful loose leaf, and it looks like petals and dried strawberry. The smell alone is totally delicious. It smells like fresh berries. You know when you walk by strawberries in the grocery, that’s the smell.
I brewed some up in my iced tea pitcher, and added no sweetener. This morning I poured myself a glass to have with breakfast, and all I can say is WOW. It tastes like strawberry punch. It absolutely needs no sweetener, it has a natural organic sweetness and it tastes just like strawberries! Like real strawberries, not a manufactured strawberry flavor. No Red #40 in this tea.
Hands down this is the most delicious fruity tea I’ve tried. It’s a lovely light pink color, and it’s just so refreshing. This would be great for anyone trying to kick a sugary soda habit. I feel like kids would probably love it too, especially if they like fruit punch.
This will be a delicious iced tea to have on a warm summer day, sitting in the shade and just sipping tea and enjoying life.
I’ve tried quite a few Dave & Soloman’s teas, and hands down this is my all time favorite. If you like naturally sweet, fruity teas, do yourself the biggest favor and try this. I feel like I’m not even doing it justice. Absolutely divine is the best way to describe it!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: This tea company is no longer operating.
Banana Nut Bread from DAVIDsTea. . . . . .
I don’t usually gravitate towards banana flavored anything. I do, however, like banana nut bread and I also like chocolate covered frozen bananas. Banana flavor, though? Not so much. Alas, I was perusing DAVID’s website and decided to give it a try. I hoped that the banana wouldn’t be too sweet or artificial tasting and that the “nut” part would shine through because I absolutely adore anything and everything that is “nutty” (including people haha).
Upon opening my tin I swear this was trail mix! If I put this in a baggie and handed it to you, you would most likely start eating it. There were whole banana chips, dates, and little pieces of almonds. It smelled like banana, but I feel like it smelled a little artificial so I was concerned. I read on Steepster that you need to be careful when steeping this because apparently it gets messy. I used an in mug steeper and did not think it was too bad. I steeped this tea for 10 minutes, per the people on Steepster’s recommendation.
Once steeped it was a creamy and yellow liquid. I added just a small dash of agave and a splash of milk. Boy this tea was delectable! It really was delicious. The nuttiness truly does shine through. The banana is there, but its not in your face or artificial. It is not overly “banana” and is definitely drinkable and enjoyable even if you don’t normally like banana flavor. I think that this captured freshly baked banana nut bread 100%. Like, if I took banana nut bread and turned it into a liquid, it would taste like this tea. The dates add a slight sweetness to the overall cup, but the nuts really shine through and mingles with the mellow banana flavor. This is a total dessert replacement tea. Perfect for winding down after dinner.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTea
Description
Like all amazing recipes, this one took years to perfect – and it was totally worth the wait. This tea miraculously captures the flavour of freshly-baked banana bread. The taste of real banana slices blends perfectly with almonds and the sweetness of dates and currants. It’s fragrant, with all the warmth of a loaf hot from the oven. As deliciously comforting as mama’s special recipe, but without the calories.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Black Forest Cherry from The Tea Merchant. . . .
This tea traveled all the way from South Africa to join my tea stash in Toronto. Better than that? It arrived with two other Tea Merchant teas in tow: Cranberry and Strawberry Cream. They were all intriguing but my family unanimously determined that this was the best smelling of the three, an interesting decision given that everyone else in my family doesn’t like cherries. I, on the other hand, am a cherry fiend and couldn’t wait to dive in.
I have now had this tea a few times since it first arrived and I think I like it best cold brewed. There is a lot of hibiscus here and when prepared hot it can get rather tart. Cold brewing tames that hibby tartness and provides a chance for the other flavors to come through. That’s not to say it isn’t tart, because it is, but there is also sweetness here and the combination is reminiscent of cherry. Underneath everything, the currant acts as a foundation and though I am not entirely sure what elderberries taste like, this blend has a fairly juicy yet generic berry/cherry flavor that I am sure captures the taste of them.
If I am being totally honest, I do enjoy this tea and it makes for a flavorful juice-like drink but it is a bit of a disappointment in light of how good it smells. The scent is quite distinct but the flavor is far less specific. Plus, when you name a blend something like “Black Forest Cherry” it creates a certain expectation of baked goods and chocolate cake that is just not present here. So, as much as I do like this tea from time to time, it is not quite what I hoped it would be.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Fruit Tea
Where to Buy: The Tea Merchant
Description
A rich cherry infusion to blow your taste buds away. Packed full of flavour, this blend of cherry, black currants and elderberries is simply wonderful.
Ingredients: Hibiscus, Currants, Grapes, Elderberries, Chopped Almonds, Natural Flavourants, Safflower, Cherry Pieces
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Wild Orange Blossom from Teavana. . . . .
When I first discovered tea I had no idea what I was doing. I went to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana and bought at least 50 grams of everything that seemed remotely interesting. Though, in light of Teavana’s business practices at the time, the 50 grams I asked for of a bunch of different teas ended up weighing closer to 100 grams due to sneaky overpouring. So, I ended up with a bunch of large quantities of teas I never tried before and since I didn’t know any other methods of brewing, if I did not like them hot, I was just sort of stuck with them. Luckily, I found Steepster and swapping and was able to take those large quantities and trade them for new things, which expanded my tea knowledge extensively.
Fruit teas were especially problematic for me because almost all of them include hibiscus or rosehip which tends to drown out everything else. So while the teas smell sweet and juicy, they are essentially just tart, especially when brewed hot. My answer to this? Cold brewing. It has a tendency to tame the tart which gives the other flavors a fighting chance. Alas, this was only discovered after I had given up on so many fruit blends, this one included. That is why when I saw this in the Great Canadian Traveling Tea Box I decided to give it another try, though this time as a cold brew.
Even cold brewed though, it seems this just isn’t for me. Between the fruits and the florals, this is a rather cloying tea. The top note is orange and apple with hibby in the middle creating a divide and settling on the sweet rose base. It also has a waxy quality that sometimes comes with fruit teas which makes this whole tea seem over processed and artificial. I know Teavana tends to blend this with another tea and perhaps that helps to balance out the flavors and hide some elements that are less desirable here. As it is though, I am just not a fan.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Fruit Tea
Where to Buy: Teavana
Description
A tribute to the plentiful citrus groves along the Indian River, this bright favorite blends orange slices and pretty rose petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!