Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
As I start a tea to steep, I find myself wondering – anticipating? – what the tea will taste like. This Forest Fruit Black Tea from Tea of Life has the flavors of strawberry, blackberry, black currant and cherry, so obviously I was expecting a very fruity tea.
But, what what surprised me – happily! – is that this tastes more of tea than it does of fruit. Oh, the fruit flavors are there and they’re loud and clear, but, the black tea base is robust and has a strong, solid black tea flavor. It doesn’t take a back seat to the fruit notes.
Instead, I taste a medley of fruit notes that sit just beneath the black tea notes. Strawberry pops out first with a sweet-tart cherry note coming in just after. The blackberry notes seem to weave their way in and out of the sip and are sometimes more difficult to discern than the strawberry and cherry. The black currant is most recognizable at the finish, when I notice a sort of tart note, and the astringency of the black tea makes that more distinguishable. It’s almost “wine-ish” at the finish. The aftertaste is like a blend of the four fruits, with a prominent berry tingle on the tongue.
An enjoyable black tea blend from Tea of Life: it’s sweet, fruity and flavorful. I find it especially nice as it gets cooler, making this an ideal choice for iced tea.
Citrus Hibiscus Herbal Tisane from Simple Loose Leaf
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
This lovely and colorful blend of hibiscus, rose hips, lemon grass, orange peel and organic rooibos infuses a ruby red herbal with a refreshing citrus and tart flavor containing light spice tones. Excellent over ice for a zingy citrus treat, and enjoy hot to help punch out a cold or flu.
Hibiscus Flowers, Rose Hips, Rooibos, Lemongrass, Orange Peel, Juicy Lemon and Orange Flavors
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This smells AMAZING! I love the bright citrus-y scent of this tisane.
Now, as you can imagine, the name of this tisane scared me just a little bit. Citrus Hibiscus Herbal. Hibiscus just isn’t my thing. But, I’ve had some really positive experiences with hibiscus lately, and the last hibiscus based tisane that I tasted from Simple Loose Leaf turned out to be alright. And this smells really good … so with those things in mind, I kept my fingers crossed and I brewed myself a cup of it.
OK … there is a bit more hibiscus in this than I would like there to be. That said, there are some other flavors in this that appeal to me. I like the citrus-y notes to this, and I do like how the rooibos lightens up the thick body that would normally accompany such a hibiscus-heavy tisane, making it much more palatable.
While this isn’t my favorite tisane , I found it tastes better served iced. Some of the hibiscus zing seems to chill with the cold, making this much more enjoyable, and just like the Cranberry Breeze from last month, my youngest daughter found these two drinks to be especially enjoyable, and hey, I’d rather her be drinking this than something sugary.
Another tasty way to enjoy this: add a couple of cloves and some cinnamon to the teapot before you pour in the hot water to start steeping. Let the spices steep with the tisane … it doesn’t end up too spicy, but the warmth of the cinnamon and cloves add some delightful contrast to the tart citrus and hibiscus.
It’s not a bad tisane, but it isn’t my favorite tisane, either. Then again, I didn’t expect it to be. But that’s the beauty of the Selection Club from Simple Loose Leaf. I get to try out five different teas every month and if there’s one in that five that doesn’t make me do the happy dance, that’s OK. It’s a sample size, and I still have four other teas that I can enjoy.
It’s all about the power of choice!
At the beginning of every month, I receive an email from Simple Loose Leaf that details the teas that will be featured in the next month’s box. I can choose to receive two large packages of two teas that appeal to me. I can choose which two teas I want from their menu of five teas. What if I want to try all five? Well, then I can choose to receive the sampler package, which offers five samples, one of each tea of the five on the menu.
That’s what I usually choose, because I’m a taster. That’s what I do. I taste a tea … try it out, and then I tell you about it. Most of the teas and tisanes from Simple Loose Leaf, I’ve really enjoyed! Occasionally, I’m going to encounter one or two that just doesn’t excite me, like this one. And that’s OK because I do have the power of choice with this program!
And whatever you choose to do – that’s OK too. This program gives you the power of choice!
Use this code: SISTERSELECTION25 to get a 25% discount when you sign up for the selection club. This discount is not applicable on the retail selection of teas, and is only good for the selection club subscription.
Want even more incentive to join the Selection club? Then, check THIS OUT! Now through June 20th, all new subscribers will receive a FREE teapot with their first shipment. WOW! What an awesome deal!
Orange Pineapple Honeybush Tisane from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Oh, and this week’s amazing tea? How about a honeybush with freeze-dried orange and pineapple bits and organic pineapple and orange flavors? I think it’s a nice refreshing tea for the start of spring.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Orange Pineapple Honeybush: it almost sounds like a breakfast juice or a smoothie rather than a tisane, doesn’t it? And when it’s served cold, it almost tastes like a smoothie or a fruit juice.
The orange and pineapple are sweet and tangy, and after I take a sip, my taste buds seem to perk up and take notice of the bright fruit flavors. I find that the orange and pineapple seem pretty even, with more orange notes coming forward during the beginning of the sip and more pineapple emerging toward the finish and into the aftertaste.
I don’t taste a lot of honeybush and I don’t really mind that because I’d rather taste the orange and pineapple versus the honeybush anyway. But, I do taste some of the nutty, honey-sweet notes of honeybush. These notes are really quite subtle compared to the fruit flavors though.
An enjoyable cuppa. I like this one better iced, though, because it’s a really refreshing flavor combination. When served hot, I found that this does have a soothing quality to it, like something I’d like to drink if I were feeling a little under the weather.
White Tea Raspberry from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said many times before (and will no doubt say many times again in the future!), I prefer loose leaf to bagged teas. The quality of the tea is superior with most loose leaf teas versus bagged and/or sacheted teas. There are other advantages to loose leaf as well, but my main gripe with bagged/sacheted teas is the quality.
That said, I haven’t found anything to really complain about with the teas that I’ve tried from Tea of Life. All the teas have been either bagged or sacheted, and I’ve been happy with most that I’ve tried. Sure, I’ve liked some better than others, and I can’t help but think that I might like them even better if they were loose leaf teas. However, there are benefits to finding a high quality bagged/sacheted tea, especially when it comes to convenience issues. It’s far more convenient to bring a bagged/sacheted tea to work or when traveling – and trust me, when you’re traveling, you want to bring a tea you like with you! The bagged teas you find at the hotels just don’t cut it! Ick!
But this White Tea Raspberry from Tea of Life is far from ick! It’s quite tasty! The white tea is sweet and crisp tasting, with a nice, smooth flavor. I am tasting a slight creamy taste to the white tea too, and this is a nice complement to the bright, tart raspberry notes.
The white tea tastes delicate, but it isn’t so delicate that I can’t taste it. It melds beautifully with the raspberry. The raspberry notes here are true to the fruit, it tastes like a tart and sweet raspberry. That tarty tingle near the finish reminds me of a fresh berry.
This tea tastes really good hot, but it shines as an iced tea! I cold-brewed five tea bags in my half-gallon pitcher overnight, and the next day, I was treated to a really lovely cold beverage that I enjoyed all afternoon long!
Passion Fruit Mango Rooibos Blend from Tea of Life
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
There are times when I want something a little lighter and without caffeine. Those are the times that I turn to tisanes. Tisanes like this Passion Fruit Mango Rooibos Blend from Tea of Life that are naturally caffeine free and have a lighter body, something I can sip and enjoy without worrying whether it will keep me up all night.
And this has a really pleasing flavor. The passion fruit and mango flavors are vibrant. The flavor of the rooibos is subdued, but I do taste notes of the nutty flavor and the sweetness – but without that whacked weird flavor that I sometimes get from rooibos.
You know, that weird, off sort of flavor that kind of tastes like wood that’s been soaked in sour vinegar or something? Yeah … that flavor. I’m not getting that strange flavor with this tisane.
Instead, I get a pleasant, tropical fruit flavor with hints of a nutty sweetness in the background. It’s a sweet way to wind down after a long day.
I enjoyed this hot, but, I found myself distracted and left my teacup to cool, and when I returned to it, the tisane had gone cold. No worries! This tastes great cold too!