Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
Wu Yi Oolong is from China’s Fujian province and is known for its light sweet cup with a fragrant orchid finish. When steeped, the mature semi-fermented leaves expand to a full lively cup with more body than a green tea but less body than a black tea
Learn more about their month subscription box here.
Taster’s Review:
I am a newbie when it comes to some oolongs. I’ve had a few here and there but I have mainly spent my time with either flavored oolongs or really any other tea. Straight oolongs I’ve had on occasion but I seem to not pick them up as often as I would a green or black tea. No real reason. I have been wanting to educate myself on oolongs for some time. So when my last box from Simple Loose Leaf arrived, I was happy to see this in the box. I was so excited I grabbed my new bottle from Simply Good Tea and promptly poured the contents of the package into the bottle. Put the bottle in the fridge and twenty minutes later I took my first sip.
Oh mama. That is the good stuff. I can’t believe that I haven’t dug more into oolongs. This tea was heaven to my taste buds. I literally have been drinking this tea for 24 hours and I think I have finally exhausted the leaves. I loved watching them dance around in the water while they produced a beautiful cold brewed oolong tea for me to enjoy.
This tea was bright and crisp. I could pick up different aspects that reminded me of black teas and green teas both. The first infusion, I really picked up more of a dark roasted black tea quality. Towards the end, I was greeted with a nice bright silky like almost green tea flavor. There was a sweetness and well rounded note throughout the entire time I spent with this beauty. The dry leaves themselves had a nice roasted like fragrance.
Love it. Love it. Love it. For more first experience with this type of oolong, I’m very pleased. This was fantastic. I’m excited now to dive into more oolongs and really take some time with them. Great job Simple Loose Leaf.
Maui Mango Tea from Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Description:
Our Maui Mango black tea will wow you with amazing mango flavor and real dried mango chunks. This tropical delight is great hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow is it hot today. Like crazy smoldering hot. The kind of hot that makes you feel icky and gross as soon as you step outside. So today is a stay inside and catch up on projects sort of day. Oh and drink lots of tea. So that is my new plan. Drink lots of tea and do some reviews.
I thought this would be a good one to start with. The dry leaves had a nice sweet mango fragrance that just called to be made up like an iced tea. So that is exactly what I did. Brewed this up like I would a traditional black tea (212F-3 min) and then allowed it to cool. Added ice and took a sip.
Yum! Sweet tropical paradise. This brewed as an iced tea had such a nice subtle sweet taste. You could still taste the fantastic black tea base but there was a sweet mango flavor in there too. This is a great simple mango black tea. Not a knock you in the face sort of mango, just hints of mango. So nice. I was very pleased. This is exactly want I was wanting today. I can’t wait to take the rest of the loose leaf I have and try this as a cold brew. That is exactly what is accompanying me on my way to work tomorrow. Can’t wait!
Another fantastic tea from Mountain Witch Tea Company.
Prickly Pear Herbal from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
A remarkable tea that shines with desert pride and spotlights one of our most unique herbal teas. Hibiscus and Rose Hips are blended to create the vibrant magenta base for our one-of-a-kind Prickly Pear Herbal Tea.
Hibiscus, Rose Hips, Chicory Root, Chamomile, Dried Prickly Pear Fruit, Natural and Artifical Pear Flavor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s monthly plan here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently I received a promotional email from Simple Loose Leaf announcing a sale. Their monthly box that is typically $15 a month. I couldn’t pass up the deal. I jumped on the sale and a couple weeks later my box arrived. There were 4 tea blends in the box. This one was the one that I couldn’t help but tear right into. Mountain Witch Tea Co has an amazing Desert Mojave Prickly Pear that I just adore. So much so that I picked up a 4 oz pkg of that tea without hesitation. Since that particular tea, any tea that I see has prickly pear in it, I’m sold.
What I love about these monthly subscription boxes is that you just get enough of a tea to “wet your whistle” but not add a ton of tea to an overflowing tea stash.
Brewed this up like a herbal-212F-5 min in my One Touch Breville. Let the brew cool for a few minutes and took my first sip. Wow, can you say tart? This blend not only has dried prickly pear but also has quite a bit of hibiscus. I love my hibiscus but this was even too much for me. I continued to try to drink this and hoped other flavors would become present. That never happened. To me this tasted like a straight hibiscus blend. For me, I think this blend would be phenomenal if there was more of the dried prickly pear fruit than the hibiscus.
I did try this tea cold and ended up with the same result. Just to tart of a tea for me. I really don’t like adding sweeteners to my tea and on the rare occasion will I add honey.
If you love really tart teas or hibiscus blends, this tea is for you. For me, it was just too tart.
Champagne and Apricot from Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Description:
This light and fruity blend combines notes of delicate champagne and real pieces of sweet & tart apricots in a base of our finest black tea. Delicious hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Who wouldn’t love a Champagne & Apricot tea? The name alone sounds delicious.
I adore Kelly’s blends @Mountain Witch Tea Company. And this one is no exception. I think Mountain Witch Tea Company is one of the only companies I would blindly buy 4 oz of tea without hesitation. I adore her blends that much.
Brewed up like a traditional black tea (212F-3 min), this tea had a pretty high astringent factor. You could taste a stonefruit like flavor but the astringency was a bit overwhelming.
Where this tea sparkled and shined was when I cold brewed the tea for a few hours in the fridge. Yummy Nommy Nom! This tea as a cold brew was bright, refreshing, and down right tasty. The apricot flavor is vibrant and very distinguishable. The black tea is smooth and the astringent factor is gone. I have already been told I need to pick up more of this tea for the upcoming hot days of summer. This blend cold brew is just that good.
Do yourself a favor, take advantage of Kelly’s 3 for $24 sale on her teas. You won’t regret it!
Yorkshire Bold Organic Black Tea from AmiTea Organics
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: AmiTea Organics
Tea Description:
Bold, smooth and delicious, this is the perfect, soothing, “start your morning” tea. This is my version of the famous Yorkshire tea. Of course the actual ingredient ratios have long been a secret, but I feel I have unlocked them, and now it is in an all organic version, just for you.
I have blended malty Assam and Nilgiri teas from India, A warm, rich Tanzanian tea and a smidge of smokey Chinese Yunnan, together they make a fabulous tea, hot with milk, or even iced for sippin’ on a hot day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea is just delicious.
The malty goodness and rich well balanced flavor of this fantastic unflavored blended black tea is just perfect. Perfect for that first cup of tea to wake you up in the morning or in the afternoon when you need a pick up to get you thru the rest of the day. I really enjoyed this one.
First infusion was strong and rich. Brewed up like a traditional black tea, this tea was such a delight. I didn’t pick up any smoky notes like the description says, but I am fine with that. I have had a lot of smoky teas lately and was happy for a break. Second infusion, the strong malty touch was still there. Not as strong, but still discernible.
I have yet to have a tea from AmiTea Organics that I haven’t just adored.
I didn’t try this one iced. Next time I will. I would love to try this as an iced tea. I couldn’t help but keep brewing this up hot. It was hitting the spot, giving me that warm and cozy feeling.
The best part of this tea was how there wasn’t a high astringency factor. I thought for sure there would be, but this was just smooth black tea deliciousness.
Another winner from AmiTea Organics!