Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Palais des thes
Tea Description:
A delicious herbal tea of fruits and plants, Festive garden blends cocoa, orange, and grapes and tastes like a candy store at Christmas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have to say, steeping- this tea has a unique aroma coming from it. The description fits it perfectly. It smells like a candy store where there are a bunch of sweet treats all mixed together. Just from the dry leaf alone I can pick up what smells like bubble gum, cotton candy, and suckers with a grape and orange twist. Very unique indeed!
This is my first experience with Palais des thes. I’ve always wanted to try tea from them in the past but have never really come across it or think about the company when I’m looking for my next tea fix. I was excited to see this offering in my last set of teas to review.
This unique blend consists of 7 different fruits and plants and is just so much fun to look at. This is one of those teas that just put you in a happy mood while you are steeping it. I brewed this up with water prepped at boiling and allowed the herbal tea to brew for about 5 minutes. The tea was a lovely light pink or rose color. This tea just screamed for an afternoon tea time with proper biscuits and cookies. Or even to be served at a little girl’s tea party.
I allowed the tea to cool for a few moments and took a sip. What I am greeted with is a flavor that really reminded me of the aroma I was getting from the dry leaf. I swear this tea tastes like a bubblegum cotton candy mix with a slight hint of a chocolate undertone. A very unique herbal tea. That taste tho doesn’t seem like one that fits a hot tea very well so I tossed in a few iced cubes to see how this tea would play out as iced and also a lemon wedge.
The iced cubes seemed to really intensify the chocolate flavors. Those seem to be the first ones I’m now greeted with instead of the bubblegum cotton candy mix. That being said, the iced tea with lemon didn’t work out so well so I took the lemon wedge out and just enjoyed the unique cuppa I had. I wish this would be a great iced bubble gum cotton candy flavor like I was getting from the hot tea but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Regardless, this is one unique cuppa tea that takes you on a tasting adventure for sure!
Rhubarb Oolong from Stylin’ Tea Blends
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Stylin’ Tea Blends
Tea Description:
Unfortunately no longer available, but if you see this tea, you have to grab it!
Other Oolong offerings from Stylin’ Tea Blends. . . . . . .
Taster’s Review:
I know. A rhubarb tea.. . how odd, right? I thought so too. Probably why it took me so long to give it a go. Let’s start with how this tea looks. This tea had the most gorgeous oolongs intertwined with a few larger rose pieces. A really stunning blend.
The aroma this dry leaf gave off was sweet and slightly floral. I had always thought rhubarb was more of a tart flavor so I was very shocked and pleasantly surprised when my nose encountered this glorious aroma. This tea released an aroma that I want bottled in air fresheners and candles alike.
I brewed this up like I do my oolongs- about 190F or so and about 3 minutes to start. I still had my hesitations. My brain kept saying- This tea has RHUBARB in it!!! And I honestly couldn’t get past it. Finally the tea had cooled slightly so I could take my first sip.
Ever have a tea that made you hear glorious singing and just made you sigh? Well this tea did just that. I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever had rhubarb before but I’m seeking it out! This tea was brilliant, bright, and vibrant. The oolong was a mellower base allowing the flavors to really produce a solid feel. The flavorings were slight, but enough so there was this slightly sweet yet tart flavor with just a kiss of floral love. I can’t describe how amazingly light and refreshing this tea was. This is a tea that will make you dream about the next cuppa you get to have of the blend. It was that good and I still can’t get over how much I adore this oolong blend. I wish it was still available from Stylin’ Tea Blends because I want gobs of this tea. I actually felt like crying after the 6th steeping and I knew it was getting close to the time I would have to head home for the day. I knew I would have to say goodbye to this tea but I am hoping a quick google search will get me more of this gorgeous blend.
Mango Ice Cream Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Black Tea, Freeze-Dried Mango Bits, Vanilla Bean and Natural Flavors
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about 52Teas’ tea of the week subscription here.
Taster’s Review:
I love 52Teas. The idea behind having a tea company create a new blend each week is just brilliant. I love the variety that you are able to purchase and the creativity that this sort of company can provide. With teas like Toffee Bar Chai or Carrot Cake Honeybush. . .I mean you really can’t go wrong.
I can’t remember if I picked this tea up from one of the Kickstarter Campaigns or if I bought this one outright from the site. It doesn’t look like this particlar one is offered anymore. That is the only downside to a company like 52Teas. Since they are being mad tea scientists, blending all these crazy and fabulous blends, the inventory is smaller and constantly revolving. So if you are looking at a tea and it looks amazing, you better get it quick because quantities are extremely limited.
Mango Ice Cream Black Tea is a black tea blend with bits of mango that you can actually see. The dry leaf smells delicious and I couldn’t wait to check out the blend. Brewed up with water prepped at boiling and allowed to steep for about 4 minutes, this tea looked and smelled so warming and inviting even tho it is supposed to be ice cream based. I couldn’t wait to check it out!
Unfortunately, this tea just isn’t for me. First sip in and all I was really getting was the black tea base and hints of a sweetness from the vanilla. Even tho I could visibly see the mango pieces, I didn’t get any of that fruity tropical like flavor in the brew. I did get more of an astringent tone to the tea so maybe I overleafed my serving.
I did brew this tea up again and only allowed this tea to steep for about 3 minutes and I did notice that those flavors I was looking for come thru a bit more but not enough for me to think mango ice cream. Regardless, the tea was still drinkable and I didn’t feel the need to dump it, I just didn’t get the flavor I was looking or hoping for. I only had a 1/2 oz of the tea so I won’t be able to try these, but I would love to try this as a cold brew. I bet that is the way to pull out those tropical creamy flavors.
Even tho this tea might not have been my cuppa tea, I still highly recommend 52Teas and encourage checking out their teas if you haven’t yet. You won’t regret it!
Equestea from Geeky Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
Black tea, apple pieces, natural caramel apple flavor and cinnamon bark.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Who doesn’t love My Little Pony. I mean c’mon! They even have bronies! I have loved My Little Pony forever. I remember playing with my ponies and doing their hair for hours straight as a kiddo. So when I saw that Geeky Teas had a fandom tea based off of My Little Pony- I said yes please!
This particular tea is a take on a caramel apple tea with cinnamon and a black tea base. Geeky Teas black tea base is very hit or miss with me and seems to be a bit more on the finicky side sometimes. But when it is good, it is good!
Brewed this up like a black tea with water prepped at 212F, allowed it to steep for about 3 minutes. The whole time the tea was steeping you could smell this wonderful aroma. Reminded me of a bakery. Sweet and almost nutty.
The waiting time was finally over and I took my first sip. Oh my goodness! This may be the best tea I’ve tried from Geeky Teas yet! This tea is amazing. I really wasn’t in the mood for a black tea but oh my goodness!! This tea really does taste like a caramel apple. The black tea provides a lush smooth silky like background while the apple brings a tartness, the cinnamon gives the tea a bit of a spiced feel, while the caramel apple flavoring gives you that sweet nutty flavor. Seriously good tea here! I’m in love!
I’ve said it before but if you haven’t checked out Geeky Teas, you need to!
Milk Oolong from Mandala Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Mandala Tea
Tea Description:
We are so excited about this tea and judging by the repeat buys, our customers are too! It possesses a creamy aroma with hints of coconut, hard toffee candy along with the classic floral undertone present in so many high-end Taiwanese oolongs. The producers aromatize high quality leaves from plants that grow in altitudes between 1,600 and 3,200 feet above sea level.
The Fall 2014 crop delivers the dessert-like notes in early infusions and a beautiful, balanced cup. In later steepings aromas of lilac and gardenia begin to move more forward. Production is an artform and those who create it are quite guarded about proprietary steps in processing. Through many tastings, our appreciation for their craft only increases. No “off” aromas and not a trace of artificial or chemical flavor. It is a wonderfully complex tea, sure to please most any tea drinker. And if they weren’t a tea drinker to begin with, they will be after trying this!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Never having Mandala Tea before, I was quite excited when I saw a package of Milk Oolong appear in a goodie box I recently received. Mandala Tea has always been a company I’ve wanted to try but when you have a tea stash that is over 800 teas, its hard to justify one more order.
I open the package and take a deep breath and inhale the amazing aromas coming from this dry leaf tea. Sweet and very dessert like, exactly what the description of the tea indicates. I prepped my water and sat and watched the tea leaves uncurl and dance around in my tea pot.
I pour myself a rather large mug of this gorgeous pale yellow brew and proceed to take my first sip. The first notes that hit you are a rich buttery one. It seriously envelops your entire mouth. All the while notes of an almost vegetal feel and coconut flavor swirl around, making a really nice creamy touch. I can pick up an additional sweetness but I’m not sure if its more sugary or toffee-like the description depicts. There are other flavors that peek out here and there but I can’t really define them. Such a wonderful tea. Complex yet simple all in the same if that makes sense.
All I know is this is one great tea that is perfect for any time of the day! Sweet, rich, buttery, with a slight vegetal touch. . .really good. I plan on spending the rest of the day with this tea and I can’t wait to see what the second infusion brings.
For my first experience with Mandala Tea. I think I have a winner on my hands!