Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Revolution
Tea Descripton:
Revolution Tea’s Sweet Ginger Peach is a flavor-packed, original tea made from fine Ceylon and Assam teas, fresh peach flavoring and ginger root. This hand-blended wonder has emerged as the most popular flavor in Revolution Tea’s award-winning line of teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve mentioned before (many times!), I tend to be skeptical of bagged teas. Even when they’re in the new(ish) pyramid sachets that allow more room than the traditional tea bag does for the teas to expand as they steep, I find myself less than enthused about them. However, every once in a while I come across a decent bagged tea – and on the rare occasion, I’ll even find one that’s better than decent – like the teas from Revolution.
I’ve not had a lot of experience with Revolution’s teas, before tasting this tea, I think that I’ve tried one of Revolution’s teas … and that was a white tangerine tea that I drank at PF Chang’s during a recent visit – and I didn’t even realize it was a Revolution Tea … I heard it from a friend who commented on my review of my visit to PF Chang’s! And after visiting the Revolution website, I can’t find this tea, so I’m not sure if this tea is available anywhere else other than PF Chang’s.
Anyway … this black tea based Sweet Ginger Peach Tea is delicious. I may have oversteeped it slightly, because I forgot to set the timer (I think this is one of the dangers of becoming too spoiled by my Breville One-Touch! When I brew tea without the Breville tea maker, I sometimes forget that I need a timer!) however, the flavor doesn’t seem to be affected by the oversteeping. This surprises me because it is an Assam and Ceylon tea blend, and Assam teas tend to get bitter when they’re subjected to prolonged steep times.
The flavor of the black tea is dominate. It is rich, flavorful and well-rounded, but it doesn’t overpower the flavor of peach and ginger. The ginger starts off rather soft, but, by mid-cup, I notice that the ginger flavor really starts to pick up … it’s got a little bit of a peppery kick to it! It’s not overly spicy, though. The peach is sweet and juicy tasting, and offers a pleasing contrast to the heat from the ginger.
I’m really glad I got the opportunity to try this tea – it’s really good, and the more I sip it, the more I’m liking it. This would be excellent iced too!
Breakfast Earl Grey from Whittard of Chelsea 1886
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Whittard of Chelsea 1886
Tea Description:
Earl Grey has become a defining flavor of Britain, distinguished by its fragrant taste. Traditionally an afternoon tea, our customers wanted a version strong enough for breakfast. So we created a fine blend of black tea with malty Assam, crisp Ceylon and mellow Kenyan. It is a vigorous blend with a beautiful, delicate bergamot taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There is just something about Earl Grey that … when I encounter a new-to-me Earl Grey (one that I’ve not yet tried), I get all giddy, quite unlike any other flavor of tea. There’s just something about that bergamot that makes me happy.
Occasionally, I’ve been disappointed. Occasionally, I’ll come across one that just doesn’t do the name “Earl Grey” justice. But it is a rare occasion, indeed, and fortunately, today is not such a rare occasion. This Breakfast Earl Grey from Whittard of Chelsea 1886 is lovely!
The aroma is beautiful – although, I must admit that it did scare me just a bit. It is a strong bergamot fragrance, but there is just a hint of … something … there that made it smell a bit more like perfume than like tea. It scared me momentarily, but once the tea was brewed, that worry was over. The aroma of the dry leaf is a tad perfume-y, but the brewed tea smells much more like a proper Earl Grey. Sweet, bergamot-y (which is much now much lighter here in the brewed tea), and possessing a pleasing earthiness from the black tea base.
The black tea base of this Earl Grey is a blend of Assam, Ceylon and Kenyan tea. I know I’ve tasted a lot of Earl Grey teas, and I can’t possibly be expected to remember all the Earl Grey bases I’ve tried up until now (can I? … hope not, because I can’t!) but I don’t remember a blend of these three particular teas used as a base for an Earl Grey. The result is a robust background with malty intonations and a really rich, solid, well-rounded flavor.
The bergamot is rather soft in the presence of this powerful black tea base, but I still find it rather pleasant. Usually, I like my bergamot bold and in-your-face, but, I have also quite enjoyed the softer side of bergamot on occasion. I find that with these particular teas, the citrus-y tones are much more bright and sweet … it’s almost juicy!
There is much more of a fruit note than an “exotic” note, if that makes sense. Yes, I’m aware that bergamot IS a fruit, so indeed it should not be unusual that it actually tastes like fruit, but, bergamot is quite unlike any other fruit that flavors teas that I’ve encountered. Here, it is mellowed somewhat, allowing the distinct fruit tones to express themselves in a different way. As I continue to sip, I notice some floral notes begin to reveal themselves … a taste that becomes more dominate as I reach mid-cup.
What a lovely bergamot experience I’m having with this Breakfast Earl Grey. This is one that all Earl Grey lovers out there should try!
Southern Boy Teas Series, Part 5: Lime Jello from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium Indian CTC black teas blended with organic flavoring. Amazing tea with a great lime Jello finish.
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve got to tell you, I am absolutely loving the iced tea series from 52Teas this year. Last year, there were some pretty unique flavors and I loved that, but, what I think I really like about this year (and this may come as a surprise to some!) is the fact that they’re bagged! Yes, you read that correctly.
At first, I disliked that these were bagged because I had planned to hot-brew the lot, but, after getting my new glass iced tea pitcher and started cold-brewing these teas, I am loving the how easy it is to cold-brew, especially since these teas are bagged, I wouldn’t enjoy having to strain the teas the next morning. But even more than the simplicity, I really enjoy the flavor that comes from the cold-brew process. The flavors seem smoother and sweeter with the cold-brew process.
When I drink a tea hot, I enjoy having all the “precise” flavors of the cup, but, when it’s iced, I prefer the tea to be smooth and easy-drinking. And the cold-brewing process really encourages a softer, smoother tea.
This Lime Jello flavor of the Southern Boy Teas series is quite nice: lots of sweet-tart lime flavor, a hint of marshmallow, and there also seems to be another fruit in there … pineapple? The overall taste is very refreshing. The black tea is not overwhelmed by the flavors, everything is really balanced well.
I must admit to preferring the Lime Jello Salad Green Tea from 52Teas that was released around Thanksgiving of last year. I think that the green tea melded beautifully with these particular flavors, and produced a very memorable tea indeed. But, I am enjoying this one as well, and glad that 52Teas re-fashioned the flavor for their iced tea series this year.
Indian Meghalaya Cloud Tea from Rare Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Rare Tea Co.
Tea Description:
From high in the cloudy hills between Assam and Darjeeling this unique tea really holds the best of both regions – light and floral with deep malty notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh. My. Goodness! This tea is really amazing.
I have had this tea for a little while now, receiving it at the same time that I received the Royal Air Force tea from Rare Tea Co. But I wanted to save trying it for a day when I was ready to experience something really exceptional, because I was confident that this would be just as exquisite as the RAF tea. I tend to do that with tea companies when I try the first tea from them, if it really impresses me, I mean REALLY impresses me, I tend to place very high expectations on them for future tastings. Sometimes this leaves me vulnerable to disappointment, fortunately, that is not the case with this tea. This is indeed EXCEPTIONAL.
The website did not tell me whether this was a black tea or something else, but on Steepster, this tea was added to the website by “Rare Tea Lady” so I figured that someone from the company added it and they categorized it as black, so I went with it. But that doesn’t mean that I brewed this the same way I would brew a black tea … because something about the name immediately made me think “Darjeeling” so I chose to brew this the way I’d brew a Darjeeling, using a lower temperature – in this case 195°F – and steeping it for 2 1/2 minutes. And I’m really glad that I did, because I can’t imagine this tea tasting any better than it does.
This has such a pleasing sweetness to it, and it is remarkably smooth from start to finish. It does have a lot of Darjeeling-esque qualities to it, it has a strong fruit taste to it, with hints of muscatel. But it doesn’t have that sharp astringency that so many other Darjeelings tend to have. There is some astringency to this, but it is very slight. More like it’s “trying” to be astringent like the other Darjeeling teas, and it almost gets there but, it doesn’t quite make it … does that make sense? Instead it is slightly tangy toward the finish and that tangy note morphs into a clear citrus-y tone in the aftertaste.
I really love this tea. It is so smooth and delicious. This is the kind of tea that you’d serve to very special guests that you’d want to impress. I find that this is best served hot – but not too hot. Allow it to cool a few moments (maybe 2 minutes) before you take your first sip, and then prepare to be taken on a beautiful journey in the Clouds!
Organic Bombay Chai from The Boston Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Boston Tea Company
Tea Description:
You’ll do the cha-cha over our Chai tea! Ever so popular, worldwide, Chai is a centuries’ old tradition of Indian culture. Boast to your friends about Boston Tea’s aromatic, cheery blend of black tea with sweet fragrant spices. Simply add a pinch of sugar to bring out its rich flavorful spices of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and anise seeds. Top with a generous splash of milk and sensually savor each sip!
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
Seldom do I make chai lattes anymore, usually, when I drink a chai, I drink it straight. Sure, I still do love the creamy, spicy goodness of a chai latte, but I’ve been discovering just how lovely a chai tea is without the milk. When brewed in boiling water, and just a touch of turbinado sugar is added to enhance the spices. It becomes a lovely, warm and spicy blend that is delicious no matter what the weather is like outside – at the moment, it’s 72°F outside – a bit on the warm side and the sun is shining brightly, but, I still find this warm, spicy chai (served hot, no less!) to be absolutely refreshing.
When I first opened the package, I could smell the cardamom. It had a delicious, exotic warmth as well as a hint of bright citrus tones and I could feel my mouth start to water just from experiencing the aroma of this chai. I stood impatiently over my timer today … I WANTED – perhaps even NEEDED – this tea!
And this chai was indeed worth the wait. It is gently sweet from the turbinado sugar (I added about a half a teaspoon), but more than the sweetness I notice the depth of the enchanting spices. I like that the ginger and cinnamon do not overwhelm the cup – which is so common in chai blends, it seems – they are more of a background flavor. The cardamom and the cloves tend to be the strongest spices here. The anise is also in the background, offering its unique sweetness to the overall flavor.
I like that I can taste the tea here too. It is rich, a little malty and smooth. It is not bitter (although, I wouldn’t recommend over-steeping it, as that may cause bitterness), and it finishes with a tangy astringency. The spices compliment the black tea quite nicely, providing a cup that is robust with black tea flavor as well as invigorating spices.
I really enjoyed this lively chai, and I like that it is available in both loose leaf and sachet form. At the time of this writing, I noticed that this is currently out of stock – I hope their supply is replenished soon!