Just Perfect Peony White Tea from Just.Organic.Tea.

by liberteas

white_peonyTea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Just.Organic.Tea

Tea Description:

Find your “Zen Moment” with this perfect cup of premium organic white tea.

Taster’s Review:

It seems like it’s been a while since I’ve had a pure, unadulterated White Peony tea.  It’s such a lovely tea to enjoy in the evening, because it tastes lighter and it doesn’t leave me feeling overstimulated the way a black tea does.  I know that there has been a lot of debate over the caffeine content in the different types of tea, but what I know from the years of experience I’ve had drinking the tea is this:  most black teas are much more invigorating than most white teas.

I find that this is true with just about any other tea.  You can replace “black tea” with Oolong or Green tea and these two tea types are more invigorating for me than most whites.  And you can keep the black tea in it’s place in the original statement and interchange “white teas” with just about any other tea type and the statement would still be ringing true for me.

And that’s why I generally enjoy my black teas earlier in the day when I don’t mind the stimulation, and then I drink less stimulating teas later in the day.  White teas I generally keep for evening because they are gentle and calming.

And this White Peony from Just.Organic.Tea. is quite lovely.  It’s smooth, sweet and refreshing.  I’m picking up on flavors that I don’t always pick up on with Bai Mu Dan teas like this.  I’m picking up on the familiar flavors like a light vegetal tone and a pleasing fruit note (a delicate melon note) and the crisp, airy note that reminds me of the air after a cooling rain.  How the air is still moist and sweet from the rain.

But I’m also tasting lettuce.  I don’t always pick up on a lettuce note, but this Organic White Peony definitely has a crisp lettuce note that is really rather refreshing.  As I sip it, it evokes thoughts of summertime and eating a fresh, crisp salad on a hot summer day.  I’m thinking of how refreshing that salad is on a day like that and this tea is very much like that.  But without the tomatoes, croutons and salad dressing.  Just the refreshing, crisp, replenishing sort of taste.

You get what I’m saying, right?

A really excellent pure white tea from Just.Organic.Tea.  At the moment, I don’t see this tea on their website.  I don’t know if this one has been permanently removed from their collection or if it’s temporarily sold out.  If you’re interested in getting some of this tea to try for yourself, try contacting the company to find out what the status is of this tea.  I’ve found this company to be very prompt with their responses and very friendly too!  The kind of company I like to deal with!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in White Tea

Just Naughty ‘Nilla Black Tea from Just.Organic.Tea.

by liberteas

justorganictealogoTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Just.Organic.Tea

Tea Description:

We start with our premium black tea. Then, we add a generous amount of vanilla. Top it off with carob, and you’ve got the perfect dessert tea. Luxuriously rich and inviting, you’ll melt into vanilla heaven with hints of caramel-chocolaty goodness. Organic certified.

Taster’s Review:

This Just Naughty ‘Nilla is a blend that Just.Organic.Tea. offered when they were running their Kickstarter campaign (which did successfully fund, yay!) but it does not appear to be available at this time.

It’s a tasty blend.  Not my favorite vanilla tea that I’ve had, and I suspect that the main reason for that is the carob.  I’m not a big fan of carob, if you want chocolate-y flavor, go with cacao shells or nibs.  (Shells provide the best flavor, in my opinion.)  Carob just imparts a fake chocolate flavor.

That said … this is a tasty blend and with a few tweaks to it, I think that Just.Organic.Tea would have a successful tea.  The black tea base is a rich, well-rounded, full-bodied tea.  Notes of malt.  It’s a robust black tea that would make a nice morning tea and with the vanilla addition, it makes it just a little dessert-y for breakfast.  Who doesn’t want a little dessert for breakfast?

I love that this is an organic tea, and I do appreciate Just.Organic.Tea.’s ideas about social responsibility.  It’s a great company and I have enjoyed most of the products that I’ve tried.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea

Just Charming Chai Blend from Just.Organic.Tea

by liberteas

justorganictealogoTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Just.Organic.Tea

Tea Description:

Spicy and full of flavor. Our premium black teas mingle with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and orange peel for an intense full-bodied flavor. If you like your chai spicy and rich, pick this blend. Or, for more tea flavor and less spice, mix with our Oothu tea to fit your taste. Fair trade & organic certified.

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about Just.Organic.Tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I love a good, spicy chai, so when I read the description above, that’s exactly what I envisioned.  Unfortunately, this isn’t quite as spicy as I hoped for.

Oh, it’s still very good!  Don’t get me wrong.

It’s just not quite as boldly spiced as I thought it would be based upon the description above.  The spices are nicely balanced, though, and I like that.  I taste cinnamon, cardamom and clove.  These three spices have been assembled in a way that no one spice overpowers the other.  It’s a warm medley of spice.  Very nice.

I also taste hints of orange from the orange peel.  When I first read that this tea has orange peel, I thought that this might just be their Just Outstanding Orange Spice packaged under a different name.  But they are two different teas.  Here the orange is a very subtle touch of flavor, whereas the orange spice blend has a much more pronounced orange flavor.

This is really quite a tasty blend.  I think that if they want to really go bold with the spice though, Just.Organic.Tea should consider adding some black pepper and ginger to the blend.  That will give it a really nice, zesty kick.  As it is, it’s a nice chai, on the mellower side of chai, but not quite as spicy as the above description would suggest.

This blend is one that I didn’t find on their website, perhaps it’s a blend that’s being rethought?  I would love to see this company have a chai blend though, because I do love chai!  In the meantime, I think their Outstanding Orange Spice blend is really good, and I also noticed that they have a Pumpkin Spice Chai – oh!  I’d like to try that one!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea, Chai

Just Tulsi with a Twist from Just.Organic.Tea

by liberteas

justorganictealogoTisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Tulsi

Where to Buy:  Just.Organic.Tea

Tisane Description:

Tulsi, Lemon Myrtle, Ginger, Peppermint, Cinnamon & Pepper

Learn more about Just.Organic.Tea’s stance on Social Responsibility here.

Taster’s Review:

Just Tulsi with a Twist is a blend that isn’t currently available on the Just.Organic.Tea.’s website, but I really like this company, and since they did send me this sample, I figured I’d try it and tell you what I think about it.

Here’s why I like this company:  I like that they are a company that isn’t just “talking” about making this planet a better place for us and for future generations, they’re doing something about it and their products prove that.  They strive toward selecting organic and sustainable products, and they choose those products that are Fair Trade certified.  Sure, it’s easy to find products that are less expensive, but, I like that this is a company that won’t compromise like that.  I appreciate that.

And I’m really enjoying this Tulsi blend!  It’s sweet, lemon-y, and with just enough of a warm spice kick to keep the taste buds happy.  I’m a little surprised that I’m not tasting more from the peppermint than I am, usually, peppermint is a very assertive flavor.  But the blenders at Just.Organic.Tea. have blended this in such a way that it has a gentle minty note that plays well with the other flavors in this blend.

I like that I’m tasting each component in this blend.  I taste the basil-like notes of the tulsi.  The slight “minty” note of the tulsi is accentuated my the soft peppermint-y flavors.  It tastes herbaceous but not overly so.  I can taste the cinnamon and the ginger and the pepper, and these give the cup a pleasing, soothing warmth.

What I taste most is the Lemon Myrtle, and it gives a really lovely lemon-y note without the pucker.  It’s like that sweet-tart lemon flavor you’d find in a lemon curd.

A really nice blend from Just.Organic.Tea.  I hope that this will eventually return to their collection of teas that they offer, because it’s one that I think that many tea drinkers would enjoy.  It’s a tasty caffeine-free alternative, especially nice after dinner.  I found it to have a calming effect on the tummy after a meal … bonus!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Spice Melange, Tulsi

Just Awesome Assam Black Tea from Just.Organic.Tea

by liberteas

AwesomeAssamTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Just.Organic.Tea

Tea Description:

A bold, malty black tea. Looking for a stronger black? You’ve found it. A great breakfast tea with a caffeine kick that won’t leave you groggy. Our Assam tea is sourced from the famous Banaspaty estate in India. Fair trade & organic certified.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This tea was Just.Exactly.What.I.Needed.Today!  OK, yeah, that was corny.  Sorry.  But, corny or not, the sentiment is true.  I needed a good Assam kick and this tea delivers!

The description above pretty much nails it.  This is a bold, malty black tea.  The kind of tea you want for that first cup of the day.  The kind of tea that helps you shake the sleepies, and gets you moving!

Because it is an Assam, I recommend steeping it with some care.  I bring the water to a boil and I steep it for just 2 1/2 minutes.  I find that if I go any longer than that, the tea starts to hint at becoming bitter, and the longer it steeps, the more bitter it tastes.  Assam is one of those “persnickety” type of teas but it’s worth the extra effort because it delivers a really solid, hefty flavor that is malty, sweet and delicious when brewed properly.

And this tea is all those things:  malty, sweet, and delicious!  It’s got a solid, hefty flavor that would take the additions of milk and honey well if you like to add those to your morning tea.  It also tastes great straight up.  When I encounter a lovely Assam like this, I sometimes indulge and add a drizzle of real maple syrup to the cup and Mmmmm!  Heaven!

I’m not only loving this tea, but I’m also loving that it’s organic and fair trade certified.  And I really love that Just.Organic.Tea. focuses on these things.  This is a company I feel really good about supporting!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea