Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: iHeartTeas
Product Description:
Fresh cut spearmint in a blend with sweet Chinese Sencha green tea infused with the essence of key lime and champagne.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, 52Teas announced their “Rescued from Retirement” program which enables other companies to bring back some of their blends. I was thrilled with the prospect of being able to try some of 52Teas blends that were released before I “discovered” the company. This Champagne Mojito is the perfect example. Released the week of April 5, 2009 – about seven months before my first order with 52Teas – this was a tea I probably would not have been able to try if it were not for the Rescued from Retirement program.
And I’m really glad I got to try it, because it is yummy. The green tea base is a Chinese Sencha that is sweet and a little creamy/buttery. It has a fresh taste but not very vegetative, and in the case with this particular tea, I think that is a good thing. I think that a more vegetative tasting green tea would interfere with the delicate taste of the champagne.
These ingredients compliment each other very well. I find that the crisp, clean taste of the spearmint brings out some of the sweeter notes of the lime, complimenting the sweet, delicate features of the champagne. The lime is zesty with just enough tart flavor to cut through some of the mintier tones of the spearmint. It doesn’t taste too minty, it doesn’t taste too tart, and it doesn’t taste too sweet. It is a very pleasing harmony of flavors. This is delicious served hot, but, it is even better when iced. It is incredibly refreshing and thirst-quenching.
Many thanks to Rachel from iHeartTeas for bringing this one out of retirement. This tea appears to be sold out at her Tea Trade store, but, she has many other excellent teas from 52Teas available.
Pistachio Lime Maté from Fusion Tea Room
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fusion Tea Room
Product Description:
Ingredients: Green yerba mate, organic green rooibos, organic rooibos, pistachios, coconut chips, lime leaves, lime zest, almonds, lime pieces, lime juice, natural flavor.
Read More about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
As I write this review, it is spring. And even though it is spring, it is chilly and raining. Yesterday, it was sunny and warm. Just a few days ago, it was hailing. Just another week here in the Pacific Northwest where, when it comes to the weather, you must learn to expect the unexpected.
You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this. Well, because this tisane is a bit like springtime in a teacup. So, even though it is not very spring-like outside, I am enjoying spring inside with this tea.
The combination of Green Yerba Maté and green and red rooibos creates a very smooth base for the flavors of pistachio, lime, coconut and almond to develop. The base is mild but with a refreshing, lively taste, complimenting the juicy taste of lime and sweetness of the nuts and coconut.
The lime offers a pleasant tartness, and yet the sweetness from the other ingredients ensure that the tartness never becomes too overwhelming. I like how the lime lingers in the aftertaste. It’s a crisp, zesty kind of taste.
This is a really lovely fusion of flavors. I like that I can taste notes from each ingredient. While the lime is the strongest note, no one ingredient becomes too aggressive to overthrow the balance of tastes. It has a delicious tropical flair to it that is perfect on days like this – when you want springtime but the weather is not complying with that desire.
Lime Green Tea from Hampstead Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea
Product Description:
The tropical floral zest of lime is a sophisticated complement to our green tea. The classic citrus overtones are reminiscent of beachside evenings.
Ingredients: Fairtrade green tea, lime zest
Taster’s Review:
I am always just a little surprised when I come across a bagged tea that tastes great. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve tasted quite a few great tasting bagged teas, but, there is always some part of me with very low expectations when it comes to bagged tea.
This is definitely a great tasting bagged tea! The lime flavor is abundant but does not overwhelm the taste of the green tea. The green tea base is a light-bodied, fresh-tasting green tea with very little vegetative taste to it. It has a natural sweetness to it that offers a nice contrast to the tart and tangy flavor of lime.
The lime flavor is vibrant and refreshing. Very clean and bright in citrus flavor with a hint of floral note in the background. The flavor of this tea evokes images of walking through a citrus grove when its in bloom.
This is a delicious bagged tea that is just as convenient as it is tasty. And its organic and fair trade. Just one more thing to feel good about with Hampstead Tea!
Tropical Lime Yerba Maté from Maté Factor
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Maté Factor
Product Description:
Tropical Lime Yerba Mate Tea Bags (formerly Hibiscus Lime)
80% Organic IngredientsOur Tropical Lime tea box contains 20 large tea-bags. All of our tea-bags contain 3.5 grams of tea, DOUBLE the size of most tea-bags on the market, so you can enjoy more of the flavor, nutrition, and energizing effects of Yerba Mate!
Ingredients: Organic Green Yerba Mate, Organic Hibiscus Flowers, Sun-Dried Lime
High in Natural Vitamin C
This amazing, fruity blend is not only refreshing hot or cold, but is an amazing booster to your body’s defense system.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said on numerous occasions, I’m not that fond of hibiscus. Some hibiscus in blends is OK so long as it’s not overdone – it provides an interesting tart flavor and a little bit of body to a tisane – but, when there is too much hibiscus in a blend, it becomes too tart and too thick and syrupy.
In drinking this tea, I’m not sure if there is too much hibiscus here, or if it is just a tart tisane. The lime and hibiscus together create a rather sour pair. Nice if you enjoy sour or tart tastes, I’m not one of those people, though.
That being said, this isn’t thick or syrupy, which leads me to believe that it’s not too much hibiscus, it’s just the combination of lime and hibiscus that creates such a tart experience. It has a nice body to it. And I found that a drizzle of agave nectar helped to turn this rather tart cup into something quite good.
Interestingly enough, the earthy quality of the Yerba Maté in this blend cuts through some of the tart hibiscus taste, so I am getting more lime than I am hibiscus. Both the hibiscus and lime are still rather strong, but, the earthy nature of Yerba Maté saves this blend.
And who’d have thought I’d ever be happy for the earthy characteristic of Yerba Maté? Certainly not me, not until now! But somehow, the blending of earthy and tart work together quite nicely. The tart cuts through some of the musty flavors of the earthy tones while the earthy flavor smooths out some of the tarter edges. It works together well.
Now, I am not about to say that this is my favorite Yerba Maté blend, because it isn’t. But it is quite good and appealing in its own way. It is one that I would recommend to all you lovers of tart/sour tastes out there.