Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I was really excited when Southern Boy Teas/52Teas announced this new flavor (as part of their kickstarter incentive program) because although I very rarely drink soda, one soda type drink that I do like to indulge in now and again are Cherry Limeade drinks (like you might get at Sonic), but the one thing I don’t like about those soft drinks is how sugary they are. This Cherry Limeade Flavored Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas seems to be a perfect solution to that – I get the flavor of the Cherry Limeade but I can control how much sweetener goes into the pitcher. I don’t like a sweet iced tea … or any drink that’s too sweet for that matter.
And this is pretty good. I’m a little disappointed, because the cherry and lime flavors are not quite as sharp as I’d like them to be. 52Teas usually offers masterful “soda” type drinks that taste effervescent, and I guess I was kind of hoping for some of that effervescence here. But while I do taste cherry and lime, neither of these flavors are really as strong as I’d like them to be, and I don’t taste much of a soda-ish type quality here either.
It’s still really good though. The cherry and lime flavors are there. This tastes more like … a limeade that’s been flavored with some cherry juice … rather than a Cherry Limeade drink that I might order from that drive-in soda shop. The cherry is sweet, the lime adds a bright tartness to the cup, and I like that I can taste the black tea flavor too. It’s a very refreshing glass of iced tea. Not my favorite from SBT, but it’s still tasty.
On the Fourth Day of Christmas, Southern Boy Teas Edition!
One thing that I like … that’s different about the 52Teas and now the Southern Boy Teas 12 Teas of Christmas countdown packages is how the teas are packaged. Previously, the labels for the tea were stashed in the package with the teas so that you wouldn’t know what the tea was until you opened it and could remove the label to put on the sample package. However, Frank seems to have implemented a “scratcher” type of reveal system now, sort of like the scratcher lotto tickets. You scratch off the silver coating from the label, and it reveals to you what the tea of the day is. Pretty cool!
Key Lime Cheesecake Iced Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Given the success that I’ve had with the previous “Lime” flavored iced teas from the SBT collection – Lime Jello and Lime Cola – I was pretty confident that I’d enjoy this Key Lime Cheesecake iced tea too.
And I am enjoying this Key Lime Cheesecake from Southern Boy Teas quite a bit. The flavor is very bright with the flavor of lime: tart but not so tart that I’m puckering when I take a drink. I can also taste the creamy, tangy note of the cream cheese peaking out beneath the lime flavor. The black tea is not completely hidden behind the flavors, and I appreciate that. It has a brisk flavor that refreshes and invigorates.
Just as I have been doing with the other iced tea pouches, I cold-brewed this pouch, and I’m very satisfied with the flavor. In every sip, I get lime, I get cheesecake (although I don’t really taste a lot of pastry or crust here, I do get a hint of a buttery note every once in a while if I really focus on what I’m tasting), and I get black tea.
After I finished my pitcher of cold-brewed iced tea, I resteeped the pouch by hot-brewing it. I found this second pitcher of iced tea much more flavorful. The key lime was slightly softer, but there were still plenty of sweet-tart notes from the citrus fruit, and I could taste more of the tangy cream cheese and even more of the crust notes. The black tea was slightly less apparent in the second pitcher, but it was still discernible.
Overall, I enjoyed the Key Lime Cheesecake iced tea, although I think the Lime Cola and Lime Jello flavors are much tastier.
Spinach Chive Savory Tea from Numi Organic Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Numi Organic Tea
Tea Description:
Layers of steamed spinach greens give way to the mouthwatering fullness of this savory brew. The citrus notes of Numi’s Dry Desert Lime tickle the roof of your mouth as coriander teases your taste buds. Dill, chive and decaf green tea are the perfect finish to this wellrounded, yet complex, blend.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I received a sample of this Spinach Chive Savory Tea from Numi Organic Tea in my September Goodies Box, and I was very excited to try it because I have been wanting to try these savory teas from Numi ever since I learned about them.
When I tore into the package, I could smell the onion-y chive right away! The aroma of the other ingredients are milder, but I could smell the vegetative notes of both the green tea and the spinach, as well as well as a hint of citrus. The brewed tea smells very much like the dry tea, although the liquid has a softer fragrance than the dry leaf.
This is an unusual but tasty tea. It’s a bit thinner than I would like it to be, I think it would be better if the green tea were not decaffeinated. I think that the tea would be more satisfyingly “round” if it had not undergone the decaffeination process.
As it is, though, I like that I taste the chive, the spinach, the coriander and the lime. I don’t taste a lot of green tea here, but then I think that the vegetative notes of the chive and the spinach probably meld with the green tea to produce a more united vegetal taste. The chive stands out more distinctly than the green tea and the spinach, but even so, the hint of onion-like flavor is very mellow.
Overall, it’s a very mild and tasty beverage … I like this savory experience. It’s definitely different!
All Citrus Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Of course, a big icy tumbler of this Tea of the Week is enough to take the edge off a lot of stress, at least it is for me. This week’s blend has our premium black teas with lemon and orange peels, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon myrtle, freeze-dried orange, freeze-dried pineapple, lemongrass and all organic flavors including: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit and pineapple.
What’s that? pineapple isn’t a citrus fruit? Humbug. Call it an exercise of my tea blending poetic license. Pineapple counts as citrus fruit for this blend, and it adds just the right touch of sweetness to the other citrus flavors.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t usually get all excited over a citrus flavored black tea, perhaps because it seems all too common and ordinary. I mean, who hasn’t had lemon in their tea, right? It’s the classic garnish for a cup of plain black tea or a glass of iced tea: a wedge or a thin slice of lemon. So when 52Teas posted that this All Citrus Flavored Black Tea was the tea of the week for July 8, I wasn’t all that excited.
But this is no ordinary citrus tea! This tastes like a medley of citrus fruit in my teacup, and they are so “unified” that it becomes difficult to pick out one citrus fruit from another. It is fruity, sweet, tangy and bright tasting … very vibrant! I seem to find myself tasting more orange in one sip than other fruits, and then in the next sip, I notice the grapefruit. With the next sip, I notice notes of lemon and lime. The pineapple adds a really pleasant sweetness all its own.
The black tea doesn’t just sit back and let all this citrus do the work, either. It is a pleasantly smooth, deliciously robust flavor that is delightfully complemented with the citrus tones. This tea is a perfect choice if you’re making a big pitcher of iced tea – everyone will love it! It also tastes great served hot. Juicy and absolutely refreshing!
Another example of how 52Teas can take something that would otherwise seem ordinary and make it quite extraordinary!
And please, don’t forget to contribute to Frank’s (aka the chief Zoomdweebie at 52Teas) campaign to re-open his tea bar (also called Zoomdweebies) in Wichita, Kansas. Learn all about it here.
Limón Black Iced Tea from Republic of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Republic of Tea
Product Description:
Lively Limón – A blend of fine black tea from three Rainforest Alliance Certified™ tea gardens create a base with classic full-bodied flavor. Black Limón (dried lime from Guatemala) is added for a refreshingly tart, citrus accent.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
After having success with the Watermelon Mint Black Iced Tea from Republic of Tea, I decided to pick up another canister of these iced tea pouches from Republic of Tea the last time I visited Chuck’s Produce. The Limón Black Iced Tea was the most appealing of the flavors that they had available, so I grabbed a tin of it.
And I’m liking this a whole lot.
You might be wondering what a limón is. According to the description above (from Republic of Tea), a limón is a dried lime from Guatemala. The drying process seems to really bring out the tart notes of the lime, because this is a really tangy tasting tea.
I cold-brewed this in my half gallon pitcher filled with freshly filtered water, using 2 of the large tea pouches. After I finish off the first pitcher, I re-steep the pouches a second time using the hot brew method (brewing it in 1 quart of boiling water for 5 minutes, and then in a second quart of boiling water for 6 minutes.) The first half gallon (the cold-brewed preparation) is much more flavorful than the second, but both are very refreshing.
The brewed tea tastes a lot like … an Arnold Palmer! It tastes a lot like lemonade and black tea. It’s tart and tangy and citrus-y. It’s got a lot of citrus flavor. The black tea, in comparison, is a rather mild taste. But the glass of tea is very invigorating and refreshing and sure to knock out even the most powerful thirst.
I think I might like this better if the black tea flavor was a little stronger and the citrus notes were a little lighter. I like it as it is … but, as I said … I feel like I’m drinking an Arnold Palmer and not a flavored iced tea. An enjoyable iced tea.