Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Georgia Tea Company
Tea Description:
This name of this tea is perfect, for it is divine to drink. Before you take your first sip, inhale the aroma which comes from your cup. You sense a combination of fruits, many fruits. Now take your first sip; there is a sweetness to the palate. But you also sense a substantive base which complements the sweetness. This comes from the multi-blend of white and green teas. No wonder this is our bestselling tea. It is perfect for an afternoon break. And you get all the health benefits which come from the high amount of antioxidants in the green and white teas. What more could you ask!
Steeping time: 175°F / 2-3 min / 2.5 teaspoons per 10oz
Ingredients: white tea China Pai Mu Tan, green tea Darjeeling, green tea China -Fog Tea, -Sencha, -Lung Ching, -Gunpowder, -Jasmine, -Jasmine Jade Pearls, candied mango bits (mango, sugar), candied pineapple bits (pineapple, sugar), candied papaya bits (papaya, sugar), flavoring, orange peels, strawberry bits, red currants, sour cherry bits, apricot bits
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Divine Temple from Georgia Tea Company tastes like a fine wine. This tea is scrumptious and truly divine. I love the mixture of white tea and sencha which I can detect from all the other various teas within this really cool blend. Oh and yes as the description states, you want to drink this in before taking your first sip. The aroma is just to die for. This is the kind of blend that I could see myself being buried with, surrounding me, tucking me into my hand built casket. Sorry the review was turning a little dark there, but in all seriousness, whoever created this blend really hit the nail on the head here. They must surely be very proud of themselves, then again, this is a really hard tea to top.
So what is this tea anyway? Well as you can see, the ingredients list a whole array of yummy goodness, white teas, green teas, fruits of all types from berries to citrus. I can really taste the tropical fruits but the berry notes also jump up and dance for me now and then, especially the cherry. One may think that this tea is just too confused, the flavors won’t stand out, it will be a muddled mess. Nope, its damn tasty, that is what it is and there is some sort of backdrop here, that just screams white wine. This is surely a tea to be chilled and guzzled in the summer and this tea blend will absolutely be gracing my shelf in the kitchen that hosts my summer stash, but right now I am quite enjoying this tea warm, and when warm, the liquor of this tea, which does have a liquor note in it, is almost reminiscent of a warmed brandy.
Fruity Pebbles Green Tea Blend from Tiesta Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Tea Description:
The 2008 World Tea Champion is a smooth and sweet blend of flowery fruit and sencha with a fantastic base that no one can resist. The synchronization of pineapple, passion fruit, and strawberry form a perfect fruity triangle.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow … this Fruity Pebbles Green Tea Blend from Tiesta Tea smells AMAZING! The dry leaf is very fragrant with floral notes and strong fruity tones. It smells like something you’d want to set out as potpourri to freshen your home!
I kind of chuckled when I read the name of this tea … of course, my thoughts turned to the popular rice cereal (which I LOVE but try to avoid because it isn’t the healthiest item in the cereal aisle, is it?) As I waited for the tea to brew, I found myself wondering just how similar it would taste to the cereal.
OK, so it doesn’t TASTE like the cereal. But, I can see the connection. The cereal is sweet and fruity … this tea is sweet and fruity too. But I like that I still taste TEA in there. There is a balance.
The green tea is soft and buttery, with subtle notes of vegetation that meld well with the notes of fruit and flower. I don’t notice quite as much of the white tea notes in this … the Pai Mu Tan is very subtle here, but, this blend would not be the same without it. It adds a lightness and a certain earthiness that directs the palate toward the “tea” notes, if that makes sense. The earthiness is what makes this taste more like tea than of a fruit drink.
The combination of pineapple, papaya and strawberry is delectable! It is definitely tropical-ish because the pineapple and papaya are strong here, but they do not overwhelm the delicious, sweet-tart notes of the berry. I like that I taste elements of each fruit in this tea.
The rose is a little less apparent, and its contribution is definitely seen and smelled more than it is tasted … but, there are very subtle floral tones to the taste and it really heightens the overall experience by adding just a hint of SOMETHING, you know? Just that subtle touch … makes a big difference to the cup.
I really enjoyed this tea immensely … I look forward to trying more of Tiesta Tea’s green tea offerings too … their Jolly Green Kiwi looks intriguing!
White Cherry Tea Blend from Aromatica
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & White
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tea Description:
Don’t fear the strong cherry aroma, it steeps up nicely balanced with subtle
jasmine and rose floral notes. You’ll still taste the earthiness of the white & green teas before the last hit of cherry that lingers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf of this White Cherry Tea Blend from Aromatica is extremely aromatic. As the description above suggests, it has a very strong cherry fragrance … it almost smells a bit like cough medicine. Personally, I’m not one to be put off by that, because, I kind of like cherry flavored cough medicine. It’s better than unflavored cough medicine, anyway.
But, I don’t want my cherry flavored teas to taste like cough medicine. So, I remained hopeful that the description is right … and that the tea steeps with a balanced flavor. Fingers crossed!
Wow! This tastes very much like cherry! But it doesn’t taste like a medicinal cherry flavor … it tastes like a sweet, ripe Bing Cherry, bursting with flavor! Seriously, with my first sip, it was very much like I had just bitten into a juicy cherry. YUM!
The sips that follow allow the other flavors in the cup to develop on the palate. I notice hints of jasmine in the distance. I taste the lush, “green” taste of the green tea, as well as hints of earthiness and hay from the Pai Mu Tan. The rose starts to come through after my fourth or fifth sip.
This tea definitely tastes more like a green tea than a white tea, but there is a lightness to this too, the white tea has lightened the overall flavor of the cup. The white tea is not a strong flavor, but it certainly does its part to influence the overall flavor of the cup.
The floral tones are subdued but offer a nice contrast to the sweet cherry flavor. The cherry offers a sweet overtone, but there are hints of tartness to the cup as well. The coconut is not a prominent flavor to this cup, but there is a gentle creaminess that I attribute to the coconut. I like this hint of creaminess … it adds just the right touch to the drink.
Overall, this tea blend really IS well balanced. Sweet? Sure. But there is so much more to it than just sweet cherry flavor. It is that complexity that makes this tea well worth trying.
Smaug Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
We had some discussion about what base tea would be used in a Smaug tea, but clearly it had to be a DRAGON Well. For those unfamiliar, Dragon Well (aka Longjing, aka Lung Ching) is a green tea from the Zhejiang province in China. Legend has it the tea derives its name from the beneficent dragon said to live in a local well.
Our Smaug tea is a blend of Dragon Well, cinnamon chips, a hint of lapsang souchoung (I only used a single ounce in five pounds of Dragon Well, just enough to give it a little smoky character), some cayenne pepper and organic flavors. It’s a fiery feast for your tastebuds!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh WOW! This Smaug Tea from 52Teas is amazing!
I love the level of spice here – it is spicy, in fact, my first few sips, I could feel it in my sinuses! That’s how you know it’s got the spice! But, it isn’t SO spicy that I feel like I need to put out a fire on my tongue. I’m not running for a drink of water to dilute the spice, nor am I needing a bite of something dairy-ish to extinguish the flames on my palate (my personal favorite in instances such as these is ice cream). So … it is spicy and just a little smoky, but not to the point where I find it uncomfortable to drink. On the contrary, I’m really enjoying the burn!
The Dragon Well tea offers a light sweetness and a hint of vegetal taste. If I had any complaint about this tea at all, it would be that the Dragon Well almost seems a little overwhelmed by the flavors of cinnamon and cayenne pepper … almost, but not quite. I can taste the Dragon Well, but, the flavor does seem to be competing with the other flavors here.
The Lapsang Souchong is a barely there addition … there is just enough to give the cup the faintest insinuation of smoky undertones.
Another idea would be to use Chipotle pepper which would provide smokiness in addition to heat … Frank, if you’re reading this … how about a Chipotle Raspberry Chocolate tea? Spicy Love! YUM!
The cinnamon offers a nice, earthy character to the cup in addition to a zesty spice which compliments the cayenne pepper very nicely. The cayenne adds … just the right amount of heat here. It isn’t over done. If you’re wimpish about spices, you probably wouldn’t like this, but if you enjoy taking a walk on the spicy side now and then … I think you’ll find this tea is right up your alley!
Loving the burn! Absolutely LOVING it!
Pear Green White from Mahamosa
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: Mahamosa
Tea Description:
This noble blend of different green and white teas captivates the senses with the typical, attractive Pai Mu Tan and a Yunnan which is dominated by light, fluffy tips. Yellow rosebuds, pineapple flakes and mango cubes enhance the delicate yet significant freshness of this aromatic variety. The tea leaves dominate the overall taste with their typically delicate, slightly bitter notes. A touch of juicy pear and creamy sweet exotic flavors envelop the characteristic flavor of green tea. Ingredients: China Sencha, Lung Ching, green Yunnan and Pai Mu Tan, flavoring, mango cubes (mango,sugar), pineapple flakes, rosebuds.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened my bag of Pear Green White from Mahamosa my first impression was peach rather than pear but then again I really was not thinking much about the name of the tea nor that it should smell like pear, so peach was my initial reaction. Then on second sniff I smelled circus peanuts…you know those strange little peanut shaped orange candies (love them).
The tea is pretty with rosebuds in it. When steeped my initial reaction upon first sip was KAPOWZA! This tea is not lacking in the flavor department and is nothing close to subtle. This tea reminds me of a southern lady, full of robust flavors, personality to boot, and not afraid to state its opinions. You can’t say that this tea is lacking in anything here! Another thing about this tea that reminds me of a southern lady is that it is sweet, very sweet, and although the southern ladies I know can be tricky, witty, and even a little sassy deep down they are all quite sweet as well. Yes, this is one that I will be cold steeping just to see if it is what I think it will be for me this summer, a daily sipper!
So we have our floral, we have our pear flavor which yes it does come out shinning bright and strong in the cup, we have a lovely white and green base which you just can’t beat for the health benefits, and we have several other tropical fruit notes playing around in the cup. There is a lot going on in here but it works magically well together.
This is that tea you serve at the tea party, or to the kids who refuse to drink tea – trust me they won’t even know that it is tea and will think it is some fruit juice!
Is this tea for the sake of tea in and of itself? No, it is not – purists may really shun this one, but its so nice to have a tea that packs such a punch of flavor because honestly now and then I do want something different – something more fruity and just all out fun!
The base teas are lovely providing a creamy backdrop for all the fruity playful flavors yet still remains bright and cheery not becoming too heavily laden with creaminess.
Oh I could probably go on and on about this one but its time for me to just sit back and enjoy the cup!
Also be sure to check out Mahamosa’s dedication to our earth here.