Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tisane Description:
Experience a sweet and velvety taste with an aroma of relaxation in this Orange Chamomile blend. This tisane is Zen but still has a complex finish with hints of lime, cinnamon and apple.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Orange Chamomile Herbal Tisane from Fashionista Tea is an impressive tisane!
The first thing that impressed me is the appearance of the dry leaf – lots of large chamomile blossoms and not a lot of chamomile dust. I think that this is the one major factor that often turns me off when it comes to chamomile tisanes … that they are composed of crushed chamomile instead of the blossoms. The crushed chamomile produces a very off tasting tisane, in my opinion. I like that I can see the large, whole blossoms here.
And the flavor is very surprising! The combination of the green and red rooibos as well as the chamomile produces a pleasantly sweet taste that is slightly nutty with lovely apple-like notes. There is a touch of cinnamon to this as well … not a strong, dominate flavor, but enough to accentuate the apple-like taste in a really pleasant way.
The orange note is also surprising in that I had expected it to be a stronger flavor here, but, it is a soft orange taste … in keeping with the overall “softness” of the cup. This tisane doesn’t have a powerful flavor – it’s gentle. Flavorful – yes indeed. But it doesn’t bash me over the head with strong flavors. Another surprising thing about the orange in this cup is that it is more like a “citrus” taste … vaguely reminiscent of a citrus punch rather than a distinct orange-y taste. Like a combination of orange and lime. It’s quite enjoyable!
Yet another lovely surprise from the folks at Fashionista Tea! I have really enjoyed everything that I’ve tried from them!
Orange Peppercorn Breakfast from Handmade Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Handmade Tea
Tea Description:
Orange Peppercorn Breakfast starts with a base of Assam and Ceylon black tea. Next the blend contains a peppercorn blend (black, white, green, and red) to spice things up a touch. Lastly burnt orange peel is added to the blend. The caramelization adds a deep sweetness.
Learn more about the subscription plan here.
Taster’s Review:
Orange Peppercorn Breakfast from Handmade Tea has everything I love in a breakfast blend! Its deep and robust, perfectly sweetened naturally and lightly by the citrus, with a wake me up spark from the peppercorns. It tastes a little like a mimosa with a kick and trust me I need a kick in the morning!
I have to be out the door soon for some appointments and had made another tea in my travel mug to take with me, but now I wish I had made this instead, except that it only arrived about an hour ago!
Handmade tea is a monthly subscription plan with two plan options. The one I subscribe to includes a big tin of tea and three tiny tins of the three elements used to make the blend with. Its really cool if you are a foodie or interested in blending teas yourself as it allows you to smell, taste, touch, and feel each individual ingredient on its own.
I love Caleb’s Handmade Tea! I have only received two months thus far but both have been beyond expectation and somehow I feel as though he has been stalking my tasting notes to figure out exactly what I want in a tea! I realize that is not possible as he has so many people who subscribe to his membership plan, there is no way he could stalk us and appease us all, but I tell you what, somehow he has managed to please my taste buds perfectly!
I adore peppercorn in tea blends, when done right of course, and even though I will admit I am not always that fond of citrus in teas, he really did this tea blend right by caramelizing the orange peel with a creme’ brulee torch to get that sweet sensation without making the tea too sweet!
I really suggest you check out this monthly subscription plan and you can check out more of the past blends here.
Midnight Magic Green Tea from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
It is usually at the strike of midnight that the world begins to unravel into the beautiful and magical creation that it truly is. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this blend while the world’s magical nature reveals itself to you.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf of this Midnight Magic Green Tea from Shanti Tea has a strong floral note with a distinct vegetative note and just a hint of citrus. Once brewed, the rose remains strong, and the citrus emerges just a bit.
What I’m noticing immediately with this tea, and what I’m liking best about this particular tea from Shanti Tea, is that it is first and foremost a green tea. That is to say, this tea isn’t a strongly flavored tea where the taste of the tea has to compete with the flavoring.
The vegetative notes of the green tea are strong without tasting sharp. Yes, it is a grassy note, but its not a bitter grassiness. It’s actually quite smooth. It is lightly sweet, but I find that this tea tastes more savory to me than many green teas. It’s pleasantly brothy and my palate finds it very agreeable.
The rose is a faint note – it is much more distinct a scent than it is a flavor in this cup. It offers a touch of floral sweetness, but I’m not finding this cup to be overtly floral. The same is true of the citrus … the orange is delicate … oh, I can certainly taste it and it tastes really nice … but it doesn’t overwhelm the cup. I find that as I continue to sip, the sweet orange flavor reveals itself more, and by mid-cup, there is a really lovely orange-y flavor that accompanies the grassy notes of the green tea. The rose never really becomes more than an accent flavor, but it is quite lovely the way it is.
I found this to be an enjoyable cuppa – sweet, flavorful and one I’d be happy to sip on anytime!
Vanilla Oolong Tea from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pouchong & Green Tea
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tea Description:
Discover the power of vanilla and oolong, with a little hint of orange. It’s temptingly rich. We’ve used Pouchong tea leaves, the least oxidized of oolongs, which gives it a lighter, fresher taste. Delicious and totally addictive on its own, we also love blending this with fruit flavoured teas for a touch of creamy sweetness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love vanilla flavored tea. I usually get all hyped up over a chocolate tea or a caramel tea, but when it comes right down to it, I find myself just as enamored by a vanilla tea as I am one of my “favorite” flavors. That creamy, smooth, sweet taste of vanilla just works so well with the warmth and soothing quality of the tea … it becomes such a comforting drink.
And I’m absolutely LOVING this Vanilla Oolong tea from David’s Tea. Usually, I find myself preferring a black tea base for the sweet, creamy, exotic flavor of Vanilla, but, the blend of Pouchong and green tea leaves just WORKS so well here.
The Pouchong offers a lightly sweet, creamy base that melds beautifully with the creamy tones of the vanilla. To be honest, I’m not tasting a whole lot of flavor contribution from the “green tea leaves” here, but the ingredient list says they’re there, and I can’t say that this blend would taste the same without the green tea. I do taste a slight vegetative note to this cup, but that could be from the Pouchong too.
The vanilla is the star of this show. It is creamy, sweet and just DECADENT. Accenting the vanilla notes are hints of citrus from lemon myrtle and orange flavoring. These notes are subtle and do not interfere with the other flavors, but they definitely brighten the overall cup and keep the flavors interesting and inviting … and keep them from becoming cloying or overly sweet.
This tea could easily be a substitute for a dessert … I think I’d just as soon have this as a bowl of vanilla ice cream! It is really just a heavenly vanilla treat – this tea. If you’re a fan of vanilla – you’ve got to try this!
Blood Orange Flavored Black Tea from Mahamosa
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mahamosa
Tea Description:
This mild China-Ceylon black tea blend evokes the Caribbean. Comprised of light-yellow orange peels and orange-red blazing safflowers, this tea creation has a sweet, firm, fresh and tangy flavor. A sip of this tea will bring to mind the fervent red flesh of sun-ripened blood oranges.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Blood Orange Flavored Black Tea from Mahamosa delivers exactly what it promises! The sweet, juicy flavor of Blood Orange!
The black tea base is a mellow tasting black tea – and before even reading the above description, I could tell just from the taste that this this was a Ceylon … or at the very least, a blend that included Ceylon, and according to the aforementioned description, it is a blend of Ceylon and black teas from China. The flavor is a little “deeper” than a typical Ceylon, I attribute this depth to the China tea. It has a good, solid flavor, but it isn’t what I’d call “bold” or “robust.”
The real star of this cup is the Blood Orange flavor. It is so BRIGHT and refreshing! It tastes authentic … it tastes true to the fruit. So if you’re fond of citrus-y teas, this one would be right up your alley. It’s got a little bit of tangy appeal to it, but mostly, it’s just sweet and juicy like the fruit itself.
I found this to be really tasty … something that would be good to have around when the weather warms up and you want a really delicious iced tea. It makes a really nice hot tea too, it has nice, natural sweetness to it, but, I found that just a pinch of sugar really brought out the natural orange notes just a little more. Really YUM!