Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: The Healing Cup
Tisane Description:
Enjoy the taste of the sun in a cup! Orange peels take an unexpected twist with a spicy burst from cinnamon chips and a soft touch of vanilla. Drink a cup in the morning to start your day with a salute to the sun. Naturally caffeine-free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This blend takes the classic flavors of a spiced orange tea and gives it a unique twist by giving it a rooibos base rather than the typical black tea base. I’m not ordinarily a big fan of rooibos, but I kind of like how the rooibos tastes with the cinnamon, orange and vanilla flavors. It still tastes citrus-y and cinnamon-y, but, it has a lighter texture and a flavor that is similar yet different enough to keep these traditional flavors interesting.
Ordinarily, I don’t really care much for the nutty/woody flavor of the rooibos, sometimes it comes off tasting of sour wood or just kind of funky. But, I suspect it is because this is organic rooibos that the flavor is better with this rooibos blend … and I think that makes a big difference in my enjoyment. I’m liking the way the nutty tones meld with the bright orange notes and the sweet, creamy vanilla.
The cinnamon is warm enough to help clear the sinuses (yeah, I’m still dealing with some of the symptoms of that cold!) but, not so hot that I’d categorize it as spicy. Instead, I’d say it’s got a mild spice that keeps the flavors lively while not so warm that I need something to soften the heat. It’s quite pleasant.
Overall, I’m really enjoying this – much more than I expected to! This would make a great “holiday blend” for those who prefer to limit their caffeine intake but still want something vibrant and festive to drink.
Yunnan White Jasmine from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
New Spring 2012 Harvest!
This jasmine makes us understand what jasmine is all about. It starts with a silky smooth silver needle white tea from Yunnan with notes of cinnamon sweetness. Jasmine blossoms are scattered around the tea while drying for several nights in a row, and removed in the morning to be replaced by fresh blossoms, scenting the tea in the traditional method. The result is a perfectly integrated flavor, that starts off with the textures of a white tea, and sweetness drawn out and extended by a silky jasmine aroma. Continue steeping this out, and an intriguing apricot jam flavor starts to come out and compliment the subtle spice of the yunnan white. In later steepings there is even the slightest hint of pine needle.
ICED: Perfumed florals are more potent, with an exquisite silky texture and notes of melon and banana fruit salad.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was so pleased to sample this tea. I was surprised at the first flavor note I tasted being that of nut, rather than jasmine. Interesting because I have not really noticed anyone else picking up on that in other reviews, and it is not listed on the Verdant site as being a flavor note in the tea. Everyone experiences their tea in their own way though. I find the jasmine to be natural and light in the first steeping. A light sweetness and a slight rock mineral quality, but no one note is standing out in the first steep beyond the nutty flavor I am now so focused on. The mouthfeel is creamy, and the cup color is very pale yellow, almost beige, and quite clear. The after flavor is somewhat vegetal but only so slightly, more like a green tea than the after taste of a white, but lovely. Everything about this steep is slight, delicate, gentle. Now I am not saying I detect absolutely no jasmine in the flavor, I do, but even then it is faint and does not make me declare this a strong jasmine tea. I think however that is what is so lovely about this cup, the jasmine is so natural that it does not make you feel assaulted by its note. Toward the end of the cup of this first steep I am beginning to pick up on hints of a baked sugar confection flavor. Quite enjoyable!
In the second steep more of the notes come forward and the color of the brew is slightly darker. There are some lightly cinnamon notes but to me they come over as more like a black pepper which is delightful and awakens the senses. This note is detectable both in the aroma and flavor. Fruity notes are also coming forward which taste like red and blue berries. The sugar notes develop more as the cup cools. Jasmine is still of course a flavor note that is present but unlike many jasmine teas this one does not come over like grandma’s perfume! For those who have experienced a jasmine before and hated it – you must know that not all jasmine teas are created equal. There is a distinct difference between one that is done well and one that is not. This is done to perfection. A natural jasmine will taste, and for that matter smell far different than an artificial one. I leaned this long before my tea journey through natural perfumery and essential oil training. There is nothing quite like true jasmine.
Steep three evokes somewhat of a savory flavor palate with the citrus and linen notes in the background. There is a light drying sensation now on the tongue with grapefruit and orange notes. I am also detecting an oregano flavor. This is quite pleasing and surprising! I was not expecting the savory notes.
I am going to get many more steeps out of this tea!
All in all – a wonderful experience! I enjoyed this tea while listening to a Reiki CD and it was such a glorious way to welcome a new day!
Red Hot Orange White from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Red hot cinnamon, sweet juicy orange and delicate white tea combine to form a red hot orange white cuppa that’s as satisfying as it is aromatic. Indulge your senses with this week’s tea of the week.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This seems like the perfect evening to enjoy this tea. It’s cold and wet outside, and I’m in need of something warm and soothing.
Well, this isn’t exactly what I hoped for. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s tasty! And it delivers exactly what the name of it suggests: a “red hot” cinnamon and orange flavored white tea. I guess I was just hoping for a little more than just that. I think that the addition of some cardamom and cloves would have really added something special to this tea. As it is, this tea is kind of one-dimensional, but, with the addition of a couple of other spices I think that this could have been so much better.
But, I guess that’s the tea blender in me … trying to dissect a tea and figure out how to make it better. I did that all the time when I was doing the tea artist thing. So rather than dwelling on how to improve this tea, why don’t I just review it like it is!
The ingredients state that the base of this tea is “Premium white teas” which suggests to me more than one type of tea. I’m thinking that this is a combination of Shou Mei and Bai Mu Dan. There are a couple of “needles” in my pouch that could suggest either a Silver Needle or a good quality Bai Mu Dan is in the blend. The tea tastes delicate and somewhat earthy. It is a bit more astringent that I usually would expect from a white tea, perhaps it is the flavors that bring the astringency out.
The cinnamon is strong, but it is not as strong as you might expect with a name like “Red Hot Orange White.” 52Teas managed to keep the cinnamon in balance with the other ingredients, allowing the white tea and the orange-y notes to shine through.
It is the orange that I like the best in this blend, and here’s why. With other spiced orange blends that I’ve tried (and I’ve tried quite a few, it seems like everyone has a spiced orange blend for the holiday season!) the spices seem to overpower the orange, forcing the citrus to play a background note to the stronger spice notes. Here, the orange is balanced with the cinnamon. It isn’t overwhelmed. It adds a very pleasing bright, juicy note of fruit to the cup.
So, while this isn’t my favorite 52Teas blend that I’ve tried lately, it’s not a complete miss either. I think I’m going to get myself some cardamom and cloves and play around with this to make my own “customized” blend and see if I like that better … mostly for my own curiosity (in other words, to see if I know what I’m talking about!)
Orange Danish from Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
You’ll feel like you visited the bakery when you taste this tea! The vibrant green tea leaves are joined with the sweet taste of orange, almond, and spice to taste like an orange danish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum! I’m loving this tea.
It has a very bright and sunny orange-y kind of flavor to it, but I can totally taste the “danish” connection too. There is this sort of nutty, buttery, pastry-like taste to it, very rich and almost creamy, that provides that danish-y type flavor.
I like the mellowness to this cup as well. Even with the bright flavor of orange, there is sort of a calmness to this cup, very sweet and gentle. It would make a great dessert tea, or a mid-day cup for those times when you want something a little bit sweet that won’t weigh you down or cause you to feel sluggish.
The taste of the green tea is not as distinguishable as I normally would like it to be, however, I think that the way the flavors all sort of meld together into a seamless taste works out well. While the green tea is not as sharp or distinct as it could be, instead, it becomes sort of soft and buttery, providing a nice background for the pastry flavor. It all comes together in a very unified way, and it’s quite enjoyable.
Cheers!
Fruity Sangria from Utopia Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Utopia Tea
Tisane Description:
Inspired by the traditional red-wine Sangria, our Fruity Sangria consists of elderberries, citrus, and lemongrass creating a flavorful cup. Fruity Sangria has large amounts of antioxidants and prevents cell damage. This beverage is great to drink anytime of the day and is wonderful over ice!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yikes! Hibiscus!
Actually, the hibiscus isn’t too bad here. It mostly affects the color of the brewed liquid, which is a deep, ruby red color. As long as you don’t steep it too long, the hibiscus doesn’t become syrupy … I steeped this for six minutes, and I wouldn’t recommend steeping it any longer than that. Now, it isn’t syrupy or too tart, but, I can sense from the texture and the taste that if it had gone much longer, this would have been a syrupy, tarty cup.
Overall, the cup is sweet – tart with an emphasis on the tart. There is an pleasant fruity flavor to this – I taste the elderberries and there is a fermented grape/wine-y kind of taste to it, with hints of citrus and berry throughout the sip. As it cools, I get more of the sangria kind of taste, and the flavor of the hibiscus seems to soften somewhat. This is much better as a cold drink than as a hot beverage.
It’s tasty, and I like alright. It’s not bad, but it’s not great, either.
However, I am aware that there are many out there that like the flavor (and health benefits!) of hibiscus, and I think that they’d really enjoy the bright citrus and berry flavor of this tisane. This may be right up their alley.