Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
My wife has been hounding me to make a peppermint bark tea. She makes peppermint bark every year at Christmastime and it’s all gone now and we’re back on the diet bandwagon, so I agree, it’s time for a peppermint bark tea. This is a blend of our premium black teas, fresh cut peppermint and organic flavors. I realize that almond bark is not really white chocolate, but I used some organic white chocolate flavoring (along with a bit of marshmallow to sweeten it up) to approximate the flavor, and wow is it delicious! I went easy on the peppermint–there’s nothing worse than a tea that tastes like mouthwash–and I think I struck a pretty awesome balance.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the pouch of this Peppermint Bark Black Tea from 52Teas, I was pretty surprised that I didn’t get a huge whiff of peppermint fragrance. I kind of expect that from a tea with mint, because mint tends to be an overpowering scent. But while I could absolutely smell the peppermint, it wasn’t a strong aroma. I mostly smelled black tea. I could also pick up a slight nutty note that reminded me of almonds and a hint of a alcohol-ish note that reminds me of the smell of extract.
The brewed tea smells a little bit minty, a little bit sweet and more than either of these two things, again, I’m smelling tea … and again, I’m surprised that the mint notes are not more prevalent. However, after reading the description, I think that is what Frank (the chief Zoomdweebie at 52Teas) was going for anyway. He didn’t want this to be a sip of mouthwash … and it isn’t (and definitely doesn’t smell like it either!)
The flavor is really nice! I taste mint, but I taste other things too. I taste the tea – It is a smooth, robust tasting black tea base. It’s not the strongest flavor that I taste … instead this cup is a compelling combination of flavors where everything sort of melds together deliciously to offer up a confectionery delight. I don’t know that what I’m tasting is white chocolate peppermint bark in a teacup, but, I like what I’m tasting.
I taste the nutty flavor of almond and I taste the sweet white chocolate. The white chocolate is actually the flavor I taste least, but it is elevated by the addition of marshmallow that adds a sweet, “fluffy” kind of taste that gives the cup the “confectionery” sort of flavor that I mentioned before.
As I said, I don’t know that I’m tasting peppermint bark. But, I like what I’m tasting, and if I were given a piece of candy that tasted like this, I’d be more than happy to devour it! It may not taste like the peppermint bark that I’m used to, but that said … I think I might like this better than the peppermint bark I’m used to! A very tasty cuppa!
Casablanca Twist Green Tea Blend from Nuovo Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Darjeeling
Where to Buy: Nuovo Tea
Tea Description:
An interesting twist on classic Moroccan Mint tea, which traditionally combines Gunpowder green tea from China with fresh mint. We kept the latter, and replaced the smoky notes of Gunpowder with the muscatel highlights of a Darjeeling from India. The result is very a refreshing cup, with bold, cool minty notes, smooth and relaxing texture and flavor. Very intriguing cup.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! I’m really liking this Casablanca Twist Green Tea Blend from Nuovo Tea! I don’t usually get all “wow-ed” by a mint tea like this one, but, this one is pretty darned good. Oh, sure, I like mint, and I do enjoy a minty tea every now and again. But I don’t often take a sip of a minty tea and exclaim “Wow!” like I did with this tea.
And what makes this more surprising is the mint level in this tea. This is very minty. I might even go so far as to say it’s too minty had it been with any other tea blend. But, because I am liking the way the peppermint marries with the Darjeeling base, where I can taste subtle tones of muscatel behind the strong mint notes … I have to admit that I like this blend just the way it is! I like the way the lighter, crisper Darjeeling notes play in the background as the cool, refreshing mint struts its stuff in the foreground. I like the change up here, using a Darjeeling tea.
Although, here is where I hit a wall of confusion: this tea is categorized as a “green” tea, but from what I could learn about this blend, the Sungma Summer Darjeeling is used for this blend and to my knowledge, that is considered a “black” Darjeeling.
However, since I steeped it as I would a green tea (180°F for 3 minutes), I find the flavor of the Darjeeling tasting even lighter than it probably would had I brewed it at a higher temperature. I don’t know.
What I do know is this: I like the way the fruity notes of the Darjeeling tea and the crisp peppermint taste together. I think that a tad less peppermint could make this even better, because some of the nuanced flavors of the Darjeeling could make their way forward. As it is though, this is an enjoyable blend – it tastes amazing with a thin slice of lemon!
Peppermint Melon Green Tea Blend from English Tea Shop
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: English Tea Shop
Tea Description:
Peppermint Melon: Green tea, cinnamon pieces, licorice and peppermint leaves with melon flavour.
Taster’s Review:
I wasn’t too sure about this Peppermint Melon Green Tea Blend from English Tea Shop when I read the ingredient list. Melon and peppermint sounded alright together, but cinnamon and licorice? I love cinnamon and I absolutely adore licorice, but, I wasn’t sure how these sometimes zesty spices would taste with the melon flavor.
But as it turns out, the cinnamon and licorice are very faint, barely-there notes in this cup. The melon and peppermint dominate, and I’m happy to report that even though peppermint can sometimes overwhelm a blend, it’s not doing that here. The peppermint is more of an uplifting note, allowing the melon to shine through very nicely.
The green tea is a little lost in this though. By the time I reached mid-cup, I found myself wondering where the green tea was. I can taste hints of vegetation (more grassy than vegetable), but there really isn’t a lot of green tea taste to this cup.
But the melon and mint notes are nice. The mint tastes cool and refreshing and it’s a really pleasing accent to the melon flavor. The melon is sweet.
Overall, a tasty tea that tastes more of melon than of tea, and because of that, it’s just a wee bit disappointing. I would like a little more tea flavor here. Not the best tea that I’ve tried from English Tea Shop, but for the melon-ness of this … I found myself glad that I tried it.
Candy Cane Green Tea from English Tea Shop
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: English Tea Shop
Tea Description:
Candy Cane: Green tea, peppermint leaves, orange peels, cinnamon pieces, chicory, strawberry leaves and vanilla pods with mint, vanilla and coconut flavours.
Taster’s Review:
This Candy Cane Green Tea from English Tea Shop is another tea from the holiday package that I received from a friend this past Christmas. The dry aroma smells like a candy cane … but there is also an artificial sort of smell to the dry leaf too. It’s a little off-putting, but I’m hoping that it won’t affect the flavor of the brewed tea.
Yeah, I can still taste a bit of that artificial-ness, but, while it did smell a bit off, it doesn’t taste horrible. On the contrary, this is actually tasty. The flavors of candy cane are there: mint and vanilla.
I taste hints of orange and cinnamon too, and they lend a holiday kind of warmth to the cup. I like that while I can taste these flavors, they don’t interrupt the candy cane notes that I’m tasting, rather, they seem to accentuate the candy cane flavors.
And then there is the chicory and coconut which I think is what I was smelling and tasting that is so odd. Maybe not so much an artificial scent but it’s just weird that I was smelling (and now tasting) coconut and chicory in there, you know? It’s just … strange. It doesn’t taste bad, just a bit unusual and a little out there, you know?
The green tea seems a little lost in this blend, and I think I’m finding myself wishing I was tasting a little less of these other flavors and more of the green tea with mint and vanilla to give it a more candy cane-ish sort of taste.
Overall, it’s not a bad candy cane tribute, and I’d drink it again if it were offered to me. It’s sweet, minty and creamy, just like I’d expect from a candy cane and I like that. But there are some other flavors in there that make this tea sort of stray from what it would seem should be its original intent, which is to be a candy cane tea. The result of which makes this an average tasting candy cane tea. Not great, but not bad either.
Mint Cacao Herbal Tea from Herbal Infusions
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Herbal Infusions
Tisane Description:
A Mint and Cacao infusion that blends premium organic cacao shells and 2nd flush organic peppermint leaves.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! This Mint Cacao Herbal Tea from Herbal Infusions is AWESOME! Decadent and chocolate-y with just the right amount of crisp mint.
I’ve read a few reviews/complaints by tea drinkers who state that they don’t get enough chocolate flavor from cacao shell tisanes. My recommendation to them is to steep the cacao shells longer. So long as the blend does not contain tea leaves (camellia sinensis) or hibiscus, you should feel safe in steeping the cacao shells in 195° water for 10 – 15 minutes (or longer!) I steeped this tisane for 15 minutes, and I’m getting a really satisfying, chocolate-y flavor. And you know how I am when it comes to chocolate!
The chocolate flavor here is rich and smooth. It is a dark chocolate flavor, so it is sweet, but there are some bitter tones to contrast with the sweeter notes. Like milk chocolate better than dark chocolate? Just add a splash of milk to the brewed tisane, and you’ll have creamy, indulgent milk chocolate and mint treat.
As I mentioned above, the mint here is “just enough.” By that, I mean that this has a cool minty note, but, the mint does not overwhelm the cup. This doesn’t taste mouthwash-y. This definitely tastes more of chocolate than it does of mint, and I’m quite happy with that arrangement.
A very satisfying, dessert-y sort of beverage, something you’ll want to curl up to and savor every last sip. I do find that just a little bit of raw sugar brings out the chocolate flavor, so, try about a quarter teaspoon of sugar to elevate the chocolate-y goodness in this one. Not a lot of sugar is needed here, because the tisane has a pleasing sweetness without the sugar. The sugar just sort of pumps up the volume on the chocolate.
YUMMY!