Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Here’s a unique treat to tempt your tastebuds. How about some of our premium black teas blended with raisins and the organic flavors of vanilla ice cream, raisins and rum? Our Rum Raisin Ice Cream tea is sure to impress. Get some while it lasts!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy! I’ve been looking forward to trying this Rum Raisin Ice Cream Flavored Black Tea ever since 52Teas announced it as the tea of the week for December 9th. I can’t recall ever tasting a Rum Raisin ice cream, but the idea of rum soaked raisins and sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream sounds delicious. And I usually enjoy 52Teas ice cream inspired teas, so I was fairly certain I’d enjoy this one too.
And I’m loving this. It is so good. The flavors all come together so well. I taste raisin, I taste rum, I taste the sweet, creamy notes of vanilla and even a hint of a milky/creamy taste that is giving it an ice-cream-y sort of flavor.
And then there is the black tea. The “usual” black tea base that 52Teas uses for their black tea blends is perfect for this blend. It is robust and has notes of malt that marry well with the rum notes. The black tea tastes rich and full and fills out the background while the flavors play in the foreground.
This not only makes a great “dessert” type tea, but also offers an amazing, guilt-free way to enjoy dessert for breakfast. I enjoyed the tea served straight up, and after the first couple of sips, I decided to try it with a little bit of turbinado sugar, so I added about half a teaspoon. The sugar enhanced the sweet raisin notes and the ice-cream-y taste, so I highly recommend trying this one with just a little bit of sugar. Then I poured myself a second cup of this Rum Raisin deliciousness, and this time I tried it lightly sweetened with a splash of milk … and oh my goodness! So, so good.
A really good one from 52Teas. As I write this review, I see that there are eight (count ’em … 8) pouches of this tea left. I highly recommend getting yourself over to 52Teas and picking up one of these pouches for yourself before they’re gone. It’s a winner!
Raisin Flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
When the tangy tart taste of fresh raisins is combined with the understated elegance of Matcha, the resulting treat is a true feast for the palate. With its subtle hints of hidden sweetness and Matcha’s light touch, Raisin Matcha is the perfect treat for people who want a drink with fruity undertones and a touch of the exotic orient. This delicious treat can also command a following in the special occasions of young children because of its sweet flavor and fruity charms.
Learn more about this flavored Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I like raisins alright, and my curiosity was definitely piqued when I noticed that Red Leaf Tea offers a Raisin Flavored Matcha in their vast selection of flavored Matcha teas. I mean, it’s not often when I actually encounter a raisin flavored tea … I’ve found a few grape flavored teas, but not counting the few fruit tisanes that I’ve found that include actual raisins in their blend, it’s not often when I come across a raisin flavored tea.
And if that wasn’t enough to prompt me to order a Raisin Flavored Matcha (and it is!) I couldn’t help bu think that the sweet flavor of raisins would mesh quite well with the sweet, buttery, vegetative flavor of Matcha. And I was right! This is really an outstanding flavor combination. It reminds me just a wee bit of the Fig Flavored Matcha … the aroma was not quite as strong as the Fig Matcha but it was similar, and the taste is faintly reminiscent of the flavor of the Fig Matcha as well. Not so similar that it’s difficult to tell one from the other – this is definitely Raisin flavored Matcha. But they are similar enough to evoke my thoughts to that Fig Matcha that I enjoyed so much.
The Matcha is sweet, slightly grassy, and has a creamy texture. The raisin-y taste seems to highlight the Matcha tea’s natural buttery note and encourages it to come forward. There is a slightly tart note to this too, a distinct “grape-y” note to this, although it tastes more like the sweet, dry raisin than it does a juicy, tart grape.
I went with my usual specifications for this Matcha – the classic grade of Matcha and the distinctive level of flavoring … and I’m very happy with the result. The flavor of the Matcha is not diminished or muted by the flavoring, and the raisin notes are strong enough to be tasted. A nice balance has been achieved. I don’t think I’d go with a different level of flavoring for this blend for future orders, but I might try one of the higher grades of Matcha, just to see how they measure up.
I like this Matcha prepared the traditional way, whisked up with hot water. It also makes a nice latte, if you’d like to add some warm milk to the chawan when you’re preparing the matcha. But I think that this one is BEST served cold! Just measure some of the powdered green tea right into a water bottle with cold water and shake it up until it’s completely incorporated. It’s so delightfully refreshing – and invigorating! It makes a great pick-me-up for those afternoons when you start to feel sluggish!
Another winning flavor for Matcha from Red Leaf Tea!
Organic Silver Needle White from Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Organic Silver Needle White Tea has exquisitely shaped buds enveloped in white down. This white tea excites with its savory aroma, rich body and a sweet flavor with rounded finish that is soft and airy on the palate. White Teas which include our Organic Silver Needle variety are known to promote weight loss and stimulate the metabolism. This low caffeine antioxidant packed tea is delicious hot or cold and can be enjoyed any time of day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Soft, Fuzzy, Pillowy, Billowy, White tea is what Organic Silver Needle White from Nature’s Tea Leaf is! Its so pretty to look at. Delicious to smell, even in its dry state. I love touching and examining the silvery white needles. This is very much a tactile tea leaf.
The steeped leaf smells slightly minty, and very sweet. The flavor is also lightly minty, but just delicately so. The sweetness does translate into the taste beautifully, but a a mid-range vegetal note is also present. There is a very brothy mouthfeel to this tea and it almost has a creamy feel in the aftertaste. I could see this tea being a major part of a soup broth if you are into using tea in cooking. This is definitely a greener tasting white than I have had before and has a nice lingering aftertaste that lasts longer than most.
This is right up there with some of my favorite white teas because it offers something different from others I have had before. It is unique and it is Organic which makes it even better in my book!
The sweet notes I have been tasting have had me perplexed for a bit, as they are not honey notes, or even that of cane sugar, nor molasses, its more of a fruity sort of sweet, like raisins perhaps, yet it does not taste fruity. Also there is absolutely no astringency in this cup.
This tea is a little more pricey than others but it is organic, and it is delicious, therefore it is worth it!
Darjeeling Second Flush Rohini Black from sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Darjeeling. Black
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
Rohini Second Flush Black Tea delightfully smooth full bodied mouth feel. Cocoa notes with highlights of almond and spice delivered in a baked bread. Warm and inviting gliding over the palate pleasing your every whim. As with all of the high quality Darjeeling teas this tea remain inviting for several steeps.
Rohini is a well established Tea estate, though the estate did remain closed for a period of 30 years the Saria family revived it in 1994. The garden is divided into four; the lower Jaberhat, mid elevation of Kotidhara and Pailodhora, and Tukuriya which is the highest in elevation. Tukuriya division which is located at an average elevation of 4400 FT and stretches right up to Kurseong town. The teas from Tukuriya are made from tea bushes that have remained there for more than 100 years.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Darjeeling Second Flush Rohini Black from sTEAp Shoppe offers a lighter darjeeling with a deep lurking presence.
Upon first sip you will get a sweet raisin note, a light grape essence, not nearly as muscatel as some Darjeeling, and you may even think that it is a rather light, bright, tea with a clean finish. But wait… sneaking upon your unsuspecting taste buds is a rich, full mouthfeel, almost creamy, velvety, with a nutty, woodsy, backdrop of flavor.
There is a honeyed sweetness to this Darjeeling, and while my palate does not detect cocoa notes as in the description it does offer a wonderful hint at almond, and fig.
The more the tea cools the fuller and more robust it becomes, almost as if it thickens.
I could see this tea being quite excellent iced, but it requires no additives and I feel adding any thing, even sweetener, would ruin this perfect cup.
Janet at sTEAp Shoppe offers up another winner in this Darjeeling Second Flush Rohini Black.
Samovar Op-A Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
We created this selection specifically for use in samovars but it also works exceptionally well in traditional teapots. The tea has a dark cup, well-balanced character, and can be infused for a long period without becoming bitter. The flavor is of a classic medium-grown Ceylon with a smooth profile and hints of ripe apple.
Origin:
Sri Lanka
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Samovar Op-A Blend from Upton Tea Imports has a nicely sweet yet malty flavor that rests gently on the palate.
My immediate reaction is that the aroma was far more inciting them the flavor, at first I thought it rather bland, but as soon as that thought had left my mind I got those intensely sweet honeyed notes and a lovely blanket of malty goodness on my tongue!
As I spent more time with the tea shaking away that first impression I realized that the apple notes begin to sparkle and there is something of a sparkly sensation on the tongue.
I am not normally a big fan of Ceylon teas but this one has some elements that remind me of Darjeeling, and I like that a lot!
There is a very slight chocolate note to the tea, but very slight, it just has this backdrop which makes the taste more robust, thick even, and quite rich.
Then a raisin flavor comes forward as well.
I am glad I did not listen to that knee jerk reaction, as I would have been a jerk indeed had I dumped this cup!
This is one of the smoothes teas with absolutely not one bit of astringency or bitterness I have ever had!
I am glad now that I have enough for another steeping session for a later time, I expect to get many more steeps out of this leaf!