Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Description:
Passion Dragon Green Tea is one of our bestsellers at the farmer’s market. Green tea flavored with passion fruit, lemon and a pop of spice. Especially great as an iced tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Being such a fan of Mountain Witch Tea Company, I couldn’t wait to try another green tea of theirs. I have had a couple in the past but have found that I tend to like their flavored black teas better than their flavored green teas.
First off, I love the logo for this tea. The beautiful artwork is so fun and really eye catching. The loose leaf tea is the same way. The gorgeous green tea looks amazing along side the giant chrysanthemum that was in my sample.
Brewed up like a green tea, this tea sent a lovely tropical green tea aroma thru my desk. I really loved how this tea smelled. First taste and sadly this tea is not for me.
This tea delivers on a nice bright green tea flavor but there is an odd taste in there that makes this tea tart and not taste right to me. I’m not getting lovely buttery notes or any of the berry/passion flavors. I pick up the lemon and the cardamom and something else I can’t really put my finger on. What I can really pick up on is how very astringent this tea is. This tea may be one that needs to be cold brewed or enjoyed more as an iced tea to get those flavors to mingle together and give that passion fruit a chance to pop. Another one that I might need to go back and experiment with.
As much as I adore Mountain Witch Tea Company, I know this tea can be dynamite. Just need to figure out the best way to get those flavors to work for me.
Cranberry Orange Muffin Tisane from DAVIDsTEA
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTEA
Tea Description:
We don’t care who you are or where you’re coming from. No one can say no to a muffin. There’s no cuter – or more delicious – way to start your day. Even the name is a delight. And with cranberries, orange slices and cinnamon, this warm and comforting blend has all the taste of a freshly baked muffin…at next to no calories. Meaning you can get that warm, fuzzy feeling every time you steep a cup. Does it get any better? Muffin can compare.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I feel like DAVIDsTEA actually came up with some really interesting flavours this fall – this one in particular is very strange and I don’t know how on board I am with a muffin flavoured tea. Actually, in fact I know I’m not totally on board with a muffin tea. I know people were weirded out by a peanut butter tea, but this is so much stranger to me. For whatever reason.
Again, this appears to be another really heavy herbal blend. There are a lot of big cranberry chunks in the leaf that look as impressive in size as the ones in DT’s black Cranberry Pear blend that I’m accustomed to seeing. The smell of the dry leaf is really weird though: it’s got a really strong orange flavour, but in an off-‘orange peel’ kind of way rather than a sweet, juicy orange. I also smell cinnamon, oat, and something… else. Dandelion I guess? Whatever it is does NOT appeal to me. I mean, the smell isn’t gross but there’s just really no appeal. I cold brewed my sample; the liquor is pretty foggy and this weird orange/brown colour. The smell is quite fruity, with more orange/citrus notes than anything else. I also smell a lot of cinnamon, and a whiff of bran.
The first, most noticeable thing about the flavour is the fruity top notes. The cranberry is very piercing, and this lovely balance of sweet and tart. Somewhere in the mix, I can taste mango too. The orange follows quickly behind, but I can’t say I’m a fan of the flavour. It’s very semi-sweet bordering on not sweet at all and the combination of sourness/tartness and slight bitterness makes me image I’m chewing on an orange peel. Yuck! Unfortunately, those orange notes are really long lingering, well into the aftertaste. I’d love to swap out the intensity of the orange for cranberry.
The muffin taste is alright; I’d say it’s more of a weird starchy oat flavour and bran than a complete “muffin” taste, and there’s cinnamon peppered in there as well. Similar to the orange, the cinnamon is also very lingering. Once the initial fruit flavour subsides you can really taste the “muffin” element of the tisane quite well. I actually don’t mind the overall flavour, but it is strange to be tasting it in chilled, liquid form. Something else comes into play – probably the dandelion, and it’s putting a damper on the flavour too though. If anything I think that it (the ‘muffin’ and dandelion) would work better hot. However, with the unpleasant orange flavour I don’t know whether I want to experience a hot mug to test that theory out.
For me, this is a big mug of nope. Despite how accurate I think it is to the name, this is definitely NOT the tea for me. However, I do encourage people to give at least one cup a shot because it’s a unique flavour.
Wen Shan Baozhong Oolong from Tribute Teas/ChaHoney
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tribute Teas & ChaHoney
Tea Description:
Baozhong oolong originated from Anxi in Fujian, China. A history of production reaching back nearly 150 years, it is the most famous tea of northern Taiwan. The name ‘Baozhong’ refers to its traditional packaging in a bamboo wrapping. A uniquely light oxidation and minimal roasting reveal a elegant, smooth, and notably fresh flavor. Its aroma is floral and sweet, with notes of apricots. . .
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to ChaHoney here.
Taster’s Review:
Subscription boxes are the thing these days. I myself subscribe to a few. The one that intrigues me the most is ChaHoney, a monthly subscription plan that basically does your tea shopping for you. ChaHoney doesn’t blend their own tea yet instead looks for those amazing teas that you might have overlooked here or there. Each month features a different company. I just love this idea and hope to become a member soon. But first I need to sipdown some teas (this will be #33!!).
I’m almost finished with this first box from ChaHoney that I received. I’m quite impressed with the teas I’ve had so far. The company that was featured was Tribute Teas. You’d think I would have tried them by now since they are in my home state but alas no. Shame on me.
This oolong right out of the gate smelled decadent and romantic. I can absolutely pick up notes of lilacs. I love lilacs and am happy just to sit around enjoy the aroma from this tea. So beautiful.
I let this tea sit for just a moment and then took my first sip. Gorgeous! Simply gorgeous, romantic and exactly what I needed today. This tea is everything you could ask for and more. Irresistible floral notes paired with hints of a sweetness that I would compare to an apricot. The description is spot on. I am incredibly impressed and next payday, this one will need to be re-ordered.
I am simply in love with this floral roasted sweet apricot loving oolong! I can absolutely see this tea being one that you drink while you get lost in a good book. This is my favorite Tribute Tea to date!
Peanut Butter Cup Tisane from DAVIDsTEA
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTEA
Tea Description:
Whether you’re looking for an afternoon pick-me-up or a sweet treat on the go, nothing beats peanut butter and chocolate. Sweet, rich, salty and addictive, it’s a classic combo for a reason. And with this smooth and satisfying blend, you can indulge your sweet tooth anytime, guilt-free. With almonds, cocoa beans and chocolate chips, it tastes just like the real thing. And since it’s completely peanut free, you can take it with you everywhere. Want to take it to the next level? Try it as a latte with frothed chocolate milk. You heard it here first…
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
DAVIDsTEA’s Fall Collection has been out for a little while now, but I’m just getting the chance to try the new teas in it. To me, this is definitely the most interesting one they’ve come up with this year; and if it actually delivers on the flavour then I think it could be a really unique, interesting dessert tea staple for late night sugar cravings!
Like tends to happen every season, this is a seriously heavy tisane so if you’re picking any up for yourself keep that in mind and know that 50g probably isn’t going to stretch super far. It does smell really decadent though with really creamy chocolate notes and a sweet, creamy and powerful peanut aroma. All combined, it really creates a solid, easily comparable smell to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I have to wonder how they got the peanut to come across so clearly when there isn’t actually any peanut in the blend (just almond). Having had a few peanut teas, I can say that I’ve been really let down by ‘peanut’ flavoured things that use artificial flavours. My experience is that you need the real thing to get the flavour across. But this tisane could easily break that trend.
I’ve read that people find this weird hot, and it’s better cold (or as a latte) but I decided to make my mug hot because I actually thought that would be the best way to serve it and I think cold brewing a tisane so heavy would be a big waste of leaf. The smell is very rich and reminds me of extra creamy peanut butter: the kind that gets stuck to the roof of your mouth and you can still faintly taste like half an hour after finishing it.
The taste is surprisingly accurate; I’d say it’s more peanut than chocolate, but that the chocolate is very creamy and sweet. I think DAVIDsTEA really, really achieved what they set out to do with this blend. Now, that said, it does have a little bit of an oily mouthfeel, which is relatively inescapable when you’re using chocolate chips, and the flavor is a little bit thin. I can see people either really liking this one or finding it incredibly weird or disappointing. Personally, I didn’t realize quite how much I liked it until I had finished the mug and had the immediate urge to go resteep the leaves again, which I NEVER do with tisanes. My second mug was also pretty thin tasting, and didn’t pack much of a chocolate punch but the peanut notes were still really strong.
Again, I very much want to know how they got the peanut flavor accurate. I’m sure there are gonna be a lot of people with peanut allergies hoarding this…
Awake from Treehouse Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Treehouse Teas
Tea Description:
A wonderful energetic blend that will keep you awake! Maybe you’ve been traveling the world or just need a little boost to get you through the day. Green Tea, Green Mate, Gynostemma Leaves, Strawberry and Papaya make this blend a get up and go to.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am such a fan of green tea and green mate. I love how the flavors mix. What is fun with this mix is that there is also a bit of a tropical feel to it with the added strawberries and papaya. This tea had such a nice sweet aroma.
What I always seem to be confused by is what steeping parameters I should use. Green tea and green mate have completely different steeping times. To play it safe- I went with the green tea setting on the Breville One Touch because I wasn’t sure how forgiving the green tea would be if I went with the mate setting I typically use. Poured the sample into the brewing basket and away I went.
My thoughts? I like this blend. It isn’t overpowering and it is very subtle. No one flavor gets in the way or pushes the other around. The green tea has a nice buttery feel that really pairs well with the strawberry and the mate gives a slight roasted flavor that goes well with the papaya. All in all, a nice brew subtle brew. I would love to try this one on ice. With ingredients like strawberry and papaya, I can see this being perfect for these last days of summer!