Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Amoda Teas
Tisane Description:
Maybe it’s the unusual addition of rhubarb, maybe it’s the cute little candy hearts… but there is something making this a chocolate and strawberries blend like no other. It’s creamy, chocolate-y, fruity and honeyed without being overly sweet. You could sip this with your V-day dessert and not go into a sugar coma.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the second of the three teas/tisanes that I received in this month’s Tea Tasting Box from Amoda Teas. (Have you subscribed yet? You can do so with the link above, and you really should! It’s really fun to receive a package form Amoda Teas!)
I admit to finding myself a wee bit disappointed by this Love Affair Rooibos Blend from Defthlesen & Balk. Oh, it tastes alright, but, it’s not quite as good as I hoped for. When I see “Chocolate and Strawberries” in the description, I’m hoping for some seriously yummy tea. You know what I mean?
And I must confess that I am a little spoiled, because for Valentine’s Day this year, my hubby bought me a dozen chocolate covered strawberries. So, my tasting of this tisane comes off of indulging in juicy, ripe strawberries that had been generously coated in various types of chocolate (some were dark chocolate, others were milk chocolate and some had white chocolate drizzle) … and they were just sinfully decadent.
And … unfortunately, this tisane just isn’t nearly as decadent. The rooibos blend tastes mostly of strawberries and rooibos, and the result is a nutty, sweet, fruity, tisane with hints of chocolate. The strawberry tastes sweet with a tartness that reveals itself in the aftertaste … the tart notes are further accentuated with the rhubarb … even so, this is definitely more sweet than tart. (That is a good thing in my opinion!)
The chocolate is rather subtle, and a bit too subtle in the opinion of this chocoholic. If someone says chocolate … I want CHOCOLATE. I don’t want hints of chocolate. I don’t want a subdued undertone of chocolate. I want CHOCOLATE. And I’m not getting that here. As the tisane continues to cool, I notice the chocolate a little more, but it never becomes a strong enough flavor to please my chocoholic palate.
The rose presents a very gentle floral note, and I do like that … it’s a nice contrast to the sweet and fruity notes. Overall, a pleasant enough cup, it just doesn’t live up to my expectations.
Organic Fashionista Blend from Fashionista Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tea Description:
This signature blend created especially for the “Fashionista” tea collection, consists of Organic and Fair Trade black teas with botanicals, a reminder of Paris.
Learn more about this Fashionista Blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh this is good. So very good. I love this Organic Fashionista Blend from Fashionista Tea!
The black tea base is comprised of a blend of Organic Congu tea and an Organic Breakfast Blend. This combination creates a remarkably smooth, rich, thick background of flavor. I think that’s what I’m enjoying most about this blend – it’s so solid! It’s well-rounded and flavorful and very satisfying. Notes of malt … earthy, it’s got a strong, biscuit-y character. Not brassy or thin.
The base alone is such a delicious tea, it’s rich and full-flavored … it really doesn’t need anything else. So the “treat” of this tea is that you also get some amazing floral notes from the addition of rose and lavender. Neither are overpowering, but they add charm and interest to the cup, and give it a decidedly “feminine” touch that a tea called “Fashionista Blend” just … needs!
There are also notes of citrus here from the bits of orange peel … but I’m liking how the orange doesn’t come off as “astringent” or adding a “light” taste to the cup (although it does certainly brighten the cup!) It is just an extra dimension of flavor to an already really enjoyable cup of tea.
An excellent cuppa! This is a tea that makes a great breakfast tea … or any time you want a really fulfilling cup of tea!
Vintage Earl Grey from New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Description:
A sophisticated twist to an undeniably sophisticated black tea. Vintage Earl Grey adds the subtleties of rose and lavender to the familiar well-loved tradition of Italian orange bergamot for a smashing afternoon delight. Enjoyed with an intimate circle of friends or in your own personal retreat time, this soothing and lively combination will stir memories of pleasant times well spent.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Vintage Earl Grey blend from New Mexico Tea Company is a very interesting combination of flavors … a really unusual but tasty twist on a classic favorite!
My first thought when I saw so many floral notes plus bergamot was that this would end up tasting like one of those fancy body washes that you might find in a specialty shop in the mall. And while I’ve not actually picked up a bottle of body wash and chugged it, I think I can still say that this does not taste like body wash … or soap … or perfume!
It is one of the more unique Earl Grey blends that I’ve encountered. The flavor is at once citrus-y/bergamot-y, rose, lavender, and rosemary, with a background of black tea flavor. The black tea base is rather subtle and even a tad overwhelmed by the presence of so many strong flavors … but that does not mean that I do not taste the black tea. It just means that it is not as prominent as it would be in a traditional Earl Grey blend. While it doesn’t stand out and say “Here I Am” to the palate, it comes through in the background. There is only a wee bit of astringency and no bitterness with this tea.
In one sip, I notice notes of rose, lavender, bergamot, resin and pine, plus a backdrop of black tea. The rose is the first flavor that I notice immediately. The bergamot then comes through, offering its distinctive citrus-y, tangy flavor. The lavender takes a few sips to really be recognized … and I think this has something to do with the other ingredients actually “altering” the usually distinguished flavor of lavender … it took me a little while for me to recognize the flavor as lavender … whereas if this had been a straightforward lavender scented black tea, I would have noticed the lavender immediately because of the lack of other ingredients to taint the lavender’s presence.
The rosemary is there too, and I like the sharp, pine-ish flavor that it offers the cup. It really does give this a ‘vintage-y’ kind of flavor together with the rose and lavender. It’s quite remarkable.
I really enjoyed the way this tea came together. It is indeed DIFFERENT, but, different isn’t always bad. In this case, different is definitely GOOD, and it was unique and interesting enough to keep me sipping!
Amore’ from The Persimmon Tree
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
The Amore loose leaf white tea features a beautiful blend of organic flower-scented white loose-leaf teas, wild roses, organic peppermint and seasonally selected botanicals.
With its refreshing and aromatic qualities, drinking a cup of Amore white tea makes a great occasion for an after meal pick-up, or for sipping in the evening with someone you love.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Amore’ from The Persimmon Tree is a beautiful tea to look at and I find it to be so soothing, relaxing, and just calming. I always have a cup of tea beside me on the table when I fall asleep at night, even if I don’t finish it, I just like to know a cup is there. This tea will be a perfect bedside companion!
Delicate big white tea leaves that look all fluffy like clouds or a big squishy pillow, pretty roses, the soothing, breathe easy aroma of mint, what more could one ask for at night?
I have found that I do not love mint teas the way that I once did, yet my love for floral teas has developed more. I still like mint, but I appreciate the floral aspect of this tea more so than the mint aspect that I used to love. I feel the balance in this tea airs a bit more on the mint side but the floral does come through wonderfully as does the white base.
Everything about this tea tastes natural. I have done a lot of essential oil and herb blending in my days and I can say that I do not detect anything less than natural in this tea blend. Plus organic elements are used which I respect greatly!
I have taken some quotes from The Persimmon Tree’s “About Us” page located here and I could not agree more!
“Simply put, tea is one of life’s rewarding pleasures. It makes us feel better by giving us a relaxing escape from life’s hectic pace.”
“A cup of tea can wake you up in the morning, compliment your afternoon, or take you away to a restful place in the evening. The tea-brewing ritual is one that can be therapeutic, enjoyable, social, and even sacred.”
I could not agree more especially when it comes to this tea, being so soothing, relaxing, calming. I think I like this even more than a chamomile tea for bedtime although I swear I do taste chamomile in here.
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Also as an added bonus The Persimmon Tree is offering SororiTea Sister readers a special discount which you can use between now and 1/31/2012. Just use the code SororiTea-Amore-0113 at check out for 20% off this Amore White Tea!
Thé des Sables from Le Palais des Thés
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Le Palais des Thés
Tea Description:
This green tea blend was inspired by a trip to Morocco. It is flavored with exotic fruits (mango, yellow peach and citrus) and Damascus rose, a famous variety that grows on the slopes of the Atlas mountains. Like a flower petal jelly, this tea is both fresh and sensual, and it is beautiful either hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Thé des Sables from Le Palais des Thés is an enjoyable tea. It’s certainly not my favorite offering from this company, but, I am finding it to be calming … soothing … this evening.
The fruit notes of mango and peach taste a tad … artificial, especially in the first couple of sips, but by the time I’ve reached mid-cup, the artificial notes seem to have softened and make way for a more true-to-fruit kind of experience. This ‘artificial-ness” can also have something to do with the citrus tones, which sort of tingle on the tongue in the aftertaste similar to the way my tongue tingles after I’ve sipped a tea that tastes slightly chemical-y or perfume-y. But this tingling sensation sort of wanes by mid-cup, and the artificial taste is less noticeable.
But even with the artificial taste, this tea doesn’t taste horrible. I think it is the floral tones that save the tea from being dumped, really, because the floral tones are so soft and pleasant. Sweet and exotic tasting, like baklava that’s been flavored with rose water. When served warm, this is what this tea reminds me of. I sometimes even think I can taste the pastry notes, which is kind of odd for a green tea … so it might all be in my head … maybe this tea just enchants me so that I think I taste things that I don’t. It is interesting to me, though, that the floral tones here seem so soft and pleasant, not at all perfume-y, while the fruit tones tasted so off at the start … reminiscent of perfume.
As I said, it’s not my favorite tea from this company, but, I’ve tried several teas from them that I’ve really quite enjoyed so I’m not going to allow this one experience to taint my opinion of Le Palais des Thés. Not every tea is going to prove to be a winner, after all, and this one isn’t so horrible that I’d call it a loss … it’s something I enjoyed alright, and something that I’d drink again if I were offered it, but I doubt that I’d order it for myself if I’ve other choices.