Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium Organic black tea with organic flavors. Each 14g teabag will make one 2-quart pitcher of DELICIOUS iced tea. Re-steep the teabag and you can get a full gallon out of each one.
Ingredients: Premium Organic Black Teas, Organic Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh, this Southern Boy Teas Lime Cola Flavored Black Iced Tea from 52Teas is a wonderful, refreshing drink that has captured the essence of lime and cola very well, while still not detracting from the delicious natural flavors of the black tea.
Of the six new flavors for Southern Boys Teas that 52Teas has introduced for this summer (five black teas, one herbal tisane), I think that this is my favorite of those that I’ve tried thus far! The flavors are so spot on.
I don’t think I’ve ever actually tried a “lime cola.” I’ve had lemon-lime soda, and I know that there is a lime diet cola out there, but, since I can’t consume aspartame, I haven’t tried this soft drink. And really, I don’t drink a whole lot of colas and/or sodas … I’ll stick to my tea, thanks! However, this Lime Cola flavored tea from Southern Boy Teas is what I would expect a lime cola to taste like.
From the moment I tore into the package, I could smell the cola and the lime. I could smell that sweet, caramel-y cola note essence, and the lovely citrus tone from the lime. I cold-brewed the tea (And again, let me say that I’m loving these extra large tea bags that 52Teas uses to make the iced tea pouches … there is more than enough room for the leaves to expand – with room to spare even! I like that … and while I usually prefer loose leaf when I’m brewing hot tea, when I’m cold-brewing iced tea, I really appreciate the convenience of a sachet/pouch/teabag. It makes the whole thing so much easier.
The flavors of cola and lime are so distinct in this glass of frosty iced tea. I can almost “feel” the bubbles from the soda! The black tea is not overpowered, either, it comes through in the background: smooth, rich and robust. It’s a very refreshing beverage. It is a little on the sweet side, then again, isn’t cola supposed to be sweet? I like the way the tart, zesty flavor of the lime cuts through some of the sweeter notes, providing some balance for the palate.
A really delicious iced tea!
Southern Mint Herbal Tea from Revolution Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Tisane Description:
A refreshing pick-me-up, Southern Mint is a delightful version of the traditional English mint tea. This herbal drink, made from whole Egyptian mint leaves, has soothing properties and can help combat headaches and aid in digestion. Caffeine Free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! This Southern Mint Herbal Tea from Revolution Tea is so crisp and refreshing! It’s a great tisane to sip after a spicy meal, it helps calm the tummy!
The mint used in this tisane is an estate grown pure Egyptian peppermint. It has a very fresh and exhilarating taste … and even though it is very invigorating to drink, it is naturally caffeine free so it won’t overstimulate me before bedtime.
The taste is clean and pure. It freshens the mouth and leaves my mouth feeling refreshed and I can already feel it calm my stomach after eating spicy tacos! It’s a nice, natural way to freshen the palate while relaxing the tummy. This is the kind of tisane I like to keep on hand for times like this … and I also like to keep it on hand because my daughter loves peppermint tea and this one from Revolution tea is one of the better ones I’ve tried.
Southern Boy Teas Series, Part 3: Razzleberry from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium Indian CTC black teas blended with organic flavoring. Amazing tea with a great razzleberry (raspberry/blackberry) finish.
Learn more about all the Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I cold-brewed this tea overnight, and it is so yummy! I have already finished half of the the 2 quart pitcher (in other words, I’ve already polished off a quart of it), and I can’t seem to stop sipping!
The berry flavors are bright and refreshing, with a good, solid berry flavor. It starts out with a distinct blackberry flavor that remains throughout the sip, and by about mid-sip, I notice the raspberry notes start to come through. The raspberry is especially noticeable in the aftertaste. It is here, in the aftertaste, where all I taste is fresh, juicy raspberry! Sweet with just a hint of berry tartness.
The black tea seems to have a mellower taste when infused using the cold-brew method, it is very smooth and there is very little astringency and absolutely no bitterness. It is strong enough to offer an ample base flavor to the glass without overwhelming the delicious berry flavor.
I used to be a hot-brewed iced tea kind of girl, but, lately, I’ve been preferring the cold-brew method, especially when it comes to these great tea bags from 52Teas. The bags are large enough to accommodate the tea leaves in their expanded (brewed) form and then some. And it’s so easy to brew them using the cold-brew method – just filter the water, fill the pitcher, and add the tea bag. No timers. No standing over the teapot waiting for the tea to finish steeping. And because these are in the large tea bag, there is nothing to clean up – just remove the tea bag.
Watch for my reviews of the other iced tea offerings from “Southern Boy Teas!”
Southern Boys Teas Series, Part 2: Monkey Fart from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Before writing this review, I searched for my review of the Monkey Fart Honeybush from My Sweet Honeybush. But I couldn’t find it – I guess I never wrote one! I guess that means I’m going to have to procure another pouch of said honeybush! (Yes, I realize I’m merely justifying my tea shopping, but, whatever works, right?)
Anyway, I have tried the Monkey Fart Honeybush on several occasions, and I enjoyed it, but it became a big hit with my oldest daughter who really loves the stuff. So, I was confident I’d enjoy the black iced tea version of it.
And I do. It is sweet, banana-y, and very refreshing. It reminds me a little bit of the Banana Fanta Slurpees from 7-11. This has a similar sweet-banana kind of taste, almost “candy-like”. Now that I think about it, what this really tastes like to me is banana cotton candy! It’s got that light, wispy kind of sweetness the way cotton candy does.
The banana is distinct, but the black tea is not just sitting off in the background. It is a strong, vibrant flavor, and melds well with the banana flavoring.
This first tasting is the result of cold-brewing the tea bag (I love the size of these teabags. They’re HUGE! Certainly roomy enough to accommodate the tea’s expansion, and there is still room to spare, no worries about the tea not having enough room in this bag!), and I’m really loving these Southern Boy Teas for cold-brewing. But I thought I’d do a little experiment and try hot-brewing the bag this evening for tomorrow’s iced tea and see how the second infusion turns out.
And as it turns out, the hot-brew resteep turned out pretty darned good too. It’s not quite as strong or flavorful as the first cold-brew infusion, but, it is still very tasty and refreshing… which means that you can double the amount of tea and the value of the purchase price of these teas! Definitely take the time to resteep!
Southern Pecan from Element Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Element Tea
Product Description:
Indulge within the flavors of a smooth black tea, roasted pecans, and a creamy white chocolate finish. This tea is naturally sweet but well balanced with a slight sharpness from the Sunflower petals.
Ingredients: Premium Sri Lankan Black Tea, Walnut Pieces, Pecan Pieces, Calendula, Sunflower Petals, White Chocolate pieces, Natural Flowers
Taster’s Review:
This isn’t the first time I’ve tried this tea, I’ve tasted and reviewed it previously. And my adoration of this tea hasn’t changed since I wrote that review, but I do think a tea this good deserves another round of praise.
This tea reminds me so much of pecan pie. The nutty flavor from the pecans and walnuts and the sweet white chocolate flavor combined with the naturally delicious flavor of the black tea somehow magically meld into a very pecan pie like flavor. All that’s really missing is the pastry … and that is something that can be remedied easily by eating some tasty shortbread cookies along with this tea.
But even without the shortbread cookies, this tea is truly delightful … perhaps even more delightful than a pecan pie, because as much as I do enjoy pecan pie, I find that even with my very demanding sweet tooth pecan pie can be a little too cloying sometimes. And the sunflower petals offer just the right hint of sharpness that cuts through that sweetness … it isn’t TOO sharp, but, it’s just right, you know?
This is a delightful autumnal tea, delicious any time of day. I prefer it hot, but, it is also quite nice iced too. Pleasantly sweet without any sweetener added!