Strawberry White Tea from SpecialTeas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  This tea is (thankfully) no longer available as SpecialTeas has joined forces with Teavana.

Product Description:

A High-grade China white tea flavored with strawberry. A treat for nose and palette.

Ingredients: White tea, strawberry bits, flavoring

Taster’s Review:

A couple of weeks ago on the Cups of Tea with Jackie blog, the author (Jackie) mentioned how you rarely come across a tea review that is negative.  Well, Jackie… this one’s for you.

And it shall begin with a story of sorts.  Once upon a time (and it was a bit longer than I care to mention), I tasted a Strawberry White Tea from SpecialTeas.  It was actually quite fabulous.  Tender white tea flavor and sweet, authentic strawberry notes.  So, when I recently received more of this tea from my SororiTea Sister, I was happy to have it because my memory of the tea is fond.

I don’t know what has happened since that last time that I tried the Strawberry White from SpecialTeas.  But… something went terribly wrong.  Like:  WRONG.  Badly wrong.

The first couple of sips were ok.  Just alright.  I could taste the strawberry and the white tea.  But, it didn’t taste like the tea I remember.  It didn’t taste all that bad, but it did taste rather sad; especially when I reflected upon my memory of this tea having actually been good.  That being said, I thought that maybe I could finish the cup. But as I continued to sip, the flavor did not improve (the way it often does with other teas); rather, it got worse.

Much worse.

Now, I am tasting SOAP.  And a floral note that is bitter and tasting … off, like a fake, artificial kind of flavoring.  It’s a very weird taste that is making me wish I hadn’t just taken a sip… like something my step-mother might have used to wash my mouth out with when I was being disobedient.  (It might surprise you to know that I wasn’t the most well-behaved child)

I don’t taste white tea any longer, nor do I taste anything that tastes remotely like strawberry.  I just taste this funky, thin soapy taste with a vague, fake berry-ish kind of flavor in the background.   This is not good.  This is not pleasant.  Or, as Jackie would like me to say, this tastes like crap.   (Although, I would like to state for the record that I don’t really know what crap tastes like.  But, I am guessing that it might taste something like this tea.)

I steeped this the same way I would normally steep a white tea:  Low water temperature for five minutes.  And with just about every white tea I taste, this produces an acceptable cup… so I don’t feel it would be fair to blame my steeping on this horrible cup of tea.

There is a glimmer of silver lining to this tea though, and that would be that SpecialTeas is no longer actively selling tea (at least, not as SpecialTeas), and so this tea is no longer available for sale, and hopefully that last sip is truly my last of this tea.

There ya go, Jackie …  How ya like me now?

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in White Tea

Apricot with Apricot Pieces and Flowers from SpecialTeas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  SpecialTeas

Company Description:

Full-leaf black tea with apricot pieces.

Ingredients: Black tea, apricot bits (with sugar), sunflower petals, flavoring

Taster’s Review:

I now live in the Pacific Northwest.  I love it here, but there are some things that I really miss about life in sunny Southern California.  One of the things I miss most is the summertime fruit!  Strawberry stands and fresh peaches and apricots, picked right off the trees!  Sure, I can get fruit here in the grocery store, but, it simply does not compare to the ripe, succulent flavor that comes from the fruit that has just been picked.   (However, we do have awesome apples, cherries and marionberries here!)

This apricot tea is very bright and flavorful, much like a freshly picked apricot.  The black tea is pungent but does not completely overwhelm the fruity flavor of the apricot.  There is a little bitterness to the black tea, but I don’t find it off-putting, as it seems to cut through some of the sweeter notes of the apricot and gives it a smoother, more even taste.

This tea reminds me of afternoons in the late summertime when the apricots were in season.  The flavor is juicy-fresh and inviting.  It is stunning served iced – so juicy and delicious!  Makes a really good sun-tea! – and it also makes a delicious hot tea – especially good served with a little bit of milk!  Yummy!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea