Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This week’s tea is a sweet blend of hay-like shou mei, freeze-dried strawberries and fresh cut peppermint and spearmint along with organic strawberry, mint and bourbon flavors. It reminds me oddly of my grandmother’s house, where she kept a small garden of mint and strawberries on the side of the house.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! This Strawberry Mint Julep White Tea from 52Teas is really tasty! The delicate flavor of the Shou Mei works really well with the sweet-tart taste of the berries and the crisp, refreshing flavor of the mint notes.
The white tea is sweet and has a vegetative hay-like taste to it. There is also a light, crisp taste to the tea that works really nicely with the fresh minty notes of the spearmint and peppermint.
The mint is probably the most pronounced flavor of this cup, but, I like that it’s not dominating to the point of overpowering the other flavors. The strawberry notes come through, as does the subtle tones of the white tea and just a hint of bourbon also reveals itself in each sip.
And while I’m not generally a big fan of alcohol, I do like that this tastes a bit like a cocktail. I actually like that I can taste the booze (without feeling the effects of it!) because the bourbon flavor works well here. Perhaps that’s because it’s not an aggressive taste … it is sort of off in the background, allowing me to enjoy the other flavors while not letting me forget that it’s there.
This is nice served hot (let it cool off for just a couple of minutes after pouring the tea) but as I type this, I’m also in the process of brewing up a half gallon pitcher of it so that I can have this iced tomorrow afternoon. I find that this tea gets better as it cools. I’m liking it better and better with each sip!
I know that I’ve been talking a lot about the 52Teas fundraising effort to reopen the doors of the Zoomdweebies tea bar … but, let me say it again … if you can, please help out this small business! We can always use more places to enjoy tea!
Secret Garden Tea Blend from Kaleisia Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Green & White Teas
Where to Buy: Kaleisia Tea
Tea Description:
The most popular blend of all times. This blend consist of white peony white tea, sencha green tea, darjeeling black tea, gunpowder green tea, dragonwell green tea, jasmine pearl green tea, mango, pineaple, papaya, orange peels, strawberry, red currants, sour cherry bits, and apricot bits. A very well rounded fruity tea that is sure to please anyone.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Secret Garden Tea Blend from Kaleisia Tea has a little bit of EVERYTHING in it! White tea, green tea, black tea … fruit bits … and a whole lot of flavor!
Since this blend seems to be primarily green tea, I went with a lower brew temperature (185°F) and steeped the tea for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One- Touch. And the results are tasty!
Fruit flavor hits the palate first, although … it is more like a “medley” of fruit flavors rather than one specific fruit note. Kind of like a bite of ambrosia salad where you taste several fruit notes all at once and it’s difficult to pin-point exactly which fruit you’re tasting. It’s a very refreshing fruit taste though!
As far as tea flavor goes, green tea is what I taste most. That sweet, sort of leafy/grassy note that is very fresh and crisp. It’s a nice contrast with the sweet and sour fruit notes that tantalize the palate at the start of the sip. There is a sweet, creaminess to the tea notes as well, is that the white tea or the buttery notes from the Sencha? I can’t be sure, but, I like the way it comes together with the fruit notes. I don’t taste a whole lot of white tea here, nor do I notice much from the Darjeeling black tea, although I can’t say that this blend would taste the same without those tea leaves being a part of this blend.
As I continue to sip, I realize that I’m tasting mostly a “tropical” sort of taste: notes of pineapple, mango, and papaya, with a strawberry background note. I taste the sweetness of the apricot too. The sour tones of the currant and the cherry come through near the finish, but these are not very strong flavors. The fruit notes, overall, are more “melded” together as a unified flavor … like some kind of “ultra-fruit” but, if I aerate the sip by slurping, I can pick out individual fruit notes.
I like that this blend is more sweet than it is sour, because I’m not a huge fan of the sour taste as I’ve said many times. While this does seem to be a rather “busy” blend … I find it enjoyable. I like it better iced than hot, so, I’ll be brewing more of this later for my iced tea pitcher and enjoy it all day long tomorrow!
Strawberry Daiquiri Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Summer-time is HERE! And it’s a great time to relax with an icy tumbler full of our latest Tea of the Week.
Here’s a blend of caffeine-free honeybush and fat freeze-dried strawberries with organic flavors of strawberry, rum, lemon and lime.
If an icy tumbler of this doesn’t put a smile on your lips, you might want to check your pulse.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Summertime is almost over. Even though it’s not quite autumn in these parts … another week or two and it will be! We’re already getting the crisper, cooler weather and even some rain! And I’m happy about that because autumn is my favorite time of year.
This Strawberry Daiquiri Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas is very summer-like with its fresh, juicy strawberry taste … and it’s letting me enjoy some of the best of what summer is about without having to endure the hot weather right now.
I taste a little bit of rum-like flavor to this. The strawberry is the strongest flavor, and that’s quite alright with this strawberry fan! The lemon and lime compliment the strawberry nicely – adding not too tart a taste to the cup … just a little something that really perks up the flavors and brightens the overall taste.
The nutty sweet notes of Honeybush are also discernible here, but I don’t taste a lot of Honeybush flavor here. It’s not completely masked by the other flavors … there’s just enough there to remind you that you’re drinking a honeybush tisane and not a warm Daiquiri. (Well, I’m drinking it warm … although it would be very delicious iced too! I think I’m going to have to brew some of this for my iced tea tomorrow!)
Another well-crafted blend from 52Teas.
And while I’ve got your attention, I wanted to tell you that the creator of 52Teas – Frank – is trying to re-open his tea bar in Wichita, Kansas … but he needs OUR help! Please consider visiting Indiegogo and donating to the cause! And … there are lots of different perks offered for donating, too!
Lady Londonderry Tea from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tea Description:
A very interesting and flavorful tea (hints of strawberry and lemon). Have a cup and see yourself lounging on a divan at the end of the day. Lady Londonderry is perfect hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Very nice! This Lady Londonderry Tea from Culinary Teas has a really lovely balance of flavors – offering a brisk black tea base with notes of sweet strawberry and tangy lemon. It’s a really lovely afternoon tea – and it makes a stunning iced tea too!
Of course, iced tea weather is starting to wane, which is just fine by me, I prefer my tea hot! I still find myself guzzling at least a quart of iced tea daily – and this one really tastes great iced. The black tea has a slightly sweet, slightly earthy, somewhat astringent quality to it, giving it that brisk, refreshing taste that I look for in an iced tea.
And the strawberry and lemon work really well together. The strawberry has enough sweetness to soften the tart lemon to give the cup a really tasty contrast. It’s sweet and fruity, with a nice, tarty tingle toward the finish. And even though it is a sweet and fruity tasting tea … these flavors do not overpower the black tea base … the black tea comes through strong and I like that.
An invigorating thirst quencher! And be sure to check out Culinary Teas’ homepage … they’ve always got specials on their tea of the week!
Strawberry Seduction Black Tea from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
Think of a big jucy strawberry covered in warm liquid chocolate. Sounds delicious, right? Now think of that taste captured in a warm cuppa black tea. Completely irresistible? We thought so too.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ohhhh YUMmmmm!
Chocolate covered strawberries!
Forgive me a moment as I sit here and indulge in this yummy tea!
The aroma wafting from my teacup is that of chocolate and berry, with notes of earthy black tea. Shanti Tea has managed to capture the essence of chocolate covered strawberries in this Strawberry Seduction Black Tea quite well. It not only smells like a strawberry that has just been dunked in chocolate fondue, but, it also tastes like that chocolate enrobed strawberry has been liquefied and stirred into a cup of rich, satisfying black tea.
There is a nice amount of chocolate to this cup (sure, it could use more, but, then, that’s the chocoholic in me talking! As it is, it has a fair amount of chocolate, but, more chocolate always equals better), and the strawberry notes are not overpowered by the chocolate or the black tea. There is a good balance of flavors here.
The strawberry is sweet with a barely there tart note at the finish. (You know that little tingly feeling you get on your tongue after you’ve eaten a fresh, ripe berry? Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.) It’s a very flavorful strawberry note, I like that it doesn’t taste like fake strawberry. The black tea is not overly assertive, but, it is strong enough to stand up and be tasted as I sip this tea. Strong … but not overpowering in any way.
Overall, this tea is a real winner – if you like chocolate covered strawberries, this is a tea you should try!