Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tea Description:
When he wasn’t in China discovering secret tea recipes, Britain’s second Earl Grey lived at Howick Hall in England, just like his ancestors had done since 1319. And also like his ancestors, he was a keen gardener and outdoorsman. This tea would no doubt have suited him, with the characteristic black tea and bergamot highlighted by strawberries and essence of black currant.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said many times before, I love it when I come across an Earl Grey blend that is a twist on the classic favorite. And I’m really enjoying this: The Earl’s Garden black tea blend from David’s Tea. It’s a delightful combination of the traditional bergamot flavored black tea blended with strawberry and black currant notes.
I’ve tried a few Earl Grey teas that have combined either strawberry or raspberry, and I’ve enjoyed those. But I think that this may be the first that I’ve tried that has combined both strawberry and black currant. And I really like the dimension of flavor that the essence of black currant adds to this cup. It gives the tea an almost “wine-like” tone, and the tart notes of the currant meld in a really interesting way with the tangy taste of the bergamot. And the sweet-tart notes of the strawberry really brighten the overall cup. It’s a really interesting amalgamation of tastes.
The black tea base is a bit on the mellow side … this is not a tea that I’d reach for in the morning as my first cup of tea. Rather, this is something that would make a nice afternoon pick-me-up … something that is uplifting in its own way but not overly stimulating. But the black tea is definitely there … it doesn’t just roll over and allow the bergamot, strawberry and black currant to get all the attention. It is strong enough to offer a pleasing, earthy background to the cup without being overly aggressive. It is a fairly smooth black tea with a fair amount of astringency, but no bitterness.
The bergamot is not overly aggressive here either. It is tangy and citrus-y, and it hasn’t been overdone. It doesn’t taste soapy the way some bergamot flavored teas can taste. It’s on the milder side, but, again, not so mild that it goes unnoticed. This is definitely an Earl Grey tea!
I really enjoyed this blend … it’s a nice variation of the classic favorite. Definitely something I’d be happy to enjoy now and again.
Fruity Pebbles Green Tea Blend from Tiesta Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Tea Description:
The 2008 World Tea Champion is a smooth and sweet blend of flowery fruit and sencha with a fantastic base that no one can resist. The synchronization of pineapple, passion fruit, and strawberry form a perfect fruity triangle.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow … this Fruity Pebbles Green Tea Blend from Tiesta Tea smells AMAZING! The dry leaf is very fragrant with floral notes and strong fruity tones. It smells like something you’d want to set out as potpourri to freshen your home!
I kind of chuckled when I read the name of this tea … of course, my thoughts turned to the popular rice cereal (which I LOVE but try to avoid because it isn’t the healthiest item in the cereal aisle, is it?) As I waited for the tea to brew, I found myself wondering just how similar it would taste to the cereal.
OK, so it doesn’t TASTE like the cereal. But, I can see the connection. The cereal is sweet and fruity … this tea is sweet and fruity too. But I like that I still taste TEA in there. There is a balance.
The green tea is soft and buttery, with subtle notes of vegetation that meld well with the notes of fruit and flower. I don’t notice quite as much of the white tea notes in this … the Pai Mu Tan is very subtle here, but, this blend would not be the same without it. It adds a lightness and a certain earthiness that directs the palate toward the “tea” notes, if that makes sense. The earthiness is what makes this taste more like tea than of a fruit drink.
The combination of pineapple, papaya and strawberry is delectable! It is definitely tropical-ish because the pineapple and papaya are strong here, but they do not overwhelm the delicious, sweet-tart notes of the berry. I like that I taste elements of each fruit in this tea.
The rose is a little less apparent, and its contribution is definitely seen and smelled more than it is tasted … but, there are very subtle floral tones to the taste and it really heightens the overall experience by adding just a hint of SOMETHING, you know? Just that subtle touch … makes a big difference to the cup.
I really enjoyed this tea immensely … I look forward to trying more of Tiesta Tea’s green tea offerings too … their Jolly Green Kiwi looks intriguing!
Caribe from Harney & Sons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green Teas
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Tea Description:
Breathe in the sweet aroma of Caribe, a light fusion of green and black teas enhanced by tropical flavors. The exotic tea mellifluously fuses hibiscus, guava, coconut and strawberry, accented with marigolds and cornflowers. The first sip tastes of green tea, trailed by an impressive array of fruit and floral surprises, revealing endless tropical notes tucked into each sip. A favorite for many, Caribe is an inventive and exotic blend softened into a serene escape.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I really, really need to start checking up on teas before I try them blindly without knowing a little bit about them. Case and point: this Caribe blend from Harney & Sons, which is a blend of black and green teas. I thought it was a straight black tea blend with no green tea … so I brewed it as such, using boiling water.
Fortunately, this tea is pretty forgiving, because I didn’t get a scorched green tea leaf taste in my cup – no bitterness, no foul or off taste. Just deliciousness.
I noticed the hints of green tea and guava right off the bat, with a earthy black tea that provided a solid background of flavor. After a couple of sips, the strawberry notes really came through nicely, and this became a tea that was mostly about the strawberry! Nothing wrong with that, I love strawberries!
But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t taste the tea. The black tea is … quite obviously … the strongest tea note of this cup, but the green tea is certainly noticeable. I find myself wondering how this tea might have tasted with a slightly lower brewing temperature … if I would taste more green tea flavor, how the strawberry and guava would present themselves … but of course, I only had enough for one pot of tea, and so, I’m left to wonder. (Fortunately, if curiosity gets the better of me, Harney does offer this in generous loose leaf sample packages for just $2.00!)
The coconut is not a well-defined flavor, I notice more of its texture than its taste here, providing a slick coconut texture that is supple and slightly creamy. And I’m glad to say that the hibiscus does not have a strong presence in this cup either … it does offer a slight tartness to the overall cup, but this seems to accent the berry notes quite nicely. The floral notes are faint to this cup as well, but, the flower petals certainly do add charm and color to the dry leaf.
Overall, not a bad cup of tea. I enjoyed the combination of flavors, and the way they presented themselves. If you do get around to trying this one, and have a chance to brew it at a slightly lower temperature, do let me know how it fairs! I’m interested to know!
Strawberry Shortcake from Angelina’s Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Angelina’s Teas
Tea Description:
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
(Black Tea with natural flavors)
Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Region: Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula or Uva districts
Shipping Port: Colombo
Grade: OP (Orange Pekoe)
Altitude: 4800 – 7600 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type: Orthodox
Cup Characteristics: A full bodied sweet and creamy cup. Perfect with a dash of sugar and a splash of milk. This ones
amazing over ice.
Infusion: Bright and Coppery.
Information: Who doesnt love Strawberry Shortcake? Fresh strawberriespastry icing sugarfresh cream. In a word, scrumptious. The original recipe can be traced back to a 19th century American food writer named Eliza Leslie. Her shtick, (even back then all food writers and celebrity chefs had one) was to incorporate various elements of French cuisine into American cooking. Her recipe called for a special pastry crust that was a cross between traditional pastry and cookie dough, cut into rounds with mashed strawberries sandwiched between them, covered in icing sugar. Phew! The recipe spread like wildfire and spawned many variations. One that saw the addition of fresh whipped became the Strawberry Shortcake most of us are familiar with today. This tea has all the great flavors of the sweet creamy dessert with none of the calories, (read guilt free). Dessert in a teacup. Nothing could be finer.
What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?
Firstly… we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka – Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic Ceylon tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly – perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwar
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Strawberry Shortcake from Angelina’s Teas is another excellent creamy strawberry tea, and many of you know how much I adore a good strawberry tea, especially if it is sweet, and creamy!
I have a handful of favorite strawberry teas and I have to say this one rivals them all. Considering the cost point of just a tad over 2.00 USD per ounce, this one may be the best so far. Not that I mind paying more for a better tea, but this is right at the level of my favorite strawberry teas that are more expensive.
I love that Angelina’s puts so much effort into their tea descriptions and has such a huge assortment of teas, tea ware and goodies on their site. I could spend an entire day just browsing!
This is a stash keeper in my book. Fresh juicy strawberry flavor with a creamy dessert finish.
Not a lot to say about it other than it is delicious and I love it.
If you are a fan of creamy teas, strawberry teas, or creamy strawberry tea then grabs some!
Walter Bishop Honeybush Tisane from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
If you are not familiar with strawberry-milkshake-drinking, red-licorice-chewing Walter Bishop, you have been missing out on a great science fiction show. Personally, I think Fringe jumped the shark shortly after it started. I thought they had a great opportunity to have a new show like the X-Files, but in my opinion, they squandered it by focusing entirely on one very convoluted story arc. Having said that, we have several customers who are fans, and our friend LiberTEAs actually approached me about a Fringe-themed blend some time back. So here we have it. Caffeine-free (because I really don’t think Walter Bishop needs caffeine) honeybush blended with real freeze-dried strawberries and organic flavors. This is a delicious treat. I can totally imagine Walter sipping and enjoying it, with or without mind-altering substances added to it.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Fringe is my absolute favorite show on television. Or perhaps I should say it was my favorite show on television, since the week that this tea was released was the week of the series finale. I was so sad when I found out that this last season would be the final season. While I do agree with Frank from 52Teas when he says that the show “jumped the shark” and it could have been so much better than it was, there was one thing that redeemed this program for me, one thing that made me watch every week: Walter Bishop.
Walter Bishop is absolutely my favorite television character of all time. There are many great television characters, but very seldom does one character come along that manages to make me both laugh and cry as much as Walter Bishop has … and sometimes I would be both crying and laughing during the same episode. John Noble portrayed Walter Bishop so brilliantly. If Fringe did not have Walter Bishop, I probably would have stopped watching some point during season 1. I mean sure, Joshua Jackson is nice to look at and all, but … at some point, this series would have lost me without John Noble’s dazzling portrayal of the mad genius Walter Bishop.
So, before the final episode, I wrote to Frank at 52Teas and told him that he needed – got that? NEEDED! – to create a tribute tea for my beloved Walter Bishop. What flavor to choose? I mean, Walter Bishop has quite a sweet tooth and loves his licorice, his coffee cake, his cotton candy (blue, not pink!) but who could ever forget his search to recreate the perfect Strawberry Milkshake after his favorite ice cream shop closed? A strawberry milkshake flavored honeybush tisane seems the ideal tribute to Walter Bishop.
I brewed this tisane and allowed it to cool before drinking it, because, I wanted to experience it chilled. I mean, milkshakes should be cold, yes? And it is really good. The strawberry flavor comes through during the sip – sweet with just a hint of tart, and the tartness lingers into the aftertaste. I don’t notice a lot of ice cream/milk flavor until I get toward the finish … and there I notice a sweet, creamy, milkshake-y kind of taste. This taste also lingers into the aftertaste … this definitely has a strawberry milkshake aftertaste.
My only complaint … is that I taste too much of the honeybush here. Granted that seems a weird complaint, given that this IS a honeybush tisane. And any time I am tasting a flavored tea, I want to taste the tea base, right? But, I think that the nutty flavor of the honeybush gets in the way of the strawberry milkshake flavor just a little bit during the sip. The aftertaste is more strawberry milkshake than the sip.
But this is a minor issue, because I don’t exactly MIND the flavor of the honeybush there … I just want to taste more strawberry milkshake. This is really quite tasty … and it is indeed a fitting tribute to my beloved Walter Bishop. Thank you, Frank!
