Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
When I smelled the silky pouch filled with tea, I could smell the delightful notes of lavender. Lavender is one of my favorite flowers when it comes to tea, so I was very interested in trying this tea.
The brewed liquid has a softer note of lavender than I experienced with the dry leaf, but that was expected (usually, the brewed tea does smell softer than the dry leaf). I can smell more of the white tea notes now that the tea is brewed than I noticed when I smelled the dry leaf. With the dry leaf, I could smell lavender, and not much else.
Hmm … I’m not really loving this. The lavender tastes artificial in this. It doesn’t have that natural, sweet note that I love. Instead, it tastes like someone added a drop or two of lavender perfume to my teacup and I don’t really like that.
The white tea has a delicate, sweet taste to it, and I think I’d be enjoying this a lot more if the lavender wasn’t there. The lavender just ruins it, and that’s something that I don’t often say about a lavender tea. As I mentioned above, lavender is one of my favorite flowers when it comes to tea … so this not tasting the way I would like it to … is very disappointing.
Most of the teas that I’ve tried from Tea of Life I’ve actually quite enjoyed, but this one – unfortunately – gets a sad thumbs down from me.
Organic Original Tulsi from Tea of Life
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tisane Description:
Tulsi or Holy basil is considered a medicinal plant with different parts of the plant possessing various different medicinal properties. Tulsi is said to be a remedy for digestive problems, acidity and other digestive disorders and help reduce weight as well.
Ingredients: Organic Tulsi Leaf
Taster’s Review:
I think that I prefer Tulsi when it’s part of a blend (with other ingredients) than when it’s going solo like it is with this Organic Original Tulsi from Tea of Life. This tulsi has a bit too much of a medicinal/herbaceous flavor for my liking and I find myself wishing that there was something else to perk up the beverage a bit.
That’s not to say that it tastes bad. It doesn’t. It has a basil like flavor, with peppery notes and a whisper of minty like background notes. It’s a pleasant enough, savory tasting cuppa. But, really, it’s just kind of … boring. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled and been treated to quite a few flavored blends with Tulsi leaf, andso I feel like this tisane is falling a little flat in comparison.
Some good points: It is a nice, gentle drink with a pleasing touch of spice, a really nice beverage to enjoy after meals. I find that it has a soothing, settling quality to it especially after a very filling meal (like spaghetti!) My tummy feels calmer now after drinking it than it did before I started sipping. Another positive: I like that this is organic.
Not a bad drink, but, not my favorite from those that I’ve tried from Tea of Life, either. I do like that it’s an organic tisane, and I appreciate the health benefits that Tulsi offers, although as I’ve said on other occasions, I drink teas and tisanes not because they’re good for me, but because I enjoy the taste. This is alright, but probably not something I’d want to drink often.
Berry Patch Black Tea Blend from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of the dry leaf of this Berry Patch Black Tea Blend from Tea of Life smells quite yummy with its notes of strawberry and cherry. It’s a fruity scent, obviously, but, it isn’t an overpowering fragrance. It doesn’t smell artificial or candy-like. It smells lightly of fruit, reminiscent of a farmer’s produce market in the summertime when the strawberries are fresh and ripe and perfuming the air with their delicious goodness.
I’m happy to report that what I smell translates to the flavor. The fruit notes are delicate and do not overwhelm the black tea notes. The black tea is a mellower tasting black tea, and I’d categorize it as a medium-bodied black tea base. Smooth and nicely round, this is probably a Ceylon, although Tea of Life does not clarify that on the packaging. It just says “Black Tea.” I like that it’s a flavorful tea, but not too aggressive, especially when considering the delicate fruit notes of this tea. A stronger tea base would mean that I would miss out on the lovely strawberry and cherry flavors.
The cherry is less potent than the strawberry. The strawberry starts out rather subtle but as I continue to sip, the flavor of sweet-tart berries builds on my palate. The cherry is a soft flavor and it’s quite pleasant. It isn’t too sweet nor does it taste medicinal.
Overall, a nice cuppa from Tea of Life.
Rooibos Chocolate Coconut from Tea of Life
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tisane Description:
South African Red Bush or Rooibos Tea is a pure and natural herbal blend. Freshly harvested and finely chopped rooibos goes through a process of oxidation with the aid of the oxygen from the atmosphere and subsequently dried int he sun to produce a deep mahogany red cup of which is one of the most popular and healthy herbal drinks today.
“Tea of Life” is proud to introduce five New Naturally Caffeine Free Rooibos Teas combined with Dark Chocolate with delicious natural fruit and mint flavors for your enjoyment – all day and into the evening.
Taster’s Review:
The scent that is coming out of my teacup right now is evoking thoughts of chocolate coconut cake! Yep, my mouth is watering right now, just thinking about chocolate and coconut! Mmm! Some of the most difficult moments of my life are those few minutes that I wait after I’ve brewed a cup of tea and I’m waiting for the cup to cool a little bit so that I can begin sipping. I mean, I don’t want to burn my tongue, but, this smells so yummy that I’m growing impatient.
But the flavor is worth the wait. As I’ve said on numerous occasions, I’m not big on rooibos, but, I’ve actually found quite a few that I enjoy. And I’ve really been enjoying these Dark Chocolate blends from Tea of Life. This one features luscious notes of Dark Chocolate and sweet and creamy notes of coconut. Yum!
As you’d expect, this is a sweet tisane. The chocolate notes are deep and rich and bittersweet. The coconut notes are a little more subdued than the chocolate, but, not by much. There is a pretty good balance of flavors between the two components here. Lots of chocolate and lots of coconut.
What I’m not getting lots of is rooibos flavor and that’s alright. I do get some warm, nutty tones from the rooibos and some of the sweetness of the cup I also attribute to the natural sweetness of the South African herb. But overall, there isn’t a strong rooibos flavor to this cup. This tisane is all about the chocolate and the coconut, and you won’t get any complaints about that here. Chocoholic: satisfied!
Forest Fruit Black Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
As I start a tea to steep, I find myself wondering – anticipating? – what the tea will taste like. This Forest Fruit Black Tea from Tea of Life has the flavors of strawberry, blackberry, black currant and cherry, so obviously I was expecting a very fruity tea.
But, what what surprised me – happily! – is that this tastes more of tea than it does of fruit. Oh, the fruit flavors are there and they’re loud and clear, but, the black tea base is robust and has a strong, solid black tea flavor. It doesn’t take a back seat to the fruit notes.
Instead, I taste a medley of fruit notes that sit just beneath the black tea notes. Strawberry pops out first with a sweet-tart cherry note coming in just after. The blackberry notes seem to weave their way in and out of the sip and are sometimes more difficult to discern than the strawberry and cherry. The black currant is most recognizable at the finish, when I notice a sort of tart note, and the astringency of the black tea makes that more distinguishable. It’s almost “wine-ish” at the finish. The aftertaste is like a blend of the four fruits, with a prominent berry tingle on the tongue.
An enjoyable black tea blend from Tea of Life: it’s sweet, fruity and flavorful. I find it especially nice as it gets cooler, making this an ideal choice for iced tea.