Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
White tea, ginger root, orange peel, peach, marigold & safflower
Taster’s Review:
I really like the pairing of ginger and peach, it’s one of those wonderful, classic combinations. This ginger peach white tea is especially nice with its addition of the orange peel – it gives the tea just a little something extra. A nice surprise.
The white tea base is light. Delicate. It has a smooth, clean taste to it. It isn’t grassy or vegetative. It isn’t bitter or astringent. Just beautifully soft.
To keep up with the white tea’s delicate tone, the flavoring here is also soft. The peach note is sweet – it’s like a little kiss of peach. Not a lot of peach, because not a lot is needed. But, it is sweet and tastes like a ripe, juicy peach. It melds nicely with the white tea.
The ginger – which is often a dominating spice – is rather understated here as well. It lends a hint of peppery taste to the cup. Just enough to keep it interesting without overthrowing the balance of flavors.
A very good ginger peach tea – delicious hot or cold. This is a favorite tea after meals because the ginger aids in digestion and the lovely sweetness of the peach is a bit like dessert in a teacup! Tasty!
Frankincense GABA Oolong from Aftelier Perfumed Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Aftelier Perfumed Teas
Product Description:
This organic oolong tea is especially rich in GABA, a human enzyme that calms and relaxes. The finest hojary frankincense, with its balsamic notes and citrus undertones, marries beautifully with this full-bodied tea. These rolled leaves provide up to 4 infusions.
Taster’s Review:
I should preface this review by saying that I’ve not had a lot of experience with frankincense. So this shall be quite an adventure!
This is my third tea I’ve sampled from Aftelier Perfumed Teas collection. And each time I try one of these teas, I am amazed. Going in to the experience, I don’t expect to like it; I fear that it’s going to be too strongly perfumed for my liking. But each time, I am surprised at just how much I do like it.
And I like this one too. The aroma is exotic and heady, evoking seductive images of a dimly-lit room that is enveloped with the smoke of incense. It’s very enchanting and I am captivated.
The Oolong is lightly roasted, which creates a faint caramel-y note. The frankincense is not as perfume-y tasting as I thought it would be. It has hints of spice and flower. It is what I would call an androgynous tea as it possesses both masculine and feminine qualities. There are hints of smoke in the background – which may be from the Oolong or from the frankincense. The smooth, buttery essence of the Oolong seems to unite all of these flavors, making this a seamless tea experience.
As with the other teas that I’ve tried from Aftelier, I recommend steeping this in a gaiwan, using short steeps. Too long a steep will result in too strong a perfume-y taste, but with the short steeps the flavor comes out just perfect – no need for additions – it’s just delightful as is. While this is not a tea that I would want to drink every day, it certainly would make a great tea for a special occasion – perhaps a romantic rendezvous? It is a very special tea, indeed!
Mint Chocolate Twirl from Tea, Oh!
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea, Oh!
Product Description:
A lively mint and chocolate blend perfect for after dinner.
Taster’s Review:
This is a delicious mint chocolate tea. And while I cannot think of a mint chocolate tea that I haven’t enjoyed, I think what makes this one so spectacular is that the chocolate note is very well-defined. This chocoholic is quite happy at the moment!
The black tea base is strong without being overwhelming. I suspect it is a black Ceylon tea because it is quite smooth and brisk while not interfering with the other flavors.
The mint is crisp and cool and presents a nice contrast to the creamy, sweet chocolate flavor in this tea. Overall, this is a bit like a “Thin Mint” cookie in a teacup! YUMMY! (I miss Girl Scout cookies already!)
There is a bit of astringency to this cup, and while I don’t normally mind astringency in a tea (and in some teas I celebrate the astringency!), with this particular one, I kind of find myself wishing it wasn’t there. I am not saying that the astringency is bothersome, however, it would make for a much smoother experience without it. So, I guess if I am to offer any criticism about this tea, it would be that I’d rather the astringency not be there.
However, as I continue to sip, the astringency seems to smooth out a bit, and is less noticeable. Perhaps I am getting used to it, or perhaps the chocolate and mint flavors have developed enough so that the astringency is not as pronounced. Either way, I like it more now that I am at mid-cup than I did at the start.
Discover Joy – Lemon Vanilla Green Tea from Teamotions
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teamotions
Product Description:
Flavor Profile Delicate and bright with just a hint of vanilla.
Ingredients Yunwu Green Tea, Green Rooibos, Lemongrass, Ginger, Lemon Myrtle, Oatstraw, Lavender, Ashwagandha, Natural Flavors.
Taster’s Review:
This is truly a joyous tea!
The green tea flavor is light and smooth. I don’t get a strong “grassy” or “vegetable” taste to this, although there is an overall herbaceous background to this cup. The green rooibos add just enough “sparkle” and lightness to the cup to keep it from being too overwhelmingly creamy.
As you can probably ascertain from my previous comment, this is a very creamy cup of tea. The vanilla tones are sweet and undeniably creamy, but I think that the presence of the lemony tones help to cut through some of the sweetness so that it doesn’t come across as cloying. The result is a flavor that is quite decadent and dessert-like without being too sweet.
The ingredients list ginger as one of the ingredients, but I must tell you that I really don’t taste much from the ginger except for possibly the faintest hint of spice in the distance. It is barely noticeable, and had I not read the ingredient list, it is not something I would have commented on because it is that faint. The same is true of the lavender and the ashwagandha (aka Indian Ginsing).
That being said, I can’t say that this blend would taste quite the same with these ingredients omitted from the blend. Their role in this blend may have a bit more to do with the motto of Teamotions: “Teas for emotional well-being.”
There is absolutely no bitterness to this tea, and no real sign of astringency either. It is sweet and luscious and a bit like what I’d imagine it would taste like if I were to put a slice of lemon meringue pie in the blender with some green tea.
I really enjoyed this tea – much more than I thought I would. It’s one of the better lemon/vanilla or lemon meringue type teas I’ve encountered. It’s so yummy, that I’d recommend this tea based on flavor alone … consider the health/emotional wellness benefits a bonus!
Lime Green Tea from Hampstead Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea
Product Description:
The tropical floral zest of lime is a sophisticated complement to our green tea. The classic citrus overtones are reminiscent of beachside evenings.
Ingredients: Fairtrade green tea, lime zest
Taster’s Review:
I am always just a little surprised when I come across a bagged tea that tastes great. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve tasted quite a few great tasting bagged teas, but, there is always some part of me with very low expectations when it comes to bagged tea.
This is definitely a great tasting bagged tea! The lime flavor is abundant but does not overwhelm the taste of the green tea. The green tea base is a light-bodied, fresh-tasting green tea with very little vegetative taste to it. It has a natural sweetness to it that offers a nice contrast to the tart and tangy flavor of lime.
The lime flavor is vibrant and refreshing. Very clean and bright in citrus flavor with a hint of floral note in the background. The flavor of this tea evokes images of walking through a citrus grove when its in bloom.
This is a delicious bagged tea that is just as convenient as it is tasty. And its organic and fair trade. Just one more thing to feel good about with Hampstead Tea!