Ruby Zing from The Rabbit Hole

by liberteas

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Fruit/Herbal Tisane

Where to Buy:  The Rabbit Hole

Tisane Description:

The tart liquor of this calming scarlet brew is sure to wake your palate and recharge your Vitamin C supplies. Great hot or iced with a touch of sweetening.

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

TART!  If you’re a fan of tart-tasting teas and tisanes, this one is for you.

Yes, this definitely is Zesty!  This tisane is aptly named:  It delivers a ZING and brews to a beautiful, deep ruby color.

Fortunately, the tart is not all that there is to this tisane.  I probably wouldn’t be able to finish the cup if it were.  Once my palate gets over the tart, it finds other flavors:  cherry, blueberry, and even coconut!  YUM!

The flavors of the cherry and blueberry are certainly enhanced by the presence of the tart hibiscus, as it not only brings out these fruits slightly sour side but also enhances their sweeter side.  The hibiscus, of course, is responsible for the majority of the tartness, as well as the pretty ruby-red color and the richness to the body of this tisane.  I only steeped it for five and a half minutes which allowed the hibiscus enough time to provide some body without it becoming too thick and syrupy.  And as for the tart, I found that this could be dialed down a notch with the addition of a little bit of sugar.  I didn’t add a whole lot – just a half a teaspoon of turbinado sugar to my jumbo-sized tea mug – but it really made a difference in the overall flavor.

Generally speaking, I’m not overly fond of tarty-tart-tart teas like this, but, somehow, I’m finding this to not be so bad.  It’s actually tasty and I’m able to enjoy the cup.  I think that has something to do with the fact that there is more to this than just tart, and the tartness does not completely mask the flavors of the cherry and blueberry – and especially the coconut, which adds a sweet, creamy goodness to the cup that has quickly become my favorite aspect of this tisane.

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 Fruit/Herbal Tisane

Organic Milk Oolong (Jin Xuan) from The Rabbit Hole

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  The Rabbit Hole

Tea Description:

Some say oolong tea aids weight loss. We just say it tastes great with a smooth, creamy and sweet finish. Great for satisfying a craving for something naughty.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve enjoyed most of the Milk Oolong teas that I’ve tried, but not all are created equal.  Some tend to be too creamy and sweet to the point of being cloying, and tasting somewhat artificial.

This Milk Oolong from The Rabbit Hole, however, does not.  This is a very good Milk Oolong.  Yes, it’s sweet, and it’s creamy, but it doesn’t overwhelm the palate.  There is a lightness to it that makes the creaminess taste natural and not contrived.  It is incredibly smooth and sweet without tasting too sweet.

The aroma of the dry leaf is vegetal, reminding me of the smell of a fresh produce stand in the summer.  That smell of leafy greens and ripe vegetables.  It is fresh and lively.

That vegetal tone is in the flavor too, although it isn’t overly vegetative or grassy.  These flavors meld with the creamy milk tones to provide a slight “creamed vegetable” kind of flavor with just a hint of butter in the mix.

A lovely Oolong from one of our favorite companies here at SororiTea Sisters:  The Rabbit Hole!

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 Oolong

Organic Turkish Delight from The Rabbit Hole

by liberteas

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Fruit/Herbal Tisane

Where to Buy:  The Rabbit Hole

Tisane Description:

Exotic rose and luscious chocolate mingle to create a decadent herbal brew worthy of your harem. Go on, treat yourself to a little luxury and for a completely decadent hit, add honey.

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

Mmm!  This is really good!

This seems to be a fairly simple blend of cacao nibs and rose.  But out of such simplicity comes a true delight.  Upon opening the pouch, my olfactory sense was greeted with a heady fragrance of rose and the tempting aroma of chocolate.  The brewed tisane offers mere hints of the rose but a very delicious chocolate scent.

I recommend steeping this for at least ten minutes – and longer would probably be even better.  Since there are no tea leaves in this blend, there is no threat of bitterness by over-steeping, the flavors will just intensify with the longer steep time.  I would also recommend adding a little more than the recommended 1 teaspoon of leaf per cup, and I will explain why.

After steeping according to the recommended parameters, I found the tisane to be a bit thin in flavor.  Yes, the chocolate and rose flavors were there, and they were INCREDIBLE; however, I – being the chocoholic that I am – happen to think that more chocolate = better.  And I think that a richer chocolate flavor here would have been much more satisfying, and this can be easily remedied by simply adding an extra teaspoon of leaf before infusing, and be sure to infuse it a minimum of ten minutes, and fifteen would be even better, if you can wait that long!

As it is, it is still very delicious.  The cacao nibs give the cup a tasty bittersweet, dark chocolate kind of flavor.  The rose adds a touch of exotic flavor to the cup, tasting floral but without tasting like perfume.  The finish has a dry cocoa powder kind of taste, with lingering notes of rose.

This combination of flavors reminds me very much of a decadent chocolate truffle that I might find in a high-end chocolate shop … even though the flavor is thinner than I would like, I still consider this to be a highly enjoyable cup.

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 Fruit/Herbal Tisane

Organic Monkey Business from The Rabbit Hole

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  The Rabbit Hole

Tea Description:

This little treat will have you swinging from the trees in no time. White tea mingles with banana for an easy to sip treat. Boost the sweetness with an extra dollop of honey if you’re feeling naughty.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

When it comes to bananas, I never really considered them to be a favorite fruit.  However, my actions seem to tell a different story.  When I go to Cold Stone Creamery, I seem to order the same thing:  Cake Batter ice cream with banana, caramel and almonds.  And I love banana cupcakes and ice pops.

But I don’t really like to eat them on their own.  And I don’t like banana Runts, in fact, on the rare occasion that I happen to have a bag of Runts candy (maybe once a year, if that?  I’m usually just sneaking a couple out of my daughter’s package of candy) I never eat the banana ones.  Interestingly enough, many people often say that banana flavored teas taste like banana runts, but I totally disagree with that, because I LOVE banana flavored teas!

And this banana flavored white tea from The Rabbit Hole may just be one of the best banana flavored teas I’ve tried yet.  It tastes like the fruit, only sweeter … but it doesn’t taste like banana runts.  It tastes more like the banana that I’d enjoy as its surrounded by the Cake Batter ice cream from Cold Stone.

The white tea tastes sweet with a hint of nutty flavor to it.  It has a smooth and creamy texture which lends itself very well to the ice cream comparison I made a moment ago.  I like that while the banana flavor is very distinct, it doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of the white tea.

Served hot, it has a warm, soothing kind of effect:  like comfort food in liquid form.  Served chilled, it has a very refreshing, invigorating taste that both adults and kids enjoy.

I LOVE this tea!

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

Organic Toffee Apple from The Rabbit Hole

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  The Rabbit Hole

Tea Description:

Transport yourself back to the days when an apple on a stick, smothered in toffee was nothing to be ashamed of. Here’s a tea to remind you of times when visits to the Dentist weren’t so expensive.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I was really excited to try this tea.  The dry leaf smells incredible – it really smells just like the toffee apple cart at the carnival!  YUM!

At first, the flavor was a bit ambiguous, I could taste hints of Oolong and hints of apple and a sweetness that might be toffee-like, but, it wasn’t really coming together for me the way I thought it should.  Mostly it just tasted like a sweet, warm liquid with a creamy mouthfeel.

It took a couple of sips before the flavors began to come into focus, and after about the third or fourth sip, I could really taste the toffee apple flavor as well as the Oolong notes.  And then, suddenly, my eyes seemed to pop open and I exclaimed (out loud, even):

WOW!  This is really good.

It’s a good thing that no body was around at the time, as I’m often given a good jesting for my enthusiasm for tea, and I know that if someone were around to hear my exclamation, I wouldn’t hear the end of it.

The flavors all seem to get along well here.  The sip starts with hints of flavor from the Oolong – buttery and smooth, with floral tones and even a soft vegetal note.  A light touch of spice – like warm cinnamon – approaches the palate next, followed immediately by the apple notes.  Just before the finish I notice the toffee flavors come through, tasting very much like that sticky candied coating of a candied apple.  There is very little astringency, making for a smooth taste from start to finish, followed by an aftertaste with its distinct apple-y flav0r and a kiss of autumnal spice.

This is one seriously tasty apple tea.  All that’s missing is a Ferris wheel – because this tea is like a carnival in a teacup!

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 Oolong