Black Thai Tropical was very different from what I expected! Since it comes from the Energizer line I was expecting a cup of deeply colored, strong black tea with some fruit flavors, but when I opened the pouch I saw mostly dried fruit pieces – big ones! – with bits of black tea clinging to them. It was extremely aromatic and I could have sworn I smelled lime but it isn’t listed in the ingredients.
This steeped up to a medium golden color, looking more like a fruit infusion than a black tea. I tried it both hot and plain, and iced with sugar, so let’s start with hot.
I felt no need for sugar in this. It is quite “citrus fruity” with the papaya and mango giving a very different vibe than most fruit teas that seem to rely heavily on apple and hibiscus with spices like cinnamon and clove. This is a bright, refreshing change from that. I don’t feel like I am drinking a cup of black tea. The fruit is center stage. With as little black tea as I see in the pouch, I wonder how much caffeine is actually in this. I don’t mind, as I don’t seek out caffeine and if I have too much of it in the afternoon I will be up all night!
I tried it as iced sweet tea because it is ridiculously hot and humid where I live and we guzzle
tons of iced tea here. I grew up on super sweet Southern iced black tea, and I am loving icing all different kinds now. I have pulled back the amount of sugar considerably from what we made when I was growing up.
I think I liked this best as an iced tea. The aroma is amazing! The fruit flavor is really citrusy and bright, and the papaya and mango make it more unique than most of the fruit blends I run into. It was fantastically refreshing and also went very well with a meal.
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
This tropical trio combines the power of black tea with the bursting flavors of pineapple and mango to create a force strong enough to take down any to-do list. You’ve got exotic places to go, people to see, and the world at your fingertips; this Energizer blend is the one to get you there.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Naughty or Anise/Tiesta Tea
I had a nice, big sample pack of this one, full of juicy chunks of fruit and whole spices. The thing is, I am not a big fan of dried fruit teas. I drink mostly real TEA so I have put off trying this. But today was abnormally warm and it seemed like a good time to try it.
The reason I don’t like fruit tea usually is that it either has almost no flavor, like someone whispered the name of a fruit at the water, or they add hibiscus for color and flavor and it all ends up just being a variation on hibiscus – tart and sassy.
This one came out SO DIFFERENT.
I used the whole pouch and steeped it twice, because I wanted a large pitcher to drink with our evening meal. I did sweeten it lightly with cane sugar. I added chilled water and ice and oh my goodness, it was great!
It had FLAVOR! You could really taste the fruit and the spices were so well matched to bring out the best in it. I like anise, and it was just the right amount for me with beautiful whole stars in the blend. The cinnamon brought out the apple pie vibe they talk about. This is from the “Relaxer” tea line, and who could be tense with an apple pie?
Bottom line – I loved it and would definitely love to have it again.
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Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
Star anise, cinnamon and almond blend together for a spunky twist on apple pie. Being naughty has never tasted so nice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
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Maui Mango from Tiesta Tea. . . .
Friends, grab your grass skirts and sunscreen– we’re going to Hawaii.
JUST KIDDING. I wish I weren’t, of course– but a few sips of this delightful fruit infusion and we may as well be on a tropical island. Filled with chunks of dried and sweetened fruit, bits of electric-yellow and orange safflower, you don’t even have to smell this tea to feel its summery vibes. I’ll admit– I’ve only ever made this one cold-brew-style– while I’m certain that it would be delightful hot, if I’m going to be channeling my inner vacation vibes, I want a cold beverage.
If you’re worried that these flavors won’t translate without hot water to wake them up, fear not. This cold brew is full of bright, tropical, sweet and fruit flavors. Mango, of course, is prominent, but a delightful array of varied citrus notes backs it up pretty prominently. This one is abundantly sweet on its own, which can sometimes be a little overwhelming– but served half and half with some plain sparkling water, you’ve got yourself a mocktail worthy of any island vacation.
Now, if someone could just point me to the beach…
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
This incredible citrus fusion of mangos, pineapple and oranges brings a mouthwatering tropical vacation right to your lips.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
**by clicking on the above picture/link and purchasing via Amazon, you will be supporting the SororiTea Sisters with the Amazon Affiliate Program. All monies collected via this program will goes towards purchasing teas from different tea companies to review on SororiTea Sisters or to assist with shipping costs**
Passion Berry Jolt from Tiesta Tea. . . .
Sometimes I just get a period of several days where I am constantly tired. Don’t know why that is but I just feel like I am dragging myself out of bed when all I want to do is sleep. Usually this occurs following periods of time when a lot has been going on so I think it is my body making up for lost rest. So when these tired periods roll around, I reach for teas that are supposed to wake you up and that is why I am sipping on Passion Berry Jolt by Tiesta Tea.
Passion Berry Jolt is a raspberry passion fruit black tea made with black tea, pineapple bis, natural passion fruit flavors, passion fruit bits, cornflowers, marigold flowers, and raspberry bits. However, I do wonder if this is a complete list of ingredients considering the package also notes that Tiesta Tea’s Energizer blends, which this is, contain black tea AND mate tea. It also provides brewing instructions for both black tea and mate tea so I can’t help but think this may have some mate in it, which would explain the high caffeine content but also make me a little less excited about trying this since mate can have a real earthy flavor that I don’t love.
Since mate is not explicitly stated in the ingredient list, I brewed this per the recommended steeping instructions for a black tea, steeping the leaves in 190F water for 3 minutes. I made both a hot and iced tea this way.
At first sip, the hot tea definitely has a lot of passion fruit flavor. It is coming off like a very tropical black tea. Not much raspberry. There is a sort of concentrated fruity sourness that hits you in the back of the throat and then dissolves into a black tea aftertaste that is brisk and ever so slightly metallic. The passion fruit is nice but I am just not loving the other flavors going on in this hot cup. I am perking up though so I guess the big bold letters reading “Energizer” are telling the truth.
A lot of the time when I ice black teas, they tend to get this thick mouthfeel. This is no exception. I am not sure why that happens and if I am being honest I don’t love it. As for the flavor, this is more of that same passion fruit flavor that I enjoyed in the hot tea, without the sourness at the back of your throat. However, that slightly metallic essence that came in in the aftertaste of the hot tea sort of lingers under the entire sip in the iced tea. Again, I am not getting much raspberry.
This tea, both hot and iced, has one of the better passion fruit flavors I have tried. I think I enjoyed the iced tea more but it was nice both ways if you don’t mind a brisk black tea and that metallic note. Personally, this is not my favorite but I could see it being enjoyed by many. Plus, it is an effective wake up tea for those needing that extra little boost in the morning.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
Packed with passion fruit and raspberry, this black tea blend gives you a jolt of pineapple energy to keep you charged.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Fireside Spice from Tiesta Tea. . . . ,
The holiday season means– okay, well, a lot of things. But one of them is definitely INDULGENCE. And frankly, friends– it gets a little exhausting after a while. My body needs a break from all the sugar and carbs and alcohol and parties and and and– well, you get the picture.
Enter this tea. A delightful hibiscus (don’t run away, hibiscus-haters– it works here!) based with loads of fruit and spice, it’s a perfect ringer for actual mulled wine, but without that liver-taxing alcohol. Even just the dry leaf is impressive on this one: loads of spices, huge bits of cinnamon sticks and fruit all suspended in a beautiful, bright red hibiscus base. Rather than the off-putting and overwhelming tartness that make so many dislike hibiscus, the strong flavors of the spice are actually the perfect balance, and can totally stand up to that infamous pink flower. The tart actual mimicks wine here, giving you that same mouthfeel so ubiquitous with a plummy red.
All the indulgence of the holiday season with none of the negative consequences– sign me up!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available but could come back for the holiday season.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!