Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu’erh
Where to Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
The Honeysuckle pu-erh tea delivers a deep red infusion with a sweet woodsy, floral aroma. The finished brew is mild and earthy, with a lingering hint of honeysuckle. This honeysuckle tea can be steeped multiple times in a sitting without becoming bitter. This particular pu-erh is cooked and has been aged for about 4-6 years.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The urge to drink Pu’erh comes and goes with me, perhaps largely because I initially found it a very acquired taste. Even though I’ve now tried a significant variety of different Pu’erhs, I still feel that I’m learning about the variety and discovering new things. This tea, for instance. I’ve never tried a floral Pu’erh before, or any variety flavoured with honeysuckle, come to that. It’s a real first! I treated this one as I would generally treat a loose-leaf Pu’erh, using 1 tsp of leaf in boiling water. I tend to vary the brew time based on the individual tea and the strength/scent/liquor colour, but went with a fairly standard (for me) 1 minute this time. The resulting liquor is a medium red-brown. The scent once brewed, and while brewing, is very evidently a Pu’erh – it has quite pungent manure notes!
To taste, this has to be one of the most unique Pu’erhs I’ve tried so far. I was expecting a fairly standard earthy/manure flavour based purely on the scent, but it’s actually nothing like that. Instead, there’s an initial almost-sharpness, which blossoms into a heavy, sweet, nectar like floral. Honeysuckle! There are virtually no earth or manure flavours to be found, which is a big surprise. The sweetness seems very natural, and isn’t at all overpowering. I think it’s helped by a sort of yogurt-like note which contributes a cool, tangy freshness to the overall cup.
I really like this one. I’m definitely the kind of person that objects to strong manure flavours in their tea, although I don’t mind earthiness at all. This one is pretty unique amongst those I’ve tried in that it has no earth or manure notes (despite the scent). The flavouring is sufficiently strong that the honeysuckle is front and centre pretty much the whole time, although as it cools this does dissipate a little to reveal just a hint of what lurks beneath. I’m pretty sure a fairly conservative brew time helped here – a longer one might herald more of a “traditional” Pu’erh flavour. I personally like the honeysuckle, though, so I’ll always err on the side of caution when brewing this one. It’s an outstandingly flavourful cup!
Chocolate Delight Black Tea Blend from Just Add Honey
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green Tea
Where to Buy: Just Add Honey
Tea Description:
warm, earthy, and decadent, this tea densely aromatic and flavorful black tea combined with cocoa beans, vanilla, barley, and yogurt bits produces a hearty and balanced cup that feels like an indulgence. best enjoyed with milk to enhance the notes of both the tea and cocoa.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The first time I brewed this Chocolate Delight Black Tea Blend from Just Add Honey, I did so without reading the website description or the ingredient list, and I did not realize that this was yet another black tea blend from Just Add Honey that also included green tea (a genmaicha, it would appear!) so I brewed this as I would a usual black tea – using boiling water.
And prepared this way, it doesn’t taste bitter. It tastes rich and chocolate-y! It tastes YUMMY! That said, I don’t taste any real “green tea notes” here, or even anything that would indicate to me that there is genmaicha in this blend. I taste a rich black tea base with a strong chocolate essence. There is a distinct creaminess to this cup (courtesy of not only the chocolate but also the yogurt!) I do taste the barley and it definitely accents the chocolate, giving it a depth and an almost “malty” kind of richness.
Now that I’m more than halfway through the cup, I notice an earthy roasty-toasty-ness to the cup … which I guess can be attributed to the genmaicha (after all, it is a roasty-toasty kind of tea!) but that could also be attributed to the barley. I have to admit that I REALLY like this, just the way it is, even if I’m not tasting much of the green tea’s contribution to the cup. When it comes to chocolate, I mean, what can I say? Tasting the chocolate is of utmost importance, and because I can taste it here – and I’m really liking what I’m tasting! – I’m a happy chocoholic!
Given how good this is prepared using boiling water for 2 1/2 minutes, I was rather reluctant to brew a second pot using a more gentle method for the green tea. But I did … for no other reason than for the purposes of this review. And I have to admit that while I do taste more of the green tea, more of that sweet, vegetal flavor from the green tea … I do not like it better than I did the first pot of tea when I tasted more of a rich, earthy, deep chocolate flavor. This cup is lighter and less chocolate-y, and when it comes right down to it, for me, it’s all about the chocolate!
So, if you do decide to try this chocolate tea (and you should!) try brewing it both ways to see which way suits your fancy … and let me know what you think!
Blueberry Yogurt Rooibos from Fusion Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fusion Teas
Tisane Description:
The wonderful thing with Rooibos is that it compliments just about any flavor. Same as true with blueberries. Of course we only use real blueberries. Then for a smooth finish we added yogurt granules. Naturally caffeine free so it can be enjoyed anytime of the day.
Taster’s Review:
I am so very happy with this tisane for a couple of reasons.
First, I was happy to find that there is NO hibiscus in this blend. It seems that hibiscus is added to many – far TOO many – berry tisanes to enhance the natural tartness of the berry. I am glad to see that Fusion Tea Room chose not to follow the trend of adding hibiscus to berry blends with this delicious dessert tea.
Second, I am happy with this blend because it IS delicious. The blueberry flavor tastes sweet with just a hint of tartness, and it is very true to the berry’s flavor. That is to say … this TASTES like real blueberries. It doesn’t taste artificial.
The yogurt adds a creamy element to the cup that complements the blueberry, as well as a tangy note that gives the sweeter flavors of this cup some contrast. The rooibos base adds a light earthiness to the cup, but the rooibos flavor doesn’t become too strong here, allowing the focus to remain on the sweet, juicy blueberry flavor.
This is such a delightful tisane. It is sweet and indulgent enough to satisfy those sweet cravings … and makes a delicious dessert, any time of the day.
Selby Select Rooibos from Local Coffee & Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Local Coffee & Tea
Tisane Description:
Selby Select Rooibos Loose Leaf Tea is our custom blended Rooibos with orange peel and dried yogurt pieces. Created to celebrate the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, this is our perennial best seller. Each sip releases the aroma of sweet ripe oranges, followed by creamy notes on your tongue. You will think you are drinking Florida sunshine in a magnificently serene garden. Savor and enjoy!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had an interesting relationship with this tisane. The very first time I tried it, I didn’t really care for it. But the second time I tasted it, I questioned whether or not it was, in fact, the same tea that I had tried the first time around (I received the first sampling of this tea from a friend, the second I received as a sample direct from Local Coffee & Tea) because I was enjoying it. It wasn’t knocking my socks off or anything, but, it was pleasant, and nothing at all like that first cup I had.
Since then, I’ve come to really like this tisane. It reminds me very much of a creamsicle!
The orange flavor is bright and sweet, with just a hint of citrus tartness. It is a very vibrant flavor and it is contrasted with the creamy taste of vanilla yogurt. I think that yogurt was a perfect choice here (rather than using vanilla flavoring), because the yogurt is creamy without being too sweet. The rooibos is sweet, as is the flavor of the orange, and I think that adding a vanilla flavoring would have resulted in a very cloying beverage. As it is, though, everything tastes well balanced: just enough tart, sweet, and tang to please the taste buds.
The rooibos doesn’t lend too much of its woody flavor to this cup, and that suits me just fine. The rooibos does offer a warm nutty note to the cup that is especially apparent in the finish and aftertaste, and it melds nicely with the orange flavor.
This would make a remarkable iced tea in the summer – very refreshing and naturally sweet. I guess I like this one after all!
Red Matcha from Pure Matcha
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos (Matcha Style)
Where to Buy: Pure Matcha
Product Description:
Rooibos, which is grown deep in the heart of South Africa, is a deeply rich, aromatic, and flavorful tea. Naturally caffeine free and full of anti-oxidants and vitamins. 47% more than any green tea. Our Rooibos is stone ground into the finest powder. Allowing you to consume the whole leaf, just like traditional Matcha. By consuming the leaf, you absorb almost 10 times more anti-oxidants and vitamins than the regular method of drinking Rooibos, where the leaves are removed after brewing. This results in a stronger, richer, and naturally sweet flavor you will never forget. Our 100% Rooibos Powder will leave your body and mind completely revitalized and rejuvinated.
Taster’s Review:
Having tried only red matcha (aka rooibos powder) in latte mix form, I was excited – and yet somewhat apprehensive – to try this matcha from Pure Matcha. Excited because I hadn’t tried it. Apprehensive because I have never been very fond of plain rooibos.
Generally, I like rooibos ok if it’s been flavored, but, unflavored rooibos isn’t my favorite thing to drink. I worried that this might taste similar. And, unfortunately, it does. One redeeming factor, though, is that this has a much more enjoyable texture than the traditionally steeped unflavored rooibos. It doesn’t taste or feel chalky, it is smooth and almost creamy on the tongue.
As I said, this tastes very much like unflavored rooibos. It has that same nutty/woody taste and the same sweet note that I would expect from rooibos. And even though I’m not particularly fond of drinking this prepared as I would normally prepare matcha, I do like it in smoothies or mixed into my favorite yogurt – it adds a very interesting dimension of flavor.