Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zest Tea
Tea Description:
Earl grey has been a popular blend since it was introduced to the British Earl, Charles “Chaz” Grey, in the 1830’s. Most Earl Greys are made with low-quality base teas, but not ours (remember the whole not compromising thing?). Zest’s Earl is made with premium Nilgiri Indian black tea blended with a delicious bergamot essential oil. Don’t thank us. Thank Chaz.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Zest High-Octane Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
With this cup of Earl Grey Black Tea from Zest Tea, I have now tried all four teas offered by Zest Tea. And if you are familiar with me as a tea drinker, you might notice that I’ve saved what I thought would be the best tea for last. Earl Grey? Um … yes, please! It’s a rare occasion – very rare! – when I’ll turn down a cup of my beloved, the suave and charming Mr. Grey.
And this Earl Grey is quite charming, indeed!
The aroma of bergamot filled the room when I opened the pouch. If a nose could actually smile from what it was smelling, my nose would have been grinning from ear to ear. Which is kind of weird if you think about it. So, it’s probably best not to think about it.
Anyway, the bergamot fragrance here is absolutely delightful. It’s a strong scent, and that’s just the way I like my bergamot! Good and strong!
And I’m also appreciating that even though there is a strong essence of bergamot to this tea, I’m not being overwhelmed by bergamot flavor. I taste the Nilgiri black tea base, and it tastes smooth and rich and it has just a hint of malt. I like the way the sweet notes of malt mingle with the tangy citrus notes of bergamot. It’s lovely.
I know I’ve said this before, but it’s something that bears repeating. Bergamot is one of those things that when done right, it’s a beautiful thing. But, bergamot can be done wrong. The first way it can be done wrong is that a cheap bergamot oil can be used, and this results in a really icky tasting tea. Fortunately, Zest Tea doesn’t compromise and they’ve used a top quality oil here, and therefore, the result is YUM.
Another way bergamot can be done wrong is that it can be overdone, producing a very strong bergamot aroma but it also ends up creating an overwhelming bergamot flavor that ends up tasting more like your grandfather’s cologne than tea. I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy drinking a cup of my grandfather’s cologne.
But I do fancy drinking another cup of this tea! That’s because while the minds behind this Zest Tea product decided to go big with the bergamot essence, they didn’t go overboard. They did bergamot just right.
After trying all four teas that Zest Tea currently offers, I like to think that I have a little bit of experience with this High-Octane tea thing. And I’m a fan! I know that there has been some thoughts and tea chatter about this, and I welcome your thoughts on it if you care to comment. I personally like having a product like this, where I can start my day with an extra boost of caffeine because some days I really need that extra boost, and I like that I can get that extra boost without the jitters of coffee. Coffee affects me adversely, so I like that I can get this extra caffeine in a drink that I can enjoy and not feel sick afterwards.
And of the four teas that Zest Tea currently offers, I have to say that this one is my favorite. I enjoyed the others, too, but, this is Earl Grey, after all. And yes, I’m happy to say that I did save the best for last!
Pomegranate Pear Tea from Jennifer’s Tea Garden
Tea Type: Herbal (Fruit) Tisane
Where To Buy: JennifersTeaGarden.com
Product Description:
Sweet pear calms and soothes while tart and tasty pomegranate adds color and zest to this vibrant blend! Simply delightful and wonderful iced. Naturally caffeine free.
Tasters Review:
Pomegranate Pear from Jennifer’s Tea Garden is so interesting!
This may just be one of the most interesting and curious tasting fruit tisane’s I have had so far! And by curious I mean that in the nicest and a very tasty way!
Just when I thought this would be too hibiscusy – I was WAY wrong!
I mean, YES, it has Hibiscus IN it but the other ingredients off-set it very well! And there are other things that threw me for a loop and I LOVE THAT about this tisane!
I can taste the berries and they are plump and juicy! There is crystallized ginger in here too! The peppery ginger is offset by the sugar which is genius! I really like that! I think the ginger and the sugar interrupted the stereotypical hibiscus flavor and for that I am very thankful!
As for the Pear and Pom – they work very well together to create it’s own flavor yet I can pick out both individually if I think about it. There are apple pieces that are juicy-sour but in a good way, too! The berries – elderberry and currants – are surprising and almost like a fruit leather type taste.
There is so much going on here – so many things to contradict eachother – that everything works awesomely together! I really REALLY like this flavor!
It’s good both hot and cold! It’s one of those tea/tisane wonders of the world! A pure delight!
Zest Energizing Tea from Teaquilibrium
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Teaquilibrium
Product Description:
Teaquilibrium’s Energizing Sport Tea contains yerba mate, a South American herb known for its plethora of health benefits. A study of yerba mate at The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific society in 1964 concluded that mate contains “practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.” Mate is also a natural source of caffeine, theobromine (dark chocolate’s euphoric stimulant) and theophylline (tea’s soothing stimulant) which stimulate the central nervous system to create calm energy and mental clarity.
Yerba Mate fuels your muscles and nourishes your body with 15 amino acids, 24 vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex. Natural phytochemicals stimulate your immune system and boost your metabolism.
Taster’s Review:
OK, when I first saw the name of this tea, I was immediately reminded of “the other” Zest (you know, the bar of soap?)
But I’d much rather use THIS Zest as my “eye-opener” – and it certainly does do just that. The lemon-y flavor is bright and clean… and shall I say it? Zesty! The delicious, lemon-y flavor curbs the earthy notes of the yerba maté. This is not overly earthy or grassy tasting, it is quite smooth for a yerba maté, which sometimes can come off as a little bitter. I’m not getting that with this cup at all!
The lemon-y flavor is not incredibly tart, although there is a faint, tangy note at the finish that lingers a little bit with a tingly sensation on the tongue. This is something that is almost barely noticeable unless you’re focusing on it, though. Mostly what I get from the lemon is a smooth, sweet citrus-y taste that reminds me a bit of lemon curd.
The yerba maté is a green maté (that is, it isn’t roasted), so it has a fresher taste to it which is very fitting with the whole concept of “Zest.” This tastes fresh and bright and lively! It is certainly enough to get you going even on those days when you feel sort of sluggish. This will help rid you of those “sleepyzzz!”
I like to steep this energizing drink in a vessel that I can keep the leaves continually steeping as I sip… so I am using my Libre Mug. I put the loose leaf into the main chamber, and then add the hot water and allow it to steep for five minutes, then I screw on the filter lid and the filter lid strains the tisane as I sip it. Since yerba maté lacks the tannins of tea leaves, it doesn’t get bitter from lengthy brew times – it just gets more flavorful!
I like this!
