I don’t usually read the description/ingredients of a tea before I brew it and take my first couple of sips, mostly because I want to try to figure out a tea for myself before I read the company’s thoughts about the tea.  However, after trying this one, I kind of wish I had read at least the ingredient list, because it not only has Oolong tea in it, but also Yerba Maté!   And as it is a little later in the evening, I am now hoping that the Yerba Maté does not prove to be too stimulating and keep me up all night! I can usually handle an Oolong this time of night, but, I haven’t had Maté this late.  I guess I’ll see how it goes, huh?

Anyway, I wasn’t too impressed with the name of this tea … the “chocolate decadence” is alright because if you’ve read many of my articles you’re probably already aware that I’m a chocoholic.  But, it’s the “slimful” part of the name that sort of bugs me.  I don’t really like it when tea companies attempt to embrace the “slimming” benefits of tea, I find it to be too gimmicky.

Teavana describes this tea blend as

Drawing inspiration from a decadent warm Hawaiian chocolate cake, this oolong blend is a luxurious mix of robust cacao, creamy toasted coconut, and ginger spice that satisfies even the strongest sweet tooth. Pink rose petals add romantic icing to this guilt-free treat enticing you to reach for seconds. Have your tea and eat it too! CONTAINS NUTS

But, I’m willing to forgive it, because aside from the name, this is a pretty decent tea.  The chocolate flavor is rich and creamy, and I love the way the flavors meld together.  I don’t taste much from the Yerba Mate except for a hint of earthy notes in the background, and these marry well with the chocolate tones, giving the chocolate a depth that I think the cup might lack if the Yerba Mate were missing.

I love the sweetness that the coconut brings to the cup, giving it just a little coconut flavor, but not a heavy coconut essence … just enough to bring a satisfying sweet and creamy touch to the overall taste.  The licorice adds a little sweetness too.  The one thing I don’t really like in this, though, is the carob.  Normally, I don’t mind carob in my teas, but, here, it seems to affect the flavor of the chocolate and give it a “diet” sort of flavor, if that makes sense.  You know how you can just tell when you’re eating something “low fat” … that’s what the carob does to this tea.  And I want my chocolate to taste rich and decadent!

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable cup of tea.  Not my favorite from Teavana, but it’s not bad either, and I certainly wouldn’t refuse another cup if it were offered to me … so long as it’s offered before 9 pm!

I enjoy a berry herbal tea and it’s especially great when I find something that my son likes too.  The smell of this tea is so light and fruity, I couldn’t wait to try it!

The ingredients include rose hips, hibiscus, apple pieces, natural blueberry flavor and blueberries. The tea itself is a beautiful medley of fruit pieces and whole blueberries!

I steeped this tea for 8 minutes in my teamaker at 212°F.  I added 1 tsp of Agave syrup to sweeten just a touch.  The color of the tea is a pretty purple color.  The flavor is a smooth blueberry.

Adagio Teas describes this tea as:

Just like the blues, this cup’s got soul. A smooth and slightly tart blend of blueberries, apple pieces and hibiscus flowers. Sweet like a fresh blueberry pie, but without any added sugar or sweeteners. Good for kids or the kid at heart.

 I expected it to be tart, but it really is just sweet.  I brewed my entire Adagio sample (5 cups) and am drinking it hot now but have refrigerated it to add to my son’s lunch and drink on my way to work tomorrow.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this tea since I feel like a pear has a very subtle flavor and I had never tried a pear tea.  The smell of the tea is a fresh white with a hint of fruit.

It actually reminded me a little of apple pie so I wasn’t surprised to find the ingredients include apple pieces (white tea, apple pieces, natural pear flavor).  The tea is a pretty green leaf with large pieces of apple.

I steeped the tea in my little cup infuser.  I used 2 tsp of tea to 10 oz of water and added 1 tsp of German Rock Sugar.  I steeped it for 5 minutes in 180°F water.  The color of the steeped tea is much darker than I expected.

Adagio describes this tea as:

Premium white tea from Fujian region of China infused with the taste of ripe pears. Warm and sugary aroma, like a freshly baked pear, with a pear skin crisp finish. Wonderfully smooth and rounded, perfect hot or iced.

I am drinking this tea hot, but I would suspect that it would be a great tea served iced.

 It reminds me almost of a black tea with a medium chocolate color.  I expected it to taste very strong, but it was a nice soft white.  I didn’t find much fruit flavor in the tea so it would be great for tea drinkers that enjoy a pure tea with just a hint of fruit.

In my college days, I drank a few cocktails, and my favorite mixed drink of choice was a Fuzzy Navel (not virgin ones, though).  Sipping on this delicious green tea blend brings back some of those memories, although I have to admit that they are also somewhat fuzzy.

This is seriously yummy.  I’m not exactly sure why the ingredients list freeze-dried pineapple in this blend (as the drink is composed of orange juice and Peach Schnapps).  And to be honest, after looking at the dry leaf, I don’t really see anything in there that looks like freeze-dried pineapple (incidentally, freeze-dried pineapple is one of my favorite snacks… mmm-mmm!), so I don’t know if this is just a label typo, or if there really is tiny bits of dried pineapple in this blend.

I don’t really taste pineapple either.  What I taste is orange and peach flavors, plus the fresh, buttery sweetness from the Chinese Sencha tea.  The green tea is the prominent flavor, and it has a light creaminess to it that unites with the tangy sweetness of orange and the luscious sweetness of the peach to make one of the more delicious cups of flavored green tea that I’ve had in a long time!  And… that’s saying something, because I’ve had quite a bit of green tea deliciousness!

Here’s what 52Teas had to say about their inspiration behind this blend:

According to Wikipedia:

The fuzzy navel was one of the first drinks to arise in the new popularity of cocktails and mixed drinks in the 1980s. It was created by Doug Schuster in Dublin, Ohio who was working for National Distillers at the time. National Distillers owned the right to distribute a new product from DeKuyper called Peachtree Schnapps. Doug was tasked with creating new drinks containing the Schnapps. He found that it tasted best when mixed with orange juice. He christened it the “Fuzzy Navel” after the marketing department came up with the slogan, “You can taste the fuzz”.

A competing claim has its origination in Omaha Nebraska at the Wagon Tongue Bar. It was mixed by Jack Sherman, who worked for Phillips & Sons Liquor, who gave it the name “fuzzy navel”.

This fashion was described by New York Times critic William Grimes as “a kind of cult, rallying points for young drinkers in search of fun and not too picky about taste”.

“Fuzzy” in the name refers to the peach, and “navel” to the orange.

I guess that’s better than a drink named after a hairy bellybutton.

This has a nice sweetness to it, so it really doesn’t need anything else added, although a little pinch of sugar might help brighten the orange and peach tones a bit.  At the time of this writing, I see that this blend has sold out.  But don’t despair!  Frank from 52Teas is a very nice guy, and if you ask him, he just might re-blend it.  Especially since warm weather is approaching and I suspect this one’s going to make an exceptional iced tea!

Pink Sonoma makes me want to try a glass of wine!  I am not a wine drinker so I wasn’t sure how much I would love this tea, but this is one of my faves!

 I steeped this tea in 175°F water for 3 minutes.  I used 2 teaspoons of tea to 10 oz of water and added a touch of Tupelo Honey for a little added sweetness.  I am not sure how to describe this tea.  It is very smooth, with a floral, jasmine, white tea flavor with, is that a grape finish?  The color is a light brown.  This is another tea to add to my “always keep in stock” collection.  I haven’t tried it iced yet, but I bet it would taste delicious!

Red Leaf Tea describes this tea as:

We are proud to introduce our newest wine infused tea, the Pink Sonoma!

Thoroughly saturated with the flavor of a light Cabernet, Pink Sonoma is based on the sweetness of a strong white tea. We have given this base a powerful floral aroma and body by adding a good measure of rose petals, as well as a light touch of jasmine. Try steeping Pink Sonoma in boiling water for a little over two minutes, at a ration of one teaspoon tea leaf each five ounces of water.

This Cabernet infused tea is one of our most popular flavors for its unique taste and excellent flavor.

I can definitely understand why this is one of Red Leaf Teas’ most popular blends, it is so tasty!

Nilgiri is a relatively new source for tea, maybe only about 10 years in this country.  It is in the far southwest of India and means Blue Mountains.  This particular tea comes from the Iyerpadi Estate  and is organic, always a plus, in my mind, both for us and for the tea workers.

Orange Pekoe has nothing to do with color, but refers to leaf size, in this case, on the small size and a pretty mix of medium brown and black.  They have a piquant, almost nutty smell.

I brewed this up for 4 minutes with boiling water and was rewarded with a very very dark brown cup with a woodsy, floral citrus aroma.  Unfortunately this didn’t carry over into the drinking.  I thought the taste was okay in the beginning, but as the cup cooled, it began to be muddy tasting and I didn’t like it.  I tried adding cream, my solution for everything, and that improved it a bit, but not enough to finish the cup.  Oh well.

Upton’s has this to say:

A whole-leaf Nilgiri with vibrant aromatics, a sweet cup, and a gentle, crisp bite. Smooth yet very flavorful with medium body. Enjoyable plain or with milk.

Obviously, we don’t agree.  Perhaps a 3 minute brew would improve it.  I shall try that next.  I hate to give up on a cup.

I gotta say right up front that I am a Yunnan lover.  And this is a Yunnan that doesn’t disappoint.    The dry leaves are a pleasant mix of tan and dark brown, smelling of old barn wood in the sun and maybe the early fermentation stages of corn silage.  That may not mean a lot to you, so just stick with the sunny wood.

I brewed this for 4 minutes with boiling water and was rewarded with a nice deep dark  cup, with a hint of gold around the rim.  The aroma has morphed into something more like earthy forest floor.

The taste is a tad earthy as well. There is some spiciness here, but none of the hints of cocoa that many Yunnans have.  While I was drinking this, I kept thinking of cheddar cheese, so I decided to try some with it – mm hmm, very nice.  It was Cabot’s Seriously Sharp if you want to try it, too.  It also plays nicely with milk.

Upton’s has this to say:

This bold-leaf Yunnan tea yields a dark cup with bold flavor, complemented with gentle spiciness and delicate toasty notes. A classic Yunnan for everyday enjoyment.

I don’t think this is a top of the line Yunnan, but that’s okay, I can’t afford to drink them all the time, but this one would be good for every day.  I don’t think it would be good iced, nor would it be good with delicate foods, as I think it would overwhelm them.  Think about cheese, apples, molasses cookies, spice cake, those would go nicely with this.  Or a hearty breakfast.

Dan Cong is a single bush Oolong.  Many tea people keep Oolongs for a very long time, as it believed that Oolongs age well.  Sometimes they are gently re-roasted before drinking.  I don’t know if that happened to this one, but I suspect not, or Gingko, the proprietor, would have said so.

The dry leaves are very, very dark, only a few shades away from black.  They somewhat resemble pebbles, but there are some larger leaves as well.  They have a somewhat woodsy, earthy aroma.  I brewed the first wash for 2 minutes about 180 degrees, after rinsing.  The second wash was a bit hotter and longer.

Life in a Teacup describes this tea as:

Production Year:  1960s (specific year unknown)
Production Region: Chaozhou, Guangdong Province
Style: Traditional roast
Pack Size: 0.18 oz. (5g pack), 0.9 oz. (25g)
Price per unit: $6, $26
Product #: 1ddc1960s

The first brew was a very pretty golden amber overlayed with rosiness.  There was an almost, but not really floral aroma, very faint.  It had a very mild somewhat salmon-like flavor, with again, a faint floral trace.  There was a bit of astringency at the end.

The second cup was a deeper rose amber and seemed to have more of a forest floor aroma, with a hint of grassy/green on the edges.  This was an excellent cup, tasting of minerals, very, very refreshing.  It reminded me of the deep well water we drank on the farm.  I loved it and I think it would be excellent cold, on a hot summer day.  No ice, though.

When you have tea from a single bush, such as this, you are, as you may imagine, getting something very special and rare.  It probably is not a bush as we think of it, but more a tree, as tea plants can grow to be 60 feet high, some with single trunks, some with multiples.  Sometimes they are very closely guarded secrets, known only to one family.  I am honored to have been able to taste and appreciate this tea.

This is not on Gingko’s website, but I am sure if you asked, she would be happy to send you some, or try to find some from her sources.

I purchased this tea as a sample and I will be adding it to my future shopping cart.  The tea smells like a fresh squeezed orange.  I steeped the tea using my little cup infuser for 3 minutes.  I used 1.5 tsp of tea to 8 oz of water and I added .5 tsp of Sugar in the Raw (also known as Turbinado sugar).  The color of the brewed tea is a delicate yellow.  The flavor of the tea reminds me a little of Mountain Dew.

The citrus is not overpowering, but it definitely tastes fruity.  I would not recommend steeping this tea in a ball, the leaves really expand a LOT!

The ingredients are green tea, orange peels, marigold flowers, natural orange flavor, natural lemon flavor.  The first flavor is of a green tea, but the aftertaste is fresh orange with a hint of lemon.  The green tea is a very delicate blend, it is not grassy, it’s very mild.

Adagio describes this tea as:

Green tea from China with the delicate flavors of lemon and lime. The clean vegetal notes of the green tea blend seamlessly with the citrus crispness. Delightfully sweet, lifted by the freshness of the lemon-lime. Not too dry or too citrusy. An Adagio customer favorite, perfect hot or iced.

I would recommend this tea to anyone that loves a fruity blend.  Although I have only had this tea hot, I am sure it would be delicious cold as well.  Add a fresh lemon wedge and it makes a perfect summer treat.

This is a wonderfully tart herbal tea from Teavana.  Initially, I was not going to try this tea since it has cherries in it, but the sales girl promised I would LOVE it.  She was right!

Although I am not a cherry fan, this tea is very fruity and reminds me of a wild cherry flavored Life-Saver.

I steeped this tea for over 10 minutes (I was doing laundry) in 212°F water using my Perfect Teamaker from Teavana.  I used 1.5 tsp of tea to 8 oz of water and added 1 tsp of German Rock Sugar.  The brewed tea is a bright red.

Teavana describes this tea as:

Taste summer year ’round in every bright and rejuvenating cup. Lusciously sweet and sour Morello cherries & tart raspberries lead the way, channeling impromptu sun-dipped picnics. Highlights of hibiscus soften and refresh while apple, pineapple and papaya play in a garden of quenching delight. SUPERFRUIT ENHANCED.  Bold infusion of mixed berries.

The ingredients include: Hibiscus, apple pieces, candied papaya pieces (papaya, sugar), candied pineapple pieces (pineapple, sugar), raisins, morello cherries, rosehip peels, raspberries, flavoring (passion fruit, raspberry, strawberry, black currant).  It is difficult to say which flavor is the most prominent since it is such a fruity blend, but I can taste the cherry for sure!  It starts sweet in your mouth, but definitely ends with a pucker.  I drank this tea hot, then it was bedtime so I chilled it overnight and it’s just as tasty served cold.

A great tea served cold or hot.  A fruity blend that would be excellent with black tea.

This sample came in a gorgeous little red packet.  I was immediately intrigued as it said this was red (black) Tea.  The only Tie Guan Yin I’ve had was Oolong, so I wanted to see how this compared.  The Chinese refer to what we call black tea as red tea, the color of the brewed tea.

Right away, when I opened the packet, there was a first difference – it smelled like chocolate ice cream!  Okay, I am definitely snagged.  I brewed it with almost boiling water and let it go for 2.5 minutes.  There was a shift in the aroma to add something like a molasses spice cookie to the chocolate.

Gingko has this to say about the style:

Traditional Heavy Roast Style: Fruity and sugary fragrance. Long shelf life. Kept in cool room temperature.

I was really ready to try this!  It is something of an astringent tea that at first definitely tastes roasted, but then the chocolate and cooky tastes come and it goes back and forth between these, sometimes overlapping, sometimes not, for the whole cup.  This certainly one of the most interesting teas I have tasted, and very unlike any other Tie Guan Yins I have had.

Among the different types of Tie Guan Yin, I would say this comes closest to the traditional charcoal roasted type. It is really a treat.  Life in Teacup hasn’t listed it yet, but I am sure they will later in the year.

Darjeeling is one of the famous tea growing regions of India.  It is in the far Northeast, right up against the Himalayan mountains, far above another famous region, Assam.  The elevation and climate are on the cold misty side, whereas Assam is hot and humid.

As you might expect, teas from such different climates and soil, taste very differently.  First Flush refers to the first plucking of the year.  These teas tend to be much more delicate than later plucks and need to be treated almost as green teas, with lower brewing temperatures and times.

That said, I brewed this for about 2.5 minutes, with water about 190°F.  The dry leaves were a chopped and twisted mix of brown, green and almost black.  My sample was too small to catch much of an aroma.  The tea brewed up a delicate amber, with a delicate, somewhat toasty aroma and taste.  There was also a very slight hint of lemon along the sides of my tongue.

Simpson and Vail has this to say:

Located in the Darjeeling East Valley, at approximately 6,500 feet, the Mim Estate produces some of the finest teas. This wonderful afternoon drinking tea comes from one of the oldest and most established tea gardens in the lofty mountainous range of Darjeeling. The uniformly sized medium to long green and black leaves brew to large green leaves with a pale golden cup and a fresh vegetal taste. The tea has an excellent body with the classic citral Darjeeling taste.

I would use this tea for afternoons, with delicate tasting foods, like sugar cookies or pound cake, nothing with chocolate or molasses or heavy spices.  If you have ever had that luscious Indian rice pudding, delicately flavored with cardamom and rose water, I would certainly serve this with it.

Lupicia is a Japanese company that carries about 400 teas, many of them seasonal, to take advantage of different fruits and flowers.  I must say they do a very good job.  While I am not a flavored tea fan, the ones I have had from them are top-notch and this is no exception.

When I opened the teabag packet, there was a lovely scent of pineapple, cherry and bubblegum.  The pyramid bag had a lot of green tea in it, chopped, but not into tiny pieces.  When I brewed it at about 180°F for 2 minutes, the tea filled the bag and gave off a very nice peachy smell, mixed with new green grass.  It was an attractive Chartreuse in color, one which I don’t think I’ve encountered before.

Here’s what Lupicia has to say:

MOMOKO captures the enchanting nature of a graceful Japanese beauty. The inviting flavors of luscious peach and sweet vanilla are accented with lovely flowers in a fresh green tea base. This tea is exceptional without any added sweetener, as an amazing sweetness comes through in the tea leaves, enhanced by the peach and vanilla. Try hot or iced for a brew to be enjoyed throughout the year.

As you can imagine, this all set me up to like it.  And I did.  The peach was soft and not a bit chemical tasting, the grassiness of the tea added a piquancy so that the peach wasn’t cloying or overly sweet.  As it cooled, more vanilla came out, making it a bit sweeter, but in such a way as to not interfere with the overall mood.  It is quite lovely hot and I would imagine it would be wonderful iced this summer, perhaps with a piece or two of ripe peach added to continue the theme.

Well, I am glad that this time I agree with what the company says instead of tasting something totally different.  I never look at the company’s information until after I taste their tea.

I had mixed feelings about this tea, but not because it wasn’t good, but because it was so complex that I had a different feeling, and flavor, with each steep. More so than each steep, I found different flavors in each cup, depending on what stage of heat it was at.

My first steep gave way to woodsy dry notes especially on the sides of the tongue. Lightly sweet, tingly on tip of tongue, with a mineral quality especially on roof of mouth. A distinct cedar quality almost gave it a black tea feel. No bitterness, slight astringency. Light berry flavors dance like sparking dew on the cedar wood notes. As it cooled it became creamy with a thicker mouthfeel.

But before I get into my personal review lets look at what Verdant Tea has to say about Tong Tian Xiang Phoenix Mountain Dancong:

A sunny, sparkling Dancong with strong citrus and apricot jam flavors . .This Dancong offers a full and engaging tasting experience.  In early steepings, a crisp mineral or stone quality dominates the texture with a rosewood quality on the sides of the palate.  Soon, a mouth-watering juicy note of apricot makes an entrance and continues to build up a thicker body for the tea. Later, the apricot becomes more of a whipped lime meringue flavor, and the crisp texture becomes sparkly and almost spicy like cinnamon.  The citrus mixes with the darker woody quality to evoke blueberry. In late steepings, the texture becomes more silky like Yunnan budset teas, and the juiciness becomes buttery like autumn harvest tieguanyin.  All together, this makes for a thrilling tasting experience.

I agree with what was said there! You will see in my tasting notes below the way the tea seems to transform.

I brewed this tea per directions on the Verdant Tea site.

In the second steep there was a creamier feel to the tea, full mouthfeel, with a hint of cigar characteristic. Apricot comes out more as the elderberry is slightly less prominent but still detectable. The cedar comes out only slightly with a perfume flavor  reminiscent of incense. The mouthfeel also began to lighten toward the end of the cup as the tea cooled even more. I did detect some bitterness toward the end of the cup in steep two. There is an interesting and yet not bothersome numbing sensation in the after taste of steep two as well.

On the third steep there were smells of caramelized sugar and butter.  The flavor was really sweet which was foreshadowed by the aroma! I could not help but smile as I made my tasting notes because the tea suddenly had a fluffy, yes I said fluffy mouthfeel! This cup was gulped down very quickly therefore I have fewer tasting notes on it.

In the fourth, and my final steep for the evening, there is a light crisp flavor, the wood notes are now tamed, although present they are playing only a backdrop for the more spicy flavors coming through. Now there is a slight cinnamon note presenting and more of the incense flavors rising up. The liquor is very clear now, not in color as that is still the same beautiful reddish-brown it started out as, but in mouthfeel, almost as if the tea knows that I am nearing my last steep, or that it is nearing its own life span perhaps, and allowing for my palate to relax some and unwind by not overwhelming me with too much heaviness. It was a wild and crazy ride full of mixed flavors but this tea is intuitive and knows when to calm down.

I am positive I could step this tea at least one more time with my western style infusion. Verdant’s website says you can get as many as 18 infusions if you brew Gongfu style.

MMMMM sunshine in a cup!  I knew I would love this tea the second Teavana wafted it my way.  The smell of the tea is pure citrus bliss.  The ingredients include: apple pieces, rosehip peels, citrus peels, citrus slices, citric acid, flavoring (lemon, lime), marigold petals.  It is very similar to a lemonade and is delicious hot and cold.

I steeped this tea in my little cup screen.  I used 2 tsp of tea to 10 oz of water and steeped in 212 degree water for 6 minutes.  I added 1 tsp of German Rock Sugar to sweeten up the tang.  The liquid is a deep, yellow color and you can smell the lemon.  It tastes like lemonade!  It is a great citrus blend for those that like some zip in their cup.  The brewed tea is good enough to eat.  The fruit is rehydrated and has a great taste.

Teavana describes this tea as:

Sunshiny spring days inspire this refreshingly bright lemon treat. Radiant rays lift spirits to new horizons as the sweet & sour melange of tart citrus pieces and fragrant marigold petals awaken memories of sun-filled cloudless days. The beautifully crisp and soft lemon zing is excellent hot or served over ice.  Refreshing lemony citrus infusion.

Lemon Youkou is very similar to lemonade.  A delicious blend of citrus and marigold.  Great cup of tea served hot or cold.

This is another tea that I bought from David’s through mail order (the closest David’s to me is 2000 miles away).  I am so glad that I did!

Some white teas have a very grassy taste to them, but this one is just as smooth as can be.  The smell of the tea is very fruity and you can see whole blueberries sprinkled throughout.  The white tea varies in color for a rich green to a very light green.

David’s describes this tea as:

Look out for white fur, black stripes and ice-blue eyes. White tigers tend to be bigger and stronger than their orange cousins. This blend is just as powerful. It’s got the smooth strength of organic white peony tea. Plus the additional fruity blast of pomegranate essence and dried blueberries. A real fighter! It’ll scare away any bad mood.

I brewed this tea in my little tea screen for 5 minutes using 200 degree water.  I added 1 tsp of Sugar in the Raw (also known as Turbinado sugar).  The color of the steeped tea is a light caramel brown.  The flavor is a light white with a hint of blueberry and pomegranate.  The ingredients are: Bai Mu Dan white tea (China), dried blueberries, cornflowers. With organic and natural flavouring*.

If you are concerned about this tea being too spicy hot – don’t be! It’s not spicy in the way you think. If you are hoping for something that is really spicy you will be disappointed, however this is a very good tea!

The jalapeño is understated but if you allow yourself time to sip and sip a little more you will find that the flavors build almost laying on your palate.

Jalapeno tea almost has a sweet flavor to it, and is far more like fresh jalapenos picked from the garden than anything you will buy in a jar or will find on your nachos at a soft ball game!

What ManTeas says about Jalapeno Black:

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Here’s our premium Indian black teas blended with real freeze-dried jalapenos and natural jalapeño flavor! Man up and get some while you can. This is a limited edition blend!

A good black tea base that does not steep out astringent as long as you steep correctly of course, no bitterness whatsoever.

I get the vegetal taste of the jalapeño, and a green pepper after taste to some degree with just a slight sweetness to it.

I steeped this tea at 200°F for 4 minutes.

Now again, if you are still concerned about this being too spicy, let me just say that my husband who had no idea what nachos were when he came to Kansas, my home state, was able to drink a small cup of this tea and never once complained about it being too spicy. He literally can not handle ANY real heat. So bear in mind, this is not going to kick you in the cojones, but it has a lovely jalapeño essence to it.

I find more flavor profile develops as it cools. Of course I find this with many teas so it’s not unusual, but I am always one to gulp my tea down as fast as I can, yes very dignified I know.

Now I love manteas, 52teas, mysweethoneybush, and all things Frank creates. He is a mad genius of teas. For me, personally, I wish this was one to kick in the cojones, but this will appeal to far more people the way that it is.

This is such a robust raspberry herbal tisane!  The second I smelled the dry fruit, I knew I would absolutely love this tea.  It is caffeine free so good to drink anytime.  It would also be great as a blend with a black tea – yum!  I steeped this tea in my Tea maker.  I used 1 tsp of tea to 8 oz of water. The tea is quite strong, so you don’t need a lot.

I steeped in 212 degree water for 7 minutes.  I added a tsp of Tupelo Honey to sweeten it up just a touch.  The color of the tea is like a fine wine!  You should drink it in a glass mug so you can enjoy its beauty.  It is a deep, burgundy red.  The flavor is a perfect blend of sweet and sour.  This tea will definitely satisfy that sweet spot or it will serve as a fresh bowl of fruit on a summer day.

Adagio describes this tea as:

Raspberry is a fairly complex flavor to play with. In some forms, you find it much more sweet than tart. Others, it’s very crisp and mouth-watering. Sometimes it’s warm and chewy like a jam. In creative hands, it’s a fruit-floral accent – a whisper of flavor. This balanced herbal blend plays to all of those nuances. Fresh raspberries, apple pieces, rose hips and hibiscus flowers come together to tell the story of a raspberry. Homemade jam, zesty juicy, tart and slightly sweet, not overwhelmingly tangy. Lovely fragrance. A very clean, balanced cup that, because it’s caffeine free, you can enjoy anytime.

Another Adagio to add to my list of favorites.  I love a strong fruit flavor and this tea hits the spot.

There is no doubt this is one fresh Georgia Peach!  The scent of the tea is so amazing, I want to take a bite!  The tea is a pretty blend of rooibos leaves and the bright colors of the petals.

I steeped this tea for 7 minutes in boiling water using 1.5 tsp of tea to 10 oz of water.  I added just a touch of Agave Nectar, although, the tea is probably sweet enough for most tea drinkers.  The only concern I had with this tea, like most rooibos, it’s hard to strain.  I used my tea screen to steep in my cup and I filtered it a second time with one of my other screens.

Kaleisia describes this tea as:

A fruity blend of rooibos, blackberry leaves, calendula petals and natural peach extract.

The liquid is a deep reddish-brown.  The flavor is a perfect mix of creamy rooibos and fruity peach.  I have had this tea both hot and iced and it is delicious both ways!

This tea is an excellent choice if you love a little tea with your fruit!  One of my favorite rooibos blends.

Mango Melange from TeaVitality is a mango lovers dream. The first thing to hit the nose is a fresh, bright fruity scent with just a hint of a floral undertone.  HUGE whole pieces of dry mango and sunflower petals contrast nicely. The package is resealable and is clearly marked on the front with the brewing instructions, ingredients and even the location from whence the tea originates.

I’m not usually a mango guy, but, I figured I’d try it.  The liquor is a golden amber and has a very sweet smell.  The whole mango chunks dance and play with the hibiscus and sunflower in the cup, making for an eye appealing and fragrant brew.  The flavor is of course, mango, but a subtle floral undertone lingers on the tongue.  The apple in the tea was surprisingly absent… at least to me. Not that made for a bad taste, just could find it. There is an almost creamy mouth feel that’s pleasant and was a bit surprising.  To be honest, after I drank the tea, I even ate a few of the chunks.  (Sans the flowers of course)

TeaVitality has this to say about Mango Melange:

Our Mango Melange Herbal is a melange of apple pieces, hibiscus flowers, mango pieces and sunflower blossoms.  Delicious hot or iced.   Naturally sweet and caffeine-free.

Sweetener is optional. Personally I think the mango is sweet enough on its own, but Turbinado sugar is an option. No reason for a creamer here.  The floral notes simply get lost, and in my opinion, detract from the flavor.

Light and slightly crisp, this tea is a fruit lovers dream.  Marry this one with any light salad or fruit and cheese platter.  For a bit of a cocktail, add in a flavor neutral spirit like light rum, or vodka and serve over ice.

Hot, this is a great little sipper, but cold, this one is a refreshing and light way to cool off after a hot day in the sun. Serve it pool side with light fare and watch as your party comes to life.

Of all the teas I have sampled from Hari Tea, all are beautiful and delicious teas, but I chose this tea to review first because it was the most surprising tea I had the honor of sampling from Hari Tea.

The title of the tea is ‘New Sensation’ and is part of Hari Teas’  Inspirational Line of Teas.   The first thing that truly impresses me about this tea is its packaging.  It comes packaged in a beautiful embossed cardboard box, and inside is a cellophane containing the tea bags, which is tied with the most adorable little twine bow.

Once you until the twine bow from the cellophane, the tea bags are what are truly incredible, and indeed unique to the tea industry!   This tea is packaged in individual teabags which are made from pure cotton teabags.  Each cotton teabag has fairly nice sized holes for brewing, and has a pure cotton string, which is carefully sewed onto the small paper tag which includes complete brewing instructions and information on the tea and Hari Tea’s information as well.   In short these are wonderfully eco-friendly teabags which are impressive to look at and makes your tea experience much more exceptional!

Hari Tea describes this tea as:

What adult doesn’t look back and wistfully remember a time when he or she had more plentiful energy? We spend enormous amounts of time and money trying to satisfy the longing for the feeling of newness – eagerness to take on life with no thought of limitation. we love the old feeling of a new sensation. And we certainly lover the refreshing taste of hibiscus and mint.

At the bottom of the front of the package it says Hibiscus and Mint.  This was the reason the tea was so uniquely surprising to me, because I didn’t even open it for two weeks.   Tea Companies of the World, please take note:  Hibiscus is yucky.  We know it’s a cheap filler, we know it’s in almost every fruit blend in the world, but seriously, it’s bitter, it’s tart, and it has no place in tea.  In my own humble opinion, the use of hibiscus in tea should be discontinued, period.

So when I initially decided to give it a try, I was hesitant because of my dislike for hibiscus.   And of course the hibiscus was present, when you put hibiscus into a blend it’s extremely difficult not to be able to pick it out among the flavors.  However it was when I read the other ingredients listed on the side of the package that I decided this was worth a try, and I’m very glad I did!

The ingredients are:

Hibiscus (21%), fennel, rosehips, spearmint (7%), peppermint (7%), cinnamon, green rooibos, apple, roasted chicory, blackberry leaf, black pepper, ginseng extract, coconut, turmeric root and rose petals.

WOW.  That is quite the mélange of ingredients and flavors.  After looking at the ingredients and tasting the tea, I honestly think the combination of hibiscus and rosehips (flavors which are very similar, tart and bitter) was too much of a tartness, and could be removed completely from the ingredients and you would have an exceptional and unique tea.  If it were me, I would replace hibiscus and rosehips with either lemon or lemon zest and lemongrass, or to a lime flavor.  Lime and Mint or Lemon Mint would be better than Hibiscus and Mint.

However with that being said, and the long list of ingredients and flavors, the flavor of this tea completely surprises me.  Yes it has a tartness that is easily identified as hibiscus and rosehips, but this tea goes much deeper than that and is remarkably smooth without any hint of bitterness, which is very surprising.  You can taste a slight licorice flavor from the fennel, and the mints are definitely present and delicious.  I would like to taste more of the chicory and the coconut in this as I felt they were good flavor inclusions in the ingredients list but they didn’t really stand out in the overall flavor profile.

This tea is indeed very refreshing whether you take it hot or iced.  This does make an exceptional iced tea, and I prefer to add sweetener to this one although it can be taken with or without sugar.  Don’t add milk or creamers to this one, it would clash horribly with the tartness of the hibiscus and the mint flavors.  The aim of this tea is to inspire and to refresh with a ‘new sensation’ and I think they have definitely achieved that goal.   In fact this is possibly one of the very few teas which include hibiscus and rosehips as ingredients that I would not only enjoy drinking but would drink on a regular basis.

Refreshing, invigorating, and great for any time of day or night!