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Jan 31

China Pu-erh Herbal Infused Tea from TranquiliTea

Herbal Tisanes,Pu-Erh,Tea Review,TranquiliTea 4:51 pm | No Comments

China Pu-erh Herbal Infused Tea

China Pu-erh Herbal Infused Tea

A sophisticated herbal and Pu-Erh brew, with gorgeous smoky undertones with a lovely green mid-tone and herbal and citrus highlights.

TranquiliTea describes this tea as:

Top notes of lemon and orange lead you to the middle of spearmint, ginger, and licorice root. A delightful base tone of a top quality Pu-Erh black loose leaf tea holds all the flavors will and gives a beautiful amber color to the liquid.

This is a great alternative to herbal teas for those of you that need some caffeine in your life. One 6oz cup of tea has more caffeine that a regular cup of coffee or a can or coke/pepsi. So here you can have the soothing tastes of the delicious fruit and herbs with all the caffeine of a great cup of tea!

I can honestly say this is one unique tea that you probably won’t be able to find anywhere else.  Currently, Pu-Erh tea is mostly sold on it’s own – that is,  not usually blended with any other ingredients other than the Pu-Erh itself.  This tea breaks that barrier and adds a symphony of flavor to the Pu-Erh base.  I truly love the mixture of herbs that this blend contains! Truly a complex and unique tea that is wonderful any time of day!



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Jan 31

Triple Threat Temptation from The Tea Table

Black Tea,Tea Review,The Tea Table 2:38 pm | No Comments

Triple Threat Temptation

Triple Threat Temptation

This tea holds a special place in my heart, as this is the tea that brought me into my obsession and addiction with gourmet tea many years ago.  Prior to tasting this tea, my only experience with tea was bagged & tagged BOP, just regular black tea.

This tea is an extremely good tea for the beginner tea connoisseur, as it’s a sweet tasty treat that I believe appeals to almost anyone, from children to adults,  with it’s flavors of white chocolate, coconut and caramel.

The Tea Table describes this tea as:

This unbelievable combination is perfect for sipping by the fire on crisp fall evening. The triple threat consists of white chocolate, coconut, and caramel in a black tea blend, with a hint of vanilla – sounds like a candy bar, but calorie free! Add milk and sugar for a real treat. Use 1 tsp. per cup and steep 3-5 minutes in freshly boiled water.

I’m not sure what the base tea of this blend is – it could be a Yunnan or even an Assam with it’s rich bold dark flavor.  This tea smells like a coconut candy bar, and tastes really lovely.  Whatever the base tea is, it’s delicious, and allows you to actually taste the flavor of the tea above the flavors of chocolate, coconut and caramel.  And it really is perfect with milk and sugar!



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Jan 31

New Tea Wallets and Tea Stir Sticks

Tea Accessories 1:27 pm | No Comments

Pink and Brown Tea WalletI’ve been busy the past few days making a few new lovely tea accessories, including these several lovely tea wallets with matching fabric buttons!  I found the most wonderful “Make Your Own Fabric Covered Buttons Kit” on Etsy, which I used to make the lovely buttons you see on the wallets!

Green and Pink Floral Tea WalletThis Green and Pink Floral Tea Bag Wallet was created from a gorgeous floral fabric in shades of green and pink, and is reinforced with interfacing to make it stiff and durable! There is a white elastic and matching fabric button closure for the wallet which accents the pattern.  An elegant and attractive way to carry your tea bags with you at all times!

If you’re like me, you bring your tea with you on the go – I’ve created these teabag wallets that have 6 interior pockets sized just right for teabags or sugar packets, etc.

Tiki Masks Tea WalletThis Tiki Masks Tea Bag Wallet was created from a gorgeous fabric featuring Tiki masks in black, reddish-orange and tan, and is reinforced with interfacing to make it stiff and durable! There is a white elastic and matching fabric button closure for the wallet which accents the pattern.  Tea wallets measure approximately 6.5″ x 4.5″ when open. Click here to see all tea wallets in my Etsy shop – currently there are 25 for sale, each one different and unique!

I must say I’ve fallen in love with tea wallets – both making them and using them – they have SO MANY different and varied uses – not just for tea!  Although this tea reviewer carries enough tea with her on-the-go that I had to make 3 tea wallets for myself just for all my tea.

Finally, last night my good friend Zippy ( also a tea reviewer at this blog) came over and spent some time creating a few tea stir sticks with me!  We came up with a lot of really cute stir sticks!  Here are the the two lovely sticks she created:

Tea Stir Stick 1Tea Stir Stick 2

I think the freeform wrapping is absolutely stunning!!  I made 4 tea stir sticks of my own, three of which are shown below:

Blue and Yellow Teapot Stir StickRainbow Rave Stir StickButterfly tea stir stick

As you can see, it was a wonderfully fun and creative evening! Tea Stir Sticks are wonderful for stirring your tea or coffee to gradually release the flavor of cinnamon or licorice (depending on which type of stir stick you get!) into your hot drink. It can also be used to indicate which teacup is yours when amongst friends! A wonderfully decorative tea accessory!  View all of my Tea Stir Sticks for sale on Etsy here!



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Jan 30

Turkish Delight by Tea Noir

Black Tea,Tea Noir,Tea Review 11:49 am | No Comments

Turkish Delight Tea

Turkish Delight Tea

Heaven in a cup!  This one smells so very lovely you can’t imagine – a spicy rosy scent that smells very close to real Turkish Delight, with nearly the same ingredients -  roses and pistachio with a hint of cardamom.

This is one of my all-time favorite teas, and absolutely gorgeous with a splash of milk (or milk alternative) and sweetener.

Tea Noir describes this tea as:

Turkish Delight is a delicious, unique artisan tea blend exclusive to Tea Noir.  The base for this blend is premium, tippy Yunnan black tea that brews up into a delicious amber liquor.

Those tea leaves have been blended with cardamom seeds, pistachio, and rose essence to mimic the complex flavours and aroma of really good Turkish Delight candy. We’ve also added red rose petals, cultivated without chemicals, for that special little oomph, making this tea blend as much a treat for the eyes as for the mouth!

Turkish Delight is amazingly aromatic – one whiff will transport you to the bazaars of Istanbul (or is it Constantinople?) and the delicate, complex flavour that accompanies the scent will keep you coming back for more. C.S. Lewis was right – Turkish Delight is dangerously addictive, especially in tea form!

This tea blend is terrific black, but a hint of sugar and cream are also delicious.

I honestly love this romantic and sweet brew – it’s perfect for bubble baths and bedtime, but something you’ll want to drink all day long anyway!  A definite must-try tea!



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Jan 29

Bedtime Sleeping Tea from Herbabless

Herbabless,Herbal Tisanes,Tea Review 9:22 pm | 1 Comment

Relaxing Stress Release Herbal Tea

Bedtime Sleeping Herbal Tea

Herbabless, a brand new online seller who focuses on herbal preparations offers this brew which is somewhat similar to their Relaxing Tea, for bedtime and sleeping.

This is much more of a medicinal tisane than a blend meant for flavor – it’s a little lot on the bland side, but it does the trick! For example, if you are ill or have a cold, this is a wonderful hot tea, it’s very blandness is extremely soothing to the stomach and digestive tract, and the only three ingredients, chamomile, peppermint and linden leaves are renowned for their holistic properties.

Herbabless describes this tea as:

The perfect bedtime sleep tea. Our bedtime tea is a soothing and calming blend that helps induce sleep and promote digestion. It has a soothing and minty taste with apple like notes from the chamomile. Try with honey or sugar.

Have a lot of stress or maybe insomnia?  Have a tea!

Our blend is a combination of the best:  Chamomile, Peppermint and Linden Leaves

It just so happens that this reviewer happens to have a sore throat on this late January evening – may have caught a small cold from my mother – and I decided to have a cup of this herbal brew.  I prepared it straight with no sweetener of any kind, and it was very soothing to my sore throat.  I believe this is mostly due to the mucilaginous constituents of the linden leaves.  The peppermint and chamomile are both said to be wonderful for digestion and tummy troubles (I sure believe they are!).  This is overall a brew which is primarily good for digestion.

I believe calling it a “bedtime sleeping” tea is a bit of a misnomer and not entirely accurate as peppermint doesn’t have any sedative properties that I’m aware of, and chamomile and linden leaves are said to have only very mild sedative effects.  For example, valerian, hops or passion flower would have all been better choices as ingredients in a bedtime/sleeping related tea.

However with that being said, I think this is a remarkable tea for the alternative treatment of stomach woes such as IBS, indigestion, heartburn, and others.  Very simple yet effective ingredients!



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Jan 29

Sweet Sunrise from TranquiliTea

Black Tea,Tea Review,TranquiliTea 10:17 am | No Comments

Sweet Sunrise Tea

Sweet Sunrise Tea

This lovely tea brews up a delicious amber color and is smooth and sweet to the taste.

With the wonderful aroma of sweet orange blossoms and a gorgeous sweet citrus taste that goes down smooth. Very refreshing, with hints of lemon and oranges! Gorgeous tea to wake up to, or for a sweet retreat anytime of day!

TranquiliTea describes this tea as:

This is a delicious blend of herb and fruit extracts mixed with a first grade China Keemun loose leaf black tea. Vaguely remanicent of TAZO’s wild sweet orange tea, just with caffeine from the black tea used. The sweetest way to start your day!

A lovely bottom note of the black keemun with the tastes of lemon, spearmint, orange, ginger and licorice.

I really love this tea, it’s so well-rounded and perfectly balanced.  I think the choice of keemun tea is an excellent tea base for this blend.  This would also make a wonderful iced tea in the summertime, with it’s citrus and mint flavor.



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Jan 27

Nervous Gnome Tea Blend from Lavender Dragon Herbs

Herbal Tisanes,Lavender Dragon Herbs,Tea Review 9:17 pm | 1 Comment

Nervous Gnome Tea Blend

Nervous Gnome Tea Blend

I sometimes have trouble drifting off to sleep, and wanted something to interrupt the incessant chatter of my brain.

I chose Nervous Gnome based on the wealth of information the seller gives in her shop profile – she’s studied herbs for many years and her ingredients are organic or wildcrafted. This light amber brew smells slightly minty and floral, with a pleasingly sweet taste.  I drank it black with no sweetener, but a dollop of clover or wildflower honey would complement the ingredients nicely.

Lavender Dragon Herbs describes this tea as:

This herbal blend will help to keep nerves calm, relaxes you and helps you fall asleep.

There is no list of what herbs are included in this blend.  The seller confirmed when asked that she uses St. John’s Wort and Valerian.  My two felines inform me it has catnip – I have to keep the tea container well-sealed and out of their reach. It’s probably what gives it the grassy mint flavor.  And  I’m able to visually identify as well as taste rose petals and lavender.

Since the seller promotes this primarily as a medicinal blend, she offered to adjust (free of charge)  the herbs to my liking if I found it wasn’t having the effects I desired.  I appreciated this personal touch, even though the tea was lovely just as it was.

I’ll be buying more Nervous Gnome – I enjoy the fresh mint taste, and it’s soothing without making me drowsy. It would be fabulous iced on a lazy summer day, or for an afternoon break at the office when the phone just won’t stop ringing.



chickscratch
chickscratch
http://chickscratch.etsy.com


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