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Jun 21

Warm Apple Pie from Tea, Oh!

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Oh!,Tea,Tea Review 4:00 pm | 2 Comments

Warm Apple Pie from Tea, Oh!I’ve tried a few “apple pie” flavored teas in the past.  Just like most things in life, some were good while others were disappointing.  This Warm Apple Pie tea from Tea, Oh! belongs to the good category… in fact, it is one of the better apple pie teas I’ve tasted.

The apple flavor is well-defined here.  It is further enhanced by the light touch of cinnamon, and I think that this is where this tea really excels.  While some teas can really go overboard with the cinnamon – this offering has just a touch of cinnamon that encourages that “apple pie filling” taste.  It isn’t spicy or hot, it’s more like a sprinkling of cinnamon just to accent the apple flavor.  It’s like gramma would make!

The black tea tastes strong black tea.  Brisk but not what I would consider to be “bold” or aggressive – it lets the flavors do their thing while still making its presence known.  It has a slightly drying astringency.  If over-steeped, this tea can become bitter, so keep an eye on the timer.  I steeped my cup for just 3½ minutes and the tea tastes perfect and bitter-free!

The sip begins with a taste of black tea, and within a moment or two the flavors begin to develop on the tongue.  The flavor of apple that’s been lightly kissed with cinnamon washes over the palate.  Towards the end of the sip, a “pie crust” kind of taste arrives.   The finish is apple-y sweet with hints of buttery crust.

Tea, Oh! describes this blend as

A cozy, smooth black tea flavoured like warm apple pie.

I personally prefer this tea hot as the apple pie flavors are very autumnal to me, and autumnal flavors should be warm!  I like this just fine without any sweetener, but if you wish to enhance that pie crust taste, I recommend a little sprinkling of turbinado sugar or brown sugar.  Not much, just enough to help bring out some of those elusive notes.

For a real treat try adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an Apple Pie a la Mode tea float!  YUM!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jun 14

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones Mix from Sticky Fingers Bakery

Sticky Fingers Bakeries,Tea Accessories 1:11 pm | No Comments

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones Mix from Sticky Fingers BakeryName of Tea Accessory:
Raspberry White Chocolate Scones Mix

Available From:
Sticky Fingers Bakery

I love World Market. I don’t shop there very often because I have a hard time controlling myself when I’m there.  In other words, I buy too much!  But, recently, I received a flyer in the mail from them with a special coupon – buy 2 Sticky Fingers scones mix, get 1 free.  It was an offer too good to refuse!

I’ve tried a few scones mixes from Sticky Fingers Bakery, and while I have enjoyed each one that I’ve tried, I think this one might be my favorite thus far.  This mix has HUGE, whole freeze-dried raspberries in the mix!  Not some sort of artificial berry-like textured foodstuff, but REAL freeze-dried raspberries.

The scones come out rich and moist.  They are so tender that they melt in my mouth!  The white chocolate lends a creamy taste to the scone but I’ve never really gotten much true chocolate taste from white chocolate (perhaps because it’s not “true” chocolate?) but it is still a sweet and delicious accompaniment to the pleasantly plump and tart raspberries.

These are best served warm right out of the oven, although they do keep for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container.  A little butter is nice, but clotted cream is even better if you’ve got it!  It doesn’t really need any jam with all these raspberries in them – but a little lemon curd might be tasty!  These make a perfect tea-time treat!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jun 14

Haute Chocolate from Teavana

Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review,Teavana 8:00 am | No Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Rooibos
  • Name Of Tea: Haute Chocolate
  • Available From: Teavana

Haute Chocolate from TeavanaWhile I generally prefer to be sipping on tea, there are occasions when I want hot chocolate.  Sometimes – when I want that rich, chocolate-y flavor, nothing else will do.

When I do indulge in a hot chocolate, I prefer my own, from scratch version; made on the stove top using whole milk and high quality cocoa powder.  I also usually add a pinch of cayenne pepper and cinnamon too to satisfy that craving of spicy and sweet.

This Haute Chocolate from Teavana reminds me a lot of my own hot chocolate – it might not be quite as thick (because I didn’t steep this in milk), but it has a very satisfying chocolate-y richness and a very pleasing balance of spices.  The ginger and black pepper give this an exciting peppery kick, while the cinnamon and cardamom give a nice warmth without overpowering the balance of flavors.

The flavor of the rooibos is there -  this does have a slightly woody flavor in the background – but it seems to work well without being off-putting or tasting funky.  The chicory adds a pleasant roasted flavor to the cup that really compliments the chocolate flavor.

Teavana describes this rooibos blend as

Prepare to be spoiled as you sip this aromatic treat of chocolate, ginger cinnamon and exotic spices. This rich and chocolaty Rooibos tea is great as an after-dinner dessert tea – no guilt involved!

This is a really delightful cup that I enjoy later in the evening – it probably does have some caffeine because of the chocolate, but, it is much lighter than a typical cup of tea would be.  The perfect late-night snack for those who are craving something chocolate-y and sweet!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jun 03

Cookie from Lupicia Tea

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Lupicia Tea,Tea Review 8:00 am | No Comments

Cookie from Lupicia TeaYUM!

In her review of this tea, our own Tea Guru compared this tea’s flavor and aroma to the Dansk Danish cookies.  And while I get that comparison, for me, these cookies are more reminiscent of gramma’s snickerdoodle cookies – fresh and still warm from the oven.  The sugar in the cookie caramelizes slightly on the bottom, creating a light, crispy crust.  The cookie is soft and sweet and melts in your mouth.

OK… now that I’m starting to drool over the memory of gramma’s fantastic cookies… let’s talk about this tea.

The black tea base is a strong tea with a malty character that ties in very well with the flavor of “cookie.”  It also has a biscuit-y quality to it – which also brings out the fresh-baked cookie-ness of this blend.

The tea has a deep caramel-y taste to it along with a delicious nutty tone.  While this tea doesn’t really need sweetener – it is a very pleasant sweetness on its own – I find that the flavors are very nicely enhanced with the addition of sugar.  If you have it, I would recommend adding a sprinkle of turbinado sugar to this tea, the hints of molasses in the sugar really bring out the cookie-esque tones to this tea.  (As I sit here writing this, I also think a drizzle of maple syrup might be very nice in this tea!)

Lupicia describes this tea as

Black tea scented with an image of freshly baked caramel cookies. Best served with milk.

What I like best about this particular tea is that while it is incredibly sweet and delicious (perfect for keeping that sweet tooth at bay), it has a robust, rich flavor to it that will invigorate you, making it a perfect breakfast tea!  Cookies for breakfast?  YES!

While I can’t recall any tea from Lupicia with which I’ve been disappointed, I would include this on my list of Lupicia’s teas that is a MUST TRY.  It is a delight!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jun 02

Monkey Picked Oolong from Teavana

Oolong Tea,Tea Review,Teavana,Unflavored Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Oolong Tea
  • Name Of Tea: Monkey Picked Oolong
  • Available From: Teavana

Monkey Picked Oolong from TeavanaIt is fun to watch this tea steep – these leaves have been wound into tiny pellet shapes, and they unfurl slowly, moving about in the hot water as if they are dancing.

They produce a beautiful gold colored liquor with a lovely floral aroma.  That fragrance tells of what the flavor holds – a deliciously sweet, intensely floral essence.  The flowery notes of this cup are at once sweet, slightly sharp and even pungent.  Just as the leaves danced in the hot water – these enticing flavors dance upon the palate.

The mouthfeel is soft and “air-like.”  By that, I mean to say that the feeling this tea imparts on the mouth evokes the thought of what a cloud might feel like.  And just as quickly as an airy breeze, the light astringency of this tea clears away the mouthfeel so that it does not develop and leave the mouth feeling heavy or overwhelmed.

Teavana describes this Oolong as

This is the ultimate oolong tea. When infused, the unbroken, evenly-sized leaves gracefully unfurl to reveal the most complex Oolong bouquet available. Its legendary name refers to Buddist monks who trained monkeys to harvest the youngest leaves from the top of the wild tea trees. Presently the term “Monkey Picked” refers to the highest quality of Oolong tea available. Made from the youngest tea leaves, this tea is perfect for multiple infusions. Also known as Ti Kuan Yin.

It is easy to see why Teavana considers this to be the “ultimate Oolong.”  While Ti Kuan Yin is not my favorite Oolong – I do enjoy them immensely and this one is no exception to that.  A very fine Oolong, I highly recommend it.



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liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jun 02

Irish Breakfast Special Reserve from Golden Moon Tea

Black Tea,Golden Moon Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 4:00 pm | No Comments

Irish Breakfast Special Reserve from Golden Moon TeaThe dry leaf of this tea is beautiful – lots of golden leaves amongst the deep mahogany leaves.  I had hoped that this meant I would soon be sipping on a very rich and hearty tea!

Yes, indeed!  This is one of the heartiest black tea blends I’ve encountered.  This tea has a remarkable malty flavor.  I am really enjoying the biscuit-y quality of this tea.  This is an excellent breakfast blend; certainly one of the best Irish Breakfast blends I’ve ever tasted.

This is a very well-rounded tea.  It has a fantastic complexity to it – hints of nutty flavors, as well as fruity tones.  And even though this does have a very robust nature to it, it also has a sweet side too.  It has a hint of caramel-ish sweetness to it in the background – not a strong sweet presence, but just enough to keep this tea from being too ornery. It has a fair amount of astringency at the tail, leaving the palate feeling clean but not too dry.

This is the kind of tea that you want to cozy up to on a chilly morning … while also serving you well as the much needed kick-in-the-pants on those slow-to-rise days.

Golden Moon Tea describes this blend as

A Breakfast Tea strong enough to hold up to the fried tomato, sausages, bacon rasher and white pudding of a Full Irish breakfast must indeed be hearty. For the Irish, the strong black blend is simply referred to as tea and if it has a fault, it would be that it is often too bitter for the faint of heart. So when we found a robust black blend in a market in Cork, England that was more malty than bitter – we made it our own.

In my opinion, this full-bodied tea is best served hot.  It would certainly work well as an iced tea too, but, to get all the flavor that this tea has to offer, hot is the best option.  It takes a little bit of milk and honey well, or if you like a sharper edge on your morning tea, it can be taken without any addition.



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liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jun 02

Matri: Tea of the Mother from Sacred Rose

Herbal Tisanes,Sacred Rose,Tea Review 8:00 am | No Comments

Matri: Tea of the Mother from Sacred Rose

It has been a gloomy few days here in NYC. The grey clouds are heavy and the tops of skyscrapers are veiled in misty fog. This weather makes it difficult to get up in the morning, and seems to enhance little aches and pains. I’ve been saving a special herbal tea for just the right occasion and I could use a little pick-me-up after this depressing weather. I don’t usually drink tisanes, as I’m not a huge fan of herbal or floral tasting brews. But I love to try new things. I’m glad I kept an open mind.

Sacred Rose teas come in a lovely brown and pink striped box, which brightens up my day just by looking at it.  The leaves smell like dried grass and herbs, but I can’t pinpoint anything specific. I added a bunch of the mixture to a cup with a strainer, and poured in the hot water. The brew smells very grassy, which I assume is from the alfalfa and dandelion. There is also a hint of lemon and ginger.

It has a very pleasant taste. Gently grassy, a bit lemony and a slight taste of ginger. It has a nice calming effect. It is very soft and smooth on the tongue. I’ve had a sore throat for a few days, and this tisane is definitely soothing my throat a bit. On this damp and cloudy day, it is warming and cheerful. The grassy flavor makes me hopeful for sunny days out in the park.

Sacred Rose describes this tea as:

A delicate blend of nettles, red raspberry, rose hips, alfalfa, dandelion, lemon and ginger that breathes women in birth in the most high and loving way.  This tea mineralizes the physical body.   Metaphysically it activates the frequency of manifestation; concept into fruition assisting those who often procrastinate in life.

Even though I am not an expectant mother, I do have two young children and could use a special tea like this when I am particularly exhausted. If you have any dear mother friends out there, especially those that are expecting, this uplifting tea would make a beautiful gift.



Sara
Sara
http://teahappiness.blogspot.com

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