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Jan 27

PeacaMint from Design A Tea

Design A Tea,Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

PeacaMint from Design A TeaI – like our Tea Guru – had my reservations regarding this tea.  Pecan and peppermint?  These seemed like two great tastes that don’t belong together.  Adding rooibos to the mix did nothing to assuage my misgivings.  But, I was curious.  I mean, this was actually a holiday tea sold by Design A Tea, a signature blend, not some wacko concoction that some weirdo created on a whim.  So somebody at Design A Tea decided that combining the flavors of rooibos, pecan and peppermint was not only a good idea, but, tasted good enough to make it a signature blend.

Finally, my curiosity overpowered my doubts and I decided to brew it.  And you know what?  This actually … works.  The naturally nutty flavor of the rooibos marries well with the flavor of the pecan, and these warm, sweet flavors offer a pleasing contrast to the cool, crisp flavor of the peppermint.  And best of all, the flavors of the pecan and peppermint manage to offset that funky rooibos aftertaste that I dislike.

This is really good!

Design A Tea describes this tisane as

Have to give credit to my step-son Ben on this one. I mentioned that we needed to make a holiday blend for the 2008 season. He returned with this one. I will admit I’m not a big peppermint fella, but this combo is GREAT. Hope you enjoy this blend… we sure do.

I like this much better than I ever expected I would.   If I were to change anything about this … I’d change the name.  It’s just … a wacky name.  But then, I thought that combining pecan and peppermint was pretty wacky too, and that ended up working.  So, maybe they should just keep the name the way it is.



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


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Jan 27

Egyptian Licorice Spice from Yogi Tea

Chai Tea,Herbal Tisanes,Tea Review,Yogi Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

Egyptian Licorice Spice from Yogi TeaThis is an Ayurvedic Spice Infusion, which I cannot really tell you much about, as this is something I know nothing about, so I will concentrate on taste and appearance.

The ingredients list sounds really jam-packed with goodies: Licorice root, cinnamon bark, orange peel, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, clove, natural flavors and essential oils.  Does this remind you more of something Indian, like chai, perhaps? It does me.

It also smells like that famous Indian drink, with ginger and clove, so I am ready to like it.  I brew it with boiling water for about 7 minutes  and there is a lovely sweet, spicy smell coming from my cup.  I used a bit of half and half in it, as I would chai, but held off on any sugar, as licorice root can be quite sweet.  I am glad I did, as I found it to be sweet enough for my taste.

This is for you folks who like your spices gentle and mild.  I think this is an excellent blend, with nothing sticking out and shouting  ”Look at me, taste me first”.  It is difficult to get so many spices and herbs to form a cohesive whole, but this is very nicely done.

Yogi Teas has this to say:

The great kings of Egypt treasured licorice root for its natural sweetness, rich flavor and restorative properties. Our Egyptian Licorice® tea brings you this royal herb in an intriguing blend of complementary spices. This tea is sure to delight with its delicious and satisfying taste, fusing organic licorice with sweet and spicy notes of savory cinnamon and zesty orange peel. Naturally warming, the herbs and spices in Yogi Egyptian Licorice have been traditionally used to support the respiratory and digestive systems.* Enjoy this uniquely delectable tea any time, day or night.

I think this would be a very pleasant way to end an evening or to have with an Indian rice pudding, to round out an Indian meal.  It is much too gentle to stand up to the heavy spices of the meal itself.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Jan 26

Ersatz from The Coffee Trade Company

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Tea Review,The Coffee Trade Company 11:00 pm | No Comments

Ersatz from The Coffee Trade CompanyWhat?  Coffee? On a tea blog?  Ersatz?  Yeah, yeah, I asked all of those questions, too, especially when the packet asks the barista (highly skilled coffee server) to give it to each customer.

Before we go any farther, I had best tell you there is real tea in this all this fakery.  The ingredients are roasted rice, roasted peas, roasted chicory and BLACK TEA .  See, I told you we’d get to it.

I brewed it for about 5 minutes with boiling water and since the packet said to enjoy it as you would coffee, I just went right ahead and put in half and half.  It smelled like Celestial Seasonings’  Roastaroma Tea, which was always billed as a coffee substitute and which I used to like.  Currently I only have it for old times’ sake and then, rarely.

To tell you the truth I would call this a sort of drink. It smells like coffee, sort of.  It tastes like coffee, sort of.  It has a caffeine kick like coffee, sort of.  So I sort of didn’t care for it.  I have reached a time in my life where I want my food and drink to be good or to satisfy a whim.  McDonald’s is not a good homemade meal, but sometimes, it satisfies a whim.  Although this did have a somewhat sweet roasted taste, this is not good coffee.  It is not good tea.  If I wanted either coffee or tea, I would not turn to this.  I would even choose Roastaroma over it.  Sorry, Charlie.

Ersatz Coffee says this about it:

Do You Miss Postum? Try Ersatz™!

Gluten-free, Caffeine-free
Alas, one of the world’s most famous and favorite coffee substitutes is no longer being produced. Try Ersatz and we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by our new and unique, gluten-free alternative.

For centuries, “coffee substitutes” have been concocted, especially when stressful economic conditions and/or wars hindered the international shipping of coffee beans. Typically such substitutes have been developed using a variety of roasted agricultural products such as legumes, grain, and natural plant flavorings, often yielding a beverage with little or unappealing flavor.

Today, our food alchemists at The Coffee Trade Company (our charmingly anachronistic enterprise) in Bellefonte, PA have formulated a perfect coffee alternative through careful and tedious experimentation. The result? A satisfying warm beverage with a rich and delicious roasted grain and nutty flavor.

Well, I never was that crazy about Postum, either, but if you were, you would probably like this.  And if you like Roastaroma, you would probably like this.  Usually, however, people drank those two because they wanted a coffee substitute without acid or caffeine and this has caffeine from the black tea, although I don’t know how much.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Jan 26

Fennel Liquorice from Hampstead Tea

Hampstead Tea,Herbal Tisanes,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

Fennel Liquorice from Hampstead TeaHampstead Teas are organic and Fair Trade, two things which I am much in favor of.  This is considered a “balancing infusion”, but I am not sure what that means.  It is an herbal infusion and I am not really up on the use of a lot of herbs.  This one has licorice root, fennel seed and peppermint.

The dry leaves looked about as you might expect, chopped green and seedy.  They smelled somewhat minty and sweet.  The sweetness comes from the licorice root, which is frequently used just for that in many herbal drinks.

I brewed this tisane for about 4 minutes, using boiling water.  It gave off a very pleasant sweet and minty aroma.  The golden liquid basically tasted of sweet mint.  Even though it is peppermint, the other herbs must certainly soften its often abrasive edges, turning this into  an easy drink to enjoy, even if you are not the greatest peppermint fan.

Hampstead Tea has this to say:

Fennel is an excellent digestive and breath freshener, valued for its comforting and balancing effects. Our unique infusion blends fennel seeds, liquorice root and peppermint leaves to help regulate the digestive system

There you have it – lots of goodness in one small cup.   If you are so inclined, all of these herbs can be grown at home fairly easily.  Peppermint and licorice are perennials, but fennel, for most of the northern US, is not.  There are many herbal gardening sites on line which can give you directions.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Jan 26

Maté Lemon from Numi Tea

Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Numi Tea,Tea Review,Yerba Maté 8:00 am | No Comments

Maté Lemon from Numi TeaThis tea is a mix of yerba maté, green tea and lemon myrtle.  The yerba maté appears to be the green, un-roasted version, which I don’t think I have had before.  We are getting two mild hits of caffeine, on from the green tea and one from the maté.

Dry, the leaves are all chopped and just look greenish, they smell of a very pleasant lemon.  I brewed it for 5 minutes with water about 190 degrees and what a lovely aroma of lemon there was!  Already, I am predisposed to give high marks, as lemon is one of the few flavorings I really like in my tea.

The brewed tea was a beautiful golden color, enhancing the experience.  And the taste – as Rachel Ray would say – Yum-Oh.  It tastes like the best lemon drops you ever had, but with great depth to the flavor.  As it cools, there is more a hint of green – I don’t know if it is tea or the mate.  I preferred it hot, as it is more lemon drop.  I might mix this with some other teas for a nice ice tea in the summer.  It might also be good brewed very strong and made into a sauce for  chicken breasts.

Numi has this to say:

This infusion of organic South American Yerba Maté, Australian Lemon Myrtle and green tea unfolds into a lemon taste with sweet, earthy undertones. Its stimulating effect evokes a cheerful mental lucidity.

The stimulating effect probably comes from the mate, as that is what it is known for in South America.  I certainly feel cheerful after drinking it.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Jan 25

Silver Needle from Adagio Teas

Adagio Teas,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea,White Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

Silver Needle from Adagio TeasI’m not generally a huge fan of tea bags, but I have to say more and more companies are making really good ones.  they use their good teas and put them in a bag big enough so the tea can expand.  This is another of them, hooray.

Silver Needle tea comes from China and is basically the first buds of a first flush of tea in the early spring.  The long pointy buds are a pale silvery green due to the fine white hairs covering them.  The tea made from them is always delicate.

Adagio said to brew this tea with water about 180, for 3 minutes, which I did.  As it brewed, there was a faint aroma of corn and spring green leaves.  The brewed tea was a soft, pale yellow and tasted very gently of a mix of slightly sweet, mildly green, slightly floral, and a touch of chamomile, but not apple-like.  Sort of a hint of dried plant dust.  Perhaps more the way chamomile smells and tastes before it is dried.  It is an altogether pleasant tea and certainly convenient.

.Adagio has this to say:

White tea from China. Silver Needle is among the most revered of Chinese teas, produced in the Fuding and Zhenhe districts of its Fujian province. Gathered only for a few days in early spring, a dedication to perfection is evident in the pale, ivory colored liquor. The lingering fragrance is delicately honeysuckle floral, with a warmed sugar sweetness. Refreshing texture that is soft and airy on the palate. This is a special grade (‘Bai Hao’) version of this exquisite tea.

I am not sure I caught all that because I don’t think my palate is good enough for the very subtle nuances of white teas.  I need to work on them, I guess.  Having said that, I can tell this is a very good tea.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Jan 25

Moroccan Mint from Earthbound Tea

Earthbound Tea,Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

Moroccan Mint from Earthbound TeaThis delicious tea is a blend of green tea from Fujian Province, China and peppermint.   I couldn’t tell what kind of green tea it was,.  I am not sure it matters.  It smelled very minty, but softer than straight peppermint.  I think I detected some spearmint, but I’m not sure.

You might ask why Chinese green tea with mint is labeled Moroccan.  I’ll tell you.  Throughout the Arab world, mint tea is a big item.  It is the tea drink.  Also, I think Morocco carries big hints of exotica to us – the bazaars, the Casbah, the romantic movies.  So, we drink this tea and feel a bit wicked, a bit…exotic.  In my opinion, of course.

Earthbound tea says this:

Green tea, freshly picked peppermint, and a soothing minty taste. What more do you need?

Indeed, what more do you need for a pleasant pick-me-up that will also soothe a troubled tummy if you have one!

I brewed the tea for 2 minutes at 185 degrees, according to directions.  It continued to smell wonderful.  The pale green liquor just exuded mint.  The taste was pretty wonderful as well.  It was a soft, rounded mint, not the usual knockout dose of peppermint.  Again, I kept thinking there was some spearmint in the mix, which I felt contributed greatly to the softness of the drink.  There are other mints as well that could be in the mix, but these were the two I could identify.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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