Visited 1308 times, 5 so far today
Nov 30

Slimming Tea from Vitalife

Green Tea,Herbal Tisanes,Tea Review,Vitalife Matcha 6:21 am | 2 Comments

Slimming Tea from VitalifeI have just received my canister of tea from Vitalife and I must say to start with the packaging is a winner for me – it’s bold yet simple with a whole host of taste bud tantalizing  ingredients including:

Chilli, Inositol (a member of the B vitamin family), Ginger, Cinnamon and Vanilla, all on a green tea base!

I am really looking forward to this as all of the ingredients excite me.

I begin to boil my kettle and start opening the canister and I see a sealed foil pack with teabags inside. I then open the foil pack and instantly a fiery yet smooth aroma is helping my senses come alive.

I am really exited about tasting this tea as a close friend of mine had mentioned this as a product in which she had used in the run up to her wedding in which of course most women want to try to shed those extra few lbs . Combined with exercise and a nutritional healthy eating plan she did believe that this contributed to her outstanding weight loss and now that she has managed to maintain the weight loss she now drinks this instead of her normal cuppa as she loves the taste so much. It is also made even better by the fact that you don’t need to add milk so you are saving on extra calories.

I begin to pour the just off-the-boil water over the teabag and again a punchy aroma comes through, this time being Chilli and Cinnamon – This tea really is extraordinary for a sensory delight as you can pick each individual ingredient out just by smelling the tea!

Here goes… after a few minutes of steeping I take a sip and I am just as pleased with the taste as the aroma (some teas are all aroma and no taste) this tea is both- well Done Vitalife!

On initial tasting I get a creamy Vanilla note, then I get the warming Cinnamon come through, then comes the punchy Ginger then the Chilli smacks you right in the mouth (in a good way though)- even for all those people who don’t like spicy foods this really is a taste sensation and whilst I have said it smacks you in the mouth it really isn’t in an overly spicy way…quite extraordinary actually.

Vitalife describes this tea as-

“This fiery yet smooth-tasting blend of green tea, chilli, inositol, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla delivers all you need to get your metabolism running at full speed – making weight loss faster and easier. Something that helps you lose weight can’t taste this good. Can it?”

Overall I would describe this tea as a smooth and creamy blend with punchy and fiery notes which has a whole host of metabolism boosting ingredients.

Thank you Vitalife for making Slimming Tea palatable!



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


Be Sociable, Share!
Nov 29

Dong Ding Oolong from Naivetea

Naivetea,Oolong Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 10:07 am | 2 Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Oolong
  • Name Of Tea: Dong Ding Oolong
  • Available From: Naivetea

[Dong Ding Oolong from Naivetea]This is a medium oxidized oolong, darker than a lightly-oxidized one, with dark-green leaves curled into fairly tiny balls – not tight “pearls” but quite curled. Because they’re tightly curled, you will want to use an infuser large enough to give them room to expand. I didn’t get much of an aroma from the dried leaves – just a very faint grassy smell, almost not there.

For oolong teas, I use 190 degree F water, and steep for about 2 minutes. As soon as it started brewing, this tea evinced a floral aroma. Although the company describes it as “orchid” I find the floral note reminds me more of jasmine.

Although there’s a nice floral aroma, the taste isn’t floral – not that that’s a bad thing; the taste is quite nice and smooth – more body than the lighter oolongs, not at all brisk or bitter but still a stronger tea taste than green oolongs. The smoothness of it reminds me of of some brandies or liqueurs – not in flavor, but in texture. I’ve tried several teas from Naivetea, and so far all of them have leaned toward floral notes, very impressive consistency in presenting tea from among several styles – it seems to be something they aim for.

The tea also tastes good on a second steeping – the floral aroma is still there, and the taste is still as smooth. Steeping the tea for about four minutes on the second steeping produces the same pale yellowish-green color as the first; although this is more oxidized than some of their other oolongs, it doesn’t brew up any darker, not nearly as dark as, say, a Ti Kuan Yin oolong.

The tea doesn’t need any sweetener, although you could add some. Eating sweet foods with the tea seems to make the tea taste sweeter. The flavor of the tea complements sugar cookies, shortbread, butter cookies, and jam-filled cookies quite nicely. (Gingerbread cookies were somewhat stronger than the tea, though.)

Naivetea describes this tea as:

Layered flavor, notes of orchid, lingering refined sweetness.

Mouth Feel: Soft with medium and smooth body
Aroma: Floral with hints of orchid
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: Medium, 30%
Origin: Dong Ding, Central Taiwan
Elevation: 700 meters/2,296 feet.

Incidentally, the company’s spelling of it as Dong Ding is not the only way to spell it – other producers will call similar teas Tung Ting, and if you wanted to do a comparison by tasting several different ones, you’d need to search under both spellings.

Although I generally prefer darker oolongs to lighter ones, the teas I’ve tried from Naivetea have impressed me so much with their attractive floral notes that I am looking forward to trying more of them, as soon as I can decide on which ones to try next!



BunRab
BunRab
http://bunrab.livejournal.com

  • » find out more about BunRab by viewing their profile
  • » see other articles penned by

Be Sociable, Share!
Nov 28

Da Yu Ling Oolong from Naivetea

Naivetea,Oolong Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 9:50 am | 3 Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Oolong
  • Name Of Tea: Da Yu Ling Oolong
  • Available From: Naivetea

[Da Yu Ling Oolong from Naivetea]This is a lightly oxidized oolong, closer to green than black, with dark-green leaves curled into fairly tiny balls – not quite the tightly compressed balls of some teas that are sold as “pearls” but quite curled and looking a bit like dark pebbles. Because they’re tightly curled, you will want to use an infuser large enough to give them room to expand. There’s not much of an aroma from the dried leaves – a faint greenish smell, but not the sort of thing that has you just standing there sniffing the leaves and forgetting to brew it. (Jasmine teas have that effect on me, for one.)

Once brewed – I use 190 degree F water, and steep for about 2 minutes – the tea has at first a slightly herb-y note, and a smooth green taste. But then an unusual thing happens: as the tea cools down, a floral note arises; by the time it reaches room temperature, the floral aroma and floral taste of this tea are quite distinctive. I found that it reminded me slightly of jasmine.

I tried the tea iced, and while the iced tea did not have much aroma – iced tea rarely has the aromas that the steam rising from hot tea carries – it still had a floral taste to it. Likewise, I tried second steepings of the tea, both as hot tea and as iced tea, and the second steepings had a strong floral note right from the get-go.  Since that floral note holds up so well as the tea cools, I suspect that I will enjoy this as summer iced tea all summer long, since I really like jasmine tea as iced tea, and this heady floral note is similar.

I personally don’t usually use sweetener in unflavored teas, and I always find oolong teas smooth enough to not need sweetener anyway, but if you prefer your tea sweetened, adding a little sugar or honey to this one would work well. Artificial sweeteners, most of which have flavor notes of their own (metallic and bitter are two of the words often used to describe artificial sweetener notes) would not complement this tea at all.

Naivetea describes this tea as:

Distinctive mountain essence, fresh flower and evergreen notes, lingering refined sweetness.

Mouth Feel: Soft with light, smooth body
Aroma: Delicate, fresh, floral
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: LightOrigin: Da Yu Ling, in one of the highest elevation tea farming areas of Central Taiwan
Elevation: 2,300 meters/7,545 feet

Although as I write this, in late fall, most people aren’t thinking of iced tea, I am thinking of it, and thinking how much I will enjoy more of this oolong as my iced tea of choice next summer.

 



BunRab
BunRab
http://bunrab.livejournal.com

  • » find out more about BunRab by viewing their profile
  • » see other articles penned by

Be Sociable, Share!
Nov 27

Organic Sencha from Aiya

Aiya Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 5:56 am | 3 Comments

Organic Sencha from Aiya

In front of me I have a sachet of Organic Sencha from Aiya. The pack says the tea has a refreshing taste, light aroma and a clear green appearance. Let’s see how this one goes!

I have brought my kettle to the boil and I am now pouring the hot water over the leaves and instantly the water goes a pale green colour, almost the colour of lime cordial.

I leave the tea to brew for a few minutes and whilst I do so I notice the leaves start to unfurl slowly whilst giving off a light aroma.

The aroma does seem light just like Aiya have stated on their packaging. On trying I find the tea suitably refreshing with a very tea-like taste, quite similar to a black tea without any milk added to it.

I personally think this tea would be great being enjoyed when you feel a little thirsty and do believe that it would be great as an iced tea as extra refreshment in the Summer months.  I feel the tea is light yet still has a vegetative taste and aroma.

Now the tea has completely cooled I do find this my preference for the way I am feeling now, rather dehydrated from all the cold to heat experiences you go through in the winter time. I personally really prefer this tea cold and find that it delivers better on what is described this way.

This is how Aiya describe this tea:

Organic Sencha is one of the highest in quality in the Japanese internationally certfied organic Sencha category. This grade of Organic Sencha is rare even in the Japanese market. This tea is grown to meet strict organic regulations while maintaining a light refreshing flavor and aroma with a clear green appearance.

Overall I would agree with Aiya regarding the tea having a light refreshing flavour and aroma maintaining a clear green appearance throughout brewing.



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


Be Sociable, Share!
Nov 26

Pumpkin Spice from Republic of Tea

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Republic of Tea,Tea Review 11:44 am | 3 Comments

[Pumpkin Spice from Republic of TeaWith all the spices in this tea, it’s practically a chai! The addition of nutmeg to the spice blend also gives it a note like a rich eggnog or egg custard.

I enjoy this tea either with milk, like a chai, or just with a bit of sugar to bring out the pumpkin flavor more. With milk, the eggnog/egg custard comfort-food atmosphere increases – the pleasure of a pumpkin custard without the calories. If you’ve ever had pumpkin flan, a seasonal fall treat in areas where flan is popular, like Texas, then you’ll enjoy this tea too.

As far as the black tea goes, it’s of medium strength, serving as a good base for the flavorings; the flavors are more important than the tea. It’s not too brisk or bitter, though, despite not being brisk, one has to remember that this is a caffeinated tea! Because it tastes so much like a great dessert, one might be tempted to drink it after dinner, but keep the caffeine content in mind if you’re sensitive to caffeine after a certain point in the day. One way around that is to steep the tea for only 2 minutes or so, in water slightly less than boiling, and then save the bag for a second steeping. Most of the caffeine will be brewed up in the first steeping, and the second steeping – water below boiling, steep for 4 minutes or so – will be quite low in caffeine but still have lots of flavor. Add a bit more sugar to the second steeping, to bring out the remaining pumpkin flavor.

Republic of Tea describes this tea as:

Keep Warm and Carry On – Cozy up and sip this warm blend of fine black tea and autumnal spices –cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Energizing black tea wards off the chill of the crisp, fall season, and a splash of warm milk transforms this tea to pumpkin pie in a cup.

Ingredients

Black tea, ginger, cinnamon, natural ginger and pumpkin flavors, sweet blackberry leaves, nutmeg, cloves, allspice

Incidentally, this tastes surprisingly good as an iced tea – without the milk, at least for me. The fruit flavor from the pumpkin works well when iced. The time of year that one buys these seasonal teas isn’t necessarily iced-tea weather everywhere, but keep it in mind for spring and summer.



BunRab
BunRab
http://bunrab.livejournal.com

  • » find out more about BunRab by viewing their profile
  • » see other articles penned by

Be Sociable, Share!
Nov 22

Gingerbread Spice from Celestial Seasonings

Celestial Seasonings,Flavored Tea,Herbal Tisanes,Tea Review 10:18 am | 4 Comments

[Gingerbread Spice Herbal Tea from Celestial Seasonings]

This seasonal tea only shows up in stores for the few months around the winter holiday season, but I could easily drink it year round. It’s a caffeine-free herbal tea, good for late evenings, and it’s in the convenient form of tea bags, also good for that late-night cup.

The first two ingredients in the tea are cinnamon and ginger, which gives it something of the taste of chai, although it doesn’t have all of the chai spices. Unlike many herbal teas, it has a rich, dark taste rather than a light or flowery taste, and that’s because the base it’s built on is chicory and roasted barley. Chicory is a root that, when roasted, tastes a little bit like coffee – in fact, it’s added to some coffee for a spicier flavor. It doesn’t have any caffeine, though. So one gets a bit of a coffee’s body and aroma, without any bitterness or caffeine. The darker taste of chicory also goes well with strong spices. Roasted chicory is a little bit malty, a little bit like carob. The roasted barley adds a note that is slightly like oatmeal, but in a good way – with the cinnamon and ginger, an oatmeal note fits right into a baked-goods, comfort-food aura.

The tea also contains a bit of a natural sweetener called luo han guo, which comes from the monk fruit, and is calorie free. There’s not much of it, so the tea doesn’t taste too sweet, and if you want to add a little sugar or honey, that would make the flavor richer.

The chicory and barley base, plus the strength of the spices, also stand up well to milk, if you want to treat this tea the same way you would a chai. It goes particularly well with almond milk or hazelnut milk, since those add to the baked-goods aroma of the tea.

Celestial Seasonings describes this tea as:

“Stepping into a cozy kitchen warmed by the spicy aroma of freshly baked gingerbread — what a wonderful way to thaw a frosty winter chill! This handcrafted blend is a nostalgic medley of ginger, cinnamon and other time-honored ingredients. Because it’s naturally caffeine free, you can indulge in this unmistakably merry tea any time!”

All Natural:This product contains all-natural ingredients and no artificial colorings, flavorings or preservatives.
Ingredients: Cinnamon, roasted chicory, ginger, natural flavors, (soy lecithin) roasted carob and luo han guo.
Caffeine Status: Naturally Caffeine Free
Gluten Status: Gluten Free (New For 2012/13)

Since I like chicory so much, and I love spices, I plan on getting enough of this tea while it’s in season to last me through the winter!

 



BunRab
BunRab
http://bunrab.livejournal.com

  • » find out more about BunRab by viewing their profile
  • » see other articles penned by

Be Sociable, Share!
Nov 21

Red Rose Black Tea from In Nature Teas

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,In Nature Teas,Tea Review 6:40 am | 3 Comments

[Red Rose Black Tea from In Nature Teas]

This tea had a wonderful aroma as soon as I opened it. Although the only ingredients are black tea and rosebuds, there was such a chocolate-y aroma as well that I could almost believe there was chocolate hidden in there somewhere.

When I brewed the leaves, the chocolate aroma remained along with the roses – I’d have to say that the accidental chocolate note to it would make this perfect for Valentine’s Day, since the rosebuds look beautiful, the tea tastes wonderful, and that aroma certainly conveys a sense of romance.

The instructions that come with the tea suggest using bottled spring water to brew it, but I have to admit that I used my tap water – Maryland has very good tap water, and I have never found that it makes bad tea. Oddly, the instructions say to heat the water to only 85 degrees C (185 degrees F) for black tea, rather than to boiling. I went ahead and followed that suggestion, and found that it made a good cup of tea despite not being at boiling.

The tea tasted as good as it smelled, with a smooth tea flavor and a lovely natural sweetness from the roses. I didn’t feel that it needed any sweetener at all, but if you add some, it will taste all the sweeter for the combined effect of sweetener and roses. I didn’t want to add any milk; I feel as though it would mute the natural flavors, but the tea is strong enough to add milk if you wish to.

One nice thing about steeping the tea in lower-temperature water rather than boiling is that it remains quite good for a second steeping. Although the chocolate note was much fainter on the second steeping, the rose aroma and taste were just as strong as on the first steeping. Since second steepings are somewhat lower in caffeine than first steepings, that makes for a wonderful late-afternoon tea.

In Nature says about this tea:

This exquisite blend is a mild and sweet black tea from the Zhejian region with the aroma of red roses and flower teas from the Jiansu region – truly a match made in heaven! The taste is very mild, soothing and still with a deep floral fragrance.

The Red Rose is the perfect tea for the colder months, and can be enjoyed with milk, cream and sugar.

The rosebuds in the tea include the hip, so the tea probably contains some vitamin C as well – another thing that makes it a good winter tea.

The tea comes in a metallic plastic bag, which is inside a foil-lined cardboard “tin” with a deep lid; the tea should keep quite well in this combination, and you could probably reuse the cardboard box for other teas later on.



BunRab
BunRab
http://bunrab.livejournal.com

  • » find out more about BunRab by viewing their profile
  • » see other articles penned by

Be Sociable, Share!
Older Posts »

Review Search


Categories

By Store

Latest Forum Posts