Visited 574 times, 4 so far today
Jul 11

Wild Blueberry from Republic of Tea

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

Wild Blueberry from Republic of TeaThe first sip of this lively tea brings to mind the sweet juiciness of fresh blueberries.  The delectable berry aroma is present from the first moment of opening the tea canister.  It is more subdued in the tea liquor itself, but the quaint flavor of the tea takes the stage at that point.

This blend comes in neatly packaged round teabags.  Republic of Tea uses natural, unbleached teabags, so rest assured that there is no flavor tainting from the teabag itself.  A fragrance of sweet blueberries will assail your senses as you pluck a teabag from the canister for steeping.  The color of this tea liquor is a dark reddish-brown.  The first discernible taste of the tea liquor is malty.  The blueberry flavor plays its part next and lingers for a sweet finish.

A cup of this tea is best prepared with fresh, boiling water and infused for 3-5 minutes.  Personally I’ve found that the full 5 minutes of steeping will extract the complete lineup of blueberry flavor notes.  When unsweetened, this tea has a tenuous trace of bitterness, but it becomes perfectly pleasing and full-flavored with a touch of milk and sweetener.  Imagine the taste of a fresh-baked, still-warm blueberry muffin and you’ll comprehend the simple deliciousness of this tea.  Although I’ve yet to sample this blend iced, I’m sure it will be as equally savory chilled as it is hot.

Republic of Tea describes this tea as:

A Harmonious blend, sweet with the lushness of blueberries and counterbalanced with rich, malty notes of fine black tea.

One unique aspect of this tea is that it is one of many blends offered by Republic of Tea that is “Fair Trade Certified”.  This a U.S.-based program that ensures tea workers around the world receive fair wages.  Another facet of this tea is that it is a limited edition blend, which means that only a certain quantity is produced one time.  This is a sad fact, but it only reiterates that this is choice tea to be relished while it is available.

I wish I could magically send the aroma to you along with this review, oh dear reader, so you too could experience the pure delight of this tea’s luscious scent.  I’m off to dote on another cuppa of Wild Blueberry, perhaps complimented by a warm blueberry scone!



Miss Sweetea
Miss Sweetea


Be Sociable, Share!
Feb 05

Pomegranate Green from Uncle Lee’s Tea

Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review,Uncle Lee's Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

Pomegranate Green with Mixed Berries from Uncle Lee's TeaIt’s the middle of winter, and I’ve been trying desperately to boost my immune system. I have two young children, and they come home with sniffles and coughs on a daily basis. When looking for a new tea to try this morning, I noticed Uncle Lee’s Imperial Organic Pomegranate Green Tea with Mixed Berries. I could definitely use an antioxidant punch!

The tea bag had a sweet berry-like smell to it, but I didn’t really notice any green tea. After brewing, the taste is tart with a snappy mix of pomegranate and hibiscus. If you enjoy sour flavors like I do, this tea is a good option. While acidity dominates, a vegetal green tea essence quietly whispers to you. This subtle hint adds a pleasant smoothness to the brew.

Uncle Lee’s describes this tea as:

A subtle tart flavor and rich color makes our pomegranate tea the perfect blend of green tea and natural fruit flavors. Certified organic and kosher, every batch is carefully hand inspected to ensure goodness and purity.

In the listed ingredients I noticed that the pomegranate and raspberry were just flavorings, but there is hibiscus and green tea in the bag. So perhaps not the large hit of antioxidants I was looking for, but there are still positive health benefits in the green tea, and hibiscus does have quite a bit of vitamin C. The tart berry flavor is a nice bright taste for the dreary winter months.

It would be great with a touch of honey, or other sweetener to balance out the tart flavor. This would also be extremely refreshing as an iced tea. This is a tea is so versatile, I could see myself reaching for it all throughout the year.



Sara
Sara
http://teahappiness.blogspot.com

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

Be Sociable, Share!
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/


Be Sociable, Share!
Jan 23

Chamomile White Tea from Uncle Lee’s Tea

Tea Review,Uncle Lee's Tea,White Tea 4:00 pm | No Comments

Chamomile White Tea from Uncle Lee's TeasThis is a teabag tea, but I cut it open to see what was inside.  Both the tea and the herb were too chopped to discern differences, but there was a nice gentle scent of chamomile, which is a favorite of mine, reminding me of the chamomile my grandmother grew and dried for winter.  There is another very faint almost animal aroma, some sort of fresh almost earthy scent.  Perhaps it is the white tea.

Once again I am faced with a brewing dilemma – low temperature or higher, as white likes the former and chamomile the latter.  I decided to do 3 minutes at about 180, a compromise all around.  Surprisingly, the resulting liquor is a very dark gold.  If only I could remember which white tea does that, I’d tell you.  I’ve only had it once, so there you have it.

The aroma of this hot tea/tisane is ever so gently chamomile and that is the taste as well.  This herb is not as powerful as peppermint, but it’s not exactly a shrinking violet, either.  I think the white tea has softened it into something really gentle that lingers so mildly and pleasantly on your palette, but rather insists on more, please.  Nicely done.

Uncle Lee says this about it

Introducing our new line of teas – Imperial Organic. What does imperial mean? It means royal quality of organic degree in teas available today. Our white tea (camellia sinensis) begins as young tender leaf buds, plucked fresh at the height of potency and flavor. Each leaf is simply rolled and gently flash-dried. Combined with 100% organic Egyptian chamomile flowers, our tea has a delicate apple like flavor and aroma that is high in antioxidants. Certified organic and kosher, every batch is carefully hand inspected to ensure goodness and purity. Taste the Uncle Lee’s difference!

You can’t really go too far wrong with all the goodness in this one little tea bag.  Chamomile has been used for centuries to bring peace and calm to folks.



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


Be Sociable, Share!
Jan 06

Oolong with Ginseng from Uncle Lee’s Tea

Flavored Tea,Oolong Tea,Tea Review,Uncle Lee's Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

Oolong with Ginseng from Uncle Lee's TeaI am not particularly a fan of ginseng, and since I am generally leery of bagged Oolong teas, I wasn’t really eager to try this tea.  But I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised at how good this tea tastes.  Fortunately, the flavor of the Oolong managed to come through nicely despite the confines of a tea bag, and more importantly, the earthy, woody tones of the ginseng and the deep, rustic smoky tones of the Oolong tea have managed to meld together quite harmoniously, creating a rather tasty cup.

The scent of the tea in dry form was slightly herbal.  The aroma of the brewed liquor is more of an earthy scent, with hints of wood and smoke.  This translates into the flavor as well, offering a smooth yet rustic kind of flavor that evokes thoughts of walk through the woods, with notes of earth filling the air and just a hint of smoke from a nearby wood-burning fireplace.

The first flavor I notice is that of the smoke.  I’m not always fond of a strong smoky note in tea, but, here it is not so strong that it is off-putting.  It is actually quite a satisfying taste when paired with the earthy and woody tones of not just the ginseng but also the Oolong.

Uncle Lee’s Tea describes this Oolong as

Only Uncle Lee’s packs extra-large tea bags with whole leaves. This unique method means a higher-quality tea with more flavor and health benefits for you. Discovered in the mountains of Northern China over 5000 years ago, ginseng was valued for a wide range of reasons. Once worth its weight in gold, the cost of ginseng was prohibitive to all but the privileged few like the emperors of China. It is no wonder then why ginseng Oolong Tea is also known as “King’s Tea”. Enjoy our blend of high grade Oolong Tea with authentic American ginseng. Taste the difference of Uncle Lee’s Organic Whole Leaf Teas — more leaves, more flavors, more benefits.

I found this cup to be quite pleasing.  I like that it’s organic and even though I’m not particularly fond of ginseng I know that it does offer some health benefits so I do appreciate it when I find a tea with ginseng that still tastes good.  This one does just that.



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


Be Sociable, Share!
Dec 22

Green Tea from Gorreana Tea

Gorreana Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

Green Tea from Gorreana TeaThe dry leaf of this bagged tea did not possess a strong fragrance, but the aroma of the brewed tea made up for that.  It smells of freshly cut grass in the spring.  I’m also noting a stronger vegetable-type scent, vaguely reminiscent of cooked kale.

I’ve brewed this tea twice now.  The first time, I brewed it with eight ounces of water.  This resulted in a crisper, lighter version of what I shall describe below.  It tasted clean and sweet, but it was a bit thin.  I preferred my second brewing where I brewed the tea stronger by using less water (about 5 ounces).  The result was a rich, satisfying cup that had an almost “broth-y” like flavor and texture.

My first sip or two, I noticed immediately a grassy flavor.  Not a bitter grass taste, but it was more savory than sweet.  As I continued to sip, I found that the sweetness developed.  I also notice a bit of citrus in the background.  Not just a fruity tone to the tea, but, also a acidic flavor that melds well with the aforementioned savory notes of this tea.  A nice, relaxing cup of tea.

Gorreana Tea describes this tea as

Gorreana’s single estate organic green tea is a premium grade green tea that indulges the palate with its subtle clean and crisp mellow flavor.

This is the perfect green tea for the tea drinker on the go that must have only the finest organic green tea on hand to serve to their guests or to treat oneself.

Enjoy this 100% organic green tea and all the benefits associated with green tea and taste one of the rarest mellow green teas in the world, 125 years in the making.

Gorreana Tea offers both bagged and loose leaf teas.  I like that their selections are organic, and the teas that I’ve tried thus far have all been very good.  I highly recommend them.



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


Be Sociable, Share!
Dec 18

Organic Oolong from Uncle Lee’s Tea

Oolong Tea,Tea Review,Uncle Lee's Tea,Unflavored Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

Organic Oolong from Uncle Lee's TeaI do enjoy a good Oolong however I tend to be a bit apprehensive about bagged Oolong tea.  Its been my experience that Oolong leaves tend to expand more than other types of tea leaves, and when in a bag, I worry about there being enough room for the leaves to do their thing.

But, this tea seemed to do just fine despite the confines of the tea bag.  It brewed to a lovely medium-amber color, and the flavor is very pleasant:  sweet with hints of peach-like flavor and a toasty nut taste in the foreground.

As I continue to sip, I am finding that the aforementioned toasty flavor is beginning to expand into a slightly smoky note.  It gives the cup a very warm flavor.  The sweetness of the nutty flavor, combined with the rugged smoky notes, and the delicate peach note in the background make for a nice, well-rounded cup that finishes with a mild, cleansing astringency and a lingering sweetness in the aftertaste.

Uncle Lee’s Tea describes this tea as

Only Uncle Lee’s packs extra-large tea bags with whole leaves. This unique method means a higher-quality tea with more flavor and health benefits for you. Our Whole Leaf Organic Oolong Tea is a partially oxidized green tea that has qualities of both green and black tea. An oxidizing process called withering allows the tea to soften, releasing enzymes that darken the tea leaves when exposed to air. Our Whole Leaf Organic Oolong Tea is loaded with antioxidants and soothes the senses with a rich taste and delightful aroma. Taste the difference of Uncle Lee’s Organic Whole Leaf Tea.

While I did have my doubts about this tea in the beginning, by the end of the cup, I find myself quite enjoying what I’ve tasted.  It certainly wasn’t the best Oolong that I’ve consumed, but, it was, nonetheless, lovely.  It would make a charming accompaniment with a meal, or any time when you want something quick and easy … but still delicious.



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


Be Sociable, Share!
Older Posts »

Review Search


Categories

By Store

Latest Forum Posts