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Jan 16

Açai Berry Raspberry Green Tea from Tea District

Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea District,Tea Review 4:53 am | 1 Comment

 

Title: Açai Berry Raspberry

Company: Tea District

Tea Name: Açai Berry Raspberry

Tea Type/Varietal: Green

Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf:  cup/loose leaf

Liquor Color: light green

Leaf Characteristics: Tea leaves are straw like, very fine with bits of safflower and natural açai berry.

 

 

 

1st Steeping:

Water temperature:  190 Fahrenheit

Time:    3 minutes

I am very happy to be having another of Tea District teas. This one is their Açai Berry Raspberry green tea. I open the pouch and the aroma of the berries is quite noticeable. I scoop out one teaspoon of the tea leaves and put them in my cup and add the boiled water to it. Leaving it to steep for a few minutes; after which I strained the tea into another cup.

The tea color is lightly green and tea’s aroma is a fruity mixture of the berries with green tea. As I sip this tea I notice there is no astringency to the tea at all. It is naturally sweetened with the combination of açai berry and the raspberry.

This is a lovely tea, seems very mild and good for the new year.

2nd Steeping:

Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit

Time: 4 minutes

I was able to fix another cup of this tea using the same tea leaves and this second cup is as enjoyable as the first cup. Tea taste is true to the cup.

Overall tasting notes observed:

Tea color: light green

Characteristics: flowery aroma with a sweetened berry taste.


Tea District describes this tea as-

A sweet acai berry and raspberry flavored Chinese sencha green tea.  Acai Berry has recently been studied and has shown weight loss and anti-aging properties – this one may be good for your looks.

Overall I would describe this tea as flowery with a sweetened berry taste.



seule771
seule771
http://seule771.wordpress.com


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Jul 23

Watermelon Blackberry Honeybush from 52Teas

52 Teas,Flavored Tea,Herbal Tisanes 11:00 pm | 1 Comment

Watermelon Blackberry Honeybush from 52Teas

Boy-oh-boy!  When I was young, I used to call watermelon “boy-oh-boy” because I was so excited to be having it.  It was definitely my favorite fruit back then.

Not a lot has changed since then, at least, not as far as my favorites are concerned.  I’ve added a few more favorites on to my list, but, watermelon remains one of my all-time favorite summertime treats.

So I was pretty excited when 52Teas announced this as their tea of the week for May 21.  I love watermelon flavored teas/tisanes, but I think that the flavor is a little difficult to perfect, because there really aren’t a whole lot of watermelon flavored teas out there.  But, I had faith that 52Teas would do watermelon proud.  And I was right – because, boy-oh-boy!  Is this good!

I wouldn’t have thought to pair watermelon with blackberry, but the combination really works.  The watermelon and blackberry flavors are pretty evenly balanced with this blend.  The blackberry is sweet and juicy with just a hint of berry tartness to it, while the watermelon is absolutely mouth-watering.  The flavors are very true to the fruit, and if I didn’t brew this myself, I would have no problem identifying this as a watermelon and blackberry flavored tisane.

The honeybush – now that is another thing all together.  I do taste that distinct honey-sweet, nutty flavor of the honeybush, but when compared to how strong the watermelon and blackberry flavors are, it seems like such a minor flavor.  But that’s alright with me, because as delicious as this blend is, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

52Teas describes this blend as

Two of my favorite summer fruits and honeybush, what could be better? Not much, in my opinion. Caffeine-free and delicious.

This tisane tastes really good served hot, but it is really better iced.  I prefer my watermelon served cold too … usually with a sprinkling of salt.  I wonder how this tisane would be with a pinch of salt in it.  Perhaps I shall have to try it the next time I brew some.  As it is though, this is really great served straight with no sweetener at all.  A little bit of sugar helps to amplify the flavor if you’re going to ice it, but, it is still really good if you want to go sugar-free.

Overall, the cup is light and very refreshing … and deliciously thirst-quenching!  I am LOVING this!



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


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Jul 23

Mango Lassi from Butiki Teas

Butiki Teas,Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

Mango Lassi from Butiki TeasWow, this is really awesome!  If you like mango – you’ve GOT to try this!

The flavor is very bright and juicy and deliciously mango, accompanied with notes of cream and a gentle spiced tone from the cardamom.  The mango is very strong – it tastes like I just bit into a piece of fresh, ripe mango!

The flavor of the rooibos is almost indistinguishable, and quite honestly, that’s the way I prefer it.  I’m not a big fan of red rooibos, although, I find myself preferring the organic rooibos to the conventionally grown, and Butiki Teas used organic in this blend.  So, I probably wouldn’t have minded too much if I tasted more from the rooibos, but I am still glad that I don’t.  There is a subtle hint of a rooibos-esque nutty tone in the background here, and it does not detract from the overall flavor of the cup.

Butiki Teas describes this rooibos blend as

Our exotic dessert blend combines luscious mango with a touch of spice and a hint of cream. Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and originates from South Africa. We recommend adding sugar to this rooibos. Try with our brown crystal sugar.

Seriously, this is really very good.  I did follow Butiki Teas’ suggestion and add some sugar, although I opted to use coconut sugar (which doesn’t really add a coconut taste to the tisane, just some sweetness).  The sweetening of the tisane really amplifies the flavor of the mango – it’s INTENSE!  Like I said before, if you’re a fan of mango, this is a tisane you must put on your shopping list NOW!



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


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Jul 15

Raspberry & Apricot Delight from iHeart Teas

Flavored Tea,Green Tea,iHeart Teas,Tea Review 11:00 pm | No Comments

Raspberry & Apricot Green Tea Delight by iHeart TeasTotally unexpected delight. First of all the aroma of this tea is of warm vanilla sugar and berries. The smell was so warm, so inviting, so sweet, and so natural smelling. It really reminded me of the caramelized sugar on top of a crème brûlée with wild berry glaze on the side.

The very fist sip was that of raspberry but it quickly faded into a warm sugared apricot flavor but not a sticky sweet sugar, rather a very natural sugar flavor. Finally, an apricot I could fully appreciate, as I have had issues with finding an apricot tea I like recently.

What I liked most about this tea, and its flavoring was that I could still taste the green tea base beneath it. Often times when I have tried blends from artesian, or smaller tea vendors I find that the flavors are artificial, cloying, or chemical. This tea was wonderfully mastered! I am impressed! This is one of the best teas from a non commercial tea vendor I have ever tasted!

What iHeart Teas says about Raspberry & Apricot Green Tea Delight:

A light and fruity handcrafted green tea blend with pieces of sweet raspberries and delicate bits of apricot.  Wonderful both hot and cold.

Recommended Steeping parameters:  1 tsp at 175°F for 2 mins

Steeping parameters are recommended based on the way I enjoyed this particular blend personally.  Feel free to play and discover how you enjoy it best.

The liquor appeared oily and heavy in the cup at first pour and I did have some reservations thinking maybe the blend would not be very good but I was so wrong. The tea did have a full mouthfeel to it with that heavy feel but it was so juicy, mouth-watering, delicious!

This is an inconspicuous tea, it does not force you to take notice, rather allows you to simply meld into its splendor! I found that none of the flavors fought one another for attention. While vanilla was not mentioned in the name or ingredients of this tea I swear I could taste a hint of natural vanilla!

There were actual pieces of fruit in the blend just as stated on the site!  I loved the fresh tart apricot, the sharp but sweet raspberries, and the wonderful green tea base, it is naturally sweet so no sugar is needed.

The caramelized sugar aroma was mesmerizing! My mouth is watering as I write this review just thinking about the juicy fruity flavors I so enjoyed! Time to go brew another pot!



Azzrian
Azzrian
http://azzrianvisions.com


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Jul 14

Honeysuckle White Tea from Shang Tea

Flavored Tea,Shang Tea,Tea Review,White Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

Honeysuckle White Tea from Shang TeaShang Tea is one of the best tea companies out there in my opinion. Everything they do is of the utmost quality. I have not had one bad experience with any tea I have sampled from Shang Tea. Honeysuckle White is pure ecstasy. That is if your idea of ecstasy is a creamy mouthfeel, sweet florals, buttery light vegetal flavors, and an undertone of nuttiness.

When I was a kid there were a lot of honeysuckle bushes around my neighborhood. You could pick the blooms of the honeysuckle bush and pull out the middle section, the stamen I believe, and there would be this shiny wet dew on the stem of the stamen. This was honeysuckle sap. It was sweet and delicious just like this tea but a natural sweetness of course, nowhere near as sweet or sappy as honey.

This tea evokes those memories for me. A time very early in my youth that followed me into my own children’s youth as they too would learn the secret of the honeysuckle bush!  Shang Tea’s Honeysuckle White Tea is considered an herbal white tea.

Here is what Shang Tea has to say about Honeysuckle White Tea:

Smooth and soothing, this tea creation is from our “white peony King” white tea and wild Honeysuckle blossoms for a round and enchanting cup. This combination is not only beautiful and delicious, it contains wonderful healthful qualities.

In China, there are over 100 species of wild Honeysuckle. Highly prized for its medicinal value, Honeysuckle is used in China and Europe to cool the body to alleviate headaches, sooth sore throats, and contain anti-inflammatory properties.

This tea is soothing, calming, almost meditative. The color is so beautiful – a bright sunny golden amber. The aroma makes the eyes open brightly with the lovely smell of honeysuckle blossoms, then the eyes shut with a soothing Ahhhhhh feeling of release. Since this tea is made with the White Peony King tea base you will pick up subtle nuisances of fruity undertones in later steepings.

This tea is a forgiving tea in the sense that you can play around with brew times if you wish to have your tea a bit stronger or a bit lighter. I steep mine for a good 3 to 4 minutes on the first steep and 5 or more on the following steeps, yet you can go as little as 1 to 2 minutes and still get a lovely flavor. Note the directions to bring water to a boil, then let rest one minute before immersing leaves to steep. You will find this tea can easily be steeped 3 to 4 times and still give a high quality enjoyable flavor palate for your palate!

I love a tea that can evoke a memory. This playful tea has the quality to be snobbish yet lets everyone enjoy its bounty, at $16.00 for 2 ounces or you can grab one of Shang Teas sampler packs that include their 8 best-selling teas, including this one, for only 8 dollars and 80 cents. Every time I enjoy this tea I will think of the years past, running around my neighborhood, picking honeysuckle and lapping up the sweet nectar of life and remembering times doing the same with my own little saplings!



Azzrian
Azzrian
http://azzrianvisions.com


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Jul 08

Cantaloupe & Cream from Butiki Teas

Butiki Teas,Flavored Tea,Tea Review,White Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

Cantaloupe & Cream from Butiki TeasYum, Yum and YUM! What an elegant creamy delight. A white tea base that is not over shadowed or muddled down by such amazing flavors.

First of all I have never had any kind of melon with cream. I never would have thought of such a thing! Berries and cream of course but cantaloupe? I would not have purchased this tea had it not been for stunning reviews I read elsewhere but wow I am so happy I did make this purchase and I will say this is going into my all time favorite flavored tea stash. I will have this on hand at all times!

Personally, I did not feel this needed any added sugar but the site suggests it to be added if you want a more dessert like tea. I still like mine better without, but the sugar does not take away from the tea flavors at all. So have it your way as it is a delight regardless!

Now I work with essential oils and Helichrysum is one of my favorite oils for many purposes and while most people probably would not pick out that flavor I could taste it lingering under the surface – how lovely! This is my first tea that had this as a flavor element at least that I could discern in the flavor palate and not just the ingredients.

I also like that it is vegan – a tea THIS divine should be an option for all!

The dry leaf is gorgeous with the Helichrysum flowers making a noticeable appearance on downy white tea leaves. Steeped the leaves puff up quite nicely but I also notice that they appear to easily accept a second steep so that is what I have done, a second delightful steep! While I make my second steep lets look at some info from Butiki Teas…

What Butiki Teas says about Cantaloupe & Cream:

The sweet cream notes of our Organic Bai Mu Dan compliment the cantaloupe and cream notes. This tea starts with vegetal and floral notes that quickly develop into mouth watering cantaloupe and cream notes. Try with our Brown Crystal Sugar for a sweet dessert treat.

Ingredients: Organic Bai Mu Dan, Organic Helichrysum Flowers, Natural Flavors (vegan)

Recommended Brew Time: 3 minutes 30 seconds

Recommended Amount: 1½ teaspoons of tea for 8oz of water

Recommended Temperature: 180° F

I brewed as per the above instructions, adding 30 extra seconds to the second steep.

Steep two brought out a creamier mouthfeel and flavor. The cantaloupe is still present but I am missing some of the Helichrysum flavor now to my disappointment but hey it’s still yummy. I am just a huge fan of that flower flavor! Now it has a very interesting nutty flavor in the after taste which is a nice surprise.

This is funny but I actually prefer steep two WITH sugar. I kind of like that though. I can enjoy the first steep in its natural form and the second for a little sugar rush.  Both steeps are amazing and this is one tea you simply should not pass up! I love finding obscure tea blenders who do what they do oh so well!

There are many who just miss the mark with me but get an E for effort. Butiki knows what they are doing though and I am looking forward to trying more and more blends from them! This specific tea however gets its own honorable place on my china hutch and I am now going to go find its own very special tin! Try it!



Azzrian
Azzrian
http://azzrianvisions.com


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Jul 07

Forest Berry Silver Needle from 52Teas

52 Teas,Flavored Tea,Tea Review,White Tea 8:00 am | 2 Comments

Forest Berry Silver Needle from 52Teas Frank of 52Teas knows I have a love-hate relationship with him. When I heard about this V.I.T (Very Important Tea) that he had created, I had to nab it up ASAP.

Let me tell you it did not disappoint. When I opened the bag I knew I was in heaven!  When I measured out the tea for steeping I got a huge, big, juicy berry. This stuff is fresh! It was literally still moist!

This tea is sweet berry lust readers If I was not addicted upon first smell, or sight, I was by first sip. I imagined myself laying on a bed of white satin sheets with this tea pouring all over me, the dry leaf tea, not the steeping hot stuff. Anyway, sorry for that imagery but wow, it is THAT good.

So we have this wonderful Silver Needle white tea base, which happens to be one of my favorite teas, then we have fresh ripe strawberries, and blackberries, and its creamy too! I swear I didn’t even touch the sugar in my sugar bowl even though prior to tasting I had for some reason brought it to the table. It’s strange, I do not normally sweeten my teas unless recommended, or unless I don’t feel they reached their full potential in the natural form but for some reason I had my sugar ready to go. I didn’t touch it, it is sweet, juicy, and perfect as is.

Here is what 52Teas says about Forest Berry Silver Needle:

Here’s another Very Important Tea. Ultra-premium Silver Needle white tea blended with freeze-dried strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. I don’t think any other blender would dare to tamper with as exquisite a white tea as this, but we’re not any other blender.

This is an extremely limited edition blend, and I have a feeling it’s going to go fast, especially at this price. Can’t wait to see your reviews of this one.

Readers, there are only 19 of these available  as of the time I am writing this so grab them while you can!

This tea is a tad more expensive than most of the tea from 52Teas but that is because of the extra special white tea base used in this one I believe. At $14.99 for one ounce or $24.99 for two ounces it is well worth the splurge! I pray this becomes one of 52Teas permanent collection! (Begging Frank).

As the tea is still hot, not too hot to drink mind you but hot, I get this tingly, sparkling sensation almost like a berry champagne! I love this! The way the tart of the raspberry plays within the sweet of the blackberry and strawberry is delightful! Its like fireworks in the mouth!

I steeped this tea for four minutes at 180 degrees and it seemed to be the magic number as the 52Teas site does lack steeping instructions unfortunately but I managed to figure it out.

As the tea cools it becomes creamier, milky almost and the berries become sweeter.

When this tea is hotter it is a beautiful sparkling berry joy and yet as it cools becomes milky and rich. I can’t decide which I like better – the beginning of the cup or the last of it but I guess I will just have to keep drinking it to find out!

My romance with this tea unfortunately can only last as long as Frank creates it and I pray Frank does not want my love affair to end! Maybe if we sweet talk him enough he will keep it around. Ladies perhaps you could send him some Forest Berry love letters! I know you will want to if you get the chance to try this tea. If you need a final push to order this tea – keep this in mind – it’s better than fine chocolate and a lot less fattening.



Azzrian
Azzrian
http://azzrianvisions.com


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