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Apr 17

Rooibos Vanilla from Dragonfly

Dragonfly,Herbal Tisanes,Rooibos,Tea Review 4:22 am | 1 Comment

  • Type Of leaves: Rooibos
  • Name Of Tea: Rooibos Vanilla
  • Available From: Dragonfly

Rooibos Vanilla Dragon Fly

Good Morning tea lovers.

Today’s review is for Vanilla Rooibos from Dragonfly.

I saw this as I was strolling through my local herbal store.

I wanted to look for a caffeine free tea with a hint of flavour.

This looks like it will fit perfectly.

If you didn’t know I am a massive lover of Vanilla so I am sure this will be very enjoyable as it has the natural extract of Bourbon Vanilla.

Dragonfly advise that you leave the teabag in the cup to brew for 3-4 minutes.

I prepare my kettle for boil.

Whilst boiling I take a moment to savour the teas aroma.

I pull out a teabag from the box and I cannot believe how much aroma fills my nose. The scent inside the teabag is absolutely delightful.

The scent is typical of Rooibos but there is an exquisite aroma of lovely, creamy, sweet vanilla.

My kettle has now boiled so I pour over the hot liquid and let the tea infuse.

The liquor in my cup turns a reddish/golden hue straight away.

4 minutes later and my tea is now ready.

I can honestly say out of all the teas I have sampled in the past this is the one that I will remember for having an exceptional aroma.

I take a sip of the tea and it tastes exactly how it smells.

The tea is creamy, sweet, dry, flavoursome and most importantly very refreshing.

I am thoroughly pleased with this tea and I will certainly be buying it again.

Dragonfly describes this tea as-

Unbelievably delicious. Soothing rooibos blended with the smooth, creamy taste of real Bourbon Vanilla from Madagascar. A ‘no-calorie’ pudding.

All Dragonfly rooibos teas are still cured in the traditional way, as it was when Benjamin Ginsberg founded rooibos. The process takes place in the crisp air of the Cedarberg Mountains of South Africa’s Cape. It requires great skill to know when the cure is at its peak; one sign is that it begins to give off a delicious sweet aroma that attracts wild bees.

Dragonfly rooibos teas are naturally caffeine free, so they can be enjoyed at any time of day and are suitable for the whole family. Rooibos is rich in antioxidants and AHAs, long valued for fresh glowing skin, gently rehydrating and low in tannin.

Directions: Add freshly boiled water and allow to brew for 3-4 minutes, according to taste. Add sugar or honey. With or without milk or as an iced tea.

Overall I would describe this tea as light, creamy and delicious anytime of the day.



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


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Apr 04

Christmas Bakery from Tea for All Reasons

Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea For All Reasons,Tea Review 3:37 am | 2 Comments

[Tea for All Reasons]This is a seasonal tea, one of many that Tea for All Reasons (TFAR) makes. And as with many of their teas that are made for holidays, the very first thing one has to do when one opens the package is just look at it. Because TFAR’s teas have several features that make them some of the most attractive teas to look at! In this case, the tea has one of TFAR’s signature features, “sprinkles.” These aren’t sprinkles like ice cream sprinkles; they are little candy bits, usually shaped and colored. The sprinkles in this one are little gingerbread men (and by little, I mean that they are about a quarter of an inch) in red and brown. They look so cute! The sprinkles dissolve a little bit when steeped in hot water, so they add the tiniest amount of sweetness to the tea, but really not much. Since I prefer my tea unsweetened, I am glad that candy sprinkles don’t make it too sweet, and that also means that you’ll be able to add the sweetener of your choice, if you like your tea sweeter, rather than treating it as pre-sweetened. Rooibos has a little bit of a sweet-ish taste itself, and that’s what the base of this tea is; rooibos also tastes just a bit spicy, and that complements some of the spices in the tea.

The gingerbread sprinkles give away one of the flavors in this tea – there are slivers of dried ginger root in there; another flavor is almonds, and one can see the almond slivers in the loose tea. One can also see the bits of cacao, tiny pieces of cinnamon, and the seeds of other spices in the tea as well. Over all, the taste is not quite as spicy as a chai tea, but it conveys the impression of spiced baked goods quite nicely – I always feel as though the addition of almonds to a tea makes it taste more like cookies!

Since this is a specialty tea for the Christmas holiday, it isn’t always available – as I write this review, a couple of months after Christmas, it is not on TFAR’s web site, nor are any of their other Christmas teas. The link that occurs on the picture above is to the “Specialty teas” page of TFAR’s web site, where you’ll find the current offerings – perhaps one with a sprinkle of candy shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day will be there, or one with little candy flowers for spring, or little candy yellow ribbons in the Returning Heroes blend. And then, after fall comes ’round again, there will be more Christmas teas there.

TFAR describes their specialty teas like this:

Tea For All Reasons offers a wide selection of the freshest premium teas for the most sophisticated tea lover, as well as custom blends for special occasions.

The specialty teas they offer include custom blends for weddings, and teas for birthdays, children’s tea parties, and other special occasions that aren’t exactly holidays.



BunRab
BunRab
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Feb 22

Chocolate Chai from Zhena’s Gypsy Tea

Chai Tea,Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review,Zhena's Gyspy Tea 3:27 am | 2 Comments

[Chocolate Chai from Zhena's Gypsy TeaThis chai is based on rooibos, rather than black tea, so that it is virtually caffeine-free. The rooibos itself is completely caffeine-free; the only reason I leave a tiny bit of wiggle room in the description is because chocolate does contain some caffeine, and the amounts of cacao powder and chocolate flavouring in this tea may contain a teensy-weensy amount of caffeine. If you are extremely sensitive to caffeine, you probably already know this about chocolate, and know not to drink anything with chocolate in it late at night.

That said, this is otherwise an herbal tea, a “red tea.” The ingredients in this tea are:

Cacao powder, rooibos, cinnamon, chicory root roasted, ginger, chocolate flavouring, licorice root, cardamom, cloves, nutment, shortbread flavouring, orange peel, pepper.

All of the above except the shortbread flavouring are certified organic.

The chocolate taste in this tea is actually pretty mild – the spices and the natural spiciness of rooibos mostly overpower the chocolate. I don’t really taste much of the chicory, either – chicory is something I look for, one of my favorite herbal flavors, and I can barely detect it here. Adding a bit of sugar brings out the chocolate a little bit more, but then adding milk pretty much mutes the chocolate again. What one winds up with is a spicy, milky tea with a faint hint of chocolate. Tasty, but not very chocolate-y.

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea describes this tea as:

From the Cedarburg Mountain Region of South Africa comes this superior grade, caffeine-free organic Rooibos, blended with the rich, exotic taste of Mediterranean carob and the zest of ginger and cinnamon bark. Chicory and licorice root, round out this delicious thick, warming cup. Wonderful with a splash of milk.

That description mentions carob, but I don’t see any carob listed in the ingredients. Perhaps there was a change in formulation, and the lack of carob is why the chocolate taste isn’t as strong? As I said, the taste is far more spicy than it is chocolate-y, so I enjoyed it for the cinnamon and ginger anyway.

Remember how our parents used to give us hot milk to help us get to sleep? Try adding already-warmed milk to this chai, to have it as your late-night bedtime snack!



BunRab
BunRab
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Jan 22

Organic White Chocolate Rooibos from Tea District

Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea District,Tea Review 4:41 am | 3 Comments

Organic White Chocolate Organic Rooibos by Tea District

Company:  Tea District

Tea Name: Organic White Chocolate

Tea Type: Rooibos

Region: South Africa

Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf

Liquor Color: bright pinkish

Leaf Characteristics: This mixture looks much like coffee grounds but pinkish in color.

 

 

1st Steeping:

Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit

Time:    5 minutes

It is very difficult to describe this tea after having drunk it. It is so wonderful and vibrant with the chocolate which is evenly distributed throughout the cup of tea.

The color of the rooibos is like vibrant foliage with flecks of orange and gold and the cacao nibs add to the tea’s overall wonderful aroma.

As I sip this tea which is full of antioxidants, the cacao nibs play at caressing my palette making me want to drink it all the more; so that it has become my tea for the rest of the afternoon.

2nd Steeping:

Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit

Time: 5 minutes

I have been enjoying more of this tea all afternoon as I complete the chores. Right to the last drop this tea is enjoyable.

Overall tasting notes observed: This is a wonderful tea tasting smooth and creamy with the white chocolate flavoring adding more to the enjoyment of this tea.

Tea color: bright pinkish red; more fall like in coloring

Characteristics: woody with a chocolate aroma that makes you want to keep drinking this tea.

Tea District describes this tea as-

Our Organic White Chocolate Rooibos has lots of flavors of chocolate combined with the smooth flavors of rooibos (red tea). It is loaded with antioxidants and is caffeine free!

Overall I would describe this tea as woody with a chocolate aroma, perfect for enjoying all afternoon.



seule771
seule771
http://seule771.wordpress.com


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Jan 11

Raspberry Pecan Rooibos from Zhi Tea

Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review,Zhi Tea 7:56 am | 1 Comment

  • Type Of leaves: Rooibos
  • Name Of Tea: Raspberry Pecan Rooibos
  • Available From: Zhi Tea

Zhi Tea Raspberry Pecan RooibosI recently coordinated a tea advent calendar swap on a popular knitting website, and this was the first tea I received in my package. What a treat!

A mild, fruity aroma greeted me from the beginning, along with warm, nutty notes a midst a red tea with pecan pieces.

I heated water to 208 degrees and steeped the tea for 7 minutes. While steeping, this tea gave off the most lovely raspberry and pecan aroma.

The liquid was dark amber in color, and I could smell mostly raspberries at this point. The taste was pure raspberry but with an intriguing nutty aftertaste. It was slightly sweet; I did not add sugar, but some might prefer to do so if they like a sweeter tea. No creamer or milk was needed here either (and it isn’t typically used in mild rooibos teas).

I really enjoyed this new-to-me tea and would definitely consider buying it for myself.

Where to buy this tea:  http://www.zhitea.com/rooibos-tea/raspberry-pecan-rooibos.html

 

Zhi tea describes this tea as:

Organic real Texas pecan pieces, organic raspberry extract, and organic/Fair Trade red rooibos. Aromatic, seductive, and rich and flavorful. A healthy treat that is so addicting!

Overall I would describe this tea as a slightly sweet, mild rooibos tea.



kristin
kristin


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Dec 12

Chocolate Monkey from Art of Tea

Art of Tea,Herbal Tisanes,Rooibos,Tea Review 4:57 am | 2 Comments

Put a new image here, aligned to the left, sized appropriately, non-captioned but with a title and linked to the store which sells this tea online

Mrteaman and I tasted the Art of Tea Chocolate Monkey dessert tea together. We each used a porcelain cupping set and 2.3 grams of tea.

This tea was part of a 4 dessert tea sampler mrteaman purchased for me. I need to be mindful of caffeine intake, and rooibos infusions usually deliver a dark infusion I enjoy with none of the caffeine of true teas.

Chocolate Monkey is an organic herbal ‘tea’ or tisane blended with a base of rooibos and honeybush (or as mrteaman describes them – pencil shavings). Art of Tea adds cacao nibs, chocolate seeds, apple bits, banana bits, pink peppercorns and natural flavors. I was able to pick out the cacao nibs and apple bits and munch on them. I did not recognize banana bits or chocolate seeds. It is an attractive blend to look at. The banana aroma is pronounced, the chocolate second.

We infused the tisane in boiling water for 5 minutes. I would not use less time.

The liquor infused to a bright copper – similar to a keemun. As is often the case with rooibos and honeybush, some smaller particles found their way into the infusion.  The aroma of the liquor was a more blended combination of the banana, chocolate and peppercorns.

The taste is a much more mellow presentation of the individual flavor profiles of the separate ingredients in the blend. More sophisticated. The chocolate and peppercorns fade to the background. I had forgotten all about the apple, it disappeared altogether. Mrteaman has little patience for rooibos or honeybush tisanes. He feels the body has not depth – is flat. I agree, but I like them anyway.

This a standalone tea, perfect for what it was blended for – dessert – especially after dinner. A little bit of sweetener enhanced the natural sweetness. That was enough.

I did feel like doing a little experimentation. I added just a few drops of real cream (I know that is a no-no usually) and it did not do much either way. I would avoid adding milk or cream. Mrteaman thought a dollop of whipped cream would be fun. I think it would be too much.

Noting that the chocolate flavor profile fell behind the stronger banana, I thought why not do something to enhance the chocolate. Crème de Cacao! Oh yes. I infused an 8-10 oz mug (a lovely crystal cut clear glass mug) with fresh Chocolate Monkey (as described above) and added 1 teaspoon of Crème de Cacao. The liqueur enhanced the natural sweetness, backed up the chocolate note and deepened the color while taking nothing away from the tisane. A match made in heaven. The perfect sophisticated after dinner drink.

Art of Tea describes this tea as:

“Envelope your palette with this bewitchingly sweet blend of ripened bananas swirling in a symphony of rich, silky chocolate and spicy pink peppercorns.

Water Temperature: 206 F degrees
Caffeine Content: Chocolate may contain trace amounts of caffeine
Steep Time: 5-7 minutes
Ingredients: Organic Fair Trade South African Rooibos, Organic South African Honeybush, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Apple Bits, Organic Banana Bits, Organic Pink Peppercorn, Chocolate Seeds, Natural Flavors
Origin: Art of Tea Blend”



Stephanie Thompson
Stephanie Thompson
http://www.tealovergiftbaskets.com


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Dec 02

Zen Master Green Tea from Whispering Pines Tea

Green Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review,Whispering Pines Tea,Yerba Maté 7:56 am | No Comments

Zen Master Green Tea from Whispering Pines TeaThis is one incredible blend of teas and herbs!  My favorite tea that I have tried thus far from Whispering Pines Tea, this wonderfully refreshing and flavorful tea begins with a tightly rolled gunpowder green tea of obvious high quality and a deep dark green in color.

The gunpowder green tea is a delicious part of this tea and forms an earthy and deep background for the simple yet layered combination of ingredients.  Also present in this blend are invigorating eucalyptus leaves which I absolutely love in this tea because you can really taste the freshness without it being medicinal at all.  To this they add a bright tone to the tea with freshly dried yerba maté which balances the earthy and smoked flavors of the gunpowder green tea with the zesty flavors you find in the eucalyptus, as the yerba maté is both earthy and refreshing at the same time.

Finally they add rooibos leaves, which they don’t specify whether the rooibos is red (oxidized) or green rooibos (which is unoxidized), however I am normally not a fan of red rooibos.  But in this particular blend it works, and helps to form a well-rounded, completely balanced tea blend which is truly amazing!

And instead of this being a mish-mash of various teas and herbs, it provides layers of uniquely complimentary flavors, and truly elevates all the ingredients of the tea into an overall flavor that is even more delicious than each individual flavor.

Whispering Pines Tea describes this tea as:

Zen Master, the perfectly balanced blend. You can’t walk into the foggy sunrise without it. Let the scent of eucalyptus and smokey gunpowder green tea awake you. Namaste, graceful warrior.

Ingredients: Green Tea, Eucalyptus Leaf, Yerba Mate, Organic Rooibos

I believe Zen Master is a very appropriate name for this tea, as it has such a beautiful deeply earthy and herbal flavor and aroma while providing a refreshing twist with the eucalyptus and yerba maté.

I would absolutely drink this tea during meditation, or upon rising in the morning and going outside to watch the dew drying as the sun comes up. However I have found that I also enjoy drinking this blend at any time of day because it is a unique tea with a flavor I deeply enjoy, and recommend to all of our readers as a delicious tea to try.



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


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