I got a package of Tea Forte single steep packets for Christmas from +Joseph O'Malley and +Michelle O'Malley . Today being horridly cold and awful, I decided to crack them open and try the Raspberry Ganache.
It's billed as raspberry and chocolate and it combines both flavors quite nicely. It's neither overly fruity nor overly sweet. The chocolate notes are dark chocolate, which blends wonderfully with the dark flavors of the tea. All in all, it manages to taste like a good chocolate raspberry liqueur (and not like those awful chocolate cherry cordials that find their way into holiday chocolate boxes) was added to a rich, black tea. I highly approve. It would be the perfect after dinner/dessert tea if not for the fact that it contains caffeine.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Tea Tasting: Celestial Seasonings' Sangria Zinger
I am always a little leery of Celestial Seasonings' "Zinger" teas. The "Zing" in the "Zinger" is hibiscus, which needs to be wielded very carefully lest it overwhelm all of the other flavors. I picked up the Sangria Zinger because it was on sale and because, with two of the three of us in the house having colds, we're going through tea like, well, water. :-)
Imagine my surprise when this tisane brewed up as some of the best decaf iced tea I've had recently. I used 8 tea bags to 2 quarts of water and steeped for about a half hour. The resulting brew is fresh, fruity and yes, zingy. In addition to hibiscus, the tisane contains blood orange, pineapple and other citrus flavors. The blood orange is strongest without wiping out the other tones. It doesn't quite have the depth of a red sangria, but it's very close.
I can't imagine putting sugar or other sweetener into this iced tea. The flavors are bold and zesty enough without any bitterness. Enjoy it for the brew itself.
Imagine my surprise when this tisane brewed up as some of the best decaf iced tea I've had recently. I used 8 tea bags to 2 quarts of water and steeped for about a half hour. The resulting brew is fresh, fruity and yes, zingy. In addition to hibiscus, the tisane contains blood orange, pineapple and other citrus flavors. The blood orange is strongest without wiping out the other tones. It doesn't quite have the depth of a red sangria, but it's very close.
I can't imagine putting sugar or other sweetener into this iced tea. The flavors are bold and zesty enough without any bitterness. Enjoy it for the brew itself.
Friday, December 8, 2017
O Christmas Tea, O Christmas Tea
Every year the big tea companies put out holiday-themed teas and every year I buy them and drink them, with varying results. Here's a round-up of this year's blends so far.
(1) Twinings' Holiday Berry: You'd think a venerable tea company like Twinings could get a holiday tea right. And you'd be wrong. It's not that this is a bad tea. It's just utterly mediocre. There's nothing particularly holiday about it, either. It's an adequate berry tea with very little sweetness. It needs to be brewed very strong (I recommend 2 tea bags per large cup) to get what I consider a proper flavor. On the other hand, when brewed strong for icing, it makes a very nice iced tea.
(2) Republic of Tea Sip and Be Merry: I got a free sample of this tea in my Republic of Tea catalog (so check your catalogs!!). For some reason the Republic of Tea website is telling me this tea won't be available again until Sept. 2018, but it's definitely available on Amazon. It's black tea with vanilla, caramel and cardamom. The vanilla and caramel are the up front flavors, with the cardamom coming out in the aftertaste. It doesn't really work for me, but I think it would be splendid with milk (if you like that sort of thing -- I don't). There's a weird creamy backtaste that doesn't sit right with me. I'd rather the tang of the black tea as a finish.
(3) Harney & Sons' Holiday Tea: The winner and still champion of holiday teas for me. It combines black tea, cloves, orange, vanilla, almond and three types of cinnamon. The aroma is everything Christmas. It's a deep, satisfying drink, wonderfully warm. I can't imagine icing this tea. Honey adds an extra layer to the orange and vanilla tones. Dipping gingerbread cookies into this tea is sheer perfection.
(4) Celestial Seasonings' Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland: This tea works miracles because it makes rooibos palatable to me. More than palatable, actually. I find myself really really liking this tea. The cranberry is full-bodied and fruity, with an overlay of vanilla to take out the worst of the tartness. Admittedly, I really like cranberry juice (it was one of the few things that still had flavor while I was undergoing chemo). It's a nice decaf that isn't too sweet while having a lot of flavor. Supposedly there is cinnamon in it, but I don't quite taste it as a discrete element.
(1) Twinings' Holiday Berry: You'd think a venerable tea company like Twinings could get a holiday tea right. And you'd be wrong. It's not that this is a bad tea. It's just utterly mediocre. There's nothing particularly holiday about it, either. It's an adequate berry tea with very little sweetness. It needs to be brewed very strong (I recommend 2 tea bags per large cup) to get what I consider a proper flavor. On the other hand, when brewed strong for icing, it makes a very nice iced tea.
(2) Republic of Tea Sip and Be Merry: I got a free sample of this tea in my Republic of Tea catalog (so check your catalogs!!). For some reason the Republic of Tea website is telling me this tea won't be available again until Sept. 2018, but it's definitely available on Amazon. It's black tea with vanilla, caramel and cardamom. The vanilla and caramel are the up front flavors, with the cardamom coming out in the aftertaste. It doesn't really work for me, but I think it would be splendid with milk (if you like that sort of thing -- I don't). There's a weird creamy backtaste that doesn't sit right with me. I'd rather the tang of the black tea as a finish.
(3) Harney & Sons' Holiday Tea: The winner and still champion of holiday teas for me. It combines black tea, cloves, orange, vanilla, almond and three types of cinnamon. The aroma is everything Christmas. It's a deep, satisfying drink, wonderfully warm. I can't imagine icing this tea. Honey adds an extra layer to the orange and vanilla tones. Dipping gingerbread cookies into this tea is sheer perfection.
(4) Celestial Seasonings' Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland: This tea works miracles because it makes rooibos palatable to me. More than palatable, actually. I find myself really really liking this tea. The cranberry is full-bodied and fruity, with an overlay of vanilla to take out the worst of the tartness. Admittedly, I really like cranberry juice (it was one of the few things that still had flavor while I was undergoing chemo). It's a nice decaf that isn't too sweet while having a lot of flavor. Supposedly there is cinnamon in it, but I don't quite taste it as a discrete element.
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Bottled Iced Tea: Two new flavors from Teavana
Teavana has two new bottled black iced teas out. One is a hit and one is a miss.
The hit is their Mango Black Tea, currently available through Starbucks. It is only slightly sweet, with a hint of lime in addition to the mango flavoring. It is sweetened with fruit and real sugar, not HCF or something artificial, which means that the sweetness is actually palatable. Sweetening bottled tea is a difficult balance -- this one manages to strike it nicely. It's not too sweet; in fact it is less sweet than most commercial brands. Yet, at the same time, it manages to be sweet enough to evoke both mango and lime flavors without tasting artificial or chemical. In short, "wow, this is pretty good."
The miss (for me) is the unsweetened Black Tea with Meyer Lemon and Lemongrass. It's not bad as such. It's just . . . off. There are a lot of flavors here fighting for dominance and the clash does not produce anything good. There's a fruity quality but also an almost sour note. I'd send this one back for flavor re-balancing. If the tea flavor were more clearly dominant, I think the other flavors would fall in line more cleanly. More than most of my reviews, this one is very much based on my own idiosyncratic tastes. I'd like someone who really likes the flavor of lemongrass to try it.
The hit is their Mango Black Tea, currently available through Starbucks. It is only slightly sweet, with a hint of lime in addition to the mango flavoring. It is sweetened with fruit and real sugar, not HCF or something artificial, which means that the sweetness is actually palatable. Sweetening bottled tea is a difficult balance -- this one manages to strike it nicely. It's not too sweet; in fact it is less sweet than most commercial brands. Yet, at the same time, it manages to be sweet enough to evoke both mango and lime flavors without tasting artificial or chemical. In short, "wow, this is pretty good."
The miss (for me) is the unsweetened Black Tea with Meyer Lemon and Lemongrass. It's not bad as such. It's just . . . off. There are a lot of flavors here fighting for dominance and the clash does not produce anything good. There's a fruity quality but also an almost sour note. I'd send this one back for flavor re-balancing. If the tea flavor were more clearly dominant, I think the other flavors would fall in line more cleanly. More than most of my reviews, this one is very much based on my own idiosyncratic tastes. I'd like someone who really likes the flavor of lemongrass to try it.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Alys's Tea Party Blend: Rhymes with Orange
Rhymes with Orange is one of my specialty Adagio blends. I set out to make a fruity but not too sweet decaf tea for icing in the summer. I didn't quite get around to tasting it in the summer, but such is life.
I accomplished what I was looking for -- it's fruity and flavorable, and can be brewed strong enough to ice without becoming bitter. It's not an overly sweet orange. But it is also not a tepid limp orange (Lipton "Gentle Orange" I'm looking at you) and it avoids being too tart or sharp. It reminds me a lot of the orange/tangerine sauces I get with Chinese food. It seems to be a fairly popular blend, so I guess other people like fruit that is not overly sweet or tart.
This tea is also a wonderful base for experimentation. I think this would blend nicely with some alcohols, and also with non-alcoholic ciders. I may experiment with adding mulling spices. I'm defintely going to try blending this tea with one of my chocolate teas and see if it produces a good result.
I accomplished what I was looking for -- it's fruity and flavorable, and can be brewed strong enough to ice without becoming bitter. It's not an overly sweet orange. But it is also not a tepid limp orange (Lipton "Gentle Orange" I'm looking at you) and it avoids being too tart or sharp. It reminds me a lot of the orange/tangerine sauces I get with Chinese food. It seems to be a fairly popular blend, so I guess other people like fruit that is not overly sweet or tart.
This tea is also a wonderful base for experimentation. I think this would blend nicely with some alcohols, and also with non-alcoholic ciders. I may experiment with adding mulling spices. I'm defintely going to try blending this tea with one of my chocolate teas and see if it produces a good result.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Tea Tasting: Twinings' Buttermint
Twinings has a new herbal tea out called Buttermint. It's a combination of vanilla and peppermint (no butter).
The aroma is great, minty and smooth like buttermint candies, with a slight hint of sweetness. The brew itself is not sweet. It's predominantly peppermint with the vanilla flavor creeping up in the aftertaste. It's a wonderful comfort brew (I've got a cold coming on, and it's perfect!). I'm going to try it with honey and maybe some lavender sugar later tonight.
The natural comparison is to my own specialty tea, Marion's Vanilla Mint. The minty quality in Marion's Vanilla Mint is richer and more complex than in Buttermint, because I used both peppermint and spearmint in the blend. However, Twinings does a better job integrating the vanilla.
Now that I've got both a box of Buttermint and a half a bag of Marion's Vanilla Mint in the house, I really need to buy some vanilla honey.
The aroma is great, minty and smooth like buttermint candies, with a slight hint of sweetness. The brew itself is not sweet. It's predominantly peppermint with the vanilla flavor creeping up in the aftertaste. It's a wonderful comfort brew (I've got a cold coming on, and it's perfect!). I'm going to try it with honey and maybe some lavender sugar later tonight.
The natural comparison is to my own specialty tea, Marion's Vanilla Mint. The minty quality in Marion's Vanilla Mint is richer and more complex than in Buttermint, because I used both peppermint and spearmint in the blend. However, Twinings does a better job integrating the vanilla.
Now that I've got both a box of Buttermint and a half a bag of Marion's Vanilla Mint in the house, I really need to buy some vanilla honey.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Alys's Tea Party Blend: Marion's Vanilla Mint
I finally got around to opening my package of Marion's Vanilla Mint Blend now that the weather has retreated to less oppressive temperatures. Although the blend didn't come out precisely as I intended, it's very good even so.
The aroma and the taste are both intensely minty. The combination of peppermint and spearmint creates a rich, full-bodied taste. Unfortunately, that taste completely overwhelms the vanilla elements. At most, the vanilla serves as a mellowing element in the aftertaste.
However, I have some lovely vanilla sugar, which brought the vanilla elements to the fore when added. I expect that a vanilla honey would be equally nice in a hot version of this tea.
This blend ices up spectacularly well.
The aroma and the taste are both intensely minty. The combination of peppermint and spearmint creates a rich, full-bodied taste. Unfortunately, that taste completely overwhelms the vanilla elements. At most, the vanilla serves as a mellowing element in the aftertaste.
However, I have some lovely vanilla sugar, which brought the vanilla elements to the fore when added. I expect that a vanilla honey would be equally nice in a hot version of this tea.
This blend ices up spectacularly well.
Monday, July 10, 2017
Alys's Tea Party Blend: Tex Rex Oolong
The Tea Rex Oolong blend is one of my custom blends, made 60/40 almond and peach oolong. I'm pleased to report that, if you like these two flavors (and I do), the Tea Rex blend is delightful. The flavor and aroma display more almond, as you'd expect from the proportions. The peach insinuates itself in the aftertaste, joining in with the almond as a sweet note. (If you chug the brew, you'll almost never notice the peach.)
Tea Rex ices very well, as it was intended to. A tiny bit of sweetener heightens the peach elements nicely. When the weather is less oppressively warm and humid, I'll try this blend hot. I'm sure I'll like it though. After all, I made it. :-)
When brewing an oolong tea, keep in mind that you shouldn't bring the water to full boil. I find that 180 degrees F is about right. Steeping time is 1-5 minutes. Oolong is more forgiving than white tea if you over-heat or over-steep it, but it won't present at its best.
Tea Rex ices very well, as it was intended to. A tiny bit of sweetener heightens the peach elements nicely. When the weather is less oppressively warm and humid, I'll try this blend hot. I'm sure I'll like it though. After all, I made it. :-)
When brewing an oolong tea, keep in mind that you shouldn't bring the water to full boil. I find that 180 degrees F is about right. Steeping time is 1-5 minutes. Oolong is more forgiving than white tea if you over-heat or over-steep it, but it won't present at its best.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Fruity Summer Iced Teas
Now that summer weather has arrived, I have some suggestions for tasty, fruity iced teas that don't require sugar or other sweetener.
Harney & Sons Raspberry Herbal comes not only in individual sachets and loose tea packages, but in large bags sized for making 2 quarts of iced tea. For those who don't like hibiscus, this tea has hibiscus as its first ingredient, but it isn't very noticeable in the flavor. The longer you steep the tisane, the more intense the flavor.
Adagio Blood Orange Herbal provides an iced tea brew that is slightly sweet but also tart and tasty. For iced tea, I let the tisane steep for 10 minutes.
Adagio Berry Blast Herbal is smoother and sweeter than the Blood Orange brew. Again, I recommend a 8-10 minute brewing time to get the most out of the tisane.
If you can find it, Taylors of Harrogate's Blackberry and Elderflower herbal makes a simply amazing iced tea with a unique combination of flavors. It seems to have been discontinued, but I was able to buy a box fairly recently, so there are still boxes in circulation. I used 6 tea bags for 2 quarts of iced tea. I'm going to be sad when I use up this box.
Blackberry and Elderflower has been replaced by Blackberry and Raspberry, but I haven't yet had occasion to try that.
If you want some caffeine in your iced tea, I highly recommend Republic of Tea's Raspberry Quince. It's very slightly sweet but different enough from an ordinary raspberry tea.
Republic of Tea has come out with several blends in large pouches for making iced tea. I've yet to try them, so no recommendations yet!
Harney & Sons Raspberry Herbal comes not only in individual sachets and loose tea packages, but in large bags sized for making 2 quarts of iced tea. For those who don't like hibiscus, this tea has hibiscus as its first ingredient, but it isn't very noticeable in the flavor. The longer you steep the tisane, the more intense the flavor.
Adagio Blood Orange Herbal provides an iced tea brew that is slightly sweet but also tart and tasty. For iced tea, I let the tisane steep for 10 minutes.
Adagio Berry Blast Herbal is smoother and sweeter than the Blood Orange brew. Again, I recommend a 8-10 minute brewing time to get the most out of the tisane.
If you can find it, Taylors of Harrogate's Blackberry and Elderflower herbal makes a simply amazing iced tea with a unique combination of flavors. It seems to have been discontinued, but I was able to buy a box fairly recently, so there are still boxes in circulation. I used 6 tea bags for 2 quarts of iced tea. I'm going to be sad when I use up this box.
Blackberry and Elderflower has been replaced by Blackberry and Raspberry, but I haven't yet had occasion to try that.
If you want some caffeine in your iced tea, I highly recommend Republic of Tea's Raspberry Quince. It's very slightly sweet but different enough from an ordinary raspberry tea.
Republic of Tea has come out with several blends in large pouches for making iced tea. I've yet to try them, so no recommendations yet!
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Alys's Tea Party Blend: Bitty Battle Bard Brew
I haven't had the chance to order and try this one myself, but +Mia Petticord , aka Bitty Battle Bard, sampled her own brew today and was quite pleased with it:
"So my tea came in today and I'm super happy with it. It tastes...cozy is the best word I've got. It tastes like maple oatmeal, and hot chocolate, and an after taste that reminds me of good porter. This is a Good Thing (even though I can see how all those flavors could go Very Wrong together). It's got a rich mouth feel even without cream or milk and just kind of melts into the kind of feeling of having just had oatmeal instead of a cloying weird after feel."
I'm delighted that she's pleased with it. So far I have way more hits than misses in making blends for my friends, which makes me happy.
"So my tea came in today and I'm super happy with it. It tastes...cozy is the best word I've got. It tastes like maple oatmeal, and hot chocolate, and an after taste that reminds me of good porter. This is a Good Thing (even though I can see how all those flavors could go Very Wrong together). It's got a rich mouth feel even without cream or milk and just kind of melts into the kind of feeling of having just had oatmeal instead of a cloying weird after feel."
I'm delighted that she's pleased with it. So far I have way more hits than misses in making blends for my friends, which makes me happy.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Tea Tasting: Tea Forte's Mojito Marmalade
Because I hate rooibos (as you all know by now), I managed to wrangle a guest reviewer into tasting Tea Forte's Mojito Marmalade tisane. +Mabel Fortune says:
"I rather enjoyed it. It's predominantly mint, with a hint of other flavor that I can't quite identify. It doesn't distinctly taste of orange or of rooibos -- the combination of the two makes it difficult to describe. It kind of is like a warm mojito with a hint of a citrusy king of flavor. It didn't wow me, but it wasn't bad at all."
"I rather enjoyed it. It's predominantly mint, with a hint of other flavor that I can't quite identify. It doesn't distinctly taste of orange or of rooibos -- the combination of the two makes it difficult to describe. It kind of is like a warm mojito with a hint of a citrusy king of flavor. It didn't wow me, but it wasn't bad at all."
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Alys's Tea Party Blend: Charitye's Raspberry Cinnamon
One of my custom blends through Adagio, Charitye's Raspberry Cinnamon is now available in version 2.0, re-blended to increase the raspberry flavor. The original blend was too weakly flavored, with both the cinnamon and the raspberry appearing only in the aftertaste.
Version 2.0 has a stronger raspberry scent and flavor. I left the cinnamon as an aftertaste, so the entire blend is somewhat reminiscent of a raspberry cobbler. Increasing the raspberry also had the side-effect of lowering the caffeine content, so this blend can be brewed for iced tea and drunk all day without keeping you up at night. Which is what I'm doing right now.
I'm going to try an experiment putting a cinnamon-sugar blend into the tea (both hot and iced of course), as soon as I can get to the grocery store.
Version 2.0 has a stronger raspberry scent and flavor. I left the cinnamon as an aftertaste, so the entire blend is somewhat reminiscent of a raspberry cobbler. Increasing the raspberry also had the side-effect of lowering the caffeine content, so this blend can be brewed for iced tea and drunk all day without keeping you up at night. Which is what I'm doing right now.
I'm going to try an experiment putting a cinnamon-sugar blend into the tea (both hot and iced of course), as soon as I can get to the grocery store.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Tea tasting: Mighty Leaf's Organic Almond Spice Green
Mighty Leaf's Organic Almond Spice combines Indian-grown green tea with with cinnamon, cardamom, and almond. It's very disappointing.
This tea should be good. It has flavors I like, and which ought to combine well with a sweeter green. However, the flavors are far too light and the tea is far too weak to be enjoyable. The green tea doesn't speak for itself at all. The added flavors of cinnamon and cardamom are only barely there. I don't taste almond, which perhaps disappoints the most. Overall, it's only a few very small steps more flavorful than hot water.
This tea should be good. It has flavors I like, and which ought to combine well with a sweeter green. However, the flavors are far too light and the tea is far too weak to be enjoyable. The green tea doesn't speak for itself at all. The added flavors of cinnamon and cardamom are only barely there. I don't taste almond, which perhaps disappoints the most. Overall, it's only a few very small steps more flavorful than hot water.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Teavana Goes Bottled
Stopping in at my local Starbuck's this week, I discovered that Teavana is now selling bottled iced tea. Well, that sorts of demands that I try it.
The first bottle was Passion Tango Herbal Tea. It tracks Teavana's Passion Tango tea blend fairly well. It's fruity and sweet, but the hint of cinnamon in there makes it better than the average sweetened fruit tea. I would dial back the hibiscus and the sweetener, myself, but that's a very personal taste issue. If sweetened tea is your thing, it's pretty good.
On the other end of the spectrum was the Peach Green Tea. This one definitely qualifies as "I drink bad tea so you don't have to." It started out just fine, as a nice peachy green with very little sweetness. But then the horrible grassy aftertaste reared up and smacked me in the palate, as though I'd been gargling with lawn cuttings. I like a good grassy or leafy green tea. This, however, was far too much grass for the taste of anyone not an equine. The nasty aftertaste ruins what had been a perfectly workable slightly sweet green tea.
The first bottle was Passion Tango Herbal Tea. It tracks Teavana's Passion Tango tea blend fairly well. It's fruity and sweet, but the hint of cinnamon in there makes it better than the average sweetened fruit tea. I would dial back the hibiscus and the sweetener, myself, but that's a very personal taste issue. If sweetened tea is your thing, it's pretty good.
On the other end of the spectrum was the Peach Green Tea. This one definitely qualifies as "I drink bad tea so you don't have to." It started out just fine, as a nice peachy green with very little sweetness. But then the horrible grassy aftertaste reared up and smacked me in the palate, as though I'd been gargling with lawn cuttings. I like a good grassy or leafy green tea. This, however, was far too much grass for the taste of anyone not an equine. The nasty aftertaste ruins what had been a perfectly workable slightly sweet green tea.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Thyra's Tea Tasting Party, part 3
Iseault’s Clewefull Green: (
Tastes accurately as it smells (and
especially tastes as strong as it smells)
Very citrusy. Good summer tea
"I get more of the raspberry
than citrus flavor" ..."I’m opposite."
Many folks don’t get citrus flavor.
It’s tart but not citrusy tart.
Smells like Tealuxe's Vanilla
Sabine’s Merry Melody: (
Smells more aromatic when than it
tastes Maybe needs milk?
Tastes like regular black tea with
all the extra aromatics just in the nose. Not as warm as an Assam. Not as flavorful as
Earl Grey.
Would like it as a candle or sachets. Smells great.
The peppercorns did not come
through, nor the lavender.
Want it to effervesce a little bit,
like Sabine!
Sabine’s outfits make us think of
hibiscus, for possible improvement. Want to turn it into a
shortbread-accompaniment, we think it would go really well together.
Not bad but doesn’t live up to any
expectations.
Nataliia’s Chocolate Babka: (
Everyone loves the smell. Once brewed, smells like coconut or German
chocolate cake
Has a mouth-filling quality, like
good coffee.
Good dessert substitute when you’re
too full for actual dessert. But also good with cinnamon cookies (and probably
with gingerbread).
"Yum, yum,
yum!"
Good with milk – makes it taste
more like babka
"Is there more?"
Lillia’s Blueberry Crampet: (
All getting different smells out of
the tea tin (lots of rose, lots of hibiscus, and blueberry in combination). Hibiscus is stronger in the nose, but not in
the flavor
Differing opinions on the fruit
elements: Good with cinnamon cookies, but the blueberry gets lost. Blueberry flavor is there, but can be easily
overwhelmed. On the other hand, too
fruity for some tasters
Extremely clean finish, no
astringency. Very easy-drinking.
However, easily obscured by
chocolate (e.g. accompanying cookies)
"Reminds me of blueberry
cookies."
Elizabeth’s Danger Spice: (
Surprisingly un-aromatic when
steeped. Some folks definitely get the
caramel, not everyone. Not rich caramel,
just a hint.
Bitter, with a big empty place in
the middle. Very sorry to be reporting this![1]
[1] (Its namesake really likes it, but I am open to suggestions for improving it)
Boardwalk Creamsicle: (
We like it! (Universal crowd
pleaser) Like a really light orange cake
For some, it's all orange flavor,
no creamsicle, but that’s just fine. Others definitely get the crème. Also good with milk in it. Very clean finish.
Super great with milk. But also
good without. Neither really is superior, just different. This surprises us,
since usually it’s more distinct which way is better.
Thyra's Tea Tasting Party, part 2
Elizabeth’s Caramel Apple Moxie: (
Smells like little old lady at the
Christmas Tree Shops down the Cape (in a good way – evoking fond memories of
Yankee women). Strong aroma but mellow flavor. Might have needed more steeping
(3 minutes may not be enough). Definitely getting the caramel flavor, less so
the apple. Probably good with sweetener.
Frasier’s Mustache: (
Smells like a fencer.... It smells
like a peaty Scotch!... Yeah, smells like a fencer.
Yep, smells like Frasier.
The flavor is much less intense
than the aroma (phew!). It’s reminiscent of Scottish breakfast tea, with an
earthy tone. There’s a flavor in it that gives it a little bite (lemon?), which
is nice. But the aroma gets to be much.
Mercedes’ Citrus de Califia: (
The scent is pleasantly lemony.
It’s a lovely change of pace after Frasier’s Mustache (like cleaning up after
fencer crud with pleasant lemon cleaner!). Super-pleasant. Citrusy without
being bitter or sour, no sharp flavors.
It is, indeed, Mercedes the
Peacemaker, come to make our Kingdom whole. Wouldn’t sweeten it, but pairs
nicely with sweet treats (particularly coconut macaroons).
Avelina’s Wicked Chai: (
Surprisingly mild. Expected to be
punched in the face. Good blend of flavors.
Needs more cardamom, and perhaps sugar.
Maggie’s ChocolateChip Mint: (green tea, spearmint, peppermint, cocoa nibs, natural chocolate mint flavor, peppermint leaves)
Ooh! Ooh, yes. Mmmmm.
The smell makes me happy.
Definite crowd pleaser. Nice clean
taste, both of the mint and the chocolate. Good after-dinner tea, or good
sick-at-home tea.
Thyra's Tea Tasting Party, part 1
+Karen Veale and friends conducted several tea-tasting parties sampling some of my Adagio specialty blends. They've generously permitted me to post their reviews.
At each party, the way it would work: Each person got to choose a tea from the list of un-tasted teas. I would pass around the tin so everyone could smell it before it was brewed. I would make one small pot of tea (about 2 normal servings), trying to steep it for the recommended time, or 3 minutes as a baseline. I would divide up the pot between 5-7 small teacups, for a small serving of each. We would comment on the smell of the brewed tea before drinking it.
We took our time with each cup and ate a few bites with most cups, to see how that changed the opinions. People were not required to finish their serving, though usually they did. Usually we didn't put any sweetener or milk in, and if we did, it was after tasting it "neat." We thought we would get through the samplers faster and have the chance to go back and try them with additives, but it's been hard to schedule one every month.
The snacks each time have been different, usually on the sweet side but with some variety (I realize this is not good scientific method!).
Session 1:
At each party, the way it would work: Each person got to choose a tea from the list of un-tasted teas. I would pass around the tin so everyone could smell it before it was brewed. I would make one small pot of tea (about 2 normal servings), trying to steep it for the recommended time, or 3 minutes as a baseline. I would divide up the pot between 5-7 small teacups, for a small serving of each. We would comment on the smell of the brewed tea before drinking it.
We took our time with each cup and ate a few bites with most cups, to see how that changed the opinions. People were not required to finish their serving, though usually they did. Usually we didn't put any sweetener or milk in, and if we did, it was after tasting it "neat." We thought we would get through the samplers faster and have the chance to go back and try them with additives, but it's been hard to schedule one every month.
The snacks each time have been different, usually on the sweet side but with some variety (I realize this is not good scientific method!).
Session 1:
Thyra’s Flamingo Chai: (black tea, lemon grass, ginger root, cinnamon bark, dried coconut,
cardamom, natural coconut flavor)
Everyone liked it. We are used to
chai with milk, but we think a) it wouldn’t work with it, and b) it doesn’t
need it. Maybe the coconut takes the place of milk?
Aife’s Irish Wisdom:
(black tea, natural hazelnut flavor, natural forest berries flavor, raspberry
leaves, raspberries, strawberries)
Not everyone tastes the berry
flavor, but some wanted less. Some thought it was a little bitter. It tasted
better when tasted with food.
Meggie’s Bad Idea Mate: (toasted mate tea, cinnamon bark, ginger root, orange peels, dark
chocolate chips, natural spice flavor, natural chocolate flavor, natural
hazelnut flavor, marigold flowers)
Tastes the way that coffee smells;
tastes like a mocha coffee; this tastes just like of my winter cookies; this is
a winter tea
Bruni’s Green Tea:
(green tea, white tea, orange peels, natural mandarin flavor, marigold flowers,
natural bergamot flavor, blue cornflowers, ginger)
Mostly straight up green tea. Maybe
a little extra flavor at the finish, but hard to identify.
Goldie Chai: (black
tea, orange peels, rose hips, hibiscus, cinnamon bark, ginger root, natural
orange flavor, cocoa nibs, natural chocolate flavor, natural cinnamon flavor)
Lovely color. Very orangey, not
very chocolate (which is a nice balance). Fruity without any weird aftertastes.
Nice and light, quite pleasant. Expect it to be good iced. Universally
liked.
Engracia’s Pumpkin Gingerbread: (black tea, cinnamon bark, ginger root, natural pumpkin spice
flavor, cloves, natural gingerbread flavor, marigold flowers, orange peels,
cardamom, cinnamon, ginger)
The black tea has an acerbity that
we didn’t love. It didn’t come across as pumpkin or even pumpkin spice – pretty
much just gingerbread, and even then the non-black-tea flavor isn’t enough to
balance the black tea. Not bad, but not exciting.
Marion’s Vanilla Mint: (decaf ceylon tea, spearmint, peppermint, natural vanilla flavor)
Delightful. Smells fantastic. More
body than a straight-up mint tea. Good balance of flavors. No weird aftertaste.
Crowd pleaser.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Bad Tea Chronicles: Arteasan Black Tea with Blueberry and Ginseng
Today I discovered I don't like ginseng. I've had teas that purport to have ginseng flavors in them before without objecting to them. But this . . . whatever it is, well it's simply awful.
Arteasan is a new line of bottled iced teas now being carried by my local upscale grocery store. I've quite liked the Green Tea with Passionfruit and Elderberry (which is what I was going to write about today before I put this other awful substance in my mouth). The Black Tea with Blueberry and Ginseng, however, is powerfully wretched.
It is so wretched, in fact, that I am currently eating Cheetos simply to get the taste of it out of my poor unfortunate mouth. I drink bad tea so you don't have to.
I detect absolutely no blueberry flavor in this swill whatsoever. I don't even taste any tea, despite black tea "extract" allegedly being the first ingredient. All I get is an initial dry almost powdery taste of too much ginseng, followed by a horrid cloying sweetness that attempts to claw its way off of my tongue and escape back to whatever Lovecraftian cesspool spawned it.
And what the hell is guarana seed? Oh, it's some sort of New Age-y alternative to caffeine. I'll take my caffeine in its natural leafy form as Nature intended, thank you very much.
For reasons that pass my understanding I bought two bottles of this, and I have valuable prizes for anyone willing to drink that second bottle. The first bottle has been pored down the toilet to kill the alligators breeding in the sewers.
Arteasan is a new line of bottled iced teas now being carried by my local upscale grocery store. I've quite liked the Green Tea with Passionfruit and Elderberry (which is what I was going to write about today before I put this other awful substance in my mouth). The Black Tea with Blueberry and Ginseng, however, is powerfully wretched.
It is so wretched, in fact, that I am currently eating Cheetos simply to get the taste of it out of my poor unfortunate mouth. I drink bad tea so you don't have to.
I detect absolutely no blueberry flavor in this swill whatsoever. I don't even taste any tea, despite black tea "extract" allegedly being the first ingredient. All I get is an initial dry almost powdery taste of too much ginseng, followed by a horrid cloying sweetness that attempts to claw its way off of my tongue and escape back to whatever Lovecraftian cesspool spawned it.
And what the hell is guarana seed? Oh, it's some sort of New Age-y alternative to caffeine. I'll take my caffeine in its natural leafy form as Nature intended, thank you very much.
For reasons that pass my understanding I bought two bottles of this, and I have valuable prizes for anyone willing to drink that second bottle. The first bottle has been pored down the toilet to kill the alligators breeding in the sewers.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Bad Tea Chronicles: Tea Forte's Black Cherry
Oh, how I wanted this tea to be good. And oh, how I was disappointed.
Tea Forte's Black Cherry black tea bills itself as a combo of black cherry and vanilla flavors, with a hint of licorice root. It's a failure on pretty much all levels.
The aroma is off-putting, like Robitussin cough syrup. I had hoped that the cough medicine aroma was limited to the tea in the bag (this wouldn't be the first tea that tasted awful in the bag but was pleasant when brewed), but no such luck. It's a big, nasty cup of hot Robitussin. But, I drink bad tea so that you don't have to.
The flavor is barely black cherry. It's a sort of mildly sweet black with a hint of something almost sticky. The combination of the cough medicine aroma and the slightly unpleasant flavor makes for an outright unpleasant drink.
I'm going to try some experiments with sweetener or icing or blending with other things, because I have a whole tin of this dreck. I'll report back if anything is useful.
Tea Forte's Black Cherry black tea bills itself as a combo of black cherry and vanilla flavors, with a hint of licorice root. It's a failure on pretty much all levels.
The aroma is off-putting, like Robitussin cough syrup. I had hoped that the cough medicine aroma was limited to the tea in the bag (this wouldn't be the first tea that tasted awful in the bag but was pleasant when brewed), but no such luck. It's a big, nasty cup of hot Robitussin. But, I drink bad tea so that you don't have to.
The flavor is barely black cherry. It's a sort of mildly sweet black with a hint of something almost sticky. The combination of the cough medicine aroma and the slightly unpleasant flavor makes for an outright unpleasant drink.
I'm going to try some experiments with sweetener or icing or blending with other things, because I have a whole tin of this dreck. I'll report back if anything is useful.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Alys' Tea Party Blend: EqualiTEA
EqualiTEA is one of the blends I created to benefit the ACLU. I'm fairly satisfied with it, although it is essential that you use two teaspoons of this tisane and brew for 5 minutes if you want to get a proper flavor out of it.
It has come out as a minty tea, with a light hint of watermelon and strawberry sweetness. It's not a heavily flavored tea. It's soothing and relaxing, a nice late night treat. I wouldn't want to add sweetener -- I'd just add another teaspoon of the tisane.
I think this would make an excellent iced tea if brewed strongly enough. Unfortunately, I'm out of my sample. Time to order more (and get another nice Joan of Arc tin!).
It has come out as a minty tea, with a light hint of watermelon and strawberry sweetness. It's not a heavily flavored tea. It's soothing and relaxing, a nice late night treat. I wouldn't want to add sweetener -- I'd just add another teaspoon of the tisane.
I think this would make an excellent iced tea if brewed strongly enough. Unfortunately, I'm out of my sample. Time to order more (and get another nice Joan of Arc tin!).
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Tea tasting: Adagio's Spiced Apple Chai
I am terribly disappointed in Adagio's Spiced Apple Chai. I was hoping for an apple tea with chai spices, sort of like a spicy apple pie. What I got was a chai tea that smelled like apples but contained no apple taste at all. Even adding honey or sugar did not produce anything more than the vaguest hint of fruity apple sweetness.
It's a good enough chai tea, but I don't buy something billed as "spiced apple chai" unless I want an apple flavor. If the tea tasted anything like its aroma, it would be perfect. That aroma just adds to my disappointment in the flavor.
I wonder what this tea would be like combined with apple cider, but I could probably achieve the same effect with any chai tea combined with apple cider.
It's a good enough chai tea, but I don't buy something billed as "spiced apple chai" unless I want an apple flavor. If the tea tasted anything like its aroma, it would be perfect. That aroma just adds to my disappointment in the flavor.
I wonder what this tea would be like combined with apple cider, but I could probably achieve the same effect with any chai tea combined with apple cider.
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