Blue Lady Black Tea from Zest Tea

Blue_LadyTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Zest Tea

Tea Description:

Our Blue Lady Black blends a sultry South Indian black tea base with an aromatic mix of orange, lemon, passion fruit, and hibiscus. A peppering of vivid blue cornflower petals and bits of orange peel make for a visual spectacle. Blue lady will excite all of your senses. No wonder this is a favorite among hot and chilled tea drinkers.

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about Zest High-Octane Tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I thought that this Blue Lady Black Tea from Zest Tea was the ideal tea to review on tax day.  We got to get those taxes done and in the mail, right?  Actually, I finished my taxes in the first week of February, but, I know that there are those who don’t get them done and April 15th always seems to be crunch day, right?  So, this one’s for you!

Zest Teas are “High-Octane” teas, that is to say that there is more caffeine in this cup of tea than in the average cup of flavored black tea.  The goal, according to the makers of Zest Tea, was to create a high quality cup of tea that had the caffeine of a cup of coffee.

My one concern was this:  I can’t drink coffee.  Coffee makes me sick.  I used to drink coffee every morning until I realized that the reason I was feeling sick around 11 am was that the coffee I was drinking every morning was making me feel that way.  Was this “High-Octane” Zest Tea going to have the same effect on me?  I kept my fingers crossed that it wouldn’t.

This tea is VERY aromatic.  When I opened the pouch, I was greeted with a very fruity “punch” of fragrance:  I could smell citrus notes of orange and lemon and I could smell the passion fruit.  And despite the images that the “High-Octane” evoked in my head, it doesn’t smell of gasoline.  Not one bit.  It smells like a fruit flavored black tea.  I like that smell.

It tastes great!  The fruit notes of citrus and passion fruit are strong, but I also taste the Nilgiri black tea base.  It has a pleasing flavor:  rich and smooth, no bitterness, and it has lovely notes of malt.

I like the way the notes of malt play with the notes of lemon and orange.  I also appreciate the balance that has been achieved in this blend:  I taste the strong fruit notes but there is a full-flavored black tea base to fill in the background.  There is also an agreeable balance of tart and sweet here.  It is neither too sweet nor too tart.  

The hibiscus in this blend adds a little bit of body to the cup and a hint of tart flavor that complements the citrus notes.  Not a lot of hibiscus flavor, just enough tart and tangy taste to contrast with the sweeter notes of the fruit.

There are no weird/funky flavors associated with the extra dose of caffeine in the tea.  Not that I thought there would be, but for those of you who might have thought:  “What will that “High-Octane” thing do to the flavor?”  I’m here to tell you that I don’t notice anything off with the flavor at all.  This tastes like tea.  It doesn’t taste different or off or funky in any way.  It just tastes like a tasty tea with lovely notes of citrus and passion fruit.

So far, I really like what I’ve tasted from this tea.  I’ll come back in a couple of hours to let you know if I felt any ill after-effects from the caffeine.

OK … so a few hours have lapsed since I finished the cup of tea, and here’s what I noticed:

  • More energy:  Yep.  I could feel the extra burst of caffeine.  But it didn’t feel like the jolt you’d get from a cup of coffee.  It was stronger than the usual energy flow that I’d get from the usual cup of tea, though.  A bit more like the unbridled jolt from coffee, but, I didn’t feel jittery or … well, I didn’t feel like I had just consumed a cup of coffee.  But there is definitely an elevated level of invigorated energy from this tea.
  • No ill effects:  I didn’t feel that icky feeling that I would feel after I drank a cup of coffee in the morning.  Big bonus points for that.
  • No “crash”:  After drinking coffee and experiencing that jolt, a few hours later, I usually feel the crash.  I feel a lack of energy, like I need another cup of coffee to get me going again.  Now, the lack of crash could be from the fact that I drink tea throughout the day, but, my tea drinking today has been limited to this one cup of tea from Zest Tea and then a couple of glasses of cold-brewed black iced tea.  I don’t know the level of caffeine from the iced tea, but, I will say that I don’t usually feel “energized” after I drink iced tea.  I feel refreshed and I feel my thirst has been quenched, but I don’t feel the burst of caffeinated energy from iced tea.

OK, so there you have it.  I like this stuff … it’s a great way to get your act together in the morning on those days that you really need to get it together.  And it tastes great too.  This tea has it going on.

Tangerine Creamsicle from Butiki Teas

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Guayusa

Where to Buy:  Butiki Teas

Tisane Description:

Our Tangerine Creamsicle guayusa tastes just like it sounds. The juicy tangerine notes are first prominent then creaminess takes over followed by light notes of tangy citrus. We recommend adding a little brown crystal sugar for a sweet creamsicle flavor.

Learn more about this Guayusa here.

Taster’s Review:

A creamsicle for breakfast?  Sure, if it’s this Tangerine Creamsicle from Butiki Teas!  This creamy tangerine flavored guayusa is not only delicious, but invigorating too – just the ticket to get you up and on your way!

The bold, earthy flavor of guayusa seems a really good match for the sweetness of tangerine and cream.  The flavors seem to be very harmonious in this cup.  The guayusa is a little earthy and a little vegetative, but more than that, it just tastes smooth and rich, vaguely reminiscent of coffee, but a little lighter bodied.

The tangerine notes seem to brighten the whole cup, adding a lovely sweetness and distinct citrus tang to the overall flavor.  And the cream adds just the perfect finishing touch to it, sweet, creamy, and luxurious.  This is absolutely LOVELY!

This is truly an inspired blend – one that will not only INSPIRE you to wake up, but, also put a smile on your face, ready and happy to face the day!

Climber’s High from The Tea Spot

Please Note:  Check below for special savings on this tea!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Yerba Maté, Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Pu-erh & Tulsi PLUS Spice Melangé

Where to Buy:  The Tea Spot

Tea Description:

A super-charged blend of teas, spices and herbs formulated to provide a refreshing daily lift for people with active, high-energy lifestyles. Climber’s High is a high-powered way to increase your intake of beneficial antioxidants such as flavonoids and catechins, as well as a host of healthy vitamins, trace minerals, beneficial phyto-constituents, and caffeine. It was originally conceived to assist people in adjusting to higher altitudes. This spiced yerba mate chai tea is both good for you and a pleasure to drink.

Learn more about this Yerba Mate Chai here.

Taster’s Review:

This blend has got a WHOLE lot going on!

When I first opened the package, I noticed a pleasant smell that was sweet and a little spicy, smelling a bit like a gently spiced chai.   And one quick glance at the ingredient list suggests that this could easily be categorized as a chai (well, yeah, all tea is technically chai, but, I’m talking about what we here in North America think of when we think “chai”) so, I categorized it as chai.

The brewed tea smells a little earthy, slightly vegetative, but still possesses a certain spicy tone – a bit different than that of the dry leaf, but, it still smells warm, sweet, and a little spicy.

Wow!  OK, so yeah, this DOES have a lot going on, but, somehow, it all comes together to offer a pleasant tasting blend.  I don’t really taste each of the specific tea types here, I just taste a medley of different flavors that I’d associate with the different leaf types.

For example, I taste the earthy, vegetative taste of Yerba Maté, and I would attribute some of that earthiness to the Pu-erh as well.  It tastes rich and smooth like a black tea, but it has a light, almost creamy/airy texture and flavor that I’d attribute to the white and green teas.  I taste hints of mint and basil that I attribute to the peppermint and Tulsi.  And yes, I taste the warmth of the spices, and the sweet, creamy finish that I attribute to the vanilla.

I wouldn’t say that I taste specifically any one of these ingredients, instead, I taste the combination of them all.  I taste hints of sweet licorice, I taste the sweet warmth of the cinnamon and little peppery kick from the ginger and pepper.   I don’t know that I taste any one ingredient more than the others, they all seem to come together in such a way to provide a very solid taste without one overpowering the others.   Some might seem a little lost along the way but at the same time I can’t say that this blend would be the same without any one of these ingredients.

And while there are a lot of flavors to explore here, I am really enjoying the challenge and the journey this tea offers.  It is warm and energizing, just the kind of cup I want on those mornings when I need a little motivation.

I like it!

Special Savings:  Now through July 22, you can save 15% off of Climber’s High Tea from The Tea Spot.  Use the code climbsister in the coupon field at checkout to receive your special discount!

Guayusa Tea with Chocolate from Stash Tea

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Guayusa

Where to Buy:  Stash Tea

Tisane Description:

GUAYUSA (gwhy-you-sa) is a rare herbal tea produced from the leaves of a holly tree (ilex guayusa) native to the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador. Guayusa is naturally caffeinated and has an awakening effect similar to coffee and yerba mate. For this signature blend, we’ve combined Guayusa with velvety cocoa for a dessert-like tea that’s rich and stimulating.

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

Mmm!  Chocolate!

I have tried a few different Guayusa blends now, but I think that this may be my first chocolate flavored Guayusa.  It is delicious!

The Guayusa produces an earthy-tasting infusion with herbaceous notes.  I often liken it to the flavor of Yerba Maté and it is also often compared to coffee, not just for it’s stimulating properties but also for its flavor.  It is rich in flavor but a bit thinner than a cup of coffee (or should I say, what I remember coffee to taste like, as it has been YEARS since I’ve had a cup).  But where Guayusa stands out is that there is no bitterness to this herb.  Where coffee has a bitterness to it, as does yerba maté, Guayusa finishes very smooth and even a little sweet with no notable bitterness.

The chocolate in this particular blend is a strong flavor – and I like it like that!  This chocoholic approves!  The chocolate flavors are derived from cocoa shells and chocolate fudge powder.  This combination of ingredients has created a rich, chocolate-y flavor that is a bittersweet, dark chocolate taste, but with a hint of creaminess to it too.  I kind of expected the chocolate fudge powder to impart a cloudy appearance or thicker consistency to the cup, but it hasn’t.  The infusion is dark (as Guayusa tends to be) but it is not opaque or cloudy.

This Guayusa blend is one of the best I’ve tried yet.  And I am sure that has everything to do with the chocolate!  Stash Tea has made this chocoholic a very happy chocoholic!  And with the caffeinated power of Guayusa, a happy chocoholic in the early hours of the day is a GOOD thing, indeed!