Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Gschwendner
Tea Description:
Mouth-watering pineapple and succulent apricot bloom into a sweet reminder of the Islands. Mahalo.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
So this was a blind tasting; meaning I didn’t look up anything about this tea prior to trying it. However, I definitely had major expectations for pineapple – even though I didn’t see anything but somewhat non-descript candied fruit pieces in the dry leaf whenever you hear “Hawaii” in a teas name pineapple is pretty well always the ‘go to’ assumption, am I right? Also, this was a cold brew because it definitely smelled very fruity and tropical and those are definitely the kind of flavours that lend themselves well to drinking cold.
Pineapple actually is the first flavour I taste; a very tropical, sweet pineapple without a lot of natural tang to it. I’m a pineapple fiend, so of course I’m craving much more pineapple flavor though the level it’s at is pretty good given it’s the more dominant flavor. It’s accompanied by a secondary fruit flavour but I’m struggling to identify it. It’s definitely not as distinct as the pineapple is. Mango maybe? The flavor of the base is about even to the flavour of the fruit. Overall this is a relatively juicy and very summery, but other wise not overly complex or nuanced. I think I’d appreciate a few more ingredients to add some more layers to the flavour. Dare I say it, coconut would probably go well or something floral like rose.
Also, since finishing I’ve looked up the ingredients and the secondary fruit flavor was apricot – looking back in hindsight I really don’t think that it tasted anything like apricot and I’m definitely sticking with my impression that the fruit notes were much more similar to a, perhaps over ripe, mango.
Apart from not being terribly spot on with the apricot flavouring, this is a pretty solid blend!
Lychee Konnyaku from Ette Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black/Green
Where to Buy: Ette Tea
Tea Description:
Our newest tea formula of Jasmine green, black tea, cranberries, lychee pieces & lily blossoms. Sweet tasting & tangy as the Japanese jelly dessert, Lychee Konnyaku tea provides the added malty texture and body for the gourmet tea lover.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This, along with the Mango Sticky Rice blend that I’ve yet to try, is the Ette Tea blend I’m most excited about tasting and reviewing. I absolutely adore lychee in just about anything, but especially in tea. Plus, cranberry is also one of my favourite fruit flavours in tea so the pairing of the two got me really, really excited. It’s also a pairing that I haven’t seen done before which was really cool too.
Dry; this has some really robust smelling lychee. It’s also fairly floral which should be expected given that there’s jasmine from the green tea and also the addition of lily, but lychee is a very floral tasting fruit too so it comes from that as well. I don’t see as many cranberries in the leaf as I want their to be, though I did make sure that what I measured out for my mug had at least one included.
Wow; this smelled heavenly when it was also steeped up! It’s a very strong lychee aroma; definitely the most powerful aspect of the tea, but there’s also a really soft, soothing jasmine smell backed up by other floral elements like lily and maybe also orchid. It’s actually hard to pick out specific notes from either the black or the green tea used though. I can also smell the cranberry, but only slightly.
Thankfully the cranberry is a bit more noticeable in the taste; it cuts through pretty clearly in the start of the sip with some sweetness but also some tartness that reminds me of cranberry jelly like you’d have around Thanksgiving. However, the very lush taste of the lychee and jasmine over takes it early on leaving me feeling just slightly cheated. I want more cranberry because while it’s so different to me to see it paired with lychee the two flavours go together really well!
The lychee is juicy and rich and reminds me a lot of actual lychee or ‘cocktail’ lychee that’s been canned in its own sweetened juices. It’s mouthwatering and strong as a flavour. I can see where, paired with the sweetness of the cranberry, this could get a little too sweet but thankfully there’s the soothing presence of jasmine that brings this back down to a reasonable level and keeps it distinctly flavoured but smooth and relaxing too.
Also, now that it’s steeped I think the base teas come through just slightly more; the first half of the mug seemed to have a really light vegetal taste to it that was brought more into focus when you concentrated on the jasmine but the slightly malty black base was more present in the aftertaste along with the lingering flavour of lychee, and especially present with the last few tiny sips from the mug when everything had cooled down.
There’s definitely room for improvement, but overall this was a really impressive and well executed tea and I’m absolutely kicking myself for just getting 10g! I’ve now tried 3/5 samples and this is definitely my favourite so far. This company has yet to really disappoint me!
Juicy Orange Pu’erh from DAVIDsTEA
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu’erh & Black Tea
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTEA
Tea Description:
Something magical happens when you combine rich, earthy pu’erh with sweet, juicy orange. Somehow the result is so much more than the sum of its parts – deliciously fresh and fruity, yet undeniably good for you. Whether you sip it hot or over ice, it’s super-soothing and addictively refreshing. With a tea this happy in your arsenal, who knows what else might go your way? Things are looking cup…
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a relatively new offering from DAVIDsTEA and it appears to be a part of their regular line up of teas, and not a limited edition seasonal blend or from one of their constant limited edition collections. It’s nice to see the company expanding their Pu’Erh offerings, though I was skeptical about this one even before seeing other people review it; it seems relatively similar to their Garcinia Goodness blend.
Reviews on this one seem to be fairly polar, and I was actually relatively sure I’d land on the side of people who dislike this blend. This smells very juicy, and tangerine-like dry though. Enough so that I didn’t let my prejudice get the better of me and I picked up a small sample in store to try.
Steeped up this actually isn’t anything like I thought it’d taste. Which I suppose is good because, like I’ve already expressed, I was doubtful this would be that good. There’s a sparkling effervescence to this blend. Right off the bat it comes through clear as crystal in the smell and is capture very well in the taste as well. I can see it making a phenomenal tea soda!
I’m really, really tasting the tangerine in the blend which is so lovely and different from a lot of citrus heavy blends. The regular orange flavour is quite strong too and has a wonderful, fresh taste but it’s not nearly as interesting as the tangerine. Overall the flavour reminds me loosely of orange tic tacs? Sweet, candy orange with a little bit of tang to it. Surprisingly I don’t really taste anything that particularly reminds me of hibiscus? That’s certainly a relief. Maybe there’s not a lot of it in the blend, or it just blends into the tangerine really well.
As for the base; it’s hard for me to believe this is pu’erh or black tea (the blend uses both). It’s just really light overall and the flavourings are really the focus here. I suppose I do taste the pu’erh just a little though; there’s a rawness to the fruit that tastes a little earthy in the finish. The mouthfeel of this one is nice too; kind of thick with that sparkling quality.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the blend. I didn’t buy a lot but I’ll be able to have a few more cups and if they’re like this one at all I could, in fact, see this as a blend I’d buy more of! It seems like it’d work as an iced tea as well, so it could be a wonderful spring or summer companion.
Juicy Lemon & Pink Grapefruit Oolong Tea from Herbal Infusions
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Herbal Infusions
Tea Description:
At first we started off this blend of Formosa Oolong with just lemon, but soon Dan decided that his love of grapefruit (pink specifically) should be shared in this tea. We then added freshly peeled organic pink grapefruit rind and created a fantastically balanced and refreshing Oolong tea that we are sure you’ll love.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
The name of this Oolong: Juicy Lemon & Pink Grapefruit Oolong Tea from Herbal Infusions … suggests that it’s going to be quite a tart tasting tea. So, I’m not exactly sure why it was that I had to order some as soon as I discovered it. I’m not usually a big fan of tart flavors, although I do like lemon and I love grapefruit teas if they’re done correctly. And I think that was the allure for me, my love of grapefruit teas and still looking for the best grapefruit tea out there.
This is really good. Surprisingly, it’s not as tart as the name suggests. Sure, the lemon is there, and so is the grapefruit, but the flavors balance out with the sweet notes of the Oolong in such a way that I taste more of the sweeter notes of the two citrus fruits than I do the tarty flavors.
The Oolong has a toasty note to it, and there is a slightly earthy/nutty flavor to it as well. I really enjoy the contrast between the earthiness and warm nutty flavors to the bright, citrus-y notes of the fruit flavors.
A really enjoyable flavored Oolong. The natural flavors of the dark Oolong tea meld in a very agreeable way with the fruit flavors of lemon and grapefruit. I’m really glad I tried it! Oh! And be sure to resteep the leaves with this one. The second infusion is even better than the first.
Castleton Muscatel 2nd Flush from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
CASTLETON MUSCATEL is one of the finest muscatel teas that we have come across this season. This tea has been made from selective leaves that come from PURE CHINA BUSHES at an altitude of 6200 ft above sea level which is ideal for the MUSCAT FLAVOUR.
When this tea is steeped for 3 mins it gives a very SMOOTH MEDIUM GOLDEN LIQUOR which has a rich fruity aroma. With every sip, you get a very rich fruity flavour and it leaves a ‘twang’ of mint in the pallets. A perfect cup to make your mornings delightful.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The moment I removed my brew basket from my cup I could smell the distinct muscatel aroma in this Castleton Muscatel 2nd Flush from Darjeeling Tea Lovers. My mouth watered in eager anticipation for that first sip. Even though this is not the freshest Darjeeling, since I got it as a sample from one of my SororiTea Sisters, and have had it tucked away for awhile now, it is still delicious! The muscatel flavor is simply divine.
As my SororiTea Sister LiberTeas said it has such a crisp flavor almost a snappish like flavor to it. Like biting into a fresh juicy grape with a thick skin, you get that POP like flavor in the mouth! Perfection! The taste is lightly sweet which I prefer to refer to as naturally sweet, just as nature intended fresh fruit to taste, this tea exemplifies that perfectly! I can’t believe I have not made any of my own purchases from Darjeeling Tea Lovers, but I need to sometime soon.
After looking at their website, I am seeing some of my favorite Darjeeling and some I have yet to try, all in one place, it is like a smorgasbord of Darjeeling, my eyes widened in excitement just browsing the site! Seriously I am having to hold myself back from placing an order until I sip down some of the teas I already have in my stash, plus saving for college for my daughter in the Fall is a bit more pressing right now.
Regardless, if a tea from Darjeeling Tea Lovers from their 2012 harvest, which has been haphazardly stored this long tastes this good, I can’t wait to try some of the fresher and better stored teas!
As for this tea, well this tea, and me, will be spending some precious time alone with a good book, in the sunshine, while it lasts, both the sunshine and the tea.
