Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Tisane Description:
Pronounced “roy-boss” and means “red bush” in Afrkaans, studies have shown this tea is comparable to green tea in the amounts of EGCG it contains. Rooibos is totally pure and natural. It contains no colorants or preservatives.
And Rooibos tastes divine! It is less bitter than most teas.
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I confess that the first time I had a cup of this tisane, I accidentally oversteeped it. I had started it brewing and walked away and forgot about it. Some twenty to twenty five minutes later, I remembered it. Fortunately, it’s a rooibos blend and rooibos doesn’t get bitter the way a tea (Camellia Sinensis) would.
However, I didn’t figure it would be a fair assessment to write this review based upon that steeping, so I waited until the next evening (tonight!) to try brewing it for my usual steep time for a rooibos tisane (ten minutes) and this time actually setting a timer for it.
And while this review will be based upon my cup from the 10 minute steep, I will also add some thoughts on the cup that steeped longer. (Both cups were steeped with 195°F water.)
This is a very flavorful rooibos blend. It seems a simple enough combination: rooibos, vanilla and cinnamon. This combination makes me think “Snickerdoodle” and well, it does have a snickerdoodle-ish taste to it. The rooibos has a sweet, nutty flavor to it, and when combined with the vanilla and cinnamon, the result is a taste that’s a lot like the classic cookie.
The cinnamon is a warm but not spicy cinnamon taste, and one that marries well with the sweet, creamy notes of vanilla as well as the warm, honey-like sweetness of the rooibos. It’s a pleasant cup of tea that’s not too sweet, but makes a nice late-night snack if you’re craving something just a little sweet but don’t want to wreck your diet by indulging in a real snickerdoodle cookie. This tea makes a tasty and healthier substitute.
Mint Julep Black Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Tea Description:
Black tea with natural mint flavor.
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
When I read the name of this tea: Mint Julep … I expected a little more than a black tea with mint. I guess when I think Mint Julep, I think bourbon and mint.
But! Don’t take that statement as me not liking what I’m sipping, because this is an enjoyable drink. The black tea notes are strong, it’s a brisk tasting black tea with a smooth character. It’s not bitter or overly astringent, although there is a mild astringency toward the tail. I like that even though there is this faint “dry puckering” of the inside of my cheeks, the transition from the beginning of the sip to the sensation I just described is very smooth.
I’m a little surprised by the mint notes. They are quite faint, and generally when I have a minty tea I expect a stronger mint flavor. This is really quite subtle. This is definitely more a black tea than a mint tea.
So, that leads me to say this: if you’re looking for a minty black tea, this is not the right tea for you. If you’re looking for a black tea with a hint of mint, this is the tea. This doesn’t have that really CRISP cool minty sensation that you’d probably expect from a minty black tea. This has a delicate mint note that sort of lingers in the background.
It’s a pleasant, enjoyable cuppa, but not quite what I was expecting!
Inverness Estate Black Tea with Essence of Bergamot from Eden Grove
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Amazon Trading
Ingredients:
Black Tea with natural bergamot flavor.
Learn more about Amazon Trading here.
Taster’s Review:
I saved my review of this tea for a while since TeaEqualsBliss had also reviewed it, and I figured I had a lot of other teas from Eden Grove to sample, so I’d save this bergamot for one of the last ones I’d try from this company. Well, that and … it IS bergamot. I saved what I thought I’d like best for one of the last teas I’d try from them.
Now that I taste it, I can’t say that I do actually like it best. I think there were some other teas from Eden Grove that I preferred over this Inverness Estate Black Tea with Essence of Bergamot. That’s not to say that I dislike this one, because it’s actually quite nice.
That said, when it comes to bergamot, I prefer it strongly flavored and this is a little on the subtle side. The Iverness single estate black tea is brisk, however, I think I’d like the bergamot to be on even footing with the robust flavor of the black tea and it isn’t.
There is a nice, bright, citrus-y note to this, but it tastes more like lemon than it does bergamot to me. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but, for an Earl Grey fan like me … I’m all about the Italian orange! I want bergamot!
Overall, this is a tasty cuppa, and I was happy with it. I just could have been even happier if the bergamot were stronger.
Organic Green Tea Pomegranate from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Tea Description:
Organic green tea, organic pomegranate and organic rose petals with pomegranate flavor.
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m actually tasting more rose than pomegranate with this tea. Kind of a surprise, but, it’s not a bad surprise. I find the combination of flavors: the floral notes of the rose, the sweet notes of the green tea and the sweet-tart notes of the pomegranate to be appealing.
The green tea has a nice buttery note to it that lends a creamy note to the cup, and I like the way this marries with the notes of fruit and flower. The rose is a subtle flavor, but as I said before, it’s actually a bit stronger than the pomegranate, especially during the sip. In the aftertaste is where I notice a real punch of pomegranate flavor.
Overall, this is an enjoyable cup of tea. I appreciate that all the ingredients are organic. It’s good as a hot tea (but do allow it a couple of minutes to cool as the flavors seem to benefit from some cool time), and it’s even better as an iced tea. I cold-brewed the pyramid sachets and was pleasantly surprised at how refreshing the tea was.
White Lavender Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
When I smelled the silky pouch filled with tea, I could smell the delightful notes of lavender. Lavender is one of my favorite flowers when it comes to tea, so I was very interested in trying this tea.
The brewed liquid has a softer note of lavender than I experienced with the dry leaf, but that was expected (usually, the brewed tea does smell softer than the dry leaf). I can smell more of the white tea notes now that the tea is brewed than I noticed when I smelled the dry leaf. With the dry leaf, I could smell lavender, and not much else.
Hmm … I’m not really loving this. The lavender tastes artificial in this. It doesn’t have that natural, sweet note that I love. Instead, it tastes like someone added a drop or two of lavender perfume to my teacup and I don’t really like that.
The white tea has a delicate, sweet taste to it, and I think I’d be enjoying this a lot more if the lavender wasn’t there. The lavender just ruins it, and that’s something that I don’t often say about a lavender tea. As I mentioned above, lavender is one of my favorite flowers when it comes to tea … so this not tasting the way I would like it to … is very disappointing.
Most of the teas that I’ve tried from Tea of Life I’ve actually quite enjoyed, but this one – unfortunately – gets a sad thumbs down from me.