Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steep City Teas
Tea Description:
Much like Miami, this black tea has a distinct sunny-like smell filled with passion, a colorful character and a sweet sweet taste. This mango blend with elder berries, apple pieces and lemon peels will evoke the paradise of sunny beaches with fresh fruit in your mouth. It combines a lemon zest with mango undertones that will leave you refreshed and energized. Prepare yourself for an amazing black tea that is great hot or iced. If you love Miami and you love mangos and lemons, this is one not to miss.
Black tea, mango pieces, natural flavors, lemon peels, apple pieces, rose hips, hibiscus, and elder berries.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Finally a tea blend using hibiscus done right! Miami Mango from Steep City Teas is refreshing, sweet, excellent hot, or iced, and just a perfect blend. Fruity, with definitive flavors of mango, and a lightly zesty flavor that makes you feel revived and energized. The hibiscus in this blend is truly necessary to give it the added zip and tang that it has yet it is not overly done as in so very many teas that have hibiscus in them!
This tea is surprising and versatile. I could see this being mixed into a tea cocktail with alcohol, or just lightly sweetened a little more and served to the kids at a party. I love it with no additives hot, and iced it becomes this dreamy island drink that reminds me of hot steamy nights in Miami Beach, listening to Jimmy Buffet or Reggae music while digging my toes into the sand.
This tea takes you right to the edge of tart but is absolutely not puckering or sour, the sweetness is just perfect, like being kissed by candied lips but not being spoon fed sugar.
The apple peeks out more as the tea comes closer to a room temp and when iced the apple pops even more but does not leave luscious mango behind!
Lets not forget though, through all of these sunny flavors, this is a tea, that is one thing that is fairly easy to forget as you get lost in the plentiful flavors of this blend, however there is a nice black tea base used here that is mild and compliments the true nature of this tea.
Miami Mango from Steep City Teas is an excellent steep for those like me, who are dreaming of sunny summer days ahead.
Oh Christmas Tea from Tealish
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealish
Tea Description:
A little bit spicy and a little bit sweet, this tea is the perfect treat to share with loved ones over the holidays. Rich black tea is blended with orange slices, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, apple pieces, and pink peppercorns.
Taster’s Review:
As I sit here, writing this review, it is July. The sun is shining brightly outside, and the thermometer reads 71°F outside, and I wonder what it will be like when this review actually publishes, as I schedule it for December 13 … a little closer to Christmas.
A Steepster friend sent me a bit of this tea so that I might enjoy a little Christmas in July, and yes, it is very Christmas-y indeed. It is warm with cheery spices and a hint of orange, and while a spiced orange tea is nothing new or out of the ordinary, what I’m liking here is how well-balanced it is. It has a nice, rounded flavor that enlivens the palate with spices that are gently warm – not hot or what I’d call spicy – a touch of delicious, juicy orange and a robust black tea base.
The black tea here is rich yet somewhat understated. It doesn’t attempt to overpower the blend, but it is substantial enough to hold its own and be tasted. It doesn’t taste like it’s just there, barely standing up to the spices somewhere off in the background. It tastes solid and strong without being bitter. It has a mild astringency that complements the orange notes quite well.
The only ingredient that I don’t really taste much of is the apple. I suppose it probably adds a hint of sweetness but a strong sense of apple doesn’t really come through – but then again, I don’t think it is supposed to. It may be there primarily for appearance sake, or as I mentioned, for a hint of sweetness to accent the spices.
A really enjoyable holiday tea – very nice during the holidays, or any time of year that you wish to bring a little bit of the holiday joy to your teacup.
Apple Cinnamon Coffeecake from Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
A new addition to our flavored tea line and already a huge hit with all of us here! This slightly sweet, scrumptious blend has a lightly toasted flavor with the delicious taste of apples and cinnamon. Sipping this tea reminds me of the Sunday morning breakfast treats of my childhood. Now that I’m all grown up I could have those treats every day of the week; however, I think I’ll stick to this tea blend instead. It’s full of the sinful tastes of childhood but, with no calories, it suits my adult metabolism!
Ingredients: Black teas, organic cinnamon chips, apple pieces, orange blossoms and flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea from Simpson & Vail is all things a flavored tea should be! There is no artificial flavor, the after taste is lingering and delightful, the flavor elements are perfectly bleneded. An all around excellent cup!
The aroma of this tea is something I can’t leave out of this review. It smells so good both in dry form and when steeped! The aroma fills the home and is a great way to scent your home without incense or candles, or that nasty artificial air freshener! My home smells like the holidays which is a lovely aroma anytime but especially this time of year!
I also want to mention the cinnamon in this blend. Often times cinnamon takes over a blend or is simply too spicy for some, the cinnamon in this tea is reminiscent of a cinnamon sugar cookie, sweet, not spicy. I love the way the cinnamon works in this tea.
The mouthfeel is slightly creamy and full. The color is a lovely festive orangish, brownish, red color.
Overall the flavor is sweet but not overly so, delicate on the spice notes, the apple is lovely in this tea, its quite fresh and delicious without coming over as a cider like tea. There is a wonderful baked goods flavor to the tea that again reminds me of cookies, christmas cookies. I think it is the toasted almonds that give off the baked goods flavor.
One could add some sugar or sweetener to this tea and it would hold up very well and give it an added dessert flavor.
I have been impressed thus far by Simpson & Vail teas although I would love to try more from them. I have only had their teas due to the generosity of others in tea trades but I look forward to making an order soon, perhaps after the holidays! For now, this sample is a wonderful treat for me while wrapping holiday gifts for others!
Almond Cookie by Joy’s Teaspoon
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Joy’s Teaspoon
Tea Description:
It is a taste experience unlike any other! Pairing sweet apple and beetroot pieces, this tea once brewed has a red color nuance. The flavor note is determined by tempting, sweet, roasted, caramelized almonds. Our tip: simply try it and…enjoy! For a perfect taste impact, brew for a full 10 minutes. Naturally caffeine free.
Ingredients: apple pieces, planed and crushed almonds, cinnamon pieces, beetroot pieces, flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I simply love a good almond cookie, however when it comes to almond cookies I tend to be very particular! The flavor has to be just so. I blame it on a small Asian restaurant my family would go to when I was young. They had the best almond cookies ever. Then again I was very young so what did I know. However to this day I always try to find that elusive almond cookie flavor when I pick up almond cookies at the store, or have a chance to have one from a restaurant. Until now, I can’t say anything has truly touched upon that flavor from days gone by.
This tea is my secret sin! I can’t get enough of it yet I tend to hide it away for those “me times” when I want to just slump back and savor every drop of sweet almond goodness.
Who would have thought that I would find my perfect cookie in a tea? Not only have I found my favorite cookie but with that a piece of my childhood, a good memory.
This tea smells so sinful when you open the bag. While steeping, like you are in the middle of a sweet cinnamon and sugar dream. I think perhaps the one ingredient other almond cookies lacked was the cinnamon. Its absolutely not a harsh cinnamon, I don’t even care for cinnamon in tea, and while I realize that cinnamon is not mentioned in the ingredient list given by Joy’s Teaspoon, I taste it. I don’t know if it is real cinnamon or cassia which is usually what you buy in a grocery store, a cinnamon knock off, but it is so delectable and in just the right dose.
It requires absolutely no milk and no sugar. It is quite perfectly sweet yet balanced all on its own. Usually I don’t use additives unless it is a “desert” type tea like this one and often I find you almost have to add a little sugar and or milk to help nudge the sweetness slightly over the edge to perfection but Almond Cookie is already right there!
The apple is fresh, crisp, and pairs wonderfully with the cinnamon giving it just a smidgen of a cider taste. I absolutely taste the caramelized almonds as I use them frequently in salad dishes I make at home. Now as for beetroot, I won’t even pretend to know what that should taste like but if it concerns you, don’t let it. I should google beetroot to find out what it is – something like rhubarb perhaps, root of beets I assume, I don’t even like beets, I detest them, they taste like dirt to me, but in order to end this run on sentence let me just say this tea tastes nothing of beet, beet root, or dirt.
Each ingredient is discernible if you sit back and try to detect each and every one of them, they are there, to be found. However this tea is meant to be simply enjoyed in my opinion. It is far more fun to just let the tea speak to you as a wondrous blend rather than sleuthing each element out. Granted tea reviews often tend to pick a tea apart looking for what makes a tea so scrumptious but as for this one, I am just going to enjoy the bliss that it is – melding in such unison, with such grace, that you won’t be able to determine the cider like flavor from the caramel almond flavor, from the apple itself, or that beetroot, it just blends so beautifully that it becomes the almond cookie to end all almond cookies!
Raspberry and Apricot Green Tea Delight from iHeartTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: iHeartTeas
Tea Description:
A light and fruity handcrafted green tea blend with pieces of sweet raspberries and delicate bits of apricot. Wonderful both hot and cold.
Recommended Steeping Parameters: 1 tsp of tea at 175F for 2 mins.
Steeping parameters are recommended based on the way I enjoyed this particular blend personally. Feel free to play and discover how you enjoy it best.
Ingredients: green tea, natural raspberry flavor, raspberry leaves, raspberries, rose petals, apple pieces, natural apricot flavor, apricots, and marigold flowers
Learn more about this tea here.
Totally unexpected delight. First of all the aroma of this tea is of warm vanilla sugar and berries. The smell was so warm, so inviting, so sweet, and so natural smelling. It really reminded me of the caramelized sugar on top of a creme brulee with wild berry glaze on the side.
The very fist sip was that of raspberry but it quickly faded into a warm sugared apricot flavor but not a sticky sweet sugar, rather a very natural sugar flavor.
This tea is JUICY! It makes your mouth water and the flavors are really quite wonderful! I could not detect any artificial flavors even if they are used and I am pretty sensitive to artificial flavorings.
Finally, an apricot I can fully appreciate, as I have had issues with finding an apricot tea I like recently. I like the sweet raspberry – not tart, which really helps to mellow the usually more pungent earthy apricot and while I do like earthy teas, apricot and I do not normally get along.
This is an inconspicuous tea, it does not force you to take notice, rather allows you to simply meld into its splendor! I found that none of the flavors fought one another for attention. While vanilla was not mentioned in the name or ingredients of this tea I swear I could taste a hint of natural vanilla!
There were actual pieces of fruit in the blend just as stated on the site!.
No sugar is needed to add to this tea its really quite perfectly sweet and balanced all on its own and I can only imagine adding sugar would make it all the more decedent or dipping some sugar cookies into it but I have had my allotment of cookies for today lol.
I loved the fresh tart apricot, the sharp but sweet raspberries, and the wonderful green tea base. A sweet, succulent tea that truly is a delight!
It does not hurt one bit either that Rachel of iHeartTeas is such a sweetie herself!