Organic Decaf Masala Chai from Arbor Teas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black (Decaffeinated)

Where to Buy:  Arbor Teas

Tea Description:

Finally, our customers that only drink decaffeinated tea can indulge in a chai latte! This Fair Trade Certified Masala Chai Organic black tea blend has a medium-body with exceptionally spicy flavor and aroma. Surprisingly similar to our caffeinated version of Masala Chai (and offered at the same price!) our Organic Decaf Masala Chai Black Tea uses a broken leaf grade black tea (BOP) blended with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper. In contrast to our caffeinated version, we amped up the pepper for a slightly hotter mouth feel. The clove and ginger really come through, with a wonderful cardamom finish. As with all our decaf teas, this tea is decaffeinated using a state-of-the-art carbon dioxide (CO2) decaffeination process that does not involve the use of harmful chemicals. We recommend steeping a triple-strength cup of this organic Indian tea and serving it with honey and steamed milk.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Another decaffeinated tea that surprises me!

Truly, I have had fewer decaffeinated teas that I have not enjoyed versus those that I found to be very good (or better than very good, like this one!) but yet, the memory of those few that I disliked remain to taint my initial reaction to decaffeinated tea.  Those thin-tasting decaffeinated teas with chemical aftertastes still haunt me.  Fortunately, this decaffeinated chai from Arbor Teas is neither thin in taste nor does it have that icky chemical aftertaste.  This is actually so good, I find it hard to believe that it’s decaffeinated!

As mentioned in the above description from Arbor Teas, there is a bit more of a peppery bite to this one compared to the pepper level that I recall from Arbor Teas’ caffeinated version.  In that review, I had mentioned that the pepper stood out, and here, it stands out a bit stronger, but without tasting over-peppered.  Instead, the pepper seems to meld quite nicely with the flavors of the other spices.  There isn’t too much ginger or cinnamon here, which is also a plus given the fact that with so many chai blends seem to rely too heavily on the cinnamon or ginger to deliver their spicy impact.  Not that it’s bad to have a chai that’s been heavily laden with cinnamon or ginger, but it is nice to find one that allows the flavors of the cloves and cardamom to shine through.

This has such a unified flavor – everything is so well rounded!  The black tea has a strong flavor – without a strong decaffeinated flavor – and it melds seamlessly with the flavors of the spices.  It tastes spicy and exotic.  It is a beautifully executed chai … and I find it so delicious that I don’t even miss the caffeine!

I enjoyed my sampling of this tea hot with a little bit of turbinado sugar to complement the spices.  I did not add milk to it to make a latte, but, I think that the spicy composure of this chai would make for a very harmonious chai latte, so if you prefer your chai as a latte, I’d say go for it!

I’d recommend this whole-heartedly to those who are looking for delicious decaffeinated teas … this one is a keeper!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea, Chai, Decaffeinated Tea

Vanilla Berry Truffle from The Persimmon Tree

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Rooibos

Where to Buy:  The Persimmon Tree

Product Description:

A rooibos base infused with succulent black currants, organic hibiscus and creamy white chocolate blossoms.

Taster’s Review:

The fragrance of the dry leaf is really nice, it isn’t TOO powerful, but, it has a delicious combination of berry and vanilla notes with a somewhat nutty background.  It smells like dessert!

I was about to steep this the way I normally would rooibos – that is, in boiling water for ten minutes.  Because the tannins are very low in rooibos, the flavor will intensify from the long steep time without becoming bitter.  However, upon closer examination of this tisane, I noticed the hibiscus.  And while rooibos blends can benefit from a long steep time, the longer hibiscus is steeped the more tart and syrupy it becomes.  And… I don’t like that.

So… I set the timer for six minutes instead.  And this resulted in a really lovely cuppa.  It is tart, but it isn’t too tart.  The tartness accents the berry flavor of the black currant well, while the white chocolate in the blend gives the cup a deliciously creamy, sweet note that helps to offset the hibiscus tartness so that it doesn’t become too overpowering.  The rooibos base is nutty and sweet, but, I am not getting that aftertaste that sometimes accompanies rooibos (a good thing!)

This is a skillfully blended tisane:  the flavors are well-balanced, and while it is sweet enough to serve as a dessert tea, it isn’t cloyingly so.  A very fun cup of tea any time of the day.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Rooibos

Date Nut Muffin Rooibos from 52Teas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Rooibos

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Product Description:

Here’s our caffeine-free African rooibos, blended with sweet, dried dates, walnuts and natural flavors, including a touch of natural butter flavor (just a little pat on your muffin)–and yes, this tea is still 100% vegan.

Taster’s Review:

This one scared me when I first opened the pouch, because the aroma of the dry leaf isn’t all that great.  But once the tisane is brewed, the smell becomes quite delicious.  It smells like freshly baked muffins!

I taste the date, I taste the walnut.  I can even taste a cake-y kind of flavor with a hint of butter.  So far, so good.  This tisane delivers what the name of it says it will.  And I can see where the rooibos melds with the other flavors to help build the muffin flavor.

Unfortunately, as I’ve said before, I’m not wild about rooibos.  However, when flavored/blended, more often than not, I can enjoy the tisane even though it’s rooibos.  Sadly, though, this happens to be one of those times when I can’t get past that rooibos flavor.  It’s just not working for me here.

Yes, 52Teas is still my favorite tea company, and I’m really glad that I got to try this blend.  This tisane DOES have all the flavors it suggests in its title, so it is what it says it is.  So if the idea of a Date Nut Muffin in a teacup appeals to you, then I hope you’ll try it for yourself (and if you do like it, please comment here, I’d love to have some positive remarks about this tea here!)

That being said, I can’t say I liked something if I didn’t, and I’m just not digging it.  I guess they all can’t be winners… and more often than not, 52Teas’ blends are winners with me.  This one just isn’t a win for me.  (Sorry Frank!)

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Rooibos, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Decaf Exclusive Black from Q Leaf Tea/Monterey Bay Spice Co.

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Q Leaf Tea / Monterey Bay Spice Co.

Product Information:

All Q Leaf Teas are Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade
Q Leaf Decaf Exclusive Black is a wonderful full-body, malty, rich whole-leaf black tea. Enjoyable any time of day, served hot or iced. Our carbon diozide decaffeination process is considered the best for decaffeinating tea.
Fair Trade Certified, Q Leaf Decaf Exclusive Black Tea is also Certified Organically Grown and processed at the Fatikcherra Tea Estate in northeastern India near Assam (a Sanskrit word meaning peerless.)   The impressive Brahmaputra River flows through the Assam, a land well known for teas, rainfall (up to 150 inches per year) and for populations of wild tigers and rhinocerous. The climate is humid with extreme rainfall March to May, monsoon season mid-June to September, and a cold season October to February. Recorded histories of the area survive from the 4th century BC, including its mention in the Hindu epic Mahabharata and other ancient Sanskrit writings.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve stated before, decaffeinated teas scare me.  I had a couple of really bad experiences in the past with decaffeinated teas, and since that time, whenever I come across a “decaf” tea – I cringe!
But, the truth is, I’ve come across quite a few decaffeinated teas in the past couple of years that have been really outstanding!
This is one of them.
In fact, this one is so good that if I hadn’t known that it was decaf, I would not have guessed it.  This is a very rich and flavorful tea, with a pleasant body.  It does not come across as a thin or “reduced” tea in any way, nor does it have that funky aftertaste that sometimes accompanies a decaffeinated tea.  It has a strong, malty quality that is baked and even a little chewy!  It’s really delicious!
Because it is a decaf, that means that I can enjoy it now, even though it’s quite late in the evening without worrying about it keeping me from getting a restful night’s sleep.  And because it is 100% Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade, I can sleep well knowing that the tea I drank this evening was socially and environmentally responsible!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea