Nature’s Candy – Coconut Chamomile from Petali Teas

Fruit is nature’s candy– a phrase I heard said by many health-nut, earth-loving parents.  But it might just be true in the case of Coconut Chamomile from Petali Teas.  I got a taste of this blend from my Amoda Tea subscription. With rainbow colors and fun shapes, this tea almost feels like a handful of candies.  It includes green kiwi pieces, pink hibiscus, red rose hips, yellow apple pieces, almost-purple cherry slices, and bright white coconut.

The fragrance of this tea blew me away as soon as I opened the bag, giving me a strong whiff of the fruity, sugary, pop of cherries and berries.  There are huge slices of dried cherries, bright curls of coconut, and the little round blossoms of chamomile.  This blend smells like sour cherry straw candy, or even a bit like traditional, pink bubblegum.  The fruit flavors are very forward, but the chamomile base and some creamy coconut help smooth out the tartness into something super sweet and relaxing.  The only downside is that this tea is best when brewed with lots of leaves, so I only got two cups out of my sample.
Part of me wants to make sure I always have this blend on hand, like the omnipresent dish of hard candies at grandma’s house.  Something simple and sweet to offer the occasional passerby that gets stuck for a while in my living room.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Amoda Teas
Description:

A beautiful herbal tea with large pieces of fruit you almost want to eat! Floral flavours of chamomile, delightful fruit, hints of coconut and a perfectly sweet finish. Sip this in the evening and let the chamomile relax you.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Hard Candy Tisane from DAVIDsTEA

Hard CandyTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal/Tisane

Where to Buy:  DAVIDsTEA

Tea Description:

Looking for a new way to satisfy your sweet tooth? This sweet and tangy tea is where it’s at. With sour cherries, kiwi and coconut, it has all the taste of a candy shop treat – at next to no calories. Brewed over ice, it’s a deliciously fruity, kid-friendly summer treat. And brewed extra-strong then topped up with sparkling water, it’s an unbeatably refreshing TeaPop. How sweet is that?

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is part two of a five part review of the DAVIDsTEA Summer Collection.

This year I found myself relatively interested in all five teas offered from DT’s Summer Collection so I decided to do a review of the whole collection here on SororiTea Sisters. Not all the teas are going to be prepared the same way; I decided to go with my gut and prepare each in the way I thought that they were best suited for. Now, because DT has marketed/designed these blends to be prepared iced that does mean most of the five teas were tried in a cold preparation style.

This is not an exception; for my first taste of the summer collection I decided to cold brew this one. Based on the initial stream of reviews on Steepster this blend seems to be pretty well liked; as of writing my review there aren’t really any bad reviews of this tisane. That’s definitely unusual, and it has me quite curious especially since this is the blend I was least interested in initially.

Dry I think this has a really intense aroma, and it reminds me a lot of Lipsmacker’s Strawberry Kiwi flavour. It’s very over the top, and really candy sweet. And as long as this doesn’t mysteriously pick up a ‘waxy’ taste then I think that’s a good thing because candy is obviously what DT was going for. I’m not totally sure where I’m getting strawberry from though since that is definitely not one of the ingredients in this: but it’s distinctly strawberry and NOT cherry or cranberry.

Steeped up and strained this has a powerful flavour; it’s incredibly sweet with just a hint of tartness. The first thing I noticed was actually the absence of a flavor – coconut in this case. DAVIDsTEA is really heavy handed with coconut as an ingredient, in fact three out of five of this seasons blends have coconut as an ingredient! It’s only the returning blends that don’t, and I can’t help but wonder if they were maybe so popular because of the lack of coconut. I definitely anticipated the coconut to be strong though – and I’m not getting it at all. It’s really weird, actually. And thinking about it, I don’t remember seeing any coconut shreds in the measured out leaf either.

The first flavor I’m actually tasting though is the kiwi – it’s much strong than I thought it would be. It’s followed closely behind by very plump, juicy cherry, cranberry and – yes, strawberry notes too. It tastes A LOT like Strawberry Kiwi Lipsmacker, no matter how hard I try to shake the comparison. Another popular comparison with this one is Jolly Ranchers; both cherry and watermelon. I can understand the comparison, but I don’t necessarily agree with it. Although, it’s reminding me a lot of a summer cold brew favourite of mine: Prickly Pear from Tea Desire, and now that I’m thinking about it not only do both teas have intense kiwi flavour but Prickly Pear also has a rich melon flavour so maybe I am subconsciously drawing melon comparisons too.

I may be the first ‘negative’ review of this one though; while I didn’t think it was bad I did think that ultimately there was too much going on about about half way through my cold brew I was just getting really sick of the intense sweetness and artificial fruit flavours. I get why it’s getting good reviews so far, it’s different from a lot of other tisanes from DT; but I’d call myself neutral at best. It’s not going to be a restock for me.

Mango Kiwi Green Tea from 52Teas

52teas-Mango-KiwiTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

Here’s a lovely organic Ceylon (Sri Lankan) green tea blended with freeze dried mango and kiwi and organic mango and kiwi flavors. It’s a little tart, a little sweet and all refreshing.

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about 52Teas’ subscriptions here.

Taster’s Review:

My review of this Mango Kiwi Green Tea may just be my last “SororiTea Sisters” review of a tea from 52Teas.  In just a few days, my daughter takes over the business side of things with 52Teas and I become the mad tea artist!  And since I’ll be crafting all the teas for 52Teas as of June 1st, I wouldn’t feel right about writing a critical review about the teas that I create.  It just wouldn’t be ethical, you know?  I’m excited and nervous, it’s a huge step for us but I believe it’s a step in the right direction.

So this review is a little bittersweet with an emphasis on the sweet, but I will miss writing reviews!

To brew this tea, I used my Breville One-Touch.  I measured 2 bamboo scoops into the basket and poured 500ml of freshly filtered water into the kettle.  Then I set the temperature for 180°F and the timer for 2 minutes.  And a few minutes later, I have TEA!

Yummy tea!  Just like the description above says, this is a little sweet and a little tart.  I like that it’s neither too sweet nor too tart, though.  The sip starts out sweet with notes of mango.  The mango seems to be the strongest flavor in the cup, with the kiwi playing in the background.  At the finish of the sip, I start to notice the tart notes and those tarty flavors tickle on my tongue in the aftertaste.

The green tea is light and fresh tasting.  It has hints of grass and a delicate buttery taste.  It’s not bitter or astringent.  The vegetal notes of this tea aren’t particularly strong.  It’s a very soft, pleasant green tea.  This is the kind of green tea I’d recommend to someone who thinks they don’t like green tea because it tastes like vegetables.  This … doesn’t taste like vegetables!  It’s just delicate and lovely.

A really nice tea!  A good tea to have in the cupboard now as the weather is getting warmer because it tastes GREAT iced!

Kiwi Cheesecake Flavored Oolong Tea from 52Teas

Kiwi-Cheesecake-OolongTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:  

Here’s a special treat–Fujian oolong blended with real freeze-dried kiwi, marigold petals and organic kiwi- and cheesecake flavors. A little tart, a little tangy, a little sweet, and all delicious!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I can’t say that I’ve ever had a kiwi cheesecake.  I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a kiwi cheesecake except for the photo on the label.  But I love kiwi (and it’s a fruit flavor that is not often used in a tea!) and I love cheesecake … and I love Oolong so I felt fairly confident that I’d enjoy the tea created for the week of August 25.

The aroma that filled the kitchen when I opened the pouch was a sweet, fruity scent.  I could smell the kiwi and I could smell the sweet, creamy notes.  To brew this, I didn’t grab my gaiwan as I normally would with an Oolong because I figured I didn’t really need it with a flavored Oolong.  Instead, I used my Kati tumbler.  I measured out 1 bamboo scoop of tea into the basket and heated the water to 180°F.  I debated with myself on whether or not I should do a rinse, ultimately, I decided to go ahead and try rinsing the tea for 15 seconds and then discarded the liquid.  Then I steeped the tea for 3 minutes.

The brewed tea has a much softer scent than the dry leaf.  I barely smell the kiwi and I worried for a moment that maybe the rinse rinsed the flavor right off the leaves!  Fortunately, it didn’t!  I may not be able to pick up on a strong kiwi fragrance but I can definitely taste the kiwi.

I can also taste the cheesecake!  There is a creaminess to it which is probably not just because of the flavor but because of the natural creamy notes of the Oolong tea.  I get a light, tangy cream cheese flavor.  The only thing I find myself missing here is a note of pastry or graham cracker crust.  There is a light buttery tone but I attribute that to the Oolong and not so much to the flavor of the pastry.  I find myself searching – in vain – for the crust of the cheesecake.  Normally, when I am trying one of 52Teas’ cheesecake blends, I can pick up on that crust taste.  This one, I’m not.

Perhaps it’s because I did the rinse.  Next time I brew this, I think I’ll try it without the rinse and find out if that improves the overall cheesecake-y-ness of this tea.

But really, the flavors of creamy, sweet, tangy cheesecake and sweet-tart kiwi are both represented very well here, and I like that while I do taste these flavors, the flavor of the Oolong is not lost.  It’s a sweet and smooth Oolong.  I am picking up on light floral notes from the Oolong and I like the way these delicate flowery tones play in the cup.  The Oolong seems to add depth to the kiwi notes and it was the right choice for the base for this blend.

This is a really unusual but very enjoyable cup of tea.

Strawberry Kiwi Iced Green Tea from Southern Boy Teas

StrawberryKiwiSBTTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Zoomdweebies

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s tea of the week programs here.

Taster’s Review:

Over the last year or so, my iced tea consumption has definitely increased.  A couple of years ago, iced tea was a summertime beverage.  Period.  I only brewed it during the hottest months of the year, because I preferred (and still do prefer) hot tea.  But, I’ve found that it’s so nice having a pitcher of iced tea waiting in the fridge when I want something cold to drink and I want something cold to drink every day.  I may not drink it as often as I drink hot tea and I do drink more iced tea in the warmer months than in the cold months.  But I have reached a point where I’m drinking (and thoroughly enjoying!) iced tea on a daily basis.

So I have been enjoying exploring the teas from 52Teas/Zoomdweebies iced tea line:  Southern Boy Teas.  These teas are crafted with organic teas and flavoring and then bagged in large sachets to make brewing easier.  Yeah, yeah, I do prefer loose leaf.  However, when it comes to iced tea brewing, I have to admit that the convenience of the sachet/bag is one that is difficult to overlook.  Yep, I’m just going to come right out and say it:  I prefer a bagged or sacheted tea when it comes to iced tea brewing.

And what I like about these bags from SBT is that they’re large, unbleached bags.  The tea leaves have plenty of room to expand and do their thing to produce a very flavorful tea.  To brew this Strawberry Kiwi Green Tea, I heated 1 quart of freshly filtered water in the jug of my Breville One-Touch to 170°F and then I tossed the tea bag right into the jug of my tea maker and let it steep for 1 1/2 minutes.  I poured the brewed tea into my favorite glass iced tea pitcher (I temper the glass first by filling the pitcher with hot water from the tap so that the glass isn’t “shocked” by the heat from the 170°F liquid!)  Then I repeat the process, resteeping the tea bag but steeping it for 2 minutes with the second infusion and add this to the pitcher.  Then I allow the tea to cool at room temperature a bit before I put the pitcher in the fridge.  The next day, I have a pitcher full of tasty iced tea!  (Oh, and I keep the tea bag for next time.  I stash the tea bag into an airtight container and put it in the fridge, and then I resteep it again.  The green teas are especially GREAT for maintaining their flavor for a second 1/2 gallon of iced tea.)

My first impression of this tea:  Hmm … I couldn’t really taste strawberry and kiwi.  I can taste the green tea and I can taste a fruity sweet element to this but did it really taste like strawberry and kiwi to me?  No.  I found myself having to think “OK, what tea did I brew last night?”  The flavors of strawberry and/or kiwi were not immediately recognizable.

My second impression:  My second glass … OK!  Now I can taste more of the intended flavors!  I can taste more distinct strawberry notes.  The tea has a delicious strawberry sweetness and I’m getting that tart berry tingle in the aftertaste.  As I’m drinking, I can taste the kiwi too.  The kiwi is less discernible than the strawberry.  And I can still taste the fresh green tea flavor too:  sweet, slightly buttery and smooth.

The more I sipped on this tea, the more I enjoyed it.  I wouldn’t say that it’s my favorite tea from SBT but it is refreshing and I found myself guzzling it.  Even in the beginning when I couldn’t really immediately pick up on the flavors of strawberry and kiwi, I was still gulping it down because it’s still a very good, thirst-quenching glass of iced tea.

And the second pitcher of iced tea from this sachet is even better than the first.  The strawberry and kiwi flavors are much more focused in this pitcher.  Tasty!