Sometimes I just get a period of several days where I am constantly tired. Don’t know why that is but I just feel like I am dragging myself out of bed when all I want to do is sleep. Usually this occurs following periods of time when a lot has been going on so I think it is my body making up for lost rest. So when these tired periods roll around, I reach for teas that are supposed to wake you up and that is why I am sipping on Passion Berry Jolt by Tiesta Tea.
Passion Berry Jolt is a raspberry passion fruit black tea made with black tea, pineapple bis, natural passion fruit flavors, passion fruit bits, cornflowers, marigold flowers, and raspberry bits. However, I do wonder if this is a complete list of ingredients considering the package also notes that Tiesta Tea’s Energizer blends, which this is, contain black tea AND mate tea. It also provides brewing instructions for both black tea and mate tea so I can’t help but think this may have some mate in it, which would explain the high caffeine content but also make me a little less excited about trying this since mate can have a real earthy flavor that I don’t love.
Since mate is not explicitly stated in the ingredient list, I brewed this per the recommended steeping instructions for a black tea, steeping the leaves in 190F water for 3 minutes. I made both a hot and iced tea this way.
At first sip, the hot tea definitely has a lot of passion fruit flavor. It is coming off like a very tropical black tea. Not much raspberry. There is a sort of concentrated fruity sourness that hits you in the back of the throat and then dissolves into a black tea aftertaste that is brisk and ever so slightly metallic. The passion fruit is nice but I am just not loving the other flavors going on in this hot cup. I am perking up though so I guess the big bold letters reading “Energizer” are telling the truth.
A lot of the time when I ice black teas, they tend to get this thick mouthfeel. This is no exception. I am not sure why that happens and if I am being honest I don’t love it. As for the flavor, this is more of that same passion fruit flavor that I enjoyed in the hot tea, without the sourness at the back of your throat. However, that slightly metallic essence that came in in the aftertaste of the hot tea sort of lingers under the entire sip in the iced tea. Again, I am not getting much raspberry.
This tea, both hot and iced, has one of the better passion fruit flavors I have tried. I think I enjoyed the iced tea more but it was nice both ways if you don’t mind a brisk black tea and that metallic note. Personally, this is not my favorite but I could see it being enjoyed by many. Plus, it is an effective wake up tea for those needing that extra little boost in the morning.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
Packed with passion fruit and raspberry, this black tea blend gives you a jolt of pineapple energy to keep you charged.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tropical Peach Bellini from A Quarter To Tea. . .
Peach Bellinis were my drink as a young teenager just discovering alcohol. At first I only drank the frozen slush kind that tasted more like candy than it did a cocktail. Then I went to Venice, Italy and tried their take on a Peach Bellini which was a more adult combination of Peach Nectar and Prosecco (if I am remembering correctly).
Unfortunately, the hot tea tastes like neither. It is a sweeter tea and though there are underlying fruity vibes that lean towards peach, the mao fang takes over making this more vegetal than fruit. Also, I hoped for more mango to make this feel tropical but that isn’t coming through very clearly either.
The iced tea is just more of the same. I give this points for consistency but that also means that, like the hot tea, I am left wanting more. More peach. More bellini. More tropical. More of something other than a sort of generic and slightly fruity green tea.
Though the base is nice and the fruity vibes are pleasant, it is not selling the Tropical Peach Bellini flavor I was promised by the name. I wanted to like this one but, for me, it fell a bit flat.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Like a Bellini but better. A touch of mango and mao fang sweetness make this a 2018 treat.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Winter Spice / Tease Tea
Whole Star Anise!
What a surprise it was to open the 30g pouch and find that!
It makes it a bit more festive. The dry aroma is faint. Somewhat creamy, spicy, and nutty. My first cup of this was a bland mess but I didn’t want to give up. It’s a unique tea blend; slight creaminess hinted once the tea enters your mouth which turns into a peculiar spicy flavor; which I’m assuming comes from the ginger and the cinnamon. Calming is generally not a descriptor I use when talking about black tea, however, with the chamomile this tea has a nice calming effect.
Everything in this tea blends well together and yet I’m finding myself somewhat underwhelmed. Perhaps because they say spice in the name I expected more kick. The first cup was steeped between 2.5 and 3.5 minutes so the next cupping was upped to 5 minutes. I’m currently on a third cup also brewing 5 minutes but adding a 1/2 tsp more of tea. The first taste at 5 minutes was the same as the second cup so the brewing time was upped to 7 minutes. Unfortunately, this removed the creaminess and the spices seemed to have disappeared altogether. The tannins have taken over a bit more and there is a definite astringency in the after taste.
Overall, a nice blend but one that needs at least 4 minutes for full flavor and is not suggested for those who don’t appreciate a light tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tease Tea
Description:
This festive favourite is back for a limited time! A naturally flavoured black tea featuring notes of cinnamon, spice & everything nice. The perfect way to get into the winter spirit!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Day 24 of Plum Deluxe’s Tea Advent Calendar- Spoilers
Day 24. . .we are almost there to the end and I have to say, this has been a tea adventure for sure. Today’s tea had me giddy as soon as I saw the title. . . Snow Covered Blueberry White Tea! Squee!! I am not a black tea girl at heart and a good chunk of the teas in this advent calendar have been black tea based. So I’m beyond excited with the idea of this white tea.
White Tea, blueberries, and peppermint are not a flavor combo I’ve had before but I’m happy to give this tea a try. I prep my water up to the recommended 175F and allow the tea to brew for 4 minutes and cool for 2 more. Take my first sip and I am delighted.
Blueberries, white tea, and peppermint are all present flavors and not one flavor is more prominent than the other. I will say that I wish the peppermint flavor was a bit more highlighted just to elevate this tea a bit more on the festive level, but that is just me. Beyond that wish, this tea is delightful. The flavors are more on the lighter side so I can’t say that it wowed me away, but it definitely is a solid cuppa and one I won’t have a problem having another serving of. Just a delightful ditty to enjoy on this cold blustery afternoon.
I can see this blend being a great one to share with friends and families that may not necessarily be tea drinkers because it does have a lighter touch. A great tea to have on hand when you are looking for a lighter tea to carry you away!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
This tea is part of the tea advent calendar offered by Plum Deluxe.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Day 21-Plum Deluxe Tea Advent Calendar. . .Spoilers!
Day 21 and I’m not going to lie, I was crazy excited about the tea blend just by the name alone. . .Banana Bread Dessert Tea! I mean seriously, does it get any better? I couldn’t wait to check this blend out so I prepped up freshly boiled water, allowed the tea to steep for five minutes and cool for an additional two. I poured myself a huge cuppa and sat down to enjoy what I thought would be banana goodness.
Upon first sip, it seemed I didn’t really get much in the way of banana but more chocolate. I noticed that while the tea was steeping I was getting some pretty heavy notes and didn’t really get much in the way of banana there either. Though I was bummed I didn’t get the banana love I was hoping for, this tea is still rock solid and delicious. The chocolate, honeybush, and cinnamon mingle together in a wonderful way providing this delicious flavor.
There is a subtle nutty flavor here and there and I think that is possibly where the chestnut essence is coming to play but with the bold flavors going on, I think the banana just isn’t there for me. Now I do have to say, I’m a banana freak so I was hoping for a blast in your face banana flavor.
Even though this tea didn’t quite deliver the flavor on the label, I’m still devouring this tea down and have had several more cuppas. I’m going to say that Day 21 was a successful blend indeed!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
This tea is part of the tea advent calendar.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!