Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tea Description:
Is there anything prettier than a rose-scented tea? This classic blend is just as romantic as a bouquet of flowers – and a whole lot tastier, too. Rose Congou teas are traditionally made with black tea, but we love mixing rose petals and rosehips with the subtle grassiness of Chinese green tea. The result is deliciously floral and delicately fruity, like walking through an English garden after a spring rain. No umbrella required.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tasted quite a few black Rose Congou teas. And I’ve even tasted a few green teas that have been scented with rose. But I don’t think I’ve ever actually tasted a green tea that calls itself Rose Congou before … until tasting this one from David’s Tea, that is!
Maybe because it is my understanding that “Congou” is actually a grade of Chinese black tea, and I really didn’t know that there was such a thing as a green Congou tea. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t … it just means that even after studying, learning about, and working with tea for more than ten years, I still have much to learn about the subject.
Anyway … let’s talk more about this tea. This is really quite delightful. The green tea is sweet and smooth and very refreshing to sip. The vegetative tones of this tea are somewhere between “grassy” and vegetable, leaning more toward the grassy than the vegetable. There is a slightly dry astringency to this cup.
The rose is flavorful! Sweet and floral – let me just say this, if you’re not a fan of the flavor of rose … this is NOT the tea for you. I happen to enjoy rose scented teas so this one is right up my alley. But even though it does have a strong rose essence, it isn’t overbearing or perfume-y. There is a careful balance between the lush notes of the green tea and the notes of flower.
This one tastes great hot or iced! And it looks like this is the right time to order this one online – there’s a web special going on right now!
Blood Orange Tisane from Chai Diaries
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Chai Diaries
Tisane Description:
The first thing you’ll notice about this holiday blend is the color: a vibrant amaranth red that grabs you by the lapels and demands your attention. Then the aroma: enticing vanilla, sophisticated orange peel, hints of rose and lemon all tangle for a share of the stage in this bold elixir. Finally, the first divine sip.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I have to disagree with the above description … the first thing I noticed about this Blood Orange Tisane from Chai Diaries is not the color. What I noticed is that this is not a one with an overload of hibiscus! Yes, there is hibiscus in it, but, after steeping for six minutes, the tisane is not heavy, thick or syrupy the way a tisane with too much hibiscus would be.
The fact that the hibiscus is not overdone gets bonus points from this reviewer … because as you are probably aware (if you’ve read very many of my tisane reviews!) I don’t like hibiscus! In small amounts, hibiscus can be beneficial to a tisane. It adds a little bit of body and color to the brewed cup, as well as a distinct flavor – tartness! – not to mention significant health benefits. But too much hibiscus can mean a very tart, syrup-like thickness to the brewed tisane. Not very appealing, at least, not to me!
This tisane, on the other hand, is very appealing because the hibiscus is done the right way … as are the other components to this tisane. It is sweet with enough tartness to keep it interesting. The vanilla in this adds a very enjoyable creamy note to the cup, tasting a bit like a one of those creamsicle frozen treats!
While it is good served hot, I found that I preferred it iced! I recommend brewing it stronger when you want this one iced, because the flavor softens a bit as it cools. And brewing it stronger means adding more dry leaf to the teapot … not steeping it longer. Keep the steep time to 5 – 7 minutes to minimize the hibiscus’s impact on the final product.
This is sweet enough that it doesn’t need any sweetener – and this would be a fantastic alternative to overly sugared sodas for the kids (and adults!) in the summer!
Midnight Magic Green Tea from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
It is usually at the strike of midnight that the world begins to unravel into the beautiful and magical creation that it truly is. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this blend while the world’s magical nature reveals itself to you.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf of this Midnight Magic Green Tea from Shanti Tea has a strong floral note with a distinct vegetative note and just a hint of citrus. Once brewed, the rose remains strong, and the citrus emerges just a bit.
What I’m noticing immediately with this tea, and what I’m liking best about this particular tea from Shanti Tea, is that it is first and foremost a green tea. That is to say, this tea isn’t a strongly flavored tea where the taste of the tea has to compete with the flavoring.
The vegetative notes of the green tea are strong without tasting sharp. Yes, it is a grassy note, but its not a bitter grassiness. It’s actually quite smooth. It is lightly sweet, but I find that this tea tastes more savory to me than many green teas. It’s pleasantly brothy and my palate finds it very agreeable.
The rose is a faint note – it is much more distinct a scent than it is a flavor in this cup. It offers a touch of floral sweetness, but I’m not finding this cup to be overtly floral. The same is true of the citrus … the orange is delicate … oh, I can certainly taste it and it tastes really nice … but it doesn’t overwhelm the cup. I find that as I continue to sip, the sweet orange flavor reveals itself more, and by mid-cup, there is a really lovely orange-y flavor that accompanies the grassy notes of the green tea. The rose never really becomes more than an accent flavor, but it is quite lovely the way it is.
I found this to be an enjoyable cuppa – sweet, flavorful and one I’d be happy to sip on anytime!
Organic Green Pomegranate Tea from Fashionista Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tea Description:
Organic green tea carefully blended with organic raspberries and essence of pomegranate. A tart and tangy taste to the palate. Very Good hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve stated before, I absolutely love pomegranates, even though it’s a fruit I don’t eat very often, because they tend to be a bit on the pricey side, and since I’m usually the only person who eats them in my household, I think it’s a little selfish of me to choose such an expensive fruit just for me. So, when I find a pomegranate tea like this Organic Green Pomegranate Tea from Fashionista Tea, I am very eager to try it. It’s my way of indulging in one of my favorite fruits without feeling guilty about it!
And this is so good! This blend combines the flavor of pomegranate as well as raspberry … and I think it’s a very good combination indeed. The raspberry offers a hint of tartness that accents the natural tart note of the pomegranate, as well as a lovely depth of flavor. I taste both components, not just the pomegranate accentuated by the raspberry, but the raspberry as well, and I like the way these two fruits taste together. They taste smooth, sweet, and with just the right amount of tartness to come off as tangy without being puckery-sour.
The lush flavor of the organic Sencha also has something to do with the smooth, sweet flavor. It has a light, buttery taste, and just a hint of a vegetative note … nothing that interferes with the fruity character of this blend, just enough to remind you that it’s a green tea that you’re drinking. The best part of this tea, I think, is the buttery quality … its has a soft, silky texture and taste. It’s really pleasant!
This is a tea that tastes great served hot, but, the flavor remains as it cools, so it would be a perfect tea to serve iced as well. I like this one a whole lot!
Elderberry White Tea from Whispering Pines Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Whispering Pines Tea
Tea Description:
Purely delicious, this exciting berry-white blend will have you hooked! One of the best iced teas at Whispering Pines.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have not had a lot of experience with elderberries, in fact, I think I’ve only had them as a component in tea blends!
This is really tasty. The delicately sweet taste of the white tea is showcased nicely with the tart taste of the elderberry and rosehips. It doesn’t taste too sweet, nor does it taste overly – or artificially – flavored. It has a pleasant berry background note with hints of green grass and hay in the foreground. I taste a hint of flower to the cup, and a slight honey-esque tone as well, which was kind of surprising to me, because I don’t usually taste a honey note with white tea … but there it is!
The brewing suggestions for this tea (on the Whispering Pines website) suggest a steep time of three minutes, using 160°F water. While I got the temperature right, I didn’t steep this for just three minutes, I chose to double it and steep it for six, which is my normal “go to” time for most white teas.
And I’ve got to say, I really enjoy it using these brewing parameters, it is tangy from the berries and rosehips, but a nice sweetness from the white tea comes through too. I didn’t find it to be too tart for my liking, but, it does have a strong tart flavor, so if you are one who tends to be sensitive to tartness, you might want to add a little sweetener to this, a little coconut sugar will help to tame the sour pucker from this tea.
I think that a lower brew time would help reduce the dry astringency that I experience with this tea, but I don’t find the astringency to be unpleasant. Instead, I find that it adds a certain crispness to the cup. Overall, this is a very refreshing tea, one that I think would make a stunning iced tea (although, it’s much too cold for iced tea right now!)
I found this to be a very agreeable first experience with a tea from Whispering Pines Tea!