Rose Lemonade/Taylors of Harrogate -Just Tea-Zen-

I love when I find a bold, caffeine free herbal! This is another one of those teas that I have to remember to sip instead of guzzle. If I had to describe it in one word, I’d have to say it is “LUSCIOUS”.

I am one who normally shies away from floral blends because they’re just not my thing. I’ve had some rose blends that were just too heavy on the rose. I love roses…I love the way they look and smell; I have just never found a rose tea blend that I love. Well friends, that just changed!

I have to admit, I was skeptical. When I opened my little sachet, I could very distinctly smell roses. Again, I love the smell of roses and that aroma is coming through as my cup is steeping.

I take my first sip with an open mind and I am beside myself! It’s not just delicious…it’s astonishing (well, it is for me since I wasn’t expecting to love it). It’s bright, it’s cheery, it’s smooth, and like I said…it’s just luscious.

The rose aroma and flavor is very noticeable but the lemon peel and lemongrass “cuts” it just enough so that the rose is not overpowering. It’s a simple but bold blend of rose and citrus. I sweetened my cup with a little agave. I’m finding that I get better flavor notes on herbals by adding a tiny bit of sweetness.

I wasn’t looking for a favorite floral, but I definitely found one. Lucky for me, I have extras; this one will be next up to try iced and I can’t wait!

 


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Leaf Type:  Herbal

Where to Buy: Taylors of Harrogate

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

English Breakfast from Taylors of Harrogate. . .

I needed a basic black tea for breakfast one morning – nothing fancy, just something to wash down an everything bagel with whipped cream cheese and chives. Now I’ve gone and made myself hungry!

I grabbed a tea bag of this that I had been given, and not without some misgivings. I just don’t do bags most of the time and I don’t add milk and sugar to my tea, and sometimes the bagged stuff is pretty rough and needs to be tamed. But I wanted to be quick so I could join my daughter for breakfast and hers was already ready. I threw the bag in my Kamjove steeper and hoped for the best.

As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. I steeped it using 205F water to be safe and kept the time short at just under three minutes.

It was a decent cup of tea. I don’t plan to go out and stock up, and it isn’t earth shattering or life changing. What it was, was a decent enough cup of tea that went well with my food, didn’t give me a stomach ache, and didn’t pucker up my mouth and dry me out. It was only lightly brisk and maybe slightly malty.

Overall, it was a decent cup that I wouldn’t pass up if it was offered at a restaurant or hotel. The bagel was definitely star of the show at breakfast, and that’s how I wanted it.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Taylors of Harrogate

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Green Tea With Jasmine from Taylors of Harrogate. . . .

My daughter has recently gone mad for Taylor’s of Harrogate Green Tea with Jasmine. When an opportunity came up to review it, how could I pass it up? I don’t do many tea bag teas, but I love jasmine and I want to see what all the fuss is about.

These bags are individually wrapped – a MUST for freshness, in my opinion – and when I turned the wrapper over to tear it, I saw prominently printed on the back, “We are a member of Ethical Tea Partnership.” Okay, points from the start!

The instructions say that for a perfect cup I should boil fresh water and let cool for one minute, then infuse for one to two minutes. Since I have a variable temp kettle, I heated the water to 175F and infused for two minutes because I am a brave soul.

Steeped in my biggest, fanciest mug, I am not disappointed. I am being treated to an event of spa-like proportions. This is not green tea scented with artificial jasmine flavor, but rather green tea leaves that have been mixed with jasmine flowers and left to infuse with the flavor overnight.

I understand why my daughter loves this one and buys it in bulk now. It is easy to make at work, eco-friendly packaging, and it is a really decent cup of tea. It has just enough of the green tea flavor to make it a nice pairing with lunch, and enough sweetness and smoothness to make it very drinkable on its own. It lacks the sour taste that so many bagged jasmine greens have. This is a great choice for easy to make, easy to drink tea. No sweeteners needed, and doesn’t need milk to soften any astringency.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green
Where to Buy: Taylors of Harrogate

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Lemon & Orange from Taylors of Harrogate. . . .

If you’re ever frustrated by teas that don’t taste like the thing they’re supposed to, turn to this tea. It’s “Lemon & Orange” and it is, true to form, Lemon. And. Orange. It streaks through your mouth like a Tazmanian devil of citrus.

Which is JUST the thing I needed this morning. It’s Monday AND it’s raining. I’m listening to a very fun playlist called “Sexy This Second” curated by Victoria’s Secret on Apple Music. It’s pumpin’, but it’s not ENOUGH. So I turned on my full-spectrum bulb. (It simulates sunlight.) Nah. Time to turn to tea.

I said to myself “what tea is basically a Pikachu here?” because I make my decisions like an adult. This one waved its metaphorical hand at me. Okay

Plus, it came in a bag. I don’t know about you, but there are days I just want that bag. The ritual of the gravity steeper and the lovely silver scoop makes me feel very special and important. Plus, loose leaf generally has an edge in the taste department. But there are so many PARTS. And then I have to CLEAN IT. The whole thing makes me want to flail myself onto the floor sometimes — especially on a rainy Monday.

So if you want to get down with a Tazmanian devil (older generation) or an electric-type Pokémon (younger generation), throw this one in the mug. Then throw the bag out. Boom. Easy-peasy, LEMON SQUEEZY. (See what I did there?)


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy:  Taylors of Harrogate
Description

Ancient Chinese blend with essences of fruits and flowers. Combination of black tea with the sweet, tangy flavor of citrus fruits. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 3-5 minutes. Serve on its own or with sugar or honey. This product is used by many restaurants for serving tea. This is a great foodservice product because of the large pack size. Chefs love this product because foil sachets keep the product clean and fresh. This professional product is used by many restaurants and chefs. This package is also convenient for the office.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Assam Tea from Taylors of Harrogate and the Brands of Britain. . . .

I’m a little groggy from a night of nightmares in which my husband WOULDN’T STOP TALKING DURING TV. Not just any program: a reboot of my favorite childhood TV show (Space Cases). I kept whining “YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEEEEEEEEEEEEANS TO ME. STAAAAHHHHP.”

I need to stop drinking.

So here I sit, hoping that this assam tea will wake me up.

The bag says it’s “strong and malty black tea,” but what I’m mostly picking up here is an English Breakfast kind of flavor. It’s a little bit astringent and raisin-y. It’s pretty good tea, in an English Breakfast tea. As an Assam, it’s not fillin’ the bill.

Am I being pranked?

I feel like Ashton Kutcher is going to pop up and say “YOU’VE BEEN PUNKED! THIS IS ACTUALLY ENGLISH BREAKFAST THAT WE PUT IN AN ASSAM BAG! PUUUUUUUUUUUNKED!”

Oh, Ashton. You SCAMP.

I was thinking about Ashton Kutcher/Steve Jobs this morning, actually. (I can’t quite remember what Steve Jobs looked like, so Ashton tends to fill it in.)

Bagged tea is the iPhone.

Follow me on this.

Did you know that there was a time when I had a flip cell phone AND an iPod? I had to carry them both around in college. It was a hellish and inconvenient time.

Bagged tea is the one-step solution to tea. It’s CONVENIENT. Like checking movie times literally anywhere. Or listening to music and having it gracefully fade down when someone calls. Or looking in the face of someone on the other end of the country.

Loose leaf tends to have flavor on its side, but there are times when I can’t bear to portion it out, fill the steeper, wait, push the button, clean the steeper, etc.

If getting tea-punk’d every once in a while is the price I have to pay for ease on mornings like today, I’ll pay it. Just like my outrageous phone bill.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Brands of Britian
Description
Assam in north-eastern India grows exceptional tea in the lush soil of the Brahmaputra valley  and we pick ours at the peak of the season from some of the region’s finest estates during the second flush harvest. It’s rich, strong and full-bodied with malty notes.
Strong & Malty
This product is made with 100% tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org
Ethical tea foundation
Ingredients: Black tea (100%)

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!