Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious Teas
Tea Description:
Black tea, huckleberry and blackberry leaves.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I may be wrong here, but I do believe that this is the first Huckleberry flavored tea that I’ve tried. I guess that’s because the humble huckleberry isn’t as popular as its cousin the blueberry … but it sure is tasty!
The black tea is pretty mild here, I suspect it is a Ceylon base. But, that’s OK, because the mellow flavor of the black tea allows for a strong berry flavor to shine through. The huckleberry flavor is a little tart and a little sweet … just slightly sweeter than a blueberry, but with that distinct berry tart note that delicately tickles the tongue in the finish.
Overall, this is a very tasty black tea. It tastes good hot, but I prefer it iced. A pinch of sugar enhances the berry flavors. This is the kind of tea that you’ll want to brew big pitchers of for your next picnic or BBQ with friends and family – everyone will love it.
African Summer from Tea Licious
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Tisane Description:
Honeybush, lemon grass, lemon myrtle, rosehips, eucalyptus, hibiscus, safflowers, marigold and orange.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Summer is almost here! Alas, summer is not my favorite time of year – I prefer autumn and winter … why? Because hot tea is so much better when it’s chilly outside! Yes, it’s all about the tea! However, I am certainly enjoying this African Summer tisane from Tea Licious!
The first thing I notice is the zesty flavor of lemongrass and lemon myrtle which gives it a delicious lemon taste without the pucker-y tartness. Then there is a tangy orange note that melds nicely with the lemony herbs. But even with the zesty and tangy flavors, the overall cup is pleasantly smooth, which has a lot to do with the honeybush, which gives it a sweet and nutty taste.
I was a little worried at first that it might be hibiscus-y, but really, the hibiscus only seems to contribute a little to the color of the cup while adding very little tartness or its syrupy texture to it. That being said, I do recommend exercising some caution when steeping this tea, as hibiscus can quickly overpower a cup when left to steep too long. I steeped my cup for six full minutes, and it turned out just perfect!
There is a soft mouthfeel to the cup, which I think is because of the hibiscus. This tells me that there is just the right amount of hibiscus in it … not too much, but enough so that the flavor and texture is not too thin. Kudos to Tea Licious for doing hibiscus the right way!
This is a very pleasant cup of tea, one that is tasty hot, and very refreshing served over ice! This is one that you can serve to kids as well as adults, because it is naturally caffeine free, and it has a pleasing flavor that everyone will love.
Shangrila from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Tea Description:
Green Mao Feng, safflowers, marigold, passion fruit and peach.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is so yummy!
When I first saw the leaves in the package, I thought that this might be a white tea, as the leaves look soft and fluffy like a silver needle tea. And the flavor is light and crisp … but not quite as delicate as a white tea. This definitely has that vegetative taste that one experiences from green tea.
And that is a good thing, in my opinion, because I love how the vegetal notes marry with the flavors of peach and passion fruit. I’m sure that these flavors would have been excellent with a silver needle tea as well, but, I’m loving this just the way it is.
The green tea has adds a freshness and a light sweetness to the cup, accenting the sweetness of the fruit. The passion fruit and peach notes work very well together, and they bring a deliciously juicy flavor to this.
Since it has been so cold lately (we are just starting to get some hints at warm weather … it was actually SUNNY today!), I chose to drink this hot – and it was tasty – but I think it would be even more fabulous iced!
Yet another winner in the impressive collection of teas from Tea Licious!
Gyokuro from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Tea Description:
“Precious Dew” Japan’s pampered child of green tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Do you like green tea? Have you ever tried Gyokuro?
Gyokuro – which translates to “jewel dew” – is the gem in the Japanese green tea crown. It’s so sweet and delicious! It has a vegetative note, but, it is unlike a typical green tea “vegetative” taste. It doesn’t taste grassy, exactly, nor does it taste like vegetables – steamed or otherwise – but, it has hints that lean toward a sweet grassy taste and a vegetable broth without tasting quite like either one.
I know that I’ve probably said this before about another Gyokuro that I’ve tried (or maybe more than one other), but this is one of the nicest Gyokuro teas that I’ve tasted. I say that often, I think, because Gyokuro tea is one of those outstanding teas that taste so remarkable every time you try it, it is almost like nothing you’ve ever tried … even though you’ve tasted Gyokuro before … if that makes sense! (And by “you” … I mean me.)
The flavor is sweet with a lovely fruit note to it that is almost plum-like, but without the tartness of a plum. Instead, this is just juicy and sweet. The texture of the tea is broth-like (thick, smooth and almost even creamy!), which kind of gives it that vegetable broth essence that I mentioned earlier.
I do think it’s important to brew a Gyokuro correctly. The tea leaves are extremely delicate, and they should be brewed at a low temperature. The suggested parameters on the Tea Licious website are 185°F but I think that may be too hot. I prefer to steep Gyokuro at 160°F for just 1 minute and 30 seconds. This produces a clear, light jade colored liquid that is a pure delight to sip.
If you’ve not tried Gyokuro before (or even if you have), I highly recommend trying this one from Tea Licious! I think you might fall in love with it just like I have!
Royal Yunnan from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious LLC
Tea Description:
Malty and sweet tasting black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a pleasant, somewhat mild Yunnan. But don’t let the word “mild” turn you away, this tea still delivers a full-flavored, deliciously malty cup, just in a somewhat mellower way than you might expect from a typical Yunnan.
It has an earthy taste to it that melds beautifully with a wine-like fruit flavor. The sweetness of the cup comes not only from those fruity tones, but also the delicious malty tones that give it an almost caramel-y kind of taste. Nice!
And this does have a peppery taste to it too, but, it is more of an undertone of spice than a foreground flavor. Like a mere hint of spice, teasing the palate as it weaves in and out of the sip. The spice develops a bit as the tea cools, but it never becomes a strong, well-defined flavor.
There is a hint of bitter to this tea too – but not a foul-tasting kind of bitter – this is more like a mild savory note that helps to balance the sweeter flavors of the cup. The astringency here is also quite mild.
So, yes, mild is the word of the day when it comes to this Yunnan, but don’t let that word fool you into thinking it lacks anything, because it does not. It is still such a lovely Yunnan and certainly worth a try. I think this tea would appeal especially to those who often find Yunnan teas to be a bit too bold and aggressive, this one has a smoother, mellower approach that is quite nice.