Adagio Teas Kai Hua Crescendo
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: jade green, needle-like Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 2 minutes Water Temperature: 180 degrees Preparation Method: Teavana Perfect Tea Maker Liquor: deep gold +Adagio Teas is well known for their fandom blends but every once in a while, they offer a straight tea that really makes me sit up and take notice. I ordered a sample pack this tea because it was a rare case of something that I haven’t tried before. Most tea lovers are familiar with Long Jing (aka Dragonwell) but not many are familiar with Long Ding (aka Dragon Peak). The aroma while brewing was intoxicating. I kept sticking my nose into the tea maker,…
Celestial Seasonings Berry ENERJI Green Tea Energy Shot
Country of Origin: not given Ingredients: Purified Water, Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Mixed Berry Flavor With Other Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Green Tea, Green Tea Extract (With Natural Caffeine From Green Tea), Natural Sweetener (Stevia Extract), Niacin (Niacinamide), Ginseng, B-Vitamin Blend (Vitamins B6 {Pyridoxine Hydrochloride}, B5 {Calcium Pantothenate}, B12 {Cyanocobalamine}) and Inositol Preparation Method: bottled Liquor: light brown This is part of the brand new range of green tea energy shots from Celestial Seasonings. I am a huge fan of their Kombucha shots so I was really excited to give these a try. It was fruity and sweet but not overly so. It actually reminded me much more of apples than berries. This shot…
David’s Tea Pumpkin Chai
Country of Origin: not listed Leaf Appearance: dark, lots of fruit pieces Ingredients: black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel bits, pumpkin candies, natural and artificial flavouring Steep time: 6 minutes Water Temperature: 205 degrees Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker Liquor: reddish brown You know that fall is here when I start breaking out the chai tea. I was really excited to try this blend because pumpkin is one of my favorite seasonal flavors. The smell of the loose tea was intoxicating, like Thanksgiving dinner in a bag. It was earthy and spicy but not overdone. The squash and carrots are not something that I’ve ever seen in a tea…
Peony Tea Shop Phoenix Dan Cong – Honey Orchid Fragrance
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: dark, long and twisted Ingredients: oolong tea Steep time: 30 seconds Water Temperature: 185 degrees Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan Liquor: pale amber This tea was an interesting contrast with the Heavenly Fragrance Dan Cong from this company that I reviewed previously. It started off very delicate and wasn’t nearly as aromatic. At first I found that a little disappointing. Following Peony Tea Shop’s brewing instructions, I increased the steep time by 10 seconds with each infusion. I was happy to find that notes of honey and apricot began to emerge along with a floral sweetness in the finish. It had a rather thick mouth-feel but was not very astringent. There…
iHeartTeas I Dream of Milk & Coconut
Country of Origin: Taiwan Leaf Appearance: dark, green and tightly rolled Ingredients: milk oolong, coconut flakes Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 195 degrees Preparation Method: glass teapot with glass strainer Liquor: deep gold The smell of the dry leaves of this tea was absolutely intoxicating. It reminded me of coconut creme pie. The coconut flakes had a unique, string-like appearance. I’m happy to report that this tea was just as delicious as the name suggests. It was creamy and sweet with a very nice vegetal aftertaste. The coconut was present but not overdone. I loved that the milk oolong was the star of the show. The coconut flavor started to fade after the first…
Mountain Rose Herbs Vanilla Rooibos
Country of Origin: South Africa Leaf Appearance: small, brown and needle-like Ingredients: rooibos, vanilla beans, vanilla flavor Steep time: 5 minutes Water Temperature: 212 degrees Preparation Method: ceramic cup and mesh strainer Liquor: deep reddish brown I’m in love! The rooibos blend was very well balanced and natural tasting. It was woodsy with a mellow creaminess. The vanilla lingered long into the sweet aftertaste. I had a cup before bed and it was the perfect tea to wind down after a long day. Rooibos plays well off of vanilla but it can be easily overpowered. I’m glad that did not happen here. In looking at the reviews on Steepster, I thought it was…
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