LiberTEAS

Backlog:

A really good blend that has just the right level of smokiness for me. I don’t generally like a heavy smoky tone … I have come around to enjoying an occasional Lapsang Souchong now and then but I don’t really consider them a favorite, and I find that I prefer it when I find a tea like this one, that utilizes Lapsang Souchong as part of a blend so that the smokiness is subdued.

This is flavorful and satisfying … a nice cup for first thing in the morning. Brightly flavored with nice caramel undertones and that lovely wisp of smoke.

Backlog:

Another amazing blend from 52Teas. That’s one of the reasons why it remains one of my favorite companies … because while there are occasions where there are tea disappointments from 52Teas, more often than not, I’m satisfied with a tea, and there are plenty of times when I’m doing the happy dance over a tea. And I love the uniqueness of it all … you just aren’t going to find teas like 52Teas anywhere else.

The tea base is Shou Mei and it gives off a nice earthy note … not overtly strong (you don’t really expect a white tea to be strong though, do you?) but I like the subtle approach of the Shou Mei. Stronger than a typical Bai Mu Dan … it has the substance it needs to hold up to the strength of the pomegranate and blackberry notes.

The blackberry is sweet and here in the Pacific Northwest, blackberries are growing wild EVERYWHERE. You can pull over to the side of the freeway and there will be blackberry bushes on the sides of the freeway (although I don’t recommend picking these blackberries because they spray them I think.) Anyway … blackberries are a favorite treat around here, but it’s not a flavor you find often in teas. I like the way Frank did blackberry here.

The pomegranate is tart and juicy! Just enough tartness to contrast with the sweetness of the blackberry.

A really wonderful combination of flavors. This one is GREAT iced!

Backlog:

A really interesting take on the classic Earl Grey. Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending it my way!

The black tea is a brisk yet smooth tea with hints of pepper to it. The bergamot is a softer bergamot, and the additional citrus notes seem to soften the bergamot to produce more of a citrus medley than a distinct bergamot taste.

Here’s my full-length review of this one: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/03/05/organic-crazy-earl-black-tea-from-indie-tea/

Backlog:

A really good Oolong. Strongly vegetative in the aroma, but the flavor tends to be a bit more on the mild side than the aroma suggested. It still has a vegetal tone, but, not nearly as strong. I’m really impressed with Driftwood’s quality.

Sweet, buttery but not so much of a creamy buttery note… it’s more of a taste than a texture. This one becomes more floral as I continued to infuse.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/03/04/organic-oolong-17-from-driftwood-tea/

Backlog:

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea. I liked this Black and green tea blend, and I really liked that it supported a chariTEA!

The fruit notes of this blend do not pop out immediately, but, after a few sips, the fruity qualities began to develop. The black tea is the most prominent flavor, and then I notice the green tea mostly in the body texture of the tea rather than the flavor … but there are certain notes in the flavor that are distinctly green too.

Overall, a very pleasant blend. Best when served iced! Here is my full-length review of it: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/03/04/world-bird-sanctuary-tea-blend-from-trail-lodge-tea/

Backlog:

I was sad when I could (recently) no longer find Infussion online. I am almost always sad when a tea company seems to close its doors (whether they be the doors to a brick and mortar or their cyberspace doors) and I really have liked what I’ve tried from Infussion, and I also liked them as a company … really nice!

Anyway … this is a beautiful Matcha – incredibly smooth and sweet. Whisked up brightly jade, and with lots and lots of froth. The matcha doesn’t separate quickly … it stayed well incorporated until I reached the bottom of my bowl.

A really good Matcha – excellent! Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/03/03/ceremonial-grade-organic-matcha-from-infussion/

Backlog:

I really, really liked this breakfast blend from LuLin … in my opinion, it’s a great example of what a breakfast blend should be. Rich, full-flavored, Robust, Bright, Brisk, and a very invigorating tea … what you need to get going in the morning.

Here is my full-length review of this tea: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/03/03/breakfast-blend-no-1-from-lu-lin-teas/

Backlog:

I liked this blend. The aroma of the dry leaf was STRONG cherry notes, almost to the point of smelling medicinal. However, I’m grateful that it didn’t brew up to taste like cherry cough syrup. I like cherry cough syrup just fine when I need it to control a cough, but I’d rather not drink a teacup full of it when what I desire is tea.

Fortunately, this has a really good balance between sweet-tart cherry notes and tea flavors. I tasted the green tea notes as well as a hint of earthiness from the white tea. Jasmine notes are lingering in the distance. Rose creeps in after a few sips. The coconut offers more of a hint of creaminess to the overall cup rather than a profound flavor.

Overall, a really well-conceived blend from Aromatica … thank you to Amoda Tea for including it in the February box for me to try!

Backlog:

A very nice aroma to the brewed cup. Sweet, juicy peaches! It reminded me of the scent of the warm peach sauce that my gramma would make for waffles! YUM!

The spices were not as obvious in the aroma but they’re definitely there in the flavor. But I like that it’s not an overpowering presence in the cup.

Let this tea cool slightly after you’ve brewed it … it takes a few minutes (give it three to five minutes before you start sipping) to get the flavors to pop. A nice, well-defined note of peach, a hint of melon, and a nice set of spices to this cup. Very enjoyable tisane.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/03/02/ginger-sweet-peach-herbal-tisane-from-tiesta-tea/

Backlog:

This chai makes a darned tasty latte! I like that it’s spicy even after I’ve added the milk, and the milk doesn’t drown out the spices.

A flavorful black tea base, and while the canister that I have of this tea doesn’t elaborate on the black tea base, I see that the description here states that it’s an Assam tea, and I suspected as much, given robust, malty character. A really good way to start off a chai, in my opinion! I find that I’m often disappointed with chai blends that use Ceylon rather than Assam … the bolder flavor of Assam really brings a chai to the next level for me.

It is a peppery blend with a hint of licorice, and a hint of nutty flavor from the nutmeg. The cardamom and cloves add a nice dimension to the cup.

A really enjoyable chai!

Backlog:

I love the aroma to this tea – it is sweet and slightly woodsy, and it reminded me of my home … here in the Pacific Northwest, after a rain.

A delightful tea with a profound fruity note, honey-esque tones, also notes of wood and flower. Very nice.

Here is my full-length review of it: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/03/01/taiwan-oolong-black-tea-from-nuvola-tea/

Backlog:

OK, I REALLY liked this blend a whole lot. It packs a punch of spice, so if you’re a spice wimp, this tea is not for you. You’ve got to be able to handle your chili pepper because this one is an assault on your sinuses.

But I like it. It burns so good. And what I do like is that even though it is hot it isn’t so hot that I feel like I need to run to the kitchen to extinguish the fire with a bite of ice cream, you know?

The vegetative notes are sweet, but slightly overwhelmed by the strong flavors of cinnamon and cayenne pepper … I still taste the dragon well tea, but, it’s not as dominate as I usually like a tea to be in a tea blend. However, I find it hard to complain about anything with this tea, because I enjoyed it so much. I like the touch of Lapsang in here too – it’s an identifiable taste but not an overpowering one. A really good tea!

Backlog:

A really enjoyable flavored green tea from Tea Licious. It’s primarily Pineapple and Coconut, and not so much the rum notes that you would experience from a cocktail … then again, I’m not much of a alcohol drinker (as in, it is a VERY rare occasion when I imbibe alcohol. Maybe once a year, and then maybe a sip or two. Very, very rarely do I drink more than that.) So, I’m not really missing the rum notes so much, and I like the way the coconut and the pineapple come through here.

The green tea has a lovely sweet, buttery note with hints of vegetation. A really pleasant green tea. Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/28/green-pina-colada-tea-from-tea-licious/

Backlog:

This was originally entered as an “Amoda Tea” and while Amoda did indeed offer it (and continues to sell it, I believe) in their February tasting box, it is a Defthlesen & Balk Tea according to Amoda.

Anyway … I tried this tea a while back … I’m REALLY, REALLY behind on my tasting notes. It’s pretty tasty, but, a little disappointing. Being a chocoholic, I want CHOCOLATE when I’m promised chocolate, and this tea promises chocolate but doesn’t really deliver quite as strongly as I would like it to. There is a gentle rose note to this cup, and a sweet-tart strawberry note, and then there is the rooibos. I wish there was more chocolate and less rooibos taste.

Thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea. It’s a really nice Darjeeling. A really nice first flush. Malty and sweet, not so much of a muscatel note but that’s kind of expected with a first flush. There are some nice fruity notes that border on a ‘grape-like’ taste but it’s not quite that of a muscat grape … more of a sweet taste that falls somewhere in between apple and grape, with notes of a citrus-y briskness.

Nice earthy tones, nutty notes and a hint of spice too. A distinct masculine tea.

Very nice.

Backlog:

I really enjoyed this Floral Focus Oolong. One of the best teas I’ve gotten from Bird’s Eye Tea thus far. The Osmanthus enhances the natural peach-like tones of the Oolong, and highlights the floral notes.

A nice floral tea – sweet, but not too sweet, not perfume-y or soapy … just pleasant to sip. Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/27/floral-focus-oolong-blend-from-birds-eye-tea/

Backlog:

If I remember correctly, I received a bit of this tea from TeaEqualsBliss – thanks! (My apologies if I remembered incorrectly!)

I liked this tea quite a bit. Hint of smokiness, nice chocolate-y tones (although it could use more chocolate!) and the black tea has a nice, rich flavor to it. Creamy, yummy caramel tones … A really enjoyable dessert tea.

I cold-brewed this tea last night and have been drinking it all afternoon. I sort of missed iced tea weather … but, I still prefer the cooler weather when I can comfortably drink hot tea all day!

This is as yummy as I remember it.

Backlog:

I really liked this. I’m a fan of Pomegranate … but I’m not particularly crazy about peeling the pomegranate to loosen the arils … it can be a rather tedious fruit to consume. So, I find I prefer Pomegranate teas. This one is really nice, the pomegranate and raspberry flavor work very well together, providing a tart yet lightly sweet taste that tickles the tongue.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/26/organic-green-pomegranate-tea-from-fashionista-tea/

Backlog:

I really like this blend. I’ve found all of 52Teas Marshmallow blends to be very enjoyable, and I love the combination of marshmallow, peppermint, and black tea … the black tea has just a barely-there chocolate note that keeps me sipping. I found that my palate would be like “did I just taste chocolate” and I’d need to taste it again to make sure I got it right.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/24/white-christmas-black-tea-blend-from-52teas/

Backlog:

A very pleasant Lemon Herbal. I like the overall subdued approach to this tea. The ginger is not overdone, nor are the lemony herbs. A lovely, sweet lemony taste that reminds me vaguely of lemon curd. Not a pucker-y citrus note. The ginger has some peppery notes but again … it’s the softer side of ginger.

Comforting when served hot, and refreshing when served iced!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/24/lemon-aid-herbal-tisane-from-the-rabbit-hole/

Backlog:

One of the nicer Black Lychee blends I’ve come across. A nice flavor, the Lychee didn’t taste chemical-y. Sweet and pleasant to sip.

Backlog:

I had this tea a few days ago. I think I made it a tad too strong, because the flavor was very strong and astringent and concentrated. Like it needed to be diluted.

It was not a bad tea … but, Shanti has many other teas that I prefer over this one. Not bad, not great … and this one is not on Shanti’s website any longer, so either it’s sold out, or they agree with my thoughts on it.

But because I may have made the tea too strong, I’m not going to rate it numerically, as it may have been taster’s error and not the fault of the tea.

Backlog:

when I saw the ingredients to this one, I was like “why?” Why does there need to be hibiscus in an Oolong blend? Why???

Why ruin an Oolong with hibiscus?

This is alright. It would be better without hibiscus. Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/23/peach-oolong-blend-from-rishi-tea/