Tea Forte
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I finally got around to my last tea forte sample!
You know what, I’m glad I saved this one for last. While I didn’t get a lot of apricot taste, it did have a sort of fleshy texture. That sounds not right, but when I say flesh I do mean apricot flesh haha.
The amaretto flavour and smell was overwhelming and quite sweet, and although this isn’t my favorite tea in the world and I probably won’t purchase it, I think it was one of my faves from the line.
Last in my Tea Forte sampler.
Oh. My.
I will preface this by saying I love ginger. I eat ginger laced foods. I buy the super potent ginger beer where you see a layer of ginger debris on the bottom of the bottle. I love ginger so much that I’ll just suck on a piece of it while cooking. This tea is delicious.
I’ll keep it short, because I basically drooled all over my blog post… I went into this tea pretty grumpy. It was late but I really wanted to do the sampler teas five nights in a row (in my blog anyway, I keep forgetting to rate here). I saw that it had received pretty low scores and thought, well, it’ll probably be a one and done. I steeped this all night. Then I put it in the fridge and steeped it the next day.
The ginger is strong with this one. It’s sharp, warming, and vibrant. The lemon/lime combo supports it nicely and doesn’t get in the way. Makes it somewhat more refreshing. The honeybush is there and balances it out with a slight sweetness. I’m not sure where the kiwi was. It didn’t show up until the next day. In fact, the next day everything was much more balanced in flavor and all flavors were present and accounted for. I would wager that many of the folks who didn’t like this tea on the first or second steep would probably have liked it on my last steeps.
This tea had a wild, firey ginger orgy in my mouth. We partied all night long. Our good times ended the following afternoon, where we ended our craziness on a more peaceful, soothing tropical note. Good times.
Full OMGSPAZZ Review: http://www.tea-tank.com/?p=159
Preparation
Fourth in the tea sampler. I can see why some wouldn’t like it. It’s not very tea-ish. However… I think it’s pretty cherry cosmo-ish. I don’t get the alcohol part of the cosmo, but the cherry flavoring is pretty on. The cherry is definitely present throughout the brewing and tasting and the hibiscus adds a bit of tartness. It’s like a sour cherry candy. Like life savers. Or sprees. Or skittles. A little too tart for starbursts. It’s like, if one were to mate a cherry starburst and a lemon head, and then juice their children and serve it hot, you would get this tea.
I like it.
Full Review: http://www.tea-tank.com/?p=147
Preparation
Based on two experiences: my wife’s and my own
Experience buying from Tea Forte: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Given free samples after responding to Steepster invitation. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.
Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within a month or so of receiving.
Packaging: Creative: a grayish somewhat transparent plastic bag with five smaller “Single Steeps” packs attached to a colorful paper backing describing each tea. The tiny tea foil packs themselves are the most colorful and most professional-looking tea packages I have ever seen.
Dry Leaf: Strong, rich smell, definitely has a berry scent to it. Very colorful looking tea (blue, light and dark red bits).
Brewing guidelines: (package states 12 oz. I used closer to 16 oz.) Two steepings: 1st: boiling, 3mins. 2nd: boiling, 5 mins. (the next day). Small amount of Stevia added. Basket strainer inside ceramic 16 oz. cup.
Aroma: smelled like berries.
Color of liquor: 1st steeping: Beautiful, deep purple-red color, just the way I would imagine a glass of red wine would look! 2nd steeping: not quite as colorful.
Wet leaf: smelled somewhat like candied berries.
Flavor: 1st steeping: Strong berry taste. My wife really liked it, but I felt it was a little too tart, and had some off flavor, almost like it was stale. 2nd steeping: about the same as the first, but not as strong, and the tartness and staleness was muted.
Value: Free sample, but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.
Overall: Overall, it is a fun tea to experience, but the flavor was not very well balanced for my tastes. I enjoyed drinking it once, and I would drink it if someone offered it to me, but I don’t think I would buy it.
Preparation
One singe steep packet prepared cold brewed for 20 hours, in 12 oz. of water.
The smell of the dried leaf reminded me of a cherry soda, really. It smelled carbonated. But there wasn’t anything medicinal or alcoholic (yay!) so I was cautiously optimistic as I left it to steep in the fridge.
Once steeped the scent of the liquor was much the same – fizzy cherry-ish. The color of the tea was pretty much dead on for cranberry juice or cherry juice – it was that vibrant and red – so pretty!
Unsweetened this is mouth-puckeringly (and undrinkable, to me) TART. The hibiscus and cherry are no doubt to blame for this – in fact, it tastes like cherry juice that has had all of its sweetness extracted. It is very drying on the tongue and needs a bunch of simple syrup to be palatable, but once it is, it is tasty. More like juice than tea, but tasty.
Preparation
This is the first that I’ve tried from Tea Forte’s skin smart line. It is sweet and pleasantly tart, with a lovely cherry/berry taste. The almond tastes sweet and nutty.
Overall a very tasty cup of tea. I love that I can taste the green tea. It tastes fresh and crisp. The rooibos isn’t a strong flavor, but lends some nutty tones to the almond flavor.
Cherry Almond teas that I’ve tried in the past have been black teas, I like that this one is a green tea. Tasty!
This was another of the samples generously sent to me by Tea Forte. Tried this cold brewed overnight for around 20 hours – used the entire sample in 12 oz of water, as directed.
What I have noticed with these samples is that the smell of the dry leaf right out of the bag seems indicative of whether I’ll like the tea once steeped. Mojito marmalade=delicious, apricot amaretto and kiwi lime ginger = not. So when I first put this in water to steep and liked the scent I had high hopes.
Once steeped, the tea (okay, well it is a tisane, I guess) actually smells more like a juice than anything else. A blueberry/cranberry juice. It also looks like a juice – a dark reddish purple color, which I expected from the blueberry and hibiscus. It smells really really good and fruity. And the taste?
Well, the taste is tart, as you’d expect blueberry and hibiscus to be. Yet also sweet, from the fruit as well. And then in the background there is some sage to add another layer at the end of the sip. On their site TeaForte states that this tea won an award at the tea championships, and I can definitely see why. It seems that so far with their blends I have a love or hate reaction – but when their blends are good – they are REALLY good. I’m glad I got to try this at the tail-end of summer – it’s the perfect time of year to have it, and something I’ll want around me when the weather gets super hot again!
Preparation
Well, this whole experience started out quite nice – I really enjoyed the smell of the dry tea – fruity with an intriguing hint of booze (vodka?) to it. Too bad that all got drowned out by the hibiscus. I suppose I’m biased but I can’t bring myself to enjoy a tea this sour, particularly since none of the flavours of the other ingredients in the tisane manage to rise to conteract it. I think there wouldn’t be a whole lot of difference tastewise between drinking this and drink straight hisbscus.
Ah well, at least it’s good for me (supposedly).
Preparation
Backlogging..
SO I wasn’t a fan of this one. I didn’t want to write the review really, haha, so I’ll keep it short and sweet! Again, a huge thanks to Tea Forte for the extremely generous samples.
For me, being a ginger, I love ginger. It’s in my blood :D Anyways, I do love ginger. The ginger in this wasn’t enough for me, it didn’t tingle really and I could hardly taste it – although I knew it was there. I liked the dry smell, very limey and fruity, but it was almost too “thick” for me, even after a short steep. Maybe if it was a bit more tart it would have ‘fit’ better, I’m no expert though haha!
Not tasty pour moi, and I only have one tea forte sample left! Wish me luck :)
My third in the TF sampler. A few months ago, I had mojitos in Boracay. That’s the best. There can only be one. Happy Hour from 2-8pm. 2 for 1 special. Lounge chair on the beach, 20ft from the water. Calamansi limes. Boracay sunset. Mmm…
…so I wasn’t expecting much from a marmalade mojito tea. Out of the packet it smelled like orange toothpaste. Kinda sweet in an artificial way. Kinda weak minty, like flavored toothpastes. It tastes the same as it smells. Spearmint dominates but the sweet orange comes through and mellows it out, with rooibos and honeybush adding more sweetness. It still reminds me of toothpaste. Or maybe the jelly filling in those orange-mint chocolates that I see around Christmas time. It’s good, but not mojito good – by any mojito standard, not just Boracay mojitos.
Most mojitos I’ve had use lemon, lime, and mint (which type of mint depends on the place). The flavors create kind of a sharp punch. Tart, minty, refreshing. The sweet orange in this tea mellows out the flavor combo and the spearmint is a weak, sweeter mint to begin with. Overall, it’s a sweet, pleasant dessert tea. A mojito, it is not.
Preparation
Wow… the tasting notes for this one are all over the place. I am glad to see some really positive ones though, because I really like this one. Perhaps my favorite Tea Forte tisane yet? Perhaps.
I love the orange in this “mojito” rather than the usual lime. It is pleasantly sweet, and it does taste a bit like marmalade. The mint doesn’t overpower the whole cup.
It would seem that Tea Forte really hit this one out of the park (at least I think so!)
My second from the Herbal Retreat sampler. Out of the packet it smells great, like blueberry muffins. It tastes like blueberry syrup though. Hot blueberry syrup with tartness from the hibiscus. Sage is somewhere in the background. Seems like it would be great iced. I’m not really a huge fan of this kind of tartness in a warm drink. It’s almost like a blueberry lemonade. Lemonade always seems better cold to me. Could definitely see it being delicious and refreshing on a hot day.
Preparation
The first I tried from the sampler. It actually does smell and taste a bit like amaretto. Not exactly amaretto but reminiscent. Props for that. The apricot/peach flavors are like candied or dried apricot/peaches. Sweet, tasty, pleasant. I enjoyed it. It tasted best at a certain point between hot and warm, before it started approaching cool. I couldn’t really taste all of the flavors until it got to that perfect warm point. I also had to hunt for the flavors a little bit. It wasn’t bad, just wasn’t impressive. If I could put the tea on some kind of flavor steroids that would just enhance and boost the existing flavors, I’d like it more. It’s like, if you had a hot peach amaretto cocktail and watered down all the flavors you would get this tea. Pleasant enough to drink if it’s around, but not something I’d see myself going out to buy.
Preparation
Berry tea! I have several Raspberry Nectar tea infusers which came in the Dolce Vita Ribbon Box. I have been avoiding them for a whole year because I anticipate that the tea will be deep red in colour and taste very tart – cos there’s hibiscus on the list of ingredients! Today I finally give it a try and I have been proved to be right! :( I guess the rather extreme tartness is due to hibiscus + extra citric acid (god knows why they added citric acid?). I am so not going to buy any tea with hibiscus again…
Preparation
Backlogging… Apricot Amaretto is my last blend from Tea Forte’s Herbal Retreat sampler packet to review. I’ve said it before, but I’m a huge foodie and I applaud Tea Forte for going the cocktail route with their tea blends. I really dig the concept.
Unfortunately, I didn’t much dig Apricot Amaretto. I like amaretto in general. In fact, my drink of choice in college was an amaretto sour served in a red plastic cup. Classy! I also really enjoy all things apricot, so theoretically this tea should be the perfect fit for me. Nope. The almond flavor tastes off to me, and that “off” flavor quashes any lovey apricot flavor that may be lurking in the blend. Its just not the right tea for me.
I wouldn’t buy this tea, but I am looking forward to trying some of Tea Forte’s other blends that sound pretty fantastic. I’ve seen some very highly rated dessert blends from this company that really intrigue me. We shall meet again under better circumstances Tea Forte!
That was the same conclusion I came to. I wouldn’t buy the teas in the sampler particularly, but I’m much more willing to buy from tea forte now.
Exactly! TeaEqualsBliss has reviewed some Tea Forte flavors that intrigue me. In my opinion, incredibly brave and generous for a tea company to send out as many samples as Tea Forte did.
I agree! My local Chapters is stocked with Tea Forte products and I’m definitely going to try some different flavours, if not get these ones again. No free sample is a bad free sample in that sense n_-
Backlogging… I’ve been avoiding reviewing my last two Tea Forte samples. I don’t relish slamming anyone’s tea. I sincerely adore tea, and I’m a firm believer in there being a place for every tea and tisane. Enough stalling… let’s do this.
I’m not going to draw this out. I didn’t care for this one at all. The aroma of Kiwi Lime Ginger dry was promising, but at first sip I knew that I wouldn’t be finishing the cup. I don’t taste any lime in the brew and the ginger is far too strong for my taste.
I’m so very grateful for the samples that Tea Forte sent out, and it pains me that I didn’t care for this blend at all. Oh well, to each his own. I’m sure that someone out there loves this one.
I’m with Jenn on this one. Dry, I could not wait to try it. I made a pot and chilled it overnight. This morning, all I taste is sage with a hint of hibiscus. Bully is a good word for it. Maybe if I add a bit of sweetener…
Thank you so much for sending out the free samples, Tea Forte and for including Canada! Your generosity alone has made want to support your company…just not these teas. Oh well! I’m sure I can find something that catches my eye. ;)
Edit: The sweetener helped, and now I’m getting big juicy blueberry with a background of sage. Bumping this up a bit. Still too much sage for me, though.
Preparation
Based on two experiences: my wife’s and my own
Experience buying from Tea Forte: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Given free samples after responding to Steepster invitation. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.
Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.
Packaging: Creative: a grayish somewhat transparent plastic bag with five smaller “Single Steeps” packs attached to a colorful paper backing describing each tea. The tiny tea foil packs themselves are the most colorful and most professional-looking tea packages I have ever seen.
Dry Leaf: Strong, fresh smell (a little like amaretto to me).
Brewing guidelines: (package states 12 oz. I used closer to 16 oz.) Two steepings: 1st: boiling, 3mins. 2nd: boiling, 5 mins. (about 20-30 minutes later). Small amount of Stevia added. Basket strainer inside ceramic 16 oz. cup.
Aroma: smelled a little like canned cherries.
Color of liquor: 1st: Beautiful, deep red color. 2nd: a little darker.
Wet leaf: smelled a little like cherries.
Flavor: 1st steeping: OK. A little too strong on the cherry flavor? 2nd: Not as tasty as 1st, has a kind of ‘off’ flavor to it, almost stale, and even a little — I’m sure how to describe it, but I believe the correct word here is — tart, since I am experiencing some dryness in my mouth.
Value: Free sample, but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.
Overall: Awesome start, disappointing finish. I love everything about the tea but the taste: as to that we both felt it fell short. I didn’t feel a need to finish the first steeping, let alone the second (my wife didn’t even want to try it). Unfortunately, we would not buy this tea. :(
Preparation
I felt the same about this tea, unfortunately. The only tea I liked out of the sampler was the Mojito Marmalade, which I would purchase.
On another note, I really enjoy your bio. I’ve started practicing yoga and tea drinking for a lot of the same reason. Helps me stay focused yet calms my anxious, anxiety prone mind.
Thank you for your comment.
We still have the Merlot and the Ginger to try (we also liked the Marmalade best so far).
I’m glad you enjoyed my bio. It’s good to hear others are practicing yoga. I practice it at least three times a day, for about 1.5 hrs a day, and have been doing it daily for over six years. It has done wonders for me. It’s an integral part of my daily life, and happiness. I have a few book/video/DVD recommendations; if you are interested, let me know.
Tea Forte’s Mojito Marmalade from their Herbal Retreat sampler pack was my morning cup of tea.
It is described as a tropical oasis of lush citrus wit refreshing notes of spearmint and the natural sweetness of high mountain grown South African rooibos.
In my cup there was a lush citrus flavoring with lingering note of orange bits. This was most enjoyable to the palate. I finished the last bit of this tea with a simple bag of green tea added in the cup with more hot water, making for a fruity green drink of sort. The like of Orange green tea if there is such a thing.