Kristin

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I ordered a really large bag of this because SpecialTeas didn’t have a sample size and when I opened the bag and smelled it I was worried that I wasn’t going to like it. It smells very lemony to me before brewing. I can also smell some anise in the pre-brewed mixed but it didn’t smell spicy or gingery like I expected. The look of the tea is very entertaining as it has large pieces of cinnamon stick and dried ginger. It looks like someone ground up a stick.

Once brewed, I love it. The smell is complex and I can start to really smell the coriander and ginger. I was still worried at this point because the smell is very different from what I expected. I added a little agave nectar to it and then tasted it. It tastes like candied ginger with asian flavors and has a nice roundness. The spices hit you gently in the back of the throat. It definitely lives up to its description as exotic. The more I drank, the more I wanted. When the cup was empty I was very sad. When I was done with this tea, it left me with a nice warm feeling in my chest for a long time. I think this tea would also be great if you have a cold.

The licorice flavors in this are very background (in case you are a licorice hater like me; although i do like star anise, fyi).

Brewed 2 tsp to 11 oz for 10 minutes.

Today I used 1.5 tsp and steeped for 7 minutes. I definitely liked it more yesterday when I steeped it longer and used a little more tea. The strawberry flavors really start to come out when it gets more syrupy.

I’m not great at reviewing plain black teas. To me they are either good or not good. I taste them and think, “yep, tastes like black tea”. So, take this for what it’s worth. This tea falls into the good category. It is smooth and not bitter at all. Tastes malty with some floral notes in the background. I am detecting a slight sourness in the aftertaste.

This tea is so yummy! When I was a kid, little wild strawberries grew all over my grandmothers property in the mountains of North Carolina. We’d go out and pick them by the bucketload and then my grandmother would make strawberry cobbler with drop biscuit dumplings. That is exactly what this tea tastes like. It’s like biting into warm cooked strawberries that are sweet and slightly tart. I only have a sample of this and I’m sure it will be gone in no time but it will definitely be on my reorder list. I have to say that I am normally disappointed in fruit herbals, but this one is great.

I added a touch of agave nectar to this before I even tasted it. It probably doesn’t need it.

Steeped 10 min as suggested on package. Used 2 tsp for about 11 oz.

Update – as it is cooling, I am starting to pick up some floral notes, but they are definitely background flavors.

Update – had to lower my rating as the whole bag that I got after this sample does not taste the same. The whole bag is much more floral.

I don’t normally like Rooibos but I like this one. Usually when I get a flavored Rooibos, I can only taste the Rooibos. With this tea I definitely taste some sweetness and a hint of almond. The Rooibos flavor is not overpowering. I am not sure if I brewed it strong enough. I used 1.5 heaping tsp for about 10 oz and steeped for about 5 min. The water wasn’t quite boiling since I just got hot water from the Keurig which is about 190 F.

I am trying to learn to like Rooibos since it offers a great caffeine-free tea option.

Still smells funny and I am still drinking it. Not sure why I am still drinking it. Perhaps it is because of the lack of other options in my tea drawer at the moment. On a really nit-picky note, the string on the tea bag is too short and I have a hard time keeping the paper tab from falling into the cup while water is being poured into the cup.

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I’ve had a love of Amaretto/Almond flavored black teas for as long as I can remember. It’s so hard to find a good one though. This TeaGschwender tea is really really good. The almond flavor is not overpowering, but is more of a background flavor enhancing the black tea. The black tea tastes like a ceylon. It can get a little bitter if you over brew it.

Ok, this will probably be the weirdest tea note I’ve made but here goes…

I REALLY like the taste of this tea. It is raspberry, apple, and something more herbal which I’d assume is the hibiscus. The berry flavors don’t get too strong or syrupy like they often do in berry herbals. The color is amazing: dark violet. But, I don’t really like the smell of it at all. This is going to sound strange but the smell has something in addition to the raspberry that I can only describe as a light mix of mustiness, chamomile, and vomit. Luckily that smell is not overwhelming. The smell gets much better after I add agave nectar to the tea. Despite the smell, I keep drinking it so I guess that says something. I’m on my 3rd cup.

It’ll be interesting to see if I keep drinking this after I get my tea order next week which contains some other berry herbal teas. I really have some mixed feelings about this one.

Steeped 2 minutes at 190 F.

I’ve had this tea for a while and I have finally gotten around to trying it. I hadn’t tried it before because every time I opened the tin it smelled so grassy. But it brews up into a very nice, light, and floral tea with only mild grassiness in the background. It has a beautiful golden color. I added some agave nectar to it since I like my tea sweet.

Brewing info: rinsed tea leaves in hot water for about 5-10 seconds then brewed with hot water (~190 F) for 3 1/2 minutes.

Update: I did NOT like this on the second brew. Brewed again for 3 1/2 minutes and the cup was very grassy. So, I recommend only one brewing of this if you want to avoid the grass flavor.

I know most people don’t seem to like this tea, but I love it. It is a great afternoon herbal tea. It smells and tastes like a vanilla wafer. Brew it for a long time (5-6 minutes) and then give it a good stir before removing the tea bag. Add minimal sugar or a tiny dash of agave nectar. I’m going to be sad when this one runs out. I am on my second box of it and I had to order it off the internet.

You have to like Jasmine tea to like this one. It’s a nice oolong with a mild Jasmine scent. The smell before brewed is much stronger and I always have to convince myself to brew this one, but once I do, I’m not disappointed.

I love this tea. It’s one I always go back to time and time again. It tastes like red hot candies.