Blueberry Merlot

This is pretty good. I am looking forward to the second steep to see if the hibiscus plays down a bit. I don’t mind hibiscus as much as a lot of people here do. I kind of like its tart goodness but in this cup I really want the merlot to come out more. The sage makes a nice presence both in aroma AND in taste.
You get sage then blueberry but then the hibiscus comes in and wipes it all out – its just a little too much hibiscus.
Will update once I do my re-steep.

Another random tidbit to carry on my theme of things I only have one cup of!

This smelled delicious as soon as I opened the little packet. It’s fruity, sweet, and herbal all at the same time. The tisane itself is gorgeous to look at. Colorful dried berries, pink rosehips and hibiscus, purple-blue cornflower petals, and pale green sage all mixed together. But of course, I’m a little wary about the hibiscus. That stuff tends to shout over everything else.

It brews up to a pretty, dark magenta. Tart fruit is most present in the aroma, as well as something kinda lime-ish, but you can really smell the sage, too. I love the scent of sage. The flavor is mostly blueberry, and milder than what I had expected from the smell. Then, of course, along comes the hibiscus to smother the other ingredients. The sage is present, thankfully, but not as strong as I had hoped. There’s also this odd flavor that I can’t place. It’s sort of like citrus. I know it’s not the rosehips. Anyway, I’m not liking this too much, though it seemed promising in the beginning.

This smells HEAVENLY. I am a blueberry fan, and this smells like sweet ripe juicy berries…even like cooked bluieberry pie, where all you can smell is sugar and blueberries! If I concentrate deeply I get a hint of what must be the sage, but this is mostly just a blueberry assault on the nose. If it tastes like it smells, this might be one I actually keep on hand.

Steeped, that sage really comes out to play, in the smell at least. There is stil a definite blueberry aroma going on, but that sage is surprisingly bold. Honestly, I’m a little concerned about the sage business, I don’t know that I’ve experienced it in a tea before.

First sips are tart blueberry, with the sage hiding under the taste and a sweeper blueberry flavour on the aftertaste. It’s surprisingly complex over the course of the sip. I really enjoy the aftertaste of juicy blueberries, but wish that the tart aspect up front were diminished. This is definitely enjoyable and one that I think I will keep an eye out for, but wouldn’t make a special order for (mostly because I have “too much tea”). I don’t get any alcohol or medicinal taste in this which is, at this point, a huge relief. Thumbs up!

This tisane smells incredible dry, and it filled my kitchen with the most lovely blueberry pie smell as it steeped. At first sip, I get the blueberry flavor I’m looking for… but then I taste the sage. Sage and rosemary are tricky spices for me. I like them only when used in very specific savory dishes. The sage overpowered my pallet, and then it was as if two sage and hibiscus bullies beat the delicious blueberry flavor right out of this tisane for me. I’m not a hibiscus hater but I do have to admit that the bitter finish was too much even for me.

A big thank you to Tea Forte for this sample. This flavor just wasn’t for me. However, I have high hopes for the three other samples I still have to try.

Ok back to this one since it looks like I can post now, This was pretty good I couldn’t have it cuz of hibiscus but Lance loved it so much I had to make it as iced tea for him. It tastes much better iced, Lance said it is fruity and refreshing and it reminds him of cool aid lol :-)

I had stashed this tisane away to “save it for last” (that is, the last of the five teas in the herbal retreat collection) and it ended up getting misplaced – and I couldn’t find it for quite a while. I’ve been re-organizing my stash, though, and I came across it today, so I decided it was about time to try it.

I really like this. Sure, I would rather it be lighter on the hibiscus (but I say that a lot when it comes to fruit tisanes like this), but, what makes this one so unique is the sage. It gives the cup a savory element that I’m really enjoying. Nice contrast.

First, I’d like to thank Tea Forte for sending me this sample.

I found this tea to be very tart with a taste of blueberry in the background. I can tell why they call this a merlot. Being a wine drinker, I can taste hints of that merlot sort of flavoring. As for accuracy it is what it says it is. However, I do believe adding sweetner to this tea would actually enhance its flavor. I would imagine that the tartness would be deminished and the blueberry flavor stronger. Unfortunately, I usually don’t sweeten my teas and I didn’t make an exception this time either so as is this is not something for me but have high hopes that it can be worked with and as a result be more palatable.

Well, it smells like blueberries and merlot but I’m seeing The dreaded H word….eeeeeek!

I was careful of NOT putting in too much loose leaf in the infuser and I didn’t over infuse! This seems to work nicely…it’s smoother that I anticipated and I’m glad! I’m thinking this will be better iced! It’s not bad hot but think it would be better cold. I can taste the cornflowers more than I thought I would which isn’t good, bad, or indifferent…just something I picked up on.

I liked the smell of this tea, it’s sweet and fruity and reminds me of blueberry pie or cobbler. Sadly the sweetness is mostly confined to the smell and right as I take my first sip I can pick out the tart hibiscus. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as horribly sour as some blends (I’m looking at you Stash’s fruit teas) but it’s still kind of unecessary as blueberry isn’t normally a tart fruit to begin with. There is some actual blueberry flavour there too, thankfully, but I’m not really feeling the sage and mixed with the tartness of the hibiscus it gives the tea a bit of an acrid, unpleasent flavour.

Sorry, this one isn’t a winner.

This is interesting…it’s a bit way too sage tasting. I don’t mind sage but since all I’m getting is sage and a bit of hibiscus it’s kind of gross. I even added sugar, so that’s sad.

I’ll give it a try with a cold brew since a lot of people seemed to like it that way.

Then maybe next time I just throw something into the basket because my boyfriend says he’ll buy me it, I’ll look at the ingredients.

This one surprised me. It smelled absolutely delicious, as everyone’s noted. Ripe, fresh blueberries. But I was a little apprehensive after the other reviews and after seeing how dark this turned out. It also smelled really potently sour. It was tart and sour, and on my first few sips I thought it tasted like a grape-flavoured Kool Aid sort of thing, but I grew to like it.

Steep Information:
Amount: Single Steeps packet
Water: 12oz hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system (my Review here.)
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (http://steep.it/5%20minutes)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cherry, berry, hibiscus?
Steeped Tea Smell: berry, tart, floral
Flavor: hibiscus
Body: Full
Aftertaste: tart
Liquor: barely translucent dark purple-red

Too much hibiscus, and I like hibiscus.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/03/tea-forte-loose-leaf-single-steeps.html

_{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.

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!

The steeped scent is very yummy. Blueberry berriness with a strong kick of the sage. It mixes strangely but well.

It’s so far been my experience with most flavored teas and tisanes that, at best, the scent is wonderful but the taste is quite lacking. Not with this.

The flavor is strong and not watery. The blueberry is strong on the tip of the tongue and up around the top of the back of the mouth. The sage is strong but not overwhelming, giving the tea a very tasty zippiness. Each sip fills the mouth pleasantly, leaving nothing of the lacking feeling I get from all but two tisanes I’ve had.

I’d buy more of it.

I meant to steep this for the recommended 5 min, but I accidentally steeped it for 7 min. This tea smelled wonderful out of the bag, like sweet blueberries and just a hint of earthy sage. After brewing for 7 min, I was surprised how dark this brewed. I have never seen a tea brew this dark luscious red color, it was beautiful and made me want to drink it right away. At first sip you definitely taste the blueberries and maybe a bit of cherry and then later you catch a bit of sage and rosemary. I like the flavor combinations a lot, but I didn’t like the tart taste at the end. About half way thru the cup I decided to put a little sugar in it and wow, that made a big difference. It took the tea from a 5 to a 8 right away. This has a nice thick mouth feel, I really enjoyed it.

After trying it with some sugar I think I will probably buy it someday. I love the deep dark red color and can’t help but think it is chalked full of anti-oxidents from the berries.

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.

Interesting combination of herbs in this infusion. I shared it with my mother who is a big fan of Celestial Seasonings Blueberry Tea, and enjoyed it as a nice afternoon break. We both felt a slight tingling on the tongue, which seems to be a property of the sage in the mix. It has a beautiful aroma and color, and a sweet herbaceous flavor. I was surprised at the beauty the dry cornflowers brings to the dry product, and we both agreed it would go great with some real shortbread cookies… Thanks Tea Forte for this nice sample, and I definitely give this one a thumbs up.

This was my first time trying this tisane. Overall, I enjoy it! I will agree that it is a bit heavy on the hibiscus. I do like hibiscus, however, and so I don’t mind this. I tasted the blueberries, and just a hint of sage.

I initially agreed with Ottawa Tea that this one was too much hibiscus, not enough sage. But my second cup is really heavy on the sage, and less so on the fruit and flowers- I got two cups worth out of the packet. I like the second cup better, although I do think this one could use a little more blueberry and less hibiscus. I’m not even sure the hibiscus needs to be in here.

The odd thing here is that the merlot name actually does seem sorta fitting. This really does taste a bit like wine to me. I had a cup of this kinda late at night the other night, and I really felt like I was drinking warm wine (which isn’t gross when you think about mulled wine). I really don’t know what to make of this one since the two cups I had were so different.