25 Tasting Notes

84

I’ve been drinking a lot of “berry” teas lately…I think subconsciously I’m getting myself ready for the fruity tastes and smells of late spring and summer. :) Most of the berry teas I’ve ever had have been herbal teas, without an actual “tea” basis, just brewed herbs and leaves with fruit flavoring. However, if you’re more into actual tea leaves, and a stronger taste, I’ve found the right berry tea for you: Lipton’s Bavarian Wild Berry Black Tea.

This is a flavored black tea made with pieces of real berries, packaged nicely in Lipton’s awesome little pyramid bags. (I love the pyramid bags – you can actually see the fruit pieces basically open up after steeping, and the smell and taste are much stronger.) Here’s the tea’s official ingredient list: Black tea, dried apple pieces, rose hip peel, chicory root, cinnamon bark, licorice root, modified corn starch, natural flavor, dried blackberry pieces, dried black currant pieces, ginger root, orange peel, dried blueberry pieces, dried raspberry pieces. That’s a lot of fruit pieces, people. The fruit never overwhelms the black tea though – the strong black tea is just as easy to taste as all of the wonderful fruit.

I haven’t tried the tea iced yet, but I’m guessing that like most teas, it tastes even better hot. I let my bag steep for 3-4 minutes in boiling water. Each bag has 80 mg of Flavonoids per serving (that’s a good thing), and 20 mg of caffeine per serving.

Final say: The tea smells fantastic, and tastes just as good – this one’s a must-try.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec

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93

From http://www.crazyteachick.com:

I’m a huge fan of Celestial Seasonings and their always-wonderful tea. Huge fan. I was recently in Target (my second home) when I noticed the company’s Fruit Tea Sampler. Upon examination, I realized that the sampler contained a few teas I hadn’t tried before. Gasp.

I recently reviewed one of the other teas in the sampler, the Raspberry Zinger. I love it muchly, and trust me, the True Blueberry is just as good. It doesn’t taste sugary, but it has a SLIGHT sweetness to it that makes it almost like dessert, or reminiscent of a blueberry yogurt flavor. As an herbal tea, it’s caffeine-free, and the ingredients are “hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, natural blueberry flavor with other natural flavors (contains soy lecithin), blackberry leaves, wild blueberries and blueberry leaves”. The word blueberry is mentioned three times just in the ingredient list, so that’s a good thing, right?

Wild blueberries (that just sounds exotic) are used in the tea, and it’s no secret how good blueberries are for your body. There’s almost an grape-like flavor to these blueberries. I’ve tried the tea cold and it’s great that way, but it’s even better hot, like a warm slice of blueberry pie. Just pour boiling (or almost-boiling) water over a bag and steep for around 4-5 minutes.

Anyway, it’s hard to express in words what truly should be expressed through taste, so try this tea, and try it soon!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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87

If you pride yourself on being a tea connoisseur (raises hand), then you probably have noticed something about raspberry tea: it’s either really “fake” and overly sweet, or it’s pretty freaking awesome. It’s one of those teas that’s a hit or miss. Well, the Raspberry Zinger from Celestial Seasonings is a hit. Big-time. Like bases-loaded, let’s-score-the-winning-run sort of hit.

My favorite thing about this tea is the tartness you can detect: nothing sugary, but a taste slightly sour, like it should be with a raspberry tea. My second favorite thing about the tea is the wonderful aroma. Seriously, candles should smell so good. Basically I’m saying that I love the taste and the smell, so what else do you need?

I’ve never drank the tea iced (I’m a sucker for a cup of hot goodness), but I’ve heard that it makes fantastic iced tea. The listed ingredients for the tea are hibiscus, rosehips, roasted chicory, orange peel, blackberry leaves, natural raspberry flavor with other natural flavors (contains soy lecithin), raspberries and raspberry leaves. Just brew your bag in about 8 ounces of boiling (or near-boiling, in my case) water for around 5 minutes (4 to 6, the company says), and enjoy!

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec

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84

(Guest post from my mom!) :)

Well, hello there, sweet new addiction. How’ve you been, soon-to-be lifelong obsession?

Are you guessing that The Boston Tea Company’s Peach Passion (Premium Oolong Loose Blend Tea flavored with Sweet Peaches and Sunflowers) is a hit in my kitchen? I’m actually enjoying the heck out of a hot mug of this fragrant, flavorful, and beautifully delicious tea as I’m typing.

Talk about inspiration.

Emily (known to you as “The Crazy Tea Chick” and known to me as my beautiful first born daughter) often rolls her eyes at my fascination with putting honey in hot tea. I add it to green tea, black tea, white tea… basically anything BUT Chai Tea (that’s a job for cream). I don’t add honey to iced teas but if it’s a mug of hot tea, you’ll find me and my honey bear (now don’t judge me) nearby ready to sweeten the deal. Every tea, every time.

A funny thing happened on my way to my hot mug of Peach Passion, though. I left the honey bear behind. After one Heavenly whiff and after one even more Heavenly sip, I felt that it’d be positively criminal to add anything to the mug except my lips.

I was slow in jumping on the loose tea bandwagon. I honestly assumed that loose leaf tea would be too expensive and complicated – that is before I actually tried it for myself. Loose leaf tea is absolutely amazing and, although I still enjoy tea from bags as often, loose leaf tea is a real pleasure – especially when it’s crafted by perfectionists like The Boston Tea Company.

If you love high quality tea, I strongly urge you (with Peach Passion on my breath) to become a regular visitor to Boston Tea.com… Every single tea I’ve ever had from The Boston Tea Company has left me speechless – and, trust me, for this gal that’s really saying something. The Peach Passion is one you simply have to try right away. The intensity of the peach flavor and the underlying sweetness is nothing short of perfection. You’ll also love the resealable bag. So convenient.

This tea is absolutely divine and, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for another cup. Peach Passion and sugar cookies is a match made in Heaven.

Preparation
6 min, 0 sec

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76

(Guest post from my mom Joi!)

There are certain varieties (and brands) of tea that I always have on hand. Always. Twinings Darjeeling Tea is one of the ones I’m most loyal to.

I just realized, I can’t imagine NOT having Darjeeling tea on hand. Unheard of!

Did you know that Twinings was founded in London, England in 1706? Talk about longevity and on the job experience. Little wonder they’re one of the best tea brands in the business. You pick up a bit of knowledge over hundreds of years, I’d imagine.

Darjeeling tea is one of those teas that tastes exceptional iced or hot. For people like me, who drink tea all day and all night, this is a must. If I had to choose my favorite way to enjoy a cup of Darjeeling, however, it’d be hot. Now here’s the kicker, I’m a honey fanatic and add honey to most of the cups of hot tea I drink. However, even I wouldn’t dream of adding anything to a cup of Darjeeling tea. It’d seem…well, wrong. This tea has a hint of sweetness without adding anything at all. That, as well as its beautiful fragrance, make this one of my favorite teas.

This Heavenly intense black tea is from the foothills of the Himalayas, and it doesn’t let you forget its exotic background for one second. Some teas are perfectly content to have a subtle, almost shy, personality. They don’t make a lot of noise, you know. They’re just happy to be in your presence. If you want to add a little fruit, fine. If you want to stir in a little honey, great. If you want to eat cookies or pie as you sip, wonderful. Have at it. It’s all about you, and these subtle teas insist on being your second in command.

Then there’s Darjeeling Tea. Darjeeling Tea is the star of the show, with a delightful diva-like presence that I LOVE. If you’ve never tried Darjeeling Tea, you have to grab some Twinings Darjeeling Tea and prepare to fall in love.

You’ll find yourself following the same ritual I do:

- I open the box of Twinings Darjeeling Tea
- I put my nose to the box and inhale the wonderful aroma
- I joyfully brew up an amazing mug to enjoy, sometimes two
- I wonder how I ever got along without Darjeeling

It’s a wonderful ritual and one I highly recommend. :)

bryghtbeverages

You have found Heaven in a cup of Darjeeling. I have found it in a cup of Ceylon. Others may find it in Chai with milk or iced Earl Grey and still others may never find it. We are the lucky few.

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100

A few things I’m loving right now: AMC’s “The Walking Dead”. Olive Garden. The Hunger Games. Zombie video games. My Green Bay Packers. Tim Tebow. Oh yeah, something else I’m enjoying the heck out of? Boston Tea Company. Because my two favorite teas right now are both from their company (Mint Chocolate Delight Green Tea and Coconut Joy Black Tea).

I’ve already reviewed the Mint Chocolate Tea, and now I have the honor of reviewing their Coconut Tea and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. The smell alone makes this tea worth drinking – honestly, it smells like a wonderful, edible sort of suntan lotion or dessert. The taste won’t let you down either. The coconut taste is noticeable, but you never forget that this is indeed a black tea. The ingredients are Ceylon Black Tea, pieces of coconut, and natural coconut flavorings. I use boiling water (or right about to boil), and I let the leaves steep for 4-6 minutes for the best flavor. The leaves do infuse a very strong taste, so for a 8 oz. mug, I don’t use more than a teaspoon of the loose leaves.

If you’ve ever read a review of mine, you know that I pretty much always prefer hot tea to iced tea. However, this tea is one of the FEW that is honestly every bit as good iced as it is hot. Seriously, it’s good iced.

I have nothing bad to say about this tea: the aftertaste, the smell, the leaves, the taste – it’s all amazing. Awesome job, Boston Tea Company. Very happy tea drinker here.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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100

Houston, we have a new favorite tea.

Let’s face it, I’m pretty fan-girly when it comes to tea, especially green tea. In my completely unbiased opinion, it’s the greatest and most delicious thing in the galaxy. Well, it and cheesecake.

I have to confess, however, that at the moment one tea ranks above all others as my current favorite: Boston Tea Company’s Mint Chocolate Delight. It’s an amazing combination of premium Chinese green tea, mint flavor, and natural cocoa. If you’re a frequent Olive Garden diner like yours truly, you’ve probably tried their delicious afterdinner chocolate mints. This tea actually smells a little like those mints, but the flavor is still predominately “green tea with the subtle taste of chocolate”, not “hot chocolate tea”.

The company recommends using one teaspoon of leaves for every 8 oz. of hot water, but I use a little more because the tea doesn’t steep very strongly, and one teaspoon is a little thin for me. The company also suggests adding milk or lemon as desired, but I kind of forbid you from doing that…messing up this tea with anything extra would be downright criminal. Enjoy!

Preparation
4 min, 0 sec

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59

So, my sleep schedule’s been a little off these past few months. Instead of falling asleep around 12 or 1am (like I have most of my life), I’ve been falling asleep closer to 3 or 4am, which puts me behind on waking up, which throws my day off and I’m over it. Unfortunately, the only solution I can come up with is cutting back, ever so slightly, on my caffeine-intake. Cue the herbal, caffeine-free teas.

I did, of course, make coffee this morning (I didn’t want to DIE), but I decided to brew a tea that promoted “energy and focus” but didn’t O.D. me on caffeine. To my surprise, I found one in my cabinet (it’s like a tea shop up in there). The Republic of Tea has a line of red teas, and I happen to own one called “Get Charged: Herb Tea For Energy”. Yes, please.

It has a very strong smell, which is fine with me, and the taste is pretty strong as well. This is an “organic rooibos-based blend”, which is also paired with herbs like Chinese ginseng and peppermint, stevia, hibiscus, and a few things I’ve never heard of, honestly, like Ashwagandha, and Gotu kola leaf, which purportedly grants you focus and boosts circulation. (They do point out that the FDA hasn’t evaluated their statements, so don’t rely on their teas to treat diseases and whatnot.)

I can’t swear to anything, but I have noticed that since I finished my cup about an hour ago, I’ve stopped yawning, and I’ve gotten quite a few things done, including some writing that I’ve been putting off forever. The tea tastes pretty good – the only thing I don’t really love is the intense aftertaste. I’m all for a tea tasting vivid in my mouth while I’m drinking it, I just prefer not to still be tasting it several minutes after swallowing. But that’s not every person’s opinion, obviously – some people out there are crazy about aftertastes, God love ‘em.

Final verdict? I’ll be brewing this tea quite often as an assistant to my morning coffee – the java wakes me up, while the tea keeps me focused. It’s so cute how they work together. :)

Review from my tea blog: http://www.crazyteachick.com – Crazy Tea Chick :)

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec

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100
drank Passion by Tazo
25 tasting notes

(Guest post from my mom, who also posts on Crazy Tea Chick!)

Suffice to say, I drink TAZO Passion tea as often as some people drink water. Maybe more.

I know from experience that truly great tea and herbal infusions can help you kick the diet soda and regular soda (pop, soft drink, Coke….) habit. Almost daily we read how unhealthy soft drinks and diet drinks are for us. It really is time to make the switch for good. What’s more, we need to do all we can to help our loved ones make the same healthy switch.

If you provide them with great alternatives, such as TAZO Passion Tea as well as other flavored teas, the switch won’t just happen, it’ll STICK!

Passion Tea is a little easier to find in stores that TAZO’s Wild Sweet Orange Tea; however it is also available on Amazon. Like the Wild Sweet Orange Tea, Passion tea is excellent cold or hot – I honestly love it both ways equally. Each of these teas has something else in common – neither needs any sweetener at all. I have as big a sweet tooth as anyone and am pretty guilty of throwing honey in just about everything! However, I wouldn’t dream of adding anything to these teas. Why mess with perfection?!

Order Herbal Infusion Tea-Passion (Decaf) on Amazon or look for it in the tea aisle of your favorite grocery store or Starbucks. You’ll become as passionate about it as we are.

ScottTeaMan

Hey Emily….I’ve never tried Tazo’s Passion, but if you haven’t already, please read my review of Tazo’s Organic Chai. If you like Chai teas, that is a really good one. You should give it a try! :))

Crazy Tea Chick (Emily)

Scott, I’ll check it out! I’ve actually never tried that chai tea…I might have to do that! :)

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100

(Guest post from my mom!)

Wondering how to get your family to stop drinking soft drinks? Give them a tastier alternative! TAZO Wild Sweet Orange Tea is a potent weapon.

As addicted as Emily (aka The Crazy Tea Chick) and I are to Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Tea, we’ve no doubt written about it before on the tea blog. Truth be told, we aren’t the only ones with this sweet addiction, the rest of our family is as hooked on it as we are.

The only problem is, it has become increasingly difficult to find this particular tea in stores. I used to buy it regularly at Kroger and Target, as well as in individual Starbucks stores. However, now it’s kind of like finding Waldo’s great uncle, the Invisible Man.

Enter Amazon! Amazon is the best kind of store, the kind that never closes and almost never runs out of anything. What’s more, they bring the goodies right to your door. Have I told you lately how much love I have for Amazon. If not, I’m telling you now. The love has actually grown even deeper because they are now my number one source for this incredible tea.

If you’re trying to switch from soft drinks and diet soft drinks to healthier drinks such as tea… or if you’re trying to get a loved one to make the healthy switch… your secret weapon is going to be fun, delicious, and addictive flavors of tea – especially with young people. If you want them to put down the cans of soft drinks which do NOTHING for them health-wise and pick up drinks that actually make them healthier, you’d better be prepared to give them drinks they’ll keep coming back for.

On ice or off ice, Tazo Wild Sweet Orange and Tazo Passion Tea are delicious and fun enough to make even the biggest soda drinker see the error of his/her ways. Take it from a gal with a STRONG Diet Dr. Pepper fixation! It’s teas like these two that have helped me make one of the healthiest transitions I’ve ever made.

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Bio

I’m Emily Dill, of crazyteachick.com. I’m into God, coffee and tea, sports, books, music, Black Ops, penguins, zombies, & cupcakes. NEAT FREAK is an understatement. Knowledge is power. And tea is love.

Location

Owensboro, KY

Website

http://www.crazyteachick.com

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