Tazo

This chai blend had a strong aroma of cardamom before steeping but after smelled only of fennel and/or licorice (just checked the ingredients and I’m guessing this is the star anise). The flavor is unremarkable, vaguely spiced. I’m not able to pick out anything specific. It’s one I might have tried because I do like Tazo teas generally, but I’m glad I was able to sample it first. Thanks, Devon Bartholomew!

From Devon Bartholomew.

This reminds me very much of Bigelow’s Salted Caramel black tea. Both have a black tea base with chicory root while Salted Caramel has rose hips and Butterscotch Blondie has cocoa peel, licorice root, cinnamon, and cardamom.

This has a very full flavor. I can taste the sweetness from the licorice root, but it really works here. I’m not sure what cocoa peel is exactly, maybe shells, but I don’t taste any sort of cocoa flavor. Neither do I taste any of the spices. It’s a rich caramel cup, and I can see the similarity to a blondie with its sugary caramelly bite, but I don’t taste the butterscotch.

#tiffanys2021sipdown Tea #220 overall / Tea #44 for May
#drinkwhatyouown March ?/25
Sunday 5/30 — Tazo Zen 2 teabags. Hot & plain before bed. I do think these teabags were in my collection too long or maybe I’m a loose-leaf tea snob because it isn’t the BEST, but this tea was fine for what it is, just something to throw in some water (I brewed it green tea appropriate) easy to sip something warm before bed.
#tiffanydrinkstea #tiffanys2021 #tiffanysfaves #tiffanyinthe614 #tiffanysteasipdown

From Michelle.

I’m not too familiar with juniper, but I had some juniper berries in my spice cabinet so I pulled them out to compare. I don’t notice any connection in the aroma or flavor of the tea. Instead, I smell and taste vanilla mint. I really like it actually.

How does this actually smell like cake?! And taste like vanilla frosting?? I’ve heard a lot about this tea, and I’ve been looking forward to trying it since Michelle sent a bag in her tea box. If I weren’t selfish, I would have let James have it since he loves lemon and herbals. Instead, I let him smell the inside of the tea wrapper after I drank it. Yeah, I’m not exactly winning any awards for wife of the year. Oh well.

I added some cream for World Milk Day and it really seems to bring out more of the lemon flavor. That surprised me. I would have thought it would encourage the creamy frosting to shine, but it didn’t. I have to give this one a good rating, if only for the fact that Tazo nailed the flavor here. But I also really, really liked it.

I almost forgot – Happy Pride, everyone! <3

Water: 8oz

Leaves: Tea Bag

Steep: 5m

Aroma: Sweet, glazed doughnut/pound cake

Color: Golden yellow

Clarity: Cloudy

Taste: I was excited when I saw this tea on amazon fresh, the name of it alone drew me in so I added it to my cart. Today I made 2 cups of it using a different method. I didn’t dunk my tea bag as I normally would it came after the steep & the 2nd time I did the dunking before a full steeping. Although the tea has a great aroma it has no flavor/taste only a hint of tang, which I found to be disappointing. Overall, I don’t think I’ll be making another cup or I might try it with some sweetener.

Another great companion for a hot and humid southern road trip. I ambient-brewed a few bags in my 20oz thermos overnight and was greeted at dawn with the refreshing, sweet taste of a mixed mint and tarragon tea. The spearmint seems to come through more this way than when brewed hot, taming the usually bracing peppermint.

Looks like this is Tazo’s “Refresh” renamed, both teas containing peppermint, spearmint and tarragon.

Surprise, surprise, it’s refreshing. But not overly so. The taste is muddied earth underneath the high, sweet peppermint. Spearmint more prevalent in the aroma than in the taste. A tiny uprising of tarragon after I swallow, otherwise it’s not noticeable. I do wish the tarragon were stronger since I’ve gained an appreciation of it in culinary use.

Refresh Mint is an average mint tea to me. Good enough to buy in a pinch, but something that can be created easily, and perhaps made even better, with a well stocked pantry.

Sipdown! (30 | 234)

This one seems so intriguing to me, so I was so thankful to get a few bags in a swap! I love pine and juniper, so I’m always happy to try more teas with those notes.

Unfortunately, this is not for me. It’s mostly honey, and the flavoring is fairly artificial-tasting. There’s also a sort of cloying floral note that I assume is part of the honey. I do get a bit of mint, and it’s nice and cooling and refreshing. Juniper? Nah, not really. There’s a weird bitterness in the aftertaste as well.

So mostly it’s artificial floral honey. Womp womp.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNqgdjKgNNv/

#tiffanys2021sipdown Tea #132 overall / Tea #3 for April

Thursday 4/01/21 — Tazo Lemon Loaf—2 teabags from unknown date. I’m basically a loose-leaf tea snob at this point (been drinking tea for almost 5 years now) but I’ll try anything sachets, teabags, bottled drinks, in store/cafe bubble teas/specialty tea drinks, etc… Anywho I’ve been trying to find this tea for a long time. I kept trying to get it 1.5 years ago with my Instacart coupons and then again, a few months ago when they sent me some free $$ again… and my order would be refunded/out of stock every time. sad face I recently got 4 boxes (still from Instacart from a Kroger) so I’m going to use these 2 teabags from who knows when to brew something hot & plain (20 oz trusty DT dark blue tumbler) to have tonight between my 7.5-hour shift tonight, eight hours of rest in between, and then 14.5 hour shift tomorrow. :) — NOTE It wasn’t as tasty as I thought, hopefully it was worth buying four boxes $3.99 each. If not, eh, I’ve spent more money on worse (to me) tea.

#tiffanydrinkstea #tiffanys2021 #tiffanysfaves #tiffanyinthe614 #tiffanysteasipdown #sipdownchallenge

My infatuation with GLL has worn off a little since the blend was new, but I’m the fickle one, not the tea. Still right on target with the pastry flavor, but I’ve been pastry-ing for a month (birthday, end-of-year celebrations at work, Mothers’ Day goodies). Something a little less desserty and more citrusy may be what my oversaturated tastebuds need…any suggestions?

Lemon loaf isn’t the only thing that’s glazed over…my eyes are following suit after a labor-of-love afternoon herding preteens as they lifted and loaded nearly 400 bags of Thanksgiving groceries onto carts, then into vehicles. Squirrely, all of them, but give them a grown-up way to serve and they knock our socks off every time.

However, it is a treat to be in a quiet house listening to rain on the leaves (hallelujah, it held off until we were finished) and treating myself a cuppa with milk. With that addition, reminds me of those packaged lemon cookies rolled in powdered sugar that sticks to your thumbs. Tazo has done a beautiful job mimicking pastry.

Based on a previous review, which I didn’t consult before making a cup, this seems to be my go-to comfort tea after high-intensity kid wrangling. My Sunday kids were the costume characters and candy-passers at a church-parking-lot trunk or treat event. You should’ve seen ’em … back of a box truck converted into the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon. We had a pint sized Anakin, Kylo Ren, Leia (who did her own hair—no wig needed), a sixth grade Rae who could jazz dance with her light saber, and a Storm Trooper wearing long underwear and a sandwich board that said, “Lost Armor. Reward 50,000 credits. Call BB-549.”

I’m exhausted clear down to my socks, and without thinking, grabbed this faithful, gentle, cookie-sweet, lemony friend. It tastes even better when you’re sipping it in near silence. Recommended when you need a little pampering.

Nothing new to say about this—it’s still an evening favorite, and it looks like most of the reviewers agree that it is spot-on, flavor-wise. My only other observation last night was “I wonder what it would taste like if I put an extra shot of lemon in it?” But by the time I thought that thought, I was just too tired to do anything but rock and read and enjoy what was already in my hand.

So on top of a late night, an early morning, and a “normal” Sunday morning teaching gig (ALL the 11-year-old boys coming off spring break—like teaching Great Dane puppies), we had a special kids service project event culminating in a Nerf battle. I was dragging anchor when I shuffled in the door.

I needed a no-brainer treat and this was what my no-brain needed. The lemon is sweet lemon, not tart, and Tazo has nailed the pastry aspect as well. I’ve never used the word “perfect” in the same sentence with “licorice,” ever, and I won’t now, but it actually accents this blend rather than overpowering it. Even better with feet up, eyes closed, and a Pillsbury Soft Baked Confetti cookie in your hand.

After browsing and drooling over all of your lovely, elegant, and well-thought-out reviews of Theodor and Dammann Freres delicacies, I’ll just drag the sophistication level back down to Midwest redneck ;) I love this stuff a little more each time I drink it, I need to stop at Target to snag some more, and tonight I put marshmallows in it. It tasted like a lemon cupcake. ’Nuff said.

My workplace had this tea at the coffee station, so I gave it a try. Despite quite a lengthy ingredient list, I mostly just taste almonds, chamomile, and licorice. The flavour isn’t unpleasant, but it’s not something I’d buy for myself.

It’s presented as an evening tea to help with sleep, and contains the mild depressant valerian root; I did indeed feel very tired after drinking it, but that might have been because I had just wolfed down a sizable lunch, so I can’t attest to its effectiveness.