986 Tasting Notes
I took a chance on this one, ordering 4oz on clearance in a recent sale. I love almost everything I’ve ever tried from TeaSource, but rooibos tends to be hit-and-miss for me. Sadly, this one was a miss. I do taste the mango, but the flavoring isn’t strong enough to cover up the woody rooibos flavor of the base. I’ll likely be passing this one on to someone who likes rooibos better than I do!
Flavors: Fruity, Mango, Rooibos, Wood
Preparation
I bought this tea after trying it in-store. The sample was smooth and bright with a distinct pina colada-type flavor. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to recapture that flavor at home. I may have to keep messing around with my brewing parameters, but after preparing it as I do most green tea blends (1 tsp for 3 minutes at 175 degrees), I got a watery, artificial banana flavor with hints of coconut. Quite disappointing! I think I’ll try more leaf next time and see if that makes a difference.
Flavors: Artificial, Coconut
Preparation
A friend who lives in Dallas recently sent me the loveliest surprise package containing 3 tea blends from “The Cultured Cup”. I had never heard of this company, but I must say, I’m impressed with the quality of their tea! This one is a lovely smooth, rich black tea with just the right amount of maple flavoring and a touch of cinnamon. So warming and comforting for this cold wintery weather we’re currently experiencing in the Midwest!
Flavors: Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, Smooth
Preparation
I love a good banana-flavored tea. Butiki’s Hello Sweetie is one of the many reasons I’m devastated that company shut down and A Quarter to Tea’s Banana Nut Pancakes is another standout favorite. I think this one may round out my top three! I wasn’t sure about the green tea base, but it actually works beautifully, giving a lighter twist to a heavy flavor. There’s a nice butteriness to this one along with the banana and walnut flavors that definitely gives me the vibes of a piece of warm, buttered banana bread. What a treat!
Flavors: Banana, Butter, Walnut
Preparation
This tea isn’t at all what I was expecting! Since it has “chai” in the name, I thought this would be your traditional black tea with chai spices and some maple flavoring added. Instead, this is a very smooth, light tea with a strong fruity flavor (apple, I think?) and notes of maple. There’s scarcely a hint of spice! That being said, I do actually like how this tastes…like some kind of yummy fruity dessert. I just think they should rename it, because nothing about it screams “chai”.
Flavors: Apple, Fruity, Maple Syrup, Smooth
Preparation
After listening to Jenni King rave about this tea for years (literally!) I finally caved and got my hands on some. And she wasn’t wrong…this is one of the best vanilla teas I’ve ever tried! Not quite as good as Whispering Pines Golden Orchid, but perhaps a close second. The vanilla flavor is rich and natural and compliments the base tea well. It’s delicious straight, but milk takes it to the next level and I’m betting it would make a pretty awesome sweetened tea latte as well, though I haven’t tried that yet. I’m down to the last couple teaspoons of my 2oz tin and will almost certainly be restocking.
Flavors: Vanilla
Preparation
Tazo has become my go-to brand for bagged tea and this one didn’t let me down! I don’t usually like herbal blends that contain chamomile, but I don’t taste it all in this blend. Instead, it has a delightfully natural-tasting lemon flavor with hints of vanilla. A lovely bedtime treat!
Flavors: Lemon, Vanilla
Preparation
Tazo is pretty much the only bagged tea I buy anymore. I only drink loose leaf at home, but it’s nice to have a few tea bags in my purse in case I find myself someplace that has hot water but no good tea options available. This is the best bagged green tea I’ve tried! Very fresh, grassy flavor with no astringency or bitterness (as long as I don’t oversteep it, anyway). If anyone else is looking for a cheap bagged green tea that doesn’t taste like a cheap bagged green tea, check this one out!
Flavors: Grass, Smooth
Preparation
This is such a unique tea! Darker in color and flavor than other yellow teas I’ve sampled with a distinctive peanut taste. It’s a bit astringent, but I still enjoy it.
Flavors: Astringent, Peanut
Preparation
This has become one of my very favorite coconut teas (tied with Fava’s Coconut Soufflé White…I reach for this one when I want a bit more caffeine and that one in the evening). It’s super smooth and creamy with loads of rich coconut flavor and it holds up to multiple re-steeping. Another one I’ll be stocking up on next time I get to visit The London Tea Room!
Flavors: Coconut, Creamy, Smooth