618 Tasting Notes
This tea smells like the perfect, smooth combination of honeybush and root beer.. pretty incredible! I didn’t think it was possible to recreate something so unique as root beer in something like tea, but the scent of this tea has changed my belief!
Sipping… I’m getting almost a carbonated bite from the root beer flavor. The root beer fades into a honeybush finish. I’m actually glad that the honeybush isn’t too prominent and that it’s mostly covered up by the root beer. I’m also pleased that the root beer isn’t too spicy. Still not too much ice cream flavor here.. my favorite part of a root beer float, but I’m still so happy that this tea can be so spot on as far as a root beer soda flavor is concerned. Wish that there was more creamy vanilla ice cream flavor, but this made a very enjoyable cup this evening.
When I heard that there would be a caffeine-free version of the Brioche tea, I became very excited! I have enjoyed the original and knew that I would like the ability to drink it in the evening. For some reason, I thought that it would be a caffeine-free black tea brioche blend, so I was surprised to see that it’s completely herbal. The dry blend smells identical to DavidsTeas’ Forever Nuts.
It looks like they have the same ingredients: apple pieces, beetroot, almonds and cinnamon… perhaps in different amounts. Darn, I feel like I know what this is going to taste like even before sipping. Still, I am very much a fan of Forever Nuts, but can’t buy it regularly as I need quite a bit of the blend to make a tasty cup… and simply don’t find it to be a good value. That being said, it looks like this version from American Tea Room is slightly.. and I mean ever-so-slightly cheaper.
I used about two teaspoons for an 8 oz cup.. which makes the whole sample good for about two cups of tea. Sipping… yep. It’s Forever Nuts, though perhaps not as tart and with a better aftertaste. Sweet, a tiny bit tart, with nice touch of cinnamon. Yummy! I definitely prefer this blend to Forever Nuts. I can see myself adding a pouch of this to my next order if I can get beyond the large (and therefore pricey) amount of blend I have to use for each cup.
This tea is interesting. There is something in the background that reminds me of licorice. As I keep sipping, I taste more of the black tea base which actually resembles cardboard…? I can remember trying the Caramel blend from Kusmi and not being too crazy about the base. The vanilla is there, but seems like it’s more of an accent of the cardboard. The spicy licorice note is still very present, so I can’t really enjoy the cup. I’m happy to have tried this tea, though. Thank you so much, Nicole, for sharing!
I popped this tea into my shopping cart when I saw that it was made with a rooibos base. Even though I didn’t enjoy the black tea version all that much, it seems like it would have better luck with my tastebuds simply by changing the base! The scent of this tea reminds me of DavidsTeas’ Birthday Cake rooibos. They both have a relatively heavy maple syrup scent. I have to admit that the maple syrup scent is my least favorite part of the Birthday Cake blend simply because I’m looking for cake, not something with maple (although there is always a time and place for maple!)
Sipping… ooh, I like this one so much more than the black tea version. There isn’t a whole lot of pineapple upside down cake flavor — more of a generalized starchy sweetness. I actually don’t think I’d identify this flavor as being cake, but as something “desserty”. I know I’m not being all that specific, but that’s what this tea is like to me. Slurping brings out more of the fruity aspects of the dessert — again, not really specific for cherries or pineapple, but it adds a nice layer on top of the cake. There is a little bit of maple syrup still in the background which actually makes this tea taste a bit like pancakes. Not a bad thing… I LOVE pancakes!
This has now taken the first spot as my favorite tea from Della Terra. It’s not amazing, but makes a decent cup. I had to lower the rating on the Blueberry Crumble blend since it doesn’t taste all that great to me anymore. I’d recommend this tea to anyone who loves rooibos and enjoyed the original version of this tea.
This tea smells buttery, sweet and a tiny bit fruity. There is also something in the background that reminds me of yogurt. I’m pleased to say that the coconut is not too overwhelming as far as the scent is concerned. Yes, I do like coconut, but it has to be “just so” in a tea or else I won’t enjoy it. Coconut has the potential to become overpowering, sour and too sweet. If scent is any indication, I think I will enjoy this cup!
Sipping… it takes a little while for the flavor to develop on the tongue. The first part of the sip leads you to believe you’re drinking plain hot water or a very weak white tea. As the sip continues, the sweet coconut blossoms and becomes apparent. The finish is sweet and a little bit of that tangy sourness that coconut tends to leave behind.
I did steep this tea for a rather short amount of time, about 2 minutes (White tea and I usually don’t get along well, plus I find it can be oversteeped quite easily!). This blend is soothing and soft — it reminds me a bit of a light linen blanket. Not too much or too little, but has just the right amount of flavor to provide you with comfort. I do like this tea, but don’t think I would buy it again. It doesn’t really call to me the way other teas do, but happy to have had a cup this afternoon!
All of this rain has been making me crave hot drinks and warm blankets! I’ve found myself drinking so many cups of coffee and caffeinated teas that I think I need to tone it down and drink something decaf! I have a very, very early morning on Tuesday and will need to stop drinking caffeine earlier tomorrow. It’s funny, but I like days when I don’t have to get up very early in the morning because I can drink whatever I like the day/night before.
Anyway, onto the tea! My father brought this tea back for me and I’m so happy that it’s a rooibos! The dry leaf smells very sweet and rich. Once water has been added, the tea smells a bit like a spicy vanilla. Sipping… It could be because this tea is a little old, but the flavors are so muted! I can still taste the rooibos, a bit of vanilla and something nutty. It is tasty and would be more appropriate for drinking with something very sweet, like cake or a pastry. I had just finished having a few bites of a very sweet brownie, so I welcome this cup — mellow, smooth and not at all overwhelming.
I’m really impressed with the scent of this tea. I am smelling blueberries, green tea, cinnamon and the sugary crumble that is often sprinkled with a heavy hand on top of baked goods. If this tea tastes exactly the way it smells… well, I’ll be in blueberry crumble bliss!
Sipping… wow, I’m tasting cinnamon and that burnt sugar crumble flavor. Tasty! The blueberries aren’t terribly strong, but I’m really concentrating on that sugary pastry flavor. The more I sip, the more I enjoy this tea. The green/black tea base is well hidden – I don’t know if I can even taste it at all. I’m glad that there isn’t a bitter note that could potentially ruin the cup.
Even though I do get a sense of something artificial, I’m still thrilled to be getting such great crumble flavor in a tea. So far this is the only tea from Della Terra that hasn’t left me somewhat disappointed. Will definitely repurchase this one!
I love fruity oolongs, but I am quite particular about how they should taste. I want the fruit to be present, but to blend nicely with the oolong base. The dry leaf smells like a tasty oolong and strawberry jam. Yum! I think that this tea has great potential just based on the scent! Once water has been added, the strawberry scent is toned down a bit and the oolong becomes a little stronger.
Sipping… the first part of the sip is plainly strawberry. It’s a bit like taking a bite into a fresh strawberry! It does lack the tartness that strawberries often have, but it still manages to perfectly capture a strawberry! Lovely! The flavor changes into something more floral and almost buttery. I am so pleased with the combination of strawberry and oolong. The flavors of this tea are delicate and strong all at once. It’s so well done that I know I must add this to my next order.
Many thanks to Teavivre for a sample of this delicious tea!
This tea smells almost identical to the marshmallow treat genmaicha blend. I’m a big fan of that one, so I’m even more excited to see the addition of cheesecake and cherry! I do get a little whiff of the cherry in the background. A plus, the cherry doesn’t smell like medicine!
Sipping… the first thing I taste is the genmaicha. It’s not really toasty, but more burnt. It’s almost a little bit jarring because I was expecting more creamy cheesecake and sweet cherry. The flavor does mellow out into a tiny bit of fruitiness. It sort of morphs in and out of being cherry and a generalized fruit flavor. As far as the cheesecake note is concerned, it’s just a whisper. If I didn’t know that cheesecake was in this blend, I wouldn’t have even detected it. A bit bummed as I typically love 52Teas cheesecake teas. I’ll make a few more cups of this to see if I can bring out more cherry and cheesecake, but for now I’m not all that impressed.
I love vanilla rooibos teas and I enjoy trying out new ones from different brands. There’s something about the woody rooibos and the soft, creamy vanilla that I adore. I realized that I am not the biggest fan of honeybush and so I was pleased to see that this was just a rooibos tea and not a rooibos & honeybush blend. This is a nice and smooth cup. I’m not sure if this particular rooibos is like this on its own or if it’s the addition of the vanilla flavoring that helps make it soft on the tongue.
This is sweet and has a nice vanilla flavor. I wish that there was something more creamy and silky about this cup. It’d be nice to see more complexity in the flavors, but it’s vanilla and rooibos, so I suppose that I can’t expect all that much. It’s a solid cup of vanilla rooibos, but I wish that it had something more.
