T2

WOW… wow…. WOW….

Raspberry Rush where have you been my whole life? I am in love. Never before has a tea grabbed me, drawn me in and made my senses swoon. This is tea perfection – this is why coffee will never win – move over water raspberry rush is taking tea to first place.

The dried leaves smell like freshly picked raspberries a little berry, a little earthly and a whole of sweet and it’s one of those lingering smells than even once you’ve closed up the container it just seems to remain with you.

Infused is… is… bliss. The aroma is very sweet and all raspberry there’s no “tea” smell at all. Then there’s the taste, when I close my eyes I am sure I just gobbled down a whole packet of frozen raspberries. You know that taste you get from the frozen ones, that’s what this is like a syrupy-sweet overpowering burst of raspberry flavour backed by a very light black tea. The after taste echoes the initial taste only the black tea is even fainted.

I find this tea very, very addictive and cannot recommend it enough! I really think this would suit people dipping their toe into the world of black tea who’ve sampled fruit tissanes and are ready to take the next step. This is the closest in taste to a fruit tissane that I’ve ever sampled from a black tea – it’s a very light brew that is quite hard to over-infuse (although it can be done so just watch out).

Because of the lightness of the black tea and the fact that the raspberry flavour tastes more natural than flavoured it lends itself to great all day, all night drinking – although it’s hardly likely to wake you up in the morning, but on the bright side it’s also just as unlikely to keep you up at night.

Yum, Yum, Yum!

I love this white tea with rose it makes for such a delicate tea that to me it is the perfect afternoon tea to accompany something sweet as the tea itself is so light with no lingering aftertaste allowing you to really savour what you are eating along with it.

I was disappointed when I opened the packet to see so much ‘dust’ and very chopped up leaves but in saying that it hasn’t distracted from the taste and it still delivers a very beautiful cup of tea.

The taste is of a very, very light tea – no bitterness, only a small amount of grassiness and an overshadowing of crisp rose. I enjoy the first infusion of this tea and prefer to start over again if I ever finish off a teapot but I find it lends itself to protracted drinking and I can make a teapot of this tea last a good hour, I also don’t find I’m put off if I let it get lukewarm which is handy as I have a tendency to really drag out my drinking of this.

It is one of T2’s more expensive teas but they often have it for sample in store in the summer months – I think because it’s such a light tea – so I’d recommend keeping an eye out for it.

White rose tea is the tea that got me drinking tea and this is a good white rose tea so I really recommend giving this to a friend who has yet to turn to the tea-side. :)

Delicate-as-morning-dew green tea + fragrant jasmine = DIVINE. This is definitely what I would like to drink while enjoying dim sum in a Chinese tea house. :) Clean, calming and refreshing, it is also my choice of drink when doing reading or meditation in quiet evenings. Too bad I only have a sample of this from T2 as it’s too expensive…

Oh by the way, T2 recommends using 3-4 tears per cup, which I think is too little. Double that unless you prefer weak tea!

I ordered a small pot of this in Birdman Eating, Melbourne. The teapot for 1 used by this hip cafe was way too lovely!!! :D

I must admit that I went to the cafe for tea more because of the beautiful teaware (this sounds really crazy, doesn’t it). I picked this tea sort of randomly from the menu, completely unaware of its nature. It’s only after my first sip that I realized it was something I had never tried before – green rooibos!

I am pretty new to rooibos and therefore I don’t think I have got a good grasp of its characteristics. But I am certain that green rooibos is totally different from rooibos, or anything else. It is very delicate… the flavour is hard to describe, which is sweet and perhaps slightly vegetal? Reminds me of wheat or straw. Not sure whether the sweetness is from the rooibos or vanilla though. I was definitely bewildered, yet I was also excited to have tried such an unusual tea! It’s not something I would buy for my cupboard, but it’s a pleasant drink for a lazy, quiet afternoon as it really puts you in a relaxed mood.

I bought this as a souvenir for my colleagues. I was expecting a really sweet vanilla tea, but this turned out to be something quite different. The vanilla was aromatic, but it was only barely noticeable taste-wise. The tea was a bit sweet but the flavour came from the special plum-like sweetness of Keemun tea. The blend of Chinese tea with vanilla was a very novel combination to me… perhaps a bit weird too, given I am a Chinese and the tradition is to drink Chinese tea without any added flavour!

Floral and peachy overtones guide you into this tea and leave you with a distinctly peachy after taste. This is a more fragrant and more fruity version of the standard Earl Grey and could easily be described as a step up if you want more of a similar type of flavour. Alternatively you may like this if you’re not a fan of Earl of Grey but are a fan of peach as it strongly resonates in this tea far more than any of the familiar Earl Grey tones.

I found this tea very off-putting as the smell is extremely overpowering and although I like peaches it turns out I don’t like peach flavoured tea – the smell is overpowering and the taste is even more so leaving a very strong after-taste.

If you’re more English Breakfast and less Earl Grey then I’d steer clear of this tea. Vice versa than this is the one for you.

I didn’t know what it was when I ordered it at Cavallini, in Clifton Hill. Was expecting something herbal but it turned out to be a fruit tea. The cafe served the tea in a very pretty Kyoto Blossom teapot, but when I poured the tea into my cup, the bright pink-red colour really startled me… hibiscus!!! :0 At first the tea was ok, there was only sweet berry flavours, no tartness. But the tea continued to steep inside the teapot, the inevitable tartness developed… my advice: keep the steeping time short!

This is an invigorating sweet herbal tissane that makes for a great ‘pick-me-up’ in the afternoon. If you find your mind tiring and want to get back on track than this really is the perfect tea.

The smell is overwhelmingly mint with a nice hint of the vanilla to come. The first thing you will taste is the mint and then you will be left with a delicately sweet vanilla aftertaste. It is a light tea and not overpowering in any way, it makes for a very nice treat by itself. However, I do find that something about it makes me hungry, most likely the vanilla – I’ve found gingerbread accompanies this beautifully.

It is quite addictive, I usually have a good two mugfulls at a time and with each day I have this I increase the infusing time to get the most flavour out of this as possible.

I wouldn’t recommend having this if you are trying to substitute a snack for tea as it will make you want more.

The smell of the tissane in the packet is a very good indication of what it will taste like so if you like the smell when you pick it up you’ll most likely love the tea if however it puts you off then it’s a good indication you won’t like it.

If you love vanilla like me then this is definitely for you – it makes a great caffeine-free vanilla hit and reminds me of vanilla cupcakes (with a shot of mint).

This is a truly beautiful Oolong – it tastes creamy and indulgent while being very light. The aroma reminds me of a light caramel and is very strong – you will find it will make your whole room smell of caramel which I love. The tea itself is closer to black than green, there is no hint to ‘gassiness’ whatsoever and has a satisfyingly medium strength flavour to it. It will provide you with a nice milky/ caramel aftertaste.

Great before bed, very calming and relaxing like velvet caramel in a cup. Makes for a beautiful desert tea without being overpowering.

You can re-use the leaves up to three times by increasing the brewing time by a minute teach time. By the third re-use you’ll find the beautiful aroma has faded but the taste is still divine.

This is like the name says ‘just peppermint.’

I find that it leaves me with a very ‘toothpaste’ aftertaste that I can’t get over, and that sort of aftertaste is usually associated with spearmint but is unavoidable with this tissane.

I have tried it warm and iced and would recommend having it hot rather than serving it as an iced tea or mixing it with other tissanes/ teas because the “toothpaste” aftertaste becomes very pronounced when iced and will overwhelm whatever else you pair it with.

I’ve tried it with T2’s Strawberry Sensation and found that it completely voided the sweet berry taste and left you with a very strong mint aftertaste. However when had hot it is quite invigorating.

This is a deliciously sweet tissane that accompanies food very well especially savoy to add a bit of sweetness to your palette. When had warm it is intensely sweet and quite overpowering – it will definitely make you want to have something savoury or plain to balance out the taste. Some will find this sweetness too much or sickly sweet so be careful with how much you use. When had iced the tang of the apple is balanced very nicely with the sweetness of the cinnamon, proving it really is a delightful combination of the two. If you want to temper the sweetness than having it iced is a great way to achieve that affect.

I highly recommend pairing this with T2’s Strawberries & Cream for a really delicious iced tea – makes for a nice special occasion iced tea to have at birthdays and Christmas. Be warned though it can be very addictive!

Okay so I decided I should give this another go, having tasted good rooibos I wanted to go back to this to see if it was an initial shock that lead me to disliking it or if it was a genuine and lasting dislike.

I tried this blended with T2’s Sweet Spice and Just Cinnamon – and wow it was yummy, a very warm cup of Christmas. Sweet Spice was used last year as T2’s Christmas blend, it has no ‘tea’ in it and is a fruit tissane, as a result it’s very light and so suits well the hot Australian Christmas but every year around June I get a hankering for a warm Christmas flavoured tea and by itself T2’s Sweet Spice doesn’t hit the spot so I added Cinnamon and it’s close but still lacking with Red Green Vanilla it felt like a well rounded ‘full’ cup of tea.

The Red Green Vanilla didn’t taste bitter at all instead the rooibos strengthened the other ingrediants, the vanilla and cinamon blended well but didn’t overtake the Christmas vibe of Sweet Spice.

I was impressed with the way Red Green Vanilla carried the blend, so I would feel confident using it again. However, by itself it still fails to impress me and I would only recommend it for blending purposes.

I’m lifting the rating from last time (which was rather harsh) but still not taking it too high as it really needs more to become a satisfying cup.

This is my first rooibos and as a huge vanilla fan I thought this would be a good place to start. I was looking forward to a caffeine-free vanilla tea to have at night and was told it was similar to black vanilla tea.

Having not tried other rooibos teas I am unsure if this is an indication of the range or simply reflective of this one tea.

I did not enjoy the tea – I found it tasted like weak, bitter black tea with a very slight vanilla scent, not taste. To have something that was both weak and bitter at the same time was quite odd and the fact that I couldn’t taste the vanilla certainly didn’t help matters. There was no vanilla after-taste at all rather I was left with a very bitter taste in my mouth.

I would not recommend this tea as it stands and would suggest if you’re interested in trying it to get a sample of it first to see if the taste suits your palate.

This Chai is flooded with cloves and as a result the remaining spices and tea itself are drowned out. It tastes more like an undefined assault of cloves and generic spice than a black tea that has been mixed with different spices. It could do with less cloves and more cinnamon and ginger.

I have made this with milk and honey and also tried it with vanilla soy milk and honey (by warming the milk on the stove and having half milk half boiling water) I would recommend the vanilla soy milk and honey as it seems to allow more of the spices to shine through.

After trying this several times it has left me wanting to mix my own Chai as the proportions of spices really do seem off.

I would recommend this to coffee drinkers wanting to ease off the coffee and have a go at tea as it certainly doesn’t taste like ‘tea’ and can be made nice and milky.

This is the best remedy to sleeplessness I have tried so far and I have tried many most remedies even herbal leave you with restless and disturbed sleep and a feeling of a hangover the next morning.

But this is very effective at slowing down thinking – allowing for a feeling of restfulness and I’ve found sleep generally follows about 1 – 1 1/2 hours later.

I also find this tea very effective at giving you a short burst of feeling full which can be useful if you get an attack of the munchies before tea-time or just before going to bed. But it is a very short burst and so wouldn’t recommend as a main reason to drink this.

The lemonbalm provides a minty after-taste and the initial taste is an undefined sweet warmth. I highly recommend trying this herbal tea.

FYI: T2 says not to be taken remedially on the box.

It’s a joke to name this Monk Pear, because it doesn’t carry any flavours like pear at all to me. It’s just bergamot blended with some weird, artificial fragrance that doesn’t even smell/taste like fruit. It’s like a cup of Earl Grey that has gone wrong. Shame.

I love the name of this tea – the word “Arctic” conjures up the image of Northern Lights! I knew it would be a beautiful tea even before I tried it! I had a hot cup of this in a cold morning in Geelong, Australia. It was just like a fire in the Arctic… so warming and comforting that it made me forget about the chilly weather. The fruity flavour was pronounced but since it came from flavouring, there was no tartness in it at all. The fruity and floral notes complemented each other and I absolutely enjoyed both. The dreamy fragrance was simply hard to forget!

Confusing, that’s Liquorice Legs for you.

It is a calming tea, and could settle even the most upset stomach, but after it’s done that it will leave you with a very, very, sweet after-taste – which is of course the liquorice.

When had hot it is a nice after – lunch tea, perhaps after an over indulgence to help get rid of any bloaty feelings. Wouldn’t recommend eating anything with it as it is a very strong tea.

Turkish Apple is a refreshing tang drink, sweet whilst still giving off a crisp tartness, it makes a truly delicious iced tea in the heat of summer as the tang satisfies even the most hard earned thirst. Warm it is sweetly tart and very nice.

It is really best used as an accompanier to other teas or tissanes – T2’s Just Rose rose buds heighten the tartness and make the flavours really stand out from the sweetness – very very nice iced. When added to strawberries and cream it balances out the sweetness to give a refreshingly crisp after-taste.

Truly an ‘essential’ tissane to any collection.

For me this is Strawberries & Cream stoic cousin, it’s far less sweet than Strawberries & Cream and to me tastes less of strawberries and more of a generic berry. It is a lovely brew both hot and iced but it isn’t that sweet and certainly isn’t overpowering, I found it a little disappointing and wouldn’t buy again but if you like the taste of berries and want something light and more tart than sweet than this is for you.

Have tried the tea bag version of this and to me it is a very bitter tasting tea – it isn’t anything special just straight up English Breakfast and is quite strong. If you like straight up traditional black tea than this is for you, if however if you want a little tweak or something weaker than I would avoid this one.

Unfortunately, my crush on this tea has ended, it really has not stood up to the test of time. I find that it is far too easy to over brew it leaving to a very bitter tea with a sickly sweet aroma that doesn’t translate into the tea.

When made right it is still a deliciously sweet tea that really is quite divine but given that a couple of seconds make the difference between delightful and having to be thrown out I feel like it’s not worth the bother anymore.

That being said the addition of milk does seem to negate the over-bewing and create a nice milky desert tea. Given that I’m not a fan of milk in tea though it doesn’t really help me much.

This tea is divine and makes such a beautiful afternoon tea and is perfectly paired with gingerbread for a sugar and spice combination. To get the full taste of vanilla and caramel I recommend letting infuse only as long as it takes for the water to turn caramel that way you avoid any bitterness. Be careful on this front as it is quite easy for the bitterness of this tea to completely overpower the beautiful sweetness.

I have it without milk and it tastes quite light allowing for enjoyment of an accompanying afternoon treat.

The caffeine component seems quite strong and I wouldn’t recommend having this late at night or even after dinner if you’re affected by caffeine. Sometimes I pine for this heavenly brew that I forget and have it after dinner as a treat and then I have a lot of difficulty getting to sleep, in the afternoon though seems the perfect time.

On the T2 vanilla front I would say this is sweeter than Melbourne Breakfast and also sweeter than Toasty Nougat (the delightful fruit tissane that is a nice substitute for this after dinner time), but only when infused for a very short period of time to avoid any bitterness.