Margaret's Golden Apple Spice Green T

This is another tea I got from Margaret's at a 50% discount.  To be honest, I haven't been feeling the urge to drink heavier teas despite the autumn weather.  This tea combines a lighter green tea base (they say sencha) with apple cider flavor.

Outsides:  First off, this is not on Margaret's site because a lot of things aren't on Margaret's site, but also possibly because it's on sale.  I also did a quick google search and could not find any teas that look like they have the same ingredients that I saw from the package.  From what I remember, the base is sencha and the add-ins are apple pieces, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, saffron threads and other things that I don't remember.  It's a very colorful blend and smells a bit like the spice of apple cider.  I steeped it in 185 degree water for 3 minutes.  It's a nice golden color as the name suggests and smells like fall spice.

Insides:  First off, the base is ok but nothing that you'd want to drink on your own.  It's smooth, has a medium body and isn't too bitter.  As for the flavorings, you get a lot more spice than apple.  There is a sweet and sour fruity midnote surrounded by the cinnamon and cloves and allspice and all the other spices that are in there.  These spices completely overwhelm the tea taste and the fruit taste.

Tilt:  I got this tea at a deep discount and can't find a good retailer online BUT I'm sure you can get some cheap sencha and jurryrig your own blend for some cheap price.  I think it's actually a lovely fall tea but I don't think I'll really drink it in the spring or summer months.  Because it's flavored, I think it's good to drink cold or with sugar.  I think my biggest problem with it is that it's pretty much a green chai with a hint of a fruity taste.  But, if I want something spicy then i'll probably get a chai and there are plenty of those with different bases (black, green and red).

Overall:  There's nothing wrong with it or bad tasting but if you want something like it, just get a green chai.

My Rating:  Pass.

Maragret's is a tea retailer in the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh.

Speculations: David's Tea Fall Collection

Hey Tea Lovers!  I've decided to try something new and do a preview and speculation of collections from tea boutiques such as David's Tea and possibly Teavana.  I have not tried these teas yet so don't take what I say to heart, but feel free to voice your opinions about these teas and if you've tried them, share with us.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

The Teas:  

Pumpkin Chai

 

Ingredients:

Black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel bits, pumpkin candies, natural and artificial flavouring*. 

 

Mmm...pumpkin.  It's something a lot of people are polarized about and I'm on the love side of that polarization.  People also can be particular about their chai and honestly, very few companies deliver a good one.  This particular one looks a bit sparse on the spices but the squash, carrots and candies seem like they could add an interesting sweetness.  I imagine the strange ingredients also are there for color and the candies are there to weigh it down.  Still, this seems like something worth trying.

 

Mom's Apple Pie

 

Ingredients:

Green tea (China), apple pieces, cinnamon, artificial flavouring*. 

 

I'm actually pretty sure I'll like this.  The ingredient list (minus the artificial flavoring) seems simple compared to their other teas and I have been looking for a green tea flavored with apple.  This seems like something light and sweet and a good alternative to the heavily-spiced blacks and herbals you see for fall.  

 

Sugar and Spice

 

Ingredients:

 

 Black tea, apples, cinnamon cassia, cloves, carrots, marigold petals, natural vanilla flavoring*. 

 

I wish they added caradom in there so that it would be a chai because the world needs more unique chais.   I also appreciate the natural vanilla flavor.  Honestly, I wouldn't want to buy this and it seems like the least interesting in the collection.  There are tons of spice teas out there and this one just seems like a glorified apple spice.  These kinds of teas are also pretty subjective to taste.  

Pistachio  Creme

 

Ingredients:

 

 Mulberry leaf, pistachios, chamomile, natural cream, macadamia and pistachio flavouring*. 

 

This actually sounds really interesting.  I've only had a few nut-flavored teas and think they work quite well for the fall and winter when you want that roasty toasty flavor.  The chamomile is also an interesting but rational ingredient since I feel that it adds sweetness while also giving teas a slight increase in mouthfeel.  This is definitely one I'd love to try and I feel like this would be a wonderful herbal for a desert alternative.  

Cocoberry

 

Ingredients:

Black Tea, black currant, mango, barberry, coffee bean, juniper berry, hibiscus, roasted yerba mate, lucuma powder, acerola powder, baobab fruit powder, acai powder, coffee flavor, natural strawberry flavor, natural and artificial plum, sugar cane and cherry flavour*. 

 

Dat ingredient list!  This is actually a mate, so it's full of caffeine and David's Tea seems to be promoting this one as the healthy one.  Lucuma is supposed to be a natural sweetener that tastes a bit like maple.  Honestly, this seems a bit too crazy for me plus I haven't had good experience with coffee-flavored mates.  There just seems like there's so much going on with the fruit, coffee, hibiscus and random flavorings.  It might be good but I'm a bit meh about this one.

 

The Teaware:

 

 

 

 

I didn't include all of them, but this should give you the general idea of the patterns used.  

Adorable.

I love the colors but also the simplicity.  I love the leaves, birds and chevrons.  I just love them all.  In fact, I'd rather have these mugs and teapots than the sampler they have.

David's Tea's Fall Collection Website:  All pictures were taken from here. 

 

 

 

 

 

Zen Tea Bamboo Integrety

Outsides:  This herbal tea containes apple bits, carrot bits, bamboo, lemongrass, verbena, ginger, sunflower petals and natural flavor.  I'm not gonna lie, the carrot sounds really interesting to me.  I've had carrot in drinks before but never in tea.  Anyway, I put 2 teaspoons of this in my mug and steeped it in 8 oz of boiling water for 5 minutes.  The color is a light green and it smells citrusy.  This also is a beautiful tea to watch steep because the liquid is almost clear and the herbal portion has so many colors in it.

Insides:  The box suggested that this would taste tropical but it's really very citrusy and fresh tasting.  The apple and carrot add sweetness to balance out the rest of the flavors such as lemongrass and verbena so although it's citrusy, it's not very sour.  This really tastes like fresh squeezed lime with herbs in it as well.  Although I wouldn't advise adding too much sugar, this seems like it would be a good alternative to lemonade.

Overall:  It's interesting.  Not amazing, but if you're into herbal teas then it's worth a try.

My Rating:  Try it!

Zen Tea is a Canadian Tea Retailer (happy Boxing Day!) that specializes in mid to high quality tea.  

The Republic of Tea Comfort and Joy Holiday Black Tea

It's been a long time since I've reviewed a bagged tea, but I recently ordered the Republic of Tea Catalog for a reason that may or may not have been for free samples, and wanted to try this one.  I'm a sucker for holiday teas since they're usually fruity and spicy and get you into that holiday mood.



Outsides:  I got a biodegradable envelope with a round, unbleached sachet of tea inside.  TL;DR:  The most environmentally friendly a sachet tea can be.  This tea blend contains black tea, apple pieces, cinnamon, cloves and licorice.  The tea smells great unsteeped, like a sweet apple spice cake.  I steeped it in boiled water for about 4 minutes.  The color is lighter than but still very similar looking to apple cider in both hue and opacity.  It still has that sweet spiced apple cake smell to it.

Insides:  First off, I can barely taste the tea.  It's there, but it lacks astringency (good) and balance between all the other flavors (not so good) with a little bit of a weak tea body.  The flavor mix does have a very nice balance between fruity and spicy, with the cinnamon, cloves and licorice adding sweetness to the apple flavor that this tea had.  If anything, this is a good tea for anyone wanting the flavor of apple cider but without all the sugar.  And despite my not-nice things that I said about the tea portion, I think that it was at one point, a decent quality tea for a bagged tea, just overshadowed by the flavor.

Overall:  If you have someone on your holiday list that likes bagged tea and cider, this might be the gift to give.

My Rating:  Try it!

The Republic of Tea often advertises on my blog, meaning they have tons of money but also some higher quality tea bags as opposed to most of the other tea bag companies I review.  I got this sample from a catalog which I will look through and they seem to have a cool "Design your own gift" thing which looks like a good idea.

Adagio's Candy Apple Black Tea

To me, this is the anomaly in the Adagio Holiday Stocking Stuffer collection because I honestly don't associate candy apples with October to January.  I love candy apples, but they're something that I buy at amusement parks and the fair.  However, I did eat a candy apple a few weeks ago.  There's an Italian grocery store near my school which sells cheap produce and really good deserts.  I was buying some $1 pomegranates when I saw some candy apples at the counter for $1.50 so I bought one but much to my surprise and dismay, the apple was all brown inside :(.  That being said, I always get a candy apple when I see one so hopefully this tea will satiate my need.

Outsides:  Ok Adagio, what the heck is Candy Apple Flavor supposed to be?  I really dislike it when companies put these flavors instead of proper ingredients.  The Punpkin Spice flavored tea did the same thing and honestly, I don't know exactly what flavors go into pumpkin spice.  I stepped this for 5 minutes at near boiling water.  It's pretty much the same color as the Candy Cane tea but has the aroma of cinnamon and fruit.

Insides:  As shocking as this may sound (sarcasm), this tea does not taste like a candy apple but rather is an excuse for Adagio to package an apple cinnamon tea.  That being said, it's not that extraordinary.  The cinnamon flavor pokes through but only brings a little bit of the apple flavor with it, having the black tea completely overtake the flavor.  Adding cream helps a little in terms of bringing out the apple flavor but it really isn't as strong as Prestogeorge's (which apparently, I havent' reviewed yet).  It's not bad, just leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Overall:  Drinkable, but nothing you should purchase on it's own.

My Rating:  Pass.

Adagio is a fancy online tea retailer that has a wide variety of flavors.  I got this included in the Holiday Stocking Stuffers set which has 6 oz of tea for $14.

K-cup Reviews: Green Mountain Naturals Apple Cider

So, this is the first K-cup I've reviewed that, to me, seems pointless and more money grubbing than usual.  I can understand why people want coffee from these things, it's a lot faster than a conventional drip machine and is slightly cheaper than getting it from a decent coffee shop.  I kinda refuse to think about it with tea, because it's still stupidly overprices, but I guess if you want black tea without steeping then it's understandable.  Then there's hot cocoa and drinks like this.  There is not steeping time, you just stick the powder in a cup with hot water and mix it.  I mean, you can even use your Keurig to make hot water!  Swiss Miss has K-cups yet they cost like 3-4 times as much as just getting the chocolate mix and putting it in the hot water you created!  I could probably get a whole jug of apple cider for like $1.50, mix it with some cinnamon and have something that's more natural and authentic than this for like 30 cents.  I guess past just money grubbing, if you have kids or people who don't like coffee who want to use your Keurig, these would be for them.  But I still think the mixes turned K-cups are stupid.

Outsides:  Your average K-cup.  It's a light-looking apple cider with a nice apple-cinnamon smell.

Insides:  It tastes good in that it tastes like you'd want apple cider from a Keurig to taste.  It's sweet, it's sour and has a slight hint of cinnamon and possibly nutmeg.  One of my personal complaints is that it's a bit TOO sweet so if you have a 10 oz. setting (I don't think any of them do), it would be perfect.  It also has a nice thick texture much like normal apple cider.

Overall:  It's not bad, jut not something I personally would get.

My Rating:  Try it if you need something for kids or people who don't like coffee.  Here's the site but dear god, that's like 80 cents per K-cup!

TasTEA Time! Dilmah Apple Ceylon Tea

What:  Apple-flavored Ceylon Tea

Where:  Sri Lanka

Why Should I Care:  Although apple is a fruit that suits more of the October November December side of the cold season, it's still serves as a nice winter fruit.  That and it's one of my favorite fruits.  I know, I know, I say that about every fruit but Apple is definately on the top 5.

Packaging:  If you've read my Blackcurrant review, I pretty much have the same problems

Non-Taste Senses:  That same light-brown color that I associate with Dilmah Ceylon tea.   It smells apple-y

Taste:  Surprisingly, I don't feel like the apple packs as much of a punch as the other kinds.  Oh, it's good and I think if you want an apple tea without the spices, I'd check it out.  The scent and flavor isn't quite as strong as the blackcurrant, but it's still substantial, would still make a good iced tea and can still be drunk with or without sugar.

Overall:  I like it.  I'd buy it.  You should at least check it out.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.

Soda Pop! CasCal with hints of Apple and Anise

I'm sorry about the name;  I just want different drinks to be distinctive and this was the first thing that came to mind.

What:  Fermented Soda (soda made from fermentation instead of mixing syrup with carbonated water).

Where:  USA (or California to be precise)

Why Should I Care:  Well, it's not as terrible for you as regular soda is.  It only has 80 calories for the entire bottle.  Also, fermentation is how they make alcohol and the product description says it's made for a "grown-up" taste.  Some people may be wondering why anyone would want a drink that tastes like wine except without the alcohol and I really can't give people's personal reasons.  Maybe they're pregnant and want to have something nice with a fancy meal.  Maybe it's Thanksgiving and those jerks don't want to be too sleepy before shopping at Black Friday.  Maybe they just don't drink alcohol but find sparkling cider disgusting (I know I do).  I think there's a couple reasons that make sense but I haven't reviewed this yet so there may be a big reason to not want it.

Packaging:  Simple glass bottles with a twist-off cap.

Non-Taste Senses:  It is a not-quite clear yellow color and it does have a light wine scent.

Taste:  I think if you come into this expecting soda/pop, you're going to be pretty disappointed.  It's not that sweet and the fermented nature gives it that wine taste.  The juice is primarily made of apples so you're gonna taste that but I honestly didn't taste too much of the anise.  It's there, but it tastes more like gingerbread spice to me.  This stuff is probably best served chilled.  Also, mine is a little expired but I've had it not-expired and even then, it isn't super fizzy.  It's more of something you feel in your mouth than when you're drinking it.

Overall:  It's not bad and I recommend people getting this for pregnant women as opposed to sparkling juice with enough sugar to make the baby hyper for 5 years.  It's not amazing and probably isn't good for kids, but it's a good substitute for wine.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.  They recently went through a product redesign so that's why mine looks different.

TasTEA Time! Malwa Rosehip Tea.

'Scuse me, dis is not cat food!

What:  Hibiscus Tea with Apple, Rosehips and Briar Rose

Where:  Poland

Why Should I Care:  I like to imagine the tea world as this big, multi-layered ocean.  First people just think of tea as black and...green.  Then you start adding flavors like mint and lemon and berry and you possibly add a new type of tea like white, red or oolong.  Rose flower tea is something you start seeing once you pass those layers of tea-newbdom and start looking at legit tea websites (is this description doing it for you because I'm not even sure what I'm talking about anymore).  My point is that much like Genmai cha, it's not as unique as it sounds although you kinda have to look at specific tea places to find it.

Packaging:  This falls under the annoying loose leaf packaging category   There's a plastic bag within the paper container.  It's not even an easy pour bag, it's just...there.  Just use a metal container.

Non-Taste Senses:  Look at this color!  Yes, that is a very pale pink.  Oh, I brewed it the right time, it's just the cutest thing ever (Yeah, I'm a dork).  There's a light floral scent with a bit of fruit.

Taste:  Oh man, this stuff is awesome!  The mixture of floral and fruit is perfect!  It's a very light tasting tea but that doesn't mean that the flavor isn't bold in its own way, plus it's very reminiscent of lychee fruit.  It's nice chilled but not ice cold and it's really fantastic with sugar

Overall:  I think it's pretty obvious that I'm going to recommend this.  It's unique, light and refreshing.  If you ever need a "date" tea, look no further than this.

My Rating:  Buy it!  The site is about as useful as a wet tissue, but it's there.  Also, what's a Chokeberry?

TasTEA Time! Babcia Jagoda Apple Tea

What:  Apple Tea "like your Grandma used to make it"

Where:  Poland

Why Should I Care:  When I went to New York, I got this at a store on Greenpoint for a buck.  ONE DOLLAR for 20 bags of tea!  And it wasn't even a discount store, it was like a convenience store from what I got out of it.  Plus it's fall and that means that it's the season for apple tea.

Packaging:  Unsurprisingly, the sachets are paired squares without being wrapped.  I doubt this stuff lasts very long once it's opened.  The babcia on the box looks rather pleasant though.

Non-taste Senses:  It's the color of a golden apple and it smells like fresh apple pie filling.

Taste:  This isn't the best apple tea ever, but it's not the worst either.  There's a really strong apple flavor without much of the usual cinnamon that accompanies it (my mom hates cinnamon and she didn't notice it here).  If you're looking for tea, it isn't really here since this is classified as a herbal tea.  It's not bad though especially if you like apples.

Overall:  I think if you live in New York and want some cheap fruit tea, pick this one up.  For everyone else, I wouldn't pay more than 2 bucks for it unless you hate cinnamon and love apples.  The drink is pleasant for cold weather and full of apple-ly goodness.

My Rating:  Try it!  here