English Tea Store Bingo Blueberry Tea

First off, I got this tea at Margaret's but they purchase their tea from English Tea Store (I could tell from the artwork and names).  Blueberry herbal tissanes are something I always seem to gravitate towards and I think they tend to work all year round.

Outsides:  Ingredients for this tea are Luxury natural dried currants, blue berries, apples, rasins, hibiscus, cornflower petals, rosehip pieces, and natural flavors.  This is a bit different than the other tissanes I've tried in this variety because most of them use green rooibos as a mixer.  I brewed 3 teaspoons of this in 16 oz of boiling water for...7 minutes (it doesn't matter with these kinds of teas).  It's a lovely dark crimson color and smells like berries.

Insides:  This tea is very tart yet sweet and almost has the mouthfeel of a juice or punch.  It seems a bit thicker than your normal tissane and every sip is full of blueberry and currant flavors.  Compared to the other tissanes of this type, this one has a prominant cherry note which I haven't noticed with other teas of this type and lacks any spice notes (like the cinnamon in the Davidson's bulk).  There is a floral top note but it isn't as noticeable as the others.  

Tilt:  It's $5.99 at Margaret's and $7.30 on Amazon for 4 oz of this so more expensive than the other places but less expensive than Teavana.  However, the subtraction of the green rooibos means that you can mix it to make a similar product to the others so that actually helps lower the price (I actually got a 16 oz bag of green rooibos for $12 so that's how I got reminded).  Like all of the other blueberry tissanes I've reviewed, this one is caffeine-free so it's great for before bed, pregnant women and children and even better for the later since it's fruity and yummy but without the sugar.  I think this kind of tea works well for all seasons and is great iced or hot.

Overall:  I'm going to buy it again since I need something to mix into the green rooibos I bought and I think it's a good tissane to check out.  It also makes a great air-freshener when brewed.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Here's the Amazon link.  I'm sorry that that tea is Add-on only, but it's something for non-Pittsburgh dwelling people.  Margaret's is found in the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh.  I really hate their website, especially since they've Tea-Pittsburgh.  Seriously?  Prestogeorge has a MUCH better selection than you do.  /rant

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 Juicy Blueberry Herbal Tea

As you may know, I love blueberry herbal teas.  I love that combination of sweet, sour and floral that make it like a juice but lighter.  I also haven't reviewed a Zen Tea thing in a while, and still have quite a bit to review from them.

Outsides:  This tea has a wide variety of indredients including apple, hibiscus, currants, raisins, blueberry, lemongrass, more blueberries (?), cornflower, sunflower, marigold, rose, citric acid and vitamin C, so a really unique blend of ingredients.  The dried tea smells like blueberry jam though, so I'm excited.  I brewed about 2 teaspoons of this in 8 oz of boiling water for 5 or so minutes.  The tea is a nice berry red and smells sweet and juicy like a blueberry.

Insides:  This is definitely different than the other blueberry herbal teas I've tried thanks to the citrus flavor.  You get a strong, sweet berry flavor with a lot of fullness and depth but it's lightened up with the lemongrass favor and contrasted with the citric acid.  The fruity flavors really pop with a bit of added sugar.  This tea would be awesome for kids since it's basically a healthy Kool-aid with added vitamin C to it or iced and possibly used in a punch or sangria.

Overall:  I like it.  It's not as cheap as the other blueberry herbal teas, but it probably would be a better alternative for the summer.

I think I'm going to try to implement a bit of a different rating system.

Taste:  A strong fruity herbal
Price:  9 dollars for about 4 oz.
Uniqueness:  The general idea isn't that unique but the flavor is.
Uses:  Great for late-night and children.  Can be iced and tastes great with or without sugar.
My Rating:  Try it.  

Zen Tea is a Canadian Tea retailer that specializes n mid to high quality tea from all around the world.

Teavana Berry Basil Blast White Tea

Outsides:  This tea is pretty much fruit punch in a tea, with a riddiculusly long list of ingredients including pinnapple pieces, white tea, hibiscus flower, orange pieces and other fruits and herbs.  I actually like the smell since it's super fruity with notes of sweet berry and tangy citrus.  I brewed 2 teaspoons worth of this (plus a giant slice of orange) in 4 oz boiling water and 4 oz room temp water for 3 minutes.  The liquid is pink and it smells pretty much like the dried tea.

Insides:  This is good, but it's pretty much just the Mount of Olives White Tea Berry with citrus added.  The tea flavor is a bit too overpowered by all the fruit, but what I can taste is smooth and light.  The sweetness of the berries are balanced out by the citrus and herbal flavors, which give a nice "freshness" to the flavor.  It's pretty flavorful without sugar and would make great iced tea (which is probably what I'll use it for).

Overall:  You can probably find something like it cheaper, but it's good.

Taste:  Basic white tea with berry and citrus.  Tastes a bit like a bagged tea in that the flavor is a bit weak.
Price:  11 or 12 dollars for 2 oz, so not worth it unless it's on sale.
Uniqueness:  You can find other blends like this.  Just add some lime juice.
Usability:  It still has caffeine in it so if you're super sensitive to caffeine, don't drink it before bed.  It would be good iced or with sugar or pretty much any way you want to drink it.
My Rating:  Try it.

Teavana is a chain tea retailer that can be found in malls across the United States and Canada.

TasTEA Time! Snapple Berry Herbal Tea

So, Snapple doesn't make tea-bags anymore, but they used to.  I actually like Snapple since it's cheap, they have fun flavors and their tea is generally pretty good.  It's not top-quality by any means, but it's enjoyable if you like fruity tea.  Also, I'm a huge fan of berry tea.  I am going to warn you that this is old tea so the flavor is probably going to be impacted, but it was inside a cellophane sealed box, so hopefully it isn't too bad.  

Outsides:  It's a paper wrapped sachet.  The tea is dark and purple colored with the smell of strawberries and blueberries.

Insides:  I think at one time, this was a nice herbal tea.  The berry flavor is still strong and you taste a few herbs in there.  But this is old tea and you can tell it's old tea.  Whatever tea background was there has only a hint of flavor left.  There's something that tastes like licorice and doesn't go too well with the berry flavor.  But still, it's not the worst old tea I've had.

Overall:  This one wasn't my favorite of the Snapple tea bags, but it's not terribly bad.  Honestly, I'd kinda like Snapple to bring these tea bags back.  Still, if you see someone selling this on eBay or something, don't buy it.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the Snapple site:  Snapple inc.  

TasTEA Time! Zhena's Pink Cherryberry Green tea.

Note:  The actual name of this is something like Zhena's Gypsy Tea, Superberry Tea.  Pink Tea for Women's Health Cherryberry.

I feel like this is some of the most proactive tea I have.  It's fair-trade, it's organic and a bit of the proceeds went to help support breast cancer research.  Plus Zhena's is pretty high quality.  I've only tried a few of their products but they would have been worth the money they ask for on the site.  But I shouldn't be praising this tea before I've reviewed it!  This blend contains sencha green tea, cherries, elderberries and blossoms.  It's also discontinued so you probably won't be able to find this fresh.

Outsides:  The sachets are in a nice metal tin and are made out of corn silk.  The tea is a light pink color and smells fruity.

Insides:  This is similar and yet opposite of the Loyd Tea with Strawberry and Raspberry.  Both are berry-focused teas that start out a little tangy, but the Loyd did not ultimately feel like a tea.  Zhena's has a good balance between the tartness of the cherries, sweet and floral notes from the blossoms and sencha backdrop.  It's multidimensional, light and versatile, having a nice fruit flavor that would go well with or without sugar, hot or cold.

Overall:  It's a pity that this isn't around anymore because it's fantastic.  I still encourage you to check out Zhena's and try at least one of their teas (they're a bit expensive but totally worth it).

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site:  Zhena's main site

TasTEA Time! Lipton Green Tea with Mixed Berry Flavor

So, berry green tea.  It's one of my favorites for summer.  It's probably one of my favorites year-round.  The sweetness of the berries and the lightness of green tea make a fantastic and refreshing combination for 90 degree days like this.  Ok Lipton, let's see what you got.

Outsides:  Paper on the outer layer, saran wrap on the inner and all the sachets are individually wrapped.  The tea actually is a gold yellow color with no hint of berry color in it (the Touch one was like that and it actually turned out pretty delicious).  However, the smell that comes from this....smells fake.  My first thought was children's chewable vitamins but after re-examination, it smells like fake cherry.  This is fading a bit while it cools down but my hopes are a little slashed right now.

Insides:  Thankfully, you don't taste much of the fake cherry just some strawberry flavor.  It also tastes a lot more bitter than it should.  This just isn't very good.  I don't mind if Lipton is trying to do something different with their berry tea, but the only flavors you do taste are fake cherry and fake strawberry (it says natural flavors but they don't taste natural).  Those two flavors are the only ones that break though even if there are other berry flavors.  The green tea is the same as the original, not the best but you could do better.  Ultimately, I am just not a fan.

Overall:  Don't buy this.  You can get good berry tea at a reasonable price (Celestial Seasonings Green Tea with Blueberry is decent, not amazing but decent).

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the site.

TasTEA Time! Dilmah Blackcurrant Ceylon Tea

Right now, I'm gong to review three teas from the same brand.  This isn't something I plan on doing often but I'm almost out of the Blackcurrant and was so excited about the Apple and Peach Lychee that I figured doing a few extra Dilmah reviews won't hurt.

What:  Blackcurrant-flavored Ceylon tea

Where:  Sri Lanka

Why Should I care:  Blackcurrant is honestly pretty exciting.  I mean, I don't get as excited over it as I do with lychee or even mango but it's the quintessential berry in my opinion.  It has this perfect blend of sweet and sour while still being fragrant.  Dilmah also happens to be pretty good with their fruits so here's hoping for the best.

Packaging:  Unfortunately, it's just a cardboard box with a foil pack containing all the tea bags.  If it's good (SPOILER:  it is), then that isn't a problem because you'll just drink all of them but if you're not always in the mood for blackcurrant then you should probably look for a separate container.

Non-Taste Senses:  It has a light brown color with a slight tint of red.  It also smells really strongly of berries.

Taste:  I really freaking love this tea, more than the mango even.  It's just, the berry scent and flavor is so strong and rich and yet you still have that slight tea taste.  It's sweet and tangy and even the slight bitterness complements it.  The tea tastes great with or without sugar, hot or cold and really nice with cookies.

Overall:  Just buy it.  

My Rating:  Buy it!  I don't think you need it at this point but here's the website.

TasTEA Time! Mount of Olives Berry White Tea

What:  Berry White Tea

Where:  Israel

Why Should I Care:  Yeah, my mouth is still try from the previous review and as much as I love the Dilmah Mango Tea before that, that's also a little bitter.  Yes, I could have grabbed water but this was sitting nearby and I figured I could review one more thing.  White Tea is generally light and consists of the first few tea buds, but unlike green tea, it is oxidized a little.  Also, you can't go wrong with berry.

Packaging:  Unfortunately, this was wrapped in paper.  This particular brand is actually relatively inexpensive but still, if you're going to make something portable, you should make sure it can go through the elements.

Non-Taste Senses:  It has a really interesting color which can be described as pink with an overlay of light brown.  There's a light berry smell to it.

Taste:  I was right to think this would quench my thirst.  It has a light tea taste (which can also be attributed to it being old) and although the berry flavor is there, it doesn't overpower the tea.  Since the taste is so light, it makes a great chilled tea in the summer and is pretty good with or without sugar.

Overall:  I like it.  I think it's a good tea for tea newbies and is very versatile, plus it's relatively inexpensive.  Actually, it's one of my favorite flavors from this brand (Apple spice is also good if i don't get to review it) so check it out if you can.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site.  You can probably find it cheaper at other places, but that's true of any tea I post.

TasTEA Time! Twinnings Herbal Revive Blackcurrant Vanilla

What:  Something that sounds really delicious

Where:  Britain/England

Why Should I Care:  I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty excited when I saw this tea.  Even though Berry Vanilla type things are fairly common, it's hard finding tea with that flavor combination and Blackcurrant is pretty much the perfect match with Vanilla.  Plus Twinnings is generally pretty good at combining flavors so my hopes are high.  Oh, and it has Ginseng too meaning it's a nice alternative to coffee in the morning.

Packaging:  IFWS

Non-Taste Senses:  The tea is this reddish pink color that most hibiscus teas are.  It smells nice, like berries and herbs.

Taste:  I think this would work a lot better as a black or oolong tea, the herbal tea is almost a little bit too busy. It's not bad, you get a hit of berry and the orange peel gives a little bit of spice.  The thing is, the blackcurrant and vanilla isn't in the forefront.  That being said, it's nice with sugar.  This probably wouldn't make a good iced tea.

Overall:  It's not a bad herbal tea and it's definatly worth getting if it's cheap, but be warned that the blackcurrant and vanilla aren't the only flavors in there.  This is on the lower end of try for me.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.

TasTEA Time! Stash Black Currant Herbal Tea

What:  Herbal Tea with Blackcurrant

Where:  Oregon, USA

Why Should I Care:  First off, this tea is probably at least 3 years old because my mom buys tea then never drinks it.  Anyways, Black Currant is pretty much just a souped-up blueberry.  It's stronger in flavor, has more vitamin C and can withstand stronger teas.  I can't say much about this company except they seem to have a wide variety of unique flavors.

Packaging:  Thankfully, they know how to package their teas so this may have a chance.  The outside is paper while the inside is foil.

Non-Taste Senses:  The tea is this reddish-brown color and smells like berries and licorice.

Taste:  The taste itself is kinda weird, but not quite bad.  There's a strong berry taste but it's also mixed with the taste of licorice which gives the impression that it's thicker than it actually is.  Unlike the Yogi Egyption Licorice Mint, there isn't any weird sweet aftertaste and ultimately, if you like licorice, this one is the better bet.  I don't recommend drinking this cold but you can add sugar since the tea takes it well.

Overall:  I never realized that I'd be reviewing two licorice teas on the same weekend.  The good news is that this particular type doesn't quite taste like death and if you do want licorice in your tea, this one's the way to go.  Do I say that you should go out and buy it?  No, but it's not terrible and that's all that matters.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site and that tea has Yumberry in it!

TasTEA Time! Arizona Green Tea with Pomegranate and Acai Berry

What:  Pomegranate tea from a name brand

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  I...I don't care for Arizona Green Tea.  I know, it's a great value:  For 99 cents, you get a big can of badly-brewed tea and high-fructose corn syrup!  It's just, the tea doesn't taste real to me.  There's no flavor.  Oh, and that Pomegranate tea they sell is a LIE.  Companies seem to think that if you put pomegranate on the label of something, you can replace it with any other red fruit.  BTW, Cherries do not taste like Pomegranates, Arizona.  So, I got this tea just to see if the hot version was going to lie to me too.

Packaging:  The individually foil-wrapped bags give me a glimmer of hope.  Maybe this isn't going to be a bland, lifeless product of corporate greed?  Maybe this'll be decent!

Non-taste senses:  It's this cloudy pinkish red color and it actually does smell like pomegranate and some berries.

Taste:  So, the smell is kinda strong but that disappears when it goes into your mouth.  It's not BAD per say, but I feel like when you have that vibrant of a color and that strong of a smell, you should have a flavor to go with it.  The "green tea" portion is nonexistent or crushed by the taste of the berries.  I've had this cold and I will tell you that it's even more bland and also, sugar doesn't really do anything to enhance the flavor.

Overall:  I know you'll probably see it cheap and it may seem tempting due to the delicious pomegranate on the front, but it really isn't worth it.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the website.  An interesting note is that Arizona Tea Bags was the third result after typing in Arizona Tea B.  The first two b's were Bankrupt and Bad for you.

TasTEA Time! Loyd Fruits of the Forest Mulled Wine Tea

It's also a well documented fact that cats help beat the cold weather.

What:  A non-alcoholic version of mulled wine.

Where:  I got this at a Polish store, but for now I can only say somewhere in Europe.

Why Should I Care:  Mulled Wine is pretty much one of the best thing to beat the cold and share with company. You have this combination of fruit, spices and booze that really makes a great drink when the weather's chilly and you have nowhere important to go.  It's nice seeing this in tea form if only because you can drink it in more practical places like your car or work without that little thing called intoxication.  Plus I'm a sucker for berry tea.

Packaging:  The pack I got had the sachets individually wrapped in cellophane.  I can't tell you whether that has the freshness preserving edge over foil but hey, it works.

Non-taste Senses:  The tea itself is this nice reddish-pink color and it give off this smell of spices and berries from halfway across the room.

Taste:  It's strong, but not in the bad way.  It feels like you're drinking blackberry juice with some cloves and other spices mixed in.  The berry flavor is nice and it stands up well to the spices that also are in here.  The box says there's a hint of alcohol but I don't taste it (and doubt it's enough to make any difference).  I think it can be drunk without any sweetener but it also takes sugar well and although I think it would be ok cold, that kinda defeats the purpose.

Overall:  Do you like spiced apple cider?  Do you like berries?  Would you spend two dollars on a ten-pack?  If the answer is yes then check it out.  It makes a great alternative to hot cocoa.

My Rating:  Try it!  The site didn't have any shopping links but it probably in your European Market.