Zen Tea Pu-erh Vanilla Mint

I kinda feel like I'm cheating a bit because I haven't really tried good Pu-erh yet (I have another Zen Tea sample sitting in my tea storage), but pu-erh is another tea that you're supposed to drink in multiple infusions and I just don't feel like doing that right now.  I also feel as though this is a great tea for around the holidays since it's a sweet peppermint and all.

Outsides:  First off, this one blatantly states that it's organic and fair-trade so it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling for supporting a good tea cause.  It contains pu-erh, peppermint, cinnamon (which seems almost contradictory to me), vanilla and the bane of my existence, licorice.  One annoying thing that Zen Tea did was not include how much of this you're supposed to put per cup, so I'm just going to assume that it's a generous teaspoon per 8 oz of boiling water.  This tea is DARK but smells fantastic, like candy canes and holiday cookies all rolled up into one.

Inside:  I know that Pu-erh is different than black tea but I'm going to revoke Adagio's Candy Cane Tea's honor of being the best black tea because this is fantastic.  Pu-erh doesn't seem to be as bitter as black tea and the mint and vanilla flavors come through so nicely.  The licorice is barely noticeable and is actually done right by having it act as a slight sweetener.  I'm going to include a picture of when I add creamer to it because the milk tea has this slight reddish tone to it which I think is very pretty.  Oh, and this is amazing with creamer.  It's like you're having milk and cookies with a candycane in there. 

Milk Tea Goodness

Overall:  I felt like I took a risk getting the 50 gram pouch of this but I'm glad I followed my instincts.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Zen Tea is a Canadian tea retailer specializing in mid to high quality tea.  

K-cup Review: Newman's Own Extra Bold Special Blend

First off, Newman's Own makes some amazing cookies.  I love Oreos and all, but these taste like homebaked cookies and that puts them above anything.  They're also Fair-Trade and Organic Certified, wo theoretically you can feel good buying them.  Other than that, apparently, this is extra bold.  I guess that's cool.

Outsides:  Normal K-cup.  It's dark and it actually smells very nice.  Kinda sweet, a little smoky, all the good things about coffee.

Insides:  I would consider this coffee bold but not extra bold.  It's thick and slightly sweet with a slight acidic finish.  There's really not much to say, I mean, it's good coffee.  

Overall:  If you want a feel-good alternative to your normal dark roast, this one's pretty good.  

My Rating:  Try it!  You can purchase it here:  Keurig K-Cup 18-Pk. Newman's Own Extra Bold Coffee

TasTEA Time! Tea Fortè Honey Yuzu

So for those of you wondering what a Yuzu is, it's a citrus fruit.  That's really all I can tell you about them.  Anyway, this is my last Tea Forte sample.  I'm not particularly excited about it despite never having tried a yuzu before.  Maybe this one will renew my opinion on them.

Outsides:  Well, it's in a nice plastic wrapped sachet.  It's a normal green tea color but smells interesting.  It's a sweet citrus scent with a hint of spices, like a citrus scone or other desert.  

Insides:  The tea is that same "it should be better for the price" quality but the aroma is very nice to drink in. It brings a hint of sweetness and zestyness and is a nice tea for eating cookies with.  In fact, the tea itself reminds me of a biscotti.  Other than the scent, this is a bit boring.  

Overall:  This one's not bad but it's far from amazing.  I suppose if you want nice skin, try this and the Cherry Marzipan, but don't get the big pack.  This one's my second favorite of the three samples I've tried.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Tea Forte Honey Yuzu

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