Prestogeorge Peach Rooibos

Today, I am waiting for my Teavana order to be delivered (7 teas, 1 free sample tea blend, almost a pound of tea for $20).  But I'm bored and I need to get this rooibos reviewed so that's what I'm going to do.

Outsides:  The ingredients on the site basically say it's just peach and rooibos.  I brewed about 2+ teaspoons of this at boiling for as long as I want as long as it's exceeding 5 minutes.  The color is a rusty orange and this smells like peach flavored tea, except it has a bit of that southern sweet tea/fast food tea scent to it.

Ok, so you may notice that there is a lot of tea in this cup.  I make boiling water with my Keurig, which I got for free because my friend is an engineering genius who got access to the engineering department's electronic waste closet.  Someone threw it out, I knew my mom got me one for my birthday and was hoping that she'd return it and give me the money if this one worked (no, that Keurig is in storage for when this one breaks) and I figured that I'd try to see if it works.  Well, it works for the most part.  The nice thing about it is that 90% of the time, I can tell it to make 8, 6 or 4oz (there's an 11 oz setting but I never use that for tea) of water and get that amount of not quite boiling (I'm guessing 95 degrees Celsius).  However, this thing will occassionally stall (not give me water).  I then turn it off and make it boil water until it works again, but then I get an excess of about 4 oz.  This was actually a lot more annoying when I brewed coffee or hot chocolate because those would get watery unless I stopped it at the right time, but with hot water, it's not a big deal.  It's still not a big deal because I've had this tea before and put an excess of tea in the container, but my strainer needs to be washed better so it doesn't deceive me.  Anyway, that's why there's an excess.

Insides:  Obviously, the flavor could be stronger but that is my fault.  I actually thing the peach and rooibos really complement each other and although this isn't as complex as it could be, it's a safe peach tea.  Rooibos is not bitter or sour in any way and kind of has this floral, honey note to it while peach naturally complements that.  The peach flavor is still strong even in my abomination of a cuppa, and gives this tea a fresh taste.  I think this would make a great iced tea and would probably go well with some juice mixed in.

Overall:  Not my favorite rooibos flavored concoction, but a solid one.

My Rating:  Try it (especially if you like peach tea)

Prestogeorge is my local tea shop here in Pittsburgh.  They have a ton of different types of teas, from basic blends to flavored to higher-quality leaves.

Prestogeorge Herbal Red Pomegranate

I need to review more teas from Prestogeorge, but since I have about 20 teas from Zen Tea and 10 teas from Prestogeorge, Zen Tea has won priority (although, it's also because I just bought higher quality tea from Zen Tea and it's something I really need to do at Prestogeorge).  I'm not the biggest fan of Rooibos since to me, it's not complex enough on it's own.  Pomegranate is another story and I will gladly consume anything that reminds me of that fruit, plus the sweet and tangy taste with a hint of floral should do wonders for Rooibos. 

Outsides:  What's unique about this tea is that it's a blend of green and red rooibos, which I rarely see together.  It also contains safflowers, rosehips and, of course, pomegranate.  I brewed a teaspoon and a half of this at almost boiling for 5+ minutes.  The color is lighter than most rooibos teas I've tried but still that rusty orange.  It smells fantastic, juicy, sweet and tart.

Insides:  The rooibos actually serves as a nice base for all of the other flavors and doesn't hinder the wonderful pomegranate smell and flavor.  This smells a lot stronger than it tastes, but there is a hint of natural sweetness and a little needed tartness from the pomegranate.  There's also a slight floral flavor but it's more of a complement to the fruit than a flavor on its own.  I think this would go great with sugar and would make a nice iced tea.

Overall:  I've decided to change my thoughts on rooibos to not liking it unless it has some stronger flavor added to it.  This is a very nice blend and worth the extra dollar or so I spent on it compaired to the other rooiboses.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Prestogeorge is my local tea shop in Pittsburgh.  They deliver to other parts, but their shipping is expensive so I'd just look elsewhere for other tea.  

TasTEA Time! Teavana's Blueberry Bliss Rooibos Tea

Ok, so I wanted to review this before my trip and now I feel like I have to because A) the last few things I've reviewed have been awful and B)  I'm almost done with this blend.  This is the first tea I've bought from Teavana and I have to say, that place is expensive.  I know that I'm supposed to mix this blend with something else but you know what?  I don't care.  Plus, I love blueberry tea and have never tried green Rooibos before (it's supposed to be a more mild version of the red).  

Outsides:  Unlike pretty much all of the other teas I've reviewed, this one doesn't come in a container (unless you count a paper bag as a container).  If you don't have a local tea shop where you can buy loose-leaf blends, it's kinda cool that you can pick the amount you get.  Anyway, the smell is....AMAZING!!!  It's so sweet and blueberry-ish and just fills your room with sunshine and happiness.  It's kind of a darker pinkish-redish color.

Insides:  This, to me, is a good example of a tea that's expensive but worth it's money.  The blueberry flavor and scent is strong and it's almost like drinking a juice, resulting in something that can (if you want) be reduced to make a strongly-flavored iced tea.  There are other flavors mixed in, like hibiscus and the green rooibos makes a good non-bitter but not too heavy blend.  

Overall:  I think this tea is a good crowd-pleaser.  For loose-leaf, it is a bit pricy for 6.95 for 2 oz, but it's fruity and fun and doesn't disappoint.  I would buy it again as a gift for myself.

My Rating:  Buy!  Here's the site:  Teavana

TasTEA Time! Uncle Lee's Imperial Organic Vanilla Rooibus Chai

So, I think Rooibus makes the best chai tea base.  This is just an opinion, but it tastes like tea, can be steeped indefinitely without getting bitter and holds up a wide variety of flavors.  Now, if you want GOOD chai, you should make it yourself (tutorial coming soon-ish), but there's nothing wrong with having a few sachets for a quick chai once in a while.

Outsides:  The sachets are all individually foil-wrapped for freshness and you can smell that freshness the moment you open it.  It's a lovely rust color and smells like cardamon, cinnamon and hints of vanilla.

Insides:  You know, the vanilla really makes it for me.  This isn't the strongest chai and quite frankly, you should make your own, but for a "quick" chai, it hits the spot.  As stated in the intro, rooibus provides a nice base free of bitterness so the sweet spices and vanilla really shine through.  The predominant flavors are cardamon, cinnamon and vanilla,with some ginger, clove and a bit of spice from the black pepper.  There's also a hint of stevia in here but it works well bringing out the sweet flavor.  The vanilla really makes this creamy and delicious.

Overall:  For cheap organic chai, it's pretty good.  Super strong chai purists may not like it, but it's worth a try.

My Rating: Try it!  Here's the website.

TasTEA Time! Justin Lloyd Fiery Red Rooibos Chai

What:   Chai Tea with a Rooibos base

Where:  England

Why Should I care:  I love chai tea and it happens to be the perfect weather for chai tea.  I'm also trying to get some unique teas for this blog as opposed to the same old green teas and earl greys.  There's actually a couple really nice things about Red Tea Chai:  this brand is organic, red tea is caffeine-free and (my favorite part) this tea is pretty much idiot-proof.  One time I completely forgot I had it steeping and when I finally got it an hour later, there wasn't any bitter taste and it was entirely drinkable.

Packaging:  Your standard IFWS.

Non-Taste Senses:  It looks like standard red tea and it smells spicy.

Taste:  First off, if you want insanely strong chai, you should probably just make your own.  This is for the people who want something quick and easy and for that, it's pretty good.  Although the spices are more mild that I'd prefer, they didn't skimp on them and I'm sure you could even add a bit of milk to it if you want.  Chai is good with or without sugar and although I'd go with a spicier kind, I'm sure this would be delicious cold.

Overall:  It tastes fine, is generally pretty healthy for you and is inexpensive.  Not perfect, but definately worth a try.

My Rating:  Try it!  Again, i have not found a website so if you find it for 2-4 dollars, it's worth a shot.

TasTEA Time! Good Earth Red Tea with Lemon

What:  Possibly one of the worst teas I've ever tasted

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  I mentioned in another review that I was a little apprehensive about buying Red/Rooibos tea and the reason is this tea.  I found it when going though our kitchen's tea stash (as opposed to my own personal tea stash) and this was crammed in the corner because nobody would drink it.  Red Tea is practically idiot-proof in that you can stick it without regards to temperature, steeping time or caffeine levels (it's decaf).  I've also noticed that when there are flavored varieties available, it's usually more along the lines of sweet or spicy as opposed to zesty like a lemon.  Maybe this tea improves with time?

Packaging:  Lucky for me, it's in a lovely IWFS.

Non-Taste Senses:  This particular brand is lighter than the Heath and Heather tea.  It smells lemony...and spicy.

Taste:  It's not the red tea's fault.  I didn't realize this when I was young, but it really isn't the red tea's fault.  Whoever designed this tea should have picked a flavor and stuck with it.  You have the citrus, which is slightly faded due to the passage of time but it's still zesty and a bit bitter.  Then you have the spicy herbs like chicory root that make this spicy.  Overall, this is far too busy in terms of flavor profiles and and the naturally-sweet red tea doesn't help it.  Nothing, NOTHING, will save it from milk, sugar, ice, booze, anything!

Overall:  There are some Good Earth teas that I like.  This is not one of them.  I can't imagine anyone enjoying this but if you do, you are one heck of a masochist.

My Rating:  Stay Away!  If you ever have the desire to buy something that is liquid torture, here's the site.  Like I said, I don't hate every product of theirs but be warned that Good Earth teas tend to be....busy.   Apparently, they realized that this tea was horrible too since I don't see it on the site.

TasTEA Tips #1: How to Brew Tea

It's really quite simple.  You boil water, throw in your tea, wait for like five minutes and enjoy!

Not really.

Most of the tea-drinkers I know say they like black tea a lot more than green tea.  Now, I don't think this is completely due to your inborn taste preferences but because when you don't brew green tea properly, it's pretty much just bitter water with a hint of grass flavoring and that doesn't sound good to anyone.  Heck, I've been brewing green tea properly for about two months now and when my mom (who brews tea by sticking it in a coffee pot DON'T DO THAT EVER) gave me some "green tea" she brewed, I just wanted to punch something.    It's really not that difficult and if you don't have time, this is where I really recommend getting a water heater since it's quick, easy and safer than a stove.

Note:  These are general guidlines for people who probably don't get any really fancy tea and who don't have any special equipment  If you have a really expensive tea which requires you to be ultra-specific when it comes to temperature and timing, you're going to have to do research on your own.

1.  Tea is not Coffee:  My mom isn't the only person out there who uses a coffee pot to brew tea.  Coffee tends to need a higher temperature to release the right amount of flavor and even if you are dealing with something like black tea, you're not going to have the correct steep time.  There's also those Kerug machines which leave me feeling apprehensive.  I don't know if all of them are like this but the one at work uses the same setting for tea and coffee.  Plus a lot of the tea they offer is green tea!  Just trust me on this one and don't do it.

I couldn't find anything to do with rinsing so enjoy this picture of a cat in a cup!

2.  "Rinsing" the Tea:  I've just started practicing this recently.  Fill the cup or teaware with enough water to submerge the tea leaves, let it soak for a couple of seconds then dump the water out.  This is said to yield a better brew and I have to admit that my tea doesn't taste as bitter as it use to.  Something controversial I've noticed is the amount of time, some people say 1 or 2 seconds while others say a full 30 seconds or even 3 to 5 minutes!  I think it all depends on the amount of caffeine you want in your tea (high: 1-2 sec, low: 30 sec) so rinse longer if you want less caffeine.

3.  Each specific tea is different:  So, we aren't brewing our tea coffee-style, we rinsed the tea and now we're going to brew it.  When I said that tea isn't coffee, I also should have added that each type of tea is its own special little snowflake (or...tealeaf).  You should treat black tea and green tea differently or else you'll have crappy tea.  Heck, some people think you should treat tea from specific regions differently and honestly, that's all up to you.  Here's a list of tea and what's an appropriate steeping time, temperature and measurement.

Black Tea:  
-The most common type we see in the US and Europe.  Strong taste and lots of caffeine
-Temperature:  90 to 100 degrees Celsius
-Time:  3 to 5 minutes
-Amount:  1 teaspoon per 8 oz cup

Green Tea:  
-Picked then dried.  Freshest and has tons of antioxidants.  Also, some of the highest variety.
-Temperature:  65 to 85 degrees Celsius
-Time:  1 to 3 minutes.  I've even seen as low as 30 seconds
-Amount:  2 to 3 teaspoons/8 oz.

White Tea:  
-Made from the youngest tea leaves.  Slightly oxidized like Oolong.
-Temperature:  75 to 90 degrees Celsius.
-Time:  2 to 3 minutes
-Amount:  2 teaspoons/8 oz.

Red Tea:  
-Not technically "tea", made from the African Rooibos plant.  No caffeine, high in antioxidents.
-Temperature: 90 to 100 degrees Celsius
-Time:  It doesn't matter.  The tea doesn't get bitter.
-Amount:  1 teaspoon/8 oz cup

Oolong Tea:  
-Slightly oxidized, halfway between green and black.  Good for weightloss.
-Temp:  75 to 90 degrees C
-Time:  2 to 3 minutes
-Amount:  2 teaspoons/8 oz.

Herbal Tea:  
-If it's with a tea in the above list, follow suggestions
-Temp:  95 degrees C and above
-Time:  3 to 7 minutes depending on the herb
-Amount:  Depends on the herb


There are other types of tea out there, the most "common" type is Pu-erh which behaves like black tea for quick reference, but I haven't even found anywhere that sells yellow tea or any of the other crazy blends.  My advice for them is that the internet is a wonderful place and looking up info on them (or even some of the teas I just made a few points about) is not a bad idea.

4.  Multiple Infusions:  This goes along with the rinsing point.  Some people use tea meant for 1 cup of tea to make several cups of tea (like grandma used to).  I understand that tea is expensive but I feel like most tea just ends up losing too much flavor/getting bitter after the first batch.  Rinse it for 30 seconds if you want it decaf but after that, just use the bag/tea once.  And this is coming from a cheap person!

Well, these are all the basic tips you need.  And because I just LOVE bullet points....

-Don't brew tea in a coffee machine
-Try to rinse the tea with hot water for a couple of seconds
-Each tea is different.  The less done to it, the more gentle you should be in terms of temperature and time.
-Don't be a cheapo and just use the teabag for one cup of tea.


Oh, and here's the obligatory cute picture of Tommy.

Happy Drinking
-Domino

Here's my sources:  Wikipedia, Teachat and Enjoying Tea.

TasTEA Time! Heath and Heather Rooibos Tea

What:  Red Tea

Where:  Britain/England although Rooibos originates from Africa

Why Should I care:  I was a little apprehensive on buying this because I had a bad experience with Rooibos.  A couple of years ago, my mom bought some Red Tea with Lemon from some random tea company and that tea had the strongest, most terrifying lemon flavor I have ever witnessed.  I know it's not the tea's fault and I'm even giving it a chance now, not only because I decided to write about tea but because apparently, Rooibos is tea for dummies.  It's one of those stick it in boiling water teas without worrying about temperature, it doesn't have the tannines that other tea does so you can let it steep without it becoming bitter plus it's full of antioxidants and no caffeine 

Packaging:  The normal Heath and Heather 50c fare.  Big foil bag full of paired sachets.

Non-taste Senses:  It's this rusty red color that's not as translucent as other tea I've had.  I wish I could descibe the smell better but the word that comes to my mind is syrupy.

Taste:  Well, it doesn't taste like death!  It kinda reminds me of this tea syrup that some places use instead of brewing a pot of tea.  There isn't any bitterness which is good I guess, and it's sweet even without that much sugar.  I actually think this would be great for kids or people who don't drink that much tea since it's honestly pretty inoffensive.  I wish there was something more to it like a berry flavor or mango, but you can always add that.

Overall:  I think it's worth trying (just don't get any of the lemon flavored ones).  I know it isn't the season for this but get it with a pitcher of ice and some summer berries and you'll have a nice refreshing drink.  The Heath and Heather version was a fairly reasonable price as well so why not?

My Rating:  Try it!  here