Zhi, Ginger and Lime Green Rooibos

Zhi Description:
Zesty and uplifting, this blend is a caffeine-free suprantioxidant treat. Instead of red or fermented rooibos, we use green raw rooibos along with ginger pieces and lime. This is ultra-refreshing as well as being super healthy. Very clean and uplifting with a good ginger hit and cooling lime.

This blend has also proven to be a popular hit as an iced tea. Very cooling and refreshing.

USDA Organic and Fair Trade

Ingredients:
100% Organic green rooibos, organic ginger, organic lemongrass, organic lemon myrtle, organic licorice root, lime and tangerine essentials.

My Review:
My son is here today. He wanted something heavy in caffeine. Actually he wanted to rummage through my stash to see what he might walk off with. My idea. I prepared some Earl Grey Creme for him while he pilfered. D'oh, my idea. I keep forgetting. He found this one by Zhi and said it looked interesting. I have been meaning to review it, so why not.

The resealable pouch is attractively labeled on the front and has more specific information on the back including brewing instructions. My only complaint with the packaging is the clear plastic on the front. Sure, it allows you to view the leaf, but for long term storage clear is not a good idea.

When I opened the bag, I was amazed at the amount of lime scent filling the air. Mixed with the lemon elements it reminded me of Seven Up mixed with lime Kool-Aid. It smells fun.

I have never seen green rooibos before. It is difficult for me to decide what is rooibos and what is lemongrass by looking. It looks like grabbing a handful of grass out in a wild late summer field.

I used 2 heaping tsp of leaf in my stainless brewing basket in a mug of water heated to 205 F. The instructions call for a 6 minute steep. I stopped at 5.

The result is a golden orange brew. It is kind of cloudy. The taste is an interesting intertwining of lime, then lemon, then ginger, flavors. The ginger adds just a touch of heat at the beginning and end, while the lime adds a little cooling at mid sip.

The licorice root adds just enough sweetness without being overly sweet. You could easily add more sweetness if desired without problem.

I think the use of lemongrass combined with lemon myrtle is a good choice. The combination here, simply tastes lemon. Often, the use of these herbs individually tastes like furniture polish to me. Not so here.

The lime is obvious lime. It tastes natural to me. Not candy like.

Possibly my only complaint, I still don't know what green rooibos tastes like. To my ability it blends in so well, I am not sure at what point I am catching its notes. I know I must be sensing it as this mug feels whole and complete. I believe I catch it most as a sweet grassy aftertaste.

I wasn't sure what to expect. This was kind of fun as long as you are a fan of both lime and ginger.

You can find Zhi Ginger and Lime Green Rooibos here.

Good Earth, Matcha Maker

Good Earth Description:
If your body is your temple, what does that make your taste buds? With Matcha Maker™, you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other. Blended with goodness of matcha and bright bursts of citrus flavors, this tea takes care of temple and taste.

Ingredients:
Green tea, licorice root, orange peel, chamomile, orange oil, natural flavor, ginger root, natural orange flavor with other natural flavors, lime oil, citric acid, steviol glycosides (stevia), matcha green tea, tea extract

Sample provided by Good Earth

My Review:
I am sitting in my den getting ready to send a rocket to Minmus (a moon of Kerbin) in Kerbal Space Program. My son gave me this game for Christmas almost two years ago and I am more addicted now than ever. It is not a shoot em up. This is a physics, design, engineering, pilot, exploration game. It is a thinking game. I get lost in it for hours at a time. I always make sure I have plenty of tea with me before launching.

Today I am taking Good Earth Matcha Maker with me as I explore the Kerbal universe. This one comes sealed in an aluminum envelope, contains more than 2g/bag, and has a nice long string. Note this contains a small amount of matcha green tea which is finely ground and powdered green tea leaf, but the main ingredient is green tea (a very different thing).

The aroma of the dry bag is orange and vanilla. I steeped it 4 minutes in 205F water. Before tasting, this smells exactly like root beer to me.

Taking my first sip... it is a very pleasant orange creamsicle. I don't see vanilla in the ingredients but surely it has to be in there. It is nicely sweet from the combination of licorice root and stevia. It doesn't really need it but for those with a super sweet tooth, it will take adding a little sweetener without complaint.

In addition to the sweet orange creamsicle, I also detect a little ginger late in the sip. It adds a little spicy bite and warmth. It is pretty subtle but a nice touch. There is also chamomile but I don't readily taste any of its apply tartness.

You can probably find Good Earth teas at your local Walmart or Kroger grocery store. If you enjoy Celestial Seasonings and similar brands, I think you will find Good Earth worthy of a place in your cupboard. I know I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one,

  

Sanne Tea, Taiwan No. 18

Sanne Tea Description:
Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan’s main base for the cultivation of No.18, a black tea strain, also called Hong Yu (Ruby), only grown in Taiwan. In 1999, No.18 was created by hybridizing Taiwanese wild mountain tea trees with Burma Assam tea trees, and grown in the special climate of Yuchih Township, where Sun Moon Lake is located. The trial planting was so successful that No.18 became the signature tea of the lake area.

Similar to Assam tea and Ceylon tea, No. 18, when brewed, has a bright red color and strong, rich flavor with refreshing pungent notes. The tea also has a natural cinnamon and mint fragrance, a feature of the Taiwanese wild tea strain. This distinctive tea is the perfect combination of Indian and Taiwanese Black teas.

Sample provided by Sanne Tea

My Review:

One of the dangers of tea blogging is the amount of teas in the collection at any given time. Occasionally, one ends up at the back of a box in the bottom of the stack of boxes and gets overlooked. That happened with this one. When I stumbled upon it I had to wonder how could this happen, especially when it is clearly labeled as coming from Sun Moon Lake. There are certain growing regions that almost guarantee I am going to be moved. Sun Moon Lake is one of them.

Normally when I  think of Taiwan tea I think oolong, but Taiwan also produces some excellent black teas.

This 5g sample came in a resealable pouch. The front is simple and clean. The back list quite a bit of information, that as I have recently learned, has all been handwritten with a brush pen. Sanne Tea goes above and beyond in this regard. You can expand the picture to get a more complete idea of what information is included. One that I appreciate in particular is the leaf to water amounts.

OK, let's prepare some tea...

First comes the sniff test. Wow. It's mainly cocoa and malt. It kind of has a baked aroma. It is not really brownies. Maybe sweet potato mixed with the cocoa and malt. There is another element that reminds me of almost a Darjeeling like grape. To Amanda of Rambling Butterfly Thoughts this note was more of a sassafras with menthol. However your brain and experience translates it, I think we can all agree it smells amazing.

The leaf is eerily gorgeous. Maybe it just strikes me this way as we just set out some Halloween decorations, but the long slender twists of leaf look kind spider leg like. ha. Seriously though, the leaf is very dark. The picture doesn't do it justice as it was hard to photograph.

I used the entire 5g sample per directions in 205 F water and steeped for a short 60 seconds. The result is a classic hearty ruby red brew. Again today my picture isn't catching the essence of the mug. Here it looks more orangey/brown. It is a far deeper and more beautiful color in person.

The taste is similar to the dry scent. It is a mix of honey, cocoa, malt, and sort of sweet potato, though the sweet potato is not as obvious as in some Chinese Dian Hong teas. The sip builds to a solid peak. I hesitate to call it bite. Despite the varietal being a mix of assam and wild Taiwanese trees, this does not have the strong bite of an assam, rather it is more a presence that asserts itself gently but with some authority. I can still taste and smell what to me is a muscatel type note as well.

The second cup was steeped for 90 seconds. The now cinnamon brown leaf smells much more of sweet honey. The brew color is even a deeper red. The taste also seems sweeter and in some ways more mellow. It feels thick and syrupy on the lips.

I am also getting an interesting sense of candy. Like cinnamon candy without the burn. While it is light and fleeting, I experienced the sensation a few times before deciding to comment. Underneath the honey, cocoa, and cinnamon, I am still lightly catching the leafy grape notes.

This is a delicious and complex tea.  

The label lists this as capable of 5 steeps. From previous experience with this type tea, I fully believe it, however, this is as far as I have time to devote today. Let me add, as a reviewer, I often have to suspend my own preferences and try to understand what the tea is meant to be and how well it achieves it. I love it when I review a tea that 'fits' my personal tastes. This is one such tea. I don't have to work at understanding it. I can simply get lost in the wonderful experience from first sniff to last drop. Much love for this one Sanne Tea!  

You can find Sanne Tea Taiwan No. 18 here.

Good Earth, Cocoa Tango

Good Earth Description:
As unpredictable as a newfound romance – and just as spicy. Cocoa Tango™ blends together the sweet and sensual flavors of cocoa with the heat of chili peppers, making for a tea experience that will leave you breathing heavy with satisfaction and wanting more.

Ingredients:
Black tea, cocoa beans, natural flavors, chicory root, natural chocolate flavor with other natural flavors, natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors, chili peppers, cardamom, peppermint, rose petals, steviol glycosides (stevia).

Sample Provided by Good Earth

My Review:
Today I travel back to my roots in a way. I haven't reviewed a tea bag product in a while. More importantly I haven't reviewed one that I could actually find locally. In my early tea drinking days, there were very few choices in our small rural town. Today the choices are a little better. I have seen Good Earth tea on our grocers shelves. This is my first opportunity to give one a try.

The first thing that catches my eye, occurs before I even open the box. The net wt is 40.5g and there are 18 tea bags in the box. That means there is 2.25g per bag. To put that in perspective, Twinings uses 2g per bag. Stash generally has 1.6g, and the last Republic of Tea I sampled had a wimpy 1.33g.

Inside the box, the bags are individually wrapped and sealed in aluminum envelopes. Once opened I immediately smell chocolate. It is somewhere between powdered hot cocoa mix and milk chocolate. It is fairly typical of bagged chocolate teas in scent. Putting the bag in my mug I notice the string is plenty long enough so the tag won't end up in the mug.

I steeped 4 minutes, removed the bag for pictures, and then returned the bag to the mug. This is bad practice but I did it as a test. Throughout the entire mug it never became bitter. I noticed this contains stevia. Ordinarily I would object to pre-added sweetener, but truth be told, I can't tell when tasting.

At first I am thinking this tastes like a pleasant simple chocolate tea, and it is pleasant, but I was wondering, where are the chili peppers? I love spicy foods and I was expecting this to be a pepper blast. It is not. It is more a slow building heat that never goes over the top. This starts sweet and chocolaty and ends with a warm heat. If you are afraid of chilies in your tea, don't be. If you love some spice, wait for it.

I am definitely not one of those tea people who can't or won't enjoy a bagged tea. I found this trip back to my roots very enjoyable, and happy day, I still have more for later.  

Rosali Tea

Promotional Box actual subscription may be different

Rosali Tea Description:
Rosali Tea is a monthly subscription of artisanal whole-leaf teas, curated for your needs and delivered to your door.

Sample provided by Rosali Tea

My Review:
Rosali Tea supplied this promotional box for review to make you aware of their monthly subscription service. At this time there are only a couple days left in the kickstarter campaign and apparently they have already reached their goal. So if your curiosity is piqued, after reading my review, jump over to their page and read more of the details.

My sample box contains 2 teas

Whether you are new to tea or looking to expand your horizons a bit, a subscription service provides a good opportunity to experience and learn about new teas and tea types.

Rosali Tea offers a variety of options from a $15 one month plan to 3 month, and 6 month options. Shipping is included, and according to the homepage, you can cancel or pause at anytime.

The actual subscription box will contain 3 premium teas, and biodegradable filter bags. The subscription is tailored to your tastes.

My box contains the filter bags and two teas -a Milk Oolong and a Hibiscus Orange Nectar herbal. Let's take a look at them:

The first tea I prepared was Milk Oolong from Taiwan.

The sample came in a white aluminum resealable pouch. The back of the bag has clear brewing parameters for western brewing. You gongfu folks pretty much have your own ideas and I'm sure you'll adjust.

When I got my first whiff it reminded me of grain, more specifically oats as in Cheerios. The first picture above shows the golden yellow brew. The second is the dry leaf. Tell me it doesn't look like a ninja turtle. Yeah, I thought so. The third picture shows the enormous pile of leaf that results from steeping the ninj.... I mean tea nuggets for 4 minutes.

The taste is very nice. It is light with a milky taste that settles in behind the refreshing green floral oolong notes. The aftertaste lingers, yet isn't the typical heavy floral kind of latex taste found in many green oolongs. I really enjoyed this even more once it was cold. Maybe I'm weird, but this is excellent cold. A very nice tea.

Next up we have Hibiscus Orange Nectar. It is a caffeine free herbal

I have to be honest, when I saw this package my first thought was eeeuuuuwww hibiscus. Yeah, I'm not really a fan - usually. I opened this up expecting a tart blast. Instead I found the most amazing orange and vanilla scented blend. I can see orange rind in the mix as well as tiny bits of hibiscus, and rooibos. Funny rooibos can occasionally be a red flag for me as well. Dry, I do not notice it at all. I believe I also spy red safflower petals as well. This is pleasant on the eyes and really smells amazing kids.

I used my stainless steel strainer instead of the provided filter bags. I should have known better. The strainer always lets fine particles pass right on through. I'm tough, I don't mind a little sediment in the bottom of my cup. Steeped 5 minutes in 200 F water. The brew is kind of an orangy root beer color.

I can lightly catch the rooibos in the steeped aroma. The taste is a wonderful as the dry aroma suggests. It is a velvety smooth vanilla orange with light notes of rooibos. I honestly don't taste hibiscus at all. Rooibos can be problematic as it is often woodsy and rough tasting. Here its sweet flavor fits perfectly with none of the bad throat scratchy roughness.

I added a little sweetener and Oh My Lands! This is truly extremely good. Rosali, I salute you. Hands down the best blend with hibiscus and rooibos I have ever tried. Just Wow!

Currently available only in the U.S.

Until Oct 8th, you can find Rosali Tea Kickstarter page here.

After October 8th the Rosali Tea homepage is here.

Teasenz, Fujian Silver Needle

Teasenz Description:
For many centuries enjoyed by imperial families in China. Fuding's Silver Needle is a pinnacle-grade white tea with a soft, smooth, and silky-sweet taste.

Silver Needle is the most famous white tea from China and also known as 'Bai Hao Yin Zhen'.

Sample provided by Teasenz

My Review:
The weather has turned back to beautiful warm sunny days and cool nights. A/C by day and furnace by night days. Love it. Not loving the fall allergies that have hit like a brick today.

I have tried several Teasenz offerings to date, and all of them have been very good. I hope the trend continues as Fujian silver needle is one of my favorites. I haven't done a lot of comparison pricing but this one seems exceptionally reasonable at $15.45 for 70g (2.5 oz).

The packaging is a resealable aluminum bag. The label is brief and clearly provides brewing recommendations.

My first test with any tea is the sniff test. I have had enough white tea that I have certain expectations. This one meets them well. The scent is that wonderful sweet hay I expect, and more. This one has a melon fruitiness along with almost a minty hint. I can't say for certain it is not the allergies, but I don't think so. It certainly smells, not only nice, but fresh.

There was a little bit of crushed leaf when I removed a scoop. I am pretty certain that is my fault. Things are a little out of hand at the moment and the bag was a little banged around. The vast majority is full white fuzzy buds with hints of green.

I used my clear glass press and water heated to 175 F. The steep time was 4 minutes.

When the water hit the leaf it all began to float. As it steeped some began to slowly sink to the bottom while standing on end. The visual dance of the leaf is an important part of my tea experience. I encourage you to take note of it while preparing your own cup.

The liquor is far more enticing than I was able to capture with my point and shoot camera. It is a deep golden amber. It is almost radiant as it captures the light and reflects it back.

So far this is shaping up to be a very nice tea.

Upon tasting, I will first tell you I have had deeper more complex white teas, but not at this price. That is not to say this is a simple one note cup. It certainly is not. In fact there is plenty of depth. I am finding it to be just what I wanted today.

It is clean and crisp. As with most white teas there is not a hint of bitterness. This is naturally sweet and does not ask to be sweetened. It is not grassy but isn't exactly the typical hay taste either. It kind of fits in between somewhere but closer to the hay. There are floral/fruit notes swirling around the taste. I still get an occasional flash that suggests mint. It is very brief and light. Quite refreshing.

As I sip, I can feel stress melting away as I begin to relax. The wonderful thing about a good tea is the feeling of rejuvenation that comes with the peaceful contentment.

This has a good solid flavor at a reasonable price. Once again I can recommend giving Teasenz a try.

You can find Teasenz Fujian Silver Needle here.

Red Leaf Tea, Acai Berry Matcha

Red Leaf Tea Description:
Our fabulous Matcha Tea cannot get any better than this! Its high-quality Green Tea leaves are young and processed in a special way that maintains all of their amazing health benefits. Matcha Tea features multiple healthful qualities that keep your body and mind strong and alert. Matcha Tea helps detoxify the blood, has cancer-fighting properties and also kills free radicals.

So, what could we possibly do to make our Matcha Tea any better? We have taken our amazing, healthy Matcha and supplemented it with Raw Organic Freeze-dried Acai Berry powder. If you have followed any health buzz for the past few years, you know about Acai. If you haven't been following it, let's take a look at what Acai can do. Acai has ten times the antioxidants of blueberries or grapes. Antioxidants, like Matcha, help fight free radicals and keep your body healthy and strong all year round.

Ingredients:
Pure Matcha powder from green leaves, Brazilian Acai Natural Flavor

My Review:

A new month. A new opportunity to drink tea and write reviews. My wife and friends are complaining about the cold already. It does make porch setting a little more of a challenge but I am still running the ceiling fan indoors. I love the cool.

Today I am reviewing Acai Berry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea. I debated with myself for quite a while, trying to decide how I would prepare this one. More on that in a moment.

I ordered a sample size to try out something new and different. The sample bags are small and not resealable. Once opened I fold the top over and close it with a paper clip. I usually prepare the rest in a day or two.

A tip from a friend - when opening the vacuum sealed bags, first make a small cut at the notch in the end. This will release the vacuum allowing gravity to do its thing. Since learning this trick, the mess on my table is much smaller. Matcha tends to make a dust cloud when opened otherwise. (Thanks Ashmanra!)

This sample uses the basic level matcha. It is a little darker than most of these blends have been, apparently from the powder acai.

The scent is pretty intensely berry. My first thought was to make a cup with hot water. I normally don't drink my matcha that way. I like a cold milk latte. I really wasn't sure milk and acai would be a good mix, but, I decided I would do it for science! If it turns out badly, you'll never see this and I will be writing about a hot cup today :)

A tsp of powder was added to my mug along with 4 oz of milk. I used my frother to do the mixing. I worked up a nice thick foam that reached almost to the top of the mug.

Next I added an additional 4 oz of cold milk and lightly mixed. As you can see in the picture, the color is kind of light. The foam is a much smaller amount with bigger bubbles than before adding more milk. Normally I use a big tumbler for extra blending room, but it is hard to get a good picture through the graphics.

The taste is very berry! I have never had an actual acai berry. I have had a few flavored acai teas. This one is the most intense - in a good way. It is kind of its own flavor, somewhere between blueberry and blackberry, with floral notes that remind me of a light rose.

I needn't have worried about adding this to milk. It definitely holds its own and with out a taste conflict. I added no sweetener to the mug as I often do with matcha. Seriously, this does not need sweetened. The natural sweetness is more than enough. I kind of expected some tartness. I did not notice any in the cup.

The only downside I can comment on is this did not mix thoroughly. Some sediment remained in the bottom of the cup. It is possible this would not occur in a hot preparation. I was just really in the mood for a refreshing cold mug of joy. Mission accomplished.

You can find Red Leaf Tea Acai Berry Matcha here.