Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘orange peel tea’

Hmm another amazingly retro package from Blue Q Tea. The back of the box poses an interesting question: “Are you thinking of running away from home?” If you’re a parent or if you were ever someone’s child, you will, at the very least, get a chuckle out of this one. I showed this to my son and he thought it was funny (he’s a teen, so I kind of sort of think he almost smiled). Now, he actively encourages me to take tea breaks. “Gawd Mom, why don’t you just go drink something…” It’s a beautiful thing.

So, in an effort to become an even more perfect parent, I cracked open this tea. It smells fantastic, light and fresh, with a hint of orange. It’s dusty but the smell helped me over look that. Steeped it with boiling water for five minutes and the scent became really calming. Brews up really clean and almost colorless but the citrus taste is strong enough to compliment the chamoumile without overpowering it. This is a nice tea and it really would make a nice gift for the parent or parent-substitute in your life.

You can purchase the Be A Better Parent Tea directly from the Blue Q website.

When I opened this golden package, I smelled the spice notes of the turmeric, citrus from lemon grass and the exotic warmth of ginger. The golden colour of turmeric is amazing, like a brilliant yellow autumn leaf. The texture of this tea consists of bits of ground ginger and shredded fibres of licorice and lemongrass. It all smells so clean and wonderful, not powdery. It is true that our eyes and nose must be entreated before we will eat or drink. In this case this all certified organic herbal tea works overtime!

I met the Rishi folks at the Toronto Coffee and Tea Show in September 2010 and they were interested to know about my review of their tea as it was a bit of a departure for them. Rishi Teas are well known for their excellence and are well-deserved award winners.

I went to the Rishi web site for instructions on how to steep this herbal tea. The sample was 6.2 grams, exactly 1 tablespoon, perfect for the recommended steep using 8 oz. boiling water and a 4-5 minutes wait. I realized that I would need a tea pot that would be able to sit on a heated source for at least 5 minutes to maximize the benefits. I chose my trusty glass teapot so I could see the colour and keep the liquor warm with a tea light. I poured off a golden brew and smelled the lively ginger and lemon grass notes. Rishi claims that ginger and turmeric are an ancient Ayurvedic formula for longevity, stamina and balanced circulation. Modern research confirms these benefits.

My first sip proved what I expected – the spicy fire of the ginger, the flavour of the lemon grass, the sweetness of licorice and the smooth fullness in the mouth from the turmeric. This tea is expertly blended with a fascinating balance between all flavours. Strain well and remember to swallow all the last bits of turmeric that settles in the bottom of the cup.

I would love to serve this healthy cocktail to accompany a meal with Indian food, as a digestive after a meal, as a health toddy for those with colds or flu, or as a tonic for those suffering from inflammatory issues such as arthritis or bursitis or sinus problems…

The cost of this herbal blend seems a bit high when using 1 tablespoon per 8 oz cup. However, this organic tea taken daily will surely stimulate the body’s energy and will provide healthy benefits if taken consistently. I do recommend this tea for that reason.

You can purchase the Turmeric Ginger directly from the Rishi Tea website.

Today I decided that I could not resist the call of the Tea Forte Sweet Orange Spice. Tea Forte sent us 2 of their pyramid grande – Sweet Orange Spice, and Hazelnut Truffle. I have had the Hazelnut Truffle before (yummy!) but the Sweet Orange Spice was, well, intriguing.

As usual, the Tea Forte Packaging does not disappoint. There are 6 of their signature Tea Pyramid infusers packed into one large pyramid, with the good old leaf poking out of the top I love their consistency and brand recognition.

The minute I opened up the packaging, I could smell the tea. It took me all of a millisecond to make the association between this and Cinnamon Hearts. For those of you that know what I am talking about (that traditional Valentines treat) you KNOW what I mean, for those of you that don’t – go to the bulk barn (or similar bulk store) find them, and inhale. NOW you know what I am talking about!

The tea brewed up to a nice rich dark liquor. The cinnamon scent was muted a bit, but still there. I got the hint of cloves as well. The real shock came when I tasted it. It hit me like a sack of potatoes – SWEET! Not just the “tasters” sweet, a true sugary sweet. I had to check the packaging, and check my cup to make sure there was no sugar actually added! I never, and we are talking hundreds of teas here, never tasted a tea with this kind of natural sugary sweetness! Because I am a sugar FANTASTIC, for me, it is perfect.

As I run through the ingredient list – Black Tea – check, there but muted. Definitely not the star. Orange Peels – check – background “zest”. Cloves – check, enhancing the overall experience. Cinnamon – BLAM! This is the start of this tea for sure, and I think that the combination of the orange and cinnamon is the source of the sweetness.

As I continue to sip, the sweet all appears to be upfront, but the spice lingers. Top of the mouth, back of the tongue kinda spice, not unpleasant, but very enjoyable. I know that this is marketed as a Christmas tea, but to me it screams Cinnamon Heart, Valentines day tea!

Bottom line – get it, drink it, enjoy it. There is a lot going on with this tea, between the sweet start and spicy finish, but all that does not matter, as it is just a plain old enjoyable tea. Now excuse me while I go and hide the rest of the teabags so I can keep them all to myself!

You can purchase the Sweet Orange Spice directly from the Tea Forte website.

The smell in the bag is soooo good, I could barely get my nose out of the bag to brew the tea.

Nice red color in my cup. The smell is of cinnamon and cloves. The rooibos base is pleasant, not over powering. This is a good caffeine free alternative for night time drinking.

This tea is an example of a rooibos done right, thanks TeaFrog!

You can purchase the Fireside Rooibos directly from the TeaFrog website.

This scent of the un-brewed tea is amazing. I almost want to eat it straight. Or pack my pillow full of it and smell it all night long as I sleep. It’s AMAZING. It’s full of sweetness and floral-ness and is just made of yum.

And while the flavor of the tea is good, it’s not as good as the smell. It’s got a very light, very floral flavor. I love roses and rosewater candy, and this tea reminds me a lot of rosewater candy. Another element I like is the green rooibos. This is the first time I’d had the chance to try green rooibos. And I think I like it a LOT. I have to admit, I’m not a fan of red rooibos. It tends to taste like dirt and sawdust to me. There are blends I like that contain it, but it’s mostly in their ability to cover the dirty-sawdustness of the rooibos flavor. But this tea has such a light flavor, trying to get it to cover any other flavors would be like trying to completely cover a Cadillac with a Kleenex. This green rooibos adds the sweetness and base notes without the sawdust flavor of the red. It really makes me want to try other green rooibos teas.

Overall, I like this tea; it has a lot of elements I very much appreciate. But I wanted more out of it, based on the aroma.

You can purchase the Xaouen directly from the 52teas website.