Classic Black Iced Tea Review

Type: Black
Origin: India, Sri Lanka
Price: Sample (Regular price - $12.95 for 10 bags w/ tin. Each bag makes 1 gallon.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per instructed - 1 bag, 1/2 gallon of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 5 minutes, added ice until liquid reached top of 1- gallon pitcher, chilled in refrigerator
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5

Classic black is just that – black tea. In fact, black tea is the only ingredient in this tea. There is no “natural flavors” (which who knows what that could mean). What you see is what you get. I was very excited to try this tea because I love tea that is not fooled around with. Give me the classics any day!

Right when I opened the package I could smell the heavenly black tea. That aroma was brought to life when I added boiling water. The liquor was a deep orange, tan color.

The taste was great! It was very bold, crisp, and refreshing. I did not detect any bitterness nor was this brew astringent. For my taste, I think this tea was just right – not too strong or too weak. I like my tea unsweetened, however, I’m sure this tea would stand up quite well to sugar, honey, citrus, or any other sweetener.

I think this tea would be a hit at summer outdoor parties or cookouts. It is so refreshing! Because you get a bold flavor that is not too strong or astringent, it will complement the flavors of your fantastic outdoor cooking. :)

TranquiliTEA

My apologies for not posting in a while… but I have an excuse! I am hoping that this post (and these pictures) will make up for it, though.

Last Monday through Wednesday I took a mini vacation with my dad and went to Warsaw, Indiana to my grandma’s lake cottage. Fishing and swimming are the main things to do up there… and we love to do both! However, long story short, I didn’t catch any fish but my dad and grandma caught around 15-20. Good times!

I packed light, so in order to cure my tea craving I grabbed a couple of Tazo’s Zen tea bags. Yes, I know shame on me for using bagged tea… but I didn’t really have an option because of the equipment I had to work with. The scenery made up for my lack of higher quality tea, however. I wish I could have my tea while sitting on the bank of a lake every morning!

While we were there, my grandma made Sunshine Muffins – a recipe she got from Sunny Anderson on Food Network (e-mail me for the recipe). The muffins had strawberries, blueberries, banana, and walnuts in each of them. They were really good, not too sweet and very moist. They complemented my tea quite well.

The next day, my aunt, grandma, and I went to Shipshewana to visit a huge flea market. We only spent about three hours there because by noon it had become overwhelmingly hot. Both my aunt and I bought a pair of shoes by the brand name of Rariva… they are kind of like Crocs, basically. I always poked fun at these kinds of shoes… but, to my surprise, they are actually comfortable!

That evening I took my grandma’s golf cart out and tried to take some pictures. I hated leaving the cottage because it is so scenic up there. I live in the city so the sights and sounds are a little different than what is at the lake. Unfortunately, my camera’s battery died soon after I started taking pictures… but you can take a look at what I managed to capture.

Just before dusk on the lake.

One of the flowers in my grandma's garden.

I am not sure how this happened but this picture came out like this - the grass looks blue which makes the yellow flower really stand out. I did not do any retouching to this picure.

I don't think this picture really needs words.

Ginger Peach Iced Tea Review

Type: Black
Origin: India, Sri Lanka
Price: Sample (Regular price - $14.95 for 10 bags w/ tin. Each bag makes 1 gallon.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per instructed - 1 bag, 1/2 gallon of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 5 minutes, added ice until liquid reached top of 1- gallon pitcher, chilled in refrigerator
Overall Score: 4.9 out of 5

Ginger Peach is a black tea base with natural peach flavor and ginger. Normally I would describe what the tea leaves look like, but the tea was packaged in a white pouch so I could not see the tea inside (hence the lack of the dry leaf picture). Nevertheless, the aroma of the tea was gingery. I could smell the peach if I looked for it, but the ginger had taken over the dry leaf aroma.

The peach was able to shine as the tea was brewing, however. I could definitely smell the peach more than the ginger at that point. The liquor was a deep orange, tan color.

The taste was amazing. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would receive more of one flavor or the other (because the ginger stood out in the dry leaf aroma and the peach was present during the brewing), but the result was the peach and ginger flavors blending with each other equally. The ginger gave a nice spicy kick while the peach left a refreshing sensation in the mouth. The flavors were added in just the right amount – I did not find the peach or the ginger to be overpowering at all.

It’s no wonder that this tea won an award at the World Tea Expo for “Best Flavored Black Iced Tea.” It was a very refreshing treat. Although this tea could be enjoyed any time of the year, it reminded me a lot of the summer. I hope to order more before this summer ends.

Chamomile Citrus Review

Type: Herbal
Origin: Egypt
Price: Sample (regular price - $9.95 for 15 pouches)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: 1 bag, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5

Chamomile Citrus is a an herbal blend of rosehips, orange peel, chamomile flowers, lemon grass, lemon myrtle, nana mint, and hibiscus flowers. The orange peel, green lemon grass, and the mixture of light and dark pieces of the other herbs made this bag of tea very colorful. I could plainly see the herbs and flowers that made up this tea.

The aroma was a little more subtle than I thought it would be. I thought I was going to be hit with a wave of citrus. To my pleasant surprise, I could smell the orange and the lemon distinctly but it was not overpowering. While the tea was steeping the aroma was very fruity. The orange and lemon smell seemed to blend together. The liquor was a dark yellow, copper color.

This tea tasted just like it smelled – lemony. The lemon was the main flavor that I tasted, along with a hint of orange. The flavor was noticeable, but subtle, which made this tea very soothing. There was no harshness or astringency to it. Actually, it was refreshing. I’m sure icing this tea would make a nice caffeine free treat, as well.

Chamomile is a very calming herb. It is consumed to halt a racing mind and relief stress. By adding citrus flavors to chamomile, it made the tea even more of a relaxing experience. Because this tea was caffeine free, I could see myself having a cup while lounging in front of the television or reading a good book before bed time.

I wish I could taste more of the orange than the lemon flavor, but that is just my personal preference. On the other hand, I really liked this tea, plain and simple.

Caution: Do not consume chamomile if you are allergic to ragweed.