Butiki's Raspberry Truffle Review

Type:  Black
Origin:  India
Price:  Free sample (regular price – $5.00 for 1oz)
Vendor:  Butiki Tea
Brewing Method:  Per Instructed - 1.5 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 210°F, steeped for 4 minutes
Overall Score:   4.4 out of 5

Raspberry Truffle is a Kundaly Indian black tea base mixed with chocolate chips and raspberries; all organic ingredients.  The huge raspberry and chocolate chips stand out amongst the tiny black tea leaves.  I am tempted to pluck out and eat one of the chocolate chips from the blend just to see if it has been infused with the black tea and raspberry flavors... but I won't. 

The aroma of the dry blend is super sweet.  I can smell the fruity raspberry with a hint of earthiness in the background... not sure if that is coming from the chocolate chips or the black tea. 

The subtle aroma of the steeped blend is a mix of sweet, tart, and earthy.  I can smell the raspberries up front with the earthy and hearty black tea aroma in the back ground.  The liquor is a light brown color.

The taste is quite tart at first.  After each sip the tartness gives way to sweetness.  I can't really detect the chocolate by itself, but I believe the chocolate is what is helping the black tea flavor move more towards the front.  What I mean is, usually with flavored teas you just taste the flavoring.  However with this, I can taste the raspberry flavor AND the earthy tones of black tea.  I think the chocolate makes the actual tea flavor richer so it does not become hidden by the raspberries.

When it comes to adding milk, cream, or sweeteners to this tea... I like it the way it is.  I believe adding cream would mask the flavors too much while sugar might bring out the raspberry flavor more than it needs to be - unless you really like raspberries.

If given the choice, I would pick an actual raspberry truffle over this tea - mostly because of the lack of chocolate flavor.  However, this is a flavored tea that I wouldn't mind keeping in my stash.

Butiki's Pumpkin Creme Brulee Review

Type: Black
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Free sample (regular price – $8.50 for 2oz)
Vendor: Butiki Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 210°F, steeped for 2.5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.6 out of 5

Pumpkin Creme Brulee is a Ceylon black tea base with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and natural flavors (which I am assuming is where they get the cream flavor); all of which are organic ingredients. I noticed that the black tea leaves are in huge, twisted pieces - always a good thing. The overall blend is dark with the black leaves and dark orange pumpkin flakes. After failing to find a good pumpkin spice type of tea, I am excited to try this one in hopes of finding a great fall treat.

When I opened the package I felt like I just released autumn. The cinnamon and nutmeg aromas are prominent with the pumpkin aroma not too far behind. One thing I am happy about is that there are no cloves in this blend; not one single annoyingly spicy clove sticking its ugly little head out from amidst the black tea leaves. Anyone who adds cloves to a tea blend thinking that will "spice things up a bit" needs to be kicked in the shin. Hard.

The aroma of the steeped blend is spicy, but not too spicy. The pumpkin aroma is brought out more when hot water is added. The liquor is a nice deep orange color.





The taste is... just what I was looking for in a spiced up pumpkin tea... well, it is pretty darn close. The spices are at the perfect amount. You can taste the flavors and feel the heat without it being too overwhelming. Because of that, this tea is actually refreshing, like tea should be, instead of hot and dry like some other spiced up teas. The only thing I would ask for is a little more pumpkin flavor.

I am not getting much of a cream flavor, but I bet adding a touch of cream - just a touch - would send this tea over the top. Even without cream, I am most enjoying the "no clove" detail about this blend. Happy face.

White August's The Girl Next Door Review

Type: Green
Origin: Not Stated
Price: Free sample (regular price – 7.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F, steeped for 1-3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.0 out of 5

The description of this tea on White August's web site starts out with "Our hidden love,..." in which they definitely have the word "hidden" correct because they do not describe anything that is in this tea other than a "passion fruit aroma." Thus, with nothing to go on, this is going to be interesting.

Passion fruit it is. Immediately after opening the bag, I am assaulted with the fruity aroma. I don't know why but I always think of the aroma of passion fruits as the aroma of grapes combined with that of lemon. It is citrusy yet earthy at the same time. So, passion fruit, passion fruit, and passion fruit... that is all that I get. The delicate green tea leaves are reeking with it.

The aroma of the freshly steeped batch of leaves is of, but of course, passion fruit. The aroma coming from the liquor, which is a nice greenish-yellow color, is more subtle than that of the dry blend, but it still screams with sweet, fruitiness.




The taste is tart at first then it settles with a sweet flavor that lasts for quite a while. I think this blend might make a nice iced tea because it pretty much tastes like drinking fruit juice. There is nothing from the green tea leaves themselves. I guess that is not a bad thing if you really like passion fruit. After a few sips the sweet flavor builds more and more. If, at this point, you wanted to add sugar... I would have to call you crazy.

Just like with the previous reviews of White August’s teas, I would really appreciate more information. What little is given is nowhere near enough for me. If passion fruit is all that flavors this tea then that is fine; there is nothing wrong with saying so. An origin of the green tea would be great, as well.

White August's Mango Away Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Free sample (regular price – 7.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 206°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.2 out of 5

Mango Away is a black tea base blended with mangos and calendula flowers. The aroma of the dry blend is more subtle than I imagined. I really have to put my nose to the bowl of leaves in order to smell the sweet mango scent given off by this blend. The dark black tea leaves make the yellow calendula flowers pop. The tea leaves are of average size, but there are a lot of stems in this particular blend.

Just like with the dry blend, the freshly steeped leaves are not very aromatic. I have to hover over the cup to breathe the sweet and fruity scent of mangos. The liquor is a deep orange color.




The taste is incredibly sweet. It has a mellow mango flavor which is enough to work with the black tea flavor instead of masking it. I like this fruit flavored tea because of its subtlety. Usually I come across flavored teas that are so pungent and over flavored that you might as well drink a glass of fruit juice. I drink tea because I like tea – don’t cover it up.

This blend is a good example of a flavored tea that has been perfectly blended. The mango flavor walks hand in hand beside the black tea, not in front of it.

Again, the description is lacking a lot. I did manage to get the origin information this time, but I want more.

White August's Summer Picnic Review

Type: Black
Origin: Not Stated
Price: Free sample (regular price – 9.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 206°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.8 out of 5

Summer Picnic is a black tea base blended with juniper berries, black currants, cranberries, and strawberries. I barely opened the package before I could smell the berry tartness of the blend. The aroma is sweet with the strawberries and cranberries fighting it out to be the most prominent scent. The dry blend has an overall dark brown hue with the black tea leaves and dried pieces of juniper berries, cranberries, and black currants that I can see.

The tartness of the berries really comes out in the aroma while the blend is steeping. The liquor is a dark caramel color.





The first thing I taste is the sweet/tart combination of the collection of berries in this blend. The strawberries and cranberries stand out more than the rest. It is not bitter, but I get a bit of astringency from the black tea. The black tea taste is pretty much hidden by the other ingredients, but the fruitiness is not as overwhelming as I thought it would be.

If you are going to add anything to this tea, let it be ice. No need for sugar, sweeteners, or milk. Ice, however, would spunk up this tea and make it a nice, refreshing summer treat.

Just like with the previous reviews of White August’s teas, I would really appreciate more information. Three sentences describe this tea, but that is nowhere near enough for me. Because this actually involves tea leaves (unlike herbal blends) I would like to see some origin or estate information.

White August’s Morning Geisha Review

Type: Green
Origin: Not Stated
Price: Free sample (regular price – 11.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F, steeped for 1-3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.7 out of 5

Morning Geisha is a green tea base blended with raspberries and pomegranate. Wow, as soon as I begin to tear the package open I am bombarded with sweet, berry aromas. The pomegranate barely out weighs the raspberry scent I realize after a few more sniffs. The overall aroma is not unlike a freshly made batch of Kool-Aid. The green tea leaves are good size for being a flavored tea. There are a few dried bits of raspberry and pomegranate throughout.

The aroma coming from the kyusuu is very berry. It is sweet and tart at the same time. The color of the liquor resembles a deep yellow honey.




The taste is incredibly sweet at first then the tartness settles on my tongue. I can definitely identify the pomegranate flavor, the raspberry is hard to find, though. There is absolutely no bitterness and only a little astringency.

The only way I can tell it is green tea is from the subtle, delicate flavor and light body. I can’t taste any grassiness or vegetal components. The fruit flavors pretty much take over. Therefore, if you like teas that don’t really taste like tea… then you might want to try this one.

Another thing I don’t like about this tea is that there is very little information about it on the company’s website. A short description is provided, but not much else. It could very well be possible that I missed it, but I searched most of the site and could not find the place of origin or estate that this tea came from. This lack of information might not matter so much to a casual tea drinker… but it bothers me.

Arbor Tea's Earl Grey Review

Type: Black
Origin: China and India
Price: Free sample (regular price - $9.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Arbor Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.6 out of 5

Earl Grey is a mix of Chinese and Indian black teas flavored with bergamot oil. When I open the package, I can immediately smell the citrus bergamot – it is rather strong. And… that is pretty much all I can detect from the dry leaves. If I put my nose anywhere near the leaves it gets pummeled with the aroma of bergamot. The leaves are small, curvy, dark brown pieces with bits of orange color throughout.

The aroma of the freshly made tea is all about the bergamot, although, I can faintly smell the malty black tea in the background. The liquor is an orangey-copper color.





The taste is a bit harsh at first. Between the citrus and the black tea, it is quite astringent. The second and third sips reveal the boldness in this tea. It is not a very complex tea; I just go back and forth between the bergamot and the slight smokiness of the black tea. However, the flavors that it does hold are not shy about letting you know they are there.

I wouldn’t say this tea is bitter, but very acidic and slightly sweet tasting because of the bergamot. It tends to dry out the mouth quickly. I am not sure about this one. It is not one of the best Earl Grey’s that I have had, but it is not bad either. It is just sort of a meh... but at least the price is fair.

Pearl Tea’s Earl Grey with Lavender Review

Type: Black
Origin: Not Specified
Price: Free Sample (regular price - $12.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-203°F, steeped for 0.5 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 1.5 out of 5

Early Grey with Lavender is just that… classic Earl Grey (black tea with bergamot oil) with lavender flowers. The bergamot is the first aroma that I smell. I can only smell a hint of lavender, after knowingly looking for the scent, because the bergamot is so pungent. The leaves are long, rolled, twisted dark brown bits with green lavender petals throughout.

The liquor is an orange or copper color. The aroma of the brew is mostly that of bergamot. I can smell a little bit of the lavender aroma in the background. It smells sweet and citrusy.





The taste is pretty much an overload of bergamot. I can’t taste lavender anywhere, even after several sips of searching for it. In fact, it’s hard to taste the black tea itself because the bergamot takes over. The brew is quite astringent and the citrusy tang aids in the dry mouth feel.

I have yet to figure out why Earl Grey is so popular. You might as well just drink bergamot oil, because infusing the leaves with this flavor is a waste of good black tea. Plus, I could not smell or taste any lavender… anywhere.

Pearl Tea’s Earl Grey de la Crème Review

Type: Black
Origin: Not Specified
Price: Sample (regular price - $12.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-203°F, steeped for 0.5 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.0 out of 5

Earl Grey de la Crème is black tea blended with oil of Bergamot and vanilla. As soon as I opened the package I would smell the bergamot oil and vanilla. The aroma of those two ingredients was quite pungent. The black leaves are tiny, twisted, and dark in color. There seem to be some type of blue flower petals thrown into the blend. I think their only purpose is to add color to the normally dark mix of black tea leaves and not necessarily flavor.

The aroma while the leaves are steeping is filled with the citrusy bergamot. I can’t smell much of the vanilla at this point. The liquor is a dark orange color. The color of this tea is a similar color of some of the leaves outside at the moment.





The tea tastes like a typical Earl Grey except with a hint of creaminess at the end. With the bergamot and vanilla flavors, this brew is super sweet. The bergamot flavor is present but not overpowering like some Earl Grey’s I have had. I think the vanilla helps cut into that citrus-like flavor and mellows the tea out to make a sweet and creamy overall flavor.

I can’t taste the black tea side of things – it is pretty much all about the bergamot and vanilla. Because of that, there is no bitterness or astringency to this cup. Pearl Tea’s says to add cream or honey to this brew if you want… but I think that would be an overkill of sweetness. It definitely has a “dessert” kind of taste without any sweetener.

Mighty Leaf’s Organic Earl Green Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price - $9.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.7 out of 5

Organic Earl Green is a base of Organic green tea infused with the oil of bergamot. The leaves for this tea are really dark for being a green tea. They are dark brown small, long strands which are very tightly rolled. The aroma of the bergamot oil rushed out when I opened the package. In fact, that is really all I can smell – the green tea aroma gets hidden.

I can smell more of the green tea as the leaves steep. The bergamot oil is still front and center, though. The liquor is a dark amber color.






The taste is basically a mouthful of bergamot. Because the green tea is so mellow, it stays in the background and all I taste is the sweet citrus flavor of the bergamot. Also, because of the green tea once again, this blend does not pack the same punch as its brother, Earl Grey.

It is not bitter, actually it is rather sweet. However, I am about half way through my cup and it has already dried my mouth out significantly. The vegetal taste of the green tea shows up more in the after taste. If you enjoy the taste of bergamot and do not want the bold black tea in tow, then this tea is for you.

David's Tea's Black Celebration Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Sample (regular price - $6.00 for 50g. Also available in 100g and 250g packages)
Vendor: David’s Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 3 - 5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.8 out of 5

Black Celebration is a mix of black tea, orange peel, rose petals, apple, almonds, cornflower, cinnamon, papaya, pineapple, peach, cranberries, and rosehip – holy ingredients batman! The first thing I smell is the cinnamon and then a mix of different fruit flavors like orange, pineapple, and peach. Each time I smell the blend, a different fruity aroma hits me.

The blend reminds me of confetti. I think it is the most colorful blend I have seen yet. I can see chunks of pineapple, sliced almonds, rose petals, cranberries, and other dried fruits. I can barely find the black tea through all the other ingredients.

The liquor smells more like cinnamon than anything – it really overpowers the rest of the aromas. It is a pretty light brown color.





The cinnamon is front and center in the taste, giving it a spicy flavor. After I get over the cinnamon, I can taste the fruit, especially pineapple and cranberry. After I take more sips the cinnamon ends up being all I can taste.

I am kind of disappointed because I wanted to taste all or at least most of the fruit flavors, but the cinnamon just masks everything. Because of the cinnamon, the tea ends up being more spicy than sweet. Maybe milk would help mellow the harsh cinnamon out a little.

David's Tea's Turkish Delight Review

Type: Black
Origin: Turkey
Price: Sample (regular price - $6.50 for 50g. Also available in 100g and 250g packages)
Vendor: David’s Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 3 - 5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.1 out of 5

Turkish Delight is a blend of Turkish apple tea (black tea with dried apples) plus pistachios, almonds, and spices. This is a very colorful blend. The dry leaves smell fruity and sweet. I can see big chunks of dried apple and pistachios. There are also sliced almonds and other spices that can be seen throughout the blend. The aroma of the dry leaves is very pungent – everyone in the room will surely get a whiff of it and know it’s time for tea.

While brewing the tea smells equally as fruity as the dry leaves. It also has a spicy aroma floating in the background. The liquor is a pretty tan or copper color.



The taste is super sweet, brisk, and fruity. I can really taste the apple flavor with a little bit of heat or spiciness in the aftertaste. It is slightly nutty, but with two kinds of nuts in this blend I thought I would taste the nutty flavor a little more.

It is not bitter or astringent. It is actually very refreshing which makes me wonder what this tea would taste like when iced.

Fruit-flavored Teas by George Carlin

A couple of days ago I was reading George Carlin’s book, “When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops.” I stumbled upon this bit and just had to share it. Here, Carlin expresses his opinion about fruit-flavored teas… an opinion that he and I share.

“Fruit-flavored Teas:

I would like to talk to you about fruit-flavored teas. These would be teas that are flavored like fruit. Fruit-flavored teas. You need to understand that. These are not fruits. They’re teas.

But they taste like fruit. All right? They have names like strawberry kiwi, lemon berry, orange mango, wild cherry, blackberry and cranberry. They taste like fruit. And they sound like fruits, too, don’t they? They’re not. They’re teas. Fruit-flavored teas. And frankly, I don’t understand this.

Personally, I’ve always been of a mind that if you’re looking for fruit flavor, if you’re genuinely interested in something that tastes like fruit, and you find yourself in the tea section, you’re probably in the wrong aisle.

My advice is, if it’s fruit flavor you’re after, play if safe, go ahead and get some fruit. I have found in my experience that fruit almost always turns out to be reliable source of fruit flavor.

Another good place you may wish to look for fruit flavor would be in fruit juice. Fruit juice is made by squeezing the juice out of the fruit. Apparently, the juice that runs out of the fruit has fruit flavor. Perhaps that’s why they call if fruit juice. It doesn’t taste like tea. For tea taste, you would need to get some tea.

So let’s sum this up: If it’s fruit flavor you want, you can’t go wrong with fruit. Or, as I’ve pointed out, fruit juice. Don’t be ordering tea. Tea has tea flavor. It’s not like fruit. It’s more like tea. If you want tea, I say order tea. That’s a different experience. It’s known as “having tea.”

Have you noticed, by the way, there are no tea-flavored fruits? Take a clue from nature.”

Ok, one difference is that I will actually DRINK fruit-flavored teas. They are not my favorite kind of teas but every once in a while they can cure a sweet tooth craving. However, when I have my choice, I will still reach for the stuff that has not been fooled around with.

George Carlin rocks! Period. Rest in peace… your ability to speak your mind, no matter what the consequences, has led the way for the rest of us.

Jasmine Green Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price - $8.49 for 15 pyramids)
Vendor: Choice Organic Teas
Brewing Method: 1 pyramid, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 160°F-170°F, steeped for 2-3 minutes.
Overall Score: 4.3 out of 5

Jasmine Green is an organic green tea base infused with the essence of jasmine blossoms. The sweet, floral jasmine presented itself when I tore open the package. The jasmine scent was not over powering, but it prevented me from smelling the green tea. The leaves were rather dark for green tea; however, there were a lot of whole leaves and very little dust.

The jasmine aroma was the only thing I could smell as this tea was brewing. Like I said before, though, the jasmine was not over powering. I keep noting this because I have had jasmine teas in the past that were so fiercely infused with jasmine that it almost made me sick to drink. From the way this tea smells, I think it will be pleasant to drink. The liquor is a bright yellow color.

After sipping on this tea, I concluded that it was one of the better jasmine flavored teas that I have had. The floral flavor from the jasmine filled my mouth and then left a sweet aftertaste. The one negative thing was that I couldn’t really taste the green tea in this brew. Nevertheless, the tea was not bitter or astringent at all. I thought the tea was sweet on its own, but I’m sure adding sugar would enhance that quality.

Lychee White Review

Type: White
Origin: India
Price: Sample (regular price - $8.49 for 15 pyramids)
Vendor: Choice Organic Teas
Brewing Method: 1 pyramid, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 160°F-170°F, steeped for 2-3 minutes.
Overall Score: 4.2 out of 5

Lychee White is an organic white tea base with natural lychee flavor and organic osmanthus flowers. When I opened the package I could smell the lychee right away. The overall aroma was fruity but flowery at the same time. The translucent pyramid allowed me to see the white tea leaves along with bits of osmanthus flowers.

The lychee aroma was more intense as the tea was brewing – it smelled really flowery. The liquor was a dark yellow color.

The lychee is definitely present while drinking. The tea had a very sweet, flowery taste between the lychee and the osmanthus flowers. However, I could not taste the white tea at all and I wish I could. The brew was not bitter or astringent. Even though this tea had an overwhelming flowery taste, it did not last long in my mouth.

That last paragraph was a challenge to write because the flavor of this tea had almost no after taste, at first. That sounds weird, I know, but I literally drank half of the cup of tea before I could write about what it tasted like. Normally, I only have to take a couple of sips to start writing; drinking more to confirm my opinion. But, this tea did not coat my mouth right away like some teas I’ve had.

Overall, I was pleased with this tea. Even though I could not taste the white tea, the lychee flavor presented itself quite nicely.

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.

Green Tea Tropical Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price - $8.95 for 15 pouches)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: 1 bag, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 3 minutes.
Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5

Green Tea Tropical is a Chinese green tea base with a wide variety of ingredients which include banana, strawberry, pineapple, guava, and red, white, and blue cornflower pieces. When I opened the package, I could smell the banana and strawberry immediately. The pineapple scent followed shortly after. The mixture presented a colorful sight in the silk pouch. Pineapple pieces along with some red and blue cornflowers could easily be seen against the green tea leaves.

The strawberry and especially the banana aromas were what I could smell as the tea was steeping. With all of the flavors coming together, the tea smelled very sweet and fruity. The liquor was a light yellow, golden color.

After tasting this tea, I concluded that it was a very light bodied and lightly flavored tea. The fruit flavors of this tea were added in just the right amount in order to not mask the light flavor of the green tea. I tasted the banana and pineapple more than the other flavors, but it did have that “tropical” aspect to it. There was a little bit of a bite to this tea, which I’m assuming came from the tartness of the pineapple and guava. A touch of sugar could remedy that problem, however.

The fruity flavors made this tea refreshing and invigorating. I think this would be a good tea to use to introduce someone to the light, crisp taste of green tea (because I know some people are turned off to green tea because it can be bitter and astringent). The fruit flavors had a tendency to linger in my mouth for a while, but they were not at all overpowering.

The only negative thing that I could say about this tea was that it was so light bodied that it almost tasted watery.

Orange Dulce Review

Type: Black
Origin: Mix of Ceylon and China black tea
Price: Sample (regular price - $8.95 for 15 pouches)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: 1 bag, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-212°F, steeped for 4 minutes.
Overall Score: 4.2 out of 5

Orange Dulce is a mix of Ceylon and China black tea as a base with bergamot, orange, vanilla, and jasmine flavors. As soon as I tore open the package I could smell the bergamot and the vanilla. The sight of what was in this silk pouch was rather dark because of the black tea base. However, I noticed there were a few of what looked to be jasmine blossoms in this particular pouch. I really liked that there were whole leaves in this pouch instead of just dust.

As the tea began to steep, I could pick up on the aroma of the citrus and the sweet vanilla a bit more. The bergamot smell reminds me a lot of an Earl Grey black tea. The liquor was a beautiful deep orange, red color.

After taking a sip I was hit with a rush of different flavors. I could taste the citrus of the orange and bergamot first. Then, the sweet vanilla and jasmine were left to linger in my mouth. There was a hint of astringency, but overall the tea was very smooth and refreshing.

Because of the full bodied black tea along with the range of flavors, I felt like this tea could either be drank in the morning as a pleasant wake up call or after dinner with dessert. This would be a great tea to drink with dessert because it’s not too sweet and it, also, had a caramel-like after taste.

One thing that I did not like about this tea was the packaging. Even though I’m not a huge fan of bagged tea, I thought the pouch was big enough to allow the leaves to open properly – so that is not what I’m talking about. What I mean is that on the individual package that the tea bag comes in there was a time for how long the leaves should be steeped, but no indication of the temperature of the water that should be used. My knowledge of tea told me that black teas are normally brewed in boiling (or very close to boiling) water. However, those who are new to tea or may not have the knowledge of proper temperatures could brew this tea in a way that leaves them unsatisfied with their cuppa. It was not until I found the description of the tea on Mighty Leaf’s website when I saw that they say, only here, what temperature to brew the leaves of this particular tea. So, my only suggestion would be for them to put the proper brewing temperature on the actual packages just as they do for the brewing times.

Adagio's Blueberry Tea Review

Type: Black
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Sample (regular price - $6 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Adagio
Brewing Method: Per Instructed – 2.0g of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, boiled at 200°F-212°F, steeped for 5 minutes.
Overall Score: 4.7 out of 5

Adagio’s Blueberry Tea is a mix of mostly Ceylon black tea base with a suitable amount of blueberry flavor added. The dried leaves were a dark sight with the black Ceylon leaves and the dark colored bits of blueberry. The blueberry scent was easily detected when I was examining the leaves.

The brew is a deep orange color.

The smell was very bright, sweet, vivacious, and fruity. The taste is amazingly sweet. There is no bitterness or astringency at all. The only negative thing is that the blueberry flavor tended to mask the flavor of the Ceylon, but I did not find that overwhelmingly unpleasant. The brew seemed overall mellow. The light blueberry aftertaste lingered for quite a long time.

This tea was very refreshing and cooling, even when hot. I would imagine that it would make an excellent iced tea.

One side note: This tea tasted extremely sweet as is. I think those of you who like to add sugar to your tea might find adding sugar to this brew to be unnecessary.

Adagio's Grapefruit Tea Review

Type: Black
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Sample (regular price - $6 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Adagio
Brewing Method: Per Instructed – 2.0g of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, boiled at 200°F-212°F, steeped for 5 minutes.
Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5

Adagio’s Grapefruit Tea is made up of Ceylon black tea base with dried grapefruit bits and flavoring. Only after I put my nose to the can do I smell the sweet and acidic citrus. So, the grapefruit flavor does not seem to be too pungent or overpowering.

The liquor is a deep orange color.

Even after the leaves were brewed, it was rather hard to detect the aroma of the citrus unless I held the cup very close to my nose. The other flavored teas that I’ve tried produced aromas that seemed to fill the room.

The grapefruit taste was very lacking as well. I could taste the light bodied Ceylon more than anything. Actually, the only reason I could faintly pick up the taste of grapefruit was because I was looking for it. If I would not have known that the tea was flavored, I probably would not have picked up on the citrus flavoring.

The brew was overall bitter, dry, and lacked character. There was a faint acidic aftertaste, which was expected from citrus, but it fades quickly. I was not pleased with this tea. In fact, I was disappointed because I love grapefruit, but the flavor did not hold up in this tea.