Made by Steaz Iced Teaz, Lime Pomegranate is an organic white tea infused with the two fruit flavors.
Flavor: It tastes somewhat sweet at first, but not overbearing. It is followed by a hint of citrus and maybe a berry-like aftertaste. The flavor of the tea is very light and delicate, as white tea should be.
Suggested Additions: None. This is a canned tea, it is already sweetened and I kept it in the fridge. The best improvement would be to pour it in a glass with ice on a hot day, but really, drinking it chilled in the fridge is quite refreshing as well.
Ingredients: Water, cane sugar, natural flavors, lemon juice, white tea, green tea.
Purpose: Today's hot summer day demands a refreshing drink. The early morning also demands a bit of caffeine, but not too much. White tea has very little caffeine, the addition of green tea in the ingredients list may be intended to help supplement the caffeine a bit, however it does not harm the delicate flavor at all.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Coconut Water
This is the first non-tea I will be discussing. It is made by Vita Coco, and is pure coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk. Coconut water (or juice) is what comes out of a coconut when you crack it open. Coconut milk and cream are both made by blending the meat of the coconut into a liquid consistency. Cream of coconut is usually used by bartenders in mixed drinks and is coconut milk or cream with sugar added to it. This particular company bottles coconut water and sells it in individual packages like juice boxes.
Flavor: It tastes somewhat like water, with a nutty, vegetably aftertaste. The friend who introduced me to it, and the packaging as well, state that it "tastes like you stuck a straw into a coconut." I would describe this as an acquired taste, so don't buy it and expect to like it right away.
Suggested Additions: I kept hearing in my head, "you put de lime in de coconut and shake it all up," so I finally caved and searched around for something with citrus in it. I found orange extract, and added that with a spoonful of white sugar and lots of ice cubes. However, I think if I did it over again, I'd forget the song and the citrus, and maybe also the sugar. Definitely add ice cubes, though. It is quite refreshing.
Ingredients: Natural coconut juice.
Purpose: When you don't want caffiene, and you want something that is not overly processed or added-to, when you want something somewhat exotic but refreshing, and probably when you are on a hot dusty street corner in India, you should drink this. Just don't expect to find ice cubes in India.
Flavor: It tastes somewhat like water, with a nutty, vegetably aftertaste. The friend who introduced me to it, and the packaging as well, state that it "tastes like you stuck a straw into a coconut." I would describe this as an acquired taste, so don't buy it and expect to like it right away.
Suggested Additions: I kept hearing in my head, "you put de lime in de coconut and shake it all up," so I finally caved and searched around for something with citrus in it. I found orange extract, and added that with a spoonful of white sugar and lots of ice cubes. However, I think if I did it over again, I'd forget the song and the citrus, and maybe also the sugar. Definitely add ice cubes, though. It is quite refreshing.
Ingredients: Natural coconut juice.
Purpose: When you don't want caffiene, and you want something that is not overly processed or added-to, when you want something somewhat exotic but refreshing, and probably when you are on a hot dusty street corner in India, you should drink this. Just don't expect to find ice cubes in India.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Mint
This tea doesn't appear to have a name. Usually I go with the word that is prominent on the packaging that appears not to be the brand name. In this case, the word was "Mint." It is by Steaz Iced Teaz and is a lightly sweetened organic green tea with mint flavoring.
Flavor: The taste is not unpleasant, however, the best way I can describe the flavor of this tea is: "coffee and vegetables," which sounds awful. The initial taste is definitely the basic green tea taste- think Japanese restaurant tea, but without the bitterness. That is followed by an herby vegetable taste. The flavor of the mint does not hit until after the swallow.
Suggested Additions: I would not add anything. The only thing I might say in this area is that I got it from a refrigerated section of the supermarket, but let it warm to just below room temperature before drinking with dinner. I did not do this on purpose, it just took me longer than expected to get my dinner ready. It is possible it was meant to be drunk straight from the refrigerator, however I find that very cold beverages are harder to taste, so I'm glad I let it warm up a little.
Ingredients: Filtered water, organic cane sugar, natural flavors, organic lemon juice, organic green tea.
Purpose: I am always on the lookout for more iced teas. I have plenty of hot teas, but this is summer and it just feels wrong to drink a hot beverage. Green tea has caffeine, so be careful.
Flavor: The taste is not unpleasant, however, the best way I can describe the flavor of this tea is: "coffee and vegetables," which sounds awful. The initial taste is definitely the basic green tea taste- think Japanese restaurant tea, but without the bitterness. That is followed by an herby vegetable taste. The flavor of the mint does not hit until after the swallow.
Suggested Additions: I would not add anything. The only thing I might say in this area is that I got it from a refrigerated section of the supermarket, but let it warm to just below room temperature before drinking with dinner. I did not do this on purpose, it just took me longer than expected to get my dinner ready. It is possible it was meant to be drunk straight from the refrigerator, however I find that very cold beverages are harder to taste, so I'm glad I let it warm up a little.
Ingredients: Filtered water, organic cane sugar, natural flavors, organic lemon juice, organic green tea.
Purpose: I am always on the lookout for more iced teas. I have plenty of hot teas, but this is summer and it just feels wrong to drink a hot beverage. Green tea has caffeine, so be careful.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
English Breakfast
English Breakfast tea is made by a lot of companies, but this one is by Twining's. I tried it because I wanted to know what distinguishes it from Twining's Irish Breakfast.
Flavor: This tea is pretty much the same as Irish Breakfast. However, the second time I tried it, I noticed a "real" tea taste which reminded me of the time I spent in England. It has a rich taste, and although you can tell there are tannins present, it does not have the bitterness associated with tannic acid. When asked to describe the taste of the tea, a friend of mine stated, "It tastes like citrus and milk or some kind of flower."
Suggested Additions: I'd like to try it with lemon and honey, however I have not yet. Honey with a dash of milk gives it a warm flowery taste, while raw sugar with a liberal amount of milk gives it the same creamy and nutty flavor as the Irish Breakfast. Two scoops of white sugar with a splash of milk creates the flavor of the tea I drank in England.
Ingredients: Black tea
Purpose: For me, this tea is nostalgic. It also has a comforting flavor, probably because of the rich nutty feel. Lastly, its black tea so it has a good amount of caffeine.
Flavor: This tea is pretty much the same as Irish Breakfast. However, the second time I tried it, I noticed a "real" tea taste which reminded me of the time I spent in England. It has a rich taste, and although you can tell there are tannins present, it does not have the bitterness associated with tannic acid. When asked to describe the taste of the tea, a friend of mine stated, "It tastes like citrus and milk or some kind of flower."
Suggested Additions: I'd like to try it with lemon and honey, however I have not yet. Honey with a dash of milk gives it a warm flowery taste, while raw sugar with a liberal amount of milk gives it the same creamy and nutty flavor as the Irish Breakfast. Two scoops of white sugar with a splash of milk creates the flavor of the tea I drank in England.
Ingredients: Black tea
Purpose: For me, this tea is nostalgic. It also has a comforting flavor, probably because of the rich nutty feel. Lastly, its black tea so it has a good amount of caffeine.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Lotus Green
Made by Tazo, Lotus Green is a green tea infused with the essence of lotus blossoms.
Flavor: It has a flowery taste, but is quite bitter. It wasn't bad but it definitely seemed to be an acquired taste. Anyone familiar with the flavor of jasmine will appreciate this, as it tasted like an extra-strong version of jasmine green tea (which I have yet to review).
Suggested Additions: I tried to add sugar to counter the bitterness but it seemed to make it worse. Perhaps next time I will try a bit of lemon, since lemon is often used to make coffee less bitter. There was no lemon available at the time, however.
Ingredients: green tea, natural lotus flower flavor, other natural flavors.
Purpose: It was the most intriguing option available out of the display of Tazo teas. Also, it is a decaffeinated green tea, so its good to have in the evening as well.
Flavor: It has a flowery taste, but is quite bitter. It wasn't bad but it definitely seemed to be an acquired taste. Anyone familiar with the flavor of jasmine will appreciate this, as it tasted like an extra-strong version of jasmine green tea (which I have yet to review).
Suggested Additions: I tried to add sugar to counter the bitterness but it seemed to make it worse. Perhaps next time I will try a bit of lemon, since lemon is often used to make coffee less bitter. There was no lemon available at the time, however.
Ingredients: green tea, natural lotus flower flavor, other natural flavors.
Purpose: It was the most intriguing option available out of the display of Tazo teas. Also, it is a decaffeinated green tea, so its good to have in the evening as well.
Monday, June 21, 2010
White Tea with Yerba Mate'
White Tea with an Infusion of Yerba Mate' is a bottled iced tea from a company called Herbal Mist. I got it from the mom-and-pop bagel place down the road from me on Hamburg Turnpike before reaching 287.
Flavor: Sweet, light, and delicate. It has a slightly nutty aftertaste but mainly a nondescript fruity flavor.
Suggested Additions: Its a bottled tea so I didn't add anything. I found it to be a tad too sweet, but was afraid to add water because the flavor is so light and delicate that I didn't want to lose any of it by adding water.
Ingredients: water, cane sugar, white tea, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), yerba mate'
Purpose: It is a good iced tea, with a light caffeine content. White tea is harvested early, before the tea leaves have matured and reached their full caffeine levels. Yerba mate' is a South American plant that also contains some caffeine and is prepared in similar ways to tea. The end result is a good, refreshing lunch beverage.
(Note, Blogger will not let me use fancy lettering for my posts. The correct spelling of yerba mate' is with an acute accent over the e, instead of the apostrophe I've used here.)
Flavor: Sweet, light, and delicate. It has a slightly nutty aftertaste but mainly a nondescript fruity flavor.
Suggested Additions: Its a bottled tea so I didn't add anything. I found it to be a tad too sweet, but was afraid to add water because the flavor is so light and delicate that I didn't want to lose any of it by adding water.
Ingredients: water, cane sugar, white tea, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), yerba mate'
Purpose: It is a good iced tea, with a light caffeine content. White tea is harvested early, before the tea leaves have matured and reached their full caffeine levels. Yerba mate' is a South American plant that also contains some caffeine and is prepared in similar ways to tea. The end result is a good, refreshing lunch beverage.
(Note, Blogger will not let me use fancy lettering for my posts. The correct spelling of yerba mate' is with an acute accent over the e, instead of the apostrophe I've used here.)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Cold Brewed English Classic
This tea is a magic tea concocted by the voodoo masters at Twining's. It tastes just like their regular English Classic, but does not require hot water. The bag has tea leaves in it, not crystals the way instant coffee is made, so I think its magic.
Flavor: Light, with very little tannic acid in the taste. It is almost milky in texture, without even any added creamer. And like I said, it tastes very much like their hot-brewed English Classic.
Suggested additions: I am using a glass that is much larger than the standard tea mug, which means this one is a little watered down. However, the flavor does not seem to be affected by the extra water, just steep a little longer. When I say steep, I guess I mean just let it soak in the cold water for more than the recommended 3-5 minutes. I added a 1/2 tablespoon of raw sugar, which I have had to stir vigorously in order for it to dissolve (unlike sugar in hot water, which dissolves quickly). This makes it mildly sweet in such a large glass; for smaller glasses, adjust the amounts. This tea has a naturally milky taste which would go well with a splash of milk to make it more like those iced coffee drinks you can get at Dunkin' Donuts, however I did not do that today. Something about drinking a milky beverage on a hot day just doesn't sit well with me.
Ingredients: Tea, tea extracts (which I assume is how they get it to be cold-brewed?), water (in the tea bag??), natural tea flavoring with other natural flavoring.
Purpose: Quick and easy iced tea. No waiting for the hot tea to cool so you can ice it, no brewing it extra strong so you can dilute it with ice. Just pour water in, wait 3-5 minutes or however long you like, and you're good to go. However, this is black tea so be aware of the caffeine content.
Flavor: Light, with very little tannic acid in the taste. It is almost milky in texture, without even any added creamer. And like I said, it tastes very much like their hot-brewed English Classic.
Suggested additions: I am using a glass that is much larger than the standard tea mug, which means this one is a little watered down. However, the flavor does not seem to be affected by the extra water, just steep a little longer. When I say steep, I guess I mean just let it soak in the cold water for more than the recommended 3-5 minutes. I added a 1/2 tablespoon of raw sugar, which I have had to stir vigorously in order for it to dissolve (unlike sugar in hot water, which dissolves quickly). This makes it mildly sweet in such a large glass; for smaller glasses, adjust the amounts. This tea has a naturally milky taste which would go well with a splash of milk to make it more like those iced coffee drinks you can get at Dunkin' Donuts, however I did not do that today. Something about drinking a milky beverage on a hot day just doesn't sit well with me.
Ingredients: Tea, tea extracts (which I assume is how they get it to be cold-brewed?), water (in the tea bag??), natural tea flavoring with other natural flavoring.
Purpose: Quick and easy iced tea. No waiting for the hot tea to cool so you can ice it, no brewing it extra strong so you can dilute it with ice. Just pour water in, wait 3-5 minutes or however long you like, and you're good to go. However, this is black tea so be aware of the caffeine content.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Licorice Spice
After a bit of a break, I am back! Its been hot lately, and the only thing I've been interested in drinking is water, so no posts till today. This one is called Licorice Spice is made by Stash. I generally don't like licorice, but I do like spice teas, so my curiosity overcame me.
Flavor: Initially this is a naturally sweet tea. It has an incredibly unusual flavor and I am having difficulty finding the words to describe the taste. The spice is not overpowering, but each individual spice seems to present itself at once. It is somewhat earthy, but not too deep of a flavor- think of a low-growing-ferny taste rather than a came-out-of-the-earth taste.
Suggested Additions: No sweetener needed. This tea has a naturally sweet flavor despite the fact it contains no sweetening plants such as agave or stevia. Lemon is a possibility, although the tea already contains both orange and orange peel, so unless you really like citrus, you may not want to add more. As for milk or creamer, I don't think this tea would work with it, but if you get experimental and decide to try it, let me know. My personal opinion is that this tea needs no help reaching its highest flavor potential. (I like the tea, but it hasn't made me like licorice any more than before.)
Ingredients: Licorice root, cinnamon, orange peel, Chinese star anise, vanilla flavor, sarsaparilla, orange, cinnamon, clove, cardamom.
Purpose: I chose this tea out of curiosity, I chose tea today because its been a while since I blogged about tea, and I really kind of missed it. Oh also, no caffeine in this tea.
Flavor: Initially this is a naturally sweet tea. It has an incredibly unusual flavor and I am having difficulty finding the words to describe the taste. The spice is not overpowering, but each individual spice seems to present itself at once. It is somewhat earthy, but not too deep of a flavor- think of a low-growing-ferny taste rather than a came-out-of-the-earth taste.
Suggested Additions: No sweetener needed. This tea has a naturally sweet flavor despite the fact it contains no sweetening plants such as agave or stevia. Lemon is a possibility, although the tea already contains both orange and orange peel, so unless you really like citrus, you may not want to add more. As for milk or creamer, I don't think this tea would work with it, but if you get experimental and decide to try it, let me know. My personal opinion is that this tea needs no help reaching its highest flavor potential. (I like the tea, but it hasn't made me like licorice any more than before.)
Ingredients: Licorice root, cinnamon, orange peel, Chinese star anise, vanilla flavor, sarsaparilla, orange, cinnamon, clove, cardamom.
Purpose: I chose this tea out of curiosity, I chose tea today because its been a while since I blogged about tea, and I really kind of missed it. Oh also, no caffeine in this tea.
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