Arbor Teas

Wow. I mean, wow. Rich – insanely rich and tarry and smoky. The smoke is strong enough that it is definitely the stronger taste compared to the dark chocolate, but the two flavors pair together to give really heavy richness. Wow. Probably more tarry of a lapsang than I normally go for and it reminds me a bit of a bacon-flavored chocolate bar I had, but the richness is pretty fantastic. Totally and noticeably ‘tea’.
(Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aug3zimm/sets/72157625259950135/ )

Very different – thick and grassy and heavy, like a super-rich green tea ice cream. Not very sweet (well, it is but compared to the whole truffle idea – ‘not sweet’ in the same way that green tea ice cream is more heavy/dark/grassy than sweet) but very realistic and obviously green tea. Very tasty. I would love to have a container of these for chocolate treats. This one is the most noticeable ‘tea-infused’ of the truffles.
(Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aug3zimm/sets/72157625259950135/ )

I like this tea more than I thought I would. It’s got a bit of a grassy, dry tea taste with a bit of a sour cherry flavor. It’s rather smooth for the sourness.

Amazing! I absolutely love these tea-infused truffles from Arbor Teas.

I am not getting a gritty sensation as AmazonV described in her tasting note, maybe a little chalky grit, but very slight and not off-putting. I love the ganache – the white chocolate is a perfect match for the matcha as it really allows the unique taste of the matcha to come through – sweet with faint bitter notes. Vegetative. NICE!

I love these truffles so much… I think I’m going to need more after I’m finished with this box.

This is a great tasting oolong! It’s woodsy and vegetal but not overly-so either way. There is an interesting lemony type taste. Not juicy lemon per say more like a lemon zest would be more my guess as a taste comparison. It’s unlike any hint I have tasted in a tea let alone an oolong! This is lovely!

YUM!

This truffle tastes creamy and rich. If I allow the truffle to melt upon my tongue, I experience the green tea flavor, as well as the pineapple and passion fruit. The chocolate is strong though, so in order to experience all the flavors this truffle has to offer, it should be savored slowly, allowing each flavor to reach the palate.

Like I said: YUM!

AmazonV: Pretty. Sweet white chocolate, mellow firm chocolate center. I think I get hints of grapefruit, I don’t get jasmine :(

I was hoping this would be the best as I adore jasmine.

MilitiaJim: Is this jasmine? White chocolate shell works well with the inside of this one. Jasmine is subtle and would have been overwhelmed by a different shell.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_09.html

Very pretty swirl of glitter on top.

Dark chocolate, toasty, smoky, delicious interplay, smooth but not creamy.

A favorite thus far.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_2627.html

http://sororiteasisters.com/2010/11/09/golden-yunnan-from-arbor-teas/
Full Review…

Oh YUM! Of the six truffles in the box, this was the one for which I had the lowest expectations, since I am not a big fan of Lapsang Souchong. But… in a chocolate – IT WORKS. Awesomely!

Going to write a more in-depth review for the SororiTEA Sisters blog, but, I do want to say that this is really good. I love the caramel-y undertones of the Lapsang Souchong and how they complement the dark chocolate. I can taste the tea, and I love the smoky notes and how they integrate with the rich chocolate flavor. Delicious!

Very sweet, creamy, gritty matcha filling goes well with the chocolate shell.

Delicious, a little gritty, reminds me of a Starbucks green tea frappuccino but with chocolate, maybe I can get pumps of chocolate in my green tea frappuccino!

MilitiaJim: The matcha is creamy and sweet. The chocolate is smooth and well done. The two are not improved by their addition. 2 + 2 has come out to 3.

http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate.html
http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_08.html

Sweet citrus (bergamot) dark sweet chocolate ganache that melts in your mouth, the milk chocolate shell gets lost with the stronger flavors.

The truffle melts away in your mouth, and the bergamot of the tea shines through.

Images:
http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate.html
http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_8642.html

The first thing I tasted was smooth delicious dark chocolate, followed by the creamy center which was a mild green tea with a hint of sweet pineapple.
Good chocolate truffle, but not a strong tea flavor.

Images:
http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate.html
http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_07.html

I totally forgot I had a bit of this one left. I found it today and am finishing a cup now. I also sort of forgot how freaking good it was! Sure…I LOVE all teas but there is a special place in my heart for Black teas and I always start my day with at least a few different black teas…so with all the black teas I drink…I REALLY appreciate the ones that stand out among the rest! This is one of those teas!

FULL REVIEW

http://sororiteasisters.com/2010/11/08/organic-rembeng-assam-black-tea-from-arbor-teas/

Thanks so much LiberTEAs for sending this to me!!! This is the very first tea from Arbor Teas that I have had, I think.

This has a slight bakey smell to it and the color of the liquid is lovely…a dark reddish-brown-copper.

WOW! The taste…WONDERFUL! I’m not getting any astringency at all and it’s quite smooth but also a little malty! I really like this!!!!

I have officially designated Thursdays as Ironing Day. I’ve got a fair amount of goodies to iron today but I’m extraordinarily tired. I need a good oomph to get me through the long ironing ahead. Mate is supposed to give quite a nice buzz and I’ve had this sample from Arbor Teas sitting on my counter for a few days to remind me to try it. Mate scares me a little bit, so I’m using the energy need for my ironing marathon as an excuse to bust this one open.

The dry leaf smells dusty and herbal-y and faintly sweet. Post-steeping, the smell is still a bit musty and herbal with an almost menthol-like whoosh to it. The taste is milder and less offensive than the other mates I’ve had (Samovar blends). It’s pretty much like it smells – somewhat earthy, hay-y, herbal. There’s a little ting on the end that is the menthol smell but the taste is a almost ginger-y warm. It’s a little rough but nothing that makes me think this would benefit in any way from additives.

I haven’t really felt all that buzzed but I am getting through my ironing without wanting to nap so that could be the mate at work. I’m not sure if I’d seek out this (or any mate) for a pleasure drink, but the sweetness definitely makes it my preferred mate drink of the ones I’ve had.
2g/~9oz

I’ve never had a green yerba mate before! It was pretty interesting to taste yerba without so much tangyness. Sometimes yerba mate gives a headache (not sure why), but this one didn’t, which is a huge plus.

The Final Sipdown: Day 16
Decupboarding Total: 31

And it’s another sample gone! I really like this tea – it’s got the sweetness and smoothness of a yunnan but there’s a little bright Darjeeling-like kick to the end of it that shows up sometimes. It’s a nice tea to drink straight, which can be a challenge for non-Chinese blacks (at least for me). If I had a larger container of this it would be very easy for me to drink though it is missing just a little something that would push it into the ‘must run out and get more of this!’ category. Still, a good tea that is definitely worth a try!

I like trying teas grown in unexpected places (basically somewhere not China or India), so when I saw Arbor teas had this one, I was interested in trying it. And now I get to!

I know the vendor notes say this is SE Asia’s answer to Assam, but it really makes me think more of a Yunnan. But it’s a bright, happy, more sparkly Yunnan than most of the Yunnans I’ve had, which strike me as a bit thicker tasting. I suppose that extra bright, sweet perkiness comes from the Assam-like malt aspect giving it a different sweet note? There’s a tiny hint of astringency on the tail of the sip, but it’s a sweet dryness instead of a more Assam-like nutty bitterness, so it doesn’t make me feel like I need sugar or milk to smooth it out. Instead, it’s actually quite smooth on its own, something else that bring Yunnan teas to mind.

Overall, this strikes me as a happy tea. Not as caffeinated as an Assam or as thick as a Yunnan, but somewhere in between. A Yunnan on antidepressants perhaps? Which makes it seem like I think Yunnans are unhappy teas. I don’t. They are just more solid, mellow and even-keeled. This tea seems a little peppier and enthusiastic. Somewhat like a puppy. A tea puppy.

And since I just compared this tea to a puppy, I think it’s time for me to run away. Maybe take the second steep out for a walk so it doesn’t piddle on the carpet.

A very pleasing jasmine aroma and flavor. While it is not overly “floral” it does possess that certain jasmine sharpness that cuts through some of the sweeter notes nicely. The green tea is lightly vegetative and smooth.

A very good jasmine offering!

I’m off to write a more in-depth review for the Tea Review Blog.

Yeah, sorry, this one just isn’t for me. The dry leaf smells fruity and vaguely alcoholic, like wine or some variety of fruit Pucker. The steeped tea has a spicy, tart, stewed fruit thing going on and something that reminds me of a decorative soap. Sipping the tea gives me mild stewed berries or plums and soap. I find myself wincing three times during each sip – once to brace myself for the sip when the soap smell hits, once as it is in my mouth and I taste the warm tart flavor, then finally when I swallow and feel like I’ve just had my mouth washed out with soap.

Lots of others folks seem to really like this one so I’ll just say my rating reflects my personal tastes, not the quality of the tea.

I tried this this morning because its was frigid cold. Being that I love black teas, I found this tea very enjoyable (so enjoyable that I burnt my tongue on it). Its kind of sweet for a black tea but in a very comforting way.

If you like black teas, you will definitely like this one.

I’d have to agree with the others saying the hibiscus is definitely the first thing you’ll taste. The plum is there, however, and its very nice. Overall a very good tea that I probably could have brewed better had I watched the temperature!