The Republic of Tea

So I can’t quite get a grip on this tea.. there is a lot going on. It tastes tangy and slightly sweet. It has a kind of calm fruity presence. The funny thing is.. I don’t really taste either pomegranate or vanilla, so where are the flavors coming from? What I love is the tingling effect it brings to my tongue — I think that might be from the ‘fruit’ aspect of the tea. This might be a good tea to have iced as well. Overall, this tea is enjoyable!

This was my free sample that came with my latest Republic of Tea catalog. The aroma is interesting… it smells like artificial peaches and… chlorine? I find that any artificial fruit flavor or smell will have a chlorinated edge to it. The steeped tea came to a lovely light orange color.

The first sip is pretty good. I’m not getting very much green tea or ginger, mostly just peach. It doesn’t taste like true peaches, but rather a peach flavored lollipop. It isn’t bad, but if you’re looking for a real peach taste, don’t get this. I’m picking up just the slightest hint of green tea in the aftertaste, so this would be a good tea for people who don’t exactly like green tea. As for the ginger… I can’t find it at all. Darn. Still, this is decent.

I just got this tea the other day. Tonight I tried it, first the way the packaging recommends you have it (steeped with almost boiling water for 30-60) seconds. Nice, but seemed like a waste of a perfectly good tea bag, so I popped it into the other mug of already steeping ginger peach. That puppy sat for a good 15 minutes or more, and it was SO tasty. I guess the suggested prep method is just a guideline after all, but I had to try it that way at least once. I may have a new favorite. We’ll see tomorrow when I make myself a cup with one tea bag and steep it for my normal 5 minutes. ;)

Oh yeah. That’s a good one brewed the same way I brew the black Ginger Peach. Awesome! Next time I think I’ll order the red Ginger Peach!

This tea has a mellow hint of cocoa. Being a strong lover of dark chocolate, I find adding a bit more honey than usual accentuates the flavor of the tea.

Good, well-balanced tea. Also tastes great as an iced tea for those hot days.

Bright and fruity blend. I’ve enjoyed it as both iced and hot. I like a little sugar in mine, but it is just fine without.

I received this tea from a friend a month or so ago. I am not big on bagged tea, as I’ve said before, but, this one isn’t bad.

This is a very “autumnal” tasting tea… I guess that’s because I always add oranges to my cranberry compote on Thanksgiving. Cranberries and oranges just seem to go together so well!

The black tea base is smooth, not too strong (it doesn’t overwhelm the fruit flavors, but, it is not hiding behind them, either), and has an enjoyable, rich and full flavor.

The cranberry flavor is tart and tasty, and the blood orange tastes juicy and sweet. It’s a really nice contrast – black tea, tart cranberry, and sweet citrus-y flavor. Nice. The after taste is very cranberry-ish.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 teabags
Water: filtered, boiling, ~12 ounces
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet berry
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet berry
Flavor: tart berry, then sweet
Body: Full
Aftertaste: apple, berry
Liquor: deep dark red

I am a hibiscus and strong flavor fan, and this fits the bill. I enjoy it for a delicious nighttime tea.

MilitiaJim has decided he is not all that fond of hibiscus.

Post-Steep Additives: honey, tempers the hibiscus tart

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/05/republic-of-tea-teabag-herbal-tea.html

I’m a dark chocolate enthusiast so I was psyched to try this, based on its name: double dark. Sounds dark, doesn’t it? Trust me, it’s not. So I initially gave it a low rating for not being dark and for being bland and watery. Put it in the recesses of my cupboard. Then, having pulled it out for a steepster swap recently I tried it again, this time with an extra long brew time, well beyond the recommended 7 minutes. Big difference. This is one of those teas that really benefit from being kept hot while steeping, and in fact it seems best off being left in the cup till the end. I like it with a little splash of almond milk and it can also take a little dash of cinnamon or shot of whatever alcohol you like with your hot chocolate. Still not double dark at all, but a nice drink on a cold day or evening.

I was really excited to try Ginger Peach Green Tea by TROT because they say that it’s one of their most popular teas. The smell of the tea is slightly peach, slightly something… gross? I can’t really describe just WHAT the smell is, but I am not fond of it. I guess I was looking for a bit more peach. The taste is actually a bit more subtle than I expected, and it is drinkable.. but for me, it’s just that. I didn’t notice anything special in the flavor.. and wouldn’t go out of my way to try this one again.

I am not too familiar with herbal tisanes, but I liked African Autumn which is also rooibos based and a friend gave me this one to try, so I thought “why not?” I like it! There is a unique taste in there that I have only experienced once before, and that was in Throat Coat or Throat Tamer, not sure which. I think it must be the licorice root. Very tasty.

My husband dislikes flowery teas and won’t drink many herbals, but he likes this tea. He was having trouble sleeping due to stress at work, but this tea helps him sleep like a baby! He doesn’t feel groggy and it doesn’t put him out, but when he falls asleep he said he sleeps deeply and awakens feeling rested.

It was 63 degrees and rainy today… i.e. almost fall weather… i.e. time to pull out this awesome tea. It is seriously the perfect rainy day tea. It just warms you from the inside out. Yum! It was delicious as always.

Despite the fact that I got this tea in a chai latte set I have never had it any way but plain, so I decided to change that. I made a latte out of it and it was pretty good but definitely not as good as plain. I feel as if when I make a latte it tastes like milk with tea instead of tea for milk. Next up I want to try this tea with just a splash of milk, but I think I am always gonna like this tea plain and simple. I enjoyed my experimentation though :-)

I just made myself a giant mug of this – YUM! I haven’t had tea in 1 or 2 days and this was a great way to break my little tea hiatus. I absolutely love this tea. It is so spicy and delicious! It makes me so happy and it gives you this warm fuzzy feeling. I think this tea would be excellent in the winter to warm you up but it isn’t overwhelming in the summer which is awesome!!! This tea is awesome!

Just made a pot of this. It was delicious and spicy and cinnamon and warm. It was much needed after a day of studying for my molecular final and packing.

I just tried this iced and I am glad that I tried the hot version first. It definitely isn’t as good iced. It way less spicy and that is what I loved about the hot version. Oh well lesson learned.

I really liked this tea. I think it is significantly better then it’s black tea counter-part and I like that tea!

It smells deliciously spicy dry, it smells a little funky when it is steeped but I’ll forgive it that. I love the flavor. It is so spicy and comforting. It is like a hug in a cup. It reminds me of something that I can’t put my finger on – maybe really good apple cider. Anyway this tea is awesome and I am looking forward to trying it iced (the pot is cooling in my fridge).

aha! on a real laptop now
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/05/republic-of-tea-teabag-herbal-tea-key.html

stupid silders don’t really work on the ipad

Typing this on my work iPad so you’ll have to check my blog later for full detail and pictures

1 teabag
6 ounces filtered boiling water
5 minutes

Dry leaf smell – berry tart lime
Tea smell – tart, berry, lime, sweet
Tea – tart berry (hibiscus) lime
Full body
After taste is sweet

Good enough I’ll enjoy the rest, but it seems like it would be better as not a tea, perhaps a pie or jello?

Served hot

Thanks for the sample Meghann M

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 heaping teaspoons
Water: 750 milliliters filtered, 212°
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (Black, Strong, Auto start)
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Strong vanilla, hints sweet cherry not fake but real fruity scent
Steeped Tea Smell: Sweet vanilla black tea
Flavor: Astringent, slightly bitter black tea a hint of vanilla
Body: Full
Aftertaste: Astringent, slightly bitter
Liquor: Mostly opaque dark brown with slight reddish orange hints

Post-Steep Additives:
+German Rock Sugar – no more bitterness, brings out the vanilla, still not getting the cherry
+Lactose-free milk – less astringency much better

This is from LENA in the wonderful little Tupperware containers! Yes another one I have been hiding away and am finally getting to.

This tea is a good strong wake you up black with a bad astringency problem. I am very glad I didn’t order a whole tin! Thank you again LENA for helping me satisfy my curiosity and not end up drowning in ‘Meh’ tea.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/05/republic-of-tea-loose-leaf-black-tea.html

I don’t drink it very often, but when I do I really enjoy it. Goes way back to before I really started drinking tea, and I had this at a friend’s place. So there’s a part of my brain that always associates it with Middle Sunday at Steve & Paula’s. Nice mix of flavors. (Often good during a cold.) Occasionally add sugar, but plain is also good.

Decided to revisit this one this morning…I wouldn’t say it’s bad…but there is little flavored to this flavored black. That is why I am giving it a lower rating…not because it tastes bad but because it doesn’t taste like cherry or vanilla or much else…but the cup is drinkable and the black tea taste is present.

Should I be afraid!? I see lots of not-so-good reviews on this one!? Oh well…I’m up for the challenge…

I must say when I see BING Cherry in tea – most places tend to over due it either with tarty-bitterness in flavor or a harsh fake smell! This it’s over the top on scent…I can smell the vanilla more than the BING.

I wouldn’t say it’s a stereotypical taste of either Bing Cherry OR Vanilla. I can taste the vanilla more than the berry-ness. It has a slight ‘roasted’ taste at first but then evens out. Yeah…certainly more vanilla over the cherry. Thankfully I didn’t fully judge it on my first sip because I made a funny face.

I must say it’s not my favorite and it’s not memorable but I can drink it and it’s better than not having any tea at all, eh!?

I will also say that when my black an flavored black teas were at a low – this could have come in handy because I was REALLY needing a black flavored tea!!!

I will hang on to this one for a standby. The more I drink the more drinkable it seems to be but…I would choose several other ‘like’ teas before this one. It’s not bad just not excellent! Soooooo glad I got to try at it and add it to my collection, tho, thanks to Doulton!