The Republic of Tea

Not one note of Key Lime. Very disappointed. Usually Republic of Tea is gets it right but I had to add Key Lime sugar to get the taste.

A very good oolong- nothing fancy. My go-to oolong. Beverly Hofstetter would approve.

This tea packed a ton of flavor without requiring a black tea base. A lot of herbal teas seem to be lacking something to me, like they’re watery or sad somehow. They’re like children, floating around Disney World, looking for their parents. Incomplete; a little desperate.

Not here, though. This is a very robust little number. It Keeps Calm And Carries On, undaunted by the challenges facing herbals.

The flavor is part of a Downton Abbey collection, and I wish I could say something intelligent about the show here to tie in the tea. But alas, I’ve never seen this British mega-hit. It’s on my huge pile of TV Shows To Maybe See Someday.

Full review, including a HUGE rant about “you should watch this!” TV obligations, is here:
http://sororiteasisters.com/2016/12/12/downton-abbey-english-rose-herbal-from-the-republic-of-tea/

I got a generous sample of this from a non-Steepsterian friend and decided to make a small pitcher of iced tea. It’s quite cold today (come on, spring, get a move on!) so I kind of wish I had made it hot. But the iced tea is quite good. My sense of smell is completely gone again so I can’t smell or taste the ginger or peach, but the tea is smooth and no hint of astringency or bitterness.

You know, I really liked this tea before I tried Harneys. Just showed me how limited my tea drink experience is. This is not a bad tea but I just didn’t find it as flavorful as Harneys.

One of my favorites! Hot or iced, this never disappoints. I prefer mine with honey, hot.

So-so tea. I really like blackberry and this was the only brand I could find locally. Disappointed with the lack of flavor.

This is a very strong-flavored tea. The hibiscus overpowers the green tea, and I never tasted the acai berry flavor. But, it is a fun pink color, and if you’re in the mood for hibiscus, it’s great!

I ran out of this but need to log it before I remove it from my cupboard. This is a smooth, comforting tea for mid-morning. The blueberry flavor combines well with the black tea, and there’s a tiny hint of sweetness that I enjoy.

I would like to have more of this in my cupboard soon.

This tea smells and tastes a bit like peppermint schnapps, but without the alcohol burn.

I have found that I really really prefer “builders” teas – black, somewhat malty, with sugar and milk added. This practically requires a little additional sugar and a long splash of milk to quell the astringency and pump up the maltiness.

You wouldn’t think of this time of year as being ideal for iced tea, but I live in a place where winters are very dry and I often find myself craving cold drinks to quench my thirst. My bookstore stocks these RoT iced teas every summer and I always stock up at the end of the season because I know I’ll be wanting them.

This one is a black tea with a bit of a caffeine kick so don’t drink it late at night if you have trouble sleeping. Flavour-wise though the base is quite gentle and mild and acts more as support for the other flavours rather than drowning them out. The peach and ginger are a fairly well balanced mix, though I added a bit of ginger syrup so this jug has a bit more bite than it normally would. The peach comes across as a little bit artificial, though still far more natural than the flavourings found in Snapple or Lipton peach iced teas.

Ordered this as I read so many good things. First, I always use 2 of the ROT bags. I find I can taste the paper of the teabag sometimes. At any rate, I steeped this, heavy coconut smell. Taste is like a mounds bar, this was actually very taaty, a perfect dessert tea. Would make a fantastic latte.

This tastes pretty much like an ordinary peppermint tea to me. The peppermint isn’t very strong and is tasted mainly at the back of the tongue. The added stevia adds a spearmint like nuance to the edges of the peppermint, and the green rooibos adds a hay/grassy like undertone to the taste. The peppermint remains at the forefront. The chocolate and vanilla notes are experienced mainly through the nose.

I decided to give this tea another try, and chose it as my before bed cup. I managed to get a pretty good brew with boiling water. Now I’m thinking the water wasn’t hot enough for my previous brews because this time I managed to get a pretty good cup. I used 3 tea bags in a large 3 cup mug and over-steeped the tea by leaving the bags in while I sipped. I was able to coax out more of my beloved tannic flavor; and also added a touch of dark honey, which brought forth more of the plummy flavor.

The taste of cinnamon is still not very noticeable but I detect it somewhere in there tempering the flavor from becoming too bright and fruity, and also adding a touch of warmth to the overall composition.

I’m wearing Natori by Natori while I sip this…..a plum,rose, and amber fragrance with a touch of patchouli.

This tea is very bland and a tad vinegary.

This is my go to Jasmine tea. Nothing too special about it. It tastes like Jasmine but nothing extravagant. It’s my cheap-and-want-to-chug-jasmine-tea-now kind of tea. I double steep my tea BUT I mix it. I put it all in a 20 oz insulated water bottle so I can sip it hot/warm within an hour or two. I always double steep my tea but mix it all together and that is what I did here.

Here’s Hoping Teabox – Round Six – Tea #21
Your standard milk oolong. There is definitely a creamy, buttery flavor to this one. Solid steeps. I used quite a number of leaves that filled the infuser basket but the flavor was never astringent or bitter. Oolong fans… don’t miss this one in the teabox!

Here’s Hoping Teabox – Round Six – Tea #13
I used two of these teabags, but somehow the flavors that were supposed to be here were still pretty weak. I would have no idea what the flavor even was. The green tea wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t the best. I don’t think any spices could really shine in a green tea anyway. I love how the description says “rich plum”… I don’t think there was any plum here. I was going to try some of the Perennial Plum but upon looking at the blend, it looks like the Della Terra plum blend, which I have a ton of… so I’ll leave that one for others to try!

Love this tea. The coconut takes a back seat to the bright hibiscus, but thanks to the coconut this tea is creamy rather than astringent (as is a common issue I find with tropical teas). Great hot or iced—it’s refreshing and a treat for any occasion. I usually brew a cup when I’m missing the sand between my toes and the calming sound of the ocean waves. I’d go as far as to say that this is like Hawaii in a cup.