The Republic of Tea
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I’m not sure if my taste buds are broken, or if I just got a different batch than the hated one, but I actually rather enjoy this tea.
It does smell amazingly like apple cider, but doesn’t really taste anything like it, so I can’t help but feel a little disappointment on first sip. And the tea part of this mixture is just not present; a stronger tea would make this a lot tastier.
That said, the spices are there and quite pleasant, it has a nice hint of apple despite the lack of cideryness (it’s a word now), the licorice adds a bit of flavor, and it’s smooth and pretty tasty. Plus it just smells fantastic. It’s not among the best teas I’ve had, but I really like it anyway, if that makes any sense.
I did notice that, in a very bizarre twist, it actually becomes less pleasant and more papery tasting the longer it steeps, so maybe that’s part of the problem? Steeping longer seems to leech out the spices and especially the apple, leaving behind only the mediocre tea and a hint of licorice.
Preparation
I got a sample of this a few years ago in my Christmas stocking and really disliked it. However, that was when I was first branching out beyond Constant Comment, and learning about things like steeping times. Since I was so pleasantly surprised by the RoT’s ginger peach tea, I figured I’d give this a shot; I like cinnamon (a lot), I like plums, and it sounded like a yummy, yummy tea.
Turns out, I should have gone with my first impression. I didn’t loathe it as much as I did back then (I vaguely remember actual nausea), but it was a really unimpressive cup of tea.
Even with two bags and steeped for a full five minutes, it was very bland and tasteless. I couldn’t find much plum at all. The cinnamon tasted … well, my mom had these cinnamon bark sticks in a tiny dish for decoration when I was a kid, and one day, when I was seven or eight and the cinnamon sticks were about the same age, I tasted one out of curiousity. It tasted like vaguely cinnamony paper, and old and stale to boot. That’s how the cinnamon in this tea came across to me. And the tea itself was pretty meh.
I’d blame it on the bags being old or something, but since this is pretty much exactly how I remember it tasting, I think maybe it’s just not for me. I’m glad I tried something else first, or I probably would have never touched another RoT tea again.
Preparation
I had to be away from home for a little bit without most of my tea. I brought a couple of bags along, but ended up in the mood for something fruity.
Luckily, my favorite coffee shop came to the rescue. I am not really sure what I love about this tea. It doesn’t pack too much of a punch, but the black tea is comforting if not sharp, the ginger is present if not strong enough to make your mouth tingle, and the peach is delicious.
I’ve been drinking it hot (the a/c at the hotel was a bit overbearing; the a/c at work is the same), and tried it iced last night as well. It’s soothing and refreshing and deliciously peachy either way.
Preparation
This tea had always interested me whenever I saw it at the store and I finally got to try it. The dry leaf is very pretty: little bright petals in a bed of pretty rooibos. The scent was rooibos with a TON of apricots. I didn’t smell a bunch of caramel or honey, but pure apricot fruits. Steeped, the tea smelled equally as fruity. It even retained the juicy character of the apricots. Each sip had a nice balance of apricot and rooibos, and the slightest bit of honey flavor. As much as I wanted to love this tea, I just couldn’t. Something about it didn’t taste RIGHT to me. Maybe I had imagined this tea to be something beyond delicious – I think I wanted apricots dipped in honey & caramel. It’s not a terrible tea, just not as good as I wanted it to be.
On my last bag, Erin! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful tea with me! I’ve GOT to order more of this pronto.
Oh here’s a couple better pics of my newly ginger hair in the sunlight! http://i56.tinypic.com/2r56o3m.png, http://i51.tinypic.com/sya3ki.png It’s in a ponytail, because I’m growing it out and it’s at an odd length. Wish hair grew faster! Did the whole extension thing but it’s just annoying.
Preparation
This is definitely my cup of tea. Rating’s going up. Thanks so much for turning me on to this one, Erin! SO great for a bagged tea. I wasn’t feeling amazing so I steeped this double strength for 40 seconds and poured over ice. So awesome. I feel a million times better. Probably the most refreshing iced tea ever. I need to stock up on this. So clean and pure tasting. Feels like it clears my mind. Sip. Deep breathe. Ahhhhh. This would pair good with yoga.
Preparation
This is nice! Heated water to 175 degrees in my Breville and steeped for 40 seconds in my awesome new glasses – http://tinyurl.com/3w6hggp SO pretty! Bought them on sale at Amazon.
Thank you Erin!!
Preparation
For my second journey into the land of The Republic of Tea, I chose their Vanilla Almond blend. I anxiously waited for this tea to finish steeping as the sweet vanilla aroma filled my nostrils. Finally, after five minutes (that seemed like five days), the tea was ready to taste. With my first sip, the full, sweet, vanilla, and nutty properties danced on my tongue. The robust quality of the vanilla joins expertly with the almond presence and the supporting tea flavor to create a delightful taste sensation. This tea instantly became one of my favorite selections. The Republic of Tea continues to create incredible blends that coddle my insatiable sweet tooth.
My RoT favorite. I’ve been having some serious reservations about sweet tea lately, and sweet is pretty much the last thing genmaicha is. Warm, earthy, toasted. RoT’s version is pretty tame compared to some others I’ve tried, but by itself I don’t think it needs to be any stronger. Just a super pleasant kind of woodsy toasty rice flavor. I would say to those just trying this, be prepared for a rather distinct toasted rice, or popcorn-ish flavor. In my experience with genmaicha this is usually stronger than in Tea of Inquiry, but it does not go unobserved here.
Preparation
If and when I am in precisely the right mood for this tea, it’s perfect. Unfortunately that moment comes across maybe once every couple/few months at best, and the rest of the time I really want something with more kick. The fragrance is amazing, truly lovely. Warm, earthy, summery, and sweet, it’d ROCK if only the flavor came across so well. I’m incredibly tempted to try this this in an ice tea blend with some lemonade. If I manage so and it’s any improvement I’ll have to update.
Lemonade update (random yes?): Flavor DOES seem improved upon with the addition of a lemonade. The tannins became more obvious, so used a higher ratio of lemonade to tea to compensate. Agave helped, but made it too sweet for me. Not so sure about the pairing, I think the lemonade trick probably works best with something like passion fruit. Worth a shot though.
Preparation
I wanted to like this tea, there ARE green teas out there I very much enjoy. The fragrance for Honey Ginseng is lovely. It’s a little earthy, a little grassy, a little spicy and a little floral. I can definitely feel the kind of musky background note of honey in it. Steeped, it reminds me of a incredibly tame chai, but a chai mixed with flowers? I’m not so sure about this one. It’s not bad, I just don’t see myself purchasing this again in the future.
