Trump Tea: Park Avenue

Pre-Warning: I have read other reviews on this tea, and have seen the super high reviews on this tea. I made sure my mug was soap free before starting my review. I hope I got a bad bag.

Steep time: 3-5 minutes


Ingredients: Organic white tea, organic marigold flowers, natural organic extracts of raspberry, orange and vanilla.

Aroma: Dry tea bag smells like a marigold scented chemical. After steeping tea smells like a marigold flower.

Packaging: Packaged in a biodegradable nice wrapper, feels like a lush package. Tea bag is a very nice loose fiber triangle shape, which allows the tea leaves to comfortably unfurl.

Tea Leaf Quality: Great tea leaves and pieces of marigold visible.

Taste: I feel horrible for what I am about to say, the tea tastes like soap. I seriously had to sip (and spit out) 10 sips "just to be sure". The cup was washed before sipping the tea, and rinsed very well (just like always before a review). I can't try it again since I only had one bag. I just hope I got sent a bad batch - I hate not liking such a pretty product with so much potential. I wanted to like the tea, the ingredients are a few of my favorite, and I was so excited to try this product.


Side note: Husband thinks I am a maniac (proven second night in a row) and was laughing as I stood over the sink and took sip after sip (and spit after spit..).

Aroma 5/10
Packaging 10/10
Price 6/10
Taste 0/10
Tea Quality 9/10

Overall 6/10

The Boston Tea Company: Berry Twist

Steep time: 5-8 minutes

Ingredients: Naturally caffeine free South African Red Rooibos, flavored with blueberries, raspberries, and aromatic safflowers.

Aroma: Dry, the tea smells like fantastic berries and a floral scent (I am assuming Safflowers). I opened the package and was taken aback, it smells THAT good. After steeping the tea smells pretty much the same but with a more perfume like scent. You should have heard me gushing to my husband, he thought I was going crazy (like usual).

Packaging: The loose tea is stored in a resealable plastic package, that has a dome shaped bottom so that it can stand freely.

Tea Leaf Quality: Tea leaves, flower petals (?) and full berries. I was super impressed (can you tell?) by the quality of the tea and the full berries found inside the package!

Taste: I was not surprised by the taste. It tastes exactly how it smells, I can taste the blueberry and the raspberry, I can taste the tea, I can taste the flowers (and they taste just like they smell - amazing). This tea is my favorite to date. It has to be the best I have ever tasted. I would definitely recommend everyone try it.


Side note: The cost of this tea per package may seem average, but when following directions (only 1/2 tsp per cup) the tea will last a long time.


Side Note 2: I was literally dancing around my kitchen and letting out an "mmmm" after each sip. My husband says I am certifiable. My husband hates tea (opposites attract right?...right?!), and he liked this one (without any sweetener added - impossible).



Aroma 10/10
Packaging 10/10
Price 10/10
Taste 10/10
Tea Quality 10/10

Overall 10/10

Direct Link

Tetley Teas: Earl Grey Vanilla

 From my dear friend Dani in Canada (such a sweetie!)

Steep time: 3-5 minutes


Ingredients: (Came without packaging, couldn't find ingredients online so I copied what the website states)

Our flavoured specialty teas start with an Orange Pekoe (black tea) base. Tiny flavour pearls are added in exacting proportions, so when boiling water is added, both the fruit and tea flavours are released simultaneously. This harmonious blending of flavours is difficult to duplicate using the methods preferred by other manufacturers.

Aroma: Dry tea bag has an amazing vanilla scent. After brewed this tea smells like the most amazing Earl Grey I have ever smelled (thus far).

Packaging: Packaged in simple fiber packet. Comes in metal casing.

Tea Leaf Quality: Tiny tea flakes, "pearls" of vanilla.

Taste: Has the smoothest earl grey flavor I have tasted (so far), has an amazing natural [tasting] vanilla flavor. I added my stand by fat free french vanilla creamer and honey, just so I could compare it to my Bigelow Earl Grey London Fog recipe, and this blows it away! I will have to stock up shortly.

Aroma 10/10
Packaging 8/10
Price 9/10
Taste 10/10
Tea Quality 7/10

Overall 8.8/10

Direct Link http://www.tetley.ca/English/TetleyTeas/Products.cfm

Stash: Vanilla Chai Decaf Tea

From my dear friend Dani in Canada (see the French on the packaging!?)

Steep time: 3-5 minutes


Ingredients:Naturally decaffeinated black teas, vanilla nut flavor, ginger root, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla flavor, cinnamon flavor, clove, nutmeg, cardamom flavor, and clove flavor.

Aroma: Dry tea bag has an allspice/cinnamon/vanilla scent, it's lovely. After steeping tea has a great warm vanilla/cinnamon/clove aroma.

Packaging: Packaged in simple paper, lined on the inside with plastic.

Tea Leaf Quality: Tiny tea flakes, bits of what I assume is the natural flavoring.

Taste: Has a strong clove/ginger/nutmeg flavor with traces of vanilla. Enjoyable but very strong. I prefer ed this tea with my usual fat free french vanilla creamer and a drop of honey. I drank the tea at night, and in the morning I could still taste/smell it.

Aroma 8/10
Packaging 8/10
Price 9/10
Taste 7/10
Tea Quality 6/10

Overall 8/10

Direct Link: http://www.stashtea.com/products/Vanilla+Chai+Decaf+Black+Tea.aspx

Zhena's Gypsy Tea: Tropical Garden green tea

Steep time: 2-3 minutes

Ingredients: Sencha green tea leaves (organic/fair trade), licorice root, rose petals, cornflowers, natural tropical flavor, calendula, natural pineapple flavor.

Aroma: Dry, the tea smells like fruity licorice. After steeping, the tea smells like rose, licorice and green tea.

Packaging: The tea bag has that unique triangle shape which allows the tea leaves to unfurl, and it has a thread, which I like because I can take the tea bag out by hand. It's bag packaging is a plastic-mix material which is recycleable and I would imagine would keep the tea fresh for a long time.

Tea Leaf Quality: Tea pieces & tea leaves. Before steeping I saw small pieces of Beautiful striking blue cornflower. I don't see and rose petals however, even after taking the steeped tea apart (in pictures). The most confusing part however is that I found a piece of pineapple - which is confusing because the ingredients only state pineapple flavor. Weird.

Taste: I was pleasantly surprised by the taste! The strong smell of licorice is misleading (YAY!). As with most green teas (in my experience) the green tea flavor is overpowering to the other flavors, but, I am happy to say I taste a trace of rose (still don't see any petals) and a smidgen of pineapple. I wouldn't call the tea tropical, but it's very pleasant.




Aroma 5/10
Packaging 10/10
Price 7/10
Taste 7/10
Tea Quality 10/10

Overall 7.8/10

Miro Tea: Peach Apricot

Steep time: 2-3 minutes

1 tsp per 8oz cup


Aroma: when you open the bag you get smacked (in a good way!) in the face with the pleasant smell of apricot and peach. More apricot than peach. It smells like I just bit into a fresh ripe apricot and it's tingling on my nose. I want to take a bath in it. After steeping it's the same smell, but a little muted

Packaging: The loose tea is packaged in an aluminum resealable pouch. It has a sticker on the front with tea type, details and steep directions.

Tea Leaf Quality: Great! In the pictures you will see full tea leaves, apricot pieces and pear shavings. It's as quality as tea can get, and it's fresh.

Taste: Delightful! I taste the natural flavoring of peach and apricot. I couldn't currently think of a better pairing. Amazing amazing amazing. It's flavorful, it's light, it's fruity, but not in a fake fruity way, have I said how good this stuff is?




Aroma 9/10
Packaging 10/10
Price 7/10
Taste 9/10
Tea Quality 10/10

Overall 9/10

Zhena's Gypsy Tea: Biodynamic Green Tea Blueberry Vanilla

Steep time: 3-4 minutes

Ingredients: organic fair trade biodynamic green tea, organic blueberries, organic blueberry flavor, organic vanilla flavor, organic vanilla pieces.

Aroma: out of the packet the tea leaves smell exactly like blueberries and vanilla. Has a super sweet scent which made me wary of the flavor. After steeping, tea has a fresh made-from-scratch blueberry pie smell.

Packaging: The tea bag has that unique triangle shape which allows the tea leaves to unfurl, and it has a thread, which I like because I can take the tea bag out by hand. It's bag packaging is a plastic-mix material which is recycleable and I would imagine would keep the tea fresh for a long time.

Tea Leaf Quality: Tea pieces & tea leaves. Before steeping I saw small tea chunks, after steeping I realize they are actually curled up tea leaves. There are also chunks of blueberry (you can see a blueberry stain in the cut open bag post-steeping picture above) and vanilla flakes.

Taste: The bag describes the tea as the "ultimate pure tea experience...meet(s) the extremely rigid guidelines to be Demeter Certified Biodynamic". The tea definitely has a fresh taste. It's (what I would consider) more of a gourmet tea. It's smoothe with a little spice in the after taste left at the tip of your tongue. To me it has a green tea flavor, with a blueberry kick and subtle notes of vanilla. It's enjoyable.




Aroma 7/10
Packaging 10/10
Price 6/10
Taste 6.5/10
Tea Quality 10/10

Overall 8/10

No pictures available, they were deleted accidentally... oops.
Available @ http://www.gypsytea.com/