Category Archives: decaf or hearbal tea

Review: Tazo Passion

Posted on May 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Overall Rating:
Taste: 3.5 of 5 leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves – This tea is easy to make!

Abby says:

Temperature: @180 (below boiling point)
Steeped: 5 minutes
Served: Nothing added

Described on the teabag packet as “A magical blend of hibiscus, lemongrass, rose hips, mango & passion fruit flavors”, this tea has a lot to live up to. When steeped, it turns a vibrant red in the cup with a bright aroma. And, yes, there is a lot flavor packed in as well. I liked that. Typically, I’m not a big fan of herbal tea because I often find that there isn’t enough flavor, or there is too much flavor making it seem artificial. I didn’t find that here. It has good flavor and a nice tartness that paired well with the floral notes.

This would make a great iced tea as well and with is bright red color it would look really good in a big glass iced tea pitcher! For anyone who likes a bold, fruity herbal tea, give this one a try. Tazo Passion makes for worthwhile caffeine-free tea option.

Taste: 3 of 5 leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves – This tea is easy to make!

Katie says:

Temperature: @180 (below boiling point)
Steeped: 2 minutes
Served: with honey

This, for me, is a staple tea. I usually have at least a few bags in my cupboard. My favorite thing about this tea is that it is good in both warm and cold weather. In the winter, especially with a sore throat, the citrus tastes great! Although, I find if steeped too long for drinking as hot tea it can get a tangy bite. For this reason I do a short 2 minute steep. When making this as an iced tea I steep a little longer, or cold brew. Many Starbucks locations carry this as an iced tea in the warmer weather and it makes a great no caffeine and le calorie option.

Taste: 4 of 5 leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves – This tea is easy to make!

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#teatime :) 4-9-2013

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Dry Tea

It isn’t ‘really’ tea.  It is a fig and rose herbal tea.  So, #herbalinfusiontime is more accurate, but doesn’t have the same lovely ring to it.

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Posted in decaf or hearbal tea, Easy to make, herbal tea, teaism

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Review: Tazo Refesh

Posted on March 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

 

 
Overall Rating:

Taste: 3.75 of 5 tea leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 tea leaves – This tea is easy to make!

Abby says:

Temperature: @180 (below boiling point)
Steeped: Left teabag in the cup
Served: Nothing added

The review for this tea could not have come at a better time. I woke up this morning not feeling the best and with a little bit of a scratchy throat. I just wanted something that would make me feel better, keep me warm and taste good. Cue Tazo Refresh. Typically I’m not a peppermint enthusiast, but today it worked. The peppermint, spearmint and tarragon blend together well to create a minty flavor that though pungent, isn’t too strong or too sweet. For a mint tea, I found it very easy to drink even though I left the teabag in my mug.

For me, the perfect time for mint tea is when you aren’t feeling good because as the name says, it makes you feel refreshed and has a soothing quality to help you feel more like yourself. I would certainly recommend this tea for those times. I also think it would make a really interesting iced tea for when you are looking for something cooling a refreshing.

Taste: 3.5 of 5 tea leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 tea leaves – This tea is easy to make!

Tazo Refresh Wraper

Katie says:

Temperature: @180 (below boiling point)
Steeped: 4 minutes
Served: Nothing added

It must be the time of year! I too woke up with a bit of a cold. Abby had her tea cure in the morning, but I’m drinking my refresh before bed. You know, that dreaded time of day when colds tend to settle in and make you feel worse. This is a perfect “feel better” tea. It is great for a cold or even just a bit of indigestion.

What I love about this tea is it’s mild mint flavor. Some mint teas taste so strongly of peppermint that is all you taste. The mix of peppermint and spearmint along other flavors in refresh make this tea truly refreshing and easy to drink. I highly recommend tea blends like this one over a straight peppermint tea.

Colds, please go away! I hope that spring is right around the corner! But if you do find yourself with a case of the sniffles or a sore throat reach for this tea!

Taste: 4 of 5 tea leaves – Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 5 of 5 tea leaves – This tea is easy to make!

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Review: Tazo Calm

Posted on October 17, 2012 by | 1 Comment

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Overall Rating:
Taste: 2.75 of 5 leaves — A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 4.5 of 5 — This tea requires very little effort.

Abby says:

Temperature: @180 (below boiling point)
Steeped: 3 minutes
Served: Nothing added

Upon opening the package I was not excited about trying this tea. For me, it had a smell that was quite unpleasant mixed in with all of the other nice smelling things. It had an underlying, almost hidden spoiled milk smell that was off-putting. Maybe having to do with the chamomile or licorice? Both flavors that sometime I find a bit odd. But I carried on anyway and gave it a steep. I must say that this tea taste much better than it smells! The flavor is light and a little minty and overall pleasant and enjoyable. After having a few sips I didn’t really notice the aroma anymore and just enjoyed the light herbal blend. As the name would imply, this a is nice blend to help you relax and it has a comforting smooth mouth feel as well.

Because of the off-putting smell of Tazo Calm I am not sure I would return for another cup. But for those looking for a tea to help them relax it would be worth a try.

Taste: 3 of 5 leaves — A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 4 of 5 — This tea requires very little effort.

Katie says:

Temperature: @180 (below boiling point)
Steeped: 3 minutes
Served: Nothing added

As usual, I agree with Abby! I am not digging the smell of this tea. To me it has a sort of grassy green smell & similar taste but with a hint of mint. Chamomile is not my favorite, but I typically like it as a blended tea. This time, unfortunately, I am really not enjoying this one. I hate to say this because I love most Tazo teas. Awake? Yum! Zen? Yes please! But sadly in the future I’ll pass on Calm. Then again, if you know me, calm isn’t really my style anyway! ;)

Taste: 2.5 of 5 leaves — This tea is just OK.
Steepability: 5 of 5 — This tea requires very little effort.

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Posted in decaf or hearbal tea, herbal tea

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One Year Anniversary and Giveaway!

Posted on August 21, 2012 by | 10 Comments

***UPDATE*** After much delay (sorry about that folks) we have a winner!!! (Drum roll, please…) And the winner is: PurpleLarkspur!  Thank you to everyone who entered and PurpleLarkspur we will be contacting you about receiving your winnings!

True Random Number Generator Result: 3    Powered by RANDOM.ORG

 **UPDATE** Thank you so much to those of you who have commented. To give a few more people a chance we’ve extended the giveaway another week. A winner will be chosen on 9/3. Comment for a chance to win.

First of all, happy 8/20! Last August we were just starting the blog and now we’ve been posting for a full year! You may find it odd that we wish you a happy 8/20. Well, in one of our first posts we talked about how in college all of the roommates bought a big basket of tea as our holiday gift to each other. That house was #820 on the street. Our friends at Syracuse would refer to houses by the # instead of saying ‘so and so’s place.’ As college students always looking for a reason to party we’d often celebrate the house’s day. An odd little story, but that’s the truth and why I’ll always have a big smile on August 20th. (And to your guy friends who lived around the corner…happy almost 8/29!)

So, on to the part you’ve been waiting for, right? The giveaway! What can you win? The prize , shown below, is Stash’s 13 iced tea sampler.*

 

Mandatory Entry: Do you have any made-up holidays like 8/20? What are they?  (comment to tell us)

(One Extra Entry for Each – comment once for each entry to let us know!)
-Follow @Delecteable on Twitter
-”Like” DelecTEAble on Facebook
-Sign up to receive our blog via email. Click on the right column link.
-Tweet this giveaway. (Once Daily) Feel free to copy/paste:
I entered the @delecTEAble giveaway for a chance to win free iced tea! You can enter too: http://wp.me/p1LDej-is #giveaway #teatime Please RT
Remember, each entry must be left in a separate comment. A winning comment will be chosen at random. Winner has 48 hours to reply and claim their prize before a new winner is selected.
Giveaway ends on Monday August 27th, 2011 at 8 PM EST. Only U.S. residents can win but others are welcome to comment.
 
This giveaway  prize is provided by Stash Tea. We will notify the winner and put them in touch with Stash Tea to have the prize mailed directly to you!
Want to know more about what you could win?  We’ve already reviewed Stash Decaf American Iced Tea. We’ll also give you some tasting notes on two of the other flavors included in the sampler.  This week is Lime Green and the 3rd tea review will be posted next Monday when we list a winner.

Review: Stash Lime Green Iced Tea

Katie says:

When I was steeping this tea I immediately noticed a strong lime scent. At first I was afraid that it would overpower the green tea. However, once I tasted the tea over ice I found the lime and green flavors to be a nice balance. I didn’t even add any sugar! This iced tea is a great alternative to pre-mixed iced teas because it packs in a lot of flavor without the need for the added calories of sweetener.

Taste: 4 of 5 leaves: Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 4 of 5 — this tea requires very little effort.

Abby says:

The Stash Lime Green Iced Tea is an interesting twist on the typical green iced tea. Instead of the traditional lemon that is often added to iced tea, this one has lime flavor added for you. It is always fun to try something a little different and with the ease of making this iced tea, why not!

Taste: 3.5 of 5 leaves: A decent tasty tea.

Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves: This tea is easy to make!

*Sampler includes: American, Decaf American, Lemon Ice Green & Black, Lime Green, Moroccan Mint Green, Orange Spice Black, Peach Black, Tropical Fruit Black, Lemon Blossom Herbal, Mango Passionfruit Herbal, Peach Herbal, Wild Raspberry Herbal, and Orange Cranberry Herbal

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Posted in decaf or hearbal tea, Easy to make, giveaway, green teas, iced tea

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Review: Stash Decaf American Iced Tea

Posted on August 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

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Overall rating:

Taste: 4.75 of 5 leaves: Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 4 of 5 — this tea requires very little effort.

Katie says:

Temperature: cold from the fridge & then over ice
Steeped: As directed for refrigerator method, steeped 4 hours in a quart of water in the fridge
Served: plain at first then with a squeeze of agave nectar and lastly with milk as a tea latte.

Once again our friends at Stash Tea have come through with a delicious sample; and just in time for mid-August, the height if summer heat. I drink hot tea almost daily, year round, but when I wake and it’s already 75 degrees iced tea is in order for the day!

Just one sip of this tea and I knew it was different yet I recognized the flavor. I double checked the packaging and sure enough it was black tea with bergamot. I’ve never had an iced tea with this flavoring before but I LOVE bergamot in hot tea. I take my cuppa earl grey with milk and honey so the taste, for me, was unusual without milk or cream. So…you know what I did next, right? With a splash of milk served over ice this is makes the BEST iced tea latte! At first I was unsure if adding the milk was a good idea. However, trust me, it was! Mmmmm, I have a feeling that I’ll be drinking iced tea lattes all week. Maybe longer. This is the perfect solution if you like your warm cup of tea with milk and honey but have been shying away from hot beverages in the summer heat.

*Iced tea hint. If you like sweetened iced tea but are cold brewing add honey or agave nectar as a sweetener. They dissolve much better in the cold tea than granulated sugar.

Taste: 5 of 5 leaves: Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 4 of 5 — this tea requires very little effort.

Abby says:

Temperature: Cold, over ice
Steeped: As directed, 5 minutes with 2 cups of boiling water, then two cups cold water added
Served: Nothing added

There are just some days in the summer where nothing will do, but a nice flavorful iced tea. For that reason I usually keep a pitcher ready to go in the fridge. This time around I filled it with Stash Decaf American Iced Tea. Good Choice. I noticed it held great flavor, very reminiscent of Earl Grey, even when poured over ice to keep it chilled. This is a nice hearty tea that will hold up to the addition of ice (Hooray!) as well as a slice of lemon if you have it.

It was quick and easy to make. Just one of the large tea bags steeped in two cups of hot water for five minutes, then two cups of cold water added. Then served over ice. I served this batch to a couple of visitors and got good reviews back from them. For that this will remain as a staple in the tea cabinet for a quick and easy beverage to keep on hand.

Taste: 4.5 of 5 leaves: Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 4 of 5 — This tea requires very little effort.

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Posted in black teas, decaf or hearbal tea, iced tea

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Review: Lipton Herbal Orange

Posted on July 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Overall Rating:

Taste: 3 of 5 tea leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 tea leaves – This tea is easy to make!

Katie says:

Once again Abby & I agree! This is a decent tasty tea that is very nice iced in the summer. I was glad that it was tasty iced because I actually bought this in the spring when I had a terrible sinus infection. I thought orange…vitamin c maybe? And when my nose is stuffed I like to constantly drink tea because the heat seems to be the only thing that keeps me able to breathe through my nose! Anyway, back to summer.  Since that IS the season. Brew this tea in a large batch and keep it in the freezer with a few slices of lemon or orange. It is tasty & won’t keep you up at night! And…if you buy a box to make iced tea now we’ll be sure to use it up (if there is any left) during cold season!

Temperature: @212 boiling
Steeped: Left teabag in my mug
Served: Nothing added at first, the a little honey

Taste: 3 of 5 tea leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 tea leaves – This tea is easy to make!

Abby says:

Temperature: @212 boiling
Steeped: Left teabag in my mug
Served: Nothing added

I’m happy to be reviewing this one in the summer because it makes decent iced tea. When the weather is hot I am always looking for tea that I normally drink hot that translates well into iced versions. Most of these have caffeine, so I for one, need to be careful of how much I drink and at what time of day. This tea is decent as both a hot and cold beverage and it is caffeine free! This isn’t my favorite tea for either category, but it isn’t unpleasant either. It has a nice a-little-bit sweet and a-little-bit spicy flavor, which I like, but for me is a little too weak.

Mild tea drinkers, this might be just what you need, for hot or cold weather, any time of the day.

Taste: 3 of 5 tea leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 tea leaves – This tea is easy to make!

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Review: Bigelow Wild Blueberry Acai Herb Plus Antioxidants

Posted on June 26, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Overall rating:

Taste: 2.75 of 5 leaves — An OK tasty tea
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves — This tea is easy to make!

Abby says:

Temperature: Below boiling
Steeped: 5 minutes
Served: Nothing added

Mainers are serious about all things blueberry, so obviously I was very skeptical about a blueberry tea. Would it taste fake, too tart or too sweet? For this reason there are very few blueberry flavors things I will tolerate. Although this tea was not my favorite, I will say that the blueberry flavor was pretty good. And for me and my picky-ness – that’s saying something.

The color of this tea is great! Just like blueberry pie filling. The smell doesn’t disappoint either, it smells like a just-out-of-the-oven blueberry cake or maybe blueberry pancakes. I think the added orange peel and cinnamon add this aroma. The taste isn’t bad either. The blueberry flavor is pretty strong – no wondering what’s in your cup! If you like fruity herbal teas this makes a great choice. If not, maybe try something else.

Taste: 3 of 5 leaves — A decent tasty tea!
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves — This tea is easy to make!

Katie says:

Temperature: About boiling
Steeped: 5 minutes
Served: Nothing added

This tea had an oddly sweet taste — straight out of the box it tasted almost as if a sweetener had been added. I also found it seemed like it was thicker or slightly syrupy and a bit cloudy in the cup. So I looked up the ingredients.

Hibiscus, rose hips, natural wild blueberry and acai flavors with other natural flavors (soy lecithin), sweet balcberry leaves, blueberry fiber, orange peel, cinnamon, grape seed extract, vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), vitamin E (d-a-tocpheryl acetate)

If you’re looking to add vitamin C or E into your diet than maybe this tea is for you. As for me I found the added ingredients to be a bit odd and I didn’t like that it clouded the tea. The flavor was nice but a bit sweet. Smelled wonderful but I’ll stick to tea with fewer ingredients

2.5 of 5 leaves: This tea is just ok.
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves — This tea is easy to make!

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Mighty Leaf Chamomile Citrus

Posted on June 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment


Overall Rating:

Taste: Taste: 4 of 5 leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves – this tea is easy to make.

Katie says:

Temperature: @ 212 (boiling)
Steeped: 5 minutes
Served: Nothing added

Queue the pre-apocalyptical music. I am starting this blog post. If you haven’t noticed, Abby is the methodical dependable blogger & I’m the daydreaming creative. Left brained people should be paired with right brained people. If they can manage to not drive each other crazy, because they have no idea how the other’s mind works, they tend to make great teams. Anyway, on to the review.

When I first looked at Abby’s tea review list (Duh, she’s the one who makes a list of what we’ll review next) I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Unfortunately, chamomile is not my favorite. However, after reaching into the tea box I was pleasantly surprised to find a large see-through tea bag with large prices of herbs, red flakes, and small fluffy orange balls. This loose tea is gorgeous! As it was steeping I could really smell the citrus. Ok, maybe I will try the Chamomile.

This tea has lovely citrus notes blended with chamomile flavor. The two flavors are balanced well, so well in fact, that even though Chamomile isn’t my favorite I can honestly admit that I’m enjoying this tea. If you’re a chamomile drinker I imagine that you’ll enjoy this tea very much! With no caffeine, this is a great tea to end a day with. After seeing the quality ingredients in the tea bag I’ll make a point that we review another mighty leaf tea soon!

I couldn’t decide how to rate this because I don’t like chamomile… 3.5? 4? It is a nice tea, high quality, good flavor. In the end I decided 4 because it really is a nice tea. I bet a chamomile-lover may even give it a 5.

Taste: Taste: 4 of 5 leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves – this tea is easy to make.

Abby says:

Temperature: @ 212 (boiling)
Steeped: 4 minutes
Served: Nothing added

It’s true, Katie beat me to the punch on this review – how did that happen? She is right though, this tea is so pretty and smells wonderful as it steeps.  I’m also with Katie in that I’m not usually a big chamomile fan either.  Maybe we think more alike than we thought?  But with this blog we wanted to branch out and try new teas to ever expand our love of tea!

After downing my first cup, pretty quickly actually, I have to say that I really like this tea.  I found that the bright citrus toned down the chamomile flavors to an enjoyable and approachable mixing point.  And although I described the citrus as “bright” which I found it to be, the tea is very calming.  So the chamomile is still doing what it’s known best for – I’m already feeling more relaxed about this review :)

For chamomile lovers and for those who aren’t so sure about the distinctly flavored tea, this Mighty Leaf version is a good compromise.  That bold flavor is there, but is tamed by the citrus notes.  If you are curious about trying new teas, like Katie and I are, this is a good jumping-off point for you adventures in chamomile.

Taste: Taste: 4 of 5 leaves – A decent tasty tea.
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves – this tea is easy to make.

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Review: Stash Red Strawberry Pomegranate tea

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Overall rating:

Taste: 4 of 5 leaves —  Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves — This tea is easy to make!

Katie says:

Temperature: Steeped at below boiling
Steeped: 5 minutes
Served: Nothing added

When I smell red tea I get a very sweet scent. To be honest, sometimes I find it to almost be too sweet. On it’s own, red tea really isn’t something that I gravitate toward. I first reviewed a flavored red tea when Stash Tea sent us a sample of Red Chai. Abby was worried about me not liking  it,  but it turned out that I loved it! In fact I now choose red chai tea over decaf black chai if I’m in the mood for that taste without the caffeine.  Then funny thing is I’ve come to really enjoy flavored red teas but on it’s own it’s still not my favorite.

Right, I know, on to THIS tea. Well, when I smelled it I wasn’t sure. Again, red teas and fruit teas aren’t my favorite. I took the first sip…and YUM! I really like it! The sweetness of the red tea really brings out the strawberry flavor! This tea is sweet, but not overly so, without any added sugar or sweetener. Abby gave me some of hers to try, but I like enough that I might even buy a box.

Taste: 4 of 5 leaves —  Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves — This tea is easy to make!

Abby says:

Temperature: @212  (boiling point)
Steeped: 5 minutes
Served: Nothing added at first then a dab of honey

Unlike Katie, I have always had a thing for red tea.  It has stand-out flavor and no caffeine, so in my opinion, what’s not to love?  For this tea Stash has combined the flavorful red tea with strawberry and pomegranate to create a decidedly springy blend.  As the weather warms up and the tree are showing their little green buds this blend goes perfectly with the season.  The rooibos really bring out the lovely light strawberry flavor for a flirty sweet tea.  The slight tartness of the pomegranate is there as well, preventing it from being overly sweet.  The balance of sweet and tart is just right.  I would recommend it to anyone really.  It would work well for traditional tea drinkers and fruity tea lovers because it is such a nice blend of the roobios and fruit flavors.

Taste: 4 of 5 leaves —  Quite a good cuppa!
Steepability: 5 of 5 leaves — This tea is easy to make!

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