Mango Black Tea

Purchased From:

Salon De Tea
Guelph, Ontario

Price:

$5.00/100g

Comments:

Even my husband, who is not a fan of mangos, enjoys this fruity, sweet, black tea. Delicious either hot or iced, it’s got a fantastic smell to it and a gentle sweetness, thanks to the mango.

Out of all the teas I drink, this is the one I buy most frequently. It’s tasty and soothing; no matter what time of the day (or night) you have it.

Rated:

Berry Berry Fruit Tea

Purchased From:

Salon De Tea
Guelph, Ontario

Price:

$6.00/100g

Comments:

Fruit teas, more accurately known as tisanes, don’t actually contain any tea leaves, and therefore, are non-caffeinated. Basically composed of dried fruits and herbs, these varieties offer a delicious alternative to traditional teas.

Berry Berry, as the name implies, is made up mostly of dried blueberries and saskatoons. It steeps to a lovely burgundy color and tastes absolutely delicious. Totally suitable for an iced beverage as well. I think it would also be rather effective as a warm drink for children, particularly if they are feeling under the weather, especially since it’s naturally sweet.

Rated:

Bohemian Raspberry Green Tea

Purchased At:

Cuppa T
Regina, Saskatchewan

Price:

$13.00/100g

Comments:

I often find green teas too bitter, or having too strong of a ‘raw’ tea flavour, which is not my preference. However, when I came across raspberry flavoured green tea I decided to give it a try. I really want to like and enjoy green tea, so experimenting with several varieties would prove effective, I hoped.

This tea brews to a pale green color, much like all other green teas. The scent was wonderful, heavy with raspberries, and I found this tea an excellent beverage to enjoy with berry-based desserts. I had some with rhubarb crumble and the sweetness of the dessert was balanced nicely with the mild raspberry flavour of the tea.

If you enjoy iced green tea this particular blend would be really nice on a hot summer day. Toss in a few fresh raspberries for added taste and color.

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Chocolate Mint Black Tea

Purchased From:

Cargo & James Tea
Edmonton, Alberta

Price:

$10.99/100g

Comments:

I adore chocolate, and I like mint. I especially like chocolate and mint together. After Eight’s used to be one of my favourite treats! This tea smells just like them, and so I was very excited to taste it for the first time.

I wasn’t disappointed. While no flavour of black tea is particularly strong, I think that the subtle hints of the chocolate and mint make this tea exceptional. The mint especially comes through, balanced nicely by the slight sweetness of the chocolate. Delicious!

Rated:

Orange Spice Black Tea

Purchased From:

Salon De Tea
Guelph, Ontario

Price:

$5.00/100g

Comments:

I was initially unsure how I would like this tea when I bought it. I am not generally a fan of anything orange-flavoured, except for orange juice or oranges themselves. It smelled really palatable anyway, so I bought some and figured I would just give it away as a gift if I didn’t like it.

I brewed some up and home and was pleasantly surprised by the very mellow flavour. The hint of spice makes this tea fall more on the ‘festive’ side, which makes me want to drink it on cold nights, particularly during the holidays. The orange taste is barely there, which was very appealing to me. I think at some point I’ll try serving it with a fresh orange wedge, or perhaps even iced for a unique cold beverage.

Rated:

Winter Love Rooibos

Purchased From:

*Tea store no longer in business
Calgary, Alberta

Price:

$8.50/100g

Comments:

I bought this tea as a gift, and then forgot to give it to the intended recipient. After it languished in my cupboard for a year and a half, unopened, I finally decided to just drink it myself.

The name is highly appropriate, since this tea makes me think of Christmas, and curling up in front of the fire with a good book. The aroma is like warm apple pie with lots of cinnamon, which comes through in the taste as well. There are bits of dried apple and a sprinkling of cinnamon right in the tea leaves. I adore this tea on cool evenings, paired with a couple of ginger snap cookies. Yum!

Rated:

Cool Dragon White Tea

Purchased From:

Cuppa T

Regina, Saskatchewan

Price:

$13.00/100g

Comments:

White tea tends to fall on the more expensive side, for reasons that are not totally clear to me.  However, finding varieties at affordable prices is possible if you keep an eye out.

This particular white tea has strong fruity hints and a really nice subtle sweetness when brewed.  The color of the steeped tea resembles that of green tea but the flavour is very mild.  No bitterness, and none of that typical ‘tea taste’ at all.

I was surprised that the taste was very gentle, because it has a very intense scent.  However, one should never judge a tea by the aroma alone.  I would recommend this tea to someone who is not typically a fan of tea, since it doesn’t really taste like tea at all.

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President’s Choice Glass Teapot

 Purchased From:

Real Canadian Superstore/Zehrs/Loblaws/Extra Foods

Price:

$14.99 CDN

Comments:

The PC Glass Teapot with stainless steel infuser is one of the nicest and most practical teapots I’ve seen.  It’s clear glass, which I love for making beautiful flowering teas.  It has a stainless steel infuser, which means no discoloration, which is common with plastic infusers.  Plus it’s a nice shape and holds enough water for 5 cups of tea.  Really, you can’t go wrong.  It’s a very practical little pot at a good price.

The only drawback that comes with a glass teapot is heat loss.  If you need your tea to stay warm for any period of time, invest in a ceramic/stoneware/cast iron pot, which will keep the tea hot longer.

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Coconut Black Tea

Purchased From: 

TeaStore

Ottawa, Ontario

Price:

$6.75/100g

Comments:

This wonderful black tea smells AMAZING!  The strong, sweet coconut aroma immediately reminded me of the beach, and vacation.  If you do not love coconut, this tea is not for you.

Mild, yet flavourful, I find that this tea helps me unwind after a long day.  The flavour is simple, with noticeable hints of the coconut, although it’s not the least bit overpowering.

This particular tea is also excellent as an iced beverage.  Simply brew a pot (or simply make extra when steeping some for yourself) and allow to chill overnight in the fridge.  Stir well and add some ice before serving!

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