The Republic of Tea Teabag Red 'get passionate no.17'

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Tea Information:
Tea: get passionate no.17
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Teabag
Company: The Republic of Tea
Purchase: Here
Description: Bright lemon verbena with passionfruit and passionflower produce a light, yet richly flavored blend
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos (leaf), Muira Puama (part), Ashwagandha (root), Lemon Verbena (leaf), Hibiscus (flower), Maca (root), Passionflower (leaf), Stevia (leaf), Natural Passionfruit Flavor

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 teabags
Additives: 1 tsp German rock sugar
Water: 12 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 8 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: lemon / citrus and earthy
Steeped Tea Smell: floral
Flavor: citrus, floral, earthy
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: lemon leafy bitter medicine tinge
Liquor: too dark a cup to tell

Finished off this tea!

I think 2 teabags worked better than 3, but overall it's still a OK tea, but not one I'll get again. There are so many good teas I won't settle for OK.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Rating: 2/3

52teas Loose Leaf Red Tea 'Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish Honeybush'

Tea Information:
Tea: Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish Honeybush
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: 52teas
Purchase: Here
Description: We’ve been working on this one for a couple of months now and I think we’ve finally gotten it perfect.

Our caffeine-free African honeybush blended with real freeze dried raspberries and all natural flavors. This blend is the complete danish in a cup: raspberries, cream cheese, even a hint of icing thrown in there. If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to try it for yourself, but don’t take too long deciding, this one is going to go fast!
Ingredients: African honeybush, freeze-dried raspberries, natural flavors

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 teaspoons
Additives: none
Water: 2 zarafina cups (approx 3 6 ounce teacups)
Steep Time: no idea, until the zarafina was done - setting - herbal, loose leaf, strong
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
AmazonV: honey, raspberry
MilitiaJim: fake sugar, fruit, vague bread sense, he is angry and upset by the fake sugar smell
Steeped Tea Smell: raspberry (MilitiaJim got fake sugar still)
Flavor:
AmazonV: woody, raspberry
MilitiaJim: floral
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: slightly raspberry
Liquor: deep reddish-brown

Got my 52Teas order Today! This was during one of the so-popular-they-had-to-reblend periods. They even were so kind as to hold of shipping for one week while I drank room into my cupboard (now that's customer service!)

I expected a sweet fruity tea...never had cream cheese in my tea so wasn't sure what to expect.

The tea itself is not sweet, and is defiantly predominantly raspberry. the danish / cream cheese aspects aren't coming through and the honeybush is only adding a slight undercurrent of 'tea' and contrast to the berry flavor.

Post-Steep Additives: 1/2 tsp German rock sugar

The German rock sugar seems to bring of the cream cheese flavor. I definitely think this tea needs to be steeped with sweetener.

Not so sure I'd get it again, but I will enjoy this bag.

Resteep: 2 zarafina cups, 1 tsp german rock sugar, herbal-loose-string setting = weak, barely a raspberry scent, weak watery raspberry flavor. even the tea was a lighter translucent yellowish color

Rating: 2/3

Tea Forte Teabag Red Tea 'winter chai'

Tea Information:
Tea: winter chai
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Teabag / silken pyramid infuser
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: Classic spices familiar to chai drinkers evoke the aromas of the holidays in this crimson rooibos herbal. A limited edition holiday tea.
Ingredients: rooibos, cardamom, cloves, lemongrass

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon, clove, red tea, woody
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon, clove, MilitiaJim was getting cardamom
Flavor: cinnamon, woody
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: spicy
Liquor: deep reddish-brown

This was part of the Tea Forte Winter Collection I got as a holiday gift. This is the last flavor!

This is a nice spicy red tea (I can't do caffeine after 6 pm). The cinnamon really dominates and you need to look for the other flavors for you to recognize their presence.

Perhaps I should have steeped it longer? I also can't smell or taste the lemongrass. I could see it though.

I found it more classic chai than the The Tao of Tea Loose Leaf Red Tea 'Red Bush Chai'

It was much stronger tasting than the Allegro Coffee Company Teabag Red Tea 'Rooibos Red Spice'

And it is more drinkable without tweaking than the The Republic of Tea Loose Leaf Red 'Republic Red Chai'

Post-Steep Additives: lactose free fat free milk

Made it creamier less water and masked the rooibos woodiness (not necessarily a positive).

Resteep: 6 minutes or more, 6 ounce cup, not as strong but drinkable, yea! I like it when teabags handle a resteep, it's an unexpected surprise.

Rating: 2/3

Teavana Loose Leaf Green Tea and Red Tea 'Jasmine Tropica Tea Blend'

Tea Information:
Tea: Jasmine Tropica Tea Blend
Type: Green Tea and Red Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Teavana
Purchase: Gourmet Teas online
Description: A beloved combination of Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls green tea and Rooibos Tropica rooibos tea. The combination is a fruity delight with just the right amount of jasmine and fresh green tea floating through. It makes a delicious way to enjoy the health benefits of green tea, including EGCG. Includes 4oz of tea.
Ingredients: ?

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp mix
Additives: 1 tsp german rock sugar
Water: filtered almost boiling water, 1 teapot
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
Steeped Tea Smell: jasmine and fruit
Flavor:
Bobbie: OMG too much sugar
AmazonV: floral, fruity, sweet
MilitaJim: fruity, generically tropical
Body: Light
Aftertaste: no
Liquor: deep translucent reddish orange

My friend Bobbie came over with this pre mixed from Teavana, so we didn't even have to mix our two separate bags of tea we had ordered online.

The tea is not very distinct in it's flavoring, it's just a fruity floral light tea. We all still love this mix, but it doesn't hold the complexity or distinct flavors you would expect from a well proportioned mix.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: lost track of the time, had to leave it on a while to get flavor, the jasmine is much more pronounced in the second steep, but still a very generic fruit taste.

Rating: 3/3

The Tao of Tea Loose Leaf Red Tea 'Red Bush Chai'

Tea Information:
Tea: Red Bush Chai
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: The Tao of Tea
Purchase: Here
Description: A caffeine free blend of South African Rooibos and uplifting spices.
Ingredients: 100% Organic Rooibos Leaves, 100% Organic Cinnamon, 100% Organic Spearmint, 100% Organic Cloves and 100% Organic Cardamon.

Steep Information:
Amount: ~1.5 teaspoons
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: woody, spicy, followed by mint
Steeped Tea Smell: woody, followed by mint
Flavor: spicy red tea, mostly cinnamon and cardamom
Body: Full
Aftertaste: mint
Liquor: dark reddish-brown

I was fortunate enough to grab the last two serving of this from the Steepster Traveling Teabox.

The smell is a bit different than the normal Chai I drink because of the mint.
The taste is a smooth, well balanced, spicy tea. The mint follows the sip.
The spices are a mellow and don't stand out individually, they also are not very strong (think medium versus mild salsa).

This was not a bad tea, it was a nice sold red spiced tea. I am glad I got to try it, and would drink it again, but it is not my preferred chai so it won't become a cupboard regular.

Post-Steep Additives: lactose free fat-free milk

It didn't really make much of a difference. Perhaps if I had steeped it in the milk it might have?

Post-Steep Additives: honey

Tempered the spicy, but the spicy wasn't a strong spicy so I don't think it's really needed.

Resteep: 6 minutes - tasted like a quality flavored black tea? odd since it's a red tea, still smooth but the spice is very very mild and so is the mint.

It does resteep well but tastes like a totally different tea.

Rating: 2/3

Allegro Coffee Company Teabag Red Tea 'Rooibos Red Spice'

Tea Information:
Tea: Rooibos Red Spice
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Teabag
Company: Allegro Coffee Company
Purchase: Here
Description: Full-bodied robust with warm spice. caffeine free. organic herbal tea. Warming and naturally sweet with deep honey red liquor, our organic South African Rooibos is full bodied and caffeine free. Complimented with traditional organic chai spices – cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and clove, our Rooibos Red Spice Tea is an invigorating beverage enjoyed hot with or without a dash of milk and honey.
Ingredients: Organic South African Rooibos, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Cardamom, Organic ginger root, organic cloves, organic black pepper and natural flavors.

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 2.2g teabag
Additives: none
Water: boiling filtered, 6 ounce cup
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: red, pepper, clove, cardamom, woody, spicy, earthy
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon, red tea, woodsy
Flavor: red tea, woodsy
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: ginger, pepper, cardamom
Liquor: translucent reddish brown

A Steepster Traveling Teabox Tea!

I can only have so much caffeine per day, and adore chai so I was excited by this tea. The smell was very potent and promising, but the cup turned out OK, it was a solid red with some spice to it, but I prefer chai with a bit more spice/kick.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: TBD

Rating: 1.5/3

Teavana Loose Leaf Red Tea 'Rooibos Tropica'

Tea Information:
Tea: Rooibos Tropica
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Teavana
Purchase: Click the affiliate link below




Description: A flavorful and amazingly fragrant blend of Green and Red Rooibos, strawberry, peach, sunflower and cornflower petals, and orange peel.

Rooibos Tropica also makes a delicious and healthy gourmet iced tea. Just double the amount of tea you use and pour over ice.
Ingredients: ?

Steep Information:
Amount: 5 teaspoons
Additives: none
Water: 1 teapot filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5:55 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: militiajim: caramel amazonv: floral
Steeped Tea Smell: citrus, floral, vaguely fruity
Flavor: lemony, fruity, dry
Body: Light
Aftertaste: citrus for a moment
Liquor: translucent reddish brown

Thank you SoccerMom for this gift.

I have a head cold and have slept through the past two days entirely. I hate wasting vacation to sleep but I didn't have much choice. As a result I can't hear, smell or taste very well and I'm woozy. So take this review with that in mind. Usually we prepare this with sugar and jasmine pearls. Being sick i was not in the mood to fuss with anything, nor to have caffeine so I decided to try this plain. MilitiaJim made it for me so I didn't sneeze on it.

The tea had a lot of particulate in it - not a bad thing, just a note, we were using a mesh wire infuser basket.

I enjoy this more with sweetener and the jasmine pearls, but I think it might just as well be improved by sweetener and iced.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: too tired to try

Rating: 2/3

Design a Tea Loose Leaf Red Tea 'Rooibos Vanilla Caramel'

Tea Information:
Tea: Rooibos Vanilla Caramel
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Design a Tea
Purchase: Here
Description: ?
Ingredients: Organic pure grade Rooibos from S. Africa, Natural Flavoring

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag, 3.7g including paper teabag and plastic wrapper and paper tag.
Additives: none
Water: boiling filtered
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Leaf Smell: nutty amaretto (contamination from other sample) vanilla with a slight caramel undertone
Tea Smell: rooibos, vanilla, woody
Flavor: rooibos
Body: Light
Aftertaste: caramel
Liquor: nice dark brown, fairly transparent

This was one of two samples I ordered from design a tea. The tea was lackluster and smelled much stronger and interesting and delicious than it tasted. It tasted weak and plain.

At this point I am not very enthusiastic about the second sample I got, but we'll see.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: very weak and watery, plain rooibos, hints of vanilla in the smell and aftertaste

Rating: 1/3

Mighty Leaf Tea Company Teabag Red Tea 'African Amber Organic'

Tea Information:
Tea: African Amber Organic
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Teabag
Company: Mighty Leaf Tea Company
Purchase: click the link below to order-it's an affiliate link-

ML African Amber Organic - 15 pouch foil wrap
Description: ML African Amber herbal tea infusion is made from antioxidant-rich African rooibos leaves that mingle with lush notes of mango, vanilla and hibiscus for a smooth, vivid cup. Get infused with a silken tea pouch, our gourmet tea bag twist, bursting with naturally caffeine free Rooibos and fruit flavor.
Ingredients: Organic rooibos leaves, natural flavors, organic hibiscus flowers, organic marigold flowers

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: boiling filtered 1 - 8 ounces, and 1 - 12 ounces
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Leaf Smell: sweet, floral, woody
Tea Smell: floral, sweet
Flavor: woody, dry, floral - not sweet not bitter
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: sweet, but short lived
Liquor: transparent reddish orange

I can't taste the hibiscus at all, and am disappointed. I enjoy hibiscus. I think it might do well next time with some sugar or honey. As far as other red teas I have had this is not among my favorites and I don't plan to buy it again. It is well executed (packaging, quality, amount) but doesn't have enough pizazz.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: with honey, sweeter, less dry tasting, maybe even a little floral hibiscus and orange (not sure where the orange is coming from)

Rating: 1/3

The Republic of Tea Teabag Red Tea 'get happy No.13'

Tea: get happy No.13
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Teabag
Company: The Republic of Tea
Amount: 2 Teabags
Additives: 1 teaspoon german rock sugar
Water: 180 degree, 12 ounces
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot
Purchase: Here
Description: The herb rooibos is partnered with other theraputic herbs, such as lemon balm, St. John's wort and rhodiola to stabilize mood swings and increase energy and resistance to stress.

Need an attitude adjustment? If the sky is gray and cloudy or your spirit could use a little lift, there are lots of mood-enhancing options out there. But few are as healthy or delightful as sipping this caffeine-free herbal brew based on organic rooibos. Like a burst of sunshine, it begins to work its subtle magic as the bright flavors of lemon myrtle and luscious peach do a tango on your tastebuds. Meanwhile, our carefully balanced blend of calming lemon balm, St. John's wort and rhodiola does its part to help keep the blues away. So sip and smile. You'll be feeling peachy keen in no time.
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos (leaf), Lemon Balm (leaf), Lemon Myrtle (Bachousia citriodora) (leaf), St. John's Wort (aerial parts), Rhodiola (root) Extract, Natural Peach Flavor.

Notes: Tried 2 teabags per mug of tea this time. The sugar sweetened and smoothed out the flavor masking the citrus. It was significantly better this time with 2 bags instead of 1 (like i should have originally) and I had sugar (last time MilitiaJim had the sugar). Many teas you can get away with less than the proper amount (1 bad 12 ounces) but not this one.

Smell: sweet, fruity, peach
Flavor: fruity, citrusy
Body: light
Aftertaste: citrus
Liquor: very clear, light brown with reddish orange tint

Rating: 2/3

The Republic of Tea Teabag Red Tea 'get happy No.13'

Tea: get happy No.13
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Teabag
Company: The Republic of Tea
Amount: TeaBag (1.5 gram)
Additives: none, 1 teaspoon german rock sugar
Water: 180 degree
Steep Time: a little over 5, 8:30 minutes
Served: Hot
Purchase: Here
Description: The herb rooibos is partnered with other theraputic herbs, such as lemon balm, St. John's wort and rhodiola to stabilize mood swings and increase energy and resistance to stress.

Need an attitude adjustment? If the sky is gray and cloudy or your spirit could use a little lift, there are lots of mood-enhancing options out there. But few are as healthy or delightful as sipping this caffeine-free herbal brew based on organic rooibos. Like a burst of sunshine, it begins to work its subtle magic as the bright flavors of lemon myrtle and luscious peach do a tango on your tastebuds. Meanwhile, our carefully balanced blend of calming lemon balm, St. John's wort and rhodiola does its part to help keep the blues away. So sip and smile. You'll be feeling peachy keen in no time.
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos (leaf), Lemon Balm (leaf), Lemon Myrtle (Bachousia citriodora) (leaf), St. John's Wort (aerial parts), Rhodiola (root) Extract, Natural Peach Flavor.

Notes: The sugar sweetened and smoothed out the flavor masking the citrus

Smell: sweet, fruity, peach
Flavor: fruity, citrusy
Body: light
AmazonV Aftertaste: citrus
Militiajim Aftertaste: none
Liquor: very clear, light brown with reddish orange tint

Rating: 1/3

Tazo Teabag Red Tea 'Vanilla Rooibos'

Tea: Vanilla Rooibos
Type: Red Tea
Packaging: Teabag
Company: Tazo
Amount: 2 filterbags
Additives: none
Water: 20 ounces, hot water spigot at Starbucks
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes to first sip, and then I kept it brewing
Served: Hot
Purchase: Starbucks, local grocery?
Description: "Full leaf African rooibos tea(naturally caffeine free), also known as red tea, paired with Tahitian vanilla and cinnamon."

Notes: Purchased at Starbucks. Disappointed at the Tazo website and StarbucksStore website for finding information to purchase these filter bags and ingredient lists.

Smell: sweet, honey
Flavor: sweet, vanilla
Body: light
Aftertaste: sweet, woody, cinnamon

Rating: 3/3

The Republic of Tea Teabag Red 'get passionate no.17'

Tea: get passionate no.17
Type: Red
Packaging: unbleached round teabag
Company: The Republic of Tea
Amount: 2 bags
Additives: none
Water: 12 ounces boiling
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot
Purchase: Here
Description: "Bright lemon verbena with passionfruit and passionflower produce a light, yet richly flavored blend"
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos (leaf), Muira Puama (part), Ashwagandha (root), Lemon Verbena (leaf), Hibiscus (flower), Maca (root), Passionflower (leaf), Stevia (leaf), Natural Passionfruit Flavor.

Notes: adding wild huckleberry honey seems to bring out the 'red' flavor more and made it more enjoyable. overall a unremarkable tea

Smell: lemon / citrus and earthy
Flavor: lemon / citrus
Body: medium
Aftertaste: citrus

Rating: 2/3

The Republic of Tea Loose Leaf Red 'Republic Red Chai'

Tea: Republic Red Chai
Type: Red, Loose Leaf
Company: The Republic of Tea
Amount: 4.5 scoops tea
Time: a little over 8:30 minutes (oopse!)

"A blend of rooibos, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon seed, anise seed, black pepper and cloves"

"Tasting Notes: Blended with stimylating spices, this red chai excites the senses and warms the body, yet is caffeine-free."

Served: Hot
AmazonV Smell: cinnamon, clove, ginger
MilitiaJim Smell: spiced cider without the apple
AmazonV Flavor: spicy, peppery, medium body
MilitiaJim Flavor: cloves with a hint of ginger
Aftertaste: cinnamon, cardamon

I tried adding honey and lactose-free milk, that calms the spicy after burn

Purchase: Here

Rating: 1/3
Militiajim's Rating: 1/3

Update:
Amount: 3 scoops tea, 2 scoops german rock sugar
Time: 5 minutes
Less 'burn'
added lactose free milk, again smoothed it out
still not a tea i will buy again