Tea Forte Loose Leaf Black Tea 'Chocolate Rose'

Tea Information:
Tea: Chocolate Rose
Type: Black Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: An indulgent naturally sweet cup with a deep chocolate taste and pleasing floral finish. Perfect to rejuvenate your day, or to luxuriate in a as an after-dinner indulgence. Enhance with a splash of milk.
Ingredients: Fair Trade Certified™ organic black tea, organic cocoa husk, natural chocolate flavor, organic rose petals, natural rose flavor

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 packets
Water: 750ml at 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: alcohol, chocolate, savory, hints floral
Steeped Tea Smell: chocolate, rose, slight bakey background
Flavor: bakey, sweet, savory rose, then a tangy finish
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: tangy, perfumy
Liquor: translucent dark brown

the finish kills it

Post-Steep Additives:
sugar
reduces the after tang

Rating: 2/4 leaves

Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

I purchased this product. All my reviews are as unbiased as possible, whether I buy or receive free product. I accept no other compensation other than free product.

Tea Forte Loose Leaf Black Tea 'hazelnut truffle'

Tea Information:
Tea: hazelnut truffle
Type: Black Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: A rich black tea with luscious Belgian chocolate, rosebuds, cacao and roasted coconut flakes. Enriched with notes of toasted Hazelnuts.
Ingredients: black tea, organic cacao shells, roasted coconut flakes, rose buds, chocolate chips, (sugar, cacao powder, soy lecithin), rose petals, natural hazelnut flavor, other natural flavors, contains soy

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: boiling, 2 mugs
Tool: my grandmother's Bee House Ceramic Round Teapot (like this one)
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Strong hazelnut, hints of dark chocolate
Steeped Tea Smell: hazelnut
Flavor: black tea, hints of chocolate and hazelnut
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent
Liquor: translucent dark brown

Rating: 3/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing








I purchased this product.
All my reviews are as unbiased as possible, whether I buy or receive free product. I accept no other compensation other than free product.

Tea Forte Loose Leaf Herbal Tisane 'Cherry Cosmo'

Tea Information:
Tea: Cherry Cosmo
Type: Herbal Tisane (Tea is technically only from the camellia sinensis plant)
Packaging: Loose Leaf Single Steeps
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: The deliciously relaxing taste of sweet plump cherries with a fragrant delighting of hibiscus blossoms and faint whispers of raspberry.
Ingredients: organic rosehips, organic hibiscus, organic apple pieces, organic raspberries, natural flavors

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 packet
Water: 12 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system (my Review here.)
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (http://steep.it)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: alcohol, cherry, hibiscus
Steeped Tea Smell: hibiscus, cherry
Flavor: sweet fruit then tart
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: tart
Liquor: translucent dark purple-pink

It smells alcoholic! I found it a bit tart and would add sugar next time, but it was a fun cup of tea (not often you can drink at work!).

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing






I purchased this product. All my reviews are as unbiased as possible, whether I buy or receive free product. I accept no other compensation other than free product.

Tea Forte Loose Leaf Rooibos Tisane 'apricot amaretto'

Tea Information:
Tea: apricot amaretto
Type: Rooibos Tisane (Tea is technically only from the camellia sinensis plant)
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: A double delight of sweet apricot and juicy peach with nuanced notes of almond, artfully evoking Saronno, Italy, the birthplace of amaretto.
Ingredients: organic honeybush, organic rooibos, organic marigold flowers, natural flavors

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 single steeps packet
Water: 12 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system (my Review here.)
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (http://steep.it/)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: nutty, apricot
Steeped Tea Smell: amaretto, fruity, rooibos
Flavor: rooibos, fruity
Body: full
Aftertaste: sweet
Liquor: translucent orange-brown

I love amaretto, so this tea is right up my alley! A sweet afternoon treat.

Rating: 3/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing








I purchased this product. All my reviews are as unbiased as possible, whether I buy or receive free product. I accept no other compensation other than free product.

Tea Forte Loose Leaf Single Steeps Herbal Tisane 'blueberry merlot'

Tea Information:
Tea: blueberry merlot
Type: Herbal Tisane (Tea is technically only from the camellia sinensis plant)
Packaging: Loose Leaf Single Steeps
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: Deep taste of succulent summer-sweet blueberries with a wisp of sage to heighten an excellent cup.
Ingredients: organic rosehips, organic hibiscus, organic blueberries, organic sage, natural flavors, organic cornflower blossoms

Steep Information:
Amount: Single Steeps packet
Water: 12oz hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system (my Review here.)
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (http://steep.it/5%20minutes)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cherry, berry, hibiscus?
Steeped Tea Smell: berry, tart, floral
Flavor: hibiscus
Body: Full
Aftertaste: tart
Liquor: barely translucent dark purple-red

Too much hibiscus, and I like hibiscus.

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing








I purchased this product. All my reviews are as unbiased as possible, whether I buy or receive free product. I accept no other compensation other than free product.

Tea Forte Teabag Herbal Tisane 'Ginger'

Tea Information:
Tea: Ginger
Type: Herbal Tisane
Packaging: Teabag
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: Bold and enticing with a lively character. A bit of lemony verbena soothes the spirit while black pepper heightens the spicy afterglow.
Ingredients: ginger, vervaine, ginseng, black pepper

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: 1 cup hot spigot water
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: ginger
Steeped Tea Smell: ginger, lemongrass, spice
Flavor: ginger! spicy
Body: Full
Aftertaste: spice
Liquor: translucent dark yellow

5 min was too strong, I had to toss that one

3 minutes worked well, I had to add honey. This worked well for my sore throat and head cold, but not something I would drink normally.

Does not resteep well, very weak.

Rating: 1/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

Tea Forte Teabag Black Tea 'silkroad chai'

Tea Information:
Tea: silkroad chai
Type: Black Tea
Packaging: Teabag
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: with ginger, cardamon & cinnamon

Infuse the flavor of black and exotic chai spices into Spirited Tea™ Rum & Tonics, White Russians, or your favorite concoctions.
Ingredients: black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 infuser
Water: 50ml Goldschläger
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Cold

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: spicy, peppery
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon
Flavor: cinnamon
Body: Full
Aftertaste: peppery
Liquor: translucent orange-red

O.M.G. the cinnamon burns

Post-Steep Additives: ice, seltzer

Mellower on the burning, it has potential, perhaps in a cream liquor?

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

Tea Forte Teabag Herbal Tisane 'lemongrass mint'

Tea Information:
Tea: lemongrass mint
Type: Herbal Tisane (Tea is technically only from the camellia sinensis plant)
Packaging: Teabag
Company: Tea Forte
Purchase: Here
Description: Infuse the natural flavors of lemongrass and mint into Spirited Tea™ Mojitos, Gin & Tonics or our own Bali Breeze.
Ingredients: spearmint, lemongrass, lemon myrtle

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 infuser
Water: 2 oz Bacardi Select, 4oz seltzer
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Cold

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: lemongrass, mint
Steeped Tea Smell: RUM
Flavor: Rum
Body: none
Aftertaste: rum
Liquor: translucent orange-brown

15+ more minutes, and then left the infuser in.

Steeped Tea Smell: lemongrass and mint
Flavor: rum
Aftertaste: lemongrass and mint

This is from the Tea Forte cocktails collection.

Meh, more interesting than straight rum. I'm not much of a drinker so take my review with a grain of salt.

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing