Four O'Clock Organic

Cold Brew!

This cold brew is pretty gross and mostly just tastes like really mineral and woody rooibos with a finishing note of orange that’s almost like cleaner. It’s weirdly a touch bitter too, which is really uncommon for any tea that’s been cold brewed. I’m still going to drink it though because it is hot AF in my apartment right now, and I need the cool, refreshing tea to keep from dying of heat today.

What a boring tea.

Made a mug of this one last week, but it was just so absurdly flat and lifeless. Didn’t really taste much like orange or black tea, but had a hint of lower quality rooibos base.

A VariaTEA share!

This one was interesting; it smells pretty sweetly of oranges but the flavor is a lot more mild and stripped down. Obviously there are orange notes, but I’d describe them as mellow over juicy or succulent. The rooibos lends a little bit of a woody taste, but I think the black tea in the blend beats it out for more dominant base of the two dual bases. It’s malty, smooth but not overpowering.

I think it’s a good backdrop tea; something to sip on casually and carelessly while doing something else…

VariaTEA provided this one to me and i’ve had it a couple times now. I am always a fan of a good orange tea….though this one is not it. No matter how i seem to brew this up, it always comes through as really subdued. not a bad thing…but man i need to find an orange creamsicle tea

I have been so excited to try this one, because I love banana teas! :) This is actually really good. I get a distinct banana flavour, and it pairs nicely with the cinnamon and spices as well. Definitely will get more of this one!

I really don’t like chamomile but this seemed like a good choice for someone who should be resting and hydrating. However, I might have avoided drinking this too long because now its cool. Also, I thought I was adding a strawberry honey straw to this but I think it ended up being cherry which isn’t helping this tea any. All in all, this is probably getting tossed into the swap box because it’s just not something I care to drink. Even with my tastebuds being off I am getting chamomile and it’s just not for me.

Okay so I was saving this teabag for a special time so I could try & review it. Then my mom assumes that the box I put it in was my dads tea so she makes him a cup of it without asking. I’ll be honest I’m a little bit peeved. But luckily she didn’t throw the bag out so I am having a cup of it steeped a second time. I obviously let it sit longer than I usually would. But I have to say, it’s pretty good! I wasn’t planning on having it tonight, but I didn’t really have much choice. I’m glad I did, though. I’m really tasting the chocolate in this the most. It’s almost like a distinct dark chocolate taste. The mint comes in second, which I don’t mind at all. I really hope I can find this in a grocery store somewhere, cause I would definitely drink it again.

I was really excited to buy this tea because I love lychees and ginger so I thought this would be an amazing pairing. However, when I brought into my office to brew I noticed that it had rose petals and I normally do not like anything with rose petals as I find it to be overtly perfumey and give me a headache. But since I just purchased it I thought that I would try at least one cup and I am glad that I did. You mostly get the taste from the white tea which I love and the lychee also love. I do not get much from the rose petal except from the smell of the dry leaves but not once brewed much to my satisfaction. The marigold taste is present along with the apple pieces, this is a nice mellow brew.

I was sent a free sample of this tea by the company and was pleasantly surprised to say the least. I am a dedicated loose leaf tea fan but this tea was great. It smelled like a hot chocolate and tastes just like mint hot chocolate. I would definitely consider getting more of this tea to keep on hand in the future.

Don’t usually reach for bagged teas, but spotted this at Bulk Barn last night and thought it looked promising. Plus: cute penguin on the package. Brewed up, this tea is okay. It has a kind of campfire smokiness that I would associate more with a pu’erh – like, it really smells like a campfire. Mild, slightly sweet flavour. Could go for a longer steep to get some more of the “natural black forest cupcake flavouring” to show up.

This is an ancient teabag… but somehow I can definitely taste MAPLE with this sturdy black tea. I could swear I also smell and taste mint but that might be because it was stored with mint teas? I don’t think there are any obvious mint teas with it though. A tasty tea bag I was happy to try!

Not a strong enough bergamot flavour for me. Just a bit too mild.The black tea flavour overtakes it and is bitter. Still pretty good, just not my favourite Earl Grey.

For quite a while, i drank the classic lipton green tea. Ive tried many others and have too many kinds in my pantry that just did not please me. I was at the grocery store and thought i had a little bitnof hope to try a new tea out. So i picked it up and made it a few minutes ago. I loved every sip of it!! The price wasnt so bad but im asking for a bigger box for christmas! The ingrediants are minimal which i love to see! I drink one a day and i cant get enough! looks like i found my new favourite tea! Even if you guys have questioned buying it but arent sure, i would still give it a try!

This is one of my favorite teas! A really tasty dessert tea, just enough strength and a nice depth of flavour.

Meh.

When I went to Ottawa a few months ago I got a ridiculous number of samples of this and other Four O’Clock teas foisted upon me at a Winterlude celebration. Goodness knows that I love flavoured tea, but this is tea for namby-pamby beginners – overly flavoured and sweetened, meant to be cute and candylike.

It honestly does smell like black forest cake when it’s brewing. But when it cools down, it smells and tastes very chemically, with a metallic sweetness on the back of my tongue and in my sinus cavities thats’ hard to avoid. I’m seriously considering tossing what I have left of this since the flavouring is so obtrusive.

THE RUNDOWN
1) Pre-Taste: I love chai that doesn’t have a too-powerful clove smell. There should be more chai then clove. I also like the bright red color, and that’s after 3.5 minutes of steepage. This was a sample taken from a hotel ages ago, so hopefully it hasn’t gone stale.
2) First Taste: I sense all of the seeds and fruits: cardamom, star anise, and the bush rooibos. I also get that earthiness of clay – like red mud. Dirt but clean dirt if that makes sense. I always tend to add ‘dirt’ to reviews of bagged teas. Not surprising.
3) Second Sip: Oddly, I taste more of the black pepper and clove this time around. Odd, but in this caffeine-free blend I’m not missing the actually tea leaves. I thought I would, but it’s nothing I’m really sensing is lacking.
4) Final Thought: There’s definitely something good int he tea, maybe the sweetness. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be top among my list of recommendations of rooibos chai. Stick with loose for fuller flavor and less confusion in the recipe.

It’s a yummy dessert tea! It smells nice. I have to steep it longer to bring out the flavours, but the spice isn’t overpowering and pairs well with the chocolate. It’s a nice caffeine free alternative to my favourite: Chocolate Chili Chai

I said I used 1 tsp, but it’s a bagged tea, so I used one bag.

Firstly — incredibly cute packaging! I love opening my cupboard to see a sweet little wintry penguin!

But on to the tea itself… This would be a hit if you are the type of person who likes chocolate cake. It is rich without being sugary, and it definitely has the smooth and creamy texture of a black forest cake. It isn’t too rich that you feel sickly, yet it satisfies your sweet tooth. I am not often a fan of “dessert” style teas, but this one is smooth and comforting. Perfect for a snuggly night on the sofa!

One of my favorite chocolate teas. The smell is amazing, but I often find dessert teas smell great but sadly lack in flavour. Not this one!