The Republic of Tea

GCTTB V1

Thank you Jillian for throwing in a few pouches of this as per my request; I have to admit that mostly I just wanted to be able to taste a few of the flavours of this Iced Tea line up before committing to buying a full tin since this is a tea I can get a hold of here in town.

Ginger Peach isn’t really my thing typically; I’m not big on ginger and I’m pretty fickle towards peach so that tends to make for a dicey pairing. That said, I brewed up a big cold brewed pitcher of this and it really isn’t bad. The peach is the strongest flavour for sure; it’s sweet in a “juice”/made from juice crystals sort of way in so far as it’s not all that natural tasting. But that said, it isn’t ‘juice like’ in a “tastes very sugary/cloying” way. Does that make sense?

Even though that’s the strongest flavour, there is lots of ginger too. If peach is the top note, then ginger is the tier right below it – the flavour immediately follows the peachy juice notes. I’m not big on ginger, so I have a hard time appreciating the flavour here but I can comfortable say that I don’t dislike it. I had no problem making it through my first cup of this pitcher, and I don’t think I’ll have a hard time finishing it either.

Asking Jillian to include this was a good idea though: I’m enjoying the pitcher worth but I definitely know that I don’t want to invest in a whole tin worth of it – there’s no way I’d ever get through it. Sampling is more than good enough for me!

This is a very frustrating tea. I think if it didn’t have Stevia in it, it might be a tea I would regularly stock. It has a really nice Pineapple flavor. But I find Stevia absolutely undrinkable most of the time. I hate the taste and it bothers my stomach. Grrr. Does anyone know of a Pineapple Hibiscus tea without Stevia? I’d be interested in trying one.

I made this as a latte, since that’s how I always drink Earl Grey. It tastes like the balance of flavors is wrong. I can’t really taste the black tea at all, and the bergamot is overwhelming and tastes a bit odd. Too perfumey maybe? I do like my earl grey on the floral end, so maybe that’s not the best description, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

I don’t care for this one. The blueberry is not strong, but still tastes artificial with a slight chemical aftertaste, and the black tea is bland with a hint of bitterness.

I was like “wow, this is like comfort and joy” and then found a whole review that said why: http://steepster.com/patty-bott/posts/315832 :)

I think I actually like this less as a latte. It almost tastes more artificial this way, although I guess I did use two tea bags this time, so that might explain it.

I didn’t taste much chocolate here – more peppermint and vanilla. It was pretty decent, if a bit on the artificial side. I think I’ll try it as a latte next time.

I really shouldn’t like this: I don’t particularly love apricots after all. However, for a decaf tea, I really like it! Going into regular rotation.

This is pretty good. Blackberry is the most prominent flavor. It’s an artificial taste, like blackberry candy rather than the fruit. I don’t taste much from the Sage or Black tea. I like blackberries, but they’re not one of my favorite fruits, so I probably wouldn’t be particularly inclined to keep this on hand. It might be worth trying the decaf version, though.

This tastes like Christmas in a cup. Cranberry, cinnamon, and something floral. It’s maybe a bit artificial tasting and reminds me of potpourri or a candle, but not in a bad way. I like that it actually tastes like cranberry more than Hibiscus unlike several cranberry teas I’ve had before. I’d buy this again, especially around Christmas time.

Just getting around to tasting my sample of Get Lean. The color surprised me because the packet said green tea and the color was a brighter green-yellow than I was expecting. I’m guessing now that dandelion root gives that color? Anyway, the whole thing tastes quite medicinal and I’m not much of a fan.

Here’s Hoping TTB

This tea was a pleasant surprise! I typically use two teabags when brewing a Republic of Tea blend for a stronger flavor. But since there was only one in the TTB, I took my chances on it. So glad I did! The flavor was rich and strong, with notes of dark chocolate and nutty coconut. No weak, watery flavor and no disgusting stevia aftertaste, unlike too many RoT blends I’ve tried. I may have to purchase more of this one in the future!

From OST’s stash sale.

This is a tea I’ve been wanting to try for a while since I’ve seen a few reviews singing it’s praises. I haven’t enjoyed too many of Republic of Tea’s blends in the past and I know I don’t tend to like their black tea base, but I decided I wanted to give this one a try anyway. I’m glad I took the chance. This is a lightly caramel flavored tea, and the base has a bit of bitterness, but it’s quite pleasant. It doesn’t taste artificial and there doesn’t seem to be any added sweetener (rare for a caramel flavored tea). I don’t think I like it quite as much as Bigelow’s Salted Caramel, but it’s definitely one I will enjoy while it’s in my cupboard.

Herbal and Decaf TTB.

This is a mild cinnamon-vanilla-rooibos blend. Pretty good, but didn’t jump out at me as something I would drink very often.

Another work tea that’s gone now. Leaf smelled pretty, lots of blueberries. Tasted like hot water with a little bit of green tea until I got to the bottom of my cup. Then, blech. Oversteeped green tea taste. Wish the smell translated more into the flavor.

I wanted to love it… but I couldn’t. I realize that matcha is probably best when purchased from a Japanese company, but I saw Republic of Tea’s matcha in a Whole Foods and decided to try it.

One of the first ways to assess the quality of the matcha is the color of the tea. I was immediately disappointed when I opened it because the matcha had this very yellow tinge to it. I was looking forward to having a bright, beautiful green cup of matcha but when prepared, the tea still retained that very yellow tinge.

In terms of taste, it was very grassy and had a harsh edge to it. I’m just getting into matcha (I am by no means an expert!) but I could tell that it really wasn’t the best, especially in terms of price to quality ratio.

I wouldn’t recommend this tea, there are better brands to buy matcha from.

Thanks for this freebie, Ost! Always willing to try, especially a minty chocolate tea but WHOA this is the tea with the most splenda I’ve ever had. It’s almost unbearably too sweet with hints of mint and chocolate behind all of that splenda. It’s just too much. They should have just labeled this one splenda. :/

Time to get this one gone; tin is a coupla years old and half full, which confirms it’s not a top-shelf favorite. Not bad iced; lots of raspberry, not much rose; those of you who sweeten should do so.

I like this better iced than I do hot: the roses and raspberry give it a lovely sweet, thick, syrupy fruit punch.

Birthday treat from a fellow DA (Downton Addict). Despite the presence of the dreaded hibiscus, I rather liked it. The hibby is hiding behind some very prominent raspberry flavor and what little rose I could pick up (not much) just sweetens the deal. I think this will be another good one chilled when the weather warms up. (Chilled tea. How rebellious. What would Cousin Violet have to say about that?)

Too gross for words. The watermelon taste was pretty much like a Jolly Rancher, and it didn’t really go with the black tea. I’m not a fan of mint in my black tea either, so I guess it’s no surprise that I really didn’t like this.

Better than I thought it would be. Green tea with a surprising amount of citrus. I would drink this again.