Angel Falls Mist

Eight different companies listed at Steepster are offering a tea by the name of Angel Falls Mist, including Good Life Tea, which sent me this sample. I wonder if these companies are prohibited from changing the name? That does not seem likely. But why not go ahead and do it in a case such as this, where what is palpably Rote Grutze is being re-branded as something which has no literal meaning whatsoever. Angel Falls Mist? Really?

This herbal blend is pretty good for a Rote Grutze. Okay, maybe it’s not exactly Rote Grutze, since there seems to be quite a bit of non-red stuff (apples?) here, but the flavor is very similar. It was nice of Good Life Tea to send me free samples, but I’m not convinced that any value has been added to the product since it was acquired from the wholesaler.

I suppose that Upton, et al., do the same thing, in a way, but I feel more confident that they actually know more about tea than I do. Not so clear that the smaller companies sprouting up all over the place are being run by people who are distinguished specifically for their tea prowess… This bubble may pop soon. Or perhaps it already has, as evidenced by the short lifespan of many of these companies. It seems that another one is shuttering its stores every day or so…

I did a little something special with this tea considering the time of the year. Brewed it once for Summer and once for Autumn..bringing in the Autumn Equinox the tea way :D

Summer:
.5 tsp tea- 4 oz of water- 4 minutes- Added Agave- Iced
Just like those perfect summer mornings, this tea was crisp and refreshing. There was slight tartness from the hibiscus but that just nicely complimented the agave that I added. Sweet citrus from the orange rounded out the summer experience with evoked memories of biting into the first sweet fruits of summer. A delicious fruit medley with an awesome slightly spicy kick from the calendula.

Autumn:
.5 tsp tea- 4 oz water- 4 minutes- Added Agave, Cloves, Cinnamon- Hot
Wow, the apple flavor is surely brought out in this sort of preparation. The calendula nicely compliments the added Autumn spices making a nice spiced cider-esque flavor (just with a bit of added tartness from the hibiscus). Love how the steeped liquid creates a deep raspberry color..it reminds me of Christmas poinsettias.

I’m really quite impressed how dynamic this tea can be. One minute I’m sitting on a tropical beach with sand in my toes and the next I’m jumping into a pile of freshly fallen leaves. Thank you, Good Life Tea!

This is the last of my samples from Good Life Tea. I brewed 1/2 t in 4 oz. of water. I haven’t been drinking much Hibiscus tea lately, since it tends to trigger my pregnancy heartburn, but I decided to indulge a little today. This made for a very nice change of pace. It was a light fruity tea tasting of crisp, sweet apples, and hibiscus. The two flavors really complemented each other well. I really enjoyed it. I liked it plain, and I imagine it would also be tasty with some spices during the winter.

I received this lovely sample from Good Life Tea. Thanks! I really don’t like hibiscus or rose hips even though they are a good source of vitamin C. They are just too tart for me. I like the other fruit-y flavors in this tisane but… well, you know … the whole hibiscus thing. With some sweetener, it improves. I enjoyed the description of the tisane more than the tea. I agree with someone else who said they were wondering if the way the samples were packed messed up the flavors. The envelope had a lot of scents before I ever opened it. Maybe thicker bags would improve that. I would also like to see the ingredients listed on the package.

I knew as soon as I opened the sample that I would not like this one. I have not changed my mind. Hibiscus. No. Just No. At least not at this level. I can taste apple but could not bring myself to care enough to keep trying to pick out other flavors.

On the other hand, my wife who can’t have caffeine loves this type fruit tea. She gulped down the first hot cup and told me to make another. That one she iced. She insisted I try it. It is cold and watered down but it still is not fit to drink. She disagrees. Pick a side of the fence to stand on based on the ingredients. You are not likely to change your mind later.

Thanks Good Life Tea for letting my wife try this fruit tisane

Hot-brewed and then stuck in the fridge for three hours. The liquor is the color of magenta and smells of raspberry and hibiscus. It tastes sweet and refreshing like lemonade – a boon on cool summer evening after a hot and humid day. It’s also not tart, which is a plus considering the hibiscus. However, overall, it does taste a little weak, the aftertaste especially so. I would need at least two teaspoons in order to have the desired strength.

Thank you, Good Life Teas, for the sample!

Thank you for the samples, GoodLifeTea.com! I’m usually not much for hibiscus blends, but this is one done right. Four minutes at boiling seems to result in a perfect cup. Maybe three minutes would be better if you wanted less hibiscus. It’s quite a refreshing cup on a hot day. I’m not exactly sure what the ingredients are here, but they are tasty. It’s pretty tart but not as unbearably tart as some hibiscus blends can be. There is actually quite a lot of sweetness and smoothness. It’s almost like there is a hint of sugar in the blend… I can only imagine that is the apple. It’s almost syrupy. The color of the cup is a lovely rosey pink. I was in doubt with this one, but there are much worse hibiscus blends out there.
Steep #1 // just boiled // 4 min steep
GoodLifeTea.com

Dry leaf aroma: Fruit and hibiscus with the faintest hint of cream.
Dry leaf appearance: http://instagram.com/p/sYeOEBFcI3/

Preparation: Brewed western style in a ceramic infuser mug.

First/only steeping: 5 minutes at 210 degrees. This tisane has a strong fruit and hibiscus aroma and brews to a pinkish red liquor. The predominate flavor is tart fruit, with a very subtle note of cream at the end of the sip. While I cannot isolate the individual fruits, the infusion is neither too generic nor overly tart. However, the cream note throws me off and I am wondering if the Cream of Earl Grey sample packaged in the same mailing envelope contaminated this flavor profile.

I received this tea as a free sample, and I want to thank Good Life Tea for the opportunity to taste this.

If you like hibiscus then you’d probably like this. It smelled like a fruit snack and I brewed it hot, it was generically fruity and super tart. I don’t add sugar to my tea so it was too tart for me. Maybe would have been better iced. Thanks Good Life Tea for the sample!

This herbal is fruity and tart. Although there are apple and orange pieces in this tisane I can’t pick either of them out. Instead there’s just a generic fruitiness. In fact, once sugar is added it reminds me a of fruit punch which makes me think this would be great iced. This is the sort of drink I think a little girl would love to have at a birthday tea party or a teddy bear picnic.

Thank you Good Life Tea for letting me sample this tea.