The last time I placed an order, I thought I would try one more flavored Rooibos. Rooibos is known as “Red Tea.” My previous Rooibos post gives a lot of background on the red tea from South Africa. There’s no doubt that Rooibos is a tasty alternative to tea. When it is steeped, Rooibos gives off a beautiful amber liquor. Rooibos literally adds texture to the water. It gives the water a very silky smooth texture. What makes this “tea” appealing to a lot of people is the fact that it’s naturally decaffeinated.

This week, I’m drinking a caramel flavored Rooibos. The last flavor I tried was vanilla. I have to be honest, I don’t taste that much of a difference. That’s not saying this tastes bad, it just tastes very sweet and not a lot like caramel. Basically, when I smell the dried Rooibos, I wouldn’t necessarily guess that it is caramel flavored. I guess the only thing I have left to do is try Rooibos straight without artificial flavors. It definitely tastes good, there is no denying it has taste going for it. I need caffeine at this point in my life. Therefore, Rooibos might sit on my shelf longer than other teas. My biggest complaint about Rooibos is the mess it creates. Rooibos is finely chopped. I read on Adagio’s feedback section that someone said it was like making tea with saw dust. It makes an absolute mess of my tea filter. If you can get past the mess, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

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There are several tea blogs like martea.com floating around cyberspace. However, there are only a handful of podcasts that talk about tea. If you are new to podcasting, podcasts are audio files typically streamed or served in mp3 format. Most podcasts allow subscribers to download the audio files (mp3s) to the listener’s computer for free. The listener can play the podcast on their computer or transfer the podcast to any mp3 player like an iPod or multi-media mobile phone.

What I like about podcasts and blogs is the fact that they appeal to my tea hobby and my interest in technology. I found a “teacast” last year using Apple’s iTunes software called the “Tea Lover’s Room Teacast.” The “teacast” is hosted by Stephanie from Sacramento California. She describes the podcast as an audio podcast show about tea, tea customs, and traditions. For anyone that wants to learn more about tea, and you are technically capable of listening to podcasts, I recommend Stephanie’s podcast. You can listen to all the past episodes to get caught up with the evolution of the podcast. I’ve noticed lately that the podcast is not as frequently produced as it was last year. Keep in mind, most of us that blog and podcast do this in our spare time around our busy lives. Stephanie’s website now includes the Tea Lover’s Boutique, which sells tea and related products. Her efforts deserve a look.

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I’ve been impressed with Snapple’s marketing campaign for their latest bottled teas. Due to their efforts, I had to stop at a local grocery store and buy a couple bottles of Snapple’s tea products. I purchased a Nectarine White Tea and the All Natural Green Tea. Other than Diet Pepsi and bottled water, I don’t drink a lot of bottled beverages. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect. First off, the tea actually comes in a glass bottle unlike some of their competitors. There wasn’t any sediment in the bottom of the bottle. The packaging and graphics are well designed and add to the value of the product. Out of habit, I shook the bottle anyway.

I’ll tell you about the white tea now - I’m still drinking the green tea. The color of the tea liquor is almost as clear as water. The taste was absolutely delicious as long as you enjoy nectarines. The nectarine flavoring was the only thing I could taste. The bottle states that the tea is made from plucked baby tea leaves. Unfortunately, I could not taste the tea. Since I’m judging this product compared to other popular bottled beverages, I have to say it was good. It has a very smooth and refreshing flavor. It is a sweet beverage, but I’ll let that slide since it does have 55mg of EGCG (and over 30g of sugar). Compared to other non-diet beverages 30g of sugar isn’t that bad. If you like bottled beverages, and you are an iced-tea or flavored bottled water consumer, this is a good beverage choice.

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I could not resist buying more “Casablanca Twist” from Adagio.com. In the last few weeks, I’ve either had a sore throat or an annoying cough - usually both. Regardless of my cold symptoms, this is just a great beverage. One of my first blogs was about this tea. It’s simply Peppermint leaves and first-flush Darjeeling. Whether you are feeling under-the-weather or just looking to relax this is a great tea.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) has been said to have several medicinal benefits. It’s known to relax smooth muscles, including the intestines. The menthol found in Peppermint is believed to be the key to muscle relaxing. By relaxing the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, Peppermint helps to relieve irritable bowel syndrome, motion sickness, cramps, and colonic muscle spasms. Not to mention the aroma of the peppermint mixed with the steam from the hot water really helps soothe your nasal passages as well as a sore throat.

I don’t want to get lost in all the known and believed medicinal benefits. If you like Peppermint, this is just an awesome tea. Don’t wait until you are not feeling well to try this tea. The tea steeps to a perfect cup at 180 degrees for 3 minutes. I’ve yet to have a bitter cup.

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It’s been a while since my last Oolong blog. Recently, I purchased a Jasmine flower-flavored Oolong. Now, I’m not much of a flowery person. Flowery scented candles, perfumes, and soaps are a few things that come to mind that I usually cannot stand. This particular tea was highly rated by Adagio tea drinkers, and because of their feedback, I thought I’d give this a go.

A quick Oolong recap: Oolong is classified by its level of oxidation. Oolong’s oxidation level is between a black tea and a green tea. For many, it is the happy medium. For me, I’ve enjoyed almost every Oolong I’ve tried. Oolong is not as grassy as green tea, but it is not as “sweet” as black tea. Oolong is known as a traditional Chinese tea. Many restaurants that serve Chinese cuisine, serve Oolong tea. Unfortunately, the Oolong served at the restaurants is not near the quality of the fresh-gourmet loose leaf Oolongs that I’m used to. That said, I was ready to try a night-blooming jasmine flower flavored Oolong. The scent of the dried tea leaves had more of a distant floral scent. I describe it as distant, meaning it doesn’t smell like you stuck your nose in the middle of a bouquet of flowers. As with most Oolong teas, a cooler water temperature of 180 degrees for 3 minutes is a good rule of thumb to allow for steeping. My first taste of the brewed tea really exceeded my expectations. The jasmine flavor was perfectly balanced with the Oolong tea. I was hooked from the first cup. It’s the perfect tea for any time of day. It’s good in the morning, afternoon, and after a meal. The tea is just perfectly balanced.

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Snapple spent a lot of money to put their products and EGCG in the spotlight by advertising during the Super Bowl. Most people already knew about Snapple, and their bottled beverage products. However, a lot of people didn’t know about EGCG.

Tea is a natural source for catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant that has been claimed to increase your metabolism, inhibit the growth of cancer cells, reduce bad cholesterol, and reduce high blood pressure. It’s a mouthful to say, but its health benefits are easy to remember. Snapple is doing a great job of making EGCG simple to understand. Snapple’s website, snapple.com, is perceptually pleasing and does a supurb job of showing-off their products in a very “organic” and healthy manner. If you visit the website, you can view the ads in case you missed them on television. The ready-to-drink bottled tea industry will continue to thrive in the US, especially with marketing efforts of this magnitude.

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