Tea Review: Iced Teas by Salada

It's time to chill out with some refreshing iced tea, an innovation that goes back to 1904, when a tea vendor decided to help people cool off at the St Louis Worlds Fair.  This truly American invention is now one of the most popular ways to drink tea, thanks to the RTD bottled industry.  And every June is National Iced Tea Month.

There are numerous way to make iced tea.  Either you can use cold water and steep your tea for an extended period of time or you can brew hot tea and then ice it down.  There are a bevy of iced tea makers - machines dedicated to the sole practice of making tea, often with convenient pitchers, which in its self can be a handy item to own.

So when I was asked to try Salada Tea's Iced Tea Line, what with it being the National month-long celebration of icy camellia sinensis, I was more than happy to oblige.

Now there's nothing that differentiates their tea from any other tea that you could use to create iced tea, if you were using tea bags, although their iced tea bags are indeed bigger. I tried to show the difference in this photo. And while the instructions say to use 2 of these "Family Sized" bags, I found that using 3-4 tea bags was better because the taste of the green tea is fairly washed out.

This fairly washed out taste is common with "naturally decaffeinated" teas because to decaffeinate them they must be soaked (twice) in the processing - leaving you with a less robust taste.  This process also diminishes the antioxidants that people prize green tea for having, which means any supportive health claims having to do with "decaffeinated green tea" are grossly over-exaggerated.

I tried all 3 of the iced teas (Raspberry, Tropical and Peach Nectarine), only to find them to be rather similar.  A weak iced tea accented by a touch of fruit flavoring.

I wish I had something more to say besides "hey, I like the super-sized tea bags" but I am now the owner of 3 big boxes of 18 mega-tea bags.....and as they say, "That's Salada Tea".

Tea Review: Coconut Creme Tea

Coconut Creme Tea from Persimmon Tree

I have a passion for anything tropical, from palm trees to ukulele music.  It's a well-known fact that Madam Potts lives on a tropical island in her own mind.  So when I was asked to review this tea, I queued up the Arthur Lyman CDs.

Tea Company: Persimmon Tree Tea

In Review:  Coconut Creme Tea

Dry Review:  White Peony leaves, accented Blue Cornflowers, Red Safflower and white bits of shaved coconut

Steeped Review:
HOT:  This subtle white tea is infused with a coconut essence, that makes for a simple pleasurable delight.  The enjoyment is in its simplicity.

ICED:  I think I like this even better when iced.  The natural sweetness of the coconut makes for a refreshingly cooling drink!

Personal Thoughts:  It's overly simple - the blank canvas of a light white tea whereupon a splash of coconut has been added.  The main thing I question is the use of flavorings which are not accounted on the website as being either natural or artificial.  In every "herbal" infusion of theirs, they allude to a flavoring, which for me means that something is added and/or covering up in the name of low-quality and instant flavor association. I realize that this is a popular practice these days - but not one I personally enjoy.

NOTE: There are people with allergies to "artificial" and  even to "natural" flavorings, so this is something to be upfront about.

Travels (to Italy) From a Tea Cup

When I was only 15 years old, it was my experience to travel to Italy.  My travels led me to Florence, Venice. and Milan as well as the picturesque Lake Como region.  This extraordinary adventure marked the first time I had ever been in a plane, the first time I had ever left the country, and was this magnificent opportunity which sparked my life-long love of travel.  

My readers know that I have always loved the unique way in which my experiences with tea have brought me in touch with people from different parts of the world and at times have allowed me to travel from a tea cup.

So it is with all the excitement and sparkle that my tea-sipping, travel-loving spirit can muster and shine that I share another chapter of Travels From A Tea Cup.  Recently I got the chance to design a blend for a tea lover (and fellow ATB member), who happens to live in the Tuscan region of Italy.

It is always with a heart of gratitude that I share any and all of the reviews that I have been fortunate to receive this past year.  And this time is no different.  I was taken by the care that she takes to explain the PersonaliTEA form and process, as well the artistic photographs taken of the tea leaves floating, and the words of inspiration by which this blend SereniTEA was created.

There was a magical feel about this tea.  There seemed to be a measure of mystery and fantasy wrapped up in this blend, perhaps because she wanted her tea to transport her to a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, through a forest and across a meadow.  SereniTEA is a pleasurably peaceful blend that is light and sweet and delicate. 

Read the Whole Review Here on SereniTEA.

Review: Anne's Creative Cup

Making tea for a custom tea blender is no doubt one of the most challenging blends I've had to make...ever.  So when I first got the chance to make a PersonaliTEA blend for LiberTEAS, I was honored to say the least. 

Admittedly, LiberTEAS had sooooo much information that ideas for her blend jumped off the page.  Seriously, my kettle started brewing and herbs and teas started magically brewing themselves, and all I did was follow the inspiration given me.

Words of jasmine, chocolate, and lavender created such wonderfully aromatic themes to play with!


I am waiting until the end of the year to make product changes to my website.  I will pick the top 2 or 3 blends, which may not be easy to do.  As always, anyone can email me a requested order or sample of any of my blends should they be so curious. 

I wasn't aware until tonight that she had posted a review on Steepster, as I spend less and less time on line these days...so while this may be old news for some, it excited me to see that my tea was indeed reviewed and duly talked about. 

So thank you for reviewing Anne's Creative Cup!

Review: Orange Avenue Tea

I'm always excited when a tea blend comes together - especially when one is designed for a hard-working rock band, like Orange Avenue, out of Central Florida.

The good folks at The Tea Review Blog gave both the blend and the band a solid Thumbs UP review.

They were even awesome enough to download and post Orange Avenue' new video: Just Refrain

From the Tea Review Blog:

I happen to love Mad Pots of Tea.  Madam Potts, purveyor of tea and tea blender extraordinaire has created yet another delicious custom blend of tea for the band Orange Avenue, which brings a citrus treat to her current custom blends lineup. 

Read MORE....

Orange Avenue was a 2009 Qs House Artist of the Year Winner.  Qs House is a weekly Internet Radio Show dedicated bringing musicians and their fans together and celebrating the rock-n-roll lifestyle, humor and sensibilities.  Listen every week or subscribe to the podcast.

Review of Indigo Dreams

It's always a pleasure to find out that someone tried and liked one of my teas. This specific tea has always been a favorite of mine, and was one of my first tea blends I made as a gift for someone I had never met. The tea sat unnoticed on the site all year until recently. Within a 2-week period, I've had two orders for it, and with one of orders came a subsequent review.

Indigo Dreams is a floral and fragrant blend of jasmine pearls, lavender, violets and jasmine petals. It is a romantic tea, that smells and tastes soft and sensual.

Drinking it before bed will give you Deep Purple Dreams...

The Review for Indigo Dreams

Purchase Indigo Dreams

Mad Pots! on the Tea Review Blog

Most every tea lover must turn to the web to purchase teas - especially as there are so many teas available. As such, having a reliable site to review teas becomes of utmost importance. Recently, The Tea Review Blog has added Mad Pots of Tea! to the roster of reviewed tea companies.

The first review was for Lemon Trance, which is based on my favorite metal rock band.

"Tea and rock n roll! Why not?...So when I read that this was a tea blend based on a metal/rock band called Spiral Trance it naturally piqued my curiosity. Were they any good? And beyond that, was their TEA any good? After all if you are going to have a tea inspired by your metal rock band, it better stand up to some REAL criticism!...."

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW HERE!


After scoring this review, the founder of the Tea Review Blog site had me create her a tea. Quite a daunting task for someone who has tried and rated over 300 teas...

The result was the blend, Fleur de Grey.

"My favorite all-time overall tea. Why? Well, I suppose because it was blended just for me, based on my Personali-TEA profile at Mad Pots of Tea!....I can’t say that I honestly could have thought up any better blend for me than this. It’s fabulous, it’s fantastic, it’s FREAKING AWESOME! ....I love this tea so much that it’s the ONLY tea I’ve drank for 4 days straight. I’m already out and have ordered more! ..."

READ THE WHOLE REVIEW HERE!

I'd like to thank the Tea Review Blog for the support. It's been great to get my teas professionally reviewed and this has created some welcomed new buzz for my company. As I create teas based on people's personalities and each tea blend is unique to the person, it is especially exciting that other people are discovering these teas.

I have found numerous interesting teas on their site and I hope that you actively use, read, and comment on their site as a show of support. It's a lot of tea to have to drink and they do a great job of sorting through it all.

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A PersonaliTEA Review: Sweet, Sweet Hawaii

A lot of people request that their tea bring them to somewhere tropical. I am finding it a constant challenge to come up with essences and tastes that are uniquely beach-like or tropical. But seeing as I wish I was on an island at any given time of the day, it's a challenge of the happiest kind.

One of my latest PersonaliTEA blends was based on clues that specifically included Hawaii. Often I will hear that people liked their tea, but rarely do I get actual PersonaliTEA reviews from orders that are Gift orders. I was glad to hear from the giver and recipient how much they liked the tea!

Check out what Tea for Today had to say about
Sweet Sweet Hawaii

Recent Reviews: Steepster

I was surprised to find that I had received some reviews on the tea-tasting journal/social site Steepster. Only 1 of the 4 reviews on Steepster are of PersonaliTEA blends for which I am known. The other three are the simpler Christmas blends that I made. As I was not expecting to find myself on this site at all, I was overjoyed that someone had taken the time to review my blends. I thank all of you who have sipped and given feedback.

So here are some recent reviews for Mad Pots of Tea!

Harvest Dreams (aka: California Harvest) -- this herbal concoction is like running through a field of sunflowers. There's a taste of Autumn, of sweetness, of hiking through a forest.

NOTE: This review written by the person for whom it was designed. It is the only blend on Steepster that reviews a PersonaliTEA. She has since ordered a half-pound of her blend because she felt it was just that damn good. [excuse the blatant self-promotion, but I am extermely proud of this tea]


Peppermint Dreams -- a surprisingly refreshing minty blend of white tea, candy canes & peppermint. This is strictly a holiday blend and is not currently available.

Silent Night - I call it my liquid chill pill. Made of 5 organic herbs all known for their soothing properties. This is by far the most relaxing blend I have ever made and it has been one of my most popular holiday blends two years running. Also a popular blend with kids, especially as it has no caffeine.

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Have you sampled a Mad Pots of Tea! Blend - please share with me your review.

If you have not sampled a Mad Pots of Tea! blend and would like to review it for your website/blog, email me!

A PersonaliTEA review: Meliciously Sweet

I had created a special blend of tea for a 20-year old self-proclaimed "tea fanatic" over in England, as part of a live interview segment that I did with Siren FM radio, which is based in the UK.

This deliciously fun and flirty blend is every bit as youthful as the girl for whom I made it and I had a blast creating it. Some of the clues from the personaliTEA form included: Britney Spears, pink, spicy, fruity, and bright.

As it happens, I recently sent out a sample of this blend as part of the Tea Swap that I orchestrated. Little did I think that I would end up getting what is now my first review!

Seeing as I make these blends for specific people, I never worry if anyone else likes them. Actually, most of my teas will no doubt only be tasted by the person who ordered them -- unless of course they share their blend with anyone....

Read Tea Escapade's Review about

Meliciously Sweet