A Trio of Peach Teas from Beleave, Rishi, and Teavana. . . .

Who knew I had so many peachy teas in my cupboard?  Let’s look at a spontaneous peach tea trio!

Pinkies Up Peach from Beleave Teas

Leaf type: white tea

This is a white tea with peach pieces and added flavors.  The dry leaf smells fruity and juicy without being artificial.  When brewed, the white tea base is smooth and buttery and pairs perfectly with the bright sweet peach overtones.  White tea and peach are a winning combination.  Black tea blends tend to get too tart or overbearing against the sweet fruit.  Pinkies Up Peach from Beleave would make a great summer iced tea.

Peach Blossom White from Rishi Tea

Leaf type: white tea

Wow, blossoms indeed!  There are plenty of buds and petals in the dry leaf, and the blend smells a flower box.  Brewed, the fragrance is even stronger with jasmine and peony.  The peach takes a back seat in this blend, and taste a bit more peach candies than fresh fruit.  The peach tones pop up in the aftertaste, alongside citrus notes like mandarin orange.  This wasn’t a very peachy tea, but it was a unique floral blend that surprised me.

Peach Cran Tango from Teavana

Leaf type: black tea

Even before Teavana closed its online shop, I believe the Peach Cran Tango blend was discontinued.  So it’s a bit of a moot point for me to review it now.  To help soothe the Teavana ache, I tried to replicate this blend on Adagio’s custom tea builder.  Give my Peach Cran Tango and try and see how it stacks up.

The last of the Teavana sample I tasted was simple but enjoyable.  Sweet peach is balanced with a bit of tart cranberry, all atop a solid black tea base. This is technically a peach blend, though it also features a good dose of cranberry. Cranberries are sweet, tangy and versatile, and seem to tango with just about any fruit partner. The red-berry tartness help the peach from being too cloying and make for a balanced fruit blend.

Well I’m feeling just peachy after all these peach teas.  All this sweet fruit makes me feel like warmer weather is on its way already…

 

 

Tranquility from Beleave Teas

Raise your hand if it’s been a tense few months, you guys (not just me? phew, good). I’ve been especially mindful of self care this past week, which of course in my home means a good cuppa. When I saw this tea arrive from fellow sister Nichole (aka CuppaGeek) on a particularly long and icky day, I knew just what I’d be brewing up.

First things first: holy spearmint, batman.

And I’m not mad about it. This tea might be fairly mint-forward, but it’s beautifully balanced by creamy vanilla and herb-y chamomile. I won’t lie– while I was intrigued by much of the rest of the ingredient list (raspberry, papaya, passion flower, star anise, red cherry bark), I’m not picking up on much of them if at all in this blend.

That said, it matters not— this cup is balm for my soul in the days where much-needed tranquility is hard to find. Now if I could only figure out how to get my cup of tea to practice daily meditation *for* me, I’d be good to go. In the meantime, I’ll just keep sipping!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Beleave Teas
bt-logo_product_color-300-e1370880741164Description

This tea looks as lovely as it tastes with ingredients to calm even the most restless soul. Chamomile, rosehips, raspberry, papaya, peppermint, vanilla and star anise just to name a few.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Coconut Decadence from BELEAVE Teas

Good day, tea-ple! (Like “people,” but with “tea”? Can we make this catch on?) Today I’m going to chat you up about Coconut Decadence by BeLEAVE Teas.

The word “Decadent” can mean “luxuriously self-indulgent.” It can also mean “characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline.”

I imagine that BeLEAVE was shooting for the first meaning. I don’t think that this tea is a commentary on contemporary politics. OR IS IT? (It’s not. It’s so totally not.)

Linguistics aside, this tea really is resplendently, lusciously decadent.

This tea has a unique texture that I’m not sure I’ve discovered in much other than a maté or two. It’s a slick-ness that coats the tongue. The taste — a very strong vanilla/coconut affair — packs a wallop.

It gave me a feeling that I couldn’t pinpoint at first. To be honest with you, Dear Reader, I wrote the first half of this review upon first trying the tea, and then spent 24 hours trying to figure out a good parallel. Not every review needs a metaphor or extended digression, of course, but I didn’t feel like I’d covered this tea appropriately without saying something else. Something special. I really liked this tea and wanted to do it justice.

What is this tea like?

I finally nailed it down. This tea is like Whitney Houston at her very best. This is the “I Will Always Love You” of teas. It’s rich; it’s smooth; and it soars. This tea’s a winner.

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Beleave Teas

bt-logo_product_color-300-e1370880741164Description

Broken Leaf Black Tea Blend with Coconut and Chocolate Flavor Notes. Light and Brisk body.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Tranquility from Beleave Teas

Tranquility from Beleave Teas isn’t normally something I would grab off the shelf first but there is something about this herbal tisane that spoke to me.  After some rather long reflection and sipping I cam to the conclusion it was because of the vanilla dancing with both the peppermint and the spearmint that was what spoke to me the most.

The chamomile was plentiful in this tisane but the mint and vanilla helped smooth it out and calm it down nicely.  The raspberry, papaya, and star anise played a subtle but appreciated part.  I noticed the wild cherry bark more as an afterthought and aftertaste more than anything but it was something that lingered nicely as well.

Tranquility from Beleave Teas took me by surprise because I wasn’t expecting much from it but with everything that went into this herbal and the impression it left on me the more and more I appreciated it.

The first few sample sips I tried were as a hot cuppa but I kept wondering how it would be iced so I finished the rest of the batch cold and it was just as good if not better!  It certainly pays to think (and sip) outside of your comfort zone and Tranquility from Beleave Teas was a great reminder of that!

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Beleave Teas
BT-Logo_Product_Color-300-e1370880741164Description:

This tea looks as lovely as it tastes with ingredients to calm even the most restless soul. Chamomile, rosehips, raspberry, papaya, peppermint, vanilla and star anise just to name a few.

  • Origin: Small farmers from around the world.
  • Ingredients: Chamomile flowers, rosehips, raspberry, papaya, peppermint, spearmint, strawberry leaf, vanilla, passion flower, red clover, star anise, and wild cherry bark.
  • Caffeine Rating: None
  • Steeping Instructions: Temperature 208 degrees, Steep 4-6 Minutes

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Holistic Hearts (Black) Tea from Beleave Teas

Holistic Hearts (Black) Tea from Beleave Teas is the second tea I have had from this company and I have to say both impressions have been positive ones!  As soon as I opened the package of this Holistic Hearts (Black) Tea from Beleave Teas I could smell a fruity yet crusty combo – much like a jelly croissant!  As you can see from the photo above Holistic Hearts (Black) Tea from Beleave Teas comes in the shape of hearts.

My first infusion of this Holistic Hearts (Black) Tea from Beleave Teas was a lighter to medium black tea liquor in the cup and a semi-sweet and bit of fruity notes on the first few sips.  I knew this would be a black tea I would want to infuse multiple times and I am glad I did.  I actually prefer my second cup of Holistic Hearts (Black) Tea from Beleave Teas to the first because it was stronger!

The second infusion was much more hardy, more strong, more malty, and a deeper flavor all around.  It was like I was drinking to completely different teas and I am ok with that.  I love doing a compare and contrast with the multiple infusions.

With the third infusion the tea color was much like the first infusion but the flavor was somewhere in between the first and third infusion taste-wise.  The differences in the taste in the third infusion that I didn’t notice in prior infusions was the creamier maltiness rather than a hardy maltiness.

This Holistic Hearts (Black) Tea from Beleave Teas is a real thinker.  I like that in a tea.  One that makes you think.  One that forces you to take your time.  Sometimes we all need that, don’t we?

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea

Where to Buy:  Beleave Teas

bt-logo_product_color-300-e1370880741164Description:

Dark Tea and rose petals from the Hunan province of China are compressed into single cup heart shaped pieces. Very smooth with a natural sweetness. Probiotic tea.

Learn more about this tea here.