Blood Orange Herbal from Simple Loose Leaf. . . .

I purchased myself a subscription to Simple Loose Leaf because I simply did not have enough tea in my house. *

* (Full disclosure: this is a filthy, no-holds-barred lie).

My most recent package had an Earl Grey tea, a genmaicha, an oolong, and this herbal tea, which I think is a nice, well-rounded mix. Lots of flavor profiles. Great intro, especially to someone who perhaps doesn’t know tea very well.

The Blood Orange Herbal contains “Rooibos, Orange peel, Hibiscus, Rosehips, Apple pieces, Safflowers, and Rose petals with Orange, vanilla, and lemon flavor.” Simple Loose Leaf says this is a summery blend, which I totally agree with, so I decided to ice it to accompany my dinner.

I’m glad I did! The sweetness of the rooibos and apple play nicely against the tang of the orange and hibiscus. A velvety sweet lemon balances gallantly atop the tableau, almost an afterthought, a kiss.

This tea is essentially a maypole dance of flavors. It has me looking forward to when the spring/summer finally comes.  This tea gives me hope that sunshine is around the corner!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Rooibos
Where to Buy:  Simple Loose Leaf
Description

Blood Orange is a melody of orange and apple with the earthy flavor of rooibos as the backdrop. It will remind you of summer no matter the time of year.

Ingredients: Rooibos, Orange peel, Hibiscus, Rosehips, Apple pieces, Safflowers, and Rose petals with Orange, vanilla, and lemon flavor

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

White Tipped Oolong from Simple Loose Leaf. . .

This tea is like an academic who hikes then comes home to write an academic paper on his worn leather couch. The flavor here is earthy, but sophisticated. There’s that sharp, deep flavor that calls forth dark tweed blazers with patched elbows.

The description on Simple Loose Leaf’s site indicates a “nutty” flavor, but I’m not sure I’m getting that. Believe me, I’ve spent several minutes trying to find it. I’ve been swishing the tea around in my mouth. My teeth are yellower for it.

That said, I’m good without the nutty flavor. The flavor that is here is a winner. It’s a tongue-lingerer, which means I get to keep it for a while.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf 
Description

White Tipped Oolong is an open leaf full body oolong that has a smooth taste. When brewing look for earthy notes along with slight a nuttiness from this oolong. Like many oolongs, White Tipped Oolong will evolve over the course of the tea’s temperature changes – so let the cup of tea cool as you drink to to experience the changing flavor profile.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Oolong from Simple Loose Leaf. . . .

Hello! Can you hear me? I am yelling out from underneath a hoodie and a blanket, weakened by a head cold, slightly discombobulated. If you’re receiving this message, SEND. MORE. TEA.

This morning, I decided to start off with an oolong that I received in my Simple Loose Leaf box this month. Oolongs are my current favorite tea. I like their shape-shifting, not-black-not-green ways. They’re Loki, the Trickster God, of tea.

This one, Qi Lan Oolong, has a great plum/raisin/stone/earth depth. If I didn’t know it was an oolong, I probably would have guessed it was a black, honestly. It’s very rich and earthy. It’s how I imagine that port wines taste.*  *(I have never tried port wine. When I’m at a bar, I inevitably order Captain-and-diet, every time.)

This is probably going to sound odd, but do you remember the California Raisins?

This tea is them. Aged-tasting, deep, jazzy, raisin-y. Possibly ready to croon you a song.

Or a series of songs: it turns out the California Raisins RELEASED 4 ALBUMS. I’m not making this up. There was even a Michael Jackson California Raisin in one ad.

Although this tea can’t be purchased from Simple Loose Leaf individually, they do make monthly blind boxes, and there are other oolongs on offer here: https://www.simplelooseleaf.com/shop/oolong-tea/


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Description

Get 4 amazing loose leaf teas monthly or quarterly plus special membership only discounts! All tea boxes ship on the 1st of the month so order before the end of this month to get the next tea box.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Citrus Hibiscus Herbal from Simple Loose Leaf. . . .

This is a hibiscus and rooibos blend with one of my favorite flavors, lemongrass! It also has orange and lemon peels so it definitely packs a citrus punch!

I made this into a big pitcher of iced tea. It’s a really pretty red color, and definitely has a really nice citrus flavor. I enjoy rooibos teas that either have spices or citrus flavors to help with the earthiness of rooibos.

This tea is light and crisp and very refreshing. It’s slightly tart and very citrus-y. I had some on a very warm day last week after doing quite a bit of walking and it helped cool me down right away. Hibiscus is known to be a cooling tea, and can actually help lower blood pressure so it was a perfect choice to sip on. Rooibos and Hibiscus teas both have really amazing health benefits. The more I drink tea and learn of the benefits, the happier I am that I gave up coffee for tea.

This is a great spring and summertime tea. Like I said it’s cooling and very hydrating which is very beneficial on those warm summer days when it’s so easy to get overheated. Even though it has a nice tartness from the hibiscus. it also has a slight sweetness and needs no sweetener in my opinion.

I really enjoyed this tea and plan on it making regular appearances in my iced tea rotation this summer as the temperatures rise.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal/Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for more information about their tea subscription plan.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Hazelberry Pu’er from Simple Loose Leaf. . . . . .

Valentine’s Day has come and gone but this tea feels like it would have been a perfect fit  for such a sweet, romantic day. This tea contains cocoa nibs,hazelnut flavor and strawberry flavor. The hazelnut flavor is what I taste the most, with a finish of chocolate and strawberries. It also has a slight roasted, earthy flavor from the pu’er tea itself which goes really really well with the other ingredients. I used to love hazelnut lattes back when I drank coffee, so this tea is a real treat. I tasted it plain before adding anything, and it’s pretty sweet on it’s own. It also has natural cream flavor, so it’s got a little bit of sweet and creamy all on it’s own.

I decided to gild the lilly and add a little coconut sugar and coconut milk and sipped away. It was heaven. This would be an amazing tea to have with breakfast, or even a delicious dessert tea. When I closed my eyes and sipped, I almost felt like I was drinking a chocolate covered strawberry!! This tea really is perfectly balanced, because it would be really easy for these flavors to be cloying, but they so aren’t. They make for a nutty, fruity slightly chocolate-y tea that is pretty dang close to perfection. I loved every last drop of this tea, and can’t wait to have another cup.

Whether you make it for a loved one or yourself, it is a delicious, tasty treat!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Pu’er
Where to Buy:  Simple Loose Leaf
Description

This tea is no longer available on their site but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!