Berry Bushel Bounty from Plum Deluxe. . . .

There’s something magical that happens whenever I get a new tea from Plum Deluxe. It’s like Andy and his fantastic tea blenders just have a wire straight to my brain and know JUST what kind of tea I’m craving at any given moment. (Seriously, you guys. How do you do it. HOW.)

When this fruity, fragrant tea of the month showed up at my doorstep, I was a tiny bit cranky from this random week dreary getting close to spring time kind of days — and little did I know, a fresh cup of fruity iced tea was just what the doctor ordered to cure me of my let’s get winter over -crankyness.

This delicious oolong & black blend brews up with mild, fruity sweetness in the brewed cup, and is a perfect combination with a splash of lemonade (my favorite way to serve it) or paired with a hint of sparkling water. But you guys, if we’re being honest? I’ve been hoarding the dry leaf to sniff instead of brewing it because it smells OH SO VERY GOOD. Do you remember the sweet and delicious tang of strawberry fruit snacks as a kiddo? This tea is a DEAD RINGER for that delightful flavor-memory, but sans any of the chemical-ick.

Frankly, it’s the only cure I’ve found to remedy the crankiness that is born of cold dreary days. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go pour a cup and stick my nose in the dry leaf and enjoy.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong & Black
Where to Buy:  Plum Deluxe
Description

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

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Organic Sage Superherb by Republic of Tea. . . .

I steeped this tea five minutes with one tea bag in about one cup of 190 degree water. Although I do normally use loose leaf tea, the convenience of pre-bagged tea is tempting too! Especially when it’s high-quality tea.

After steeping, it’s become a yellowish color and smells a bit pineapple-ish with an undertone of sage. The sage isn’t too overpowering, at least judging by the fragrance.

First sip: Yes, the pineapple may actually be stronger than the sage here. It’s also quite sweet. It has a bit of a stevia flavor, almost. The pineapple flavor blends with the flavor of the sage leaves and, according to the ingredients list, orange leaves as well to create a pleasantly fruity drink. It’s much more palatable than drinking an infusion of straight sage, which is important if you’re going to be drinking this on a regular basis. Yet the woodsy, flowery flavor of the sage does come through as well.

This is listed as an herbal tea for hot flashes, although I wouldn’t know anything about how effective it would be for such a complaint. It’s probably good for colds/sore throats as well; it’s comforting, soothing, and relaxing. Or if you’re looking for a more culinary use it would probably go well with cookies for a snack, although I’m not a tea pairing expert either.

It’s definitely sweet and seems well-balanced in flavor, and whether you end up drinking it on a daily basis or just as an occasional novelty, I hope you’ll be glad you tried it too!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Republic of Tea
Description

As women, we have the power to create and nurture life, all while juggling hormonal changes and external stresses. For centuries, women have relied upon the same powerful herbs found in our organic SuperHerb Teas to keep them balanced, and now they can easily be part of your daily life as well.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from Tealyra. . . .

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is one of many Tealyra teas shared with me by a friend. It is also the first Tealyra tea I am ever trying. Comprised of apple pieces, hibiscus blossoms, rose hip peels, white chocolate chips, flavoring, freeze-dried yoghurt and rhubarb pieces, I decided this might be best as an iced tea. I steeped the tea per the recommended steeping parameters, brewing this for 4 minutes in 200F water and topping it with ice.

In light of the hibiscus and rosehips, I expected some of that familiar tartness but there is none of that here. None at all. If I am being honest, in a strawberry RHUBARB pie tea, you would expect some tart so this is one instance where the absence of hibiscus is not really desirable. Without any tart component, the sweet of the apple takes over. I get some semblance of what could be strawberry flavor if I put my mind to it but more than anything it is a generic apple/fruity flavor. Between the sweet and the creaminess from the white chocolate, this does have a dessert vibe but not pie per se.

Drinking this tea, I have to say it is a bit of a miss for me, at least when prepared as an iced tea. That doesn’t mean that it is bad because it isn’t but it does fail to deliver on what’s promised by the name. If I stretch my imagination, I can taste a fruit and whipped cream dessert or maybe even a strawberry and white chocolate mousse but nothing says baked goods here and rhubarb is missing entirely. It’s a fun tea to try and I would be interested to see if this is more reminiscent of its namesake when brewed as a hot tea. One thing’s for sure…despite not being what I expected, it does have me excited to try the other Tealyra teas in my stash.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal/Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy:  Tealyra
Description

Classic flavors of home baked strawberry rhubarb pie! Reminiscent of summer harvested rhubarb baking extravaganzas, our Strawberry Rhubarb Pie has real rhubarb pieces blended together with a touch of hibiscus and apple, giving it the authentic sweet and tart taste of summer’s harvest. Garden fresh, light and comforting, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie herbal tea is naturally sweet and will convert any rhubarb naysayer with its deliciously mouth-watering flavor and appeal

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Cranberry Basil Spritz from A Quarter To Tea. . . .

There’s something magical about unusually flavored teas– my brain has no concept for what they *should* taste like, so each sip (especially the first) is like an awakening. A little party in my mouth, if you will.

This blend came with a recent summer tea of the month club order, and let me say– I was a little dubious at first. Not necessarily of the cranberry/basil blend, which sounds, frankly, like a tasty sangria treat, if anything. No, but of the tiny note at the end of the description: flavored with cream. Cream? Here I was, going down the route of fruity-herbal-sangria blend. Back it up for a sec, shall we?

Skeptically, I threw this one in a jar with some cold water and brewed iced overnight. In the morning, I had the most delightful jar waiting for me– fresh and fruity, with some interesting herb-y notes, but yup, there it is: that fascinating cream flavor, right at the end! Like a chocolate egg cream with a twist (minus the chocolate… obviously)– this one was effervescent, fruity and bright, but just a hint of sweetness-and-cream, with that almost-velvety mouthfeel that so often comes with creamy iced teas.

Yet again, AQTT succeeds in pulling together fascinating flavors that are truly unmatched anywhere else in the tea world. Add this one to your cabinet, friends!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  A Quarter To Tea
Description

A refreshing blend perfect for the season! Sikkim tea from the Temi estate with cranberry, basil, and cream.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Fruit Punch from The NecessiTeas. . . .

Often, when I’m about to review a tea, I ask myself: what does this tea make me think of? What memory is associated with these flavors? But you guys– I couldn’t even do it with this one. The flavors of “fruit punch” are apparently so ingrained in my childhood that even with thoughts long and hard, I couldn’t pinpoint one specific memory, just a flood of tasting this exact fruity mix over and over again throughout the years. (And ending up with a cherry-red-stained mouth every time!)

This oolong blend from The Necessiteas is impressive– even just by scent alone, it is spot-on, bright red fruit punch flavor. You know, the kind that comes in those little juice tubs that look like barrels? Cherry red and bursting with flavor, this is it. I of course had to brew this one iced– is there even another option? I got the same scent in the brewed tea as the dry leaf, but upon sipping, the candy-cherry had mellowed out a bit to brew into a slightly more lightly fruity brew. I couldn’t really pick out specific oolong flavors here, but I can imagine them competing with the fruit, so it’s probably better that they took a backseat. On the whole, this one was tasty iced, but with the plethora of iced tea options I have at my disposal, it’s not one I adored so much that I feel the need to make it again and again.

That said– if you’re able to pick out much more specific cherry-punch-flavored from your memory than I, I think this one is going to be delightfully right up your alley– no cherry-stained-mouth necessary!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong
Where to Buy:  The NecessiTeas
Description

This blend brings back childhood memories of me at the pool with a red stained smile on my face. What is even better about this tea, you don’t have to have a red stained smile to be happy. Fruit punch is a spring and summer must have around here! If it’s a party, shower or barbecue, they just seem to go hand in hand. So obviously I had to create a punch inspired tea. If you’re anything like me and enjoyed that sweet red punch as a kid then you’ll love this refreshing combo of strawberry, cherry and orange.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!