Raspberry Flavored Tea Anyone? #Tealightful

by KoalaTea

Raspberry flavors have always been my favorite, from the elementary school era blue manufactured kind of Jolly Ranchers to picking them straight from the vine in a rural southern town. Needless to say, my expectations for this tea were pretty high.

And what can I say? They were MET!

This tea seems unassuming in that it’s just a plain black base and the raspberry flavoring (and a few freeze-dried raspberries thrown in more for aesthetics) but wow, this is a solid blend. The assam is middle-of-the-road in terms of astringency and the raspberry is sweet, sour, and perfectly flavorful all at once. I had a bad experience with a berry-flavored tea a few months ago, so I did not think something like Fruity Raspberry would be my new go-to.

Alas, I blew through 4 ounces very quickly.

My default was to brew 1tsp/8oz for 3 minutes in boiled water. I added a touch of honey and it was on point! This also would be an incredible iced tea for the sweltering months up ahead.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy: Tealightful
Description

Try this stunning dessert tea with a dash of milk and Amaretto Honey Stix. It’s a fresh and fruity blend of certified organic black tea, luscious freeze-dried raspberries, and natural organic compliant raspberry flavor.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

KoalaTea

KoalaTea, aka Nikki, hails from the South where she grew up drinking sweet iced tea to endure the blazing hot summers. That all changed when she studied abroad in Europe and fell into the habit of drinking hot tea daily. She began drinking more and more tea upon her return to the US, and an obsession was born! Among other things, KoalaTea is a mother to her little one year old Koala Bear and wife to a handsome closet tea drinker and LEO. She is a mental health counselor by trade and spends her days working with some of the most incredible individuals in the world.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Tealightful

Any Almond Joy/Mounds fans out there? #Tealightful

by KoalaTea

Any Almond Joy/Mounds fans out there?

This is what Coconut Dream (black tea) by Tealightful wants to be when it grows up. Amidst the black teas are satisfying chunks of coconut shavings, marigold flowers, and chocolate pieces. This tea without anything added is sweet, coconutty, and just might satisfy your dessert craving (cake for breakfast anyone??).

That being said, something in the tea, whether the coconut oil or oil from the chocolate does not emulsify properly in the blend. So what you get is a candy bar-like cuppa with a little bit of oil floating on top.

The flavor was enough to make this a decent blend for me, but the oil issue just kind of bugs me. I think this tea would be great to cook with or possibly adding some cream might help. I brewed it in boiled water for 3 minutes then drank it hot & straight on my way to work.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  Tealightful
Description

Sometimes you feel like a nut! If you crave coconut with your chocolate, you must try this blend of select black teas, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, and coconut flakes. Allergen Notes: contains dairy.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

KoalaTea

KoalaTea, aka Nikki, hails from the South where she grew up drinking sweet iced tea to endure the blazing hot summers. That all changed when she studied abroad in Europe and fell into the habit of drinking hot tea daily. She began drinking more and more tea upon her return to the US, and an obsession was born! Among other things, KoalaTea is a mother to her little one year old Koala Bear and wife to a handsome closet tea drinker and LEO. She is a mental health counselor by trade and spends her days working with some of the most incredible individuals in the world.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Tealightful

Roasted Chestnut Black Tea. . A HandBlended Tea from Vida Pour Tea. . . . .

by KoalaTea

This tea is one of those that transports me back to a specific place and time & it will always hold a special place in my heart. I LOVE big, fat, stringent teas and Roasted Chestnut Black tea from Vida Pour Tea in Greensboro, NC is my one true love. It is the standard by which I judge other fat teas…

Roasted Chestnut Black is a visually simple tea, but the smell of this tea alone is eyebrow raising and giggle-worthy. It has a dark, nutty flavor that rivals coffee and the most robust of hot chocolates. It stands up to milk and cream but is really just incredible on its own. I even used a little bit of this to blend with a chocolate tea that I have to really round it out.

Fun fact: the owner of Vida Pour Tea blends this herself and it is her best seller. If you’re ever traveling up or down I-85, this is a MUST stop for you! She has several of her own blends, plus decadent baked goodies and homemade gifts from local bakers & artisans. Vida Pour Tea is every tea lovers’ dream tea shop!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:
Where to Buy:  Vida Pour Tea
Description

Black tea, natural chestnut flavor, chestnut shell

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

KoalaTea

KoalaTea, aka Nikki, hails from the South where she grew up drinking sweet iced tea to endure the blazing hot summers. That all changed when she studied abroad in Europe and fell into the habit of drinking hot tea daily. She began drinking more and more tea upon her return to the US, and an obsession was born! Among other things, KoalaTea is a mother to her little one year old Koala Bear and wife to a handsome closet tea drinker and LEO. She is a mental health counselor by trade and spends her days working with some of the most incredible individuals in the world.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Vida Pour Tea

Pomegranate Black from 52Teas. . . .

by KoalaTea

Let me start by saying I love flavored black teas. Fruity, chocolately, spicy, you name it. So, I was stoked to try this one. It’s certainly not anything that will blow your socks off, but is more of a solid contender for a daily spring or summer tea.

Flavored teas are really only as good as the base upon which they’re built, so I was glad that this black tea base had a mild flavor. The pomegranate is a light, clean berry-ish flavor that’s more of a scent of the tea rather than a full-blown flavor. I also added just a touch of agave to bring out the sweetness of the fruit. It was a nice complement to the irresistible, ever-famous boxes of cookies that the little girls in green peddle each year around this time.

Overall, Pomegranate Black by 52 Teas is a simple, non-adventurous tea that begs to be paired with sweets for a mid-afternoon treat or as slight twist on iced tea to be served at lunch with friends.

I would certainly drink it again!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:    52Teas
Description

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

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

KoalaTea

KoalaTea, aka Nikki, hails from the South where she grew up drinking sweet iced tea to endure the blazing hot summers. That all changed when she studied abroad in Europe and fell into the habit of drinking hot tea daily. She began drinking more and more tea upon her return to the US, and an obsession was born! Among other things, KoalaTea is a mother to her little one year old Koala Bear and wife to a handsome closet tea drinker and LEO. She is a mental health counselor by trade and spends her days working with some of the most incredible individuals in the world.

This post was posted in 52Teas, Black Tea

Blueberry Lemon Cake Rooibos from Curiositea. . . .

by KoalaTea

Fruity meets dessert meets caffeine free. Helloooo!

Growing up, my aunt used to make a lemon cake topped with blueberries & homemade whipped cream, so when I saw this tea I HADTOHAVEITRIGHTNOW. I brewed it for 5 minutes in boiled water and waited a few minutes to begin drinking it.

I like this tea. Upon first glance, you can see tiny blueberries and cute cornflowers amidst the barky-ness of the rooibos. I was able to taste all three named flavors in addition to the rooibos, although I will say they felt a bit unbalanced. Lemon in general can be such a strong flavor, so a little goes a long way. It was certainly the most prominent flavor, followed by the sweetness of the blueberry and coziness of the vanilla cake.

A few tablespoons of milk transformed my cup from a mellow lemon flavor to a well-rounded dessert tea. It was perfect for a late afternoon tea break that felt indulgent but didn’t break the calorie bank. I’ll certainly check out more of Curiositea’s other blends, as I really like the creativity of this one!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Rooibos
Where to Buy:  Curiositea
Description

This blend does not appear to be available anymore, but click below for rooibos blends that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

KoalaTea

KoalaTea, aka Nikki, hails from the South where she grew up drinking sweet iced tea to endure the blazing hot summers. That all changed when she studied abroad in Europe and fell into the habit of drinking hot tea daily. She began drinking more and more tea upon her return to the US, and an obsession was born! Among other things, KoalaTea is a mother to her little one year old Koala Bear and wife to a handsome closet tea drinker and LEO. She is a mental health counselor by trade and spends her days working with some of the most incredible individuals in the world.

This post was posted in Curiositea, Rooibos