Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
Egyptian chamomile, sweet licorice root roasted in honey, and grade-A Madagascar vanilla beans! This is a great herbal infusion for the late night: perfect for relaxing. Our Honey Vanilla Chamomile is just that: honey (with licorice root), vanilla, chamomile. Nothing else. This blend is part of the Original 20 M&K’s Blends. Note: Honey Vanilla Chamomile contains no tea, as it is an herbal infusion. We chose to include the term “herbal tea” in the title due to its categorical popularity.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a little while (at least a week or so!) since I last had chamomile and tonight I’m in need of relaxation: chamomile style! So, I grabbed this Honey Vanilla Chamomile blend from M&K’s Tea Company.
To brew it, I poured the contents from the sampler pouch into the basket of my Kati tumbler and added 12 ounces of water heated to 195°F. I let it steep for eight minutes.
The aroma is distinctly chamomile, but I can also pick up on the notes of honey and licorice root. The vanilla notes are not as noticeable but there is a very faint vanilla fragrance.
Wow! I’m liking this. The licorice root is the strongest flavor here, but the often sharp flavor of the licorice is softened somewhat by the honey roasting. And I like the honey in this, it complements the natural honey-like flavors of the chamomile.
The chamomile is also prominent. It has that expected honeyed, apple-y flavor. I like the way the zesty, warm flavor of the licorice contrasts with the softer, lighter flavor of the chamomile. It’s a really unique flavor combination, but it’s working for me.
The vanilla is the softest flavor of this blend, but I do taste a subtle sweet and creamy note from the vanilla bean. It may be the softest flavor here but it ties everything together. I don’t think this blend would taste quite the same without that whisper of vanilla.
I drank this while it was hot. I’m not a big fan of chilled chamomile. But, I did find that after the tea cooled slightly – still warm but not piping hot – the flavors seemed to become slightly more seamless. It was like the vanilla came forward a bit more and softened everything just a little more. The licorice seemed smoother, and the other flavors seemed to meld together to create a very unified flavor.
I know not everyone out there is a big fan of licorice root – if you’re one of them, this tisane isn’t for you. But if you like that snappy flavor of licorice, you should give this herbal tea a try. I found it to be quite delightful and it also does what it’s supposed to do: it helped me relax! It’s a very soothing, calming drink that doesn’t taste like every other chamomile blend out there. Bonus points for that!
M&K’s earns another thumbs up from me for this blend.
Not So Vanilla Flavored Black Tea from Tippy’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tippy’s Tea
Tea Description:
Decadent dark chocolate and vanilla. Extremely smooth, malty and chocolatey. Hand chopped Madagascar vanilla beans add a sweet and creamy vanilla flavour.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmmmmmm! This is really good. REALLY really good.
I’ve tried more than one or two different vanilla flavored black teas, and I’ve enjoyed most that I’ve enjoyed. I can’t think of any vanilla flavored tea that I didn’t at least like. Maybe not love, but I think that I liked most of them.
This one – though – this is one of those that stands out as an EXCELLENT vanilla flavored black tea. What makes this one so different?
Well, I think it has a lot to do with the tea base. It’s a Golden Monkey. The combination of the natural chocolate-y notes of the Golden Monkey along with the sweet, creamy notes of the Madagascar vanilla bean works very well together.
The Golden Monkey is rich and slightly creamy tasting. The aforementioned chocolate notes are bittersweet and this is a really pleasing contrast to the vanilla notes from the vanilla bean.
Another thing that makes this one different is that this doesn’t appear to be a flavored tea. That is to say, it’s not been flavored with flavoring oils. It’s been infused with the flavors naturally using vanilla beans rather than oils. And this gives it a light, natural vanilla flavor rather than a synthetic one. It’s kind of like the difference between a vanilla bean ice cream and a vanilla ice cream. They taste similar, but there is a distinct difference that can be tasted.
That said, because this hasn’t been flavored with oils, the vanilla here is somewhat more subdued than you’d find in a vanilla tea that’s been flavored with oils. If you’re looking for a really STRONG vanilla flavor, then you might want to try a different tea. If you’re looking for a really GOOD vanilla flavor – you’ve found your tea!
Irish Cream Butter Crisps White Tea from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Tea Description:
Our Irish Cream Butter Crisps tea pairs an intense creaminess with rich buttery sugar crisps for a decadent dessert treat. Adding some brown crystal sugar intensifies the sugar cookie component and cuts some of the creamy flavor. This is our creamiest tea yet.
Read more about this tea on Steepster.
Taster’s Review:
A few days ago, Butiki Teas announced that their last day of operation would be January 31st. I still have a couple of other teas from them that I plan on reviewing – and some of them are now sold out and not returning – so you won’t be able to buy them, but I hope that you’ll be enjoying what I have to say about them anyway!
This is one such tea. It’s been sold out!
I’m really happy that I got to order some before it sold out because this is yummy! Just as the description above suggests, it’s really creamy.
The first thing I noticed was a strong buttery flavor. It tasted like I was drinking a butter cookie. It was sweet, but not too sweet, but definitely creamy and rich like a butter shortbread cookie.
I taste hints of Irish Cream but these are faint undertones. Mostly what I taste is butter! The white tea base has a hay-like flavor and I taste subtle whispers of fruit. I found myself wishing I tasted more of the Irish Cream, but I do love this creamy, buttery sweetness that I’m tasting!
Since this is a white tea, I decided to resteep it. And the second infusion was just as flavorful as the first – I’m still getting that really strong, buttery taste. This actually tastes like someone liquefied a buttery shortbread cookie and added the liquid to a cup of white tea. It’s such a strong, well defined flavor.
A really lovely tea – and as I sit here, drinking it, I can’t help but feel more than a wee bit sad that Butiki Teas is closing. They will be missed!
Giddapahar Muscatel Darjeeling Second Flush Black Tea from Golden Tips
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Golden Tips
Tea Description:
An excellent second flush Darjeeling with an abundance of natural muscatel. A handpicked tea from the Giddhpahar tea estate in Darjeeling with gentle fruity notes, a rich aroma and a complete rounded flavor which is a defining characteristic of premium summer Darjeeling teas. A must-have for anytime of the day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh, love! LOVE! This has the muscatel that I adore!
This is an excellent Darjeeling, one of the best that I’ve tried. The flavor is strong – this is a stronger tasting Darjeeling than the typical light-to-medium bodied Darjeeling. I’d categorize this as a medium-to-full bodied Darjeeling!
It has a really nice, well rounded flavor. It almost tastes too strong and well rounded for a Darjeeling because I typically think of them as crisper and lighter teas. This is much more robust and satisfying. I daresay, it would make a nice morning cuppa. Typically, I think of Darjeeling as an afternoon tea.
And it’s remarkably smooth too! This doesn’t have the astringency that I normally experience with a Darjeeling.
So, if the first few paragraphs of this review indicate anything to you, it should be that this is NOT your typical Darjeeling! Not by a long shot.
The flavor starts off sweet with notes of wood and grape. There is some of that Darjeeling ‘crispness’ right at the start, but as it moves to mid-sip, the flavor develops and becomes a richer experience for the palate. The grape flavor intensifies! By the finish, I’m getting a really lovely muscatel finish, but without a strong astringency. This has all that is really GREAT about a 2nd flush Darjeeling and none of the bad!
This is best hot. I think that this is true of most Darjeeling tea. However, I do recommend letting it cool for a few minutes before you start sipping. I find that the muscatel really shines through best after it’s had time to cool for about three or four minutes.
This Darjeeling is one that EVERY tea drinker should try.
Blueberry Cordial Iced Black Tea from Southern Boy Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zoomdweebies
Tea Description:
After sharing some blueberry cordials with a friend, my helper, Shante wanted us to create a blueberry cordial tea. So here it is: our premium Indian black teas blended with organic chocolate, blueberry and brandy flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about how to subscribe to Southern Boy Teas here.
Check out Southern Boy Teas Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign here and consider supporting this small business!
Taster’s Review:
I’m starting to notice that I need to drink at least a full glass of iced tea of whatever flavor I’m reviewing from Southern Boy Teas before I’m able to make a proper assessment of it. I need to finish the first glass and be about halfway through my second glass before I’m able to really offer a fair evaluation of the tea.
That’s because the flavors don’t really reach out and grab me from the first few sips. It isn’t until I reach the end of the first glass that I’m starting to notice the flavors. Then with the second glass … I notice that the flavors are still developing on my palate. By the time I’ve reached the mid-glass point of the second glass of iced tea, then I can really taste the flavors clearly.
And this is really a tasty iced tea!
I don’t know if it’s a “blueberry cordial” exactly, though. I find myself still searching for the chocolate notes. I can taste the blueberry very clearly. I get a strong sweet yet tart blueberry flavor with that familiar tingly berry sensation at the finish. That tingling, tart note lingers into the aftertaste.
I also taste notes of brandy. The notes of brandy are subtle but they’re there and they seem to accentuate the flavors of the blueberry rather than try to stand out on their own.
The chocolate is there too, but it’s something that I find myself needing to really focus on the sip to taste. Once I do focus on the sip – by sipping slowly with a slight ‘slurp’ to aerate the liquid on my palate – I can really taste the chocolate. So, I’m not saying that the chocolate notes are too delicate, I’m just saying that when taking a casual sip, they aren’t as noticeable as when I’m really trying to focus on what flavors I’m experiencing with this tea.
The black tea is also tasted in this. It’s not an aggressive flavor, but it’s tasted. It’s smooth and brisk. No bitterness and I’m not detecting any astringency either. It’s just smooth and pleasant. It isn’t a particularly bold tasting tea, but it isn’t something I’d call muted or even drab. I think it’s offering just the right amount of flavor for this particular blend: allowing the flavors of the blueberry cordial to shine through while still reminding me that I’m drinking black tea.
Overall, I think that this blend is a win. It might not be my favorite to come from Southern Boy Teas, but it’s one that I wouldn’t mind having again. I enjoyed it!