Red Wine Apple Cake from A Quarter To Tea. . . .

by Mary

Friends, there’s no question that we here at SororiTea Sisters love us some A Quarter to Tea. (I feel like I can speak for us all. I may be speaking out of turn, but… have you *seen* our AQTT archives? I rest my case.) I’ve recently renewed my AQTT subscription box to be a monthly thing, and not just a “whenever I feel like it”, because I have to say– I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a bad blend from the brilliant minds in AQTT’s blending room.

Now– when this particular blend (red wine apple cake? Who’d even heard of such a thing?!) showed up at my doorstep last month, I wavered a little bit. Would this be the blend that steered me wrong? I’m not typically a white tea drinker, and it takes a LOT for me to be impressed by a white blend. I shouldn’t have worried, though, you guys. Even on sniff alone, this tea is impressive. Big chunks of apple are strewn throughout the bountiful white leaves, boasting deep apple-and-grape-y notes that translate just beautifully to the brewed cup. This one is heartier than most white teas, and that’s probably why I love it so. The only thing I can’t quite pick out are the “cake” notes– which, let’s be real: when someone tells me there’s cake (in my tea, at work, on my birthday/any random tuesday), I want CAKE. This one’s a bit lighter, and lacking on the pastry notes I’ve usually come to know well from AQTT’s blends. That said, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing– in fact, I think cakey, pastry flavors may have overwhelmed the beautifully fruity notes otherwise present in this blend.

Here’s the scoop!

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

This tea is currently not available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Mary

Hi there! I'm Mary, a 27-year-old mental health professional living with my fiancé and our quirky kitten in the Midwest! I've loved tea for as long as I can remember-- in fact, I have vivid memory of being four or five in a tea shop and being mesmerized by all the tea flavors and proclaiming that I "was going to be kind of adult who drank tea, not coffee." A stint living (and tea-drinking my way through) London and twenty-some years later, I'm still channeling that sassy four-year-old and loving my tea habit. When I'm not sipping a cuppa, you'll find me reading, doing yoga, traveling, exploring my own city, planning our wedding and experimenting with different healthful and healing foods in my kitchen.

This post was posted in A Quarter To Tea, White Tea

Muskoka Chai from Pluck Teas. . . .

by Mary

There’s something magical about chai. I’m pretty sure it’s not just me– while chai was technically the first tea I ever REALLY loved, ask any tea lover and they’ll tell you that there are just about as many iterations of chai as there are tea drinkers to imbibe them. FUN FACT, actually– did you know that “chai” actually translates to simply “tea” in many languages? So while we may think of chai as the milky, spiced treat that we’ve grown accustomed to as Westerners, its roots go far deeper than your corner coffeehouse’s standard tea offerings.

But I digress. I was particularly pumped when I saw this Muskoka Chai blend from Pluck show up in my tea samples. With visible dried cranberries, big, spicy cardamom pods, and boasting a whole host of spices and a blend of licorice + black tea, I was sure this one would have been made for me. Brewed as a latte (how I usually prefer my spiced chai), I’ll be honest: I was a little bummed. As a traditional, spicy chai? It was great, and hit all my expectations. But with the interesting additions, I was sure this particular iteration (cranberries! licorice!) of my favorite beverage would be just a little more special, and well, reader– unfortunately it was not.

If you’re looking for a standard chai for introducing your newbie-tea-friends to the glorious treat that is a chai latte, look no further. But if chai 2.0 is what you’re searching for, I’d pass on this one in search of something else.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Pluck Teas
Description

Dried Muskoka cranberries add an unexpected twist to this premium traditional Chai made with an organic Assam black tea, that also features whole cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Mary

Hi there! I'm Mary, a 27-year-old mental health professional living with my fiancé and our quirky kitten in the Midwest! I've loved tea for as long as I can remember-- in fact, I have vivid memory of being four or five in a tea shop and being mesmerized by all the tea flavors and proclaiming that I "was going to be kind of adult who drank tea, not coffee." A stint living (and tea-drinking my way through) London and twenty-some years later, I'm still channeling that sassy four-year-old and loving my tea habit. When I'm not sipping a cuppa, you'll find me reading, doing yoga, traveling, exploring my own city, planning our wedding and experimenting with different healthful and healing foods in my kitchen.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Pluck Teas

George Daddy from A Quarter To Tea. . . .

by Mary

If you know that there’s always money in the banana stand, you’ll likely understand this tea.

If you don’t? I mean, it’s still a delicious chocolate-banana-graham tea, but you’re probably gonna be a little weirded out by the name.

I’ll be honest: though so many of my fellow Sororitea Sister have proclaimed their love for banana teas, I’ve been skeptical. I like bananas. I don’t OMG LOVE them. I really like frozen, chocolate dipped bananas– does that count? But I am decidedly NOT a fan of fake banana flavor– banana runts? No thanks. Banana gum? Gag.

So you can bet I was a skoosh skeptical when I sniffed this tea right in the bag– it is pretty powerfully banana-flavor-scented. But the lingering background chocolate notes intrigued me, and the large chunks of chocolate graham cracker was enough to set me over the edge. Brewed, this one is a bit murky-golden, with a little visible oily-film on the top. The scent is still pretty strongly faux-banana, but I was pleased to find the taste to be more authentic. This needed no sweetness added, it was the perfect balance of flavors without any bitterness. I wish I had enough of this one to try it iced just to see how Bluth-family-banana-stand authentic the flavors actually were, but I still slurped up the whole hot cup, regardless. Would I repurchase? Maybe not– as human who’s fairly meh about bananas, I don’t know that I need it in my cabinet. But for a banana lover– or a Bluth? This one needs to live in your banana stand (er… tea cabinet).

Here’s the scoop!

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

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

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Mary

Hi there! I'm Mary, a 27-year-old mental health professional living with my fiancé and our quirky kitten in the Midwest! I've loved tea for as long as I can remember-- in fact, I have vivid memory of being four or five in a tea shop and being mesmerized by all the tea flavors and proclaiming that I "was going to be kind of adult who drank tea, not coffee." A stint living (and tea-drinking my way through) London and twenty-some years later, I'm still channeling that sassy four-year-old and loving my tea habit. When I'm not sipping a cuppa, you'll find me reading, doing yoga, traveling, exploring my own city, planning our wedding and experimenting with different healthful and healing foods in my kitchen.

This post was posted in A Quarter To Tea, Black Tea

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

by Mary

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!

Mary

Hi there! I'm Mary, a 27-year-old mental health professional living with my fiancé and our quirky kitten in the Midwest! I've loved tea for as long as I can remember-- in fact, I have vivid memory of being four or five in a tea shop and being mesmerized by all the tea flavors and proclaiming that I "was going to be kind of adult who drank tea, not coffee." A stint living (and tea-drinking my way through) London and twenty-some years later, I'm still channeling that sassy four-year-old and loving my tea habit. When I'm not sipping a cuppa, you'll find me reading, doing yoga, traveling, exploring my own city, planning our wedding and experimenting with different healthful and healing foods in my kitchen.

This post was posted in A Quarter To Tea, Black Tea

Gratitude from Numi Organic Teas. . . .

by Mary

If you’ve been around for a hot minute, you know that I love me some licorice root teas. That said: when a licorice root tea is bad, it’s BAD. There’s a fine balance when you’re dealing with something so naturally sweet (hi, have you met my friend stevia leaf?), and it can be tricky for a tea to knock it outta the park.

This tea? Knocked it outta the park! The sumptuous sweetness of licorice root is beautifully balanced here by the herbaceousness of the lemon verbena and gentle spice from the turmeric. I love any tea with beneficial herbs, and this one delivers across the board with calming tulsi and balancing ashwaghanda.

It’s not often that I find myself choosing bagged tea over my beloved loose leaves, but this is a blend that I love to keep on hand for a quick brew at night, or for an afternoon pick-me-up in my desk drawer. Sweet, indeed!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy:  Numi Organic Teas
Description

A silky sweetness embodies this soothing blend of tulsi which warms the heart, licorice that invigorates the spirit, and ashwagandha that protects and supports. The addition of maca, turmeric, and chamomile bring a rootsy, apple-like taste and a spicy finish. The medley is complex and satisfying, allowing you to settle into an affirming state of gratitude for all of life’s gifts.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Mary

Hi there! I'm Mary, a 27-year-old mental health professional living with my fiancé and our quirky kitten in the Midwest! I've loved tea for as long as I can remember-- in fact, I have vivid memory of being four or five in a tea shop and being mesmerized by all the tea flavors and proclaiming that I "was going to be kind of adult who drank tea, not coffee." A stint living (and tea-drinking my way through) London and twenty-some years later, I'm still channeling that sassy four-year-old and loving my tea habit. When I'm not sipping a cuppa, you'll find me reading, doing yoga, traveling, exploring my own city, planning our wedding and experimenting with different healthful and healing foods in my kitchen.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Numi Organic Tea