Pineapple, coconut, and vanilla — need I say more?
(How amazing would this post be if I didn’t say any more? Like, if I just ended it right there? Just walked away into the Internet-sunset?)
Ahhhh this is a sweet tropical delight. It smells amazing straight out of the bag. I wandered around my office making people sniff it earlier. No regrets. It’s wonderful. The coconut is the star of the show, followed by a creamy vanilla, with a pinch of pineapple on a soothing black base.
This tea takes me to some kind of alternate-universe Moana-style paradise. If I’m concentrating on a giant crab singing the Shiny song, I won’t have to think about rainy spring days ahead!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Prestogeorge
Description
Black tea, pineapple bits, shredded coconut, vanilla bits, vanilla, coconut & pineapple flavor. Makes a wonderful summer iced tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pistachio Orange Pu Erh from Fava Tea Company
Everyone where I work sniffed this bag and declared the scent heavenly. It smells like a tray of cookies. Nutty and sweet and a little zesty.
And it TASTES LIKE THAT, TOO. You guys. This was the Find Of The Week.
This is Mrs-Claus-in-a-tea. Imagine the prototypical grandma, with an army of tiny elf children assisting and getting the sprinkles and sugar everywhere. She is baking and listening to Jackson 5 and shimmying that caboose all around. Outside, the reindeer are watching through frosted windows. Rudolph is in the forefront, glowing like the attention-grabber he is. He knows that ol’ Mrs Claus can’t resist that round red nose. (She loves round red things! The nose reminds her of Santa!) She’ll be out with freshly-baked cookies for him as soon as they’re out of the oven and cooled.
Is there more tea like this in Fava’s workshop? I promised myself I’d stop buying tea until I wrap up the samples I have now… but I’m tempted to try a few more of Fava’s blends.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Fava Tea Company
Description
Hand blended to perfection this blend is the perfect compliment of earthy pu-erh, nutty pistachio and sweet citrus! You are my sunshine….! You’ll be singing as you enjoy this blend iced during the spring and summer months and hot during the cooler fall and winter months of the year. This blend has been described as a Pistachio Orange Cake with Buttercream…
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rainy Day Pu’erh from Plum Deluxe. . . . .
This pu’erh chai blend is recommended by Plum Deluxe to counter “literally a rainy day or just some emotional dark clouds.”
I really like the phrase “emotional dark clouds.” Plum Deluxe has this cute, holistic, meditative quality to their writing. They take into consideration the human response and culture surrounding tea.
And what might be the solution to such a dark day? A corresponding dark tea. Something strong enough to withstand a battle. If this were Lord of the Rings, maybe a sturdy dwarf warrior with a raven-colored beard would do.
When I steeped this, the leaves’ darkness whooshed into the water immediately, settling onto an amber that descended into brown over the next few moments.
The resulting flavor is very earthy and rich, with little spice notes, and a sweetness that’s a bit reminiscent of molasses. It’s strong, and it’s just what you need to blaze forth into your day with a little more fire.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Whether it’s literally a rainy day or just some emotional dark clouds, our sweet-n-spicy puerh blend is just what you need for a comfort kick.
We use a rich, earthy puerh as the base, add in the cinnamon bark, ginger, and other spices, then pair them with a sweet cinnamon oil reminiscent of brown sugar. It brings sweetness while keeping it balanced — just what a rainy day calls for!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cherry Green and Black from Fava Tea. . . .
I tried this tea hot, went “meh, this is kind of tart for me,” and put it away.
Fast forward something crazy like two months, and I decided to try it iced. NOWWWW I’m on board, guys. The mix of hibiscus flower, apple bits, orange peel, safflowers, & sour cherries was overpowering at a higher temperature, but iced? It goes from abrasive to spunky.
The hibiscus and cherry swirl together to form that sassy friend who has tons of gossip about everyone you know. They’re so charming that you almost forget that they’re totally telling everyone what you’re saying to them.
I recommend trying this iced. It might even taste good as the base for a mixed drink. I feel like you could throw a little SoCo or flavored vodka in here and get the party started. Maybe get the gals together and start some sassy whispering.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/Black
Where to Buy: Fava Tea
Description
Super green and black tea blend with huge (and I mean HUGE dried cherries!). One of our best-selling green teas in the store. With this one, you have hit the mother load! Not just a drink, an experience! Strong cherry flavor!
Idea: Mix with lemonade for the ultimate Arnold Palmer!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tamarind Orange Pop from A Quarter To Tea. . .
This is like a tangy orange creamsicle! Not the sweet kind, but the kind with a little bit of zesty bite. I suspect that this comes from the tamarind, a substance I’d never heard of until this tea.
According to this site , tamarind a tree-growing legume that is: “Sweet but tart, and sometimes very sour, tamarind is potent. A little goes a long way. While tamarind pulp can be eaten alone, it is most often mixed with sugar and/or diluted to mellow the strong flavor.”
Isn’t it kind of amazing that the world is so vast and full of things you’ve never tried (or perhaps even heard of)? Biodiversity. OH MY GOSH. It’s so cool, guys. Trying teas has turned into Planet Earth for me. Soapberries, tamarind, bergamot: who knew? (Don’t you DARE tell me you knew. Shush.)
ANYTHING can be put into a tea. And A Quarter to Tea has done it! Thank you, friends!
This tea is not available at present, but a Google search for “tamarind tea” yields plenty of results! GO FORTH, MY PRETTIES! TRY IT TODAY!
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 teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!