I’ve had about three travel containers of this iced by the time I got around to writing this. One arts festival, one movie, and one lunch. And I’ve enjoyed all three!
This tea, though not currently available, is one to keep an eye out for, since it appears to come and go from 52Teas’ site occasionally. It’s a green tea that tastes like sugary lemon.
You know how you go to arts festivals or carnivals and get thirsty? So you pay $6 for a big plastic cup of handmade lemonade? They grind up the lemons in front of you then unapologetically throw huge spoonfuls of sugar in there before handing it to you? And you’re like “HERE COMES THE DIABETES AND I DON’T EVEN CARE”?
This tastes just like that! Minus the health consequences.
In fact, this might even be a little bit GOOD for you, since it contains green tea. I could go on at length about the alleged benefits of green tea, but you’ve probably already seen Dr Oz (or perhaps even reputable medical professionals) talk about it.
Green tea is ESPECIALLY healthy when juxtaposed against soda, the vice I am continually trying to quit. (Fun activity suggestion: go back through my posts and try to figure out the percentage of them that I mention soda.)
So thanks, 52Teas, for giving me this sample! It’s saved my teeth and innards from at least three bouts with the fizzy stuff. And I have enough left in the bag for a few more rounds! Time to take this tea on more travels!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sour Appletini from DAVIDsTea. . . .
My coworker and I have a spiritually violent “hot potato” going with teas. We complain and toss things onto each other’s desks with aplomb. We also occasionally sneak things into each other’s collections and wait with bated breath to see whether the other will notice.
I got up to go to the bathroom yesterday and when I came back, this was on my desk. “What’s wrong with this one?” I asked. “I don’t feel it,” she said, shrugging.
So I decided to channel J.D. on Scrubs and make myself a nice iced appletini. But from tea. Sadly, not drinking booze at my desk. (Would that make more pleasant? Irritable? Sleepy? Not exactly something I can test.)
I think this is fairly pleasant. It tastes like a slightly synthetic apple (think: Jolly rancher) mixed in with a bit of citrus and tart hibiscus. (Turns out this “hibiscus” flavor is beetroot, according to the ingredients). It’s a big sweet, a bit tangy.
It’s also a really cute shade of pink.
I suspect this blend was intended to be iced. My coworker only drinks her teas hot (I’m flexible). Hot, this would probably be a little too strong & tart. I’ve found that icing teas tends to bring out the sweetness.
This tea is currently available on David’s Tea’s site. It is also available to be stolen off my desk if you’d like to continue the tradition of Hot Potato!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTea
Description
Class up your summer soirée with this sweet, mouthpuckering green apple blend
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blueberry is Super Starling’s New Jam. . . Blueberry Jam from DAVIDsTea. . . . .
Are you looking for sweet, dark berries — but they aren’t in season? Or maybe they ARE in season but you don’t want to go outside? Because there are mosquitoes, mud, heat, and other people out there?
This tea is a lovely solution to that issue. This blend is mostly currants, blueberries, and elderberries. At first glance, you might think the blend is rolled into balls like an oolong, then you realize it’s berries! TONS OF BERRIES! There is black tea in this, but not much. This tea is a “1” on the David’s Tea caffeine scale, which means “Low.” (There’s “None,” “Low,” “Medium,” and “Stimulant.”) Black teas tend to be “2/Medium”, but this one has so little black tea in it that it’s a 1. This is great if black tea isn’t your jam (GET IT?) or if you need something less high in caffeine for health or time-of-day reasons.
This tea will also help you find a bridesmaid dress, if that’s what you need.
Seriously.
I bought this tea after a devastating day at the King of Prussia Mall. I’d forgotten to pack my bridesmaid dress for a wedding three hours away and was trying to find a replacement. Nearly in tears, I ducked into the KoP’s David’s Tea for a breather.
Sometimes a person just needs to stand among tea for a few minutes. Especially a David’s Tea store, which has a rainbow of pleasing colors, free things to sip, and, typically, interesting-looking employees.
Today was no exception. There was one cute nerdy girl and one badass punk girl, both of whom were lovely to behold and chat with. We talked about favorite flavors and my aversion to matcha. They let me sniff EVERYTHING. I bought this tea and Lemon Pound Cake (which I’ll also review shortly!).
Then I found a suitable bridesmaid dress replacement right after!
Was it the tea calm that gave me the inner strength to find the right dress?
YES.
PROBABLY.
So, in summary: I looked great in the dress, I like this tea, and I like the store. Win win win!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTea
Description
A fruity blend of black tea, blueberries elderberries, cornflowers and stevia.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tokyo from Harney & Sons. . . . .
I’m trying to class myself up. I’ve purchased new clothes, almost figured out how to style my hair, and am going to conquer matcha tea. You don’t care about my clothes/hair, so let’s talk about matcha, which is so bitter and weird I can’t get in there to like it.
I thought maybe what I could do is SIDLE UP TO MATCHA. Maybe like attack approximations, getting closer and closer.
So I bought “Tokyo” by Harney & Sons, which had a bunch of small green leaves, plus a bit of sesame seed and caramel. The dry smell is heavenly. When I put it in my gravity steeper, the whole shebang turned bright Kermit green, just like matcha. (“I AM SO SMART,” I thought smugly.)
The taste itself *IS* sort of matcha-like. It has a bit of that roasty, bitter flavor.
But the caramel balances it out. It’s like “hey guys, this has a vegetal sting, but no worries, I’m ON THIS.” You get the caramel running on a parallel track to the green, not masking it. You can experience both at the same time. It’s more like a salad than a smoothie.
If you want to try it out, Harney & Sons has this nice “sample size” option. What I love to do is drop like $30 on different samples, including ones I’m not sure I’ll even like. It’s a fun growing experience.
I would say that I am one step closer to leveling up in my tea expertise, and you can be, too!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Description
Japan’s capital city of Tokyo inspired our delightful green tea blend of Bancha with toasted sesame seeds and caramel flavors. Recalling our many visits there, we wanted to create a taste reminiscent of the city’s impeccably presented desserts.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Monk’s Blend from Steeped Tea. . . .
POP QUIZ: What kind of tea do you think a monk would drink?
NO CHEATING. Think carefully about your answer.
Okay.
Ready?
Did you guess black tea with vanilla and grenadine?
If you didn’t, you failed, and it goes straight on your permanent record. That’s okay. I failed, too. I imagined it would probably be some kind of green tea before it arrived.
This is a really sweet and delicious blend. If this is what monks were having, it’s a more pleasant experience than I could have imagined. Then again, there are monks that specialize in training dogs , so it’s possible I’ve underestimated them again!
I always love vanilla, all the time, and the grenadine makes it very delicious and zingy. Plus, as always, black tea is my favorite.
SECOND POP QUIZ: Are you ready to redeem yourself?
Okay: what is grenadine supposed to taste like?
If you, like my husband, promptly said “cherry,” you’re wrong.
Although restaurants occasionally put grenadine in Coke to make it taste like Cherry Coke, the answer is actually pomegranate.
MAN, this is an educational post. You are so much richer for the experience.
If you’re interested in this tea, head on over to Steeped Tea and find your local seller! (It’s a bit like LuLaRoe or Mary Kay, I think, structurally). Though it’s a Canadian company, there are consultants in the United States, too. They’re ready to help you find your inner monk.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steeped Tea
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!