This tea gets top points for the cuteness factor. Pink pig sprinkles? Check. Delightfully punny name? Check. Delicious, unexpected, cookie-tasting tea? Check. This tea made me smile without even opening the bag, and I just had to break out my adorable sky blue teapot to brew up this blend.
Even in the dry leaf, you can smell the fig flavor, immediately reminding me of Fig Newton cookies. Cookies and tea are an age-old couple, and cookie-inspired tea flavors are understandably popular. Most of those tend to be shortbread, or cinnamon, or gingerbread, so a fig-cookie tea is a nice take on an under-used flavor.
This tea brews up as fragrant and sweet as it smells, the fig taste holds its own against the hearty black tea base. Drinking this tea warm helps feed the baked-good charm of the flavors, like sweet cinnamon raisin bread or raisins in brown sugar oatmeal cookies. Figs, dates, and raisins are all naturally sweet and starchy, so this tea has a dessert-feel even without sweetener or milk. I’m not always a fan of overly-sugary teas, but the natural, fruit-sweetness of the fig in this blend really captivated me. This blend was an unexpected favorite, and I will be bookmarking it for future orders.
Assuming the namesake of this tea– Miss Piggy– you should definitely brew this blend in your most stylish cup, and drink this tea with a load of confidence and sass, enjoying every drop of sweet indulgence. Hmph!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: Tea & Tins
Description:
Loose leaf black tea, nicknamed Miss Figgy! Ingredients: black tea, fig taste with dried figs and pink pig sprinkles.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Apple Sage from Simpson and Vail- A Holiday Experience
Fall flavors are usually dominated by pumpkin and cloves and cinnamon and spice, but Apple Sage from Simpson & Vail focuses on the less obvious sensations of the season. With fresh apple and savory sage, this blend should definitely be in everyone’s fall rotation. Apple pieces in the dry leaf immediately give off a fragrance that transports me to my hometown orchard: juicy, sweet-tart fruit, maybe paired with a cinnamon honey-stick from their local honeybee hive. The apple pieces are numerous, and provide a true, luscious, apple flavor.
What really makes this blend unique is the sage. I can’t say I’ve tried a tea with sage before, even if I have used the herb in other places in the kitchen. Sage is a smell I associate with Thanksgiving dinner, an herb that goes well with turkey and stuffing or with chicken pot pie. When brewed hot, this tea is both sweet and savory, almost like taking bite of everything off your holiday dinner plate.
In a way, it’s like the Willy Wonka 3-Course-Meal chewing gum! (Only without the disastrous blueberry-transformation consequences).
Sage evokes the taste of main course dishes like poultry or roasted potatoes, while the blackberry leaf adds a bit of tart berry like cranberry sauce, and finally the blend is topped off with sweet fruit flavors akin to apple pie. The black tea base is strong enough to hold its own with all these flavors and give the blend a hearty undertone to pull it all together.
I get so distracted by all the pumpkin spice and cinnamon eggnog flavors of the holidays, that I forget there’s more to the fall-winter palette. Apple Sage was an unexpected blast of Thanksgiving, apple pie, and all things fall. Definitely worth a taste at this time of year.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: black tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description:
The taste of sweet apple and fragrant sage blend together wonderfully. The amber colored cup offers a depth of flavor that is warming and refreshing at the same time. This tea complements foods such as hard cheese, salads, sandwiches, fruits and more.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
As American As Apple Pie from CatSpring Tea
Yaupon, as a tea varietal, is entirely new to me, At first glance, it looks a lot more like a mate or a guayusa; flakes of greenish-brown leaf that put me in mind (albeit fleetingly) of fish food. Closer inspection reveals that they’re actually quite sizable chunks of (very shiny) tea leaves, although not as oxidized as I expected given that they’re referring to this as a “black” tea. Generously scattered among the leaves are cubes of dried apple, almond slivers, small pieces of beetroot, and cinnamon chips. Even dry, the scent is pretty amazing – spot-on apple pie spices!
Yaupon is the only caffeinated tea plant native to North America, and was used by Native Americans during male-only purification rituals. Despite a wane in popularity, CatSpring now farm Yaupon sustainably on their family-owned land in Texas. They’ve also got sound ecological credentials, as they’re producing without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or synthetic weed control.
I used 1.5 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 4 minutes in boiling water. The recommendation is 4-7, so it’s probable that this could be extended if that’s what you prefer, but I’d likely reduce to 1 tsp of leaf if I were brewing for over 4 minutes. The resulting liquor is a medium golden brown, with a distinctive orangey tint. The apple pie scent isn’t as strong once brewed, and there’s a light underlying dankness, like wet leaves in autumn. Once again, I’m reminded of guayusa.
As it turns out, there’s a reason for this. Rather than the usual Camellia Sinensis, Yaupon tea is actually produced from the dried leaves of Ilex Vomitoria, which is a species of holly. Yerba Mate (Ilex Paraguariensis) and Guayusa (Ilex Guayusa) are both closely related plants, and all contain high levels of caffeine and theobromine. The flavours of all three are, to me, rather similar. Dank, slightly vegetal, very reminiscent of forest floor. They’re not tea varieties I would typically look to drink often unflavoured, and they’re a bit of a change from “normal” black or green teas if they’re what you’re used to.
Fortunately for me, this blend is flavoured, and it’s flavouring that works well with the choice of base tea. The apple is floral rather than crisp and sharp, but it manages to conjure a delicious, slightly mushy, “baked” flavour that’s very suggestive of apple pie. The cinnamon adds the requisite spicing, and the almonds round things out with a slightly savoury, slightly creamy nuttiness. I wasn’t expecting to be able to taste the beetroot, but it’s there in the background and it adds an edge of sour tartness that brings the whole thing together nicely. All told, it really does taste like apple pie.
The base tea is slightly distracting, because it’s quite a strong flavour. At times, it almost feels like a fight between the Yaupon and the other ingredients to establish prominence. A longer brew time might have helped to increase the strength of the flavouring, but it might also increase the strength of the base tea, and I’m not convinced that would be a good thing here. Still, experimentation is everything, and I’ll probably adjust my parameters until I find a combination I’m happier with.
On the whole, I’d say it just about works. The Yaupon is a very “autumnal” flavour, to put it politely, and apple pie makes me think of autumn anyway so it’s not as jarring as it could have been (a strawberries and cream Yaupon blend would make me nervous, let’s say.) It’s a very smooth blend, with no bitterness or astringency, and the flavours come over clearly. Tasting this, you’d be in no doubt as to what it was supposed to replicate – it definitely lives up to its name! I’d drink this again, and I’d try more teas from CatSpring in the future. Their offering is definitely unique, and it’s nice that it has a strong family heritage – it’s the exact opposite of the more faceless bigger brands. I’ll be interested to see where CatSpring go from here.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Yaupon
Where to Buy: Cat Spring Tea
Description:
As American As Apple Pie is our comforting black yaupon tea loose leaf blend as delicious as a slice of apple pie. Take a trip to grandma’s kitchen with every cup.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
#FanaticFriday: Rose and The Doctor from Pinch of Geek
I will admit it. This tea had me at the name alone. Rose and The Doctor. And with a tea company name like Pinch of Geek, seriously-I was in love. But when the blend arrived at my door, I realized this was a earl grey tea and lavender mix- my heart sank a bit. (I’m not a huge fan of earl grey or lavender teas)
But I put on my BIG girl pants and prepped my water. A few minutes later I had a pot full of this tea ready for me to check out. I will have to say that I wasn’t instantly in love with the dry leaf aroma but I loved smelling this tea steep- there was a romantic vibe in the air.
Took a sip of this tea and my cup hasn’t touched the table since. I am drinking this tea like it is a contest! Bright romantic floral sweetness greets you first with a burst of flavor. In the middle of the sip, the earl grey says hi with a bit more subtlety and at the very end there is that familiar perfume like twist from the lavender. The earl grey and lavender are not overwhelming in the least bit. They actually add a bit of a texture to the tea and dimension. I am a bit surprised I’m even saying this but they actually heighten the tea.
Gorgeous, perfectly balanced, full bodied and beautiful flavors-this tea just keeps giving. I’m currently on my third infusion and the flavor has lessened but I’m still picking up that flavor I am crushing on.
If you are a Doctor Who fanatic (like me!), this tea fits Rose and the Doctor perfectly. Even if you are not a fan of earl greys or florals, I implore you to try this one. The blend has taken me off guard with how much I’m loving it.
Have a tea you are fanatic? Join us on Fridays where we share our favorite teas! Tag your favorite blend with #FanaticFriday!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Pinch of Geek
Description:
Rose & The Doctor is my nod to one of my favorite shows, Doctor Who. This tea is Earl Grey black tea with a hint of vanilla blended with a touch of lavender, rose hips, and dried roses. Rose and The Doctor does have high caffeine. This tea blend has no artificial flavorings or added flavor oils. There are no added sugars or flavorings.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here.
William Shakespeare’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail
This tea sample didn’t have ingredients on it, so I took a moment to think about what a Shakespeare tea might taste like.
(Original Artwork Courtney of Super Starling!)
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description:
Possibly the most well-known name in western literature, William Shakespeare began his life as a tanner’s son in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the spring of 1564. After a seven year period following the birth of his children in which no reliable records of his life can be found, Shakespeare reappeared in London where he began writing and acting in plays. Initially, his name was relegated to the corners of playbills, but as his productions grew in popularity, theaters began using “written by William Shakespeare” as their main selling point. The plays and poems he produced during the thirty year period when he was writing have endured the test of time and are studied and read across the world. He pioneered many styles and structures that have set the foundations for some of western literature’s greatest achievements. Shakespeare is even credited with inventing over 1700 words in the English language.
Gardens, herbs, and flowers appear in many of Shakespeare’s plays and oftentimes play a critical role in his stories. Our William Shakespeare tea blend is a combination of a few of the many herbs he references: lavender, roses, rosemary. The wit and playfulness of his verse means that Shakespeare’s plays can still be enjoyed today, ideally with a warm cup of tea.
This black tea and floral blend brews to an amber cup with a sweet, floral taste. The slightly earthy and woody notes are rounded out with the citrus taste of bergamot and sweet rose petals.
Ingredients: Rose Congou black tea, lavender petals, rose petals, rosemary and bergamot oil.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
