Bird & Blend Tea Co’s Black Magic Matcha is a mix of activated charcoal, cocoa, and matcha. It is a mess! Seriously!
My hands? Black.
My counter? Black.
My frother? Black.
Black EV.ERY.WHERE! Just covered! But it is worth it because this is one tasty matcha. Plus, the mess is easy to wipe away with a damp cloth, so no harm done.
Sipping away at this matcha mixed in milk is like sipping on a low-cal glass of black chocolate milk. It is eerie but delicious and perfect for spooky season. No chalkiness. Just smooth, chocolate milk goodness, which is particularly surprising since the powder has definitely separated out a bit (both settling on top and at the bottom of the glass) while I have been drinking. This seems to be the case with most Bird & Blend matchas though so don’t be surprised when the powder settles.
I should note that this matcha does come with a warning (from Bird & Blend’s site): “Activated charcoal can interfere with medication. We recommend that you wait at least 3 hours after taking medication before consuming the matcha. This also applies to the contraceptive pill.” So while I definitely recommend this matcha, I do hope people consider the warning to ensure no mishaps occur as a result. Weird thing to have to say about a tea, I suppose, but better safe than sorry.
Also, if you are interested in giving this a try, I highly recommend picking up the Rainbow Matcha Collection which provides samples of five of Bird & Blend’s many matcha offerings (Black Magic Matcha, Mermaid Matcha, Pina Colada Tea Powder, Turmeric Tea Powder, and Orange & Passionfruit Matcha). You can find that available here.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Bird & Blend Tea Co.
Description
A delicious activated-charcoal matcha with creamy cocoa, this antioxidant-rich potion creates a magical black liquid once made up. Essentially flavourless, activated charcoal further boosts the antioxidant properties of our signature pure matcha rich in umami – the Japanese word for the delicious ‘fifth taste’, after salt, sweet, sour and bitter.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mermaid Matcha/Bird and Blend Tea Co
I don’t love plain matcha. Never have. However, I have been a fan of flavored matchas since the company now known as Matcha Outlet was operating as Red Leaf Tea. Long before even DAVIDsTEA offered flavored matchas, Red Leaf Tea was offering everything from Caramel Popcorn Matcha to Strawberries and Cream Matcha to even Cheese Pizza Matcha. Alas, over the years the options offered have dwindled and I have had to seek out my flavored matchas from other companies.
Bird and Blend has a large selection of flavored matchas but they can be quite pricey. They also sell them in large quantities that I struggled to commit to. That is why when I noticed a sampler set of Rainbow Matchas on the site, I was very excited to pick it up and give the matchas a taste. One of the matchas in that set is this blue matcha, Mermaid Matcha.
When I first made this in milk, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It is a light blue, which is cool to see. More than that though, it is delicious. This particular matcha tastes just like vanilla buttercream. Amazing cake frosting deliciousness and yet it is not overly sweet. It’s awesome and one I would definitely recommend if you’re into that flavor.
The one downside of some Bird and Blend matchas can be texture. Sometimes it is heavy so the matcha tends to fall to the bottom of the mug. Sometimes the matcha can be chalky. In the case of this matcha, I don’t really find those to be an issue. As such, it is one I think is worth the price.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green/Matcha
Where to Buy: Bird & Blend Tea Co.
Description
For fans of our famous colour changing Blue Raspberry tea blend! This magical blue matcha is infused with blue pea flower, to create a deep sea blue brew!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hot Mama Jama/Bird and Blend Tea Co -variaTEA
The weather is quickly cooling down and though I am glad to see the humid days behind me, I am going to miss not having to walk a half hour in the freezing wind to get to/from campus. In light of this conflict over the weather, I went with a hot/spicy tea that also has a tropical vibe, Hot Mama Jama by Bird and Blend Tea Co.
This tea is a Chinese green tea blended with lemongrass, lime leaves and pieces (large pieces at that), chili seeds, hibiscus, rosehip, apple pieces, orange peel, passion fruit pieces, mango pieces, and flavoring. I steeped it for 3 mins in 175F water and I am drinking it plain.
The chili has a strong scent as I lift the mug to take a sip and though the flavor is definitely present in the cup, I wouldn’t say this tea is particularly spicy. Instead I get the flavor of chili upfront and a tiny bit of warmth in the back of my throat throughout the sip. That chili flavor melts into a (mostly tropical) fruity flavor that comes out exceptionally sweet in contrast. Sweet but not cloying. The lemongrass can be more prominent than I like at times but mostly there is just a bright citrus note thanks to the lime and orange. I also definitely get a lot of mango with some bursts of passion fruit here and there. The foundation flavor here keeping everything grounded and underlying the entire sip is the familiar hibiscus/rosehip flavor that is found in so many fruity teas/tisanes. Thankfully it is not strong here as it typically is.
This makes me think of a mango sprinkled with chili powder as the two flavors are both present and compliment each other just as well in tea form as they do when enjoying that treat. With that said, this isn’t necessarily the highest quality tea or the best tea but it is unique and tasty. It is the type of tea that I can enjoy every now and then because it is something different than my usual go-tos.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Bird and Blend Tea Co
Description
Turn up the chilli tea heat and join the tropical carnival with a cup of Hot Mama Jama chilli green tea. But be warned… this blazing remix of refreshing reggae limes and calypso chilli beats will have your taste buds dancing all night long.
Hot Mama Jama is well-loved by our fans in the Brighton Gospel Choir for its amazing abilities to soothe a sore throat. It is the ultimate sore throat tea and when you mix it up with lemon and honey, see sore throat tea recipe it is the best natural remedy for a sore throat that you can find!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Violet Cream/Bird and Blend -Ashmanra-
A friend sent some samples for me to try from far across the sea! This is my first time drinking Bird and Blend as far as I recall, and this is the B&B tea I was most excited to try! I generally enjoy floral teas very much and violet seems so exotic as violet flavored things are rare where I live.
I am “one of those people” who likes violet candy. The first one I tried was very strong and I didn’t like it. It felt like I ate a bath bomb. But then I somehow missed that flavor. I tried another brand and I don’t know if it was milder or sweeter or if I just developed a taste for it, but I could eat a whole pack in one sitting if I didn’t use restraint. (I don’t, by the way, always use restraint.)
I was so madly excited to try this that I took out my most foofoo china and sat at the dining table with pink camellias in front of me in a silverplate gravy boat and fetched a fancy cookie. I am going for the whole experience here.
Mmmmm, the aroma is divine! This is a soft, sweet violet and somehow like sniffing a very fine, delicate talcum, in the best sort of way. The scent is very dreamy and creamy. It doesn’t assault my senses like cheap bubble bath.
I did not get a strong chocolate aroma, but I have never had chocolate covered violets, so maybe this is spot on. In fact, I wondered where the chocolate was. It seemed to actually smell of cream, not just have a creamy mouthfeel.
The chocolate part of this blend is (hallelujah!) cocoa nibs instead of chocolate flavoring. I dug through my infuser basket and found a nib and ate it. Ah, yes, this is what I thought was the cream. Sometimes cream is really just vanilla added to a blend, but this was legitimately creamy tasting and smelling and now I see it somehow came from the cocoa nibs!
All in all, a wonderful elevenses today and this is a blend I would definitely purchase.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Bird and Blend
Description
A chocolate box classic with a B&B twist. Sit back and relax with a nostalgic violet tea that will take you back to being at Grandma’s house
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Fruit Salad/Bird and Blend Tea Co
Fruit Salad by Bird and Blend Tea Co. is inspired by “Fruit Salad chews – the glorious childhood penny sweet!” according to the Bird and Blend Tea Co website. I actually realized that just now because when I purchased it, I thought it was inspired by an actual fruit salad. Having never even heard of a Fruit Salad Chew before, I did a bit a research and it would seem that they are chewy candies with raspberry and pineapple flavoring.
Obviously I have never tried Fruit Salad Chews before but brewed hot, this tea has a bit of an artificial waxy quality that Starburst minis tend to have. That is where the similarities between this tea and a chewy fruit candy ends. This is not all that sugary or sweet. In fact, it almost would be better if Bird and Blend was trying to recreate an actual fruit salad because this is a generically fruity and tart tea, more akin to a melange of fruit than fruit chews. Definitely nothing distinctively raspberry or pineapple here, at least in the hot tea.
I also cold brewed this tea to see how that would compare to the hot brew. It was left in the fridge for approximately 24 hours. Cold brewed, this tea is a little sweeter than the hot tea as some of the hibiscus is tamed by this brewing method. I also get more apple flavors among a melange of fruitiness. Again, not much in the way of raspberry or pineapple though and not as sweet as one would expect from a tea inspired by candies.
This to me is like many fruit teas out there. They all have a similar flavor profile with apples and hibiscus. A little sweet and a little tart. With that said, this is less tart than other fruit teas I have had but also has a fair amount of lemongrass flavor. It is nice enough but nothing particularly special. Easy to drink but easy to forget.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Bird and Blend Tea Co.
Description
No not the healthy ‘dessert’, the glorious childhood penny sweet! Still a much-loved classic, still wrapped in the iconic orange and pink striped wrapper and still paired with those dastardly Black Jacks (who ever liked those!?) Fruit Salad chews really were the best!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!