A couple weeks ago, I reached out to Jamah at BlendBee and asked her if she could create a flavored green tea for me. I knew that part of her business was based on customizing tea, but I wasn’t sure if she had all the components I was asking for. So we chatted for a bit and about a week later, Hidden Meadow was born.
Hidden Meadow is a marvelous blend of vanilla, green tea, spearmint, and marshmallow root. I was wanting a tea that was a bit different than the other minty teas I had and thought this would be a good starting point. (I’m thinking we tackle a creamy orange dreamsicle tea but I haven’t chatted with her yet about this one.)
Brewed up this tea has such an inviting aroma that I literally huddle over the tea pot while the tea is steeping. I just adore the smell of the vanilla, marshmallow root, and spearmint combination. This is one tea that I allow to cool for a few moments. From my experience with this blend, allowing the tea to cool really helps bring together all of the flavors.
This tea is bright, vibrant, soothing and invigorating. All of the flavors are well balanced and not one overpowers the other. The vanilla is rich and creamy while the spearmint gives the tea a bit of pep. There is a specific taste that I adore that marshmallow root adds to a blend and I can tell its there but I really can’t describe it.
Hidden Meadows is a tea that I will need to have on hand at all times. I just adore it and its one that I’ve found myself reaching for again and again and again. I’ve even drank nothing but this tea for a few days and still can’t get enough of it!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Green Tea
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Breathe deep & fall in love…A simple yet intoxicating blend of green tea, marshmallow root and fresh spearmint delicately infused with warm vanilla. This is a creamy, minty & dreamy green tea blend for you to savor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom from BlendBee
Have you ever met a person with whom you clicked swiftly and intimately? Where you had a conversation and then realized “WE ARE BEST FRIENDS NOW.” You spend a lot of time with them — so much time that, if it weren’t your NEW BESTIE, you’d get sick of them. But you know that they love you too.
This is my relationship with oolong tea right now. Black tea is my time-honored long-term life partner, but oolong is a fresh buddy who wants to go art supply shopping with me.
This oolong is no exception. The dry blend smells like berries, but when it starts to steep, you pick up that rhubarb bite. Ah! Strawberry rhubarb pie! With caffeine! Just what I needed! HOW DID THEY KNOW?
The sweetness is completed by a hibiscus and rubarb sharp note. The oolong flavor itself takes a backseat, but it’s comfortable back there. It’s taking a nap on the drive.
As the tea cools, the tartness goes to the forefront. If you’re not a fan of tart teas, this might not be for you, but I definitely think strawberry & hibiscus fans should give it a shot.
This tea might just go art supply shopping with you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Juicy and refreshing, this blend has just a hint of sweetness and is rounded out with bold red fruit flavors. You will long for Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Coconut from BlendBee- Calling All Coconut Lovers!!
I’m a fan of coconut any time of year. Whether it’s the hottest days of summer or the dark, snowy depths of winter I find myself in a better mood when I can taste a bit of the tropics. Throw in some lemon – another favorite of mine – and I’m a happy girl. BlendBee took both flavors and mixed them with a delicate white to create White Coconut. Just thinking about the mix of flavors made me want to do a happy dance.
The dry leaves are lovely to look at. There is a mix of tea leaves, coconut flakes, lemon peel, and lemon balm. The smell of the tea is coconut and sweetness. Smelling this made me smile because, honestly, this tea smells like candy.
As I said, I am a fan of both coconut and lemon, so I was looking forward to what this tea had to offer. While I found the scent of the tea delicious and charming I didn’t find the tea itself as impressive. I was thrown off by the sweetness of the stevia leaf while still searching for the combination of coconut and lemon I could smell but not taste. As the tea cooled I noticed more of the coconut flavor, and what I could taste was good. I just wanted a little more. The lemony flavors from the lemon balm and lemon peel eluded me altogether.
I can’t say this is a go-to tea for me, but I can see how tea lovers looking for a flavored tea with softer notes could appreciate it. It also has a good amount of sweetness without added sugar. It might be just the thing satiate a sweet tooth before it gets out of control. So, if you’re looking for a sweet, lightly flavored white tea and you’re a coconut lover then this might be the tea for you!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
White Tea is by far one of the finest teas in the world. Paired with Coconut, Lemon Peel, Lemon Balm and Stevia leaf, it is a dream. Sit back, relax and linger with this beautiful mix.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Using Heavenly Hazelnut from BlendBee to Create A Nutella like Latte!
Back when I was in grad school, I worked as a nanny. And among the many, many things I adored about the wonderful family I worked for, near the top of the list was the CONSTANT supply of Nutella they always had in their cabinet. You guys? I was obsessed.
So as soon as I took one whiff of this tea from Blend Bee, I was instantly transported back to the tablespoon I’d smear in my oatmeal every morning, or lick off the knife after I was done making a treat for the little ones. This tea is one hundred percent, spot-on hazlenut in scent and flavor, and I knew there was only one way I wanted to brew it– by making it into a Nutella latte.
I simply steeped the tea in about 3/4 the normal amount I’d use of hot water, and when finished, stirred in a tablespoon of dry drinking chocolate mix we had in our cabinet, and topped it off with some steamed coconut milk. The result? Nutella in a cup! It was pure, decadent perfection, while still feeling light and not overly-sugared from the tea base. I don’t think I’ll ever brew this tea any other way– as it is an herbal tea, it made for a lovely, caffeine- and guilt-free way to end the day.
Yum!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
A delightful and highly beneficial Honeybush tea blend. Paired with rich ingredients like Chicory Root and Carob Bean. Rounded out with super nutritious Agrimony Herb and infused with exquisite and nutty Hazelnut & Vanilla extracts.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Who doesn’t love TeaMail? A List of My Tea Subscriptions
Monthly subscription boxes are so popular anymore. It seems like you can get just about anything in some form of a monthly box delivered to your house. From dog treats and toys, to clothes, to jewelry, to vegan boxes, you name it, you can find a subscription for it most likely. This is especially true with tea. Tea sub boxes seem to be growing in popular and I have to say, I’m ok with that. There is something so alluring about getting a box in the mail with surprise flavors or blends that you might not necessarily pick out yourself. I personally subscribe to 5 tea boxes a monthly. Sounds like a lot, but I also only drink tea so it works for me.
So with the holiday shopping season just around the corner and people starting to think about gift giving, I’d thought I’d run down a few of my favorite tea subscription plans to maybe give you ideas on what to give the tea enthusiasts on your list.
(1) Plum Deluxe
Plum Deluxe is the one that started it all. When I first started looking at subscription plans, I wanted something that was affordable and was hand blended. I instantly fell in love with Plum Deluxe. From the bright purple envelopes you receive in the mail, to their unique and soul soothing tea blends, to the amazing community that surrounds Plum Deluxe. This company is all about taking a moment and enjoying life. Their motto is Making Moments Matter and the exude this in every uplifting post, tea blend, and note they include in their shipments.
A quick side note: When you sign up with Plum Deluxe, you are invited to join the Plum Deluxe Facebook community-which is incredibly active and even has fun holiday swaps. On a daily basis you see the members of this community encouraging each other through their love of tea.
Cost: 2 options starting at $10 a month (includes shipping)
(2) 52Teas
Probably no surprise this lovely tea company is on my list. I have been a customer of 52Teas for years but only recently pulled the trigger on signing up for a monthly subscription plan. I actually figured up how much I was spending on stand alone orders with 52Teas and realized I would save money just by signing up. I have to say I’m very glad I did.
Each month, I receive all of the different uniquely hand blended teas that will be offered for the month. The fact that I get a chance to try the blends out before they are released has some great advantages. When the teas are official released on the site, I have a head start on whether or not I want to order more of a tea or not.
Besides that, who wouldn’t want a monthly tea box sent to them full of delicious teas like Blueberry Honeybush Muffin or Bananas Foster Black Tea or Earl Grey Cider Black Tea?
Cost: Options start at $18 (includes shipping)
(3) BlendBee
BlendBee is one I can’t recommend enough. I love the customer service and delicious fresh teas that are delivered to my door each month.
Every month I receive an email from the amazing Jamah asking me what blends I would like. You have the option to choose from any blend that are currently being offered in the store or choose from one of the new teas she may be releasing that month. I’ve even asked for her to tweak a blend here or there and she has happily obliged. This plan is one of the more custom friendly plans perfect for anybody’s tastes.
Have to love a company that offers amazing customer service and fabulous fresh teas!
Cost: Options starting at $15 (includes shipping)
(4) Tea Box Express
Maybe one of the more expensive boxes out there, Tea Box Express is a box that I can always bank on getting some really unique and quality tea and/or tea related goodies. And completely worth every penny!
I have only received two boxes so far from Tea Box Express but i have to say these boxes are worth it. Each month you are sent quality fresh teas from companies that you may not have necessarily tried yet or even heard of. Last month’s box had JusTea’s Mount Kenya Black Tea and that tea has memorized. Also included was an adorable wooden tea spoon (also from JusTea), a herbal tea that you can either drink or use as a facial, and a box of sea salt caramels that were sinful. Here is my post about my unboxing of the October Tea Box Express.
Cost: Options start at $25.50 (plus shipping)
(5) A Quarter To Tea
My newest subscription plan is to A Quarter To Tea. I have always adored their blends and drink them down quite quickly. So when I saw they offered a monthly subscription plan, I quickly emailed Lauren, asked her a few questions, and promptly signed up.
This particular plan is similar to 52Teas were you are sent 4 different teas each month. I’ve had experienced so many amazing rich and decadent blends from A Quarter to Tea recently that I had to sign up. To be completely transparent, I am drinking their Eggnog Pound Cake while I write this post up.
What I’m really excited about is this box is A Quarter to Tea’s limited edition teas, the ones that aren’t available in their sampler packs. Such delicious flavors and so incredibly unique, I had to jump on the chance to get a monthly box!
Cost: Options start at $16– you can sign up on their Etsy site or their site. (Just a note, if you order through the Etsy site, you will need to sign up every month. If you sign up through their site, there is the option to have recurring billing.)
There are many many other wonderful tea subscription plans out there and I”m sure I’ll sign up for a few more here and there. Handmade Tea for instance is one that I subscribed to for some time and I know there are several tea subscriptions that deliver more straight teas. So many wonderful tea plans and so little time!
Let us know which subscription plans you currently subscribe to tea related or not and we will randomly draw a winner who will receive a lovely tea care package from The SororiTea Sisters!
