So I know that this one is probably supposed to be drunk iced, but I was too lazy and too impatient today to ice it. I like cooling the tea down a lot before pouring it over ice, otherwise the ice melts and its too watered down. Anyways, the reason I ordered this tea was because of course the name made me think that it would be a great summer blend, and also because of the ingredients. I’m always down to try something different and unique. Black tea with blueberries, pineapple, coconut, caramel, and freeze dried yogurt pieces all sounded like a combo I haven’t tried before. The only thing that made me hesitant and slightly disappointed right off the bat was the inclusion of hibiscus. I have only tried one tea that included hibiscus that I enjoyed thus far. Anytime hibiscus is listed I usually don’t buy it, but Fava didn’t use “tart” as a descriptive word to describe this blend so I decided to give it a try.
Once steeped I could smell the caramel, pineapple, and coconut. It smelled like DAVIDsTEA’s Caramel Corn blend. In all honesty it tasted like it, too, except with blueberries. I was immediately in love after the first sip and I know for a fact I will be stocking up on this one. It is fantastic hot and I am now eager to try it iced!
The first thing I notice is how creamy it is and I wonder if that is from the yogurt pieces. The next thing I notice is that I would not peg this as a black tea blend, it tastes more like a fruit infusion and I love it! It is creamy, fruity, nutty, and not the least bit tart. It isn’t overly sugary though, and I did add agave still. The blend of pineapple, coconut, and blueberry is so good and so unique. The added ingredients of caramel and yogurt pieces give the blend a smooth, creamy, and sweet aspect that leaves you wanting to continue going back for another sip. It’s addicting because there is so much going on in each sip that you have to keep trying it! I really really like this one. I know I say it a lot, but this is truly a must try this summer…no matter what you think you like or what flavors you usually gravitate towards, everyone should try this at least once.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Fava Tea
Description
This black tea blend will set you thinking of palm trees and beach-side afternoons. The flavors of pineapple, blueberries, and coconut all complement each other in an endless circle of deliciousness. It’s refreshing and perfect for porch lounging, or for mermaids drinking tea in their lagoons!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bee’s Knees and Apricot Black from Fava Tea. . . .
I am knew to mixing different types of loose leaf. I imagine there are some really great combinations. I guess I’ve never done it much because I was nervous that I would need to mix them a few times to get it right and I really didn’t want to waste tea, but the other day I was perusing Fava Tea’s website and I saw a great suggestion. They said that their tea “Bee’s Knee’s, which is a black tea blend with bee pollen honey, and their Apricot black tea, blend really well together! I was intrigued. Apricot and honey almost always goes really well together!
1tsp of Bee’s Knees and 1tsp of Apricot and steeped it in hot water for about 3 minutes. I then added just the smallest splash of agave and gave it a whiff. It smelled like warm apricots and gooey honey! The taste wasn’t so far off from that. The first thing I noticed was honey, then the smooth and refreshing black tea, followed by sweet and juicy apricots. This blend is really good! Both the teas are yummy and together they are sensational. This is definitely something that would taste great iced in the summer. I really suggest you check it out!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Fava Tea
Description
Smooth, sweet black tea blended with honey granules and bee pollen. You’ll be sure to buzzzz easily through the day with this blend! This blends well with ourApricot Black.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hazelnut Mate from Fava Tea. . . . .
I really enjoy the flavor of hazelnut. When I was a coffee drinker I would always get a hazelnut macchiato or hazelnut iced coffee in the summers. I know that mate is very energizing, and I really would like to enjoy it. The mate blends I’ve tried thus far weren’t too pleasing to me. Although they were good blends, and i’m sure that others would enjoy them, they just weren’t my taste. When I came across Hazelnut Mate on Fava Tea’s website, I thought i’d give it a try. I figured I may enjoy the hazelnut flavor, since for whatever reason mate tends to come closest to a coffee substitute out of all the tea types, next to black tea of course. There’s something about the richness of the mate blends I’ve tried that really reminds me of coffee, plus the energy boost is pretty awesome too.
Upon smelling the dry leaf of this blend I noticed that the cocoa scent was strong, although that didn’t translate as strong to the taste of the cup. I was thankful for that because I didn’t want a blend that was too chocolatey, I wanted it to be more nutty/hazelnut. I immediately liked this tea as soon as I sipped it. This is the first mate blend that I couldn’t put down. It is so smooth and its not too heavy or thick. I have tried many hazelnut black teas, and the difference between them and this mate blend is that the mate has absolutely no bitterness and it isn’t as bold and in-your-face as black tea can be. Its really smooth and almost a little grassy, but the hazelnut component adds some nuttiness and that flavor that I know and love from my coffee-drinking days. I really enjoyed this tea and it has made me curious about other mate blends. Whether you’ve had mate before or not, if you like hazelnut you should try this!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Fava Teas
Description
Nutty, smooth and packed full of vitamins and minerals this is the perfect choice for an enlightening lift! Roasted yerba mate leaves blended with hazelnuts, cocoa nibs and cornflower blossoms. And finally because sometimes you feel like a nut…. Blends well with Chocolate Cream Rocks.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Roasted Almond Chai from Fava Tea Company . . . .
Snowy days always make me want to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chai and a really good movie. Come to think of it, every day makes me want to do that i’m not going to lie. So even though there is a raging blizzard outside, not much has changed I suppose. Tea, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings is my favorite way to relax when I’m not chasing after my 7 month old daughter! So what better way to use my free time than to dig into the awesome tea swap blends that I received the other day?
I used to like chai a lot more than I do today. I used to order chai lattes like they were going out of style! Its interesting how your tastes change, especially when you are constantly trying new flavors when it comes to tea. The reason why I am no longer a huge fan of chai at this point in my tea-journey is because I don’t really like things to be spicy or hot. You know those red cinnamon candies? Yeah, I hate those. I don’t like hot cinnamon and I feel like a lot of chai’s taste this way, they just are too spiced. So in order to “wow” me by your chai blend, it cant be too overpowering.
When I received my first ever tea swap package and I saw Roasted Almond Chai by Fava Tea Company, I was intrigued. I love anything with nuts, especially almond. Ive never had a nut chai before. Ive had cinnamon chai and vanilla chai…but not almond chai. I could imagine that it is pretty delicious though, cinnamon and almond tend to go very well together. So, I opened up the sample bag and could smell the delicious sweet and nutty almond and chai spices. Yum! This stuff smells like Christmas. I brewed up a cup and took a sip. Not going to lie, the chai spices are very present. However, the sweet almond tones them down so they really aren’t overpowering. Fava did a great job with the almond flavor in this one. It isn’t artificial, it is sweet and nutty.
This is a rooibos blend, so the woodiness from the rooibos mingles well with nutty almond and chai spices. It is a delectable cup that is great for a snowy evening! I wish they made a black tea version so that I could drink it throughout the day for a caffeine boost, but it is just as good as an after-dinner dessert tea. If you like Forever Nuts by DAVIDsTEA and if you like chai, you will definitely like this blend. It honestly tastes like a chai and Forever Nuts had a baby and that baby was named Roasted Almond Chai! I definitely suggest you check this out.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fava Tea Company
Description
This is the sweet taste of almond magically blended with rooibos and chai spices. Smooth, delightful and a perfect compliment with dessert. Or in place of dessert! Either way, enjoy! Blends well with Yoga, Toasted Caramel Rooibos, Chocolate Cream Rock Sugar.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Falling Leaves from Fava Tea Company
Today is finally the day! I have had so many new teas to try lately and because of a pesky cold I couldn’t taste any of them. However, the cold is finally (mostly gone) and I can taste tea once again!
Before I get to the taste of this particular tea, I want to talk about the adorable dry leaf. Falling Leaves is definitely accurate because the cute little leaf sprinkles among the rooibos leaves actually looks like an Autumn leaf pile. It is quite fun and makes me that much more excited to start sipping.
Speaking about exciting, the maple smell that fills the air as soon as the water hits those little leafy sprinkles is mouthwatering. Even the dry leaf has a great maple scent.
That maple does transfer to the taste of the tea as well, albeit not as strong as it is in scent. Unfortunately it gets slightly muddled among the sugar sweetness of the melted sprinkles. In addition, the rooibos base is adding a sort of honey-like flavor which is just adding yet another layer of sweet with a slight bit of wood lurking around the bottom of the sip. With that said, that woody component helps balance the other flavors and keep it from becoming cloying. It is smooth and dessert-like but I just find myself wanting a more concentrated maple flavor as opposed to the collection of sweets I am getting here. As a whole, it is coming off more generic than maple.
This is the same issue I had with the very similar blend, Oh Canada! by DAVIDsTEA. The two teas are very similar, though the DAVIDs tea had a stronger rooibos base from what I can recall. In light of this comparison, it would be interesting to see how this blend fares cold brewed which was my preferred method for prepping Oh Canada
All in all, this is by no means a bad blend just a little lackluster when compared to the decadent smell. However, if you are looking for a nice and gentle sweet tea, you will find it here.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fava Tea Company
Description
This an outstanding seasonal blend is a festive combination of rooibos tea and rich maple flavor! Colorful sprinkles add to the fun. Enjoy this on cool fall and winter evenings. It’ll warm you right up, and make you smile!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
