“The cake is a lie” is a video game reference, specifically Portal. If you aren’t a gamer, do yourself a favor and watch someone play through and enjoy. It is a fun little game. Tell Wheatley I said hi.
There are sprinkles in the blend, which makes the morning start with a little smile, because who can resist smiling at sprinkles?
The tea is a nod to cake, and the aroma captures it pretty well. I don’t fall all over myself in astonishment shouting, “Wow, this is just like cake!” But the aromas of the vanilla and cream flavors call it to mind if you already know what they were aiming for. There is caramel flavor, which I don’t immediately associate with cake but definitely with dessert so it has that going for it, which is nice.
While eating breakfast, this was a good companion. When the food was all gone, the tea became a tad more astringent than I care for, because the black tea base has a little fruitiness on the tart side, like the way lemon tingles your tongue.
I don’t usually add milk and sugar, but for the remaining sips of this mug I added the tiniest splash of milk, which brought it back into my comfort zone. Having tried it that way, I wondered if a sprinkle of sugar would increase the cake element of the tea, but since I don’t care for sugar in my tea, it really didn’t float my Borealis.
If I had this again by itself, separate from a meal or snack, I would definitely go with a splash of milk right up front. No sugar needed for me. With food, it is sufficiently companionable as is and I expect the briskness means it is a good breakfast tea and would please those who like milk and sugar in the morning or just like brisk tea.
Of the two Geek Teas I have tried, I prefer Bad Wolf. But if you like brisk breakfast tea, this one is worth a try for you.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Description
Black tea, natural vanilla flavor, candy sprinkles, natural creme and caramel flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bad Wolf from Geeky Teas. . . .
What a clever tea! For those who don’t already know, Bad Wolf is a pop culture reference from the long running British tv show, Dr. Who. The Doctor’s companion in that series was named Rose. She was a street smart, brave, adventurous working-class British girl.
If you have seen the full Bad Wolf series, you know that Rose is no shrinking violet. (See what I did there?) So a tea named Bad Wolf can NOT be a foofy, princessy teatime blend. It has to be STRONG! But it has to have the essence of Rose, too, and the love that never, ever died.
Don’t go into this tea expecting a Victorian romance novel. They named it Bad Wolf, not Rose!
This is a bold black tea base with a hint of rose, the peppery kind of rose, running beneath. I have found that when rose flavor in tea is subtle, it tends to lend subtle sweetness rather than tasting full on floral. That’s the case with this tea for me. The lingering aftertaste is a little sweet, but not overly floral or cloying.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Description
Black floral rose tea
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Inconceivable! Vizzini’s Brew from Geeky Teas . . . . . . .
I love a tea with a good theme, so Vizzini’s Brew from Geeky Teas was a joy to drink and write about. Vizzini refers to the character from the Princess Bride film, you know the one who was always shouting: inconceivable! His brew was made with a black tea from the Fujian province of China.
When brewed, this blend was exceptionally smooth, both smelling and tasting reminiscent of creamy hot cocoa. With a chocolate scent and silky mouthfeel, this brew was far sweeter and more comforting than the grating voice of its namesake.
Beneath the sweet buttery-vanilla cocoa flavors, there were hints of honey-roasted nuts, reminding me of honeybush teas. The range and potency of these delicious flavors were impressive, knowing that this was an unflavored black tea.
I think the real cleverness in choosing this blend for Vizzini lies in its brewing notes. Geeky Teas said that this type of tea can be brewed strong or light according to your preference, and it will maintain its tasty cocoa notes without getting bitter. I couldn’t help but imagine brewing two mugs side-by-side with different brew times and tasting them to compare.
It made me think of Vizzini’s infamous “pick your poison” scene in the Princess Bride. A clever man would brew a strong tea… Light or strong: which would you choose? Just remember: never go against a Sicilian when death– I mean.. a good cup of tea– is on the line!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Description:
Black tea from the Fuijian province of China. Can be brewed strong or weak. As you wish.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bad Wolf Tea from Geeky Teas. . . .
Hello dear readers, I return with a review of a tea that is one of my favorite combinations, black tea, and rose. Now I apologize profusely for the long absence. There has been a lot of real life stuff including a funeral and trying to wrap my brain around several literary theories. So I thought what better way to apologize than to review a tea that was based on two of my favorite things: Doctor Who (the tenth doctor will always have my heart) and of course roses (and of course I love Rose as a companion). A little personal tidbit about myself: I have rose in everything! I have rose serums, micellar water, rose infused witch hazel, perfumes, multiple teas, body butter, lotions, rose candy, shower gel, and face masks. So you can say I am a little obsessed.
So to get started, the thing that I always understand with a tea that is just black tea and rose petals is that it has the tendency to get a bit dry when you have it black. So to alleviate that I usually add a touch of milk and for those you of who are lactose-intolerant or otherwise the same effect can be achieved with a dairy-free creamer. Now this tea, when paired with a creamer, has the odd watery sweet flavor that I have come to love from roses. Paired with the black tea it has a bold finish that seems to give even more flavor to the rose petals. I like to think of it as a tea that soft and florally sweet with a boldness that will wake you up while also relaxing you.
Now on to the price of this tea. I do have a couple of qualms about this tea when it comes to how it is presented on the Geeky Teas website. While there is a close up picture of the tea I would like to know how much I get for the price of $9.95 and if it comes in a bag or a tin. I also wish that there was a sample option for I myself am very picky when it comes to my rose tea and if I didn’t get a sample for being a reviewer I wouldn’t want to drop about $10 on a gamble. Those reasons in mind I, unfortunately, can’t really say if this is a good price for this tea.
In conclusion, I would say that this was a good tea but for the reasons listed in the paragraph about prices I believe I won’t be reaching for it anytime soon. If you do want to try out this rose tea I would say to be cautious with your purchase for I hope that you will at least get an ounce for almost $10.
See you for the next cuppa!
Kara
P.S. I did send an email to the support team on Geeky Teas for the specifics on their Bad Wolf Tea but by the time I wrote this review no one got back to me.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Description
Black tea with rose petals
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
This Is My Boomstick from Geeky Teas. . . . .
I feel like This Is My Boomstick is the kind of tea that Confucius drank while he was doing all that writing. Boomstick strikes the balance of meditative and action. Boomstick is the flavor of Chinese calligraphy, fireworks, and wall-building. (FACT: it’s not possible to see the Great Wall from space. How disappointing is reality?) Boomstick tastes like intellectual conversations and long travels.
The tea itself shows up in cute little rolled-up balls. When I showed them to a coworker, she said “that must be a tedious job.” I like to imagine that the workers are watching Netflix while hand-crafting, like I crochet on my couch during Handmaid’s Tale or what-have-you. It seems like a job one can do somewhat automatically after a little practice. Or, at least, I hope it is.
As the tea steeped, the balls at the top of my gravity steeper unfurled downward. The balls at the bottom puffed upward. They were like stalactites and stalagmites reaching for each other.
It’s a flavorful, robust green, but not too tart or overwhelming. I’d say this falls into the “just right” category, a quintessential straight green. Definitely worth a try, even if just to watch the unfurling. It’s a lovely moment to just enjoy in the present.
I couldn’t find any Confucius quotes about tea to wrap up this post, so we’re going to end on this:
“Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.” ― Kakuzō Okakura, The Book of Tea
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Description
Gunpowder tea from china is crafted from hand-rolled green tea leaves. The oxidation gives it a smoky flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
