Darjeeling – Ambootia Estate Organic Green Tea from Simpson & Vail is something I MUST discuss with you today!
Internationally renowned Darjeeling teas come to Simpson & Vail from the area in and around Darjeeling, a Himalayan town in the state of West Bengal in eastern India. The soil and climatic conditions that exist there create teas that are treasured for their exquisite taste. Darjeeling is often referred to as the “Champagne of teas”, and are so prized that the government there created a special logo that certifies that the teas bearing this logo were actually grown in this beautiful mountain terrain. You may have read about this already here at the Sororitea Sisters but we like to remind ourselves and other – every chance we can!
The Ambootia Estate, specifically, was established in 1861, and currently produces all of their teas using organic and bio-dynamic farming practices. This is ALWAYS a PLUS! Their organic green is a superlative tea with its pale hues and refreshing aroma. The smallish green leaves impart a sweet after-taste, with more body than most green teas and the wonderful flavor of a fine Darjeeling…according to the Simpson & Vail website, shop, and product description. I tend to agree, however, I was able to also pick up on a few floral notes and a more vegetal green flavor instead of a sweeter green flavor.
This was a MIGHTY FINE Green Darjeeling! I would LOVE to try the Black Tea equivalent of this soon! YUM!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
Internationally renowned Darjeeling teas come to us from the area in and around Darjeeling, a Himalayan
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pomegranate Passion White from Simpson and Vail. . . . .
I’ve been on a white tea kick lately. I couldn’t tell you what spurred white tea specifically but I certainly have one I would like to share with you today! It’s a flavored white tea and it’s from Simpson & Vail. It’s their Pomegranate Passion White Tea.
Pomegranate White Tea from Simpson & Vail is lightly sweet and incredibly delicious! It’s a blend of natural pomegranate and passion fruit flavors and it has a lovely airy, breezy tropical aroma that awakens the senses. Once infused it looks a little pinkish to the naked eye – sitting there in the cup waiting for me to take the first sip. This can be enjoyed either hot or iced. I like them equally.
Ingredients in this Pomegranate Passion White Tea are…of course…White tea…PLUS organic hibiscus flowers, marigold petals, malva flowers and natural pomegranate and natural passion fruit flavors. The ‘barely-there’ hibiscus flowers are at the ratio I wish most if not all other companies would ‘live by’. A little bit goes a long way! S&V seem to have this ratio down pat and for that I’m thankful! The floral ingredients are on the sweeter side moreso than the bitter/floral side and I’m happy about that, too! The fruity flavoring is nicely done…NOT overdone. Who ever put this tea together deserves a ‘MAJOR AWARD’ as the catch phrase from Christmas Story states!
I brewed 2 teaspoons of this loose leaf tea in 8 ounces of water (at roughly 175°), and steeped for 3 or 4 minutes. I was also able to cold brew this with success by infusing it overnight, too!
I’m totally LOVING this flavored white tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
Sweet and delicious! This blend of natural pomegranate and passion fruit flavors has a heady, tropical aroma that transforms perfectly into the taste in the cup. This extraordinary pink brew can be enjoyed either hot or iced.
Ingredients: White tea, organic hibiscus flowers, marigold petals, malva flowers and natural pomegranate and natural passion fruit flavors.
Brew: 2 tsp tea in 8 oz. water (at 175°), steep for 4 minutes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Guava Tropical White Tea from Simpson & Vail
Strawberry Guava Tropical White Tea from Simpson & Vail. This is delightful in every way! I’m always excited to try Guava flavored things! Pair that with strawberry and you have the best of two worlds! Use that flavor duo with a delicate white tea base and you have something incredibly special.
Simpson & Vail have done it again! They have come up with a delicious white flavored tea! Ingredients include White tea, organic hibiscus, cornflower petals, marigold flowers and Guava and Natural Strawberry flavors. The white tea is delicate – like you would expect it would be. There is just a touch of hibiscus which is nicely done due to it NOT being overdone and draws the flavor all together. The guava and strawberry flavors were MADE for each other! They are sweet, juicy, and slightly puckery-tangy.
The tea base is a quality Pai Mu Tan white tea. This is fabulous hot or cold. It’s sweet enough as-is but I’m sure there are fans of this tea out there that infuse it with additional rock sugar, too! I wouldn’t change a thing about this flavored white tea. It takes me to another place…a Tropical Place…at that!
Strawberry Guava Tropical White Tea from Simpson & Vail is more than A O K in my book!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description: This delicate pink cup is truly scrumptious! Our Pai Mu Tan white tea is the perfect base for the delicious guava and strawberry flavors, with their complex, fruity aroma and full flavor. Delicious hot or cold!
Ingredients: White tea, organic hibiscus, cornflower petals, marigold flowers and Guava and Natural Strawberry flavors.
Brew: 2 tsp tea in 8 oz. water (at 175°), steep for 4 minutes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Roasted Chesnut Rooibos from Simpson & Vail. . . .
If tea were the dating world, rooibos tea would be the Nice Guy. You know: the fellow in the Friend Zone.
The Bad Guy (black tea) rides a motorcycle, neglects your feelings, keeps you up all night, and has cryptic moods.
The Nice Guy (rooibos) is friends with your mom, can balance a budget, and understands the nuances of nutrition and sleep.
You don’t take the Nice Guy seriously, but he’s important. He will be your evening companion when you need one. You can call upon him at any time. He is sweet and smooth, and one day you realize, maybe you SHOULD take him seriously. He could be a major player in your life!
My first thought when trying Roasted Chestnut Rooibos was “this is like a brown tweed jacket.” It’s sturdy and solid. There’s a classic reliability to it. The nutty and earthy flavors contribute to this impression. There’s also a slight sweetness here, a creaminess. I’m not sure if it’s the innate gentle red rooibos or this blend, but this is a yummy mix.
A mix for evening before bed.
Or any time, really. Rooibos will be there, waiting for you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
Usher in the holiday season with this joyous brew. If you like chestnuts roasted on an open fire you’ll love this caffeine free tisane! The dry leaf has the aroma of nutty, heavenly goodness and the brewed cup explodes with this flavor followed by a light buttery taste. So curl up by a fire with this delicious cup while you read your favorite book and listen to holiday songs. We dare you to try not to sing “that” song!
Ingredients: Red Rooibos, orange blossoms and flavoring.
Brew tea at 212º – steep for 5 minutes.
Caffeine free. Certified Kosher
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bronte Sisters’ Black Tea Blend from Simpson And Vail
The first thing I noticed about this tea was the fruity, sweet smell. It smelled much more like fruit than tea. The tea ingredients include papaya and raspberry, and also marigold petals. I brewed myself a cup, and added a little raw sugar and a splash of coconut creamer. I should have left the sugar out because it is very sweet on it’s own. Almost too sweet if I’m being honest. It definitely has a very fruity taste and perfume. I didn’t taste to any floral notes which surprised me.
I would say this would be an excellent tea for people who really enjoy sweet tea and very fruity teas. The sweetness definitely lingered on my taste buds long after drinking it. I will have to experiment and see if maybe this is more refreshing as an iced tea. I prefer fruity teas iced not hot. And I guess with black teas I like a spicier, less sweet tea. This might even be considered a dessert tea. Although vanilla isn’t listed as an ingredient, I tasted a vanilla essence in the background. As I said, this isn’t my favorite tea I’ve tried, but if you or someone you know loves dessert teas, this would definitely be worth a try
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
The Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, lived and wrote in Yorkshire, England. Born in 1816, 1818 and 1820, respectively, the sisters lived very short lives, with Charlotte living the longest at 38. During their unfortunately short lifetimes, each sister produced novels that would become cornerstones of western literature and inspire studies for generations. Emily’s Wuthering Heights, Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall each found an audience and acclaim that continues to this day. With their novels, the sisters introduced the world to a starkly honest portrayal of English womanhood that didn’t hide the ugliness and intrigue many novels of the time shied away from. Although tame by today’s standards, their inclusion of independent female characters, alcoholism, and abuse meant that the Bronte’s novels faced their share of controversy.
The Bronte family kept an orchard and garden where the sisters spent much of their time exploring, drawing, and writing. Charlotte was more inclined to draw the flowers and the plants than to stop and smell them, but Anne and Emily were happy to get their hands dirty with a little gardening. Emily especially, who was known to be a bit of a recluse, could often be found taking long walks and enjoying nature. Our Bronte Sisters tea blend combines pear, apple, and gooseberry flavors to make a sweet and fragrant blend that’s reminiscent of an orchard stroll. The flavors in this blend meld together in perfect harmony and the taste lingers deliciously on the palate.
Ingredients: Black teas, papaya pieces (papayas and sugar), flavorings, raspberry pieces, alfalfa leaves and marigold petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
