While searching for some pretty unique yet powerful black teas – one MUST try the offerings of Simpson & Vail!
If you have been following the Sororitea Sisters for a while you probably aren’t a stranger to that company and for good reason…they have some pretty fantastic teas!
This time around I would like to share with you Simpson & Vail’s Organic Assam Tonganagaon. It’s not a tea that stayed in my tea stash for long – that is for sure! I sipped it up pretty quick – it’s just that good!
S&V state on their website that – In the northeastern state of Assam in India, along the Brahmaputra River grow the hearty, malty Assam teas. The heavy rainfall and hot, humid day time temperatures in this area create the perfect green house like environment for growth, as well as helping to create the unique taste found only in Assam teas. Their distinct flavor can be enjoyed “as is”; however, Assam teas are often used in conjunction with other teas to create numerous blends, specifically breakfast teas. This small estate is located in Northeast India near the Namdapha National Park, which is recognized as one of India’s richest areas of biodiversity.
I fully agree with their assessment that this is a delicious Assam! The medium-black, slightly tippy leaves brew to a medium amber cup with a delightful, well-bodied malty taste…just what I look for in an Assam!
Yet another WIN for S&V and for ME as I continue to sip!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
In the northeastern state of Assam in India, along the Brahmaputra River grow the hearty, malty Assam teas. The heavy rainfall and hot, humid day time temperatures in this area create the perfect green house like environment for growth, as well as helping to create the unique taste found only in Assam teas. Their distinct flavor can be enjoyed “as is”; however, Assam teas are often used in conjunction with other teas to create numerous blends, specifically breakfast teas.
A delicious Assam! This small estate is located in Northeast India near the Namdapha National Park, which is recognized as one of India’s richest areas of biodiversity. The medium-black, slightly tippy leaves brew to a medium amber cup with a delightful, well-bodied malty taste.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemon Raspberry Rooibos from Simpson and Vail. . .
If I were going to name this tea, I’d name it “Lemon Lemon Lemon Raspberry Rooibos,” because the lemon is really the main feature here. It’s the spotlight-grabber. It’s the one that turns ALL the chairs around on The Voice.
It’s a very zesty lemon. Not fake or sugary. Like someone actually squeezed out a lemon into a bowl and allowed you to drink some. It’s the real deal. If you like lemon, welcome to the main attraction.
The raspberry is the slacker younger sibling. When it arrives in class, its teachers are like “we expect great things from you, just like your big sister Lemon!” But Raspberry always shows up to class late, in the aftertaste. And it’s a bit underwhelming. There’s nothing wrong with Raspberry; it’s just meek and doesn’t always turn in its homework. We don’t taste it all the time. To be fair, it never really had a chance against ALL THAT LEMON. Perhaps if it’d been born to a different tea, it would have been able to hold its own.
The rooibos adds a bit of sweetness to the ensemble. It’s behind the scenes.
If we’re going with this school metaphor — and I feel like I’ve committed to it by now — rooibos is the mom at home. Rooibos sends the children out with their lunches neatly packed. The influence of rooibos is there, very delicately. But it’s clearly the least of the influences, even behind poor Raspberry.
If you love lemon, and want to go to the Lemon Show, by golly, come on over. She loves all that attention.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
We have blended this “miracle tea” with black teas and herbs to create a wonderfully refreshing beverage. Enjoy hot or cold.
Ingredients: Black teas, Rooibos, organic lemon peel, organic raspberry leaves and natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
St Nick’s Tea from Simpson and Vail. . . .
This is one of my new acquisitions that I bought in a turkey stupor over Black Friday weekend. I bought a LOT of tea on Cyber Monday. Like, I’d be embarrassed if it, if I still had the capacity for that. But blowing money on my tea collection is part of my REPUTATION at this point. Gotta maintain my street cred.
I picked this one specifically because Christmas is coming. I have been assiduously avoiding “Santa Baby” like the plague, but I imagine it’s only a matter of time until I hear it. I’m having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year, so I thought maybe this would help.
RESULT: Nope, I’m still not bothering with a Christmas tree.
HOWEVER: this is a very tasty blend. It has a nice nut-chocolate vibe. It tastes like hot chocolate mixed with an oatmeal nut cookie. Its caffeine content content keeps him zingin’ along as he halts time and gives out —
ATTENTION: THIS IS THE INTERSTELLAR TIME-SPACE CONSORTIUM. YOU DID NOT HEAR THAT. SANTA IS DEFINITELY FICTIONAL AND DEFINITELY NOT A REAL LIVING TIME-TRAVELER WITH THE ABILITY TO STOP TIME. YOUR PARENTS MADE HIM UP. ALL GIFTS ARE BOUGHT FOR YOU BY YOUR PARENTS. LOOK INTO THIS LIGHT.
— Where was I?
This tea is very sweet in a healthy homemade cookie way. If you’re not sure if you can get the Christmas spirit going, try this. Even if you don’t wind up getting the tree, at least you had a tasty tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there….”
Add St. Nick’s Tea to your holiday wish list because this blend is Nutty & Nice! Black teas are enhanced with the flavors of chocolate and roasted nuts with a hint of maple. The tea brews to an amber cup with a smooth, nutty, slightly sweet taste. It’s the perfect blend to enjoy on winter nights while you’re sitting by the fire. A definite crowd pleaser!
Ingredients: Black teas, almonds, organic cacao nibs, vanilla beans, flavoring and orange blossoms. Contains Tree Nuts.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jane Austen’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson and Vail. . . . .
So I had this sample of Jane Austen’s Black Tea Blend by Simpson & Vail in my tea stash and I remembered being excited about this tea but I could not remember what was in this blend at all, let alone what I was so excited about. When I was scooping the tea out of the bag, I noticed bits of lavender so there’s that. Also, the steeped tea smells of mint and baked goods (which makes me think vanilla is lurking in this mug). If nothing else, it certainly smells delicious!
Well this is a very smooth and relaxing tea. I want to use the word mellow. Is that weird? It is what I am going with though. The black tea base is just a touch malty but not overly flavorful. Instead it provides more of a subtle foundation for the other flavors. Mint is probably the most prominent flavor and though it tastes of natural spearmint (as opposed to a sweeter peppermint note), it is not harsh or sharp by any means. The lavender is also present but with just a touch of lavender flavor as opposed to the overbearing lavender spiciness that many teas tend to have with this ingredient. Nothing is over-the-top but that works here. There is also a a gentle sweetness that is combining seamlessly with the malt of the base. My guess, again, is vanilla is responsible.
I was curious what it was that I was so excited about and whether I was accurately detecting various ingredients so I investigated on the Simpson and Vail website to see what this tea is made of. The ingredients include: black teas, spearmint, lavender flowers and vanilla flavor. Yay! It would seem my tastebuds are doing a-okay when it comes to tea tasting.
All in all, this is a tea I could see being really nice in the nighttime before bed (for those that can drink black tea before bed). It has enough flavor to keep things interesting without getting you wired or overly stimulated with sweets and treats. It is like a Jane Austen book in that sense actually, there is enough going on that you’re intrigued but it is calm enough that you feel comfortable gently dozing off into the night.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
The delicate prose of Jane Austen’s novels is evoked in this blend that combines peppermint with a gentle touch of vanilla. Lavender flowers, which look lovely in both the cup and the gardens around Jane Austen’s estate, add a sweet floral taste that complements the mint and vanilla wonderfully. This blend captures the color and joy of Austen’s characters while taking inspiration from the herbs and flowers she cultivated in her own garden. It brews to a refreshing cup with a cool mint flavor that’s softened by the warm vanilla and the sweet lavender flowers.
Ingredients: Black teas, spearmint, lavender flowers and vanilla flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spiced Mulled Wine by Simpson and Vail. . . .
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
Looking for a winter concoction without the alcohol? Then, this brew is for you! The blend produces a reddish cup with a sweet fragrant aroma and taste. The tannic taste is reminiscent of red wine and it is perfectly complemented by the light spice taste and the earthy undertones.
Ingredients: black teas, orange peel, beet root, spiced mulled wine flavoring and malva blossoms.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
