I’ll be honest– when I saw these teas snuck into my most recent review package, I had two thoughts. First, upon seeing the back of these tea bags before anything else:
1) OOoooh– all my favorite herbs! Look at that cute branding. Also, GIMME.
And then, upon seeing the brand: 2) LIPTON? Really? Dandelion, nettle? WELLBEING?
I guess, just, well… color me surprised, friends. I’m not too proud to admit that maybe up til this point, I’ve had a little bit of a negative bias towards Lipton. Nothing against this North-American tea magnate, I just… well, if my choice is between bland bags at the store, and my amazing loose leaf tea collection, you can guess where I’m usually going to gravitate.
So with hopeful skepticism, I brewed this one up. And y’all? I was straight. up. delighted. The dry leaf is nothing to write home about– in fact, it’s pretty standard to what I expect Lipton to be. But the flavor is fantastic! These known detoxifying herbs (I mean, I’m no doctor– but these two are heavy hitters in any liver-supporting tea I’ve ever sipped) shone through without the bitterness they often can display. The grapefruit oil is beautifully balanced, enough to bring a bit of a citrus tang without being overwhelming.
Overall, this was truly lovely. A surprising cuppa that was perfect for a morning after a Thursday-night alcoholic cider or two (am I getting old? I think I’m getting old). Whether it did any voodoo detoxifying magic or not, it just felt crisp, clean, and refreshing. I think I may actually be picking up a box or two of this one to keep around for future workday sips– and if I see any more of these Lipton wellness blends hanging around, I’m definitely going to give them a try!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Lipton
Description
Bounce back to you with the new Lipton Detox Herbal Supplement with Green Tea, containing dandelion, nettle, and grapefruit. Detox is an herbal infusion that’s the perfect companion to clean eating*. Carefully selected botanicals are blended with green tea and grapefruit essential oil that make every cup delicious. Enjoy a daily cup or two of Lipton Detox to supplement your varied, balanced diet.
For the perfect cup, brew tea bag 4-6 minutes in freshly boiled water. Wellbeing by Lipton. Feel Happy & Healthy.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Magicienne from Nina’s Tea . . . .
My tastebuds have taken several sabbaticals lately
. Now that they have decided to get back to work, I plan to drink tea and savor every sip, catching up on what I’ve missed!
This green tea is a breath of summer today on this dreary day. The description on their official site says there is a hint of tartness, but it isn’t at all sour or astringent like many green teas. In fact, this is a tea i could easily chug, even from a teacup. The light briskness just makes me want more.
The primary aroma and flavor is coconut, with the pineapple coming in at a close second. The added cream flavor makes this a super smooth and creamy cuppa, a nice foil for the green base.
I am drinking it hot, but it is amazing iced as well, with or without sugar. I always go without! Now I am going to pretend I am on a beach, basking in the sun with a little umbrella in my drink!
This is available without the tin for a lower price, but spend a few extra dollars sometime and treat yourself to Nina’s beautiful red tea tins. I have a row of them on my tea shelf and they are gorgeous. Their Marie Antoinette blend comes in an exquisite pink tin – so romantic. Pour Maman is a perfect gift for a new mother, a Mother’s Day gift, or just because. Grand Amour is truly one of my great loves among flavored black tea and is a fun to give for weddings or engagements.
But the important thing is that Nina’s knows how to do quality tea and well-balanced blending. Even if you see a dozen flavors listed in the tea, it won’t be a muddy mess. It will be a beautifully blended cup of tea that leaves you wondering how the French achieve this level of mastery just as they do in their finest parfums.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Nina’s Tea
Description
Pineapple, coconut The magical combination of pineapple and coconut. This tea, with a hint of tartness, will pleasantly surprise you. An exotic blend that will satisfy all seeking enchantment.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chai Houjicha / 52 Teas
This tea is no longer on the 52 Teas website.
For those of you unfamiliar with 52 Teas they specialize in doing weekly unique teas. Like Kumquat Cucumber Chutney Black Tea.
Very unique flavors. Chai and hojicha aren’t really unique but combined they are.
This is the first I’ve seen of this type.
Also for those curious, even though the leaf doesn’t look like it, Hojicha is considered a green tea because of how it is processed. It ends up being a little nutty with some flavors you won’t find in other green teas.
Which makes it perfect for chai! This would make a great chai latte.
While I generally prefer a spicy chai the nutty and barley notes of this tea combined with the spices of the chai are a perfect fit that doesn’t need the spicy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Celtic Cream Green Tea from Simpson & Vail. . . .
This is, quite simply, my favorite green tea of the moment. I’ve been drinking it almost every day, but always at a time when I am nowhere near a computer to write about it. So today — TODAY, MY TEAPLE — I will write this review.
Sometimes green teas are a little bit tart/vegetal, which is fine, but I’m a sweet-tooth kinda girl. What I really want in a tea, honestly, is calorie-free dessert.
So this tea’s creamy sweetness is totally on point. It’s, like, a buttercream delight. I can still taste the authentic green underneath, too.
It’s the best of both worlds. This is great because whenever doctors are like “tea is good for you!”, they’re typically talking about green tea. Green tea, according to medical professionals, will, like, make your skin glow and your hair get long and your weight drop and your muscles big. You will be completely hydrated and sleep exactly 8 hours, 15 minutes every single night. You will turn into an Avenger who specializes in yoga. (I guess maybe that’s Pepper Potts’ real-life Gwenyth Paltrow persona, actually.)
And you know what? I *am* feeling strong. And I *did* lose a pound last week. MAYBE IT WAS THIS TEA. Who knows? You should try it and get back to me about your health progress, too.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
In honor of the Emerald Isle and St. Patrick’s Day we have blended a delightful green tea with Irish cream flavor. The emerald green liquor complements the unique smooth & creamy flavor. Warm up with this healthy good tasting tea.
Ingredients: green tea and flavoring.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
What’s Steepin’ from The Goat Tea. . . . .
Let’s be honest, the first thing that grabs you with this tea blend is literally the name of the tea company who sells it! The Goat Tea. An unusual name but one very fitting for this amazing tea company.
The Goat Tea reached out to the SororiTea Sisters and asked if we would be interested in reviewing their teas. After taking a moment to look at their site, I knew I had to learn more about this tea company.
First off, the logo. The logo is fantastic! A goat. . .with a monocle. . . drinking tea. . . I mean, how could you not? As someone whose parents used to raise goats, this whole idea of matching goats with tea just hits my heart and gives me all the feelings. To learn more about how the name and logo came together, check out this blog post and others about the journey.
Now on to the tea. . .The Goat Tea offers a few different and unique blends. I’m quite obsessed with their line up right now and I’m trying to drink down some of my current stash so I can justify getting more of their tea. (My current tea stash is literally in every nook and cranny of my kitchen and dining room area so I have made myself commit to drinking those delights first before getting any new ones.)
This particular blend of theirs is What’s Steepin’, a green tea blend. Apples, rosehips, organic green tea, hibiscus, carrots, lime pieces, sea salt, stevia along with a few other inclusions make up this blend. What first caught my eye was the orange pops of color from the carrots. I love tea blends that push the boundaries of what normally is in a tea and with this tea having carrots in it, this blend fits that bill.
Brewed up with fresh prepped water per the package recommendations (212F), I allowed the tea to steep for right around 5 minutes. All the while enjoying the fresh tart and lime aromas. Once the tea cooled for a moment, I took a sip. This tea is sweet and for someone that doesn’t drink a whole lot of sweet teas, it reminded me instantly of candy.
The sweetness of this tea is definitely the first notes you get followed by this amazing watermelon and lime combination. There is a subtle tartness you get here and there along with a lemony finish. I can’t really say I taste any green tea in this blend but the green tea really isn’t the start- the inclusions are.
Now, the stevia in this blend is where I think a lot of the sweetness is coming into play and for someone who isn’t a fan of stevia, sadly, this tea prepped hot was just too sweet. I wish the stevia maybe was a bit less or not even in the blend at all, because the other flavors are amazing.
Since the tea blend prepped hot just wasn’t doing it for me, I decided to try a cold brew. Cold brewed again, all those watermelon, lime, and tart flavors were fabulous, but the stevia sweetness was there too.
Overall, I absolutely dig this blend. The watermelon lime combo has always been a favorite of mine and throw in some hibiscus and pomegranate, and you have yourself an amazing treat. Throw in green tea and you have my heart! The only thing stopping me from really enjoying this tea is just the fact that I am not used to having stevia or sugar in my tea and the sweetness is a bit too much for me for an everyday drink. For that time when I’m craving something sweet, this tea will absolutely do the trick.
If you haven’t checked out The Goat Tea, I highly encourage you to do so. I’m a big fan of tea companies that pay it forward and work with charities and currently, The Goat Tea is working with The St Francis Wolf Sanctuary and have a tea blend dedicated to the cause. All proceeds from His MajesTEA Meeko will go to benefit this organization.
So even though this tea blend maybe wasn’t my absolute favorite, I’ll still enjoy this blend and am super excited to check out the rest of their offerings.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/Tisane
Where to Buy: The Goat Tea
Description
Steep this amazing creation of watermelon, basil and lime for a perfect cup of tea. Enjoy this exotic, but delicious, tea hot or cold.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!