I have had my eye on trying teas from this company for a while.
I am a fanatic when it comes to dessert teas and The NecessiTeas have tons of options on that front so I am all in. CuppaGeek was kind enough to send me Strawberry Shortcake to try and I am so happy that she did since it is amazing!
I knew it would be good as soon as I opened the package. The creamy strawberry smell that came out of the bag was mouthwatering. I loved the nice big pieces of strawberry I could see in the blend. After I brewed it the strawberry smell was much lighter but definitely still there.
First taste oh man, so delicious. It was so creamy and strawberry. It tasted like a latte without milk. Side note-Must turn this into a latte later.
The only thing I wasn’t really getting was the cake part of it. I wanted it to be a little bit more cakey. It was faintly there but it was more strawberry cream than strawberry shortcake to me. But either way it is now on the top of my list of strawberry teas.
I also put some in to cold brew for the afternoon and let me tell you it is just as good iced. I really want this as a staple in my stash in the future and I will definitely be looking to try more of their blends.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Angel food cake perfectly combines with a light layer of sweet cream and juicy strawberries to create this guilt-free dessert. Enjoy hot or poured over ice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bourbon Smoked White from Embrew. . . .
I don’t like anything smoked. I tried lapsang souchong once and I could barely get past the first sip. I felt like I was drinking water that had had campfire logs soaking in it for a week. Not yummy. Despite my fear of anything smokey, I decided to go ahead and brew this one up. I read up on this company and apparently this tea is pre-sweetened. Well I still added a couple drops of agave because I didn’t think it was sweet enough but turns out it really didn’t need it, so keep that in mind if you decide to try this yourself.
The company’s description of this white tea blend is really enticing. According to Embrew, “This African white tea comes from the delicate immature leaves of the plant that produce a mild, but sweet fragrance of baked bread and white peach that infuses quickly. The real hero is the Bourbon Smoked Sugar which infuses a subtle charred oak aroma.” I think that this description was pretty spot on The first thing I noticed was a sweet smell- that’s where the peach and baked bread flavors of the white tea come in. Taking a sip, that remains true. The aftertaste, however, has a definite hint of sweet bourbon with a light smokey aspect towards the end. This really was a myriad of tastes and flavors that are very intriguing. This one got me thinking and sipping and thinking again…trying to figure it out. Sometimes I find that reading a company’s description of their blend helps me to decipher what i’m tasting and in this instance it did help a lot and I think that the blend was true to its name. I actually think that I would go onto their website and order this blend again, which is funny to me because if you told me i’d say that before I tried this I would have called you crazy!
Embrew is a must try company. No matter what you *think* you like, there will always be that one blend that changes your mind!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Embrew
Description
This African white tea comes from the delicate immature leaves of the plant that produce a mild, but sweet fragrance of baked bread and white peach that infuses quickly. The real hero is the Bourbon Smoked Sugar which infuses a subtle charred oak aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Champagne Raspberry from Tea and Tins. . .
Alcohol isn’t really in my life. I don’t mind having a drink once in a while, but it mostly upsets my stomach and gives me a headache. Tea is my drink of choice. However, I don’t mind teas that are made after alcoholic beverages….things like hot buttered rum, pina coladas, or in this case, champagne!
Upon opening my little sample bag, the first thing that came to mind was raspberry tootsie pops. It actually smells JUST LIKE a tootsie pop. Its making my mouth water! Once steeped I gave it a sip and think it needed a little sweetening, so I added just a pinch of agave. It tastes like a tootsie pop. Honestly, I just cant get past that reference! I’m tasting hard candy here. However I will say, that after swallowing I do get a hint of tingly champagne. But all in all, this is totally a raspberry tootsie pop through and through. Sweet and tangy with a hint of cocoa from the tootsie roll sitting in its center, but not too much that you’ve reached the chewiness just yet. I cant really speak of whether you will get a full on champagne experience when you drink this being as all I can taste and visualize in a tootsie pop, but I will say that your taste buds will tingle with bubbly happiness because this is tangy and tasty and leaves you wanting more!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea and Tins
Description
White tea, safflowers with champagne flavor and red raspberry flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Shortcake from The NecessiTeas. . . . .
One of my absolute, all-time, favorite summer desserts is strawberry shortcake. I have really, really fond memories of strawberry shortcake from when I was a kid. My nana and papa would always have BBQ get-together at their house and my nana would buy biscuits from the grocery store and we would pile them with cool whip and fresh strawberries. It was so good, so cool, and fresh, and summery. When I think of a strawberry shortcake tea, I want it to be crisp and fresh tasting…and of course, strawberry!
Upon opening my pre-packaged tin of Strawberry Shortcake by The NecessiTEA’s I smelled something really sweet, almost like cherry. I was really hoping for more of a fresh strawberry smell so this was a little different. I steeped it for three minutes and added a touch of agave. I’m still smelling cherry instead of strawberry which is slightly disappointing, but now I’m wondering if its maybe the vanilla mingling with the strawberry.
The white tea is very light and a perfect base for the sweet flavors of strawberry shortcake. I think that I would have enjoyed this more if I wasn’t smelling that artificial cherry scent…but that’s not to say that it isn’t a good blend. I’m actually wondering if I would enjoy this better iced. The aftertaste is definitely vanilla with a hint of cake, so I do think this was half true to it’s name, but I wish there was more fresh strawberry flavor opposed to “cherry”. Either way, it is definitely worth trying and next time I brew it I will brew it over ice!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Angel food cake perfectly combines with a light layer of sweet cream and juicy strawberries to create this guilt-free dessert. Enjoy hot or poured over ice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Meditative Mind from The Tea Spot. . . . .
With the new semester starting and my mind trying to keep up with all the things around it, I was more than down for a nice cup of soothing tea. I was glad to find just want I was searching for with this relaxing blend.
Meditative Mind is a very soft tea where your taste buds will be lightly touched by the flavors of the jasmine flower and the rose petals. And as I said before in my previous reviews, this power couple of these two flowers always is a good base for any tea in my book. Not to mention the white tea does a fabulous job of joining these two together.
Additionally, I am glad that the flavors of this tea are very subdued for that is the point of this tea. In my opinion, this should be a tea that you drink when you are trying to wind down either by listening to the rain or some light music. Giving you a chance to really experience each flavor without distraction.
Also, a great thing about this tea is that is moderately inexpensive. For a 1.5-ounce tin is $12.95 but if you buy a 2-ounce tin you save some change by paying only $12.25. But if you are still unsure The Tea Spot also offers $3 samples which according to their site is good for five 8 ounce cups, which I think is a perfect trial for any tea. Another thing to feel good about if you do purchase this tea is that 10% of all The Tea Spots’ sales go to cancer and community wellness programs. So, while you enjoy the warmth of one of their numerous teas you can be confident that your purchase is helping those who are less fortunate.
Now, will I purchase this tea in the future? Most definitely! Because not only is it a good blend for stress relief and relaxation but my money is also helping to maintain “the on–going wellness of cancer survivors and facilitating healthy habits to decrease cancer risks”.
See you for the next cuppa! Kara
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Description
Our beloved blend of pure Chinese white tea, rosebuds and jasmine pearls creates an experience of aromatherapy that sharpens the mind and arouses the senses. The exotic floral scent of night–blooming Jasmine is uplifting and soothing, and is used as an anti-depressant in herbal medicine. Rosebuds are used to ease nervous tension and stress, and have a calming effect on the mind. This combination works together to enhance the light, subtle flavor of the white tea leaves. This tea brews into a golden liquor with a very soothing fragrance, and is perfect before, during, or after a stressful day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
