My daughter is one of THOSE people who goes crazy over pumpkin-everything in the fall. When I saw this sample, I knew we had to taste it together, so I packed it up for the trip out of town to her place.
The dry leaf smells wonderful, with a creamy vanilla and spice scent that is very promising. The white tea leaves are large and there are chunks of all kinds of goodies in this blend. We followed the recommended steeping instructions to a T.
The steeped tea has a wonderfully comforting aroma, different from the leaves. The dry leaf smelled primarily of vanilla and caramel to me, but the clove is intensified by steeping and the aroma of clove tingles in your nose as you take your first sips. It isn’t strong enough to over-tingle the tongue or detract from the creamy caramel and vanilla flavors.
My daughter said she was pleased to find that she tasted PUMPKIN, and not just pumpkin spices as is so often the case. Maybe that is because of the sweet potato bits in the blend.
This was a limited edition blend that is presently sold out, so why review it? Because it may give readers a good idea of the skill of the tea blenders at A Quarter To Tea and some insight into the quality of their ingredients.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Ginger and pumpkin with a slight pastry and note cool into a dreamy caramel creme.
Abundant caramel when slightly cooled.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rose Water Shortbread from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
If I am being honest, this is probably the tea in April’s tea box that I was least excited about. I blame the Rose Water for that. When I think Rose Water, I think of sickly sweet desserts like baklava and gulab jamun. I don’t mean any offense as I know these are loved by many but they just aren’t for me and I thought the same might be said for this tea. Add to that the fact that I don’t really love white teas and you might get my hesitation here.
However, this tea came in the monthly box which means someone took the time to carefully craft this tea, testing it and perfecting it until they felt it was worthy enough to be sold. When a friend once commented at a restaurant how weird a dish on the menu sounded and questioned why anyone would eat it, my father said that chefs don’t just put things on their menus willy nilly but rather they partake in trial and error until they think they came up with something that is worth serving in their restaurant and if nothing else, it is worth a try. That stuck with me and I think about it whenever I’m at a restaurant but also I think that applies here. So even though these aren’t flavors I love, I know that Lauren at A Quarter to Tea would not be sending a tea she didn’t think was awesomely delicious so the least I could do is give it a taste.
Lucky for me I had enough sense not to try and pass this along without sampling it because as soon as I cut open the package I knew I was in for a treat. The smell of the dry leaf just filled the air!
This is one tasty, TASTY tea!! It’s like a rich and buttery graham cracker or maybe a shortbread with a slight cinnamon sugar glaze. Sweet but no where near sickly. Just smooth. Sugary. Baked goods. Deliciousness. It took me by surprise but now that I have tried it, I can say with confidence I will be having this again.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Sweetly floral white tea with vanilla, butter and a touch of cinnamon.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Gathering Berries from 52Teas. . . .
52 Teas has done a few houjicha/white tea blends, all of which I have enjoyed. I was particularly interested in this one because of the mulberries. If you have never seen mulberries, google them. They are cool looking. I have never eaten them or elderberries before. So I was definitely interested in trying this.
I always enjoy houjicha. It adds a warmth and toasty-ness to the cup. The white tea that Anne (mad tea artist at 52 Teas) adds usually rounds out the toasty-ness and gives it a fuzzy sweetness and maybe even a tad bit of floral flavor. Once steeped, this blend smelled fruity but I could also smell the toasty houjicha. Just like all the other houjicha/white tea blends from 52 teas, I really enjoyed this one. I can not speak to the specifics of how realistic the flavors of the berries were because aside from drinking this tea, I have never had them! What I can say, though, is that this tea was so good. I really like the fact that these berries are actually really sweet, and not tart (like raspberries or blackberries can be). I am actually now wanting to try elderberries and golden mulberries on their own to see if I like eating them. These ingredients are so different, and they really blend well with the tea leaves. I like that the houjicha/white tea brings this toasty warmth and the berries bring a sweet warmth.
Together they make a very enjoyable cup of tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/White Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
Tea Description: One of my fellow tea blenders gave me the idea of blending Shou Mei (white tea) with Houjicha (roasted green tea) to create a base that’s mildly toasty. And I gotta tell you, I really like the result! The Shou Mei softens the rich toasty flavor of the Houjicha a little bit and creates a flavor that evokes thoughts of walking through the forest when the autumn leaves have fallen. (You’ll just have to try this to understand what I mean!)
The idea of walking through a forest after the autumn leaves have fallen brought thoughts of gathering berries to mind so I decided to turn that imagery into a tea! To the base of Shou Mei and Houjicha, I added some dried ‘wild’ berries: black currants, elderberries, blueberries and golden mulberries.
This is the kind of tea you want to brew a great big mug of and curl up in a warm, cozy blanket with a good book and that great big mug of this tea. It’s delightfully sweet and tart with a really lovely toasty tone. Deliciously different!
organic ingredients: white tea, roasted green tea, black currants, elderberries, blueberries, golden mulberries and natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Pina Colada from Tea and Tins. . . .
I have kind of been on a roll here, trying all sorts of pina colada and coconut flavored teas. I have said it before and ill say it again, they both really are my favorite flavors in the summertime. I can honestly say, with 100% certainty, that thus far this White Pina Colada tea is hands down the best i’ve tried. I am SO GLAD I bought two ounces of it.
irst off it smells like pina colada mix, so right off the bat it is realistic and giving me visions of me laying on an island beach in a bikini catchin’ some rays. Second off, when it comes to taste- I swear my taste buds are dancing. The white tea is fluffy and creamy, the coconut is nutty and sweet, and the pineapple is subtle and fruity. Altogether, it forms the most amazing pina colada tea. The taste lingers long after the sip is gone, and it leaves me wanting more. This hot cup is so fragrant and enticing. I literally could close my eyes and pretend I was laying poolside sipping a pina colada! I guarantee this blend would be ahhh-mazing iced in the middle of summer. I also have the bright idea that with a splash of milk, this would be an awesome frozen tea-pop. This is definitely a must try, everyone.
The perfect summer beverage!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea and Tins
Description
Ingredients: Bai Mudan white tea, shredded coconut, pineapple bits, coconut and pineapple flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Peach Iced Tea from Story of My Tea. . . .
Story of My Tea has been one company that has peaked my interest several times. Between their social campaigns and reading the thoughts of fellow tea bloggers, Story of My Tea appears to be one that we should take note of.
Especially with their new iced tea offerings.
I’m one of those tea drinkers who is extremely picky about their peach tea flavorings. It seems that artificial peach flavors are a dime a dozen, but teas that have that fresh crisp peach tea are ones that you have to search for. So to say I was skeptical of Story of My Tea’s White Peach Iced Tea is a fair statement.
Since there are a few of us at the office who adore iced tea, I thought I’d share and brew up a pitcher for all to enjoy. Story of My Tea’s White Peach Iced Tea is already in a convenient tea bag that is perfect for just throwing in a pitcher, fill the pitcher with cold water, and you are all set. Refrigerate for a few hours and you are greeted with iced tea.
I poured a few glasses full and delivered the tea to my co-workers. The feedback I received was pretty unanimous. This was the best peach tea that had ever had. Smooth, sweet, with a delicious peach undertone that was fresh and perfect for the upcoming summer months. I took my first sip and I have to agree with them.
This iced tea is one of the better ones I’ve had. Overall, the flavors were crisp, fresh, and full of peachy goodness. Lush, silky, juicy peach notes swirl and mingle in every sip. White Peach Iced Tea is one that demands attention in a very subtle way. And since this tea is packed in an iced tea bag that you can keep adding in fresh cold water to keep the brew going all day.
If you are looking for a great tea to share, I highly recommend this one. It is a crowd pleaser for sure! In just a few days, the Kickstarter Campaign for this iced tea and the rest of the iced tea collection will be going live. I have a feeling I’ll be supporting this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Story of My Tea
Description
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All natural specialty iced teas.
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Picked to taste great when cold brewed.
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Pre-packed into filter pouches using a special algorithm to deliver a spot on flavor.
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Makes 1 quart of cold steeped iced tea.
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No Equipment or hot water necessary.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
