Blendbee has some of the most amazing smelling teas! Focus from BlendBee is one of those teas! Upon opening the package I could smell lemon-orange-chocolate! The second sniff is when I noticed the gently roasted, savory, and floral notes. Usually I would think all of these conflicting aromas would be weird together but they seemed to fit here. I could get over the amazing aroma!
The original reason I reached for this tea today was because I was having a hard time focusing. I’m not going to make any claims or anything here BUT once I smelled this tea I know I couldn’t FOCUS on anything other that how awesome it smelled! I knew I had to take the next step, tho! I added the water and waited 3 or 4 minutes before sipping. Once the tea was infused it was harder to identify each of those ingredients with a single sniff but it still smelled YUMMY.
Focus from BlendBee ‘brewed’ dark brown and I could taste a combo of Yerba Mate, Black Tea, Lemon, and Orange, mostly. In follow up sips I could taste the chicory and it was done perfectly! It was hanging out in the background and wasn’t over powering! The rose and chocolaty notes were more on the end sip and aftertaste and were lovely, too! This is a Yerba Mate/Black Tea blend I could see myself drinking often! YUM!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Sharpen your mind & stay focused.
This invigorating black tea & yerba mate blend was specifically designed for a tea lover whose favorite tea was discontinued. We recreated it for her, and to our delight, we loved this blend and decided to whole world should have it. It definitely helps you to stay focused and has a great energy. Enjoy!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
#FanaticFriday: The Archer Tea (Formerly Daryl Dixon Tea) from Adagio Signature Fandom Blends
#FanaticFriday: The Archer Tea (Formerly Daryl Dixon Tea) from Adagio Signature Fandom Blends is today’s tag and The Archer Tea (Formerly Daryl Dixon Tea) from Adagio Signature Fandom Blends is today’s tea! That’s right it’s another #FanaticFriday Tea here at Sororitea Sisters! This one is for the fans of The Walking Dead!
Season 7 of The Walking Dead premieres on October 23rd so we still have over a month to go before we get our fix. In the meantime I thought I would tide you over with this tea blended by Chris Diaz.
When I initially bought this tea it was called Daryl Dixon but has since been re-named The Archer. Either way I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings of this blend. #FanaticFriday: The Archer Tea (Formerly Daryl Dixon Tea) from Adagio Signature Fandom Blends has ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ in there! Okay – maybe not – but it has a LOT of ingredients! There is a LOT going on here but it all seems to work!
I’m enjoying the flavored Yerba Mate base here but it has a bit more Hibiscus than I would like in one sitting. But that doesn’t rip me away from this tea! I also like that he used Green Tea in this one as well. I think that the Ginseng counteracts the hibiscus a tad but maybe the addition of more ginseng and by using a bit less of the hibiscus this would have been (even more) my speed. There is a LOT of citrus here and I like that but it almost encourages the hibiscus to shine more – almost like a pier pressure type situation.
Having said that…I do like The Archer Tea (Formerly Daryl Dixon Tea) from Adagio Signature Fandom Blends. I prefer it iced. I think this is a wonderful tribute to the character and the series and can’t wait for Season 7 of The Walking Dead!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea/Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio
Description:
The long lasting energy of Mate meets the more well known energy levels of Green Ginseng Tea and Orange. Blood Orange and Green Tea with Ginseng are for a more immediate kick of energy, whilst Yerba Mate keeps your energy level elevated. All the power of coffee or energy drinks minus the shakes or sweats that follow.
ingredients & lore
blended with green tea, yerba mate tea, orange peels, rose hips, hibiscus, natural ginseng flavor, natural orange flavor, ginger root, natural lemon flavor, marigold flowers
teas: citrus mate, ginseng green, blood orange
accented with orange peels, hibiscus and lemon verbena Inspired by Daryl Dixon from AMC’s The Walking Dead. I do not own nor do I claim to have ownership of such. steep at 190° for 3 mins
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chocolate Buddha from Red Clover Tea and Herbs
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Red Clover Tea and Herbs
Tea Description:
Drinking this tea always makes me think of the Happy Buddha. It brings me such joy. The combination of the peppermint, chocolate and Yerba Mate create such a delicious sweet chocolate mint tea that leaves you feeling recharged, nourished and happy! It’s a sweet minty tea with a chocolate finish.
INGREDIENTS
Fair Trade Yerba Mate tea, Peppermint, roasted Cacao Nibs, Dark Chocolate pieces, Red Ginseng root & Stevia leaf. All organic
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Red Clover Tea and Herbs is one of those tea companies that I think sometimes goes unnoticed. It really is one of those hidden gems. I know even when you Google it, you have to dig a bit. But what a find! The teas are hand blended delights that you keep you coming back for more.
This blend is a yerba mate blend which I love. Yerba Mate is one of those unique teas that I keep on hand when I want something a little different from the same old same old and it always is satisfying. Take Yerba Mate, peppermint, roasted cacao nibs, dark chocolate, red ginseng root & stevia leaf. Such a unique combo that I can’t say I’ve seen anywhere else.
Brewed this up per the sample pkg’s instructions and had a gorgeous cuppa awaiting me in about 7 minutes. I can’t say I really got much of anything else than a chocolate note from the dry leaves. I was hoping that the chocolate wouldn’t dominate the tea and I was in luck it didn’t.
Unfortunately, the stevia leaf did. The tea itself is really fabulous and fantastic. A lush and silky like blend that reminds me of a candy bar but there is an off taste through each sip that is the stevia leaf. Sometimes I can’t pick the stevia leaf up in blends and others it is overwhelming. This blend doesn’t have an overwhelming blend but it is definitely there.
If this tea didn’t have the stevia leaf in it, I would be sold and this WOULD become a daily tea. Who wouldn’t want to drink a liquid candy bar each and every day to stomp on that sweet tooth that plagues so many of us. Still overall, I was able to finish my cuppa without much of a fuss. Just wish the stevia leaf was either eliminated or just toned down.
Product Review: White Chocolate with Jumpy Monkey Yerba Mate from DAVIDsTEA
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate/Chocolate
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTEA
Tea Description:
Looking for a rich and decadent pick-me-up? Check out this deliciously creamy chocolate bar, a combination of the finest imported white chocolate and our java-spiked Jumpy Monkey tea. With yerba mate, cocoa nibs and coffee beans, it makes for an exotic taste of the rainforest at its finest. Made in partnership with a Montreal chocolatier.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had this tea before as a latte, and as far as I can remember it wasn’t too impressive. Kind of run of the mill, actually? However I was still pretty pumped to see it in chocolate bar format at the store yesterday because, first off, I love white chocolate though also because even though I’m not a huge fan of coffee I have a special place in my heart for white chocolate coated coffee beans. My Dad used to buy them in bulk, and late at night I’d sneak into the kitchen (when I was around eleven) and eat small handfuls out of the bag in the pantry. And of course, I’d have problems falling asleep after that…
However, this is a slight let down if I’m being honest. I mean, the white chocolate is really good! I love the white chocolate that DAVIDsTEA uses for these chocolate bars. The problem, for me, is that it really over powers the flavour of the tea/coffee. It doesn’t help part of the profile of this tea is white chocolate in the first place. I’m conflicted by this. One thing I dislike about DAVIDsTEA’s chocolate bars is that the infused chunks are often too large but in this rare occasion I really wanted more large pieces because without them the tea is lost. I wish there was a better way to ensure a more consistent size for the pieces used in these chocolate bars, but I don’t know what the best way to go about finding it would be. However, it does at least seems like DAVIDsTEA is trying to do that because these newer bars do at least seem to consistently use smaller pieces and I know that was something that was really being criticized prior to the change. So I commend them for that.
But without the flavour of the tea, this is just a super expensive white chocolate bar.
Pomegranate Melon from Fusion Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Rooibos/Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Fusion Teas
Tea Description:
This unique combination merges tangy pomegranate and sweet melon into a surprisingly complex tea. Every sip takes you on a journey of flavors that is sure to intrigue and delight.
Tasting Notes:
candied apple, rainforest, campfire
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Let’s start this review off with talking about how gorgeous this blend is. I love the pops of bright colors. Just makes the tea blend so warm and inviting. The aroma I get from the dry leaf is the same. Sweet and alluring. From the beginning, I’ve got high hopes for this tea.
Brewed this tea up like an herbal- 5 minutes at 212F and just let the aroma take me away. This tea reminds me of summer. Summer pool parties and the beach. The melon fragrance is very prominent, giving you that summer feel. After the five minutes was up, I took my first sip.
This tea has such a lovely melon flavor. Melon in tea is hard to accomplish but they’ve done it with this blend. This reminds me more of a cross between watermelon and honey dew. Almost like the fruit you would see at a pool party. That is exactly what this tea tastes like. A huge bowl of fresh cantaloupe, watermelon, and honey dew. The pomegranate flavor is there but it is more in the background giving a slight tart contrast. The green rooibos is giving the tea an extra tang of sweetness while the yerba mate is bringing it back down with a grassy finish. This tea would be a phenomenal iced tea in the summer months or if you need to brighten up your day, this tea would definitely do it.
This may not be a tea I could see drinking everyday but I think this would be a great tea to serve at a party or over ice with some fresh berries in it while relaxing outside. Such a tasty treat!