90% of the time, I’m not really a white tea fan. It’s kinda floral, it’s a little too light for me, I’m not entirely sure I’m fancy enough to be able to claim it as my own– etc., etc. But the other 10%? Meaning, the few months out of the year that I bust out my white tea sample backlog and put it on ice? White tea and I are bffs, you guys.
This particular blend from 52 Teas claims to be orange-cream-y, a bit fruity, perfect summertime sipping (as the name would suggest). It may have just been my sample, but I’m not positive that I picked up on the orange/cream, but there were delightful, fresh and summery hints of citrus undertones, a slightly vegetal-honeyed note that was at once light and reminiscent of syrup-y gold. I paired this iced cup with a splash of lemonade, which only enhanced those notes, and friends– it was to die for.
Leave it to 52 Teas to make a white tea believer out of me yet!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
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!
April Siesta from 52Teas. . . . .
Okay April Siesta, I see you, okay. Now I want to start off this review saying that my love of this tea was 110% unexpected. The ingredients are not my usual (aside from chamomile- because unlike a lot of people, I actually am a fan of chamomile). However, the ingredients of lemon, orange, and licorice definitely scared me. Licorice, not as much as lemon and orange. I am not usually the kind of girl that wants tart tea or citrus flavors. When I smelled the dry leaf, I could smell citrus and it definitely made me second guess trying it and just writing it off as a “no”. But- I forged on and made myself a cup. I have always loved chamomile. I just think it is a great herb, not only because I love its honeyed taste, but because it is just so soothing. I get a lot of anxiety and a lot of nausea, especially when I am stressed. Chamomile always helps, even if its in a small way, there is always something positive that I receive from a cup of chamomile tea.
I tried this tea sans agave at first, and while I don’t think that it actually needed any sweetener I still added some. I probably wont next time because it really isn’t needed (I am known for accidentally over-sweetening my teas!). The first thing I noticed was the smell of orange and lemon- lemon more so than the orange. Meh. I really dislike citrus. Thankfully the smell is more powerful than the taste. The citrus is still there, but its tolerable. The next taste I notice is definitely the honeybush and chamomile! Both have sweet, honey, herbal qualities about them. Yum! The last thing I notice is the licorice and also the star anise, which of course have qualities all their own- sweet, but in a different way. I don’t normally like the flavor of licorice, but I think it all depends on what it is. There are these Italian black licorice candies that i’ve tried and they taste horrid. But I’ve tried licorice flavors in teas and I don’t always hate them. I guess it all depends on what it is and what it’s mixed with and how it’s done!
This tea was done really, really well! I really did enjoy it and I really did find it so relaxing! I may even order a larger bag because I think this is something I would drink as part of my nighttime ritual. The citrus aspect gives it a light, fluffy, “spring” feel. The licorice and star anise give it a unique twist. The honeybush and chamomile give it an herbal/honey feel. Definite A+ from me! A must try before it is gone.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
I have a confession (although, for anyone who has read many of my reviews from back when I was a tea reviewer – this probably isn’t much of a confession) – I’m not particularly fond of chamomile. Oh, I’ll drink it (on a rare occasion) but it’s not a tea/tisane that I’ll grab enthusiastically. It’s not something I’ll brew every day – I certainly don’t like it that much.
That said, I don’t hate it either. I’m just kinda ‘meh’ about it. Not my favorite thing – you know?
I’ve crafted one blend with chamomile during my time as the Mad Tea Artist of 52Teas – At Play in the Fields of Love – which I blended as a VIT for a special customer. Now, I’m crafting my second chamomile blend – and I’m blending it with one of my very favorite flavors: Licorice! I absolutely love licorice and all herb-y things related to licorice, like licorice root, anise and fennel. But interestingly enough – this is my first time blending a licorice blend. (Although, I did use licorice root in the Butter Beer reblend.) I have refrained from using licorice as a primary flavor in my blends up until now because I realize that it is a somewhat polarizing flavor – most people either love it or hate it – and it seems like it’s a even balance between those that like it and those that don’t. It’s kind of hard to create a winning blend with a featured flavor that is so polarizing.
But I’m hoping that with this blend – I’ve done just that.
One day while cruising through the internet – I stumbled upon a recipe for a cocktail called “April Siesta.” The cocktail features Absinthe which is a licorice-y liqueur and Curacao which is a citrus-y liqueur. These two liqueurs are combined with Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and simple syrup and topped off with a lemon twist.
So this is my take on this cocktail that I’ve never actually tasted but was inspired by. I started with organic honeybush, added some chamomile (because when I think ‘siesta’ – the first herb that comes to mind is chamomile), added licorice root, star anise and some citrus (orange and lemon) wedges. I didn’t want the citrus to be too intrusive because I really wanted the licorice-y flavors to be the star of the show but I didn’t want the licorice to be so sharp that those who aren’t particularly fond of licorice might appreciate this beverage too.
I love this! I can honestly say that this is my favorite blend with chamomile in it – mostly because I can’t really taste the chamomile. Instead, I get sweet licorice with light citrus background notes. Yummy!
organic ingredients: honeybush, chamomile, orange, lemon, licorice root, star anise and natural flavors
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Briar Patch from 52Teas . . . . .
What is tulsi? Apparently, it is another word for “Holy Basil”. Apparently its a very powerful and multi-functional herb. The other ingredients in this blend were interesting as well- green tea, a myriad of berries, black pepper, and long pepper. I’ve never had a blend that was more on the savory side like this one seems to be. Try something new everyday, right?
The dry mixture smelled mostly like berries, but the steeped liquid smelled very herb-y. I could smell the pepper and I do believe that I could smell a hint of basil.
My first taste was very herb-y as well. I mean this takes herbal to another level, but the base was green tea and I could taste that. There’s a refreshing quality to any tea that has a green tea base, they’re always thirst quenchers. The berries were there, but the main star was definitely the tulsi followed by a hint of pepper and berries. I cant sit here and say that this is my favorite blend ever, I also cant sit here and say that I disliked it.
In truth, I don’t really know how I feel about this. It is so different and unique. It’s not my usual and it’s definitely not in line with my preferences, but there was something intriguing about it that kept me sipping more. I came out of my comfort zone to try this blend, and I am really glad I did! A must try…but all 52 Teas’ blends are!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/Herbal
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
Earlier this year, I played around with some Tulsi when I blended the RandyCandy and the Hot & Unbothered blends. I enjoyed the result of both those teas, so I decided that I wanted to further explore the joy of Tulsi! This time, I decided to try blending it with some berry flavors!
This is really tasty! I started with a blend of organic Tulsi (Green, Purple & Wild Leaf Tulsi) and added some organic Chinese Sencha. Then I added a blend of berries (strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry & juniper berries) – ok, ok, so juniper berries aren’t actually berries but because I added juniper berries to this blend, it just seemed like the appropriate time to mention that. Then I added some crushed black peppercorns as well as some long pepper.
The result? A really tasty beverage that tastes a little bit herb-y/vegetative, a little bit warm and spicy, a little bit sweet and a little bit tart. The berry is really nice in this and I like the contrast in flavors between the cool, herbaceous basil/mint notes from the tulsi and the hint of zesty heat from the pepper.
It tastes a little bit like what taking a hike into the woods and foraging for berries might feel like. Or at least what I imagine that might feel like (as I’ve never actually foraged for berries before and I would no doubt end up picking the wrong berry). It has a rustic, woodsy kind of flavor to it, somewhat earthy and nicely spiced!
organic ingredients: green tea, tulsi (green, purple & wild leaf varieties), strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, juniper berries, black peppercorns, long pepper and natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Maple Marshmallow from 52Teas. . . . .
When I saw the name of this blend, I was really excited! I had no idea what a ‘maple marshmallow treat’ tasted like, but if it had maple in it, it had to be good! Visually, the dry blend was very pretty, with the yellow calendula petals, green tea leaves, and popped brown rice. The blend smelled earthy, grassy, and slightly sweet.
While the dry blend smelled more earthy and grass-like, a nice roasted brown rice aroma developed after steeping. I’m not sure how, but the pale yellow liquor tasted like maple syrup! It was reminiscent of a sweet flaky dessert that was covered in in the sweet syrup. The roasted brown rice taste surfaced at the tail end and lingered in the mouth.
This tea would be great if you are having a craving for something sweet (or enjoy maple syrup)!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available. . click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Orange Cardamom Pistachio Honeybush from 52Teas. . . . . .
I needed a special tea to go with Pad Thai Zoodles tonight. Zoodles are spiralized zucchini “noodles” used like you use pasta. There were carrots and sweet peppers, spring onions and chopped walnuts, along with potstickers and a lime soy sauce. Lots of flavor in the food means that some green teas would get lost as an accompaniment.
In steps this delightful Honeybush. I think my daughter put it best when she said, “Mom, this tea is more complicated than a woman.”
On top and up front we taste orange, with the cardamom warming the back of the sip. This is some of the warmest cardamom I have had. I usually perceive cardamom as lemony but this one had me checking the package to see if maybe there was just of hint of some kind of chili pepper in here. No, just tasting the cardamom. And it’s just a little nutty. In other words, it was the perfect accompaniment to the meal and had hubby picking up the (empty) pot looking for more. Guess I better make another pot!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
