Hello, tea lovers! Today is day eight of this holiday countdown, which means there are seventeen days until the big day, sixteen days to shop before the big day gets here and there have been eight wonderful days of tea!
Today’s artwork was created by artist Liane Ceglar for one of the 12 Days of Christmas swaps that I was involved in.
I’m quite proud of my Christmas tree. Well, not the tree itself (I’m actually in need of a new artificial tree as the one we have now is quite old and has had better days), but what I’m proud of is that every single ornament is different, and I’d estimate that 85 – 90% of the ornaments on the tree are handmade and of those handmade ornaments. I grew up in a household that had a very boring tree with boring round, glass bulb type ornaments. You know, the kind that you buy in the store and they all look the same?
One thing about my tree – it’s not boring! I love that every year when it comes time to put up the tree, that I’m not only putting up decorations but little works of art. Like this piece from Liane. This is one of my favorite ornaments because I love how the crystal bead reflects the light.
Let’s find out what tea Teanzo sent me on this, the eighth day of our holiday countdown!
Acai Berry Green Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Reminiscent of juicy berries, this healthy loose leaf green tea is full of antioxidants. Acai Berry Green Tea has a sweet finish without using any added sweeteners, so you can drink this luscious green tea guilt-free. Acai berry is also known as the youth berry. You will love this berry tea! Drink it as a hot tea or serve this berrylicious tea over ice.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Acai berry tends to be a tart berry, so I usually am just a bit apprehensive when it comes to trying an acai berry tea. I’m not big on tarty flavors in tea, however, I do appreciate a tart taste when the overall tea offers a balance of both sweet and tart notes. I like there to be a contrast.
And with this tea, there is a nice contrast between sweet and tart. The sweet, fresh flavors of the green tea offer a pleasing counter note to the tart berry.
The sip starts out sweet with light grassy notes and a buttery taste and texture from the green tea. The description of the tea does not indicate the type of green tea used in this blend but based on the taste and appearance of the tea, I would guess that it’s a Chinese Sencha. It has that smooth, buttery flavor of a Chinese Sencha, and I like the way these flavors mingle with the tart of the Acai.
By mid-sip, my palate is introduced to the notes of berry. These notes start out gentle and sweet and as the sip approaches the finish, the tart notes begin to develop. And then there is that berry, tarty tingle at the finish.
To brew this tea, I used my Kati Tumbler again and poured the fragrant sample into the basket, and added 12 ounces of water heated to 175°F. I let the tea steep for 2 minutes. The brewed liquid is a golden green color and has a delicate berry aroma.
I enjoyed the tea served hot, but I stopped drinking it hot after I had finished about half the cup so that I could try it cold. I think this is even better as it cools! The flavors become smoother and more unified. This would make a very refreshing iced tea when the weather is warm!
It’s good hot, even better iced!
Eight Treasures Valentine Blend from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yabao & Green Tea & Tulsi
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
Unique and unexpected. This version of their amazing Eight Treasures Winter blend has been altered to emphasize the surprising similarity with a Valentine’s tradition – candy hearts. If you break the flavours down, this blend is complex – sweet and almost candy-like,with lively citrus, warming vanilla and natural wood and pine.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I probably say this every month, but I’m always so excited when my Amoda Tea box arrives! I was especially excited for this month’s tea box because I had read on Steepster that this would be a “special” blend box, similar to what we received in December. This month, Amoda Tea teamed up with another one of my favorite tea vendors: Verdant Tea!
And this special Eight Treasures Valentine Blend from Verdant Tea is the first tea that I’m tasting from this month’s Amoda Tea Box. Having previously tried their Eight Treasures Yabao Blend, I felt pretty confident that I’d enjoy this Eight Treasures too.
The ingredients of this blend are similar to the previously tasted and reviewed Eight Treasures, with a few notable differences: this blend has juniper, tulsi and burdock, while the previously reviewed tea has goji berry, marigold and honeysuckle. The result is a drink that tastes slightly warmer … spicier. The previous tea had a more floral and fruity taste – I’d liken it to a “springtime” sort of flavor, while this tea that sits before me has more of a warm “wintertime” kind of flavor to it.
I taste notes of marshmallow from the yabao and these mingle nicely with the vanilla notes. The above description suggests a “valentine hearts candy” sort of taste, and I get that. It does have a sweet taste that is vaguely reminiscent of those little hearts that say “Be Mine” or “Kiss Me” on them.
I also taste the woodsy notes that the description suggests and these notes give it a very winter-y kind of taste: imagine a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace and sipping on tea with your valentine! This tea inspires thoughts like those.
I found that my second infusion was even more delicious than my first – the sweet notes seemed more intense and those “candy heart” notes were better defined in the second cup.
This is a really delightful blend from Verdant, and this box from Amoda Tea makes me a happy subscriber once again.
On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent To Me…
Usually, I like to start these 12 Days of Christmas Teas reviews with a little bit of chatter. However, today’s tea is really something I’ve been waiting for since I started in on the box. I kept hoping that this tea would be in this box, and now that it’s here, I can’t wait any longer … so enough of the chit-chat!
On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas sent me this tea:
Eight Candles
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
On this, your eighth day you will have Eight Candles, lit brightly in your cup. The eight maids a’milking will be a bit jealous with this one.
Caramel and marshmallow flavors abound in this perfectly blended black tea. Sip after sip the magic of this season is tasted within!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is it! This is the tea I was HOPING would be in this box. It was taking almost every ounce of willpower I had to keep from ordering this tea, because it was receiving such high praise on Steepster, I really wanted to see if it was as good as everyone was making it out to be. And as I don’t have a lot of willpower as it is when it comes to tea, let me just say that it was extraordinarily difficult to NOT order this tea and be patient and wait to see if it was in my box.
And here it is, Yay!
And Oh.My.Gawd! It is good! Yummy yum yum!
I’ve tried a few teas with marshmallows in them, and I’ve enjoyed most if not all that I’ve tried. I can’t think of one that I didn’t like … but, this one … this one is the BEST one yet. This really tastes like marshmallow. While sipping this, I experience that joyful feeling that as a kid I would have experienced when eating marshmallows.
My favorite marshmallow maker is 240Sweet (and trust me, you should try their marshmallows, they are heavenly), and this cup of tea is a bit like 240Sweet in my teacup … except, this doesn’t have some of those really exotic flavors. This doesn’t taste like Avocado and Lime. Or like Sweet Potato and Ginger. This just tastes like sweet, fluffy marshmallows with a drizzle of caramel … these would be more like the Salted Caramel Swirl Marshmallow from 240Sweet, minus the salt.
The black tea can also be tasted here, but, I also have to admit that I didn’t even think about the black tea until I was nearly finished with the cup. I was too wrapped up in marshmallow bliss. The black tea is delicious, and melds together with the flavors of marshmallow and caramel very seamlessly.
What I’m liking best about this cup, and this is something I only just thought of as I sit here considering the flavors that are dancing in my mouth … the burnt-sugar taste of the caramel gives the marshmallow-y notes a sort of toasted taste. This tastes like liquified roasted marshmallows!
If you don’t like sweet tasting teas, this tea is not for you. But if you love the flavor of roasted marshmallows … then, you’re going to love this tea.