I purchased this tea for a gentleman named Badger (okay, okay, technically his NICKNAME is Badger) who goes to college with my daughter and is serving as a bit of a guardian angel for her, for which her father and I are grateful.
Not only was the tea named BADGER, but it had hops in it, and Badger likes beer. It was fated that I would run across this tea while reviewing an entirely different one.
When I placed the order, I let the proprietors of A Quarter To Tea know of my heartbreak that I would not get to taste Badger Breakfast since we were giving it away, and they were gracious enough to immediately offer to send a sample so that we could try it. I don’t know tons about beer but I do know it has hops in it and I know that of the few I have tried, I preferred the somewhat bitter ones to the ones that had mainly high notes, if one speaks of beer that way.
The ratio of hops to tea was darn near equal. We put the whole sample in a Kamjove pot and steeped at 200F for three and a half minutes.
The bitter hops combined with the Indian black teas to produce a bitter cup…and the taste that lingered for quite a while with me was very like the effect I remember lingering from beer, a sort of dry scraping on the tongue that stays there and tingles a bit. It is different from astringency, very different.
We made a second steep, this time letting the leaves steep for four minutes. We tried some of it hot and it was now milder and less bitter, an easy feat to achieve on the first steep by using less leaf than we used if that is your aim, but I think this is SUPPOSED to be bitter like beer. And we let most of this steep sit out and get cold and I do mean cold. I think we liked it that way best of all!
I looked up some information about hops and found that they have a strong sedative affect, and straight hops tea has been used as a folk remedy to treat insomnia, tension, anxiety, and headaches for a long time. We definitely felt mellow after drinking this tea.
I think Mr. Badger is going to love this tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A surprising new spin on breakfast tea, straight from Wisconsin! A muscatel and rounded blend of black teas, with subtle fruit notes, with the effervescent quality of hopps.
On Wisconsin!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tropical Sunrise from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
Of course since it is summertime anything that sounds summery I am willing to try! Tropical Sunrise is about as summery as it gets. It’s a green tea with goji berries, coconut, and mango! The dry leaf smells very citrusy and I think this would taste best iced, but instead of truly icing it I just let it cool at room temperature for a little while. Once it cooled I gave it a try and it is very refreshing!
Whenever I see mango or goji berries or citrus in a tea’s description I wonder if it is going to be too tart or citrusy. This tea may have smelled citrusy, but it actually was well balanced between all of the ingredients. The green tea adds a fresh, cool, and vegetal flair. The mango, citrus, and goji berries do stick out but not overly so.
The creamy coconut gives it even more of a sweet and summery feel and definitely creates a great blend that I approve of, even though it includes ingredients that I don’t normally gravitate towards. I enjoyed this and feel like it would be a delicious and refreshing iced tea this summer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A creamy coconut tea with hints of mango and citrus accented with goji berries.
Excellent iced or cold brewed
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peach Crostata Yunnan Tea from A Quarter to Tea. . . .
I have never had a peach crostata. After having this tea, I sure would like to have some.
I have never had a peach crostata. After having this tea, I sure would like to have some.
I have had several peach teas and some are candy-like and some have a high, thin alcohol note from peach flavoring as it tries to mimic fresh peaches. This tea was all baked peaches and warmth, oven roasted deliciousness and heavenly scents. The tea had really nice body to go with the baked vibe, so you really know you are drinking TEA and good base at that.
The most surprising thing about this tea was that we re-steeped it for four minutes…and it was great. The color was still good and only slightly lighter than the first steep. The tea base still gave out lots of flavor and the peach was there, too. Then…another steep a good as the second. Then….how can it be? A fourth steep from that same original teaspoon of leaf came out just as tasty and still had lots of peach flavor. Even on steep four there was no doubt that we were drinking a peach tea. At no point did I taste really strong anise. Perhaps I didn’t get a piece in my infuser but I didn’t miss it, although I like anise and would not have objected to anise flavor being more prevalent.
Lots of teas re-steep pretty well, but usually the flavor either of the tea base or of the flavorings diminishes so much that the latter cups don’t have a huge resemblance to the first. The staying power of this tea was really impressive. Heck, I may even try for infusion number five!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A take on a late medieval version of a peach crostata, with warming spices and a rich peach flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peep Crispies from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
I have one, very important rule about Easter candy: Peeps. Must. Be. Stale.
Now. I understand that this is a very divisive stance. Statistically, about 50% of you right now are probably nodding in impassioned agreement, thinking “of COURSE! What other way is there to eat them?!” and the other 50% of you are probably sharpening your pitchforks and chanting “off with her head!”
Okay. So maybe not *quite* that impassioned. But little did I know that there was even room for another rule in the world of Peeps: they should be brewed. As a tea. And sipped often.
I know. You’re thinking I’ve lost my mind– and I promise, I’m not actually sticking sugary marshmallows into cups of tea and waiting for them to melt (because that sounds like a sticky mess)– but with this green blend from A Quarter to Tea, I may as well be for as delightfully spot-on as this flavor is. A green genmaicha with toasty, popped rice, marshmallow root, and adorably bright sprinkles, this tea is maybe a little bit closer to a toasted (dare I say it– or even a stale) peep than a fresh & puffy, right-out-of-the-package little guy, but if that’s even close to sounding tasty to you, you must give this one a try. All of the seasonal delight with so much less of the high fructose corn syrup and neon-colored sugar dusting. I’ll be sipping this one long after Peter Rabbit has finished his seasonal duties and left for summer vacation.
Now, there’s only one thing left to do– leave the bag open for a few days and see if peeps tea is as good stale as the actual marshmallows. Can’t hurt, right? 😉
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A toasted marshmallow delight with roasty genmaicha, marshmallow, and brightly colored sprinkles
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Banana Split from A Quarter to Tea. . . .
Everyone knows I love banana teas, and I also love dessert teas, especially ones modeled after ice cream. I have had tremendous luck with this company, A Quarter to Tea. Their flavors are so different and interesting, and all of their teas are really well done. This one, Banana Split, I knew would be extra special the minute I smelled it. It really smells like a banana split- banana, cocoa, and strawberry. The white tea leaves were big and fluffy. I was really excited to try it!
On taste, I can honestly say it was spot on. The white tea was creamy and light, the banana and strawberry was fruity and sweet, and the chocolate and caramel flavors added a nice flair that was definitely reminiscent of a delicious banana split sundae. This is definitely a great dessert tea, for its rich and flavorful. Although the flavors are rich, the white tea lends a nice creamy, but light, background and allows the other flavors to take the stage. The first flavor I notice is definitely banana. The banana is followed by chocolate and strawberry, and then finished with caramel, vanilla, and cream.
I have always recommended A Quarter to Tea since the first time I tried them, but I am really going to have to recommend that everyone try this one especially if you are looking for a guilt-free dessert tea. You don’t even have to add sweetener to this, the flavors are sweet and rich enough as is! A definite favorite of mine.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Vanilla custard, bananas, strawberry and a hint of caramel and chocolate come together to make this creamy, fruity dessert tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!