It’s getting to be summertime and cherries are in season. You can see them in a glorious, burgundy bundle at the grocery store or the farmer’s market. With summertime cherries on my mind, it seemed like the perfect time to try Black Cherries and Sweet Cream tea from A Quarter to Tea.
The dry tea leaves and the first minute of steeping was all about the cream, wafting sweet waves of vanilla out of my mug. As the tea cooled and I got my first taste, the cherries started to shine. This tea is named for black cherries specifically, and you can taste the dark, full, fruit flavor in the tea. This is certainly not the red cherry flavor of chewy candy or medicine, nor the syrupy maraschino cherry that goes on top of your sundae. This blend truly tastes like fresh black cherries and a dollop of cream. Even without milk and sugar, this blend is smooth and decadent, though it never gets too sweet.
There is a distinct tartness in this brew, both from the natural fruit notes and from a tanginess to the cream. This tartness goes well with the astringent black tea base, matching the bright and sharp tone of the tea leaves. This blend reminds me of the taste of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, with vanilla yogurt and burst of black cherries. The vanilla is creamy, but has enough complexity to remind me of true frozen yogurt, or even a slice of cherry cheesecake.
This is a great dessert blend to go with a cherry pie at that summer barbecue!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter to Tea
Description:
Luscious black cherries with a medium body darjeeling base, paired with heavy notes of cream and vanilla. Decadent enough to make a magister proud.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peach Crostata from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
What is a peach crostata? I feel like its some sort of pastry…so I googled it. I was right, its a pastry covered in sliced peaches. Yummy. I love peach anything and I also love anything that includes pie crust or pastry dough. But you know what I love even more? Teas that remind me of my favorite desserts, because they are virtually calorie free. Guilt free yumminess, how can you go wrong?
When I first checked out this sample bag I was immediately impressed because it included an anise star, which was cool because that is how the tea was advertised, with a star anise. So it was cool to get one in my sample bag, I just think they are so pretty. Once steeped I could smell the peach mingling with the sweet and light spices. Since this tea was created after a crostata, I was hoping for some sort of pastry or pie crust/bakery flavor. I definitely think that this tea was spot on! Its a little tough to explain, but after swallowing, the mouth feel is definitely pastry crust. The peach flavor is very light and so are the spices, but it works. The yunnan black tea is slightly strong. I steeped this for five minutes and I think that I would steep for 3 minutes. However, even through the over-steeping it was really good and true to it’s name.
All in all I really enjoyed this blend. I definitely recommend if you like peach, or even if you don’t- sometimes tastes can change! So, give it a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
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!
Partying Like It’s Not My Birthday, Earl Grey Style. . . .A Quarter To Tea Blend. . .
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined Earl Grey with a cupcake?
Don’t worry if that thought passed you by. Because it did NOT escape the lovely people behind A Quarter To Tea.
And the result is super-fabulous.
This is an Assam Earl Grey (yum! citrus!) with Bavarian Cream mixed in, giving it a super-creamy no-milk-needed vibe. It’s like an orange-and-vanilla cupcake. HAPPY. BIRTHDAY. TO. ME.
(Note: It’s not my birthday. This fact saddens me 364 days a year, which is the overwhelming majority of the year. There is a song out there, called “Party Like It’s Not,” which features the lyrics “Nobody gives a damn about the day that you were born! This song is for everyone who it ain’t your birthday! You gotta party like it’s not, party like it’s not!” This song brings me UTTER JOY, and you might like it, too.)
The sprinkles in this blend contribute to the tea’s birthday feeling.
Why are there sprinkles? Why are they green and gold?
I couldn’t figure out what the heck “support the green and gold” meant on the back, or why it was called “Earl Bay.” If you’re a jock, you’re probably In The Know by now.
For the rest of us, it’s because AQTT are Green Bay Packers fans, hence “Bay” and the colors. Are they celebrating a good season? The joy of football? I honestly would not know. My in-laws are the only NFL people I know, and they’re Steelers people. (If you want to talk Penn State football, though, I’m your girl. And no, I don’t want to discuss That Other Thing. Ever again.)
Which made me think: if I were going to make a sports blend based on my university, what would I do? Penn State is known for its ag program and its Creamery, so I think I’d make it a creamy blueberry (blue) with vanilla/yogurt bits (white) and cornflower petals (blue). And sprinkles (blue and white, in the shape of paw prints or cats). I think the base would be black — not for any University reason, but because that’s what I like best.
If you were going to celebrate sports (or some other local themed thing), how would you make YOUR tea?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Support the green and cold even on the coldest days with this creamy, scrumptious Earl Grey blend.
This Earl Grey features vanilla, hopps, bavarian cream and some totally team worthy sprinkles!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Apple Crisp from A Quarter To Tea. . . . .
Well, this blend has me curious because I can see pieces of oats! I mean, come on, we all know the best part about apple crisp is the cinnamon, sugar, and oat topping. I really love fall and I really love fall desserts. I mean don’t get me wrong, spring is great, but right now I am wishing for fall. Especially after drinking this blend. With every sip I am dying to go apple picking and then come home and make a freshly baked apple crisp!
I am dead serious when I say that steeped, this blend smells just like apple crisp. Cinnamon, oats, apples, brown sugar….its got everything! I steeped this for 4 minutes and I used just a small dash of agave to sweeten it up and bring out the flavors. I think that this is definitely fall comfort in a cup. I wish so bad that I was sitting on a front porch looking out at the pretty orange, red, and yellow leaves while drinking this! Okay fall is definitely my favorite season and it cant come back fast enough!
On taste, the Yunnan is very smooth and the apples & cloves are present. It slightly resembles apple cider. I don’t know if the oats completely translated over like I had hoped, but you can taste them if you’re looking for them at the end of the sip. Im not sure that I would say that this tastes just like apple crisp, like it smells. I think that if I didn’t know what this tea was called I would call it maybe apple cider. Either way, its very yummy and definitely screams fall and comfort!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Sweet apples with warming hints of cinnamon and clove paired with touches of caramel cream, brown sugar, and toasted oat.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peach Habenero Salsa from A Quarter To Tea. . . . .
My stepdad is the hot sauce king. The man can handle heat. I don’t do too bad but he is a beast. The rest of my family…not so great with spice. So, when my sister and I were at the One of a Kind show not too long ago and we were looking to get my step dad some hot sauces, it was put on me to try them out. Habeneros were just the tip of the iceberg…well, more like a volcano. One particularly hot concoction was made by a farmer that crossbred peaches with hot peppers and that really took me by surprise. Funny enough, the vendors all kept telling me that I had some incredibly high tolerance for spice which means I guess I kept my cool but at some point I was dying inside. Nonetheless, spice is relative and I have yet to find a “spicy tea” that truly took my back. Let’s see how this goes.
Alright so its no hybrid peach/pepper level of spice but there is a slight tingle from the heat that hits the back of your throat. It’s actually got a nice sweet heat flavor with the juicy peach that sets in just before the habenero/ginger surprises you. I think what actually is an understated player here is the cucumber. The peach melts away to the cooling cucumber which, to me, is what paves the way for the spice to pop. It’s the bridge needed to bring the peach and habenero together and it fills this role beautifully.
Of the spicy teas I have tried,this has more of a kick than others. In fact, I even got my stepdad to try it out who said he liked the habenero flavor. However, the spice is kept in check by the other components in the tea making for a well-rounded and tasty beverage. If you want to burn your face, this won’t do that for you but if you want a delicious tea, well you’ll find that here.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This tea is SPICY!
Sweet peach, with cooling cucumber, a touch of tart hibiscus and ginger and habenero pepper flakes make a tea that is excellent both hot and chilled. Guaranteed to warm your tastebuds up this winter.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
