If you’ve been around here for a minute, you know that I have a pretty high bar for white teas (as in, I don’t really like most of them, I’M SORRY, please don’t hate me). But when this little beauty showed up in one of my AQTT monthly tea boxes, I couldn’t wait to dive in. Having just come out of my own wedding season, a strawberry champagne cupcake sounds just like the kind of treat I would’ve been enjoying over some sort of bridal celebration, but now that I don’t have the celebratory caloric excuse to eat whatever treats I want at these amazing parties thrown for my dude + me, it’s probably best drank rather than eaten.
The dry leaf on this one is unusual, but absolutely tantalizing. Not necessarily filled with the candy-sweet strawberry scent that other berry-flavored teas have, but this one is decidedly fruity, with wisps of vanilla marshmallowy notes not far behind. And while those traditional, floral white tea notes are certain present in the brewed cup, they’re balanced well by the fruitiness of the berry, and the pillow-y marshmallow root. If you’re a fence-sitting white tea drinker like I am, give this one a try– it might be just the thing to convince you! And bonus: you can drink as many cups as you’d like (whether it’s at a bridal shower or in your backyard), and all those cute clothes you bought for your honeymoon will still fit in the morning!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This tea is not available bu click below for white teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Maple Raisin Oatmeal from A Quarter To Tea. . .
I’m sure you’re familiar by now with the cultural phenomena that is “pumpkin season”. I can’t judge– there certainly was a time in my life where the crack of September first heralded all sorts of pumpkin’ified lattes, baked goods, scented candles– the list goes on and on. But you guys. Does anyone else feel like we are missing out, collectively, on SO MANY other great fall flavors? Cinnamon, apples, oats and smoke and spice and stone fruits and and and– I want it all! Enter A Quarter to Tea’s seasonal blends.
This little beauty popped up in my most recent monthly box from AQTT, and I’ve been properly obsessed. AQTT does unusual flavors magically, and there’s something about her rolled black tea blends that I find myself sipping like a madwoman until my samples are cashed. This blend in particular harnesses all those “outlier” fall flavors, like oatmeal, cinnamon, dried fruits– and whips them all together into a delightful cuppa that is simply made for cool and rainy morning sipping.
Served as a latte, this one captures its namesake even better– the creamy, frothed milk in my mug tastes just like sweet, spiced, fruity oatmeal. The notes of malty bread-iness balance out the dried fruit/cinnamon spice beautifully, and make for a perfectly autumnal treat.
No offense, pumpkin spice, but if this is what you’re up against, you’re gonna have to up your game. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another cup of fall to brew!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for black teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ginger Spiced Pear Cake from A Quarter to Tea. . . .
If you’re looking for some tea to go with your post-holiday fruitcake, or just some tea that tastes a bit like holiday fruitcake, brew up a cup of Ginger Spiced Pear Cake from A Quarter to Tea.
This black tea smells sweet in the dry left and in the brew. The taste of the blend is not too sweet, mainly driven by the appropriately clean and tart breakfast black tea base. There is a hint of juicy pear with each sip, and a touch of ginger heat behind the pear. The ginger is not too spicy, mainly adding a little herbal flavor and sweetness to make the tea feel festive. I don’t taste any buttery cake or pastry flavors, just pear and ginger.
It’s possible that my small sample wasn’t at peak freshness or maybe I just needed a bigger serving of tea leaves to get the flavor intensity I was looking for. I’ll have to keep an eye out for this blend in the future and give it another try.
This is a gently flavored blend, but very drinkable. There are not many pear teas on my shelf, so this was a nice brew to have in my mug.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White/Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter to Tea
Description:
Sweet pastry with pear, spicy ginger, and cinnamon and clove accents.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blood Orange Punch from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
I’ll be honest, friends– green tea and I have a storied history. And the story mostly goes like this: Mary brews green tea, with visions of health and wellness floating in her head. Timer beeps, tea strains, Mary takes a sip and then makes an ‘ick’ face, forgets about tea, lets it get cold, dumps out. THE END.
Needless to say, traditional grassy, herbaceous green teas haven’t been my jam in years past. Now, as the years have gone, I’ve grown my palette for teas a bit wider, and I’ll eagerly at least try greens with something interesting or fun about them (to varying success). Combine that with a post-holiday need to lay off the jittery caffeine and let my body reset itself, I’ve been looking towards teas with lighter caffeine, like some of my oft-overlooked greens and whites.
When this tea showed up in my monthly box from AQTT, I was psyched. Fruity greens in particular are almost always a hit in my book, and Blood Orange Punch (besides just sounding super punk-y and cool) just sounded so delightfully refreshing.
Steeped at below-boiling water for two and a half minutes, this tea brews up beautifully peachy-red-orange, just the colors of blood oranges. The scent is to die for– crisp, citrusy, but still light and smooth. I don’t get too much of the “brandy, rum and cream” that the descriptions heralded, but regardless, I find myself sipping cup after cup of this one. Hot, of course, as it’s been negative eleven billion degrees outside– but with it’s strong, fruity notes, I bet this one would be absolutely to die for as an iced tea come warmer months. A Quarter to Tea, you’ll make a green tea drinker of me yet!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A deep orange flavor with hints of brandy, rum, and cream.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Buddha’s Best – A Quarter to Tea . . . .
Hello, readers, I am here again to talk about yet another rose blended tea. Which if you are new to my reviews I will fill you in quickly, I adore rose in just about everything. So it is not surprising that I was ecstatic to try out this new blend.
First and foremost, this tea is a simply made of a blend of black teas, rose petals, and tulsi leaf. Now I have had all three before in numerous cups but this cup was a bit different. First off, the smell is the rose tea smell I have become accustomed to, sweet and floral with a bit of boldness from the black tea. But the taste is where it is a bit different. Even though this tea is a blend of different black teas it almost has the flavor of a jasmine green tea. For it is not as heavy as the other blends I have tried that are both black tea and rose. That being said it is very refreshing, mentally and physically. The only negative that I can find with this tea is that the rose flavor is very light. But I guess that will be a plus to people who are indifferent to rose for it is an odd flavor.
Now to the economics, it comes in a variety of three sizes 1 oz for $5.50, 2 oz for $10.70, and 4 oz for $21.10. And I am happy to announce that they do offer a sample of 2-3 cups with the asking price of $1.50! So I will say that this is well worth the price so I would say go for it. Also, I was perusing the site and they also have tea subscription boxes so if you like this company and/or you are unsure of just what to buy maybe the subscription boxes would be something you are after.
I will finish off by saying that I will absolutely purchase this and/or other teas from A Quater to Tea in the near future. The asking price is right and the quality of my brewed beverage left me satisfied.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter to Tea
Description
A showcase blend featuring teas from the birthplace of the Buddha. Light with lots of character with the staple muscatel notes of the region. Definitely a blend to try and find out why it’s simply the best!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
