Before I start, I just want to say that The NecessiTeas certainly knows how to fill a tin. I have been opening up new tins of their blends all day and I have spilled tea out of almost every tin. Granted, I may not have been particularly careful and I probably should have learned after the first spill but I am so used to tins being less filled that I didn’t really think about it. Oh well, more tea for me I suppose, especially since it looks like I didn’t even use any tea yet since the tins are still that full.
This particular tin is filled with not only tea but gum as well. Not just any gum either. This blend is filled with the colorful gumballs of everyone’s childhood. The 25 cent gumballs dispensed out of the giant red gumball machines. It’s definitely a blend to bring out the nostalgia in you.
So it might be colorful and look fun but what really matters is the taste. Like all the other NecessiTeas blends I have tried, this one tastes pretty true to its namesake. Sweet and sugary but not cloying in the slightest. Add to that a bit of fruitiness and you got this tea. The green tea base remains completely hidden which is good since I doubt a vegetal flavor would go very well with the rest of what’s going on here.
All in all, like the gumballs for which it is named, this is a sweet treat to have every now and then. It’s got just enough flavor to keep things interesting without being over-the-top. Plus, it is certainly a fun blend for those who want a little bit of novelTEA in their lives.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Green Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
We all remember that sweet pink bubblegum flavor as a kid. Contests with your best friend to see who could blow the biggest bubble and then having it pop and stick to your entire face. Chewing it for hours until our jaws ached or falling asleep with it in our mouth which meant waking up with a big sticky mess in our hair! This blend takes me back to all those childhood memories and will be loved by adults and children of all ages. Feel free to steep the actual gumballs or pop one in your mouth and work on your bubble blowing skills while your tea is steeping!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Orange Glazed Cranberry Scone from The NecessiTeas
I decided to splurge and treat myself to all the delectable offerings from The NecessiTeas. I was so excited for this package to arrive that I monitored the tracking like a hawk (sort of the adult equivalent of a child sitting by the door waiting for their present or friend to arrive…I did that too). I certainly was confused when I watched USPS take this from facility to facility in Utah then take it all the way to San Francisco, up through Vancouver and then finally to me in Toronto. My family drives to Florida yearly and we pass through Utah so I am not quite sure why this package did some travelling to the West Coast before appearing at my door, but I suppose that is life. Also, I was pretty shocked that not only was this delivered on a Sunday but it was delivered in the midst of a snowstorm and just left on my front step. I found it 12 hours later under a pile of snow when I checked the tracking at midnight and saw it was delivered.
Since it was a little too late to start making tea by the time I brought this in, wiped it clean, and inventoried my teas, I went to bed excited for my first cup in the morning. When morning came and with so many options in front of me, I was overwhelmed with choices and in the end opted for this tea since it seemed like a good option for breakfast time.
In university, my roommate and I actually used to make orange glazed cranberry scones and I am happy to report that this tea is reminiscent of those delicious treats. The first thing I noticed was the orange. Bright and zesty with an unmistakable icing smoothness. Underneath that is a slight tartness from the cranberry while the base provides a fullness and the buttery pastry notes needed to sell the notion of a scone. Every component of this tea’s namesake is represented in some way and they work together perfectly to sell the notion of an orange glazed cranberry scone.
This is definitely a great introduction to The NecessiTeas, now here’s hoping that the other blends are of the same caliber as this one.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored White Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Whole dried cranberries bursting with tart flavor and pieces of flavorful sweet orange peel dot these white tea leaves with colorful and tasty accents. Brown sugar is combined with the creamy flavor of scones topped with clotted cream. Pouring a hot, steamy cup is like taking a bite into fresh-baked from the oven scones.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cherry Cordial from The NecessiTeas. . .A Hand Blended Treat!
Growing up, my brother was obsessed with video games. Obsessed. He used to drag my mom out to the stores for midnight releases and then pretend to be sick the next game so he could stay home and play the games. I never understood it…until now. Is it weird I feel that way about tea? Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of skipping work though so I spent the day thinking about my NecessiTeas haul sitting at home. More specifically, I spent the day thinking about this tea.
I wish I had the words to describe the smell of the dry leaf because it is beyond amazing. Truly awesome. And realistically, what could be bad. Cherries? Chocolate chips? Marshmallows? It all sounds pretty darn delicious to me.
And delicious it is. At first I got a bit of astringency from the base but now that it has cooled a bit, I am getting black cherry perfection. Sweet, rich and distinctive, this is certainly one of the better cherry blends I have tried. No cough syrup here. Add to that a fluffy marshmallow note floating on top contributing creaminess that is only further accentuated by the velvety smoothness of the melted milk chocolate. It’s all there and its all delightful.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
The combination of a sweet liquid cordial center with a milk chocolate coating is truly divine. Try with a splash of milk and rock sugar for an even more decadent treat!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom from BlendBee
Have you ever met a person with whom you clicked swiftly and intimately? Where you had a conversation and then realized “WE ARE BEST FRIENDS NOW.” You spend a lot of time with them — so much time that, if it weren’t your NEW BESTIE, you’d get sick of them. But you know that they love you too.
This is my relationship with oolong tea right now. Black tea is my time-honored long-term life partner, but oolong is a fresh buddy who wants to go art supply shopping with me.
This oolong is no exception. The dry blend smells like berries, but when it starts to steep, you pick up that rhubarb bite. Ah! Strawberry rhubarb pie! With caffeine! Just what I needed! HOW DID THEY KNOW?
The sweetness is completed by a hibiscus and rubarb sharp note. The oolong flavor itself takes a backseat, but it’s comfortable back there. It’s taking a nap on the drive.
As the tea cools, the tartness goes to the forefront. If you’re not a fan of tart teas, this might not be for you, but I definitely think strawberry & hibiscus fans should give it a shot.
This tea might just go art supply shopping with you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Juicy and refreshing, this blend has just a hint of sweetness and is rounded out with bold red fruit flavors. You will long for Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Harry Potter Fans-Check this out! Pumpkin Juice Green Tea from 52Teas
The thing I was originally going to write about this was “this tastes like the Hogwarts library.” I was going to talk about the vegetal green taste with the rich old spices, like herbology books being read by Neville Longbottom after a long day of academia. I had a variety of very interesting, seemingly novel ideas.
(NOVEL IDEAS? GET IT?)
Then I went to 52Teas’ own description which — I do not jest — literally says: “I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and have been for a lot of years so this year as my Halloween offering, I decided I wanted to celebrate my favorite books with a tribute to one of the wizarding world’s favorite juices: Pumpkin Juice!”
I don’t remember the words “pumpkin juice” being used in the Potterverse, but apparently the association was subliminal, because there I was, browsing the Hogwarts library’s forbidden section and trying not to get bitten by books with the best of them.
The tea itself tastes like pumpkin, pineapple, and spices. It’s a cool mix!
I’ve tried a bunch of Pumpkin Spice beverages this autumn, and this one stands out as the most original. It’s the only one that features green tea (!) and pineapples (!).
I suppose if you are a pumpkin spice classicist, you can drink your black pumpkin tea in your mundane Muggle life.
I, on the other hand, will be sharing this cup with Hagrid and Fang
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Flavored Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and have been for a lot of years so this year as my Halloween offering, I decided I wanted to celebrate my favorite books with a tribute to one of the wizarding world’s favorite juices: Pumpkin Juice!
Having never actually tasted pumpkin juice, I googled “pumpkin juice” for some ideas on recipes for it. There are a few different recipes online for pumpkin juice and each of them were a little different. Some were a combination of orange juice and pumpkin juice – which sounded interesting! Another included dried apricots instead of the orange juice – also interesting! Others were made with peach or pear juice. But the recipe that appealed to me most was one that combined pumpkin, apple juice, pineapple juice and spices. I thought that the apple would add some pleasant sweetness to the savory quality of the pumpkin and the pineapple juice would add some brightness to the overall flavor.
I started with a base of fair-trade, rainforest alliance certified Satemwa estate green teas (OP1 & Zomba Steamed) and added chunks of dried pumpkin, freeze-dried apples and pineapple, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and touch of freshly shaved nutmeg. The fruits do soften the flavor of the pumpkin somewhat however, the overall flavor is quite autumn-y and delicious.