A couple of years ago my daughter and her husband treated me to dinner at a restaurant new to me – P. F. Changs. They asked me to choose the tea and since tangerines have such a bright, fresh flavor, this was my choice.
A small cast iron pot was brought to the table and there was a large bag in it steeping. We all poured a cup and more hot water was brought and we resteeped that bag and I fell for the tea. So did my daughter, who even went online and ordered the exact cast iron pot they used because we just had to.
At the time, I didn’t what company made it, but I perused the menu and recognized the names of some of the other teas on offer and assumed they would source from just one company. But when I went online to the Revolution website there was no Tangerine White listed!
I called their customer service line and got some great help. It turned out this flavor was made especially for wholesale clients but they offered to ask for special permission to sell me a case. Revolution – “Ma’am, a case is a LOT of tea.” Me – “You don’t scare me!” (The words of a hopeless tea addict on fire for the latest passion.)
A week later a case of Tangerine White is at my door and family and friends are lining up to take some home since a whole case is a little extreme even for me, especially since I already had about 150 teas on hand already.
What’s so great about it? I have a small cast iron pot and I can put the bag in and steep just ONE BAG for the whole pot PLUS resteep it. Easy peasy.
Also, it tastes great. When I was a kid, we pretty much only got tangerines at Christmas in our stockings. So they taste like happiness to me. This tea makes me smile. Fresh tangerine and hallelujah nothing else. They didn’t feel compelled to add the usual done to death spices with the citrus. It is fresh and light and wonderful. It tastes refreshing in summer and brightens a winter day. The tangerine flavor tastes natural and isn’t overwhelming or sour, it is just right. And the white base is the tiniest bit brisk…or is that the citrus?…and nicely balanced.
The happiest news is that this flavor has been added to the regular retail line up now and you, yes, you, can order JUST ONE BOX if you wish! And people won’t look at you and shake their heads as you desperately rearrange your cabinets to make room for your remaining half case.
By the way, I don’t make it by their recommendations. I go with my usual 185F for three minutes as I do most white tea. Try it both ways and see what you like best.
P.S. – It is not surprisingly sold out at the time of this writing, but will hopefully be back in stock before my stash gets too low!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Description
This healthy, light, fragrant tea bursts with the flavor of juicy, fresh-picked tangerines and provides high amounts of antioxidants.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Watermelon Oolong/Fraser Tea
Hello my fellow tea drinkers, I come with another of cup tea that offers a different experience than the normal oolong Tea experience. This tea features the completely natural flavor of watermelon. Which is indeed a feat for being that I am a lover of watermelons and melons, in general. I have had many teas and treats that feature a grossly overpowered artificial watermelon flavor. But I believe that this tea actually has captured the true essence of that summertime fruit.
The really interesting thing about this blend’s composition is that it features no watermelon at all. Now the reason is that watermelon is, of course, very hard to dry out. This blend’s ingredients are as follows; oolong, green tea, blueberries, coconut, mango, papaya, pineapples, lemongrass, osmanthus, and cornflowers. With all these flavors combined it is hard to believe that it tastes just like a cup of watermelon! With the first sip, you get that kick of sweet, refreshing watermelon and then the blend of oolong and green tea mellow it out while still carrying that flavor all the way through. I will also say that I was very skeptical of this blend for I have never been a fan of mango and papaya but I am happy to be surprised that my tastebuds can be fooled!
For the prices on this blend, for 12 sachets it is $8.98, for a 4-ounce loose leaf tin it is $11.95, 8 ounces $21.95, 12 ounces $28.95, and for 16 ounces it is $34.95. Now it does look there is a way on their site to get specific samples and I believe that you add the item designated as “samples” to your cart and in the “notes” section of the checkout then you list your desired teas. They also have specific tea blend samplers that features a handful of black teas to their rooibos tea blends.
To conclude, this tea great to drink cold or hot at any time of the year! It provides that watermelon flavor without being artificial. So if you are curious and want to try something a bit different I will give this blend a try, I certainly don’t regret it!
See you for the next cuppa!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
A virtual summer picnic in your glass, Watermelon Oolong Organic Oolong Tea combines fresh berries and tropical fruit flavors together with lemongrass for a crisp and refreshing taste. This superior grade organic oolong tea offers numerous nutritional benefits including weight management, diabetes management, and mental health. Think wellness; embrace flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Warrior from Wise Ape Tea Company. . . .
Wise Ape Tea company has some hella-cool branding.
Its logo is a three-eyed ape. The site says things like “Wise ape is more than just a tea; it’s a tribe of like-minded individuals who are focused on self-motivation and an altruistic attitude.” The pop up-ad asking you to subscribe to their newsletter says: “We welcome you to join our growing community of health hackers, zen warriors, and legendary tea drinkers. We require nothing but an open mind. Drink healthy and stay wise.”
I mean, like, HECK YES. Was that MADE FOR ME, or what?
When I spotted the samples the SororiTea Sisters received on Instagram , I begged for a few. (This is also a plug for our Instagram. We have one! Follow us!)
Here’s my first sample. . .
Coconut Warrior is a perfectly-balanced mix of sweet (coconut) and a little bit spicy (tumeric/bark). The flavor is a bit like a chai — one that doesn’t have that runaway spiciness that I find exhausting. It helps that the base is assam, not darjeeling, which is a bit spicier by its very nature. Assam is a good “straight man” companion to hold up a flavored black tea.
It’s good, y’all.
I can’t really tell you if it’s going to reduce your inflammation, “repair,” or “regenerate.” But it WILL “revitalize.” This sweet & lightly spicy little number will put a little pep in your step. It might even open your third eye to exciting new possibilities of the day.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Wise Ape Tea Company
Description
A revitalizing blend of assam black tea, coconut and turmeric, combined with wildcrafted pau d’ arco bark to heal your human temple. This legendary elixir is designed to mitigate inflammation and defend your body from the inside-out.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
My first month with the Tea Mistress’s Tea of the Month Club
After not being part of a tea subscription plan for a while, over the last few months, I’ve signed up for quite a few. More or less because I was finding myself not as excited with my current stash because I have been on a buying hiatus for so long. So one day I was on the ol Facebook and saw a post by the Tea Mistress indicating that she was going to start up a Tea of the Month Club and I instantly noticed this club was a bit different than others. Instead of getting surprised by what teas you are getting, the Tea Mistress sends out a form for you to sign up for which tea blends you would like. So if you are like me and have a variety of tea you really don’t care for (looking at you red rooibos blends!), you can pick out exactly what you want. Now, I will say this didn’t help me go out of my tea comfort zone, but I liked knowing that what I was picking out, I would probably enjoy.
Each month you are allowed three different choice for the teas you are sent. The teas are then packaged up for you and sent in these adorable tins (that I plan to attach a magnet to and use for tea storage down the road). The tea blends I picked were Imperial Jasmine Mint, Cinnamon Pear White, and Vanilla Lemongrass. Each tin you are given contains a few servings of each blend. I’ve found myself usually using the entire tin in a larger tea pot and enjoying that pot of tea for the afternoon with several additional infusions. So far that method hasn’t let me down.
Out of the three teas I picked, hands down, Imperial Jasmine Mint was my ultimate favorite and I’ve already contacted the amazing Tea Mistress to see about ordering more of that particular blend. This tea blend has it all. The subtle notes of a solid green tea base with the soft tones of the jasmine with a solid punch of mint. Refreshing, soothing, comforting, and just delicious. This is one of those blends that you drink and you get all the feels. Being one that loves jasmine teas, green teas, and mint teas. . .I was in heaven from the start.
Cinnamon Pear White was probably my least favorite. The tea tasted fine and had all of the attributes indicated in the title, but I just wasn’t in love with the tea like I thought. The cinnamon and white tea just didn’t mingle like I had hoped they would. Maybe a tea where you need to play with for a bit to get just the right settings for. I’ve seen this tea offered from other tea companies so I was happy I was able to try it. Just not sure this blend was for me.
The last of my three offerings was Vanilla Lemongrass and wow, is this herbal treat a sweet ditty. Lemongrass, organic apples, orange peels, raisins, and currant flavor make up this tea blend. Delicious hot and I can only imagine this tea would be crazy good as a cold brew. I can’t say that I could drink this tea on a daily basis as is because it is pretty sweet but I’m wondering if I added in a teaspoon or two of chamomile or added in a bit of mint if the sweetness wouldn’t even itself out a bit for my tastes. Regardless, I’m really enjoying this cuppa and am already thinking about prepping up another cuppa. Could totally see this tea being a great one when those 2pm sweet tooth cravings start to come my way.
All in all, I’m super happy with how my first month of teas from the Tea Mistress turned out. What I really love is the serving size you are given is the perfect amount of tea and I’m not finding that I have a ton of tea left over that I have to worry about getting lost in the shuffle like other teas I get from other subscription plans. Sometimes only getting a smaller size sampling is just what you need to make a decision if that tea blend is for you or not instead of getting 1/2 oz or even an 1 oz. And if loose leaf tea isn’t your thing, you can even get the teas packaged in tea bags for you.
Looking forward to trying many more blends from the Tea Mistress. She offers quite a range and list of teas along with coffee, teaware, and other goodies!
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Tea Mistress
Description
Monthly tea subscription from The Tea Mistress. Click below for more info!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spotlight on Fraser Tea Bags
Sustainable business models are so hot right now. Seriously, Zoolander aside, I’m all about capitalists that care about future generations. Fraser Tea sells organic tea blends in corn-based, sustainably produced pyramids. I think it’s a great option to consider bringing in to your cubicle or on vacations. I received several of their pyramids in my tea mail this month, so their spotlight is a little from Column A and a little from Column B…
Spicy Chocolate Chai – flavored puerh
First things first, a girls gotta have her chocolate. There were oils on top of brew, which always equate to having been carefully handled and thus retain more of the goodness we expect from full leaf teas. A sneaky Chai taste followed by a mellow chocolate aftertaste. The tiniest bit of sweetener rounded out these flavors. I want to point out for later on, those of you hardcore readers, that this tea has 60 mg caffeine.
Chamomile Dream – herbal
To me, Sleepy-time teas are the most swoon-worthy. There’s always something about them that is so restorative and comforting. This pyramid has sweet smelling dry leaves. As soon as that scent connects in my brain, there’s that instant calming response. I know i’m not the only one!
The blend of wet leaves smell just as sweet, and I notice an enticing hint of a berry red in them now. This tastes like soft, pillowy, dreamy meadows… full of sheep, so many sheep, mmm and it feels like time to say goodnight.
Turmeric Ginger Green – flavored green
Ok, preface, turmeric and I got off on the wrong foot when it stained my gravity strainer for no good reason. I have been suspicious of its health claims ever since… but that’s a personal bias which does not discount dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies… I also need to state that my toddler helped me brew this and ripped the bag 😬 kay, so still waiting for the great feelings. Moving on, I found I prefer this ingredient in bag form because it eliminates my first problem with staining. So my palate has started to open up to tea for health reasons, as opposed to familiar tastes. There is an acquired taste to this tea, but it is not in your face. It certainly would be a perfect finish to a savory lunch.
Yerba Mint – alternative tea
Until now I never realized how powerful other plants could be in the caffeine department! I guess I should have known that from coffee beans, but I never put it all together until I saw there was 70+ mg caffeine in this non-camellia sinensis plant!!! Yikes! That probably explains a few restless nights after “just some herbal” tea… The juxtaposition between earthy and gentle is juuuuuuust right here. I can imagine putting this over ice would be a delightful way to ignore a humid summer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Variety
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
https://frasertea.com/products/organic-spicy-chocolate-chai
Spicy Chocolate Chai Organic Pu-erh Tea is a fusion of cocoa nibs, spicy chili peppers, and delicate, sweet oranges combined to craft a flavor sensation with maximum health benefits. Striking a delicate balance between heat and sweetness, spicy chocolate chai is a smooth and flavorful tea that supports weight management and wellness. Enjoy any time. Try it as-is or add milk and sugar.
https://frasertea.com/products/chamomile-dream-organic-herbal-tea.
Chamomile Dream Organic Herbal Tea soothes the mind and body. Supporting health and digestion, this relaxing organic tea blends gentle, floral notes of chamomile, cleansing and bright lemongrass, tart hibiscus and refreshing peppermint. Try it anytime throughout the day, with a book before bedtime, or following a restorative meditation practice. Chamomile Dream offers gentle, soothing relaxation for mind, body and spirit.
https://frasertea.com/products/organic-turmeric-ginger
Turmeric Ginger Organic Green Tea delivers a multitude of health benefits in a delicious and flavorful way. Green tea is blended with cinnamon, ginger, pink peppercorn, lemongrass, and turmeric offering a sweet and unexpected fresh taste. Known as a “superfood”, turmeric’s list of health benefits include boosting your body’s immunity, anti-inflammatory properties, improved brain function and heart health.
https://frasertea.com/products/organic-yerba-mate-mint
This Yerba Mate Mint Organic Herbal Tea is an energizing blend. At Fraser Tea we formulated this vibrant tea to maximize focus or help make the most of your daily workout. We combine the South American yerba mate plant with invigorating peppermint, a sophisticated green tea and an array of floral’s to amplify the natural benefits. Yerba mate is considered the healthy wonder drink grown in South America thanks to its energizing effects. Traditionally yerba mate is consumed with a gourd and a straw, however you can use your favorite teacup. Our Yerba Mate Mint tea is delicious iced or warm.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
