Comforting Pear from Tea Taxi. . . . .

by VariaTEA

Some fruit flavors are so subtle and hard to capture when it comes to teas. Watermelon. Cantaloupe. Honeydew. And Pear. The flavors of the actual fruits aren’t necessarily in-your-face so in order to capture those flavors oftentimes they can either go completely unnoticed or come off artificial.

Comforting Pear by TeaTaxi teeters between artificial and unnoticed and somehow actually makes for a nice pear tea. Some sips, the base tea can be a bit astringent and the spices can get muddled. Yet underneath it all is a fruity sweetness that lingers and in the aftertaste, becomes distinctly pear-flavored. Other sips, all the flavors come together to taste of a spiced baked pear.

The spices of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom are balanced which can be both good and bad. There is none of that ginger burn that I tend to enjoy, while others hate. There is also no overt cinnamon sweetness, which I tend to hate but others enjoy. Cardamom imparts some flavor but isn’t overwhelming. For me that is a plus but I know some will want more. Ultimately, it is that balance of spices that causes the occasional muddling which can make them one note and boring. Yet it is the balance that allows the pear to come through.

This tea is pleasant and could be great for a comforting tea on a cold day. Or a little bit of a treat on a rainy day. It is not a must-have for me but I certainly enjoyed my cup.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  Tea Taxi
Description

The perfect harmony between a nutty aroma and a slightly fruity and sweet taste make this black tea the perfect warm drink to start your day on the right foot.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Tea Taxi

Cinnamon Pear from 52Teas. . . . .

by ashmanra

I served a number of teas to some friends yesterday and this one came out as the favorite flavored blend we tried. No big surprise since 52Teas is one of the best tea blending companies I have come across.

I like the black tea base. It doesn’t bow down and disappear, but sails right along with the flavors. It isn’t super astringent like a lot of black tea bases in flavored blends. The cinnamon was nice – not red hot candy cinnamon but the kind of cinnamon levels you would expect in Grandma’s fruit pie.

The pear aspect was a little harder for me because I don’t eat pears. I like them fine, but I find them really mild and usually reach for an apple instead. I am an infrequent pear eater. So I can say this definitely has an apple/pear vibe, but I couldn’t pinpoint what kind of pear for you. The pear aficionados among you probably could pin it down right away. But the mild fruit flavor is very pleasant.

This is a nice blend with cinnamon to escape the ubiquitous orange/clove/cinnamon blends that are hanging around during the holidays. A breath of fresh pear…(sorry, couldn’t resist!)

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for what flavored black teas are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

ashmanra

I am a music teacher, tutor, and former homeschool mom (25 years!) who started drinking loose leaf tea about seven years ago! My daughters and I have tea every day, and we are frequently joined by my students or friends for “tea time.” Now my hubby joins us, too. His tastes have evolved from Tetley with milk and sugar to mostly unadorned greens and oolongs. We have learned so much history, geography, and culture in this journey. My avatar is a mole in a teacup! Long story…

This post was posted in 52Teas, Black Tea