When my fiancé and I first started dating, he was a) charmed by my goofy nerdiness (or so I like to tell myself) and b) totally baffled that I had never really eaten smoked meat beyond the occasional barbeque. A few years into our life together now, I’m well acquainted with the intricacies of home-smoked brisket (mainly, how to eat it. YUM), which are the best BBQ joints within a fifty-mile radius, and how to reeeally love that earthy, rich flavor that smoking imparts on food. And on tea. (See! I promise this story had a point.)
This smoked maple tea from Shanti may be more nuanced than a brisket, but man, is it delicious. The dry leaf smells unmistakably maple, and brewed, you get the same delicious sweetness with the addition of classic, almost-floral oolong undertones. While I wouldn’t necessarily call this one abundantly smoky, there are some hints of smoke and spice at the end of the sip that elevate this tea to the next level. With the addition of some coconut milk, it takes on almost a toasted-marshmallow-y goodness.
I may be a relative newbie to the world of smoked-flavors, but this tea hits on all notes for me. Now to figure out if I could pass it off as a compliment to the brisket at my in-laws’ next family gathering…
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Description
A lightly smoky blend of dark oolong and maple, a best-selling breakfast Oolong.
Ingredients: Tea (Camelia Sinensis), Safflower, Natural Essences
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Breakfast Blend from The Tea Can Company
Are you a fan of Assam? Kean on Keemun? And crazy for Ceylon? If so Breakfast Blend from The Tea Can Company may just be what you need for your next black tea fix!
That’s right…Breakfast Blend from The Tea Can Company features 3 different black tea bases…Assam, Keemun, and Ceylon Black tea trio! It’s all clear to the naked eye as you can see right thru the silken bag it comes in. The black tea bases aren’t overly strong but are still a nice, solid black tea flavor. It has a more earthy taste than anything else.
As far as black teas go Breakfast Blend from The Tea Can Company is darned tasty. I think it would be a good ole stand by tea…perfect for any time of day! A good tea to share with others or drink on a daily or semi-daily basis! I raise my tea cup to you on this one – The Tea Can Company – nicely done!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: The Tea Can Company
Description
Description: Enjoy this hearty blend of Assam, Ceylon and Keemun teas at the beginning of or throughout your day. Tastes great with a splash of milk or naturally on its own. Serve hot or cold.
Ingredients: Assam, Keemun and Ceylon Tea, Contains Caffeine
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jump Start from Adagio Teas. . . . . .
I’m a caffeine lunatic that’s a little hesitant about maté (it sometimes tastes dry/musty to me). So I was holding off on this until a Day of Great Urgency.
Today was such a day. I spaced out in the shower and was late to a meeting with wet hair. The files I needed for a bunch of projects were unavailable to me. The Internet was down. I considered turning to my nemesis, coffee, for a much needed jolt.
But then I remembered My Backup Plan, the Jump Start.
I’m pretty sure this tea hooked up some wires directly to my heart and zapped it alive again. I went from “mehhhhhh on liiiiiife” to dancing at my desk.
The taste itself is okay — I still don’t love maté — so I recommend adding a bit of honey and vanilla almond milk to it. Boom. Yum.
You’re good to go… TO INFINITY… AND BEYOND!
(Yes. I am VERY hype right now.)
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Mate, Kola, and Black tea make up this well-caffeinated blend to make your mornings deliciously efficient.
blended with toasted mate tea, black tea, cocoa nibs, cinnamon bark, kola nuts & safflower
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Winter Morning Earl Grey from The Sunshine Cottage
Some of you may already know that I live in the snow belt area of the north east part of the United States. I’m originally from Buffalo, too, which means I’m NOT a stranger to snow and LOTS of it!
I have been drinking Winter Morning Earl Grey from Sunshine Cottage on and off for about a month now. As I write this I am finishing up the bag of tea that I have. It’s ironic because today is our first significant winter storm of the year. Some say we could get 4 to 6 feet of snow in some areas in the next 4 days. I hope that isn’t the case.
Regardless I have the last little bit of Winter Morning Earl Grey from Sunshine Cottage to keep me company for one more day!
I’m a sucker for flavored Earl Greys. I have mentioned that once or twice (or a hundred) times before but I will gladly say it again! There is something special when a tea blended takes the time to go above and beyond your traditional Earl Grey Flavoring and give it an extra ‘sumpin’, sumpin’.
This particular flavored Earl has that stereotypical EG base to start and then they added extra floral notes, creamy vanilla flavors, and a touch of cinnamon to it, too! It’s pretty incredible! The vanilla is a touch more powerful than the cinnamon and I wouldn’t change the flavor ratio at all!
There is just something about this flavored Earl Grey that I adore and the only thing I can come up with is the pure genius of the flavor combo and ratio blending behind it. It’s truly unique, delicious, and a tea I will remember for a long time!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: Sunshine Cottage
Description
Scrumptious Winter Morning Earl Grey Tea! What could be better on a cold winter’s morning than a steam hot cup of Earl Grey tea? How about adding a splash of creamy vanilla and a dash of cinnamon? Add some steamed milk and you’ve got an Earl Grey Vermont blizzard!!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Irish Whiskey Cream from Tea & Absinthe – The Other Irish Breakfast
As the weather gets colder, I get a craving for sweeter, more dessert-like teas. So when it was the first real, cold and blustery day of the season, I was excited to taste Irish Whiskey Cream from Tea & Absinthe. The dry leaf smells mild but sweet, like black tea with a hint of caramel. When brewed, this blend smells amazing, as rich and decadent as crème brûlée. I take my tea without milk or sugar, and the dessert flavors were still very forward and enjoyable.
While there is “cream” in the name, the sweetness in this tea is less like vanilla frosting and much more like salted caramel or burnt brown sugar, with just a bit of vanilla underneath. Cocoa bits are listed in the ingredients, but any chocolate flavor gets buried under the more caramel and toffee notes. I’m sure the “whiskey” in the name is a recommended brewing partner for this tea on those evenings when you need a little bit more warmth and merriment. The tea itself doesn’t have any overtly whiskey tones, nothing smoky, but the roasted-sugar flavors do remind me of certain amber libations.
I was careful not to over steep this blend, as the Irish breakfast Assam black tea base could get strong very fast. Keeping an eye on my brew times, I’ve had no bitterness and all creaminess. I could definitely see myself brewing up a cup of Irish Whiskey Cream from Tea & Absinthe and topping it with whipped cream on a snowy day.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea & Absinthe
Description:
“The Other Irish Breakfast” – Black tea Assam, cocoa bits, flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
