Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Southern Boy Teas
Tea Description:
Now THIS is the good stuff. Don’t let the uncomplicated, single flavor of this tea give you the impression that is is some humdrum tea. This is a BEAUTIFUL blend of premium shou mei fannings with organic black currant flavors. This is a crowd-pleaser and a thirst-quencher. You’re going to want a few of these, trust me.
Learn more about this iced tea here.
Learn how to subscribe to SBT’s tea of the week here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I was so excited to try the first White Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas. And it looks like SBT chose one of my favorite white tea creations from 52Teas to work with, the Black Currant Bai Mu Dan! The 52Teas blend tasted amazing iced and this does too!
Of course, this Black Currant White Iced Tea was made with a Shou Mei base rather than a Bai Mu Dan so it’s a little different right from the off. But this is still every bit as refreshing as I remember that tea tasting. Tart black currant flavor that contrasts with the sweet white tea base. These two components were made for one another!
The Shou Mei is also a stronger tasting tea than a typical Bai Mu Dan. It’s sweet and hay-like. I like the crisp, airy flavor that reminds me of the way the air tastes after a hay cutting. You have to be out where they cut hay to experience that, of course. I grew up in such a place. Or, if you don’t want to take a drive out to the country, you can just brew a pitcher of this iced tea and get some of that same flavor in a glass.
Actually, I think that the iced tea is better than the air in the country. The air in the country can sometimes also smell a bit like the cows and horses that eat the hay. And that’s not my favorite smell.
To brew this tea, I went with the hot brew method. I heated 1 quart of water in the kettle of my tea maker to 160°F and then dropped the sachet into the water and let it steep for 2 1/2 minutes. The parameters on the package suggest “not more than 90 seconds” but 90 seconds just didn’t seem long enough for me at such a low temperature. So I made the decision to go with a little more time and I’m glad I did. I’m really happy with the resulting flavor! For the second quart, I resteeped the sachet for 3 minutes. I combined both quarts in my iced tea pitcher and stashed it in the ice box.
After several hours of cool time, I am left with a pitcher full of yummy black currant iced tea. I love the white tea base. It’s crisp and refreshing. I look forward to the other white tea creations that SBT comes up with!
Strawberry Lemonade Flavored Honeybush Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Southern Boy Teas
Tea Description:
Premium organic caffeine-free honeybush with organic flavors.
Learn more about this iced tea here.
Learn how to subscribe to SBT’s tea of the week here.
Taster’s Review:
I could really smell the strawberry lemonade-ish-ness of this blend the moment that I tore open the pouch! It smelled like a pitcher of yummy strawberry lemonade!
When I first saw this blend on the website, though, I wasn’t as confident about it. Oh sure, I love strawberry lemonade. But I wasn’t really sure how I’d like these flavors combined with the natural nutty flavor of honeybush. It just didn’t seem like something that would work well.
Well, I was wrong. Please don’t tell my husband I admitted that. It’s much better that he operate under the notion that I’m always right.
This is really tasty. The strawberry and lemonade notes are strong and forward, while the nutty, sweet notes of the honeybush are a little off to the background and don’t really obstruct the flavors of the sweet-tart lemonade and strawberry.
The lemonade is the prominent flavor. It’s tart, but not pucker-y tart. There is some sweetness to it thanks to the strawberry. The tartness comes through strongest at the finish, when I taste both the sour notes of the lemon as well as the tingly berry tart. There is some sweetness from the honeyed notes of the honeybush base.
Something else that I found interesting: as I neared the bottom of the glass, I started to pick up on this creamy taste. I don’t usually get a strong “creaminess” from honeybush. Occasionally the nutty flavors translate into a slight creaminess but this time, the creaminess was strong enough that I really took notice of it. Nice! “Cream” is not a flavor that I would normally associate with Strawberry Lemonade but I like it here.
It’s a really tasty and refreshing iced tea. I’d recommend keeping a couple of packages of this on hand for when you’re having guests over – this is the kind of tisane that everyone will enjoy. It’s a funky twist on the Arnold Palmer!
Witch’s Brew Black Tea from M&K’s Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
Broo! Spooked ya, scared ya. This tea doesn’t have real witches inside (apparently that’s illegal), but it does have witch hazel bark! Witch’s Brew combines sweet Ceylon tea and hearty Assam tea with sleepy-inducing chamomile and a host of other herbs in order to blend into this secret holiday brew. Try it with some cream and sugar for a real treat!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
By now, you may have already read some of my praise of this Etsy company. One of the things that I’m so pleased with is their customer service. But I didn’t go into detail with why I’m so impressed with them. Here’s my tale:
I placed my order with them and the next business day, I received an email telling me that the order has shipped. Along with that email, I was provided a tracking number (I like that. It’s not something that all companies do, but I think they should. It would provide great peace of mind to their customers.)
Later, I received a message from M&K’s that there was a problem with my shipment. Apparently, the package that I was sent wasn’t my order, it was someone else’s, but they were sending out the correct package. They told me to keep the wrong package as well. I told them that to “compensate” for the loss, that I would be writing about the “extra” teas that I’d be receiving.
When the wrong order arrived, I was aghast at how many samplers were inside the box! Wowza! It was an exceptional opportunity to try so many of this company’s teas – teas that I hadn’t ordered in my original sampler.
A couple of days later, the teas that I had ordered arrived. Inside the box was not only the five samplers that I ordered but a free sample as well (I like that too. Again, not something that all tea companies do, but I think they should. It not only feels like a “free gift” for the customer, but it may well turn into additional business for the company. If the customer likes the sample that they try, they might order it again.)
In addition, there was a handwritten note thanking me for my order. I really appreciate those little touches. It makes me feel like I’m buying from a real person and not a company. It makes me feel like that person sees me as a real person and not just a number.
So, even though this company made a mistake with my order, they more than made up for the error. I appreciate that a lot. And while the mistake was an “error in my favor,” I have no doubt that M&K’s made it up to the person who was “shortchanged” with this mistake. That just seems to be the kind of company that they are. And that’s the kind of company that I appreciate and want to do business with. And because it seems like companies like this can be a rarity (I’ve found quite a few WONDERFUL tea companies that are a pleasure doing business with), you want to continue to do business with them so that they stay around!
Let’s get on with this review, shall we?
This Witch’s Brew is actually the first tea from my actual, original order with M&K’s. The ingredient list intrigued me:
CEYLON AND ASSAM BLACK TEAS, TOASTED BLACK RICE, CHAMOMILE, HONEY-ROASTED LICORICE ROOT (LICORICE ROOT, HONEY), CAT’S CLAW, HELICHRYSUM FLOWERS, WITCH HAZEL BARK, SKULLCAP HERB, ENGLISH TOFFEE NATURAL FLAVOR BLEND.
It looks like a recipe straight out of a witch’s recipe book, doesn’t it? Well, except for the Ceylon and Assam tea.
I wasn’t sure how I’d like it, as it does look like a lot is going on with this blend. But, I was intrigued by it so I decided I’d give it a try. That’s one of the cool things about these samplers. You get just enough to “try” out the tea and the cost is minimal.
The black tea offers a solid background of flavor without being too powerful. It doesn’t overpower the herbs and spices in this blend – and this tea does seem to be a little more about the whole of the ingredient list (at least for me!) so I’m glad that I can taste these other flavors.
I am getting a fair amount of flavor from the licorice root and I taste the honey roasted-ness of it. I don’t know that I’ve tried honey-roasted licorice root before, but I do like the way the honey roasting softens the bite that I’d normally experience from licorice root.
Don’t get me wrong, I love that sharp snap of the licorice root, but it’s nice to get a sweeter, more subdued licorice note too. I also am getting a sweet flavor from the toffee notes and the honey notes meld nicely with the toffee. I think that these two components work together to complement each other and bring out the best in one another.
The chamomile is a fairly strong flavor which actually kind of surprised me. I hadn’t expected to taste much of the chamomile in the presence of other strong flavors in the cup, but I am getting that apple-y note that I often get from chamomile. And I think that the floral notes of the chamomile accentuate the helichrysum flowers as well, because there is a flowery note to this as well.
The tea, toffee, honey roasted licorice, chamomile and helichrysum are the strongest notes, but I’m also tasting a light nutty flavor from the rice, and other herbaceous flavors. Notes of bitter that I attribute to the skullcap. I think that the bitterness might be accented by the witch hazel bark and the cat’s claw.
Like I said, this tea has a lot going on. Maybe a bit too much going on, and I could have done without the bitterness that I experienced from a few of the herbs in this. That said, even with the notes of bitter, I’m enjoying this beverage and am nearly finished with the cup. I find that the flavors become smoother and more unified as the cup cools, so if you do get try this one, I recommend letting it cool for a few minutes first.
Steeping parameters I used: 1 heaping bamboo scoop of tea in the basket of my Kati Tumbler, 12 ounces of water heated to 205°, steeped for 3 minutes.
Garlic Toast Flavored Iced Black Tea from Southern Boy Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Southern Boy Teas
Tea Description:
Er, yeah, we went there. On our recent trip to the ASD tradeshow in Las Vegas, we met some folks who were from the “Garlic Capital of the World”. They challenged us to make a tea with garlic in it, and here it is. It’s our premium organic Iyerpadi black tea with organic garlic, bread and butter flavors. If you like garlic, you’re going to have to try this one. It made the whole office smell like a pizzeria or something.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn about SBT’s subscriptions here.
Taster’s Review:
OK … this is the weirdest flavor that 52Teas/Zoomdweebies/Southern Boy Teas has ever come up with. And if I’m going to be honest, I’m a little jealous. I admit it! I wish I had come up with it.
Yes, this is weirder than bacon tea. It’s weirder than chocolate covered bacon tea. It’s weirder than the pineapple bacon tea. It’s weirder than Jalapeno Tea. It’s even weirder than my beloved Tomato, Basil and Black Pepper tea.
When I opened the pouch, WOWIE! This smells like garlic toast. Like fresh from the oven garlic toast! I steeped it the way I usually steep these large tea bags: I heated 1 quart of water to 212°F and dropped the teabag into the water and let it steep for 2 minutes. Then I removed the teabag and poured the hot tea into my favorite iced tea pitcher and repeated the process, adding 30 seconds onto the “resteep” time.
The brewed tea smells less like garlic toast than the dry tea. Oh, it still smells like garlic toast, but it’s just not nearly as potent.
After allowing the tea to chill in the refrigerator overnight, it was time for testing! I admit I’m excited and nervous and a little weirded out about trying a Garlic Toast flavored iced tea. When I opened the pitcher, I could smell the garlic! It’s still a rather distinct aroma, even though it’s not quite as strong as the dry tea was. The odor of garlic is still there. Then again, it should be, right? I mean, I’m about to take a sip of garlic flavored tea.
OK. Here goes …
Hmm … OK, here are my first impressions: the garlic doesn’t hit you right at the start. The smell of garlic hits you before you even take a sip, mind you, because the aroma, as I said … is THERE. But the flavor of garlic doesn’t smack you upside the palate from the onset.
The first flavor I notice is the black tea. The flavor is smooth and brisk and refreshing. I am picking up on sweetness from the black tea that I hadn’t noticed from this particular black tea base before this tasting. (The Pumpkin Cheesecake iced tea uses the same Iyerpadi black tea base.) I suspect that the different flavoring has inspired the palate to pick up on different flavors from the tea.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
After about a half a second of tasting the black tea, I start to pick up on delicate garlic notes.
Yeah, I used delicate and garlic in the same sentence, and one was used to describe the other. I don’t know that I’ve ever used the word “delicate” to describe garlic before.
And really, delicate is the right word to use for the garlic flavoring here. Although the pungent odor of the garlic in both the dry tea and the brewed tea wouldn’t really suggest a delicate garlic presence, the flavor itself doesn’t overwhelm the palate with garlic-y … um … goodness. Yeah, that’s the word I was looking for.
It’s garlic toast but it’s not all about the garlic. It is also about the tea. And SBT has managed to create a balance to bridge these two seemingly opposing forces. I mean, really … when was the last time you sat down with a cup of tea and thought: you know what would really go well with this tea? A piece of garlic toast! No. I might sit down to a plate of spaghetti and think, ‘I need garlic toast.’ A cup of soup perhaps, but a cup of tea? No.
But I like this. The zesty, savory flavor of the garlic brings flavors of the tea into focus that I might not have otherwise picked up on. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m noticing the sweetness of the tea itself more now. When you have sweet flavor elements in the tea – such as pumpkin and cheesecake – you miss some of the sweet nuances of the tea. But with the garlic tasting like … well, tasting like garlic … I am noticing some of the sweeter qualities of this tea base. I like that I taste the garlic but it’s not a garlic-y assault on my palate.
I will actually be buying at least one more package of this tea because I want to try it as a cold-brew. I noticed that an iced tea that I didn’t really care for (the bacon iced tea) tasted much better when it was cold-brewed so I want to see how this one works with the cold-brew process.
It’s definitely different – but really tasty.
Pina Colada Flavored Honeybush Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Zoomdweebies
Tea Description:
Premium organic caffeine-free honeybush with organic flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m not big on alcoholic drinks. In fact, I can’t tell you when the last time was that I last had a drink but if I were to guess, I’d say it’s been several months and that would have been one drink and I probably didn’t even finish it. I’m just not big on alcohol, I much prefer tea. I’m drunk on tea.
But I do like this Pina Colada Flavored Honeybush Iced Tea from SBT! It’s really tasty. The honeybush base is ideal because it adds a pleasant honeyed sweetness and the nutty notes of the herb add a nice dimension of flavor to the tea.
The pineapple is sweet and balanced with the flavor of coconut. I like that these two flavor profiles are so well matched. They aren’t competing with one another and one doesn’t overpower the other. They are content partners in this tropical tea-tail. I’m picking up on light notes of rum too. A light touch of rum that allows the tropical flavors to shine through.
And I love how easy it is to brew these teas from Southern Boy Teas. I hot brewed this pitcher of tea, bringing 1 quart of water to 195°F and steeping the large sachet of tea for 9 minutes. Then I poured the hot tea into my favorite glass iced tea pitcher and brought a second quart of water to 195°F and resteeped the pouch for 11 minutes. Because honeybush is a tisane with low tannins, you can steep it for longer periods of time without bitterness. This is the best way to get a full flavor from the tisane.
This is a really refreshing tisane. I almost wish I had tried it a couple of months ago when we were in the middle of one of the hottest summers I can remember. It would have made a great summertime “escape” for the taste buds. Then again, it’s kind of a nice getaway for the taste buds now that we’re experiencing a rather wet autumn. Hey, I still need some cold refreshment on days like this, don’t you?