Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Malawi White Peony originates from Thyolo, a southern town in the southeast African country of Malawi. This rare and truly unique white tea has gorgeous dried leaves that range in color from chocolate to mahogany to rainforest and has a delicate floral aroma. This smooth-bodied white tea starts with light vegetal notes and has mild sweet lime and rose notes that linger.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve said this before, but it is something I don’t mind repeating: Butiki Teas is one of my favorite tea companies. This tea is an example of why … it is extraordinary! That is to say … this is not your ordinary White Peony tea!
It still has some of the qualities that I’d expect from a White Peony – it has a delicate nature, with hints of flower and vegetation. But the flavor is more intense than a typical White Peony, and there are lovely notes of citrus – bright, beautiful citrus! – which is something I don’t generally experience with a White Peony tea.
The overall cup is JUICY … it tastes sweet and mildly vegetative. After reading the description, I found myself searching for the rose note that is mentioned but I couldn’t find it … until I reached mid-cup! At that point, right as the sip comes to a finish, there it is: ROSE! It’s a very distinct rose note, too! Stunning!
I found this tea to be full of surprises: wonderful, delicious surprises! If you are a fan of white teas, this is one that you need to put on your MUST TRY list. And even if you aren’t a fan of white tea, I think you should try it … it is so different from other white teas!
It’s Time for a Giveaway!
CONTEST is over … and CONGRATULATIONS to Donna A. – our winner of this round of our Season of Giveaways! Be watching for more giveaways, coming soon (we’ll have a special announcement on Black Friday!)
Greetings tea drinkers!
It’s been quite a while since the SororiTea Sisters have had a giveaway on our blog, and I think it’s high time we remedy that!
But really, I can’t take all the credit for this idea … it’s our newest SororiTea Sister – Azzrian – who suggested that we have a giveaway on our blog! (Thanks Azzrian!)
What’s better than awesome tea?
AWESOME TEA THAT’S FREE, that’s what!!!
One of the SororiTea Sisters’ favorite tea companies is Butiki Teas. Why? Well, quite simply, they offer some of the finest teas we’ve ever tasted! So, it seems only right to have them sponsor this giveaway!
That’s right! YOU can win free tea from none other than Butiki Teas!
What kind of tea, you ask?
Well, that’s up to you! Because you’ll be entering to win a $20. gift certificate from Butiki Teas so you can choose which tea(s) you’d like to receive. But that’s not all … you’ll also get FREE shipping with the order that you place using this gift certificate from Butiki Teas!
Twenty dollars plus free shipping from Butiki Teas! Sounds amazing to me! Sign me up!
Bummer … I’m not eligible to enter … BUT YOU ARE!
To enter to win: Visit Butiki Teas and check out their amazing array of delicious teas. Choose which one you might order if you were to win this prize. And then comment about it here on this post. Tell us which tea you’d select and also be sure to include a way for us to get in touch with you should you be the one who wins!
By commenting on THIS post, you will be automatically entered to win. On Tuesday, November 20 (as in next Tuesday!), I’ll be selecting the winner via random.org, and contacting the lucky winner with the information about redeeming their gift certificate. This is the perfect gift for this time of year … you could knock out one of your gifts on your shopping list (even if the recipient of that gift is YOU!)
But wait! There’s more! You can earn extra entries into the contest by doing the following:
- One extra entry is earned if you tweet about the contest. The tweet should contain a link to the contest, and you’ll need to comment here about your tweet, including a link to the tweet so that we can verify the tweet. Only one extra entry will be earned via twitter.
- An extra entry can be earned if you post on your facebook page about the contest. The post should include a link to the contest, and you’ll need to comment here about your facebook post, including a link to your facebook page so that we can verify the post on facebook. Limit: 1 entry earned with a facebook post.
- Another extra entry can be earned if you LIKE Butiki Teas on facebook. Comment here to let us know that you’ve liked Butiki Teas on facebook, and you’ll earn the entry.
That’s up to three additional entries you can earn simply by using social media to inform your friends about this contest!
So… what are you waiting for! Enter NOW! And just think – a week from now, you could WIN!
Royal Golden Safari from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Orthodox Tippy Kenyan Tea
Where to Buy: Butiki
Tea Description:
Our truly exceptional Royal Golden Safari originates from a small scale farm in Kenya and has long golden leaves that mingle with milk chocolate and cacao colored leaves. Toasted walnut and oaky notes are prominent with a light pear undertone. Cocoa notes are also present. This orthodox tea does not contain any pesticides.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was making breakfast when I decided to brew this tea today. I had just got an order in from Stacy and this was one of the samples I requested. I was really not even thinking of doing a review on this one as I was simply wanting to wake up and just enjoy a new tea but I decided not only does this tea deserve a review, Stacy deserves my review, but there is also a review contest going haha. So I decided what the heck. Now again, when I took my initial sips I was not thinking about the tea so much in order to review it – as just wanted to get some tea into my system. Yet what hit me was an intense and lovely flavor of Sweet Potato and Brown Sugar! I instantly thought of another very fine tea that I love that is highly prized and difficult to get ahold of! How lovely to have another option for this flavor profile!
When a tea is so easy to pick flavor notes out of its a real pleasure because it makes it so much easier to review, to enjoy, and to feel joy from. The tea surprised me with flavor note after flavor note!
This tea has a nice sweet aroma and flavor with a creamy texture in the mouthfeel. It gave up notes of honey, nuts and chocolate, and as I have already mentioned, sweet potato, and brown sugar! Just YUM! No wonder it is called Royal Golden “Safari” it felt like being on a safari and discovering one new surprise after another!
There is a malty element to this tea yet its not as malty as one may expect – it is rather mellow and soothing. In a manner more like a Darjeeling in its lighter feel and flavors yet very much the flavor profile of Assam without the heaviness.
The second steep was a bit light in the flavors but steep three brought them back out. It was also in steep three that cinnamon and pear began to peek through.
I forgot to mention that I just love the way the leaves look in dry form. They are truly quite beautiful! The cup itself is pretty as well ranging from steep one a deep crimson color to later steepings being a lighter amber.
I of course love that this tea is pesticide free!
Unfortunately I did not get a fourth steeping from the leaves but I was very pleased with the three I did get! No need to be greedy with such a fine tea.
Overall I really quite like this one. Royal Garden Safari offers delicious flavors and while I don’t know if I would say it could hold up well to milk, being on the lighter spectrum, it would hold up well to sweetener but I would not muddle such a lovely naturally sweet cup with additives.
South Korean Green Tea from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
The leaves of our South Korean Green tea are thin, curly, and forest green. This tea originates from a small farm and has a strong character and vegetal notes. Spinach notes are prominent with a juicy mouthfeel and some lingering astringency.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of those teas that doesn’t try to pretend it’s anything it isn’t. This is a green tea, and that’s what it tastes like.
It has a delicious, savory vegetative tone that is spinach-y. Sweet yet savory. There is a creamy sort of element to it, although it doesn’t really inundate the palate with a slick, creamy texture or taste. It is more like it tastes lightly buttered without feeling the texture of the butter.
This reminds me of a light broth, something that tastes vibrant and vegetable-y and something that feels as though it is nourishing the body as well as the soul. It’s comfort food for the soul! It is very soothing to sip, and while it calms and relaxes me, I can feel it also start to invigorate me from the inside, out. This is one of those teas that you want to have on hand for those trying days … you’ve had a rough day at work, and you just need to unwind and take a moment for yourself. This is the kind of tea you want to sip at that moment. It’s a very enjoyable “everyday” kind of green tea.
Another very special tea from Butiki Teas!
Organic Kundaly from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Indian
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Our Organic Kundaly is sourced from the Kanan Devan Hills Plantation in Kerela, India. This extra special Pekoe grade tea has floral and roasted walnut notes. Organic Kundaly is an assertive lightly astringent black tea.
Ingredients: Organic Kundaly Black Tea
Recommended Brew Time: 4 minutes
Recommended Amount: 1 level teaspoon of tea for 8oz of water
Recommended Temperature: 210 F.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I really respect Stacy from Butiki Teas and her dedication to organic and natural flavored teas! See more info on her here.
This is not as assertive as some morning blacks so you could also have this as an afternoon tea, heck you can have any tea you want at any time but for the sake of reviewing I would say this is a brunch tea!
It has malty notes but they are not “in your face” and it is a bit lighter and less bold than some Indian black teas. There is an earthy note to it which reminds me a bit of peat and tree bark. Next to no astringency.
The mouthfeel is rather bright, and crisp.
There is a light tanginess – more of a twang in this tea. If tea notes could be explained by musical notes this would make the sound of a person picking on a banjo. That may have made no sense at all but it just has this “pluck” to it which is delightful!
I pick up a very gentle spice note in the background of this tea slightly like black peppercorn but its so slight it could easily be missed!
This is a fairly straight forward tea, its not layered with complexities but it is in fact a very good example of a high quality Indian black with enough of a difference from most that it is quite unique and one that you should try!