When I was a kid I had an obsession with pina coladas. As an adult, I still do. I actually have a funny story about them. I was at a restaurant with my parents and I was probably 6 years old. I ordered a pina colada. My parents used to always try it first, just in case the bartender put alcohol in it by accident. Well, that one particular time they didn’t taste it because we actually knew the owner of the restaurant and I guess they trusted that his bartenders were competent. Well, I was drinking my pina colada and I told my parents that it tasted yucky. Low and behold, there was alcohol in it! Go figure. As a 6 year old I was very freaked out and upset. Anyways, I got a new pina colada and all was forgiven!
Back to tea- I have never had a pina colada tea blend and was excited to try this one. I’ve said it before, but I really enjoy honeybush much more than rooibos. It is definitely a tea I gravitate towards when I am looking for caffeine free. Upon smelling the steeped liquid I could detect the honeybush and pineapple. I couldn’t really smell the coconut. Upon tasting this cup I could sort of detect pina colada flavor, but it was really light. I’m not sure if I would have screamed “pina colada” if you didn’t tell me the name of this tea. But when I think about it and try to detect it, I can.
Unfortunately, I did not get something that screamed creamy pina coladas from this blend. It was very light and I could mostly taste the honeybush. That said, it was still enjoyable. I think if someone is new to flavored teas and wants something light but yummy, this would be the tea for them!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but below are the teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Limoncello from The NecessiTeas. . . .
Lemon is not my favorite flavor. I find that it is very overpowering and oftentimes all lemon teas end up tasting the same because of it. But when I read the description on the package of this Limoncello green rooibos blend by The NecessiTEAs, I was instantly interested. Lemon meringue mingled with vanilla and brown sugar…I mean, that sounds really good! So I put my opinions of lemon flavored teas aside and decided to try it out!
The smell of the loose leaf was definite lemon cream. It actually smelled like it would taste really good. I steeped this for about 7 minutes and added a little agave even though it probably didn’t quite need it. The taste was pretty spot on in relation to the smell of the dry leaf. Very creamy, which was in part due to lemongrass which tends to lend a creamy flavor to teas. The lemon and vanilla/brown sugar flavors were definitely reminiscent of a lemon meringue pie. I think the green rooibos was in the background and did not lend the usual woody flavor to the tea, which I was thankful for.
Overall this was a really nice dessert blend. I enjoyed this one much more than lemon teas I have tried in the past. So, whether you are a fan of lemon or not, this would be a fabulous blend to try out. Especially if you enjoy lemon meringue pie! Next time I probably would have skipped the agave, because it over-sweetened the cup just a bit. So make sure you try a sip before adding a sweetener. This is definitely a perfect after-dinner tea to enjoy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
The Italian dessert drink has made its way into a tea. Imagine lemon meringue teasing your taste buds, while sweetly melting in your mouth with a blend of vanilla and brown sugars. The lemony brightness shines through with lemongrass and a sprinkling of golden marigold petals, all topping a green rooibos tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Royal Camomile from Hampstead Tea. . . .
Hampstead Tea has been around since the 1980’s. They are committed to biodynamic practices in producing what they sell; i.e. putting in more than is taken out. They offer organic tea with fair trade options.
This particular tea came in an individually wrapped tea bag. And yes, they spell it Camomile. Is that a British thing? Is it just the Americans who spell it Chamomile?
This particular tea came in an individually wrapped tea bag. And yes, they spell it Camomile. Is that a British thing? Is it just the Americans who spell it Chamomile?
If the herbs are fresh, I don’t detect huge differences from one chamomile to another in the ones I have tried, so a deciding factor for me is going to be whether the product is fresh and whether it is organic. Adding on biodynamic and fair trade makes this company even more attractive.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea
Description
A beautiful golden infusion made from prized sweetly scented camomile petals. Camomile relieves inflammation, soothes and relaxes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Vista Blend from Plum Deluxe. . . .
There is so much Yes going on with Plum Deluxe! I discovered them when my Sororitea sister sent me a surprise cuppa their Pomme Blossom White tea. It’s a discontinued exclusive so I won’t tease you with too much detail. This was a very colorful blend with some “furry” white leaves. What was so exceptional was that the second steep tastes even better!!! Which is usually not my experience with flavored white teas.
I ordered another, not sold out, white tea blend of theirs called Afternoon “High Tea”, which is a peach and pear blend that also held up to resteep. It was a completely different taste profile than the Pomegranate and berries that I fell in love with earlier, but it was still very posh tasting. All their teas are made with organic ingredients — no sulfites, no artificial chemicals, and non-GMO. Eco-Friendly for the Win!
I ended up subscribing to Plum Deluxe’s tea of the month club. It’s only $10 for one exclusive bag of hand crafted tea, plus access to their amazing Facebook community. And Yay for supporting local PNW businesses!
The real star from this month’s shipment was a sample of their Vista Blend Herbal Tea.
This definitely tastes like the uncaffeinated sister of the Pomme Blossom. I’m not sure what the common element is, but it could be the Love and Gratitude they blend into their creations? This company likes to send out smiles.
The infusion slowly turns the color of a summer sunset, and the beautiful sight is complemented well by the apricot flavor. A creamy lavender taste leads into a mellow citrus that lingers nicely for quite some time after drinking.
The naturally sweet Honeybush base made a scrumptious treat cold brewed, and no sweetener was needed, which for me is saying something. Double win! I don’t want this cup to end, so I will definitely be buying more of this with next month’s mystery blend.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
The apricot + lavender “Vista Blend” is inspired by one of our favorite things about nature — the views. This tea reminds us that we can have a beautiful view wherever we are, if only we slow down to appreciate it.
We use a base of earthy honeybush tea, paired perfectly with Oregon lavender and apricot essence. The fruit and floral pair to create a calming influence. It’s just delightful — and especially refreshing on ice. Originally this tea was a seasonal-only blend but based on your demands, we’ve elevated it to a signature blend so you can get your Vista cuppa anytime of year.
All Plum Deluxe teas are hand-blended and infused with love in Portland, Oregon. Each 1oz packet makes 15-20 cups. All organic ingredients — no sulfites, no artificial chemicals, non-GMO
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Nature’s Candy – Coconut Chamomile from Petali Teas
Fruit is nature’s candy– a phrase I heard said by many health-nut, earth-loving parents. But it might just be true in the case of Coconut Chamomile from Petali Teas. I got a taste of this blend from my Amoda Tea subscription. With rainbow colors and fun shapes, this tea almost feels like a handful of candies. It includes green kiwi pieces, pink hibiscus, red rose hips, yellow apple pieces, almost-purple cherry slices, and bright white coconut.
The fragrance of this tea blew me away as soon as I opened the bag, giving me a strong whiff of the fruity, sugary, pop of cherries and berries. There are huge slices of dried cherries, bright curls of coconut, and the little round blossoms of chamomile. This blend smells like sour cherry straw candy, or even a bit like traditional, pink bubblegum. The fruit flavors are very forward, but the chamomile base and some creamy coconut help smooth out the tartness into something super sweet and relaxing. The only downside is that this tea is best when brewed with lots of leaves, so I only got two cups out of my sample.
Part of me wants to make sure I always have this blend on hand, like the omnipresent dish of hard candies at grandma’s house. Something simple and sweet to offer the occasional passerby that gets stuck for a while in my living room.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Amoda Teas
Description:
A beautiful herbal tea with large pieces of fruit you almost want to eat! Floral flavours of chamomile, delightful fruit, hints of coconut and a perfectly sweet finish. Sip this in the evening and let the chamomile relax you.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
