A good friend surprised me with a box containing a Lupicia green rooibos blend and two sample sachets. I couldn’t wait to try them all! This was first pick.
A quick peek at google to find out whether it was a black or green tea so I could set the kettle to the proper temp told me it was cherry scented and I did not look any further. But it was a conundrum. Go ahead and make a fruity tea even though I was having waffles and maple syrup for breakfast, or rummage through my stash to find a plain black? My experience with Lupicia was that their fruity teas are SUPER fruity and it might all be too sweet together, but I decided I really wanted to try these sooner rather than later!
Then rats rats rats! I tasted the waffle before sipping the tea! I like to try a new tea unadulterated to get the full flavor. Nevermind, a few sips would clear the palate to give me the true taste.
And that’s where it got confusing.
Nice black tea base…yes, a hint of cherry but not super fruity, rather…..smokey? What is that? What is happening? Not smokey….SAVORY. And then…..warmth from a little spice starts to glow. Is that pepper? I don’t like peppery chai and this wasn’t offending me so what was it? Was the syrup messing with the true taste of the tea too much?
Here is where I had to stop everything and look up the tea to find out what was going on. The savory was coming from rosemary! And the spice was pink peppercorns, which I couldn’t see in the sachet at all but when I tore it open it was there. If there is going to pepper in my tea, I highly prefer pink peppercorn to any other kind.
This tea was a great pairing with the sweet syrup and waffles. The rosemary gave deep herbal notes and enhanced the black base while the pink peppercorns gave warmth and spice and a nice, lingering aftertaste that cut the sweetness of the food without the raw heat of black peppercorns. The cherry wasn’t cough syrup cherry or candy cough drop cherry, but a nice, realistic Japanese cherry that was not too sour.
This gets a thumbs up from me! In future I would buy it loose leaf so I could see those adorable bright pink/red peppercorns looking like tiny cherries!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Description
SAKURAMBO is A fresh, intriguing blend of black tea scented with juicy Japanese cherries, one of our best-selling flavored teas of all time. The tea is topped with crisp rosemary and pink peppercorns imitating the ripe fruit. Visually appealing, this tea will make a great gift. Try its delicious sister product, SAKURAMBO VERT, which is a green tea blend.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
(photo credit: Lupicia)
Sweet Cherry Rose Tea/High Street Owl Post – Steeping Beauty –
Just the Facts
*Caffeine Level: None
*Brewing Instructions: 1 teaspoon tea, 8 ounces of water. Steep 3-5 minutes.
*Aroma: cherries and roses
*Color: ruby red
*Ingredients: cherries, elderberries, rose hips, hibiscus, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries and cherry flavor.
*Description: Caffeine-free magical loose leaf tea infused with cherry and rose hips.
*Tasting Notes: cherry, sweet rose, and tart hibiscus.
The Review
High Street Owl Post is a Harry Potter Inspired monthly subscription box that frequently includes a custom blended tea amongst other handcrafted items. A friend and YouTuber I know gifted me several of the teas she received. I was so taken with the quality and flavor that I had to review them. To check out the subscription box and see the tea, please follow the link or here.
The tea company, Rosa Lee Teabag, is a fun and fictitious name inspired by the Harry Potter franchise. But, the tea is authentic flavor and quality that when brewed reminded me of a melted cherry popsicle with added layers of adult flavor. In fact, the rose petals took this sweet with a slightly tart beverage to an aromatic elixir with a wine-like finish. The aroma of the unbrewed tea reminded me of summers past on vacation in a seaside town with cozy rented cottages and quaint shops. The smell of flowering orchards with ripe succulent fruit emoted from the combination of catch-all goods, like candles, penny candy, and flowers luring us into the general store. I sniffed the pouch repeatedly hoping I could dive deeper into the memory.
Much to my chagrin the teakettle chirped and jolted me back to reality. It wasn’t long before I returned when I found myself entranced by the ruby red appearance of the hot steeped tea that darkened to bing cherry red as it steeped; evoking memories of buying cherries from the u-pick farm off the highway on our way to the cottage. I remembered making cherry lemonade for the kids on the first night and decided to do a second batch of tea using cold brewing in hopes of replicating that taste. To do this, I placed 1 1/2 teaspoons of tea in a mason jar with 8 ounces of room temperature water. I then capped the jar and placed it in the fridge overnight for at least 12 hours. The next day I strained the tea, added simple syrup, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and ice. After a vigorous shake, I took my usual spot on the porch and slowly sipped. The taste was dynamic and I couldn’t put the jar down. Each drag on the paper straw was refreshing and addictive. Now, I’m regretting having brewed the rest of this craveable tea because it’s all gone and there are more sweltering summer days to go and precious memories to induce.
Recipes
Simple Syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water (filtered preferred)
Cook over low heat in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves completely.
Cool and place in an airtight container in the fridge.
Enjoy for up to 1 month in the fridge.
Cold Brew Tea
1 ½ – 2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea or 1-2 tea bags
8 ounces of room temperature water (filtered preferred)
Place tea and water in an airtight container and place in the fridge for 6-12 hours.
Strain fully brewed tea and sweeten with simple syrup if desired.
Enjoy for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: High Street Owl Post
Description
“We offer 4 different subscription plans. One time/Gift, month-to-month, 3 months, and 6 months.”
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
**received as a gift**
Cherry Bakewell/Bird & Blend Tea Co
This Cherry Bakewell tea by Bird and Blend Co. has been sitting in my stash since January and I keep looking past it and grabbing other options. I am not sure why but this isn’t a flavor that makes me stop in my tracks to brew it. However, when I saw it posted on Instagram with the caption “This is dessert in a cup without being too sweet or artificial tasting”, it definitely piqued my interest. Now I don’t actually know what a cherry bakewell tart is but dessert in a cup sounds good to me.
The tea, which is made of Chinese white tea, almond, cranberries, hibiscus, rosehip, apple, currants, blackcurrant, and red and blue cornflowers, brews up a shade of pink that makes me worry that the hibiscus and rosehips might be in charge.
Though there is a that typical tartness from the hibiscus and rosehips, that is not the main flavor component but rather a topnote. The strongest flavor in my opinion is the almond. The almond and the white tea which makes for a nutty/buttery combo that does help create the idea of a tart shell. That tart shell transitions into a red fruit quality from the cranberries and currants, not a distinctly cherry flavor but alright nonetheless. However, that hibby/rosehip tartness then pops at the back of your throat and really takes you out of the the whole idea of a tart.
It definitely pushes towards dessert but it is not overly sweet or fake tasting. So, in that sense, the instagram posted that inspired me to take this out of the drawer was definitely correct. However, I just wish there was less tart and more cherry. Personally, I could also do with a little more sweetness since the blending of the tart shell and filling can be slightly one-note at times.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Bird & Blend Tea Co.
Description
Bakewell Tart is the classic tea time treat with juicy cherries and sweet almond. This luxury white tea blend is bursting with the same fruit juices and hints of sweet almond nuts, making it the perfect afternoon tea choice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Trappist Monk Blend Organic Black Tea from Fraser Tea. . . .
When I first started drinking loose leaf tea, someone sent me a sample of a monk’s blend. I don’t remember what company made it, but I wasn’t terribly impressed with it. I never did seek out any to buy, but I didn’t hate it. It just didn’t do much for me.
A traditional monk’s blend tea is black tea with vanilla and pomegranate, or grenadine, if you will.
This Trappist Monk Blend is far more complex. Blueberries, Michigan cherries, caramel flavor instead of vanilla, and lots more!
Did I mention that it is ORGANIC? This is a real point of passion for the brothers who founded this company. That raises the price, as would be expected with quality ingredients, but I resteeped my sachet and got a really great second cup, with almost no noticeable decrease in flavor or color.
The base is a smooth assam, so a nice bit of caffeine but not at all rough enough to need sugar. I thought it was delicious just as it is. I am guessing it would make a great iced tea, with or without sweetener, as well.
I found it to be more full-flavored than the monk’s blend from years ago. The assam and caramel lay down some nice deep bass lines, the stone fruits give us our sparkling middle notes, and calendula provides the treble. Cornflower makes it all a little sweeter.
This is a variation on monk’s blend that I can get behind!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
A unique twist on the tradition of Monk’s Blend tea, our Trappist Monk Organic Black Tea melds Michigan cherries with exotic vanilla and sweet caramel organic flavor and is crafted from the highest quality Assam tea. Through bold flavors, that are tempered with zesty orange peel, pomegranate and grenadine, the essence of this tea takes on a rich sweetness. We named this blend after the Trappist monks whose order our father was a member. Choose this organic black tea to help increase alertness and focus, we wish you a healthy mind, body and spirit with each cup.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chocolate Cherry Bomb! from The Tea Spot
Chocolate Cherry Bomb!
It’s a special day when you get to drink a tea with an exclamation mark in its name!
I loved the aroma of this one as soon as I opened the pouch. The first impression I got from this deep black tea was that it was boozy, rather than sweet candy. Then I was reminded of the smell of cherry pipe tobacco, which is one of my favorite scents ever. When I see Haley Mills sniffing her grandpa in “The Parent Trap” to ‘make a memory’ as she put it, this is the aroma I imagine, even though she said he also smelled of peppermints!
Steeped, this is a strong and brisk black base with chocolate foremost and cherry after. And hallelujah! The cherry tastes like cherry instead of like horrific cherry cough syrup!
This would be a good breakfast tea thanks to that hefty base, and can easily handle milk and sugar. I do recommend that you let it cool a little before you sip. When I sipped it piping hot, I tasted chocolate but no cherry. With just a little cooling, the cherry flavor came out very well.
Don’t overleaf this one! The base is strong enough to stick with a level teaspoon for eight ounces.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Description
Think hand-dipped chocolate cherry truffle… sweet, plump, juicy, decadent – without the calories. Its cherry scent and velvety smooth chocolate notes work to enchant, but not overwhelm. Handcrafted from two black teas this is a dessert that you can enjoy for breakfast.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!