Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland…”A wonderful blend of green rooibos with cacao and cinnamon and flavored with Bavarian chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnuts. When we sampled this in our store we heard “Best rooibos ever!”, “A new favorite”, “Great everyday tea”. It brews to a golden cup with the delicious aroma and taste of cinnamon baked goodies (we were reminded of apple fritters). Smooth and warming, this blend has the more pronounced taste of cinnamon and hazelnuts, while the Bavarian chocolate is an underlying taste that rounds out the other flavors. Delicious in every season!
Ingredients: Organic green rooibos, organic cacao nibs, organic cinnamon pieces, flavoring, white and blue cornflower petals
Learn more about this tea here.
Tea Description:
I adore and love green rooibos blends. I have considered red rooibos my arch enemy for some time but there is something fresh, soothing, and delightful in green rooibos blends. I’ve had several Simpson & Vail blends but I have had my eye on their holiday blends for some time. So when they offered a chance for me to review them, I jumped all over the opportunity!
This particular blend is a green rooibos base with chocolate, cinnamon, and hazelnut. Um. . .sign me up!
I brewed this up at work and shared a cuppa with a fellow co-worker. 5 minutes later, we were each enjoying this treat.
First sip in and I was looking up and trying to justify buying more of this tea. For 2 oz at $4.25- this tea is a steal!
This flavor profile for this tea is this lush amazing decadent dessert tea that keeps you wanting more and more. My co-worker said it reminded her of apple pie. Me-it reminded me of a slightly honey cinnamon sweetness with hints of the hazelnut and chocolate towards the end of each sip. The more the tea cools the more hazelnut and chocolate become pronounced. There are subtle hints of a coconut goodness as well. Such a great mix of flavors. And just so good. This would be great to share and enjoy a cuppa with family and friends over the holidays. Another fantastic tea from Simpson & Vail. I really don’t think they have a bad tea to offer! Off to get another cuppa. This is going to be one I need to have on hand regardless of the time of year! Looks like I’m going to have to stock up on this delight!
Devotion from Red Clover Teas and Herbs
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Red Clover Teas and Herbs
Tea Description:
When love is good, pure and unconditional, we experience true bliss, joy and happiness. It fulfills us, leaves us nourished. This tea is dedicated to two very dear friends who tied the knot after 16 years of devotion to each other! It’s a celebration of love, life and integrity!
INGREDIENTS
Organic/Fair Trade Honeybush Red tea, organic Taza Mexican Cinnamon Dark Chocolate pieces, organic Vanilla bean, organic Orange pieces and organic Cinnamon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Picture the scene from Oliver. You know the heart wrenching one where Oliver walks up and asks for more to eat? But instead of Oliver asking for more to eat. . It is me asking for more of this tea.
This tea has blown me away! Or should I say this herbal has.
Made up of chocolate bits, honeybush, cinnamon, orange pieces and vanilla bean, this tea has everything a sweet tooth could want and more. I seriously can taste each ingredient on its own while co-mingling with the rest of the lot. Amazing.
The dark chocolate isn’t so dark chocolate tasting that I can’t enjoy it (I am not a chocolate fan) while the honeybush and vanilla bean add in notes of creaminess. The orange pieces provide this heaping citrus lovely background while the cinnamon kicks in a hint of spice. I can’t get enough of this tea. This tea has such a lovely richness and creaminess to the feel of the tea. Sweet chocolate orange love is what this herbal is.
While writing this review, I actually had to slow myself down from chugging this tea. I haven’t had a tea hit me with the Wow factor like this in a while.
Do yourself a favor and check this herbal out. I’m sad it is all gone now, but there will be more of this tea in my future!
Whoopie Pie from East Indies Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The East Indies Tea Company
Tea Description:
Black tea, whoopie pie taste with chocolate bits, white chocolate bits, cocoa powder and sparkling sugars
Taster’s Review:
A while back, there was a group buy to East Indies Tea Company, a company that seems to be a distributor for a lot of smaller tea companies. Since we had quite a group of us, we were able to purchase some of the teas that would not necessarily be available to us otherwise.
This one intrigued me for some reason. I normally do not enjoy a chocolate tea and do try to stay away from them. In general, I am just not a fan of chocolate. Weird, right?
Whoopie Pie is made up of white chocolate and milk chocolate. The tea itself smells like a cookie. Incredibly sweet. I brewed this up as a black tea-212F-3 min for my steeping parameters.
I shared this one with the upstairs dwelling twin teenagers so I’m curious to see what they think. I took my first sip and yes, this tea is right up a chocolate fans alley. The chocolate is sweet and silk like. I don’t pick up any artificial notes and am enjoying the cuppa I have. But I can say that this is not a tea that I would want any more of and keep looking at my cup wishing that the tea would magically disappear. I can see this tea as being a great tea to drink while trying to stay away from a chocolate snack at 2pm when those cravings start to hit.
For chocolate fans and chocolate tea fans, if you have the chance check this out one. As for me, this tea will be finding a new home.
Sweet Cocoa Genmaicha from Liquid Proust
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Liquid Proust
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Genmaicha (second flush sencha, roasted rice, popcorn), hojicha bancha (bought in Tokyo), caramel cocoa (pure cane sugar used)
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
See those ingredients under tea description? You taste each and every one of these flavors. Maybe this tea should be re-named- Coco Pebbles.
This tea is from the amazing Liquid Proust’s tea shop, a Steepster friend who I was very glad to support when he opened up his Etsy store. The Sweet Cocoa Genmaicha was the first tea that went directly into my cart when I was placing my order.
The instructions for this tea (that Andrew so graciously added into the package) said one scoop of tea but I would recommend using two scoops when prepping this tea with 1 cup of water and brew this like you would any green tea (175F-90sec).
I continued prepping this tea anxiously awaiting for the 90 sec timer to go off. When it did, I don’t think I could pour the tea into my cup fast enough. I took a deep breath of the hot steam and was greeted with a sweet green tea like aroma. Took one giant gulp (yep-gulp) and my taste buds were greeted with this delicious roasted dark chocolate sweet dessert flavor. Wow was this ever good and just the right amount of chocolate and the right amount of roasted rice like flavor. The chocolate is so rich but not overwhelming and the caramel flavoring is there but very light almost delicate like. The base of the genmaicha really delivers the roasted bright flavor I have grown to adore and love.
I love my genmaicha but the flavored ones are either hit or a mess. This one is a hit for sure and being the green tea fan I am, I love how this tea satisifies my sweet tooth by delivering a natural tasting flavor with roasted notes as well.
I’m a big fan. Great job Liquid Proust’s Teas. I can’t wait to see what else is down the line for this aspiring tea entrepreneur.
Funky Monkey Black Tea from Amitea Organics
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Amitea Organics
Tea Description:
If you like that “chunky” ice cream, you may like this funky tea. It’s great with milk when hot, and makes a fabby iced tea too.
Black tea with Coconut, Chocolate and Banana!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Banana Laffy Taffy. That is exactly what this tea tastes like. Seriously.
I didn’t brew this one up hot. I was in the mood for some iced tea. So I cold brewed it.
Holy bananas!! I destroyed this tumbler of iced tea in no time at all. This was good. Really good.
If I had brewed this up hot, I bet the chocolate flavor would pop more. I just am not a huge fan of chocolate so I am fine with the banana flavoring being the star.
The chocolate flavor was very subtle and light. It basically just gave the tea a hint of sweetness. The banana flavor was spot on. Natural and Delicious. The Coconut is there but like the chocolate, the coconut is in the background. But again, if I had brewed this one up hot, those flavors may show themselves more. I’ll have to try having this hot one day.
I am very happy with this one as an iced tea and plan to pick up more as soon as possible. Amitea Organics puts out some quality flavored blends. I’m a fan!