With a long and varied ingredients list, I have to say that the “madness” part of Mango Madness blend from Blooming with Joy is very fitting. We have white tea, rose hips, pineapple, mango, cranberries, rose petals, apple pieces, hibiscus, blueberries and more. Whew! There are a lot of flavors going on in this tea.
Believe it or not the white tea base holds its own against all the fruit inclusions. A pleasant, buttery, earthy undertone lingers at the back of each sip balancing the forward tropical sweetness.
With tart cranberries and rose hips along side sweet apples and mango, this tea is equal parts sweet and sour, like a bowl of fresh fruit salad. I don’t taste as many of the blueberries or pineapple pieces, or they get hidden behind similar flavors like hibiscus or mango. The berry juiciness of the hibiscus is the most prevalent fruit flavor, so this might not be the blend for you if you are looking for strong pineapple or mango notes.
A white tea with lush fruit flavors has a lot of potential to be your next favorite iced tea. With low caffeine and natural sweetness, it can be the perfect afternoon refreshment. I also found it to be pleasant as a hot tea, with so many fruits it almost felt like a fruit-boosted herbal tea. Not to mention all the fruits have vitamin C to keep your immune system healthy.
Dip a toe into some madness with Mango Madness from Blooming with Joy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Blooming with Joy
Description:
Ingredients: White Tea, Rose Hips, Pineapple Pieces, Mango Pieces, Cranberries, Rose Petals, Apple Pieces, Hibiscus, Blueberries, Natural Mango Flavor and Natural Pineapple Flavor
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Trio of Peach Teas from Beleave, Rishi, and Teavana. . . .
Who knew I had so many peachy teas in my cupboard? Let’s look at a spontaneous peach tea trio!
Pinkies Up Peach from Beleave Teas
Leaf type: white tea
This is a white tea with peach pieces and added flavors. The dry leaf smells fruity and juicy without being artificial. When brewed, the white tea base is smooth and buttery and pairs perfectly with the bright sweet peach overtones. White tea and peach are a winning combination. Black tea blends tend to get too tart or overbearing against the sweet fruit. Pinkies Up Peach from Beleave would make a great summer iced tea.
Peach Blossom White from Rishi Tea
Leaf type: white tea
Wow, blossoms indeed! There are plenty of buds and petals in the dry leaf, and the blend smells a flower box. Brewed, the fragrance is even stronger with jasmine and peony. The peach takes a back seat in this blend, and taste a bit more peach candies than fresh fruit. The peach tones pop up in the aftertaste, alongside citrus notes like mandarin orange. This wasn’t a very peachy tea, but it was a unique floral blend that surprised me.
Peach Cran Tango from Teavana
Leaf type: black tea
Even before Teavana closed its online shop, I believe the Peach Cran Tango blend was discontinued. So it’s a bit of a moot point for me to review it now. To help soothe the Teavana ache, I tried to replicate this blend on Adagio’s custom tea builder. Give my Peach Cran Tango and try and see how it stacks up.
The last of the Teavana sample I tasted was simple but enjoyable. Sweet peach is balanced with a bit of tart cranberry, all atop a solid black tea base. This is technically a peach blend, though it also features a good dose of cranberry. Cranberries are sweet, tangy and versatile, and seem to tango with just about any fruit partner. The red-berry tartness help the peach from being too cloying and make for a balanced fruit blend.
Well I’m feeling just peachy after all these peach teas. All this sweet fruit makes me feel like warmer weather is on its way already…
Ten Flavors of Kombucha from GT’s Living Foods
Kombucha appears to be all the rage right now, with stores stocking more companies and flavors than I’ve ever noticed before, even outside the shelves of my local health food store. What is kombucha? Kombucha is fermented black tea. The fermentation process gives the brew carbonation and bacteria, the good kind of bacteria like in yogurt, which helps the digestive system. Due to the fermentation process, some kombuchas are contain alcohol, and others have gone through processes to filter out this excess alcohol and make it safer for those who don’t partake. Check on the alcohol content of the next bottle of kombucha that you pick up to make sure it’s at a level you prefer.
My favorite Kombucha brand at the moment is GT’s Living Foods, specifically their Enlightened and Synergy series. These teas come in heavy glass bottles with well-designed labels, and those with a white cap contain only trace amounts of alcohol. Not to mention, these teas are available in seemingly every flavor imaginable. Each time I find a store that stock’s GT’s Kombucha, I find a new flavor I haven’t seen before.
The best flavor I’ve tasted is their Synergy Trilogy flavor, which I see most often on the shelves. Trilogy features a trio of fruits and spices, blending raspberries, lemon, and ginger with the bubbly black tea base. This is the perfect balance of sweet and tart that compliments the sour bite of the fermented tea. The fizziness makes this feel like a sweet treat, but it has far less sugar than a can of soda, and more natural ingredients. With black tea, bubbles, and that perfect touch of tartness, this kombucha always makes me feel like celebrating. I can’t speak to how the good bacteria has helped my stomach, as I haven’t noticed a drastic change, but drinking the tea does do wonders for my morale.
Some of the other flavors I’ve had an opportunity try include:
- Trilogy – I’ve already waxed poetic about this flavor, see above.
- Gingerade – Less fruity, with more lemon and a spicier ginger kick, a great flavor for fans of ginger beer soda.
- Limited Edition Liberty – This blend came out for 4th of July, and features a blend of watermelon, cherry, and lime. It’s a fun limited edition, but the fruit is a bit too delicate to hold up against the bold tea base. I think it would have been better with a stronger lime-ade presence.
- Guava Goddess – Tasty, tropical, and pink, this was one of the sweeter blends available with the guava powering through the black tea base.
- Gingerberry – Very similar to the Trilogy flavor, but slightly sweeter with blueberry instead of raspberry, and still a hint of ginger spice.
- Cosmic Cranberry – The tartness of the cranberries work well with the sour tea base. It’s similar to the Trilogy flavor but with more tart zing.
- Multi-Green – Surprisingly nutty and not too grassy at all. Much more savory than the other flavors. Definitely an acquired taste.
- Lavender Love – The brew is almost purple in color from all the lavender. The soft, fragrant florals dance over the top of the sweet/sour tea.
- Lemonade – Most of the blends feature some lemon notes, but this blend is all-lemon, the sour citrus pairing perfectly with the tart tea.
- Mystic Mango – This blend is bright and opaque, full of fresh mango fruitiness. This is like a kicked-up orangina, with hearty sweetness and a burst of bubbles.
Even looking at their website now, I see additional flavors I’m intrigued to try. They even have a whole chia-seed series I haven’t seen before. I’ll have to keep an eye out at my local stores.
If you’re intimidated by the idea of kombucha, give one of GT’s Living Foods many delectable flavors a try and see what new avenues of tea await you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: GT’s Living Foods (or at your local grocery/health food store)
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Winter Herbal Tea from Elderberry Herb Farm
Winter Herbal Tea may list hibiscus first in its ingredients, but it doesn’t have the puckery tart kick that a lot of people dislike about hibiscus. It does pull off tasting like the base is unsweetened cranberry juice that has been mulled with spices.
The tisane brews up a beautiful cranberry red. How pretty this would be served at a holiday gathering in a glass Irish coffee mug! The smell takes you right back to that Christmas recipe people used to make and giveaway – instant tea mixed with Tang and cinnamon and nutmeg. But it doesn’t taste like the old “Russian Tea” recipe.
Although this says it contains stevia, it isn’t super sweet. There is a cranberry tartness, not too tart, and a glow of cinnamon. Often these winter and Christmas blends have too much clove for me, but this one gets it just right. If you wanted a sweet mulled-style drink, you could add sugar, and I think it would be delicious iced, as well. This is super juicy tasting and would be a great thirst quencher even in summer!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Elderberry Herb Farm
Description
All natural & delicious, the tartness of the cranberries and the zest of orange warmed with cinnamon and cloves make this herbal tea perfect for those cold winter days.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
#MusicAndTeaMonday: Cranberry and Squash Tea from Handmade Tea
Our Sister’s Thoughts:
I realize that Cranberry and Squash Tea from Handmade Tea was from their November 2015 offerings but I thought it was a fun way to introduce one of many new #hastags we are introducing here at Sororitea Sisters. Soon – you will see which new hashtags we will be doing and if you feel compelled to jump in please do so on your choice of social media!
#MusicAndTeaMonday
#MusicAndTeaMonday: Cranberry and Squash Tea from Handmade Tea is today’s featured tea.
After chatting with fellow Sororitea Sister Nichole and finding out not only do her and I share the same birth year – we share the same birth month as well. I did a bit of word association with this tea. Squash = Pumpkin…Smashing Pumpkins…YAY! I was always a fan of The Smashing Pumpkins! Therefore I thought this would be fitting for #MusicAndTeaMonday: Cranberry and Squash Tea from Handmade Tea.
Cranberry and Squash Tea from Handmade Tea offers a sweet and tart flavor combo along side a sturdy black tea base. My favorite part of this tea is that you can clearly see the ingredients. Large chunks of cranberries and squash! There is an earthy end sip that lasts on to the aftertaste. I think more companies should incorporate squash into their teas! Won’t you join us for #MusicAndTeaMonday? Remember to use that hashtag as well as #sororiteasisters on your social media of choice!
#MusicAndTeaMonday: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins
The Scoop on this Cuppa. . . .
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Handmade Tea
Tea Description:
Cranberry and Squash begins with a smooth and creamy black tea base from the Fujian province in Southeastern China. Next, dried cranberry pieces get added to the mix. This adds tart and sweet notes to the blend. The sweet notes of the berries nicely complement the base tea. Finally, fresh dried Butternut Squash gets blended in for an earthy rich flavor that harmonizes beautifully with the sweet notes from our cranberries.
Learn even more about this tea here.
