White Chocolate Samoa from The NecessiTeas. . . .

by VariaTEA

After learning of The NecessiTeas, I was so excited to place an order. I just NEEDED to try all the amazing flavors the company offered. This is one of the teas that really caught my eye. Unfortunately it is also one of the teas that was sold out when I placed my order. Luckily I have a Fairy Godmother…or Fairy Godsisters, I should say.

The smell of the coconut is what hits first. However, in flavor, the caramel takes over. It is a little bit chocolate but the caramel is what shines here. Coconut and white chocolate does contribute a creaminess but not as much flavor as I anticipated it might given the smell. The base is rich in honey notes but also has a baked good quality when coupled with the other ingredients.

Like so many other NecessiTea blends, I think this captures it’s namesake quite well. I could always do with a little more white chocolate and a little more coconut but this is still very flavorful and made for a nice treat.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:   Honeybush
Where to Buy:  The NecesiTeas
Description

Growing up I was a Girl Scout and I was great at “selling” cookies. I would polish off a box of Samoas after school while working on my homework. Chock up another “sale” my parents had to chip in for. Gone are the days when it was okay to eat an entire sleeve of cookies. So here’s my guilt-free version of the classic Samoa. As always, I like to put a spin on things so I used white chocolate instead then added sweet caramel and toasted coconut to recreate an old favorite.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in Honeybush, The NecessiTeas

Cacao Tea from MiCacao. . . . .

by teaequalsbliss

I don’t eat a lot of chocolate. Mostly because in the area I live there aren’t many dairy-free chocolate store-bought options. Therefore, I choose a cup of Cacao Shells or nibs instead. That is exactly what happened recently with this cup! Cacao Tea from MiCacao is pretty awesome – I have to say!

Herbal chocolate tea made from the shell of the cacao bean. This Cacao Tea is 100% cocoa based and is completely natural, preservative free, and without any artificial flavors or starches. It’s also Sugar-free, Organic, Gluten-Free, and Vegan-friendly!

It’s naturally sweet, naturally chocolaty, naturally creamy, and naturally…WONDERFUL! I guess one COULD add a non-dairy milk of their choice to this but I didn’t find it necessary! It’s great by itself!

I’m super stoked that companies are offering this more now! But I have to say when a company SOLELY offers this – you know it has to be good! I mean – they are throwing ALL of their efforts in THIS offering!

The bagged product is currently sold out but they have the loose product available for purchase on their website – as of the date I am writing this review – that is! I can’t help but wonder if they will be doing flavored Cacao. Wouldn’t THAT be something? Right away I can think of Strawberry paired with this. Orange – perhaps! Vanilla? WOW! And if you are looking for some culinary ideas – take a look at their website – and get those creative cooking juices flowing!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  MiCacao
Description

MiCacao uses 100% organic cacao beans to create a delicious tea that is both healthy and natural. Also known as chocolate herbal tea, Cacao tea comes from a drink that natives of tropical regions in Central and South America have been drinking for centuries. It’s light with a hint of chocolate and is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals – everything you need for a healthy mind and body.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

teaequalsbliss

Co-Founder/Co-Creator of Sororitea Sisters at Sororitea Sisters Jennifer (TeaEqualsBliss) is in her upper 30s and lives in the eastern snowbelt area of the US with her husband, 3 dogs, and cat (however the number of furkids can change at anytime as she LOVES providing a forever home for many shelter animals. Her several interests include music, movies, veganism, sports, traveling, collecting Baseball Cards and Unicorns, Radio, Computers, Crafting, and of course…TEA. She started drinking tea at the tender age of 3 thanks to her Grandmother and her love for tea has gotten stronger with each year! In addition to being a co-founder/co-creator of Sororitea Sisters - her main site is MyBlissfulJourney.com. Find out more about Jennifer on MyBlissfulJourney.com.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, MiCacao, Uncategorized

Cinnamon Bun from Pinky Up. . . . .

by Sophia

This delectable tea was part of my first order from Pinky Up. I have to admit, I am so impressed with this company. Not only are their teas packaged in these adorable tins, but I also purchased a cute black kitty cat mug. Unfortunately, the mug was broken and I contacted the company. They sent me a brand new mug! It was really nice. Anyways, back to their teas. They sell loose leaf as well as blooming teas- which are tea leaves wrapped around flowers that literally “bloom” as you steep them. Today, however, I am reviewing their Cinnamon Bun loose leaf herbal tea.

Upon opening my tin I could immediately smell cinnamon rolls. I swear, while this tea is steeping your husband/wife/roommate/children/etc. will definitely think that you’re baking cinnamon rolls, so prepare yourself for everyone to come running! #hidethetea The taste is just as realistic as the smell. Cinnamon can either make or break a tea.

Depending on the kind of cinnamon and what else it’s mixed with, sometimes it can be too hot or spicy. In this blend though, it is absolutely heavenly. Just like in a sweet, ooey-gooey cinnamon roll. There is this underlying hint of sweet bread or pastry. Then the experience is topped off with vanilla icing. I feel like this is the liquid version of an actual cinnamon roll, minus the calories! Add a pinch of agave and some low-fat cream and you’ve got yourself a delicious and guilt-free dessert!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Pinky Up Tea

Description

Decadent baked goods tempting you at the bakery? Have no fear! Pinky Up’s aromatic Cinnamon Bun Loose Leaf Tea will satisfy that craving in no time, and it’s naturally calorie free!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Pinky Up Tea

Rainbow Sherbet from The NecessiTeas. . . . .

by Mary

In my early tween years, I was lucky enough to have one of my best friends living right down the block. With our minor amounts of freedom (given our newly advanced age of 12), we were able to bike around our neighborhood to our hearts’ content, and often snuck a few extra blocks in to get to the local general shop just around the corner. Our favorite treats to stock up on? Big League Chew, and Mambos, of course– and one time, when we were feeling really adventurous: rainbow sherbet.

Now, let me paint you a little picture real quick: here we were, 12 years old, a half a mile from our homes on a hot day with nothing but a backpack and our bikes, stocking up on candy and very-meltable ice cream. I don’t know why we were so stricken with this sudden craving, but we HAD to have sherbet. So we bought ourselves a half gallon, shoved it in our backpacks, and raced against the clock to bike it back home before it melted and got everywhere. Honestly, I can’t remember its state by the time we made it home, but I can remember the exact feeling of the ferocity of biking like you were carrying a melting Hope Diamond in your backpack. Intense.

So when I saw this rainbow sherbet tea from The Necessiteas waiting for me in my most recent sample stash, I was over the moon. “Rainbow sherbet?!” I thought. “My favorite! And it won’t even melt on me! SWEET.” (I may be almost 30, but I have the mindset of a 12-year-old sherbet smuggler deep within me still, apparently.) I threw this one on ice, hoping to replicate those sweet, fruity, creamy flavors I love so much. The verdict? It was a really good green iced tea. But was it totally sherbet-esqe? Not entirely. I enjoyed this one a lot, ad will definitely sip it again, but I have such a specific flavor-memory of rainbow sherbet that anything that doesn’t entirely hit it on the nose is going to be a little bit of a disappointment to me.

Now, if 12-year-old Mary’d had this tea stashed away in her backpack instead of a rapidly-melting frozen treat? She probably would have been a happier, less-sticky camper.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green Tea
Where to Buy:  The NecessiTeas
Description

Real fruit makes this raspberry, orange, and lime sherbet combination a classic treat!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Mary

Hi there! I'm Mary, a 27-year-old mental health professional living with my fiancé and our quirky kitten in the Midwest! I've loved tea for as long as I can remember-- in fact, I have vivid memory of being four or five in a tea shop and being mesmerized by all the tea flavors and proclaiming that I "was going to be kind of adult who drank tea, not coffee." A stint living (and tea-drinking my way through) London and twenty-some years later, I'm still channeling that sassy four-year-old and loving my tea habit. When I'm not sipping a cuppa, you'll find me reading, doing yoga, traveling, exploring my own city, planning our wedding and experimenting with different healthful and healing foods in my kitchen.

This post was posted in Green Tea, The NecessiTeas

Chocolate Marshmallow Spicier Chai from 52Teas. . .

by VariaTEA

I’ve had this before and enjoyed it well enough but wasn’t blown away. Today I decided to try something different in the manner of prep by making this stovetop style. My hope was this would bring out the flavors.

I will say this may have clogged my filter so I might have lost some tea but what I did get is quite lovely. The backnote is all spice, like actual spice with a large dose of clove and a gingery kick.

Until the spice hits your throat, however, it’s all sweet vanilla marshmallow flavor and silky white chocolate creaminess. This blend didn’t have as many chocolate chips as my last did so in this case it makes sense it is not overly chocolate in flavor. Nonetheless, for a tea called CHOCOLATE Marshmallow Spicier Chai, I do think that component should play a bigger role.

Nonetheless, the stovetop method is definitely the way to go with this tea. It’s richer, creamier, and a heck of a lot spicier. Yum!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below to see what blends are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in 52Teas, Black Tea