I have never had a peach crostata. After having this tea, I sure would like to have some.
I have never had a peach crostata. After having this tea, I sure would like to have some.
I have had several peach teas and some are candy-like and some have a high, thin alcohol note from peach flavoring as it tries to mimic fresh peaches. This tea was all baked peaches and warmth, oven roasted deliciousness and heavenly scents. The tea had really nice body to go with the baked vibe, so you really know you are drinking TEA and good base at that.
The most surprising thing about this tea was that we re-steeped it for four minutes…and it was great. The color was still good and only slightly lighter than the first steep. The tea base still gave out lots of flavor and the peach was there, too. Then…another steep a good as the second. Then….how can it be? A fourth steep from that same original teaspoon of leaf came out just as tasty and still had lots of peach flavor. Even on steep four there was no doubt that we were drinking a peach tea. At no point did I taste really strong anise. Perhaps I didn’t get a piece in my infuser but I didn’t miss it, although I like anise and would not have objected to anise flavor being more prevalent.
Lots of teas re-steep pretty well, but usually the flavor either of the tea base or of the flavorings diminishes so much that the latter cups don’t have a huge resemblance to the first. The staying power of this tea was really impressive. Heck, I may even try for infusion number five!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A take on a late medieval version of a peach crostata, with warming spices and a rich peach flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tangerine Cupcake? With Marshmallow FROSTING? #52Teas
There’s just something about a well-named tea, you guys. I’ll be the first to admit that I TOTALLY judge literal books by their covers when I’m in a bookstore, or the library– and that same tendency seems to spill into the tea-loving parts of my life as well. So when I stumbled across this tea– TANGERINE cupcake? With MARSHMALLOW FROSTING? it immediately got bumped to the top of the list on name alone.
Like many other sisters reviewing here, I am a sucker for marshmallow in tea– particularly, the pillowy, creamy goodness that the marshmallow root herb adds to a tea. No disrespect to the (delicious) cute little mini marshmallows peppering so many of my favorite dessert teas, but I love how the root adds that flavor without the additives and sugary-sweetness. And this tea has it in spades! The dry leaf looks to be almost 60:40 black tea to marshmallow root, which is a fantastic ratio, if you’re asking my palate.
Brewed, however, this tea doesn’t quite hit the mark that I was hoping for. Is it a fantastic marshmallow black tea? YES. Did I maybe set my sights too high in hoping for something citrusy, sweet, cake-like AND marshmallow-y? Probably, yes. I’m not picking too much tangerine up in my cup, which is a little disappointing. But to be fair, if this tea hadn’t been named so spectacularly (thus, setting my expectations sky-high), I would’ve been super pleased by the pillow-y, vanilla goodness from this black tea blend.
Three takeaways from this experience: 1. 52 Teas can make a pretty spectacular marshmallow tea. 2. I should learn to temper my judge-a-book-by-its-cover tendencies. 3. I’ll take another cup, please and thanks.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for blends that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tardis Eleven Geronimo from Tea and Absinthe. . . . .
Okay, guys I have a confession to make. I have no idea what the name of this tea is referencing. I don’t know if I just live under a rock or if I am too young for the reference, so it took me a while to gain interest in trying this tea. But today I was digging through my little tea sample box and wanted to try something different. I did a google search to see what this tea was all about and on the company’s description it mentions vanilla custard- that is one of my favorite flavors!!! So I brewed myself up a cup and here is what I thought….
This tea was definitely creamy vanilla. I could smell it as I poured the hot water over the leaves. It reminded me of a fresh baking vanilla cake or vanilla bean ice cream. I added just a bit of agave for some sweetness and it really accentuated the vanilla custard flavors of this black tea. The tea itself was smooth, but definitely strong! However I was kind of in the mood for a strong black tea, i’m really tired and it is a rainy day. I always have a strong craving for sweets, and this tea really hit the nail on the head. The vanilla and custard flavors last on the palate long after the sip is gone. I bet that this tea would actually be a great base to mix other teas with, for example maybe a peach or apricot tea would go well with it because of the delicious and creamy vanilla qualities it has. I definitely will be playing around with my remaining sample because this was a good one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea and Absinthe
Description
A delicious black tea with vanilla cream custard flavor. Fish fingers not included. Goes well with TARDIS Self-Destruct Buttons (aka Jammie Dodgers)
Ingredients: black tea -Assam, -China, flavor, vanilla bits
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Candied Chestnut from The Tea Spot. . . .
This tea tastes like a baby shower for a child of unknown gender. Try to imagine the scene: comfortable, lighthearted, full of pastel yellows, whites, and light green gifts. Everyone’s in a good mood. It’s sweet and exciting and soft.
Boom. That’s this tea. It’s a smooth, buttery light flavor that is sweet. It tastes like nuts. It tastes like sugar. It tastes like calories.
The Tea Spot likens this tea’s flavor to a wedding cake, which I hadn’t realized until after I started this review’s “baby shower motif.” But you can see that I was spot on with their intentions!
This synchronicity is because I’m very, very tapped into the collective unconscious, you guys. Basically at one with the Universe.
I say that sarcastically, but when I was a kid, my grandmother totally had me believing I was psychic. She thought SHE was, and it had “skipped a generation” down to me. AS THOSE SORTS OF THINGS DO. She told me it was possible to hug trees and pick up their vibes. I always sensed that the trees were calm. (In retrospect: what would a rage-tree FEEL like?)
If only she knew about this “I can tell the intent of the flavor-maker” thing.
She’d be like “you can feel the intent of the tea-makers THROUGH THE TEA. My god, you are SO GIFTED. You are a CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK.”
I wish you could all meet this woman. You guys would love her. She is very gauche about her tea, but oh god she’s a character. (She buys the cheapest grocery store bags and uses them over and over again. It makes me want to cry when she does it. My mother has to shake her head at me so I don’t say anything.) She’d probably tell you all about your inner workings.
And tell you to have children. She would nag you to give her a great-grandchild.
If you succeed, I promise to serve this at your baby shower.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Description
This full leaf white tea will indulge your senses and make you dream of sweet sugarplums. Adorned with beautiful white flowers, this tea has sweet, light chestnut notes and a smooth buttery finish that lasts through multiple infusions. The Bai Yun tea leaves impart a great body & flavor which lasts over multiple infusions. Sipping this dessert tea is like indulging in a slice of decadent wedding cake… without the calories!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Banana Split from A Quarter to Tea. . . .
Everyone knows I love banana teas, and I also love dessert teas, especially ones modeled after ice cream. I have had tremendous luck with this company, A Quarter to Tea. Their flavors are so different and interesting, and all of their teas are really well done. This one, Banana Split, I knew would be extra special the minute I smelled it. It really smells like a banana split- banana, cocoa, and strawberry. The white tea leaves were big and fluffy. I was really excited to try it!
On taste, I can honestly say it was spot on. The white tea was creamy and light, the banana and strawberry was fruity and sweet, and the chocolate and caramel flavors added a nice flair that was definitely reminiscent of a delicious banana split sundae. This is definitely a great dessert tea, for its rich and flavorful. Although the flavors are rich, the white tea lends a nice creamy, but light, background and allows the other flavors to take the stage. The first flavor I notice is definitely banana. The banana is followed by chocolate and strawberry, and then finished with caramel, vanilla, and cream.
I have always recommended A Quarter to Tea since the first time I tried them, but I am really going to have to recommend that everyone try this one especially if you are looking for a guilt-free dessert tea. You don’t even have to add sweetener to this, the flavors are sweet and rich enough as is! A definite favorite of mine.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Vanilla custard, bananas, strawberry and a hint of caramel and chocolate come together to make this creamy, fruity dessert tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!