One of my favorite Etsy shops is Sunshine Cottage. They offer great flavored teas, tea accessories, and other wonderful items sure to make you smile. So naturally when I saw they had a tea named Happy Witch Blend.. . I was all over it!
Happy Witch Blend is a mix of sweet apples, cinnamon, spices, and a touch of vanilla flavoring. A wonderful fall treat to be sure. I grabbed my tea pot and instantly started steeping.
A few minutes later, I had myself a gorgeous brew waiting for me to try. This tea had one of those amazing wonderful fragrances that make you just sit back and enjoy the moment.
One sip in and this tea was exactly what I was looking. Fresh sweet apple notes mingling with a mix of different spices that remind you of chai. The vanilla did give way to a sweetness that I noticed right away. The black tea base lent itself to subtle malty notes that I found myself really enjoying. They contrasted nicely with all of the sweet notes coming from the vanilla and apple flavoring. 
As good as this tea was without any add ins, I think a touch of honey would really elevate the tea even more. Or even a shot of whiskey or brandy. . .which is what I did along with a dollop of cream and a dusting of cinnamon on top.
This tea became a decent flavored tea to an insanely amazing treat. Perfect for those cold fall/winter nights that will soon be upon us here in the Midwest. Rich, decadent, sweet, with that heat that really resonates with you.
Simply delicious however you enjoy the tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sunshine Cottage
Description
Make your inner witch happy with this wonderful flavored black tea. Hand blended it’s full of sweet apples, cinnamon and spices, with a touch of vanilla for smoothness – It’s magical!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Elevating Your Tea Game: Pumpkin Brulee Lattes With a Kick!
Sometimes you just need an added kick to wind down from your day. This is exactly what I did with Pumpkin Brulee from The NecessiTeas.
If you aren’t familiar with The NecessiTeas, I encourage you to check them out. They offer amazing fresh teas with wonderful flavors that provide that soul soothing love that you can only get from a proper cuppa. Over the last few weeks, I have really found myself falling more and more in love with them. Particularly this tea.
So before I chat about the latte and how I prepared it, I wanted to properly review the tea itself. If you are a fan of pumpkin, I highly recommend checking out this tea. This is a black flavored pumpkin tea with chunks of caramel, butterscotch and spices, topped off with a dusting of brown sugar. Need I say more? This tea literally tastes like a caramel pumpkin dessert in a mug (without the calories!) One of the best pumpkin dessert teas I’ve had for sure and one that I’ve spent a good portion of the day with. For a flavored tea, the flavor has lasted thru several infusions. Gotta love that!
My husband and I aren’t huge drinkers but we do love a properly mixed drink now and again. I’m always trying to find ways to incorporate a shot of this or that into my tea and I think I have figured out the right combination.
Brew your tea like your normally would. Pour into your cup, leaving room for the topping.
Take 1/2 cup of milk (I use almond) with a shot of Irish Cream. Mix together and pour into your cuppa. Top with whip cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice on top and you are done! Nothing hard by any means but a fun way to enjoy the tea and add a special little touch.
Earlier in the day I did froth up milk with my Breville frother and created an amazing pumpkin latte that rivaled the ones at the coffee and tea shops. It was rich, creamy, and perfectly pumpkin!
Highly recommended this tea for the upcoming holiday season. There are so many different ways you can spruce the tea up or just drink it on its own. I know I’ll be drinking a lot of these tea cocktails over the next couple of months!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
A bountiful harvest of sweet, spice and everything nice. This warming black tea is the perfect accompaniment to crisp Fall days. A blend of warm pumpkin and flavors of sweet caramel, butterscotch, brown sugar, and creamy vanilla create this seasonal indulgence. Enjoy with a touch of milk and sweetener of choice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pumpkin Spice from Simpson & Vail
As with any seasonally-significant stereotype (I love them ALL, you guys), pumpkin spice is my jam. I’ve tried a fair number of pumpkin teas in my day, and let me tell you– they can be tricky to nail down. Too often, the pumpkin flavor comes across as fake, or barely-there, or the “spice” is way overdone, leaving no “pumpkin” to be found. I was eager to try this blend from Simpson & Vail as in my experience, they always knock it out of the park when it comes to flavors.
Did they capture a delicious flavor? Totally. Was it entirely pumpkin-y? I’m still not sure. This tea has absolutely none of the fake-y pumpkin flavor I’ve come to despise in my seasonal teas (woo hoo!), but it’s coming across more gingerbread-y to me in my first cup. Maybe my brain is just jumping ahead a season or two, but while the spices are on point, I’m having a hard time picking up pumpkin in my freshly-steeped cup. As it cools, however, the pumpkin begins to sneak in a bit more, and I’m greeted with a delightful cup of fall goodness.
Later, I try it as a tea latte with a scoop of pureed pumpkin stirred in and a splash of coconut cream and maple syrup, and BAM– there’s that autumnal flavor I was looking for! I’ll definitely be drinking this one again.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
The stories of pumpkins, both in history and fables, make this fall fruit a staple in American diets. Their importance in American history began when the Native American Indians saved the Pilgrims from starvation by sharing this fall favorite. From fairies creating a pumpkin coach for Cinderella to Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater to the endless faces of Jack-o’-lanterns, we have grown up with pumpkins as a part of our culture. Every Fall I watch with delight as the pumpkins reach maturity, anxiously awaiting the tastes of pumpkin soups, pumpkin breads, and, of course, pumpkin pie!
This blend combines black teas with pumpkin and spice flavor to create a deep amber cup that is velvety smooth and aromatic. Its light, delicious taste is reminiscent of pumpkin custard. This tea, enjoyed year round, just adds another sensory delight to the mystique of the pumpkin!
Ingredients: black teas, pumpkin flavor and marigold petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spicy Caramel Apple Cinnamon Herbal from Plum Deluxe
Living in the Midwest has spoiled me, you guys. I recently left my full-swing-of-fall homestate for a business trip to Texas, and was shocked when I stepped off the plane and was greeted with a wall of thick humidity the likes of which we hadn’t seen near the Great Lakes for months. You see, the second the first cool breeze and slightly orange-tinged leaf make their first appearances here in September, I’ve busted out my entire (vast– trust me.) collection of scarves, colorful tights, and obviously– autumnal teas 🙂
This limited 
edition autumn blend from Plum Deluxe hit all the necessary checkpoints for a perfect seasonal blend– spicy? Check. Slightly sweet? Yessir. Caramel-y smooth? Done and done. Upon first blend, my cup is evocative of an afternoon in the orchards– the apple notes are present and delightfully smooth. I will say the second steeping loses the apple for me, but the cinnamon remains, and it certai
nly can carry this tea on its own. Whether autumn is in full swing where you are, or you’re sweating it out in the sunshine and greenery, this tea is a great one to carry you through the season!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Nothing says fall flavor better than apples and cinnamon — and we’re taking it to the next level with the addition of fresh spices and a splash of caramel, to create the perfect tea paired for enjoying freshly harvested foods, carving pumpkins, going on a walk in the fresh autumnal air, or savoring your own special fall moments.
Even better, our spiced caramel apple cinnamon tea only has a pinch of organic rooibos tea as a base, making it caffeine-free, so you can enjoy it as an after dinner treat or a lovely bedtime companion.
This is a limited-edition tea available until Dec 31st, or while supplies last.
All Plum Deluxe teas are hand-blended and infused with love in Portland, Oregon. Each 1 oz tea packet makes 15-20 cups. All organic ingredients — no sulfites, no artificial chemicals, non-GMO.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Snickerdoodle from Simpson & Vail
I have never been a fan of red rooibos, although I tried one or two flavored ones that I liked simply because the flavoring covered up the base. I have been eager to try green rooibos to see if I would like it because I would love to find some caffeine-free options for evenings, but it has to be something I really enjoy, or why bother?
I was pretty excited to see that my first ever green rooibos was going to be in a flavored tea that celebrates and imitates one of my favorite cookies – Snickerdoodles.
Wow! Simpson and Vail knocked it out of the ballpark on this one! This is sweet, I guess from the blackberry leaves, and the cinnamon is forefront but not “cinnamon red hot candy” strong. It really tastes like you have just had a bite of a cookie with that cinnamon sugar dusting on the outside.
My daughter immediately said, “This tastes like Christmas!” And I am happy because I have found my evening cup of indulgence for this winter.
Way to go, Simpson and Vail!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
When we were kids Jim came home from elementary school with some recipes his teacher had given him (perhaps for an upcoming bake sale). I’ll never forget the day our Mom made a batch of Snickerdoodle cookies. They were an instant favorite in our house! The recipe was lost for awhile and we would continually ask Mom for “those lovely cinnamon cookies”. You never saw four happier kids than when she found the recipe again.
If you are a cinnamon lover then this Rooibos blend is for you! When you open the bag, the aroma of cinnamon cookie happily greets you. The brewed cup is amber colored with the taste of fresh baked snickerdoodle cookies. The sweet cinnamon taste lingers deliciously on the tongue.
Ingredients: Organic Green Rooibos, organic cinnamon pieces, sweet blackberry leaf and flavoring.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
