I have no words. Dang this tea was good.
So, Old Fashioned Spice Cake by The NecessiTeas, thank you for coming into my life. This was unbelievably good! Halfway through my first cup -I jumped onto their website and bought a whole 3oz of it, along with a few others! Smelling the dry leaf you definitely get “spice”- cinnamon, clove, and coriander. You also can really smell those bakery notes- the almond cream and the cake.
I was a little hesitant that it would be some super spiced black tea or too closely resemble a chai, but I was wrong. The spice is there once steeped, but it really is toned down by the almond cream and cake. There is a nutty and creamy almond taste that really evens everything out and gives this tea a fantastic twist. With a little agave, this is truly comfort in a cup.
This is the most well-done “cake” or “bakery” impersonating tea that I have tasted thus far. It is so yummy, smooth, and it goes down sweet and flavorful. The black tea itself is calm and not in your face or astringent.
It was really the description of “bakery notes of almond cream” that caught my eye, and I am glad it did because this is now one of my favorites. This blend has earned a spot on my counter top and I can’t wait to enjoy it everyday till the last drop is gone!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Warm and comforting, simple and timeless, this old-fashioned spice cake is a new autumn favorite! Get cozy with the warming spices of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and sweet bakery notes of almond cream.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pumpkin Caramel Creme from Spice and Tea Exchange. . . . . .
I was delighted to find this tea in my best friend’s kitchen today. It was her child’s third birthday, and I was celebrating by raiding her tea without permission.
This tea — Pumpkin Caramel Crème by Spice & Tea Exchange — is not currently available, but there are several dessert teas you may like on their site
Before we get started on this review, please do not tell me it’s “too late in the season” for a pumpkin spice latté or tea. I will drink one in the dead of summer if I want. We live in a global economy where all fruits, vegetables, and teas are available to us all year round, gosh darn it.
But if you ARE the kind of person who believes in seasonality, you will be pleased to hear that this tea doesn’t taste like pumpkin at all. I got caramel. I got crème. I did not receive pumpkin from this taste. It’s possible that I happened to get a scoop that was lacking in a pumpkin ingredient.
What this tasted like, most of all, was one of those maple syrup cupcakes with caramel icing that my husband’s cousin makes. It’s approximately something like this. It was extremely sweet, but a brown-sugar sweet instead of a white-sugar sweet. A more substantive, deep sweet.
“This,” I said to my best friend appreciatively, “is really good.”
“It is!” she said. “My mother-in-law got it for me!”
I have decided to blog about it and say something kind about them both as a thank you. So here goes:
My best friend is very kind and stylish; her other-in-law is the very nicest around; her husband is a genius; her kids are adorable; her house is charming; and her dogs are cuddly. She does not complain when I let myself into her home without knocking — or start up a kettle to try her teas without asking. She is the Patron Saint of Tolerance (and Good Hair).
And the tea is yummy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: The Spice & Tea Exchange
Description
This tea is no longer on the site but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Cheesecake from Allegheny Coffee & Tea . . . .A Sweet Treat
While wandering around Pittsburgh’s Strip District the drizzly day after Christmas, my in-laws and I noticed a tea and coffee shop, Allegheny Coffee & Tea Exchange.
“Oh no,” whispered my husband, jokingly.
“Too late,” whispered my father-in-law, a little less jokingly.
“We have to go in there,” I said.
“Coffee,” my mother-in-law drooled.
“We’re going to keep walking down the street,” my husband’s brother said. “We’re going to keep walking down the street,” my husband’s brother said.
My mother-in-law and I rushed into the store, which had big barrels of coffee and lovely sniffers of tea. We split into our separate caffeinated zones. Me to the tea, her to the coffee. My husband gamely followed me and played with the infusers while I sniffed everything.
I got out of there in under $20. The employees were friendly, tolerant of my enthusiasm, and very polite.
I first got around to trying this particular tea, Strawberry Cheesecake, while I was at a cabin with a few friends.
One was pregnant, and couldn’t have much caffeine, but she sipped some of this. “That hits my ‘I miss coffee’ spot,” she said happily. “That’s actually really good.”
This tea is a very rich berry cream flavor. I don’t think I’d call it “cheesecake,” though. I’d go with “cream,” or perhaps “yogurt.” But not the full cheesecake. That said, I have no idea how one would go about making anything taste like cheesecake. It seems like an impossible task. But this flavor does hint at dairy, which I find impressive. It’s sweet and girly.
If you want to scratch a caffeine itch or a dessert itch, give this one a whirl.
Thanks, spontaneous Pittsburgh find!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Flavored tea
Where to Buy: Allegheny Coffee & Tea
Description
Ceylon tea with natural and artificial flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cherry Cordial from The NecessiTeas. . .A Hand Blended Treat!
Growing up, my brother was obsessed with video games. Obsessed. He used to drag my mom out to the stores for midnight releases and then pretend to be sick the next game so he could stay home and play the games. I never understood it…until now. Is it weird I feel that way about tea? Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of skipping work though so I spent the day thinking about my NecessiTeas haul sitting at home. More specifically, I spent the day thinking about this tea.
I wish I had the words to describe the smell of the dry leaf because it is beyond amazing. Truly awesome. And realistically, what could be bad. Cherries? Chocolate chips? Marshmallows? It all sounds pretty darn delicious to me.
And delicious it is. At first I got a bit of astringency from the base but now that it has cooled a bit, I am getting black cherry perfection. Sweet, rich and distinctive, this is certainly one of the better cherry blends I have tried. No cough syrup here. Add to that a fluffy marshmallow note floating on top contributing creaminess that is only further accentuated by the velvety smoothness of the melted milk chocolate. It’s all there and its all delightful.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
The combination of a sweet liquid cordial center with a milk chocolate coating is truly divine. Try with a splash of milk and rock sugar for an even more decadent treat!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Caramel Walnut Shortbread from Simpson and Vail
The first thing i noticed about this green Rooibos blend is that it smelled rich and coffee like. In fact, it reminded me of a flavored coffee I used to buy, maybe caramel or something? I can’t remember because it’s been so long since I’ve bought coffee! But this tea made me want a cup as soon as I smelled it.
I would serve this tea to die hard coffee drinkers that can’t imagine why people drink tea. This tea has a rich, deep and sweet flavor. I can really taste the caramel and walnut flavors. It is naturally sweet, so I didn’t even use any coconut sugar. I used a splash of coconut milk, and savored every sip. I have never had green Rooibos tea, but after drinking this I looked into it, and apparantly it has a more delicate flavor, which makes sense to me. I like Rooibos tea, but it does have a distinct flavor that I definitely didn’t taste in this blend.
This might be my favorite tea that I’ve tried so far. Like ever.It’s a perfect dessert tea because of course it’s rich and sweet, but also Rooibos is naturally caffeine free, so it won’t affect your sleep. I cannot recommend this delicious, decadent tea enough!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
Featuring another delicious caffeine-free addition to our Dessert Tea line. This new blend was easy for us to agree on. This green Rooibos blend brews to an amber cup with a nutty, buttery taste and deep caramel overtones. A delectable brew that needs no sweeteners.
When I asked Jim for his feedback on this blend he gave it to me along with this “4 out of 4 people recommend this. I know usually it’s 4 out 5 but we didn’t like the 5th person’s comments so we threw his results out and him in the quarry”. I think this caffeine free blend might be just what Jim needs this afternoon!
Ingredients: Organic Green Rooibos, flavoring, safflower blossoms, and orange blossoms.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
