Happy Zombie from Design A Tea. . .

by SuperStarling

This tea accompanied me to this season’s Game of Thrones premiere. I figured that the show is on at night (it’s a rooibos!) and has an army of the undead (the title has zombies!). SPOT-ON. THE NORTH REMEMBERS.

This tea’s spicy oranges taste a bit like mulled wine. It’s a little savory, a little sweet, and puts a dash of twinkle in your eye.

I don’t know if this is the influence of the show, but I could imagine this being served at a sturdy, rough-hewn wooden table. Maybe a tavern. Plotting to kill your enemies. Amassing a group of ragtag soldiers, arguing about where to ride the dragons to next, et cetera.

So next time you need something to sip while you’re cuddling your dire wolf, give this a whirl!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Rooibos
Where to Buy:  Design A Tea
Description

A crisp tropical Orange will jump out (no pun intended) with hints of cinnamon. Don’t know if it will make you want to embrace the next zombie while at the beach… but who knows. But PLEASE take warning-If he does want to snuggle against your neck… just run away really fast!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

SuperStarling

"Hey, everybody! I'm Leah, a graphic designer from Pennsylvania, United States. I live with my husband and rescue mutt in a house with colorful walls. I love fonts, colors, animals, flowers, novels, illustration, geeking out, and -- obviously! -- tea. I've only been heavily into tea for about a year, but I've found I tend to prefer loose blended black dessert teas. I normally drink them hot western style without anything added; if I add in some vanilla almond milk or honey, I promise I'll mention it! When I'm not blogging here, I'm blogging at leahlucci.com/starling or posting to Instagram (super_starling), so come say hi!"

This post was posted in Design a Tea, Rooibos

Tropical Nut Paradise from Teavana. . . . .

by Sophia

Why is it that I always try a tea, end up loving it, and then it’s nowhere to be found? Always discontinued. That is the worst thing ever. It makes me so sad. However, maybe this Tropical Nut Paradise rooibos blend by Teavana will make an appearance at some point in the future so that all you readers out there can try it. And I do suggest you try it…because it is dang good!

I always like a tea that involves nuts- whether coconut or almond or pistachio nut, i’m down for it. This one happens to involve coconut and hazelnut! As well as pineapple and papaya! I was a little concerned that the pineapple and papaya flavor may take over the cup and cause it to be too fruity or tart. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. This tea is so creamy I second guessed myself as to whether I had added milk or not! I would describe this tea as creamy coconut, with tropical fruit undertones, and a finish of hazelnut and rooibos. It is not overly anything, no ingredient overpowered the other. They all were balanced and in perfect harmony.

I think that this is my favorite rooibos tea I have ever tried! I highly recommend keeping an eye on Teavana’s website to see if/when this comes back in stock, I certainly will!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Rooibos
Where to Buy: Teavana
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.

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 Rooibos, Teavana

Gingerbread Man from BRUU Tea. . . .

by Mary

 

Continuing with my apparent disregard for the non-holiday season (remember when I sipped on a Chanukah-themed tea in March?), I grabbed this sample out of my stash for our nightly tea lattes the other day. Skeptical as I was, as I usually am with red rooibos, both my fiancé (fellow nighttime tea lover) and I couldn’t get enough of this one.

All the goodness of red rooibos with none of the medicinal ick, this one is like a woodsy-orange, with hints of custard and pink peppercorn spice. Rather than a creamsicle-esque orange, this one is a bit more reminiscent of a holiday orange, dotted with cloves, smothered in warm custard cream. Mmm. Am I making anyone else as hungry as I’m making myself right now? No? Moving on.

Would I necessarily harken these flavors to a gingerbread man? Probably not. Would I sip this one nightly, regardless of name or closest holiday (I’m pretty sure this one isn’t meant to be sipped on the 4th of July, but I say it matters not)? Yes and yes.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Rooibos
Where to Buy:  BRUU Tea
Description

This tea was part of a monthly tea subscription box.  Click below for more info.

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 BRUU, Rooibos

Lemon Blue Green from Mad Hat . . . . . .

by TeaRax

This alone got me through all my presentations for finals week.

The mix of rooibos and MeiLu green tea means a naturally sweeter cup with lower caffeine. I make it both hot and iced depending on the weather. I do have a lot more fun smashing the dehydrated berries after they’re heated though, and watching the indigo lines swirl into my peach colored brew. This tea also has a great resteep value, hot and iced, although I seemed to get more hot brews.

It looks like there is a lot of lemongrass in the dry mix, but my first impression of the infusion is the inviting berry scent. It tastes like a summer shandy, crisp and fruity. It leaves my mouth feeling refreshed with a mellow lemon aftertaste – aha that’s where it went!

Yep, now I’m seriously considering brewing this in beer later this summer.

I’m all about supporting local Pacific NorthWest businesses and This company is literally right up the street from my school, so win-win!

The Mad Hat Tea Shop is celebrating their 10th anniversary right now, as if you needed another excuse to visit.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Rooibos/Green Tea

Where to Buy:  Mad Hat Tea

Description:

We don’t know who came up with this one, but we are glad they did. Blueberry and Lemongrass taste amazing together and with the backbone of Mei Lu Green you have a terrific cup of Tea. The Rooibos gives it a richness that rounds it out nicely. Besides, how many times do you have the opportunity to taste Blueberries and Lemongrass. You’re welcome.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

 

TeaRax

My favorite tea is always changing, like a typical Gemini. When I was a teenager, my native Washington Starbucks coffee was forbidden, but I occasionally snuck in a chai latte, so black teas have been my go-to morning drink when I feel feisty. As an adult, I spent 3+ years living in China and Japan where I learned about green, white, oolong, and pu'er teas origins. I was even prescribed traditional medicinal teas while I was there and that's a taste you don't soon forget! But it didn't scare me away from herbals - I really like cold brewing rooibos and tisanes now because I can share them with my toddler. I am back in school to become a geologist, and these science textbooks can be difficult to get through without a strong cuppa. When I'm not studying, I love pairing my teas with my BFFL and salted caramel macarons, or having existential chats with my dad.

This post was posted in Mad Hat Tea, Rooibos, Uncategorized

Ginger Snap from Pluck Teas. . . .

by VariaTEA

When I see ginger teas, I think lattes. Don’t know why but probably something with the spice and the creaminess that just speaks to me. I mean, people make chai in milk more times than not so following that mindset, I brewed this up as a latte.

There is a strong ginger flavor here. Not much of a kick but the flavor is present as is the cinnamon which sits on the tip of the tongue. The spices are strong and take over the creaminess of the steamed milk. They also work together to create a dark baked good flavor reminiscent of the cookie for which this is named.

This is a flavorful tea, strong spice and accurately named. Personally, I enjoy a ginger snap but only every now and then. I think I would say the same for this tea. It would be nice on a cold, rainy day since it is a warm treat but this isn’t a tea I would reach for each day. Not to mention, I am not sure how this would do without the milk component as I think the spices may just be a bit much for the plain tea.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  Pluck Teas
Description

Sun dried ginger, cinnamon and notes of caramel feature in this low-caffeine blend of black tea and rooibos.

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 Black Tea, Pluck Teas