There’s something supremely fun about unusual seasonal blends that only come out at the most festive times of year. When I heard about the blend, Candied Yams from Bluebird Tea, I had to get a taste.
So, Candied Yams? I’ve had my fair share of mashed sweet potatoes (yams) and squash with butter and brown sugar, and the sweet, earthy, orange mash is a delicious side to any holiday dinner. (We’ve even forgotten to put the sweet potatoes out during dinner one year, and ate it with spice cookies during dessert, and they were still a winner). No wonder I like the cinnamon and nutmeg alongside the yams in this tea blend.
This tea blend is going for an even sweeter version of sweet potatoes; the kind that were baked in a casserole and topped with marshmallows. Cooking with marshmallows seems like the most nostalgic, American ideal, like putting marshmallows in ambrosia salad. All you need to know is that this tea also has mini marshmallows, and plenty of them to make the tea leaves look festive and the blend taste sugary-sweet.
Beyond the carrot-like yam sweetness, this brew also has a fair bit of tartness, like red cranberry, which comes from the small dash of hibiscus in the blend. This red-berry flavor adds a touch of mulled wine flavor alongside the sweet earthiness and light spice. I figure that if my family can put orange flavored dried cranberries in their Thanksgiving stuffing then this flavor profile makes some sense in this tea.
Don’t worry if you’re more excited about the yams than the cranberries, the yams are the driving force of this blend, most noticeable in the scent and aftertaste. After each sip, I get the sweet and starchy potato flavors, reminding me a bit of carrot cake with walnuts. As the initial sweetness fades on my tongue, the brew has a great, mellow, nutty, taste.
If you’re a fan of weird holiday brews, I’d recommend you pick up a sample of Candied Yams before the sweet-potato-yam season passes. And if you get super inspired, you can even bake a marshmallow-yam casserole to accompany your cup of tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Description:
Always looking forward to those sweet candied yams at Thanksgiving? Wish you had an excuse to enjoy ’em all year round? We hear you! Now you can get into the festive spirit with this Limited Edition holiday tea – it’s Thanksgiving in a cup!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Lychee from The NecessiTeas. . . .
Hello coconut and lychee. Definitely some great summer flavors, all atop a light white base. who wouldn’t love a pop of sunshine in their day? .
I enjoy both coconut and lychee and though I have not seen them together often, I can see them blending really well. Unfortunately, this wasn’t around when I placed my Necessiteas order last fall because I probably would have snatched this up quick. Luckily for me, there was a small sample lingering in a traveling teabox that came my way.
Comprised of white tea, organic coconut, safflower petals, goji berries and natural and organic flavors, the dry leaf not only smells delightfully of fruity coconut but looks quite lovely too. Steeped for 3 minutes at 185 degrees, I am left with a cup of tea radiating the smell of coconut throughout my kitchen.
Given the scent, it is no wonder that coconut is the strongest flavor component here. Thick and creamy and fresh, reminiscent of the white flesh of the nut itself. The base is a bit floral which ties in nicely to the coconut while helping to create the lychee taste. It is very nice but the tea itself is heavier than I anticipated in the sense that the mouthfeel is quite dense for a tea you would expect to be light and summery. I blame the coconut but I also don’t mind so much.
I enjoyed my sample of this blend but I don’t know how often I could reach for it before I grew tired. It certainly is nice every now and then but it’s potent and therefore I think this can get old quick.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
I have a feeling fresh lychees are near impossible to find for about 99% of us, so…. for all of those who have never tasted a lychee, this tea is for you. Lychees are, however, very tasty. They are sweet and a bit floral, and they pair extremely well with coconut and that’s exactly what I’ve done with this blend. For something extra fun, try this tea iced with a splash of rum.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cucumber Mint Limeade White Tea from 52Teas. . . .
White teas and I have been best friends as of late. And this tea is the reason why.
I love the fresh flavors that a lime can bring to a beverage or really food in general. Add in the refreshing flavors of mint, crisp notes of cucumber, and soft subtle floral base of a white tea, and you have yourself a tea to remember.
Because this is a white flavored tea, I prepped this tea up at 170F and allowed to steep for about 4 minutes. After that, I allowed the tea to cool for a few minutes, allowing the flavors to settle in. The first flavor you really get from this tea is the spearmint. Refreshing and cooling. A lovely burst of minty freshness without being too overpowering.
After the initial mint blast, the other flavors start to take shape. I can’t say that I can pinpoint the cucumber but I can pick up the limeade and base white tea flavors and that combination is insanely delicious. Such a bright and vibrant blend of flavors. Almost like a mug of sunshine waiting for you to indulge in. I personally can’t get enough of the lime and spearmint flavor combo with a white tea twist added in for good measure.
This tea is hands down one of the best takes on a limeade tea that I’ve had. And I’ve tried several. This is one of those teas that I have literally emailed 52Teas to ask how much inventory do they have left so I can gobble up the remaining pouches. Luckily for me, 52Teas was able to come up with a few more pouches for me to enjoy but I will sadly be finished with those shortly.
Because that is the heart breaker of it all with falling in love with a tea from 52Teas. I fell in love with this tea from the first to final sip of each cuppa. And sadly, unless I beg our friend Anne to re blend the tea or she happens to re blend the tea, this tea will always be in my heart but that will be it.
Let’s cross our fingers for a reblend because this is just the sort of tea that will help with those winter time blues!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cucumber Berry Lemonade from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
I can pretty much always count on A Quarter to Tea for incredible blends. For real– I belong to another tea of the month club that I just adore, but AQTT’s is the one that I pick up when I REALLY want to treat myself and have some super quirky and fun blends that I wouldn’t normally try out– enter this Cucumber Berry Lemonade white tea blend!
First things first: this blend came with REAL, DRIED CUCUMBER in it. You guys. I just can’t get over how cool it was to see a legit slice of cuke in my tea. The freeze-dried berries were slightly less plentiful, but the lemongrass was abundant. And was it ever noticeable in this blend! Of course I iced this one, and it was absolutely delightful. The brew was reminiscent of that ubiquitous “spa water”– you know, served in fancy glass dispensers with slices of lemon and cucumber floating around like they own the place– that stuff. It’s crisp and clean and fresh, from the cucumber. It’s lemony and bright, from the lemongrass. It’s tart and fruity, from the berries. It’s everything I dreamed it’d be by name alone, and more! It’s delicious enough cold-brewed with nothing added, but a tiny splash of lemonade to finish takes it over the top.
Again, AQTT knocks it out of the park!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Tart lemonade with sweet berries and cooling cucumber. Definitely one to try iced!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Red Wine Apple Cake from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
Friends, there’s no question that we here at SororiTea Sisters love us some A Quarter to Tea. (I feel like I can speak for us all. I may be speaking out of turn, but… have you *seen* our AQTT archives? I rest my case.) I’ve recently renewed my AQTT subscription box to be a monthly thing, and not just a “whenever I feel like it”, because I have to say– I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a bad blend from the brilliant minds in AQTT’s blending room.
Now– when this particular blend (red wine apple cake? Who’d even heard of such a thing?!) showed up at my doorstep last month, I wavered a little bit. Would this be the blend that steered me wrong? I’m not typically a white tea drinker, and it takes a LOT for me to be impressed by a white blend. I shouldn’t have worried, though, you guys. Even on sniff alone, this tea is impressive. Big chunks of apple are strewn throughout the bountiful white leaves, boasting deep apple-and-grape-y notes that translate just beautifully to the brewed cup. This one is heartier than most white teas, and that’s probably why I love it so. The only thing I can’t quite pick out are the “cake” notes– which, let’s be real: when someone tells me there’s cake (in my tea, at work, on my birthday/any random tuesday), I want CAKE. This one’s a bit lighter, and lacking on the pastry notes I’ve usually come to know well from AQTT’s blends. That said, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing– in fact, I think cakey, pastry flavors may have overwhelmed the beautifully fruity notes otherwise present in this blend.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This tea is currently not available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!