I have heard such amazing things about this tea. It seems to be loved by so many people on Instagram and it has taken years for me to get my hands on some since it always seems to be sold out. However, our sister, CuppaGeek came through for me with a sample of this tea.
I brewed the sample per the NecessiTeas recommended steeping parameters. I steeped the tea in boiling water for 5 minutes. The smell of cotton candy filled the air.
I think it is safe to say that given the hype and the smell, I had pretty high expectations going in. Unfortunately, it did fall a bit short for me. It’s top note is definitely a sugary candy. It could be cotton candy but it could also be pixie sticks. It’s a nostalgic flavor. However, it is not the only flavor. There is a lot more fruitiness here that I did not expect. Under the sugary top note, I am getting a lot of the apple flavor. That apple flavor is a touch waxy and thus distracting.
At the end of the day, this has a bunch of potential and I can definitely see why people enjoy it. However, I would want to explore some other steeping parameters and brewing techniques to coax out more of the cotton candy while toning down the fruitier notes.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal/Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Ohh Sugar Sugar
Cotton Candy reminds me of the county fair. The long strands of pink and blue spun sugar are a special treat. My kids and I have always been fans of the sugary novelty which inspired me to create a tea blend that would be just as delicious and sweet.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sweet Cherry Rose Tea/High Street Owl Post – Steeping Beauty –
Just the Facts
*Caffeine Level: None
*Brewing Instructions: 1 teaspoon tea, 8 ounces of water. Steep 3-5 minutes.
*Aroma: cherries and roses
*Color: ruby red
*Ingredients: cherries, elderberries, rose hips, hibiscus, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries and cherry flavor.
*Description: Caffeine-free magical loose leaf tea infused with cherry and rose hips.
*Tasting Notes: cherry, sweet rose, and tart hibiscus.
The Review
High Street Owl Post is a Harry Potter Inspired monthly subscription box that frequently includes a custom blended tea amongst other handcrafted items. A friend and YouTuber I know gifted me several of the teas she received. I was so taken with the quality and flavor that I had to review them. To check out the subscription box and see the tea, please follow the link or here.
The tea company, Rosa Lee Teabag, is a fun and fictitious name inspired by the Harry Potter franchise. But, the tea is authentic flavor and quality that when brewed reminded me of a melted cherry popsicle with added layers of adult flavor. In fact, the rose petals took this sweet with a slightly tart beverage to an aromatic elixir with a wine-like finish. The aroma of the unbrewed tea reminded me of summers past on vacation in a seaside town with cozy rented cottages and quaint shops. The smell of flowering orchards with ripe succulent fruit emoted from the combination of catch-all goods, like candles, penny candy, and flowers luring us into the general store. I sniffed the pouch repeatedly hoping I could dive deeper into the memory.
Much to my chagrin the teakettle chirped and jolted me back to reality. It wasn’t long before I returned when I found myself entranced by the ruby red appearance of the hot steeped tea that darkened to bing cherry red as it steeped; evoking memories of buying cherries from the u-pick farm off the highway on our way to the cottage. I remembered making cherry lemonade for the kids on the first night and decided to do a second batch of tea using cold brewing in hopes of replicating that taste. To do this, I placed 1 1/2 teaspoons of tea in a mason jar with 8 ounces of room temperature water. I then capped the jar and placed it in the fridge overnight for at least 12 hours. The next day I strained the tea, added simple syrup, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and ice. After a vigorous shake, I took my usual spot on the porch and slowly sipped. The taste was dynamic and I couldn’t put the jar down. Each drag on the paper straw was refreshing and addictive. Now, I’m regretting having brewed the rest of this craveable tea because it’s all gone and there are more sweltering summer days to go and precious memories to induce.
Recipes
Simple Syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water (filtered preferred)
Cook over low heat in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves completely.
Cool and place in an airtight container in the fridge.
Enjoy for up to 1 month in the fridge.
Cold Brew Tea
1 ½ – 2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea or 1-2 tea bags
8 ounces of room temperature water (filtered preferred)
Place tea and water in an airtight container and place in the fridge for 6-12 hours.
Strain fully brewed tea and sweeten with simple syrup if desired.
Enjoy for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: High Street Owl Post
Description
“We offer 4 different subscription plans. One time/Gift, month-to-month, 3 months, and 6 months.”
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
**received as a gift**
Naughty or Anise/Tiesta Tea
I had a nice, big sample pack of this one, full of juicy chunks of fruit and whole spices. The thing is, I am not a big fan of dried fruit teas. I drink mostly real TEA so I have put off trying this. But today was abnormally warm and it seemed like a good time to try it.
The reason I don’t like fruit tea usually is that it either has almost no flavor, like someone whispered the name of a fruit at the water, or they add hibiscus for color and flavor and it all ends up just being a variation on hibiscus – tart and sassy.
This one came out SO DIFFERENT.
I used the whole pouch and steeped it twice, because I wanted a large pitcher to drink with our evening meal. I did sweeten it lightly with cane sugar. I added chilled water and ice and oh my goodness, it was great!
It had FLAVOR! You could really taste the fruit and the spices were so well matched to bring out the best in it. I like anise, and it was just the right amount for me with beautiful whole stars in the blend. The cinnamon brought out the apple pie vibe they talk about. This is from the “Relaxer” tea line, and who could be tense with an apple pie?
Bottom line – I loved it and would definitely love to have it again.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
Star anise, cinnamon and almond blend together for a spunky twist on apple pie. Being naughty has never tasted so nice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
**by purchasing this product via the pic/link below, you will be supporting the SororiTea Sisters in their mission to support tea companies, big and small with the Amazon Affiliate Program. All monies collected from this program will be used to purchase teas for the SororiTea Sisters to review or to assist with shipping costs**
Capri/August Uncommon
I have had Capri by August Uncommon once before. The tea, made with turkish apple, rosehip shells, peppermint, thai pineapple, melon pieces, pear pieces, and flavoring, seemed like the perfect tea to be iced. However, I found myself disappointed by the iced tea. It was vaguely sweet and mostly mint. So today I decided to try it hot.
The mint acts more as a foundation in the hot tea. It is definitely there but mostly as a cooling freshness at the base of the tea. There is a melon flavor on top of the mint but it is so subtle. You really have to look for it. It’s just the faintest bit of sweet atop the mint. Unfortunately I am still disappointed. I want more melon, less mint, and really anything else. Pineapple would be nice or some pear.
Honeydew is a subtle flavor naturally so a honeydew flavor in tea is hard to capture. For me, this was a bit of a miss. It’s a nice mint tisane but it just fell short of what the ingredients might suggest you’re getting.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: August Uncommon
Description
Have you had the pleasure of drinking fruit tea? Throughout Europe, teas made of dried fruit are well loved yet have been missing from American tea culture until now. Capri is a flavorful, cooling blend of fruits and peppermint, with a rich honeydew melon flavor. When it’s iced, it’s the perfect beverage for a hot day. Hot, it’s excellent after dinner or to wind down the day.
INGREDIENTS: turkish apple, rosehip shells, peppermint, thai pineapple, melon pieces, pear pieces, flavoring
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Fruit Thirsty Crow/Hotcups
A friend of mine was kind enough to share a sample of Hotcups’ Death by Cocoa tea with me. Prior to receiving this sample, I had not heard of this company. Then, as part of an Instagram challenge to post 365 days of tea, I featured this sample in one of my posts and tagged the company. Hotcups then reached out to me and was kind enough to share even more samples of their offerings. They sent me seven teas to try including this one, Fruit Thirsty Crow.
Fruit Thirsty Crow is a mix of currants, hibiscus petals, rosehip peel, elderberries, blueberries, cornflower petals, black currants, raspberry pieces.
I divided the sample in half and prepared a cold brew with one half and a hot cup with the other. For the cold brew, I let the tea sit in water in the fridge for approximately 24 hours. For the hot cup, I steeped it in boiling water for 4 minutes. Unfortunately life got in the way and the “hot” tea was mostly a cooled tea by the time I tried it. So, this is actually a review of a cold brew and a cooled tea.
The cooled tea tastes a little bit like bubblegum to me. Granted, not fresh, just-put-in-your-mouth gum. Instead, this is like gum that you have been chewing long enough that the flavor is slightly fading and the actual gum flavor is coming through, but not so long that it’s no longer fruity. As much as I feel like that explanation can be off-putting, its just the best way I can explain this. It’s actually an enjoyable enough cup with a hibiscus/berry flavor at the front that tapers off to that gum/wax flavor at the end of the sip.
The cold brew is better than the hot tea because that gum element is gone. It is sweeter than the cooled tea and has more berry flavor. This is more like Swedish Berry gummies in their prime than gum that’s losing it’s flavor.
Is it the best fruit infusion I have ever had? No. But it’s a nice enough tea if you like more of a berry focus.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Hotcups
Description
Ingredients: Currants, hibiscus petals, rosehip peel, elderberries, blueberries, cornflower petals, black currants, raspberry pieces.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!