HELLO FROM THE TROPICS, MY LOVELIES!
I type to you from my cabana, where a fella with a GIANT leaf is fanning me in addition to the Bahama winds. My skin is tanning, not burning. I have a floppy hat. My hubs and friends are frolicking on the shore, leaving me alone with a novel, some tea, and the giant-leaf-guy. I feel their joy, but do not have to stand up. Ahhhhh.
Oh wait. That isn’t happening at all. I just FELT that way because of this tea. Only the tea is real.
Today’s sipping buddy is Tropical Flip Green Tea by 52Teas, which they sent me in a special sneak-peak-for-reviews package. (They do not, at this time, send out island vacations.) I will not allow the free nature of this tea to sway me; I genuinely love this tea. (Though, for the record, if someone sends me a vacation package, I will say literally anything you want about your teas. I’m open to a cruise, with a meet-a-dolphin excursion and unlimited alcohol.)
Tropical Flip tastes like a pineapple, coconut, and banana smoothie. Sweet and bright. Usually I think that bananas belong on their own, or in breads, not as a flavoring for something else. But here it works. It adds a little bit of a tang that counters the pineapple’s.
I think that the difference between banana-candy (ick!) and this tea (yeah!) is the ingredients. There’s nothing artificial about the flavor at all. I suspect that it’s because there are freeze-dried actual bananas in there instead of some kind of chemical that Mr So-And-So cooked up in his pharmaceutical company’s basement.
So if you want to briefly dip your toes in the sand without actually paying money or shaving your legs, give this a sip. You might be surprised at how transported you’ll be!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
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!
Strawberry Rush from The Love Tea Company. . . .
Welcome to summer this tea screams as it tumbles down your throat. . .
The hot weather sensations begin with the liquid. Clear rose in color with hints of a sunset orange.
This tea has hibiscus in it so one must be mindful of the steeping time. In order to full appreciate the summery strawberry flavors steep 2 – 2.5 minutes.
Sensations of fresh strawberries intertwine nicely with the crisp grassy green tea notes.
Once you hit the three minute mark the hibiscus takes over like Japanese beetles on a bean plant. . . . .so this tea is for those who love a tart strawberry tea with a grassy note. Definitely one that needs to be enjoyed in the summer or to brighten up ones palate since winter time is typically a heavy spiced tea season.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Love Tea Company
Description
It’s hard to keep this one in stock, teens and tweens love it, and it’s so much better than soda. It’s a Brilliant Blend of herbal and fruit that evokes strawberry fields. It is an organic green tea that is a simple pleasure with complex ingredients – green tea, with papaya, apple, orange and strawberry pieces, rosehip, calendula petals and natural strawberry flavors. This blend is great hot or cold, but our preference is cold. Blend several pots, keep it refridgerated and serve over ice with a fresh strawberry on the side. The kids can take part in the mission on this one. Make sure they #sharethelove with their friends.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sun & Cloud Mist from 52Teas. . . .
I’ve had about three travel containers of this iced by the time I got around to writing this. One arts festival, one movie, and one lunch. And I’ve enjoyed all three!
This tea, though not currently available, is one to keep an eye out for, since it appears to come and go from 52Teas’ site occasionally. It’s a green tea that tastes like sugary lemon.
You know how you go to arts festivals or carnivals and get thirsty? So you pay $6 for a big plastic cup of handmade lemonade? They grind up the lemons in front of you then unapologetically throw huge spoonfuls of sugar in there before handing it to you? And you’re like “HERE COMES THE DIABETES AND I DON’T EVEN CARE”?
This tastes just like that! Minus the health consequences.
In fact, this might even be a little bit GOOD for you, since it contains green tea. I could go on at length about the alleged benefits of green tea, but you’ve probably already seen Dr Oz (or perhaps even reputable medical professionals) talk about it.
Green tea is ESPECIALLY healthy when juxtaposed against soda, the vice I am continually trying to quit. (Fun activity suggestion: go back through my posts and try to figure out the percentage of them that I mention soda.)
So thanks, 52Teas, for giving me this sample! It’s saved my teeth and innards from at least three bouts with the fizzy stuff. And I have enough left in the bag for a few more rounds! Time to take this tea on more travels!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
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!
Ginger Ninja from BlendBee. . . .
Let me take you on a little adventuring in brewing this tea, friends. Imagine: a normal office environment. One woman… her desk, full of tea. Her morning: slow and in need of a pick-me-up. Everyone else around her: hacking up a lung from the winter-sick that sets in every year around this time. She’s desiring something that feels a little medicinal, but also tastes good (obviously). Skeptically, she picks up this tea from her stash– “Ooh, ginger!” she thinks. “Oh… green tea?” This isn’t looking good for one such green tea skeptic.
Regardless, she pours some hot water from the tap, giving it a second to cool down, and hesitantly scoops the dry leaf into her cup. Two and half minutes later…
She takes a whiff. “Ooh, grassy– not my favorite,” she ponders. But she persists. A quick sip– “where’d that grassiness go?” she wonders. It’s gone! It’s replaced with spicy, warming, peppery ginger, a light hint of floral and her favorite: sweet and mellow licorice root. Sure, there’s a hint of green-ery (if you will) in the background. But it’s not overwhelmingly herbaceous, as her first sip would’ve had you believing. It’s sweet and warm and unusual, and surprisingly addictive– within a few minutes, she’s downed the whole cup. Who’s a green tea skeptic? Not her, anymore. Another cup? Don’t mind if she does…
And scene.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
You start off with nice and sweet Green Tea, Rose Hips, Licorice Root, Orange Peel and Stevia Leaf. Then your taste buds go for a spin with Ginger and Black Pepper. You’re welcome.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rose Chateau by The Love Tea Co
I steeped this tea at 200 degrees in about a cup of water for about four minutes.
This is another selection from the Love Tea Company, who donates a quarter of their proceeds to mental health causes. Their teas also come in cute little reusable canisters!
The dried leaf has rose petals and other flower petals too, it looks like. According to the ingredients list these could be hibiscus, calendula, or sunflower petals, which are all included in the blend! In addition, there’s green tea in here and some curled oolong bits and some pieces of dried fruit (which turn out to be rosehips based on the ingredients list). It smells mainly fruity, with some rose/floral scent.
The steeped liquid looks almost pinkish-peach and smells like strawberry with floral notes and some savory green tea flavor.
I steeped for four minutes because it didn’t seem very strong at three (and I prefer getting stronger flavor out of my tea when I can).
First sip: it tastes a little astringent and strawberryish; the rose flavor isn’t overpowering here (maybe I just didn’t get any rose petals in my scoop of leaf?). It’s delicate and reminds me the most of a strawberry-flavored green tea, which is quite nice and desserty. There’s a bit of seaweedy vegetalness in the back of the throat. A few particles of tea escaped the strainer so I’d recommend a fine mesh if you don’t like that sort of thing (although mostly they’re just sitting on the bottom of the cup not causing a problem).
Overall it’s light, floral/fruity, but with a hint of buttery aftertaste (from the oolong), so I’d say it’s great for afternoon or evening relaxation (unless you’re super-sensitive to caffeine; green tea generally has just a little).
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/Black
Where to Buy: The Love Tea Company
Description
This blend was created by a Canadian Master to evoke the character and spirit of France’s best rose vintages. It’s combination of some of the most luxurious green and black teas available today. Like wine, it goes perfectly with cured meats and fine cheeses. Milk and sugar are NOT recommended with this one.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
