There’s something magical about unusually flavored teas– my brain has no concept for what they *should* taste like, so each sip (especially the first) is like an awakening. A little party in my mouth, if you will.
This blend came with a recent summer tea of the month club order, and let me say– I was a little dubious at first. Not necessarily of the cranberry/basil blend, which sounds, frankly, like a tasty sangria treat, if anything. No, but of the tiny note at the end of the description: flavored with cream. Cream? Here I was, going down the route of fruity-herbal-sangria blend. Back it up for a sec, shall we?
Skeptically, I threw this one in a jar with some cold water and brewed iced overnight. In the morning, I had the most delightful jar waiting for me– fresh and fruity, with some interesting herb-y notes, but yup, there it is: that fascinating cream flavor, right at the end! Like a chocolate egg cream with a twist (minus the chocolate… obviously)– this one was effervescent, fruity and bright, but just a hint of sweetness-and-cream, with that almost-velvety mouthfeel that so often comes with creamy iced teas.
Yet again, AQTT succeeds in pulling together fascinating flavors that are truly unmatched anywhere else in the tea world. Add this one to your cabinet, friends!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A refreshing blend perfect for the season! Sikkim tea from the Temi estate with cranberry, basil, and cream.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cherry Almond Gunpowder from 52Teas. . . .
Cherries typically are paired with chocolate which is delicious but I have to say I’m more of a nut kind of gal. So when 52Teas released this Cherry Almond Gunpowder Tea, I was like- take my money now!
Cherry Almond Gunwpoder from 52Teas is a handblended tea with a green tea (gunpowder) base with dried cherries and sunflower seeds added in along with natural flavors. First whiff of this, you definitely come away with this nutty robust aroma.
Brewed with water prepped right under boiling and allowed to brew for 3 minutes, this tea just kept giving off these nutty notes that kept me standing attention by the kitchen timer. I eagerly awaited that beeping noise telling me my tea was ready to go.
After the tea cooled for a few moments, I took my first sip. I have to say this tea is quite dynamic.
Rich strong smoky flavors came across while being entangled with this sweetness from the cherries while the sunflower seeds marvelously round out the nutty tones. I can’t say that I’m getting almond but I’m extremely happy with the flavors I am getting. With the gunpowder tea being the base, this tea has this robustness that brilliantly works against the sweeter tones.
Being the fan of gunpowder teas that I am, I will say I was a bit hesitant about this blend. I wasn’t sure how the cherries would play along side the richness of the green tea, but wow is the flavor profile for this tea just magnificent. . So much so I even emailed 52Teas and asked how much of this tea was in stock because I wanted to purchase whatever they had left.
Sorry to all that didn’t get to try this tea because I bought the rest of what 52Teas had to offer. It was a beauty!
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!
Roasted Pumpkin Carrot Cake Houjicha from A Quarter To Tea. . .
So many pumpkin spice teas appear around this time of year, but most of them are just pumpkin spices and make no attempt to taste like pumpkin.
Here is a tea that offers the creaminess of pumpkin and carrot cake as well as the spices.
May I just begin by saying how happy I am that this has houjicha as the base instead of rooibos? So many of the fall spiced teas are built on rooibos that they are beginning to fall into the “avoid” category for me.
I made two steeps of this tea and drank the first plain. I thought I tasted clove at first, but it was actually ginger adding the kick beside the cinnamon. It is somewhat creamy but I don’t know that I taste anything I would identify as pumpkin or carrot. This is an older sample, though, so it may have been there when fresh. I am delighted to taste these spices without rooibos, though!
The second steep proved to be as colorful and as flavorful as the first. A friend who was drinking it with me said she couldn’t tell a difference between the two.
I decided to add milk and sugar to the second cup from the second steep (something I rarely do) because I think most people add them when they are using a flavored tea as a dessert replacement. I expected the milk to take the ginger down a notch but it really didn’t. Most teas could not handle milk on a second steep and still taste like the original.
So far, everything I have tried from A Quarter To Tea re-steeps brilliantly. This was no exception, and may be worth checking out if you are a ginger lover.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Roasted houjicha tea with autumn spices and the creaminess of pumpkin blended together with hints of vanilla cream, extra ginger and carrot for a pumpkin carrot cake experience sure to delight.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Bumble Tea. . . .
My doctor told me to drastically decrease my caffeine intake, which means less tea. I got until 3:30 pm (right now) before making myself my one daily cup. I’d been hoping to cold turkey it and try talking about decaf teas for a while, but I crashed.
Today’s feature: Chocolate Chip Pancakes! YUM!
When you open this up, the chocolate powder puffs out. The majority of the mix is solid (tea parts, etc), but the powder is exciting. It smells REALLY amazing.
This is a malty, dark chocolate flavor. Like the pancakes have been a little bit crisped. The shimmering perky chocolate is a great contrast to the deep assam. Neither overpowers the other. It’s yin. It’s yang. It’s… CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES, GUYS. And oh god, thank goodness, it has caffeine.
I think if you put a splash of milk in this, it’d be GOLD, but we ran out of milk in the office, and it’s my turn to buy it. It’s not a finance issue; it’s a “can’t be bothered to go to a STORE” issue.
I probably can’t be bothered because I have literally no energy in my veins. Caffeine, I miss you.
All of my reviews from here on out will have a certain joy in them because they’re the only times in my day when I am allowed to have my previous zip-juice.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Bumble Tea
Description
Wake up with a decadent blend of black assam tea leaves, with carob & real dark chocolate. Best enjoyed with cream & sugar!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blueberry Vanilla Peach from A Quarter To Tea. . . . .
A Quarter To Tea. . . a tea company we feature quite often on The SororiTea Sisters. This tea company proves time and time again that they have some of the best flavored teas . . .bar none. Each tea is lovingly crafted and created with high quality ingredients that always leave you wanting more. And this tea is no exception.
Picture this, a bowl full of blueberries and peaches with this heavenly cream that has been mixed with touch of bourbon. That is exactly what this tea tastes like. This gorgeous flavored green tea has such a lovely fruity flavor with those warm rich vanilla tones and just a hint of a bourbon flavor through out each sip.
What is quite lovely about this tea is how the green tea base does come through in just about the middle of the sip and you get this brilliant contrasting tone that gives the sweet fruit and vanilla flavors the perfect contrast.
As far as dessert teas go, this may just be one of the best I’ve ever had from A Quarter To Tea. Smooth, well balanced, and on point. My husband and I shared several tea pots of this tea and I don’t know who drank more of this tea. We almost create a little mini competition of who would get that last cuppa out of each session with this tea.
If you are in the market for some amazingly hand blended dessert teas, look no further. I am hoping that we will see some amazing fall teas come out of A Quarter To Tea soon. I’m so looking forward to what pumpkin creations they come up with this year!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Kukicha green tea from Japan with fruity blueberry and peach, with a touch of bourbon vanilla.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
