One can always count on 52 teas for their unique blends.
This is a winner and needs to actually be made into cheesecake as it would be delicious. They did a wonderful job of capturing the kumquat flavor without any of the bitterness that can be found in the rind. Fruity with hints of citrus and cream.
The honey bush blends perfectly with the aforementioned flavors like a selfish ninja. You know it’s there but it won’t truly show. The liquid is a beautiful color.
When you brew be sure to use something clear. The rose color is quite a delight.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
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!
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!
The Cleanse from Harlow Tea Company. . . .
I am generally skeptical of any tea that claims a detoxifying effect or special health benefit, other than ginger for its actually proven anti-inflammatory properties. However, I like that the description for this tea doesn’t promise any magic results. I also like that it has dandelion root; I just enjoy the roasty, robust flavor of dandelion root. So I was willing to give this tea a try when I received a sample.
The dry leaf smells like hibiscus, dandelion, mint, and houjicha. The scent of the dry leaf is actually the most complex thing about this tea. Made according to package instructions, the immediate scent of the peach-colored brew is sweet hibiscus with a roasty undertone. The hibiscus flavor is not sickly-sweet strong but it is strong enough to mostly overwhelm the other flavors.
The only other flavors I can discern are some underlying roastiness and a lingering minty coolness after the sip. There’s no change in the flavor profile when the tea cools.
A second steep yields the same results. It’s actually remarkable to me how consistent the flavor is; typically a tea will change at least somewhat as it cools and with multiple steeps.
My guess is that the issue here is the hibiscus drowning out everything else. If you choose teas for their purported health benefits, this one seems as good as any other.
At least it has ginger in it and I didn’t personally experience any negative side effects from drinking two cups of it. But if you choose teas for flavor or complexity and are not a huge fan of hibiscus, I would look elsewhere.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: Harlow Tea Company
Description
We all have seen those “get skinny now” teas available. I so wish such a thing worked for all of us, but it sadly does not. What does help an individual in the weight lose process is detoxing your body with the proper ingredients, combined with diet and exercise.
This tea offers some amazing ingredients on top of green tea which helps boost metabolism.
Ginger, turmeric, peppermint, and dandelion are all natural ingredients to rid your body of toxins, i.e. detox
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Dragon! from 52Teas. . . . .
I have talked about Steepster before and I will probably mention it again as it is a large part of my tea-loving life. Recently it gave me the opportunity to not only enter but WIN a draw by 52 Teas for their monthly teabox. I lucked out even more by winning the box of their anniversary month so while they normally have 4 teas of the week in the box, my box had 5 teas to try.
This tea and another tea, The Unicorn!, were both the blends made for the first week of the month and they are both inspired by the Starbucks Frappuccinos of the same names. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try The Dragon frappuccino but I can appreciate the idea and I am excited to give the 52 Teas interpretation a try
The Dragon! brings together limes, strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallow root, all on a green tea base.
I brewed this up hot per the recommended steeping parameters.The liquid is the color of a clear and light lemonade (this is how my sister described it when I asked). The taste is also light, though not without flavor. Lots of natural tasting, juicy berry flavor, effectively mimicking the berry ribbon in the namesake frappuccino. The lime contributes a bit of flavor but mostly adds a refreshing brightness to the tea. Finally, the marshmallow root keeps everything sweet and fluffy. Is this in-your-face like a frappuccino? No, this is lighter and easier to drink but still satisfies the sweet tooth and to me, that makes this a winner.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available. Click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Banana Maple Oatmeal from The NecessiTeas. . . .
I have a coworker that’s always wandering around the office with a bowl of oatmeal. It’s like his familiar — except it’s not a black cat. It’s food.
I’m always jealous of this oatmeal. You might be asking yourself “why don’t you get yourself a bowl of oatmeal?” I’VE HAD THAT IDEA, OKAY? Whenever I try to make my own, it never, ever smells as good as his.
Forget food preparation. I’m over it. I’m just going to make this tea instead.
This tea comes in a packet with real oatmeal and cinnamon and brown sugar in it. My desire is literally to just eat the contents of the bag. However, as someone over the age of 5, I knew I could not make this choice. I had to make the responsible decision. I had to steep it.
And aha! It really does taste like maple syrup, brown sugar, and oats!
There’s also, after you swallow, a little bit of a banana aftertaste. I’m not usually hype about banana flavors, but these are real bananas, not those yucky yellow banana-shaped candies that taste like a dumpster.
Mixed with the oats, the banana is transformed into a banana-bread flavor. And I’ll love the bread form of almost anything. I even like zucchini bread. And this is from a gal who probably couldn’t pick a zucchini out of a lineup. (Isn’t it kind of cucumber-like?)
Mmmm. This is a really nice blend. It’s totally worth a try, especially if you like the ingredients. You’ll be impressing your coworkers in no time.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Oh, the aroma of banana and maple floating through the house… This oatmeal smelled so good simmering on the stove, I could hardly wait to eat it! And then I had that “Aha!” moment. Why not turn my breakfast into a big cup of morning deliciousness? This breakfast tea has all the yummy flavors of maple donuts mixed with banana bread and oatmeal cookies. Now, THAT is quite the combination!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
