52 Teas has done a few houjicha/white tea blends, all of which I have enjoyed. I was particularly interested in this one because of the mulberries. If you have never seen mulberries, google them. They are cool looking. I have never eaten them or elderberries before. So I was definitely interested in trying this.
I always enjoy houjicha. It adds a warmth and toasty-ness to the cup. The white tea that Anne (mad tea artist at 52 Teas) adds usually rounds out the toasty-ness and gives it a fuzzy sweetness and maybe even a tad bit of floral flavor. Once steeped, this blend smelled fruity but I could also smell the toasty houjicha. Just like all the other houjicha/white tea blends from 52 teas, I really enjoyed this one. I can not speak to the specifics of how realistic the flavors of the berries were because aside from drinking this tea, I have never had them! What I can say, though, is that this tea was so good. I really like the fact that these berries are actually really sweet, and not tart (like raspberries or blackberries can be). I am actually now wanting to try elderberries and golden mulberries on their own to see if I like eating them. These ingredients are so different, and they really blend well with the tea leaves. I like that the houjicha/white tea brings this toasty warmth and the berries bring a sweet warmth.
Together they make a very enjoyable cup of tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/White Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
Tea Description: One of my fellow tea blenders gave me the idea of blending Shou Mei (white tea) with Houjicha (roasted green tea) to create a base that’s mildly toasty. And I gotta tell you, I really like the result! The Shou Mei softens the rich toasty flavor of the Houjicha a little bit and creates a flavor that evokes thoughts of walking through the forest when the autumn leaves have fallen. (You’ll just have to try this to understand what I mean!)
The idea of walking through a forest after the autumn leaves have fallen brought thoughts of gathering berries to mind so I decided to turn that imagery into a tea! To the base of Shou Mei and Houjicha, I added some dried ‘wild’ berries: black currants, elderberries, blueberries and golden mulberries.
This is the kind of tea you want to brew a great big mug of and curl up in a warm, cozy blanket with a good book and that great big mug of this tea. It’s delightfully sweet and tart with a really lovely toasty tone. Deliciously different!
organic ingredients: white tea, roasted green tea, black currants, elderberries, blueberries, golden mulberries and natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peep Crispies from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
I have one, very important rule about Easter candy: Peeps. Must. Be. Stale.
Now. I understand that this is a very divisive stance. Statistically, about 50% of you right now are probably nodding in impassioned agreement, thinking “of COURSE! What other way is there to eat them?!” and the other 50% of you are probably sharpening your pitchforks and chanting “off with her head!”
Okay. So maybe not *quite* that impassioned. But little did I know that there was even room for another rule in the world of Peeps: they should be brewed. As a tea. And sipped often.
I know. You’re thinking I’ve lost my mind– and I promise, I’m not actually sticking sugary marshmallows into cups of tea and waiting for them to melt (because that sounds like a sticky mess)– but with this green blend from A Quarter to Tea, I may as well be for as delightfully spot-on as this flavor is. A green genmaicha with toasty, popped rice, marshmallow root, and adorably bright sprinkles, this tea is maybe a little bit closer to a toasted (dare I say it– or even a stale) peep than a fresh & puffy, right-out-of-the-package little guy, but if that’s even close to sounding tasty to you, you must give this one a try. All of the seasonal delight with so much less of the high fructose corn syrup and neon-colored sugar dusting. I’ll be sipping this one long after Peter Rabbit has finished his seasonal duties and left for summer vacation.
Now, there’s only one thing left to do– leave the bag open for a few days and see if peeps tea is as good stale as the actual marshmallows. Can’t hurt, right? 😉
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A toasted marshmallow delight with roasty genmaicha, marshmallow, and brightly colored sprinkles
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tangerine Cupcake? With Marshmallow FROSTING? #52Teas
There’s just something about a well-named tea, you guys. I’ll be the first to admit that I TOTALLY judge literal books by their covers when I’m in a bookstore, or the library– and that same tendency seems to spill into the tea-loving parts of my life as well. So when I stumbled across this tea– TANGERINE cupcake? With MARSHMALLOW FROSTING? it immediately got bumped to the top of the list on name alone.
Like many other sisters reviewing here, I am a sucker for marshmallow in tea– particularly, the pillowy, creamy goodness that the marshmallow root herb adds to a tea. No disrespect to the (delicious) cute little mini marshmallows peppering so many of my favorite dessert teas, but I love how the root adds that flavor without the additives and sugary-sweetness. And this tea has it in spades! The dry leaf looks to be almost 60:40 black tea to marshmallow root, which is a fantastic ratio, if you’re asking my palate.
Brewed, however, this tea doesn’t quite hit the mark that I was hoping for. Is it a fantastic marshmallow black tea? YES. Did I maybe set my sights too high in hoping for something citrusy, sweet, cake-like AND marshmallow-y? Probably, yes. I’m not picking too much tangerine up in my cup, which is a little disappointing. But to be fair, if this tea hadn’t been named so spectacularly (thus, setting my expectations sky-high), I would’ve been super pleased by the pillow-y, vanilla goodness from this black tea blend.
Three takeaways from this experience: 1. 52 Teas can make a pretty spectacular marshmallow tea. 2. I should learn to temper my judge-a-book-by-its-cover tendencies. 3. I’ll take another cup, please and thanks.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for blends that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Romancing the Beach from Beach House Teas. . . . .
First of all, a name like this– Romancing the Beach? So fancy, you guys. Also maybe a little risqué, no?
Sassy name or not, this one had a lot of promise for me, a blend of red rooibos with strawberry and cacao, a touch of hibiscus and rose. Brewed, it’s a beautiful pink (hello, hibiscus!) and smells like a light, floral rooibos. I’ll admit– I had HIGH hopes for the flavor. Cacao? Strawberries? GIMME. But it fell a tiny bit flat on the complexity for me. It was a great rooibos blend, none of that medicinal ick that sometimes is all too present in a red rooibos. But I think I was expecting something more reminiscent of chocolate-covered-strawberries, but I mostly just got a tart, floral rooibos from this cup.
That being said– if I were to make this one again, I think it would be a STELLAR iced tea. Perfect for sipping on a beach– while romancing the beach, even? I’ll defer to Beach House’s expertise on this one.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Beach House Teas
Description
Romancing the Beach is 100% organic loose leaf tea blended with red rooibos tea, Oregon Hood Strawberries, hibiscus, rose petals, rose hips and cocoa nibs because love is always in the air at the beach! This blissful tea is a profusion of hibiscus, exalted by scrumptious strawberries and enveloped with delicious rose petals notes. A delight you will return to over and over again.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Easy as Pie: Black Cherries and Sweet Cream from A Quarter to Tea
It’s getting to be summertime and cherries are in season. You can see them in a glorious, burgundy bundle at the grocery store or the farmer’s market. With summertime cherries on my mind, it seemed like the perfect time to try Black Cherries and Sweet Cream tea from A Quarter to Tea.
The dry tea leaves and the first minute of steeping was all about the cream, wafting sweet waves of vanilla out of my mug. As the tea cooled and I got my first taste, the cherries started to shine. This tea is named for black cherries specifically, and you can taste the dark, full, fruit flavor in the tea. This is certainly not the red cherry flavor of chewy candy or medicine, nor the syrupy maraschino cherry that goes on top of your sundae. This blend truly tastes like fresh black cherries and a dollop of cream. Even without milk and sugar, this blend is smooth and decadent, though it never gets too sweet.
There is a distinct tartness in this brew, both from the natural fruit notes and from a tanginess to the cream. This tartness goes well with the astringent black tea base, matching the bright and sharp tone of the tea leaves. This blend reminds me of the taste of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, with vanilla yogurt and burst of black cherries. The vanilla is creamy, but has enough complexity to remind me of true frozen yogurt, or even a slice of cherry cheesecake.
This is a great dessert blend to go with a cherry pie at that summer barbecue!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter to Tea
Description:
Luscious black cherries with a medium body darjeeling base, paired with heavy notes of cream and vanilla. Decadent enough to make a magister proud.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
