This is one of three NecessiTeas I won in an Instagram giveaway about a year back. I was really excited to try it and yet for some reason I have not gotten around to doing so until now.
My plan was to make it hot but the package itself recommended making this iced. So I prepared it both ways, steeping both the hot and iced tea in 175F water for 3 minutes. The iced tea just got poured over ice.
The hot tea, which is not particularly hot anymore, is really quite good. The green tea was fragrant after steeping which made me worried this would taste like grass but my fear was obviously unwarranted because the flavor of the hot tea is more akin to the scent of the dry leaf, which is basically like a delicious creamsicle, except more marshmallow than vanilla. There is just so much bright and candy-like orange flavor mixed with fluffy and sweet marshmallow goodness. I personally haven’t tried an Orange Delight, the inspiration of this tea, but now I know I want to because this is delicious!
The iced tea, on the other hand, is not as much to my tastes. I find the green tea base comes out a lot more at the expense of the marshmallow flavor. Personally, I am not a fan of green tea so for me, this is a step down from the hot cup. The orange flavor still comes through strongly, but without the marshmallow it is more dull and in line with the fruit. So this iced tea is more an orange green tea and the hot tea is more Orange Fluff, a more sweet/candied flavor.
Personally I will be enjoying the rest of my 2 ozs of this tea hot because despite the company recommendations, I think that is the way to go. This is yet another successful NecessiTeas blend that I would recommend and will for sure be sharing with friends. It’s a good one, and I am especially impressed given it is almost a year old and still packs a flavor punch.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
This tea is currently not available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Raspberry Almond Coffee/A Quarter To Tea. . .
I think that of all the new teas I have in my “to review” box, I was most excited about this one. I am not a coffee drinker but I was so excited about the white tea, the raspberry, and the almond, that I was willing to compromise on that last flavor note of its title!
I need not have have worried, though. There is really no coffee flavor in this. The roasty flavor is coming from houjicha, a Japanese green tea that is roasted in ceramic vessels until the leaves change from green to brown or reddish brown, taking out any grassy or sour taste and replacing it with a dark, roasty goodness that is lower in caffeine than the starting product.
The first aroma when I sniff the dry leaves is ALMOND, and it is such a boozy scent that I felt it was full-on amaretto. Next is the fruit, then finally the very lightest hint of roasted leaves that makes up the coffee-like component here.
In the cup, again almond dominates, which is okay by me because I love the stuff. It is mixed with the sweet and summery raspberry flavor, and at first I think there is no coffee flavor or even roasted flavor at all. The more I drink and the longer I drink, the houjicha flavor builds and lingers, mixing beautifully with the sweet and boozy almond flavor.
I even tried this one cold and unsweetened, and guess what? It is still awesome, and I think if you are after the coffee (or houjicha) flavor, you will love it as an iced tea because I feel that the houjicha comes forward just a bit more than when it is served hot.
Another winner in my book from A Quarter To Tea!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This tea is sold out but click below to learn more about this blend and others!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blackberry Custard Tart Green Tea/52Teas. . . . .
I have seen a lot of praise for 52 Teas banana flavoring. There is also a lot of amazement over the 52 Teas coconut, which never seems to go bad no matter how old it gets. What you don’t hear a lot about is the 52 Teas blackberry flavor, which is a shame because it is awesome!
I had a cup of 52 Teas’ Blackberry Dumpling tea not too long ago and it was delicious. However, I had only a one-serving sample so after finishing that mug I was left with a blackberry tea void…until I remembered that this tea, Blackberry Custard Tart Green Tea, was part of the most recent 12 Teas of Christmas box.
While green tea is not typically my favorite, I am still smiling as I sip this because, like Blackberry Dumpling, the blackberry flavor is once again the super delicious star of the mug. There is the faintest vegetal note from the base but mostly it highlights the fresh and juicy flavors of the blackberry. I am not getting too much custard or tart but it is there, light and subtle and adding just a twinge of creaminess. Probably also keeping things on the sweeter side.
52 Teas just nails some flavors and blackberry is one of their more underrated skills. This is yet another delicious blackberry beverage, even if it doesn’t quite capture its namesake.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
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!
Co-Coconut Almond/A Quarter To Tea. . . .
Co-Coconut Almond is a tea by A Quarter to Tea that was featured in the monthly subscription box. It is comprised of black tea, coconut flakes, raw almonds, cocoa nibs/shells, and mini sprinkles.
Steeping the tea using the recommended steeping parameters, I brewed it up as a latte and topped it with coconut whipped cream. Since the whipped cream was being rather uncooperative, I ended up with a fair bit more whipped cream than I wanted, though thankfully it complimented the tea quite nicely contributing a deliciously sweet and creamy coconut.
As for the tea itself, the main flavor for me is the almond which is smooth throughout the sip and then really pops at the end. I don’t usually love almond in tea as it tends to come off like marzipan as opposed to the actual nut. This tea does get a bit of a marzipan quality to it at the end of this sip when there is a pop of flavor but until that point, it is much more true to the nut itself and it blends nicely with the creamy coconut of the tea, another strong flavor. What I don’t get at all is the chocolate.
This tea did make for a nice latte and I think those who enjoy marzipan would love this, especially if they are coconut fans as well. As someone who doesn’t love marzipan, this was not my favorite but it was still quite nice.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This blend was part of the monthly tea subscription box. Click below to learn more!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Turm It Up!/BlendBee. . . .
Right off the bat, this tea has two things that I love: 1. a punny name (I mean, come on.) 2. powerhouse ingredients that boast all sorts of good-for-you claims!
Now, to be fair– this isn’t a tea in its traditional sense. There are no leaves, there’s not even your typical dried herbs found in most tisanes. This is a bright orange powder chock-filled with all sorts of health-assisting goodies (so the internet claims– remember, I’m no doctor!) designed to make it easy-peasy for you to whip up all sorts of healthy morning tonics. Now, while I am as much a fan of a golden milk latte (a traditional milk-based spicy turmeric drink), this blend leans a little more fruity thanks to its hibiscus, ginger, and lemon peel blended in, among other things– so maybe save your milk for another mix, this one is best with water.
After trying this concoction straight a few times, I had a moment of revelation the other day when I saw some lemonade hanging out in my fridge (what is summer if not prime Arnold-Palmer time?)– why not make this tonic lemonade-based? I added 1.5 tsp to about 10 oz. liquid and shook it like, well, you know how the song goes. While I don’t think the powder ever 100% dissolved into my liquid, a few shakes before every few sips worked perfectly to keep things blended. This was tart and spicy, but also fruity and delicious– a fantastic afternoon pick-me-up that’s good for you, to boot! I will absolutely be trying this mix in other blends to come– maybe a smoothie or two? As usual, Blend Bee knocks it out of the park!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Get your daily dose of turmeric with this bright, fruity & spicy blend. Perfect for iced turmeric drinks & tonics. Turmeric is an incredible superfood packed full of benefits. Enjoy Turm It Up Tonic for an killer boost!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
