As the weather turns colder, it becomes a great season for brewing warm tea. But it also tends to become a season for germs as well. Meet both needs with a cup of Immunity from Virginia Tea Co. With several powerhouse herbs that boost your immune system, like echinacea and elderberries, this cup is good for both your mental and physical health.
Fragrant ginger and cinnamon are the first notes I smell in this blend. Those two herbs tend be a cornerstone of most chai blends, so their spiciness is familiar and warming, without the caffeine of black tea. Upon my first sip, the fruitier flavors of elderberries and tart echinacea fill my senses. The sweet, dark berry flavor of the elderberries lingers the longest on my tongue, with the ginger and cinnamon just a flash of spice in the scent. If you’re not a fan of chai flavors, don’t worry, this one is much more fruity than spicy.
This herbal tea is pleasantly earthy, and not overly sweet or artificial. This would be great on its own or brewed with honey if your throat it is scratchy and your morale is low. I love the idea of a more berry-based blend for those under-the-weather days. I have so many lemon and chamomile restoratives, this Immunity blend adds the perfect variety to my get-well tea cupboard.
Whether you feel a cold coming on, or you just want to be prepared for the season, order up some Immunity from Virginia Tea Co. and stay warm and healthy this cold season.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Virginia Tea Co.
Description:
As our body’s first line of defense against all illnesses, it is safe to say that our immune system is worth a great deal to us. This blend of ginger, cinnamon, echinacea, elderberries, and eleuthero root are perfectly combined to give your immune system the boost it needs.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Power Up with Purple Tea from Kenya. . . .
Just when you think you’ve tried every kind of tea you can think of, you stumble across something new. Not black tea or green tea but, Purple Tea? I had to give it a try.
This batch of tea had enormous, voluminous leaves that puffed up the sample bag. The leaves were long and dark, tightly curled, and exceptionally elegant.
Though the leaves were beautiful, they weren’t purple in color, but instead looked like traditional black tea. Would the brewed leaves be any different?
Black teas brew up dark sienna brown, rooibos teas are reddish amber, and green and white teas brew up golden or melon green. Does this Purple Tea actually turn the water purple?
Not exactly, though I will say that the brewed tea is a notable cooler color than most brews. The Purple Tea brews up a muddy, blue-green. It’s far from traditional grape juice purple, as far as the tea color wheel is concerned, brewing up blue-green still pretty unusual.
With all this thought about the beautiful appearance of the leaves and the brew, we finally get to the taste. This Purple Tea tasted surprisingly light and juicy, like green grapes and white wine. There was also a flash of black currant tartness at the back of each sip that reminds you that this has a flavor palette beyond a typical green tea or an oolong. As the tea cooled, I noticed more of a muscatel, earthy, grape flavor that helped flesh out the forward, bright fruit notes.
Purple tea is grown near the equator in a sunny environment with lots of ultraviolet rays. To survive, this tea is high in antioxidants, like blueberries and pomegranates. When you want to expand your palette and get a health-boost, brew up some Purple Tea and feel the purple power!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Purple tea
Where to Buy: Kenya Purple Tea
Description: Recent studies on Kenyan purple tea indicate that this new tea has high levels of anthocyanins which are known to have powerful antioxidant properties.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Gingerberry from Sportland Tea Co. . . . .
I’m a fan of Sportland Tea Co.
I recently tried their Endurance Blend, which is matcha and citrus and I really loved the flavor, and the way it made me feel, so I was very excited to try the Gingerberry tea. The tea is green in it’s dry form, and then after brewing it becomes reddish from the hibiscus.
This blend has matcha, ginger root, Hibiscus, ginseng, lemongrass, lemon balm, cinnamon and orange peel. I usually prefer hibiscus tea iced, and I will definitely be making this over ice next time, but to be honest it’s pretty tasty warm. The hibiscus isn’t overpowering. I can taste the citrus from the lemongrass and orange peel. The cinnamon isn’t really coming through, but I’m sure it’s adding something in the background. This tea is citrus-y and a little floral from the hibiscus with a nice tart tang.
This tea would be a great tea to drink in the summer, or after a really hard workout. Hibiscus is cooling to the body, and also very hydrating.
I also love Sportland tea’s matcha blends because their matcha is very smooth, it doesn’t clump up like a lot of other matcha teas I’ve tried. No one likes to drink a huge clump of matcha!
This is a great tea for when you need a little pick me up, but you don’t want a ton of caffeine. According to their website, this tea increases mental alertness and energy levels, and boosts circulation! And it’s also anti-inflammatory. I definitely feel energized after drinking it, but not in a harsh caffeinated way. I really love these matcha blends, and I can’t wait to try more of their amazing blends!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/Matcha
Where to Buy: Sportland Tea
Description
Sportland Tea Co.’s performance blend is a unique mix of matcha green tea and herbs. With ginger, hibiscus, and ginseng, this blend is a tart, yet sweet and vibrant option any time of the day.
Drink during a workout, long run, or one of ‘those days’ at the office. Try it over ice for an even more refreshing and hydrating option!
Health Benefits
- High in antioxidants
- Increases energy levels
- Prevents respiratory inflammation
- Settles stomach
- Anti-inflammatory
- Boosts circulation
- Raises mental alertness
Key Ingredients
- Matcha
- Ginger root
- Hibiscus flowers
- Ginseng
- Lemongrass
- Lemon balm
- Cinnamon
- Orange peel
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ever Been Curious about Steeped Tea? Matcha Green Tea from Steeped Tea
Matcha Green Tea from Steeped Tea is straight-up matcha! That’s right…Green Tea Powder…as many of you already know!
There really isn’t a LOT to say about Matcha Green Tea from Steeped Tea but I will certainly try. It’s a more mellow tasting matcha that is for sure. It’s smooth, too! The natural creaminess is nice! Matcha Green Tea from Steeped Tea smells like green beans and tastes like green beans.
I guess one of the reasons I like straight-up matchas and like to spend some time with them is to see how they are alike but also differ. I’ve had some vegetal matchas before. Some that have tasted like specific vegetables such as peas, artichokes, various leafy greens, even, but Matcha Green Tea from Steeped Tea is a fine example of a straight forward green bean flavor found in a stand alone matcha!
This was nice hot or cold. It was an easy cup to drink! The matcha dissolved nicely in the hot water! A great starter matcha for sure!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea/Matcha
Where to Buy: Steeped Tea
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tea Lover’s Organic Ceremonial Matcha from My Matcha Life
Tea Lover’s Organic Ceremonial Matcha from My Matcha Life? Yes, please!
Let’s get right to it, shall we? Tea Lover’s Organic Ceremonial Matcha from My Matcha Life shows off a vibrant green, fluffy powder upon cracking the top of this matcha tin!
It smells like creamy green veggies! An aroma I absolutely adore! Tea Lover’s Organic Ceremonial Matcha from My Matcha Life didn’t froth up as easy as some other matcha tend to but that didn’t matter much to me. At least not today.
Tea Lover’s Organic Ceremonial Matcha from My Matcha Life is a very strong matcha, naturally! I found this quite impressive! It tasted like spinach at times but smoothed out nicely for a creamier end-sip!
Their matcha tea is grown in the fields of Japan in the Kagoshima Prefecture at the south-western tip of the island of Kyushu and on the island of Honshu near the city of Kyoto where matcha tea actually originated 800 years ago. I can understand why they chose THIS specific hearty matcha to feature as their ceremonial matcha! With the top-notch quality, the rich history, and impressive aroma and flavor you can’t go wrong!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea/Matcha
Where to Buy: My Matcha Life
Description
Tea Lover’s Organic Ceremonial Matcha Tea offers a richer, more complex flavor compared to other organic ceremonial matcha teas. Approximately 30 servings per tin.
Our matcha teas are grown in the finest tea fields of Japan, nurtured by the world’s top Tea Masters and traditionally stone-ground to a rich 100% pure matcha tea powder.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!