Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black.
Where to Buy: theBeesTeas
Tea Description:
You’ll be amazed at how decadent tea can be when you try this delicious blend. The best part about it (well, besides the taste)? You won’t feel guilty after having it! Tea contains a trace amount of calories, therefore you can have all the flavor without all the calories! In this black tea blend you will enjoy the flavor and aroma of chocolate, toffee, and hazelnut. This tea is caffeinated more than white tea or green tea, yet still a considerable amount less than coffee. Add a splash of milk for a real tasty treat
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I recently discovered an adorable shop on Etsy and picked up a sampler or two of the teas they offered. So far I have enjoyed all that I have tried. Since I am really trying hard to break out of my box I find myself in (always drinking green or herbal teas) I thought I would try a few new styles for me. This one really takes me outside my typical tea comfort zone just with the simple fact that it has chocolate in it. And not just chocolate.
This tea truly is a decadent tea. Toffee bits, black tea, hazelnuts, cocoa beans, cocoa rice rice, and carob chips. Basically chocolate lovin’ in a cuppa. The dry leaves smell like a chocolate marshmallow rice krispie treat. My mom used to make those when I was a kid with Coco Krispies. They were so good. It was just about the only chocolate treat I would eat when I was younger.
Brewed up like a traditional black tea in my Breville, I could smell the tea in the other room. The chocolate toffee like aroma filled up the kitchen telling me the tea was almost done. Filled up my cup and sat down with my new paranormal book from the library. Took a sip and wow. This tea is like a chocolate dessert of some kind. The chocolate isn’t the overly sweet kind. It has a raw cocoa taste to it, which I enjoyed. I didn’t pick up the hazelnut or the toffee but those flavors could just be adding to the deep rich coca base I’m getting. Almost dark chocolate like. I almost wish the smell of the tea would have transferred over to the taste. I would love to have a chocolate marshmallow krispie treat tea. Yum!
If I played around with it more, I might be able to bring out more of the flavors or maybe it was because I didn’t shake up the bag enough to get an equal amount of each flavor into the teapot.
All in all, I enjoyed my tea with this tea. I think others may enjoy it more than me since my true love is peanut butter and not chocolate. I think I may have to send this to our Liberteas for her to have a taste of it and see what she thinks, along with a few other tea pals.
Green Nightly Calm® from Twinings Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Twinings Tea USA
Tea Description:
A comforting green tea perfectly balanced with soothing chamomile, cooling spearmint and the subtle flavor of lemongrass.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ever had that kind of day that you just couldn’t wait to get home to make yourself a cuppa and veg? That is the sort of day I have been having all week. I am ready to pop my feet up and watch some Big Bang Theory, Elementary or Daredevil with my boyfriend.
One of my favorite rituals that my boyfriend and I do is that each night I make up a pot of tea for us to enjoy while we watch our shows. He isn’t picky. I always ask him what he wants and he always tells me to pick something good. So tonight, I went the easy way out and threw 3 teabags into my Breville and hit the green tea option. About 3 minutes later I was filling our mugs.
I like this one for a bagged tea. The green tea flavor is first and foremost. It isn’t the best green tea I’ve ever had but it is decent. It seems to have a more grassy green tea flavor profile versus the rich buttery flavor I usually enjoy. The chamomile and lemongrass are lightly there and the spearmint is the last flavor I’m coming across. All in all it is good. I can’t say that I will always need to have this on hand but when I come across it at the store I will probably grab a box or two.
All my boyfriend said about this one was that it tasted like Wrigley gum. I’m not sure if that is a good thing or bad.
This is just an easy tea to make after a rough day where you don’t have the energy to make a proper pot. And now its time to relax and watch Elementary.
Organic Herbal Tea ~ Homegrown ~ Nectar Blend from heartfeltMenagerie
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: heartfeltMenagerie
Tea Description:
Organic Herbal Tea, homegrown and carefully hand blended to please the palette and soothe the soul. The healing herbs used in this blend are powerful allies in protecting and alleviating cold/flu illness, high blood pressure, indigestion, stress relief, and respiratory illness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have really bad allergies. I take over the counter medication for it because that seems to work the best. I seem to have really bad side effects when I am prescribed something. I have always been curious about herbs and how they help people with different ailments. I researched a little bit and found that stinging nettle can be used as a anti-histamine. I took a gander around and stumbled upon an adorable store on Etsy that sold a stinging nettle tea and tulsi (which also aids with sinus issues). Worked with the owner to tweak a few things on my order and away I went.
This is a different blend. I can’t say I have had a lot of the herbs in this tea before. Tulsi, anise hyssop, lemon verbena, stinging nettles, and roselle hibiscus. The tea itself has a savory smell and taste to it. It made me think of a pasta dish like Italian Seasoning or a savory pasta dish??? This stumped me as well. Can’t say that I have ever had a tea remind me of something like this before. Vegetal? Sure. Malty with dark chocolate notes? Absolutely. Just not pasta. I swear it tastes like my boyfriend’s amazing lasagna.
I don’t really get any sweetness out of the tea and with a name like Nectar Blend you would think there would be a sweetness to the tea. I drink a lot of chamomile and herbal teas. This one took me by surprise. Regardless I am still enjoying the tea. I guess the savory side of this just is throwing me off a bit.
I might add in some honey and will see what happens then or maybe even something like sea salt to see what other savory flavors pop.
And to the medicinal side of this particular herbal blend. . . .I haven’t noticed anything yet but I can say that drinking this tea has been a fun experience and I look forward to more time with it.
Mojave Desert Prickly Pear Tea by Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mountain Witch Tea Company
Tea Description:
Quench your thirst with our special prickly pear tea blend. We infused our finest black tea with the flavor of Mojave Desert prickly pear for a delicious & unusual tea. Made with our best black tea, natural & artificial flavors, marigold & safflower petals, citric acid.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I can’t say that I’ve ever had anything like this one before. I’m not sure what Prickly Pear is supposed to taste like so I did some research and it from what I can gather it is supposed to taste similar to watermelon with a slight bite like kiwi fruit. I’m not sure if that is what I’m tasting but this is really good!
Another offering from the Mountain Witch tea Company and I am impressed. So far I’ve had three or four of their teas and they all seem to have a nice fresh crisp taste to them without having the artificial flavoring chemical taste. I can’t say this is one of my favorites of theirs but it makes an amazing cup of iced tea!
The tea itself has a sweet yet tangy flavor to it. I don’t pick up any kind of black tea base. I do pick up a melon like flavor that has hints of a peach or apricot flavor with a side note of honey. I know, it sounds really different but the flavors work. The description says that it is a unusual tea and I agree with that. This is a great light tea for the spring/summer months. The dry leaves have a peach and honey like aroma to them. I would love a candle that smells exactly like these tea leaves.
Dark Roast Gunpowder from M&K’s Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Co.
Tea Description:
An M&K’s exclusive! Simply made, we take the famous gunpowder tea of China and roast it in our own quarters, creating a truly unique green tea that is very nutty and reminiscent of a lighter cup of coffee if brewed correctly. This is a great tea if you want something stronger or if you enjoy roasted oolong teas, smokey teas, dark teas (pu-erh tea), or even roasted yerba mate!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I had never had anything like this Dark Roast Gunpowder so I thought I’d give it a shot. I really like the teas that I have had previously from M&K’s Tea Co. They are one of my favorite companies to order from. They have even added honey to their site that are flavored. They sound fantastic. One or two bottles might find their way into my next order.
On to the tea. . . I am glad I took a chance on this one. Nutty, rich, smooth, malty with a side note of honey and smoke? This is a very unique tasting tea! I’m digging this one. This reminds me of a dark roasted coffee without that bitter after taste you sometimes get. I can see this one replacing my daily cup of joe I do enjoy each morning. The roasted nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness really works. The more I drink it, the more I am reminded of a sweet and salty snack where you get the best of both worlds so to speak. Dark roasted sweet goodness.
Highly recommend this one if you enjoy coffee or roasted teas.