Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Sunrise Steepery
Tea Description:
White tea is full of antioxidants. When mixed with pomegranate, this tea offers health and pleasure with this delicate yet distinct blend.
Ingredients: White tea, apples, pomegranate, rose petals, rose hips, natural flavor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
White tea and I are in a love/hate relationship. Sometimes I adore the white tea based blends. Sometimes they are just too floral for me and down the drain they go. Where does this one rate? I adore this one.
This tea is beautiful to the eye. There are huge chunks of pomegranate visibly in the blend. I love pomegranate so I was super excited about this blend.
This blend has a very sweet and tart feel to it. The dry leaves smell very tart but the tea is very sweet with just an edge of tartness towards to end of the sip. I think this is the first tea where you can really taste real pomegranate (almost pomegranate juice like).
And it doesn’t have that artificial chemical flavor to it. I’ve had one too many pomegranate teas that just taste off and not right. This one just comes across as exactly as it is described. I love the sweet and tart flavors you get all at the same time.
I brewed this one up hot and cold. I think I prefer this one as an iced tea. I could sip on this one all day while I sat outside and watched the kiddos swim at my parents’ house. I’m excited to try the other teas I have from Sunrise Steepery.
Fresh Books from Tea and Other Things
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green Teas
Where to Buy: Tea and Other Things
Tea Description:
The first thing you inhale is the rich, smokey scent of a freshly opened new book. This tea starts off full of character with toast like notes, ending with a sweet rich caramel, and finally leaving you with a nostalgic feeling of a good, classic story.
Ingredients
Genmaicha (Japanese Green Tea + Roasted Rice), Hojicha (Roasted Japanese Green Tea), Lapsang Souchong (Chinese black tea that has been smoked over oak), Caramel pieces (Contains sugar + milk products)
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea was so intriguing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a tea for me.
This blend has so many uniquely different types of tea going on that I think it actually hurts the blend. The Lapsang Souchong absolutely dominates the rest of the tea and all you really get is a smoky black tea taste. The caramel, genmaicha, and hoijcha are lost in the blend. I do like Lapsang Souchong but this one I just really didn’t care for. It was an overload of smokiness.
Maybe if the Lapsang Souchong was taken down some, then the rest of the other blends could pop out and shine. Or maybe if the Lapsang was taken out completely. Now that would be a tea I would be all about.
The other unfortunate issue with this tea was that this tea and a sample tea were shipped in a regular letter style envelope without any padding or tissue paper to protect the tea. A lot of the tea was crushed and to even get the tea out of the envelope was hard. The Fresh Books tea was a 50g package and it was a pretty big package. The sample tea I think was protected by the 50g package and was completely fine. I’m not sure if this is why the blend tasted the way it did. The boyfriend had the sample pack (Cream of Early Grey) and really liked it.
This Etsy store showcases some fun sounding teas including fandom teas. I may check them out later or even send them a message asking if they can create this same blend without the smokey black tea. I think that blend would be amazing!
Funky Monkey Black Tea from Amitea Organics
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Amitea Organics
Tea Description:
If you like that “chunky” ice cream, you may like this funky tea. It’s great with milk when hot, and makes a fabby iced tea too.
Black tea with Coconut, Chocolate and Banana!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Banana Laffy Taffy. That is exactly what this tea tastes like. Seriously.
I didn’t brew this one up hot. I was in the mood for some iced tea. So I cold brewed it.
Holy bananas!! I destroyed this tumbler of iced tea in no time at all. This was good. Really good.
If I had brewed this up hot, I bet the chocolate flavor would pop more. I just am not a huge fan of chocolate so I am fine with the banana flavoring being the star.
The chocolate flavor was very subtle and light. It basically just gave the tea a hint of sweetness. The banana flavor was spot on. Natural and Delicious. The Coconut is there but like the chocolate, the coconut is in the background. But again, if I had brewed this one up hot, those flavors may show themselves more. I’ll have to try having this hot one day.
I am very happy with this one as an iced tea and plan to pick up more as soon as possible. Amitea Organics puts out some quality flavored blends. I’m a fan!
Colonial Cranberrry from Mountain Witch Tea Co
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mountain Witch Tea Co
Tea Description:
This holiday favorite is a delightful blend of our finest black tea, dried cranberries, tart cranberry flavor and other berry essences. A perfect holiday treat to warm your spirit. This 4 oz. bag makes 50-60 cups. Enjoy hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ever want to have a tart tea? I think I have found the as- close-to- perfect tart tea to make an amazingly tart iced tea that I have come across so far.
Mountain Witch Tea Co has some of the best flavored black teas that I have had in a long time. I can’t say enough about Kelly’s Blood Orange and Mojave Desert Prickly Pear blends. No matter how I brew them, they are simply amazing and not finicky. The easiest flavored black teas I have ever brewed up.
So I knew that I would like this one. I was actually surprised tho. Brewed up hot, I didn’t care for this one. The black tea is still delicious but the cranberry tartness is a bit overwhelming. I think if there was a touch or two of vanilla to mellow out the tart this tea would be out of this world. Without it, it just seems like the tea is lacking. Hmm . . that sounds amazing. A cranberry vanilla black tea.
When I brewed this one cold- Oh my! That is what I was hoping for. The tartness pops and isn’t overwhelming and doesn’t dominate and takeover the brew. It is like this tea was made to be an iced tea. The cranberry flavor is delightful and really rounds out the cup. I don’t feel the need to add any sugar or sweeteners. Exactly what I was looking for and needing.
This isn’t my favorite offering from Kelly’s line of teas, but it is good. I can’t wait to brew up a pitcher of this for those hot summer days that are rapidly approaching! This one would also be awesome to serve up during the holidays with maybe some mulling spices added in or some vanilla beans. Oh! I can see it now. We are going to get “fancy” this holiday!
Bananas! from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Lots of people have commented on our banana tea blends in the past. We’ve used banana in a few blends inspired by banana pudding, bananas foster and even banana bread, but I thought this week we would really go bananas and just go with an all out banana tea. We’ve blended our Pettaiagala Extra Long Leaf OP black tea from Sri Lanka with real freeze-dried bananas and organic banana flavors, and this, my friends, is bananatacular! It’s bananaramic! It’s enough to leave you humming the Batman theme–“Nana nana nana nana nana nana… Batman!”
Subscribe to 52Teas Tea of the Week Program here.
Taster’s Review:
Can say Banana Pudding? Wow. This smells just like Banana Pudding. Like the kind you would have during a family get together. You can even see the banana chips in the blend. This just smells so good! I’m now officially singing the Batman theme.
Now it is time for the test. Liberteas had already informed me to let this cool. So I did. And made an iced tea out of this.
This tea may be one of the best I’ve had from 52Teas/Zoomdweebies. Creamy Banana Pudding. Wow. I can find nothing negative to say about this and am creeping on the site now to see if there is any left. No artificial flavors here. Just smooth rich sweet creamy banana flavors that really mingle well with the black tea base.
Might just need to place an order. Insert me taking a sip here. Need to place an order. Insert me taking another sip. Yeah. . .Have to place an order. Must try this a a latte.
If you are looking for a banana tea like I have been, this will take care of any craving you may have. I am impressed.