Even though I am a 10-15 daily cuppa tea drinker kinda gal, sometimes I just want something else. Something a bit different and that is normally when I find myself drawn to herbals or fruit tisanes. That is where Voce Fruit Tea comes into play.
I was looking for some kind of dried fruit or inclusions that I could easily throw into my water bottle to help me drink more water. I’m not a fan of the powdered kool aid style drinks or the liquid equivalent. I wanted something a bit healthier that would last at least a day without having a huge impact in the terms of waste and without me having to cut up a ton of fruit every morning. I had seen a few other types of single serving dried fruit packs where you can toss a few pieces into water, but I didn’t like all of the waste that accompanied them. So when Voce Fruit Tea popped up in my search, I was super excited to see what they had to offer.
Voce Fruit Tea was founded in the hopes of finding a way to create a healthy hot fruit beverage that adults and children alike would enjoy (along with a few other reasons) that didn’t require a ton of sugar or honey added to the beverage. Instead of using tea leaves, Voce Tea uses huge pieces of dried fruit to create their flavor combos. So instead of having a bag full of tea leaves, you have a bag full of organic fruit and spices. The tea bags they use are environmentally friendly to boot. Exactly what I was looking for.
So finally the time came to try the first flavor that caught my eye, Lemon Ginger. With all of the sick ick going around my house lately, Lemon Ginger blends have been my go to. This tea bag contained huge pieces of ginger and a lemon slice. What I love was seeing regular ginger pieces instead of crystallized ginger.
Brewed with freshly boiled water and allowed to steep for 7 minutes, fresh notes of lemon were quickly filling the air.
I allowed the tea to cool for a few moments and took my first sip- and I AM IN LOVE. For all of my lemon ginger fans, check this fruit tea out. You will not be disappointed. What to know why? Because this fruit tea tastes exactly like what it is supposed to. Lemon and Ginger. Gorgeous fresh lemon citrus notes play off of the spiced ginger so beautifully. What you see is literally what you get. No added sugar or added preservatives.
I eagerly sipped this tea down and begun to prep another cuppa. And then another, and then another. I think I had at least five or six steepings of the tea last night and wanted to see how far I could draw out the flavor so I tossed the tea bag into a glass of ice water and still am getting that wonderful lemon ginger flavor, though less in strength of course- and I’ve refilled my glass at least four times today.
After having just one of their offerings, I know I’m going to be a daily Voce Fruit Tea drinker. Such an easy way to incorporate more water into my life. I’m so excited to try out the other flavors. . . .Goldenberry Banana Cinnamon and Cherry Lemon Apple. . . I’m looking at you!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Fruit/Tisane
Where to Buy: Voce Fruit Teas
Description
After we started Voće, we had a close friend, Quentin, who told us that he really liked lemon ginger teas. Not wanting to disappoint, we started this flavor just for him. We have designated it Brew #17 because Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet.
And we’re so glad we did because few flavors go together as well as lemon and ginger. In our blend, we don’t skimp on either. Voće lemon and ginger tea features whole slices of lemon and big chunks of ginger, for a refreshing taste that is out of this world! Like many of our teas, one bag of lemon ginger can be used to brew several cups of Voće.
Ingredients: Organic dried lemon slices, organic dried ginger. Packaged in the same facility as peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and milk products.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Athena’s Lemon Olive Leaf Blend from Simpson and Vail’s Monthly Subscription Box. . .
Who doesn’t love a subscription box? I know I love them – especially tea subscription boxes. For a while I was getting 52Teas, BlendBee, and Plum Deluxe subscription boxes (which I loved) but I wanted to try out a few different companies this go around. So last week I decided I would give our friends at Simpson and Vail’s subscription box a go. Simpson and Vail have a lot of different offerings when it comes to teas so I was hoping by signing up, I would be able to experience some of their teas that I haven’t gotten around to picking up. Athena’s Lemon Olive Leaf Blend was one of those blends and I was so excited to see it in my first box.
Athena’s Lemon Olive Leaf Blend is a blend of olive leaf, lemongrass, and ginger root. So think of your traditional lemon ginger tea with a slight twist. Brewed with water at boiling and allowed to steep for 5 minutes plus (I actually got a phone call and couldn’t get to the tea right away), this tea hits the spot on this cold midwestern blustery day. Solid lemon notes, that sweet and spicy hint of ginger, along with this almost herbaceous olive oil finish delivers a solid soothing and comforting cuppa. (Yep. There is a slight hint of an olive oil flavor in my cuppa. And you know what I love it. )
Smooth crisp spiced lemony goodness . One of those blends where the ginger and lemon are balanced out perfectly and gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling.
This tea is giving me all the loving I need while still battling this awful cold I’ve had for the last few days. One of the better herbal blends I’ve had in a while. Really digging it and am on my fourth cup as I write this review up. Can’t wait to enjoy this as a cold brew!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
The aroma of fresh lemon greets your nose as you sip this delightful blend. The golden cup explodes with a lemony goodness that lingers on the palate refreshingly. This all organic brew is great hot or iced.
Ingredients: Organic olive leaf, organic ginger root, organic lemon mytle, organic lemon peel, organic lemongrass
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tulsi Pure Leaves from Davidson’s Organics
Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is an herb used in herbal teas that I discovered more recently in my tea drinking experience. The green leaf smells and tastes like a gentler cousin to the Italian basil you use in cooking. Tulsi Pure Leaves blend from Davidson’s Organics uses three kinds of tulsi, Rama, Krishna, and Vana, to make up the single-herb brew.
I am always impressed by how much flavor plain tulsi has in tea form. It tastes green, without being grassy like green teas, and buttery without being too vegetal like white teas. It has the brightness of cooking basil without being too savory or pungent. There is an almost-cinnamon earthiness buried amongst its flavors and a sweet, crispness that reminds me of spearmint. If you want to play up the Italian basil flavors, brew your tea with a slice of lemon and a dash of cracked pepper.
If you like tulsi on your own but want to spice it up a bit, Davidson’s Organics also offer a variety of additional blends using tulsi and other ingredients, like licorice, rooibos, mint, or hibiscus. Don’t wait as long as I did before discovering the goodness of tulsi herbal teas, and start brewing a relaxing, restorative cup from Davidson’s Organics.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Davidson’s Organics
Description:
Davidson’s Pure Leaves blends three adaptogenic varieties of Tulsi (Krishna, Rama and Vana) to create the perfect balance of earthy and minty flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Daryl Dixon Fandom Blend from Adagio Teas
This is a fandom blend from the wild west of build-your-own blends on Adagio Teas. I couldn’t find an exact match on tea flavors and fandom styling on the website, so I am going by look and taste for this tea. (Don’t worry there are a few other Daryl Dixon blends on the site if you need to get your fandom fix).
The character of Daryl Dixon kicks plenty of zombie butt on the Walking Dead, so it is only appropriate that his tea blend is driven by high-caffeine yerba mate. This mate is the green (unroasted) variety, and brings a little fresh citrus note into the brew alongside all its usual earthiness.
I believe this blend also contains a flavored green tea that helps brighten up the lemon undertones even further. As is appropriate for any gory zombie show, this tea also features a dose of Blood Orange herbal tea. The proportion of blood orange is small, so it adds a bit of juicy orange flavor without taking over the blend. The brewed tea is green-yellow in color, with only the tiniest hint of pink from the powerful hibiscus.
This is a blend that packs a punch without being too bold or bitter. When you need an unconventional pick-me-up, try brewing a cup like this yerba mate Daryl Dixon blend.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio
Description: This blend is no longer available but click below for blends that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Orange Pekoe Special from Swallowtail Tea
When the tea has “special” in the name, it starts with a lot of expectations to live up to. Good thing Orange Pekoe Special from Swallowtail Tea truly is a special mug of tea.
Right away, I was taken in by the scent of the dry tea leaves. This is a pure black tea, not flavored, not a chai, and yet the leaves smelled sweet and earthy and strongly of cinnamon. It was so comforting and flavorful it was hard to take my face out of the bag.
When I brewed this tea, the cinnamon took a backseat and more of the traditional black tea flavors came to the forefront. The tea was bright and crisp, with just a touch of citrus that says to me it would be delicious if served with a wedge of lemon. All of these forward flavors were quickly chased by smoother, toasted tones, almost malty and starchy like a not-too-sweet dessert.
The brewed tea smelled like crushed leaves and old wood, with just a whiff of woodsmoke. The more I drank the tea the more the smoky notes came forward. This isn’t full-on chimney-bacon smokiness like you find in some lapsang souchong teas, this was more delicate, like the appealing sugar char of a creme brulee, or the faded campfire smell after the logs have long gone out.
All these natural flavors like wood and smoke and leaves in Orange Pekoe Special really put me in the mood for fall. With a beautifully illustrated tin and such a rich flavor experience, this is now the tea I imagine when I think of someone stumbling upon a cabin in the woods and the owner pulls out “the good tea” for a special occasion.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea
Description:
Grown at the base of the Himalayas, this tea was first discovered growing wild in the jungles during the mid 1800’s. Assam is known for its deep, burgundy-red cup and pungent but sweet-starchy flavor. This is India’s most popular variety because of its intense flavor and ability to mix well with milk and honey.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!