Now I have to start this off by saying that I am a sucker for author inspired tea blends. So it goes without saying that you are sure to find me reviewing more in the near future. Which shouldn’t be surprising since what is better than a cup of tea and a good book?
Now I think that this tea was simply delightful. It is not too strong and not too subtle, it has a perfect balance in my opinion. As a matter of fact when I was drinking this tea it was like it started to clear my head. Now I don’t mean completely like a lavender tea would do, but to the point where I could think about things. Now since I go to college I began to think about things I could do for my final that is coming up but not only that I can imagine this tea being a perfect companion when I am writing for a more creative venture.
I was also surprised that this tea had little to no dry notes in it whatsoever. And in my experience with jasmine, there would always be slight, somewhat powerful dryness to it. But I believe that this a soft and balanced tea because of the ingredients. The jasmine tea is a beautiful binder for the rose petals, jasmine blossoms, marigold petals and blue cornflower petals. It goes without saying if you have read any of my previous reviews, that I have always loved the pairing of jasmine and rose. In my book, jasmine and rose will always be the power couple.
Now when I was in the process of brewing my cup I had a look at the tea leaves and apart from the enjoyment of finding little jasmine blossoms I was happy to see plenty of blue cornflower petals. Now, for those who don’t know, my favorite tea of all time is Lady Grey and that contains, you guessed it, blue cornflower. And I believe that the blue cornflower is a perfect addition to this tea for it adds a nice subtle, sugary sweetness to the blend.
On top of the delightfully delicate tasting tea the price is not at all bad either. It is $9.75 for a 4 oz tin but if you don’t want the tin you can save about $3 and pay $6.90 for a bag of the same size. Along with a great price this tea also has deep connection with the talented poet we know as Emily Dickinson. As the description reads on the bottom of this review, this tea was based off of Ms. Dickenson’s garden, which was a place that she got most of her inspiration from for her poetry.
All in all, I believe that this a beautiful tribute to Emily Dickinson and I will be purchasing this for my ever growing collection of teas in the future. (My collection is very expansive. If you don’t believe me, head over to my Instagram and I usually post updates on how big it has gotten.)
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description:
Emily Dickinson was born on December 10th, 1830 and lived in a home that was central to Amherst political society thanks to her father and brothers. Growing up around powerful men prepared Dickinson for a life of the same, but society dictated that, as a woman, she was relegated to seemingly less meaningful ventures. Her anger at this slight comes across in her poetry and letters where she explored complex ideas of meaning and self while examining the smallest details of the world around her. She withdrew herself from society and lived in relative solitude until her death. Only a few of her poems were made public during her lifetime, but four years after her demise, a collection of poems was published and met with popular and critical acclaim. Her poems reveal a complicated mind that examined itself with as much attention to detail as it examined the world. Dickinson’s defiance of categorization and simplification make her a popular poet to study even today.
In the years she spent away from society, Emily Dickinson cultivated an extensive garden. In it, she grew jasmine flowers, cornflowers, roses, and many other flowers, plants and herbs. These flowers appear repeatedly in her poetry so our blend had to be floral. We created a delightful combination of jasmine tea and rose petals that brews to a light ecru cup with long green leaves and rose petal accents. This delicate tea hits you with a strong jasmine taste that’s sweetened and mellowed with the subtle flavors of the rose petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Cuppa That is Akin to Wilde’s Garden – NovelTea’s Wilde’s Rosy Tea Blend
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ~Oscar Wilde
And that is exactly how I felt about this tea. I wanted to enjoy over and over and I couldn’t get enough! And as the title suggests, I feel that when I drink this tea I am enjoying this beverage in a garden full of freshly bloomed roses while the door that leads into the garden has some jasmine incense wafting out of it.
But before I get into my full review here are the specifics. This tea is made up of a lovely blend of organic jasmine green tea and a rose-blended bergamot. The site doesn’t dictate how long to steep it so I just went with my gut and steeped it for a good 3 minutes and that method seemed to work perfectly. Lastly, the price for this tea is not too bad for you only pay $14.99 for a 3 oz bag which is about $3 dollars more than the 2 oz Rose Petal China tea that I have. Now if you want the beautiful “Picture of Earl Gray” novel tea tin that will set you back $29, which includes the 3 oz bag of tea as well. As a side note, I am honestly obsessed with the tin and I will get it in the near future.
Now to the taste of the tea, which is just beautiful, simply beautiful. It does mimic a black tea with that bitter fruity taste that is the jasmine flower. But don’t fret if you are not a fan of the slight bitterness that the jasmine offers for it is mellowed out by the soft green tea that is paired with. Now to the rose flavor which pairs perfectly with the jasmine. I will just say that I absolutely love roses in my tea. So the roses in this tea were absolutely delightful. And if you are wondering what roses taste like remember the aroma of a fresh rose and that is how they taste; a weird perfumey, watery sweet. It is definitely something I urge tasting but then again I am a rose lover so I am a bit biased.
Now as I drank this delicious tea I was instantly reminded of the beginning of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Mr. Oscar Wilde himself:
“The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.”
All in all regardless of if you are a fan of Wilde or not this tea is delicious and refreshingly different compared to the other rose teas that I have tried. I am now officially a lover of this blend and I look forward to seeing what else the brand comes out with! My hopes are that there will be a Jane Eyre or a Lovecraft inspired blend.
See you for the next cuppa!
Kara
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: NovelTeas
Description:
The delicate flavorings and novel-inspired decorations of The Picture of Earl Grey™ may deceive you at first. This tin and tea provide for an exquisitely deceptive and Wildely elegant experience for any new collector. Organic jasmine green tea and a rose-blended bergamot radiate hedonism and reflect your eternal beauty as you sip.
Inspired by Irish author Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ it makes a great gift for the book lover in your life.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bronte Sisters Black Tea from Simpson and Vail
This yummy papaya-and-raspberry blend was inspired by the Brontë sisters’ orchard. It’s a thick, rich berry-and-black combo. It’s very, for lack of a less icky word, juicy. Like biting into a real piece of fruit. I’m not sure I’ve ever bitten into a real papaya, but I have a vivid imagination. This is the real McCoy.
The description for the tea mentions that the ladies had an orchard. The tea is supposed to include “pear, apple, and gooseberry flavors,” but doesn’t include any of those ingredients. It doesn’t matter, however. It’s still an orchard — it’s simply a more warm-climate sort of orchard.
This tea is also giving me an identity crisis. Or, rather, the Brontë sisters are. Did you realize that the oldest-lived Brontë was 38 upon passing? They did ALL THAT WRITING before 38.
Do you realize I am 32 and have only succeeded at NaNoWriMo once? What. am. I. doing. with. my. life?!
I’m drinking this tea, that’s what I’m doing. It’s a good start.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Flavored Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
The Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, lived and wrote in Yorkshire, England. Born in 1816, 1818 and 1820, respectively, the sisters lived very short lives, with Charlotte living the longest at 38. During their unfortunately short lifetimes, each sister produced novels that would become cornerstones of western literature and inspire studies for generations. Emily’s Wuthering Heights, Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall each found an audience and acclaim that continues to this day. With their novels, the sisters introduced the world to a starkly honest portrayal of English womanhood that didn’t hide the ugliness and intrigue many novels of the time shied away from. Although tame by today’s standards, their inclusion of independent female characters, alcoholism, and abuse meant that the Bronte’s novels faced their share of controversy.
The Bronte family kept an orchard and garden where the sisters spent much of their time exploring, drawing, and writing. Charlotte was more inclined to draw the flowers and the plants than to stop and smell them, but Anne and Emily were happy to get their hands dirty with a little gardening. Emily especially, who was known to be a bit of a recluse, could often be found taking long walks and enjoying nature. Our Bronte Sisters tea blend combines pear, apple, and gooseberry flavors to make a sweet and fragrant blend that’s reminiscent of an orchard stroll. The flavors in this blend meld together in perfect harmony and the taste lingers deliciously on the palate.
Ingredients: Black teas, papaya pieces (papayas and sugar), flavorings, raspberry pieces, alfalfa leaves and marigold petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Edgar Allan Poe’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail
I’ve always been a fan of Edgar Allan Poe’s works and when I saw Edgar Allan Poe’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail I knew I just HAD to try it! A funny side-story prior to my review of this tea…when we first adopted Riley…our Corgi/Lab Mix he had terrible separation anxiety and because of it he used to grab books off my bookshelf and shred them to pieces! The Works of Edgar Allan Poe was his first and most graphic causality.
Edgar Allan Poe’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail is a Black Tea and Pu-erh Tea Blend with the addition of bergamot oil and beet root. Digging deeper into the black tea base – Simpson & Vail uses multiple black teas and even adds Lapsang Souchong in the mix!
The color of this – once brewed – is a dark brown but has red glowing thru – as well – thanks to the beet. It’s a glorious color – it really is! The aroma is smoky yet fruity.
The taste will take more explaining! Edgar Allan Poe’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail is complex but delicious! Upfront I could taste the Lapsang Souchong. It was smoky but not overly-so because of the other things happening in this tea. In the middle of the sip there is a sweet fruitiness going on that is a nice surprise. Following that welcomed fruity interruption is a wonderful malt flavor AND texture that swim around on my tongue. This blended teas ends smooth, fruity, and slightly smoky. There is an after taste and after thought of citrus that lingers, too. This is REALLY wonderful! I can’t think of anything I don’t like about this blended-based tea! YUM!
What I really LOVE and appreciate about the THOUGHT that went into Edgar Allan Poe’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail is the ingredients. To look at the dry blend it’s EVERYTHING DARK which totally explains Edgar Allan Poe’s life, work, and character. Throw in a bit of Lapsang Souchong and it just makes it very more ‘goth’ and mysterious. The beet root offers an immediate comparison to blood which also fits into the life and times and works of Poe. I might be getting a little over-analyzing with this next statement but I feel that lingering flavor from the bergamot symbolizes Poe’s talent that is still appreciated today and makes his literary-legendary live on.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
This dark, earthy blend evokes the damp tombs of Poe’s stories. While it is perhaps the most well known, The Cask of Amontillado is not Poe’s only story in which his fear of being buried alive becomes a major plot point. His vivid descriptions of “utter darkness among a quantity of loose earth” that “threaten[ed] to bury [him] entirely” offered a direction for our blend. It combines the earthy tones of Puerh black with the mellow smokiness of Lapsang and the slightest citrus hint of an Earl Grey. The dried beetroot turns the brewed tea a deep blood red.
Ingredients: Black teas, puerh tea, lapsang souchong tea, beetroot and bergamot oil.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jane Austen’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail Tea
Our Sister’s Thoughts:
I have to say I’m LOVING these new Literary Teas from Simpson and Vail and today I will introduce you to Jane Austen’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail Tea.
Jane Austen’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail Tea is strong and independent…meaning it has a flavor all of its own. After reading the ingredients of Black teas, spearmint, lavender flowers and vanilla flavor I thought I knew what this tea would taste like but I was surprised with the flavor of this tea. Here’s why…yes, the black tea is strong and I LOVE that. The spearmint mixed with the lavender is what changed it up for me. Something happened when the spearmint and lavender joined as a union in this cup of tea. It formed it’s own flavor! Then you add that bit of vanilla in there to smooth it out and it’s unlike anything I have had before.
I LOVE being surprised – or better yet – proven wrong – by a tea and Jane Austen’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson & Vail Tea did exactly that! This is just what I needed to start my day on a crazy Monday morning! I just might have to buy this one in bulk and soon! This is a heavy-duty tea that gets a GOLD STAR from me!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail Tea
Tea Description:
Jane Austen was born on December 16th, 1775. After receiving her primary education at boarding school, Jane returned home where she and her older sister Cassandra would spend long hours in their father’s library reading the classics and writing their own stories. Jane had a close relationship with her father and he encouraged her creativity by supplying her with the paper and writing utensils she desired. In 1811, Jane’s first novel Sense and Sensibility was published and met with immediate success. Jane Austen’s novels illuminate the everyday lives of young women in the early 19th century and blend contemplative pastoral prose with witty banter and intriguing romance plots. Besides writing, she was an avid gardener who tended to her own plants late into her life.
The delicate prose of Jane Austen’s novels is evoked in this blend that combines peppermint with a gentle touch of vanilla. Lavender flowers, which look lovely in both the cup and the gardens around Jane Austen’s estate, add a sweet floral taste that complements the mint and vanilla wonderfully. This blend captures the color and joy of Austen’s characters while taking inspiration from the herbs and flowers she cultivated in her own garden. It brews to a refreshing cup with a cool mint flavor that’s softened by the warm vanilla and the sweet lavender flowers.
Ingredients: Black teas, spearmint, lavender flowers and vanilla flavor.
Certified Kosher
Brew tea at 212º – steep for 3 minutes.
4 Ounces of loose tea makes approximately 50 cups of tea.
Please note that the photo is shown for our 4oz tin. We are also offering this in a 4oz pkg size, which will come in one of our double lined bags labeled with the name of the tea.
Novels by Jane Austen:
Sense and Sensibility
Pride and Prejudice
Mansfield Park
Emma
Northanger Abbey
PersuasionCheck with your local bookstore for these titles or for recommendations for further reading.
Learn even more about this tea here.