As a tea addict I go through periods where I am obsessed with certain types of tea. My current obsession has been raspberry flavored teas. So, in my typical tea addict fashion, I have been scouring all of the tea companies I could think of looking for raspberry teas. This brought me to T by Daniel. I have heard great things of the company and the teas for some time now but when I saw that they had a raspberry tea named Rated R, called that as it is “rated R for raspberry content,” I knew that I it was time to give the company a try. T by Daniel is a Canadian company however shipping to the Midwest was very fast. I love that they included a handwritten thank you note to personally thank me for my purchase. I really appreciated this little touch.
I ordered several tea varieties but Rated R was the tea that really prompted my order. Lets begin with the smell. This tea has such a bright and robust raspberry smell. It reminds me of those little gumdrop raspberry candies. Not only does the tea smell amazing but the dry tea is very pretty. It has a black tea base with white coconut flakes, large white gumdrops, red raspberries and pink rose petals peeking out. Also, the flavorings added are all natural. This is very remarkable to me to have such a strong raspberry smell with all natural flavors
I steeped this tea up at 212 degrees for 3 minutes. It has a very smooth and enjoyable black tea base that hits the tongue first followed by a lovely natural raspberry flavor on the back side of the taste. The raspberry flavor does not get lost in the black tea taste, rather it compliments it very nicely. The coconut adds a touch of creaminess to the blend to round it out. I am very pleased with this tea, it has become my “gold standard” of raspberry teas.
I have now tried several teas from T by Daniel and have to say I am very excited by what I have tried. They have a cool, hip vibe to their company that I love and the owners, a husband and wife team, are very engaging. I really think that they are up and coming and I look forward to more great teas from them!
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: T by Daniel
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Caramel from Kusmi. . . . .
I am taking a wee break from work to enjoy Mardi Gras cookies – delightfully almond flavored and sweet – and a hot cuppa. This new-to-me caramel struck my fancy, and I am delighted with the pairing.
You might think sweet with sweet wouldn’t be awesome together, but this black tea from Kusmi is from China, lacking the lemon/citrus notes one gets from most Ceylon tea and the caramel is not overly sweet but instead is almost a burnt caramel. Honestly, if I hadn’t prepared this myself and someone had told me it was a tea from China with natural caramel notes, I would have believed them.
Put together, it makes for a wonderful tea to pair with sweets or to drink on its own. As usual, I have added no milk or sugar and it is smooth and delicious, but I would say that this tea would handle milk and sugar VERY well for those who prefer additions.
I have the muslin tea sachets, and I have steeped twice and literally forgot I was drinking a second steep. There is no sourness, but a mere hint of briskness and the flavor of the black tea is lingering. I think this would make an excellent breakfast for folks like me who are not looking for a big brown boot of a builder’s tea to kick start them in the mornings. This has all the strength I need for a day starter or an afternoon refreshment.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kusmi
Description
With its delicious aroma, this black tea from China flavoured with caramel is the perfect drink to enjoy a quiet moment. It goes wonderfully with pastries.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cocoa Chili Pumpkin from Tiesta Tea. . .
Tea friends, imagine this next paragraph as a deep-voiced movie-trailer:
“In a world of slightly-altered Earl Greys, chais, and variations on ‘creamy’ whatever, this tea dares to go where No Tea Has Gone Before. Pumpkin, chili, and cocoa: Can they overcome their differences to make a good tea?”
I’m not quite sure, but I’m definitely glad I tried it.
The pumpkin and cocoa are pretty straightforward: you experience the cocoa and the pumpkin on the tongue, and the pumpkin as the aftertaste.
The memorable feature is the chili. You can experience the burn as you swallow. It’s unusual. It’s a bit exciting. You feel like you’ve swallowed fire or walked across coals, without, you know, having actually left your living room or done anything dangerous.
The caffeine content is the bomb. This is part of Tiesta’s “energizer” line, and yuuup, that is what it is. Your mouth is sizzling and your eyes are bugging out.
You are prepared for your day. No matter how unusual it may be, you’ve already got this tea under your belt.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Banana Nut Pancakes from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
I love banana nut anything. I actually just made banana nut muffins a few weeks ago and they were delectable. Thanks, Martha Stewart.
One of my favorite teas from DAVIDsTEA is their Banana Nut Bread fruit infusion. But, because it is an infusion, its caffeine free. This is fine for evenings, but I need caffeine during the day. When I saw that A Quarter to Tea had a caffeinated banana nut flavored black tea, I was so excited and ordered a few samples right away.
Every tea I have tried from this company thus far has been a complete dream. I have not disliked a single one. I actually have nothing bad to say about this company as a whole. They have an array of flavor options and super fast shipping.
Anyways, back to banana nut pancakes. This tea was very mellow. DAVIDsTEA’s Banana Nut bread is much more in your face with flavor. This was very mellow and i’m not sure if I would know immediately that it was impersonating banana nut pancakes. However, after a few sips that nuttiness, sweetness from the “pancake” part, and the banana flavor do start to come forward. I think that overall it is a good blend. I can’t say that it compares much to Banana Nut Bread from DAVIDs, for I feel that they are two very different teas. Banana Nut Pancakes is very mellow and good for a treat with breakfast or lunch. Banana Nut Bread is more so a dessert tea that you would have after dinner in place of something fat and calorie laden, as it more so satisfies my sweet tooth than Banana Nut Pancakes.
I still think that A Quarter to Tea is an amazing company and I still have nothing bad to say. I did enjoy this blend and would reorder. It is just not in-your-face with banana and nut flavor, and that is okay. Sometimes you don’t want something dripping with flavoring and sugary sweetness. Sometimes you just want something light and smooth, and that is exactly what Banana Nut Pancakes from A Quarter to Tea will deliver to you with this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
What could possibly be better than having pancakes for breakfast?
Drinking them of course. Ceylon is used as the base here and is paired with the flavors of banana nut pancakes drizzled in vanilla butter.
Makes an excellent latte.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bourbon from Dammann Freres. . . . .
Growing up my stepfather would often have a nightcap. A hard drink on ice to relax just before bed. Sometimes it was Rye, sometimes it was Whiskey, sometimes it was Scotch, and on the odd occasion it was Bourbon. On one such occasion, he poured his drink and left it on his nightstand while he went to make a quick nighttime snack. That is when my 10-year-old me wandered into the bedroom where my mom sat on the bed. I went to my stepdad’s side and climbed in. Then, I looked at the drink then at my mom, back to the drink and back to my mom, and then back to the drink. My mom, knowing what I had in mind said one word: “okay”. Well, I jumped at the chance, brought the glass to my mouth and took one tiny sip. The liquor barely made it past my lips before I immediately spat it out and made the biggest “blech” face I could muster. My mom knew I would hate it but also knew I would be stubborn about wanting to try it so she figured it was best to let me learn the hard way. So why am I telling you this story? I decided to share because I wanted to make it clear that I have not had good experiences with Bourbon in the past and yet I still decided to purchase this tea.
For some reason, despite not enjoying the inspiration, certain flavors in tea just call to me. For instance, I am not one to drink coffee but when I see latte teas or mocha teas or even just coffee teas, I convince myself it will be awesome. Nine times out of ten that is not the case. Same goes for a variety of alcohol flavors such as this one. Luckily, this time my gamble paid off as this is one lovely tea, albeit an inaccurately named one in my opinion.
Simply named “Bourbon” and yet this tea has no alcohol flavor to it whatsoever. Instead it is more confectionery-themed with its full-bodied vanilla-caramel flavor. More natural than many caramel teas out there, this manages to have a thick mouthfeel without being overly sweet (a task not easily achieved when you consider the fact that caramel is basically just sugar). The base plays a key role here as it blends effortlessly with the flavor while still maintaining its presence. This results in the black tea imparting a caramel note, but one that is toned down and subtle by the smooth malt of the tea itself.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Dammann Freres
Description
A blend of black teas scented with the aromas of vanilla and caramel. Ideal for lovers of warm, gourmet teas.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
