Waffley Wedded from Plum Deluxe is a specialty blend, and I was lucky to get a taste thanks to a tea swap. In trying this tea I learned that Plum Deluxe can be contacted to make a custom blend for a special occasion, in this case for a wedding.
With such a sweet and punny name, I was predisposed to like Waffley Wedded. I got a novelty waffle iron a few holidays ago and I use just about every weekend. This is a great tea have on hand while I’m waiting for my waffles to cook.
This is a blend of black and oolong tea, so it is both full-bodied but has a rounded mouthfeel. Sweet maple and creamy vanilla are the driving flavors, perfect on its own or with a dash of milk to pump up the dessert-like experience. A hint of citrus comes through from the orange peels to help the blend bright and not overly sweet.
You won’t see this blend on their everyday listing, but if you’re looking for something similar give Pick Me Up Oolong a try, which also has maple and oolong flavors. Or blend your own tea favors for a special occasion and customize it just the way you like.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black and Oolong
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
To have your own custom blend made and see all the amazing blends Plum Deluxe has to offer, click below.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Shortcake from The NecessiTeas . . . .
There’s something about strawberry shortcake that makes me think of summer, or at least makes me think of flowery tea parties. Maybe it’s just the fact that strawberries are at their height in the summer, or the fact that strawberry shortcake is often served with everyone getting their own little cake on a doily or saucer. Either way, drinking Strawberry Shortcake tea from the Necessiteas felt like the right thing to do on a beautiful summer day.
This tea smells decadent even in the dry leaf, with lots of strawberry and vanilla fragrance. The scent is supremely sweet, almost like strawberry Starburst candies. The blend brews up gold in color, and continues to be berry-sweet and incredibly fragrant.
In taste, the most forward tastes are strawberries and cream, with a bit of the earthy white tea to balance all the dessert-flavors. There are yellow cake notes at the back of each sip, reminding me of birthday cake ice cream. These cake flavors combine with the white tea, bringing an almost buttery, savory feel to the tea that gets creamier as the brew cools.
Three things go into strawberry shortcake: berries, cake, and cream, and this blend has all three essential elements in tea form. This is a must-try blend for any dessert-tea fans, or for any fun summery, strawberry occasions in your schedule.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description: Angel food cake perfectly combines with a light layer of sweet cream and juicy strawberries to create this guilt-free dessert. Enjoy hot or poured over ice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemon Biscottea from BlendBee. . . .
I made this tea the other day and then I got distracted and never got around to drinking it. Thankfully my Sororitea Sisters were generous with their sample and I am getting to enjoy it now…and enjoy it I am!
Comprised of South African Honeybush Red Tea, Lemon Peel, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Jasmine Flower, Agrimony Herb, Marshmallow Root, and Lemon, Vanilla & Custard natural flavor extracts, this Lemon Biscottea tea claims such benefits of reducing inflammation, aiding digestion, helping depression, controlling blood sugar, and much more. However, I personally never cared for any of the health benefits claims. For me only one thing is important and that is taste…and this delivers on taste.
This is creamy and lemony. It reminds me of Fauchon’s L’Hiver or Butiki’s Lemon French Macaron for those that have tried those teas. The flavor is soft and fluffy, probably in large part due to the marshmallow root. Lemon is clearly the star of the show but it is a gentle and sweet lemon that compliments the vanilla and custard pastry notes perfectly, as opposed to a bright citrus or a harsh sour. As it cools, there is a more herbal quality at the end of the sip which I’d attribute to the lemongrass. As a whole, it certainly captures a treat but to me I would say it is more akin to a pastry than a biscotti.
Regardless of how you’d describe this, this is definitely a dessert tea. A little more herbal than I like but only when it cools so best to drink this one hot.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Tea party anyone? This beautiful blend will whisk you away to a lovely tea party set with delightful treats, close friends, fresh spring flowers and lemon trees. This naturally caffeine free blend is absolutely divine hot as well as cold brewed on a warm day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Candy Apple from Tickled Tea. . . .
I never got into the whole candy apple thing. I can recall eating one in my life with a friend at Canada’s Wonderland. I blame braces. Candy apples are like the number one item on the “do not eat” list for those with braces. That and mostly I enjoyed chocolate covered or caramel apples. However, when I saw this Candy Apple tea by Tickled Tea (made with Fair Trade Chinese green tea, apple pieces, cinnamon bark, rose hips, beet root, and artificial flavoring), I was intrigued.
I brewed this both hot and iced. Both were steeped for approximately 3 minutes in 185F water.
Hot, this tea does have a sweet apple flavor. The chinese green tea is more roasty than vegetal and provides the base layer of flavor. To me this is a little weird because it gives it more of a Fall/Winter vibe than a light Spring/Summer vibe that you’d expect with a candy apple tea. Once you get past that though you get a whole lot of baked apple flavor with a nice sweetness. Between the base tea, the cinnamon, and the baked good vibe, I would say this is more baked apple than candy apple, at least when it comes to the hot tea.
Iced this is a lot lighter than the hot tea but unfortunately a lot more vegetal. There is a candy apply flavor but it tastes a bit like a candy apple that was dropped in the grass. Not really what I was hoping for if I am being honest.
So I definitely prefer this hot over iced and though it was enjoyable, it’s more baked apple than candy apple. Not bad but not what the name promises either.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tickled Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for green teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tea and Toast from Bird and Blend Tea. . . .
Bluebird Tea went through a name change and now they are Bird and Blend Tea. Regardless of the name, they are still making delicious tea flavors.
Recently I tried a new summer blend called Tea and Toast. This is a black tea with raspberry jam notes. I’ve been enjoying this tea as my summertime breakfast brew, hot or iced depending in the morning temperature.
The black tea is robust and balanced, very much the backbone of this blend. The raspberry is very fragrant in the dry leaf but mellows out slightly in the brew. The blend also includes raspberry pieces and the ever-polarizing hibiscus petals. The hibiscus is used sparingly, and adds just enough juiciness to help the raspberry pop with sweet and tart red berry flavor.
This is a delightful way to spice up you daily breakfast brew. The raspberries taste like summer, but don’t overpower the familiar traditional black tea base. Tea and Toast blend feels as delectable as trying a new flavor of jam on your breakfast toast or in your favorite PB&J. Get a sweet, fresh take in your morning brew this summer before this blend retires at the end of the season.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Bird and Blend Tea
Description: Traditional English breakfast tea with sweet raspberry jam!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!