Well, today has been such a rough day. Mila has been so fussy lately, I think she is cutting another tooth. I literally haven’t had a moment to myself all day. Thankfully, her daddy came to my rescue and got her settled while I took a hot shower and relaxed for a minute. Afterwards I, of course, needed to make a cup of tea. What better way to relax than a warm cup of tea, and maple tea to boot!
Maple Forest was one of the teas of the week this month at 52Teas. Unfortunately it is no longer available, but hopefully it will make its return sometime soon because I am now OBSESSED. The tea’s base is very similar to my other favorite, Toasted Marshmallow. It consists of Houjicha (a roasted green tea) and Shou Mei (white tea). The result is a roast-y, toast-y, and smooth drinking tea. Unlike Toasted Marshmallow, this tea contains maple and boy is it DELICIOUS. Because of the toast-yness of the Houjicha/Shou Mei mix, this tea is reminding me an awful lot of Sunday morning pancakes. Delectable! This would be a great cup to have with breakfast.
I certainly made space on my countertop for this blend and it will be happily enjoyed by me daily. I am sad that this tea is gone and glad that I stocked up, but I’m sure it will make another appearance in the future. So keep your eyes peeled if you are interested in trying it!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for the teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hidden Meadow from BlendBee. . . . .
Hidden Meadow from BlendBee caught my eye as I starred at my stash of tea under my work desk recently. I opened the bag and mentally transported into that Hidden Meadow this tea speaks of.
This is a flavored green tea folks! And a great one at that! It contains China Green Tea, sweet Marshmallow Root, creamy Vanilla, and fresh spearmint! This flavor combo makes for a creamy, dreamy, minty-fresh, sweet treat!
It’s creamy upfront followed by a welcomed sweet-mint flavor combo and the mint lingers nicely well after the sip is complete. This is a fantastic flavored green! I think…NO…I KNOW I’m in LOVE.
This is one of those that I would gladly share with friends but also frown when I run out of it. It’s tasty hot or cold. A pure delight!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Breathe deep & fall in love…A simple yet intoxicating blend of green tea, marshmallow root and fresh spearmint delicately infused with warm vanilla. This is a creamy, minty & dreamy green tea blend for you to savor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blueberry Green Kukicha from Frontier Organic. . . . . .
When I smelled this tea, I knew right away I needed to make it into iced tea. I prefer fruitier teas cold for some reason. It smells like blueberries right away, and when you pour hot water over the tea, it really smells like blueberries!
Kukicha tea is also known as twig tea. It’s prepared from the stems and stalks of the tea shrub. That’s exactly what this tea looks like, twigs with some dried blueberries in the mix. Twig tea, or Kukicha tea is a nutritional powerhouse. It has six times more calcium than cow’s milk, and more vitamin C than an orange. Kukicha is highly recommended for those following a macrobiotic diet.
I am really enjoying the fruity, slightly grassy taste of this tea. It’s very refreshing. If you enjoy the grassy taste of green tea, you will love this. And if you find the grassy taste too much, you’ll probably also enjoy this because the blueberry flavor really shines. And if you’re like me and watching your caffeine intake, kukicha does have caffeine, but it’s a very small amount.
I had never heard of Kukicha tea before this, other than a random skit on Portlandia, and to be honest i thought they were making it up. After trying this tea and reading about all of the health benefits, I will be looking for more twig teas. If you like blueberries and green tea, I really recommend trying this delicious tea!!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Frontier Organic
Description
Enjoy this wonderful Japanese organic karigane (green kukicha stem) tea combined with nutrient-packed flash freeze-dried organic blueberries. Fresh fruity vegetal flavors deliver a powerful boost of antioxidants and very low caffeine content in a satisfying, healthy tea that also happens to help satisfy sweet-tooth cravings.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
PB&J from Tea and Tins. . . . . .
Today is a lazy Sunday. For breakfast I made homemade blueberry muffins and a side of bacon. I always appreciate the combination of salty and sweet. The two flavors are just a match made in heaven. The sweet blueberry muffins and the salty bacon made for a delectable breakfast, that even my guy enjoyed. Thinking about the combo of salty and sweet reminded me that I have a delicious tea just begging for me to try it, PB & J by Tea and Tins! Peanut butter is salty and jelly is sweet, so clearly this is right up my ally!
Upon opening the tin, I could see the whole blackberries and pieces of pineapple, strawberries, and apples. I could also smell the nuttiness and see the almond slices. I don’t think I would directly point the finger at peanut butter in regards to the smell, though. It was faintly peanut but, to me, mostly just nutty. I was okay with that because I really did not want this to taste like artificial, liquid peanut butter. So, we were off to a good start.
Once steeped, the smell turned to jelly! The berries were really starting to take over the aroma. The nuttiness and faint peanut buttery smell was in the background now. I steeped this tea for 3 minutes with hot water and added my usual teaspoon of agave. On first taste I could taste berry- strawberry, blackberry, and a little raspberry. It wasn’t tart, but more of a sweet berry flavor. Then nutty came into play. As I stated before, this nutty flavor wasn’t ridiculously peanut buttery. It was faint and not at all artificial tasting. This tea was really well done. I think that nutty flavors always will go well with green tea and this tea definitely confirmed that. The buttery and nuttiness of the green tea accented the berries and peanut butter/nut flavors really well. I think that Tea & Tins really did great with this one. I was thankful that it wasn’t heavily flavored and that it was light and refreshing. I could see myself drinking this in the summertime.
If you have an interest in trying a peanut butter and jelly flavored tea, I would recommend this one for sure.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Tea & Tins
Description
Loose leaf green tea, as good as your favorite Peanutbutter & Jelly sandwich!
Ingredients: green tea, apple pieces, pineapple cubes (pineapple, sugar), planed almonds and almond pieces, sweet blackberry leaves, flavoring, freeze-dried whole blackberries, freeze-dried strawberry and raspberry pieces.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Fruity Pebbles from Tiesta Tea. . . . . .
Two things to disclose before we jump into this tea review, friends:
1. I’ve never actually drank this tea hot (WHAT. I know. I promise I can still give you a good review).
2. It doesn’t actually taste like fruity pebbles, as the packaging claims. While my breakfast-cereal-loving heart is a bit dismayed by this, I can get over it for now.
I’ve talked about this before, but I’m not a huge fan of teas that make claims– detoxing, dieting, etc. While I think herbs can be healing and great supplements to living healthfully, I immediately get a little side-eye skeptical when a tea tells me it has magical powers.
But I was willing to look past it as this green tea claimed to be fruity and delightful (who can resist something that claims to be “fruity pebbles-esque”?!) regardless. I haven’t been a huge fan of green tea historically, but I do LOVE it on ice, so that’s how I’ve been drinking this one. Brewed extra-strong overnight and topped with a little fresh lemon juice, it’s light and fresh without being too grassy or overly sweet.
Notes of tropical fruit pop through, with just enough of a vegetal balance to keep it from going into saccharine territory. I may not notice any magical health benefits (or notes of breakfast cereal in this one), but this one is the perfect iced treat to sip in these almost-springlike days. And I’m guessing it’d still be pretty great alongside a bowl of Fred Flintstone’s finest.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
You know the feeling of summer sunshine washing over your face? You’ll feel the same sipping on this 2008 World Tea Champion. Floral, fruity scents precede a light, sweet taste of succulent summer fruit. It’s sunshine in a tin…or a pouch!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
