Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Assam
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Rich-bodied Assam tea with a faint sweetness of vanilla is perfect for morning wake-up tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Morning Tea from Lupicia is quite soothing and deep. The vanilla is only a mere hint at the flavor note, so don’t expect this to be a typical vanilla tea. Also if you wait for the tea to cool a bit the vanilla peeks out a tad more, but not a lot. I get more of the vanilla note on the aftertaste which is a lovely little surprise.
Okay I know I always say this when doing a Lupicia review tea, review, but the review would just feel empty to me if I left it out: I LOVE Lupicia Teas! Okay I got that off my chest.
I got this tea in my 2013 Lupicia Happy Bag which contained the following teas in this photo:
I was super stoked about this Happy Bag! I opted for the 60.00 dollar bag and it was worth every penny!
However, back to this tea… There is a slight smokiness in the tea but nothing like a Lapsang Souchong whatsoever. Just a very faint hint at what may remain from a campfire that has been smoldering out slowly. The tea does remind me somewhat of the early fall months, when it is still quite lovely out and not too cold but you can feel the air changing around you, there is a crispness, a slight bite to the air, yet the sun is still shining and all is well with the world. That is the feeling this tea evokes for me! Then when the vanilla note sneaks up on you it brings back the memories of the marshmallows you used to make smores with the night before at the campsite. There is even a mellow chocolate note to the base of this tea which helps that recollection as well.
Also what I love about Morning Tea is that it is heavier in the mouthfeel and requires only a short steep. On one hand that gets me sipping on a morning tea right away which is absolutely needed and desired. On another note if you have non tea drinking friends I really feel they would or at least could appreciate this tea in replacement of their coffee, if it were the only option. We know coffee folk love their coffee in the morning the same way we love our tea. Still I feel if you were to serve this they would not choke and spit it out! It has a robust flavor to it so you could steep it a bit longer for your coffee friends!
Trust me though – if you want to appreciate the tea don’t over steep – 1 to 2 minutes really is all it needs!
Now if you desired, you could absolutely add milk and or sugar to this tea. It is hearty enough to handle it and I think would make it quite yummy, however I prefer teas on their own merit without additives usually. I may give it a go with this one though as I really think it would be delicious and maybe pull out the vanilla note more.
Overall another winner from Lupicia! I am so happy I received this in my Happy Bag because I did not even know of its existence and is probably not one I would have ordered even had I know of it. Now I will be keeping this in my morning rotation for sure. Mmmm, more vanilla just peeked through! I love that sneaky vanilla!
Sweet Potato Pie from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
A black tea blend with a generous portion of creamy Japanese sweet potatoes. The buttery sweet aroma will remind you of a cozy holiday gathering.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I waited for Sweet Potato Pie from Lupicia Teas to come back out with much anticipation. They only release it around the holidays. I absolutely love sweet potatoes and eat them on a regular basis, not just around the holiday season.
I have to say I did not care for the aroma of this tea in dry form, not at all. There is an aroma of alcohol to it that was very off putting to me, and it smelled as though it would be intensely strong. However, upon brewing the tea the aroma of sweet potatoes came to life! I instantly though to myself “this is more like it!” I was excited for my first sip.
The flavor of this tea is amazing! It is spot on for a sweet potato casserole! Buttery, creamy, and even a little starchy. The black base is nicely robust but I get no astringency. The after taste lingers a while as well.
This tea is sweet in the way that a sweet potato is but not in a sugary way. I do get hints at a brown sugar note but its not too sweet either. The flavor that lingers on the palate is one of buttery sweet potato with just a slight touch of marshmallow and brown sugar. And then, out of nowhere, right before the aftertaste, right after the swallow, I get a dash of salty flavor! What a surprise! I love salt! It creates this sort of twang on the tongue and a tiny bit of tartness that quickly disappears.
I can also pick up a subtle maltiness, and a slight taste of caramel in the flavor as well.
I have only had one other Sweet Potato Pie tea previously, it was pretty good, but I was so desiring a sweet potato tea that I probably would have liked anything I could get my hands on. In comparison, this one outshines the other by far!
On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent To Me…
Usually, I like to start these 12 Days of Christmas Teas reviews with a little bit of chatter. However, today’s tea is really something I’ve been waiting for since I started in on the box. I kept hoping that this tea would be in this box, and now that it’s here, I can’t wait any longer … so enough of the chit-chat!
On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas sent me this tea:
Eight Candles
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
On this, your eighth day you will have Eight Candles, lit brightly in your cup. The eight maids a’milking will be a bit jealous with this one.
Caramel and marshmallow flavors abound in this perfectly blended black tea. Sip after sip the magic of this season is tasted within!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is it! This is the tea I was HOPING would be in this box. It was taking almost every ounce of willpower I had to keep from ordering this tea, because it was receiving such high praise on Steepster, I really wanted to see if it was as good as everyone was making it out to be. And as I don’t have a lot of willpower as it is when it comes to tea, let me just say that it was extraordinarily difficult to NOT order this tea and be patient and wait to see if it was in my box.
And here it is, Yay!
And Oh.My.Gawd! It is good! Yummy yum yum!
I’ve tried a few teas with marshmallows in them, and I’ve enjoyed most if not all that I’ve tried. I can’t think of one that I didn’t like … but, this one … this one is the BEST one yet. This really tastes like marshmallow. While sipping this, I experience that joyful feeling that as a kid I would have experienced when eating marshmallows.
My favorite marshmallow maker is 240Sweet (and trust me, you should try their marshmallows, they are heavenly), and this cup of tea is a bit like 240Sweet in my teacup … except, this doesn’t have some of those really exotic flavors. This doesn’t taste like Avocado and Lime. Or like Sweet Potato and Ginger. This just tastes like sweet, fluffy marshmallows with a drizzle of caramel … these would be more like the Salted Caramel Swirl Marshmallow from 240Sweet, minus the salt.
The black tea can also be tasted here, but, I also have to admit that I didn’t even think about the black tea until I was nearly finished with the cup. I was too wrapped up in marshmallow bliss. The black tea is delicious, and melds together with the flavors of marshmallow and caramel very seamlessly.
What I’m liking best about this cup, and this is something I only just thought of as I sit here considering the flavors that are dancing in my mouth … the burnt-sugar taste of the caramel gives the marshmallow-y notes a sort of toasted taste. This tastes like liquified roasted marshmallows!
If you don’t like sweet tasting teas, this tea is not for you. But if you love the flavor of roasted marshmallows … then, you’re going to love this tea.
S’mores from Della Terra Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
One of the best things about sitting around a fire are of course, the S’mores! We’ve captured all that is amazing about a melty gooey S’more in this black tea! You’ll taste the familiar tastes of marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate. So, even when you aren’t outside by a crackling campire you can enjoy the delicious taste of a S’more anytime!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
S’mores are one of my guilty pleasures, but one I do not indulge in often mostly because it’s a rare occurrence when I have marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars in the house all at once. Someone from Della Terra Teas must feel my pain, because here is my guilty pleasure, in liquid form, piping hot in my teacup!
This stuff is amazing!
Dry, this tea smells like my favorite cereal. It smells like Count Chocula! Yes, I love that stuff. I only get one or two boxes a year, because they only hit the stores during the month or so before Halloween through the holiday. Somehow, mysteriously, the monster cereals disappear after Halloween. But they always return around the same time every year.
Anyway, that’s what the tea smells like in dry form. I was amazed, and I could feel my mouth starting to water at the smell. My taste buds were convinced they were about to get their favorite cereal! The brewed tea smells less like cereal, and more like a black tea with some chocolate notes and a hint of graham.
Wow! The chocolate is well defined in this cup, although that doesn’t really surprise me since I expected it to be a strong flavor given this company’s obvious love for chocolate. (See this review of Dubbele Chocolate for more details!) The marshmallow comes through nicely as well, and I’m happy about that as I didn’t see a whole lot of mini marshmallows in my particular sample package. The graham cracker taste is a little less obvious, but I find that I taste more of it when I slurp, allowing the tea to sort of vibrate along my palate … at that point, I really taste the graham.
So, chocolate … CHECK! Marshmallow … CHECK! Graham Cracker … CHECK! This tea definitely represents the flavors of S’mores very well. I think that the flavor could be enhanced – perhaps – a wee bit with the addition of a little Lapsang Souchong to the black tea base. Those who know me should KNOW that I don’t offer that advice lightly, as Lapsang Souchong is not my favorite tea. But I think that the Lapsang Souchong would add just a hint of smokiness to the cup, to give it that true, authentic, campfire taste.
And speaking of the tea base … yes, I can taste the tea amid these amazing S’mores flavors. It is a fairly mild base, but, a stronger base might prove to be a bit much especially for the delicate flavor of the graham. As it is, I am really, truly enjoying this blend. It is so yummy!
Eight Candles from Della Terra Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Our Eight Candles tea perfectly combines the burnt sugar taste of caramel with delicious, fluffy marshmallow! This tea celebrates the seasons of lights with a delicious flavor you won’t forget! Gold and Star of David sprinkles add the finishing touch to this festive tea!
Ingredients: black tea, caramel flavoring and bits, marshmallows, sprinkles
For allergy info visit our FAQ
Suggested brewing tips:
Serving Size: 1 level tsp./6oz serving
Water Temp: 212 degree or to a boil
Steep Time: 2-5 minutes
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am so happy that I ordered some of Della Terra Teas’ Eight Candles blend! Their homage to the celebration of the Season of Lights.
Have you ever had a tea that left you speechless? This is my all time favorite flavored tea. Now keep in mind it is difficult for me to love one tea over another. It is almost like choosing a favorite child. Regardless, if I could only choose one flavored tea to consume for the rest of my life it would be a very close tie between this and Strawberry Zabaglione from 52Teas. But you see, they are on totally different flavor spectrums, so you see my dilemma, its not easy to choose. Before trying this tea, it would have been a lot easier, but now I am torn. However this review is all about Eight Candles from Della Terra Teas so lets get back to that!
This tea is THE most marshmallowy tea I have ever sipped, the caramel is perfection, its like someone made a caramelized melted marshmallow on a stick. We all know everything is excellent when served “on a stick”.
Now just a little tip here, let this tea cool a bit before sipping, once a little cooler the true beauty of this tea explodes. Speaking of beauty, this is one of the prettiest teas ever. A black tea backdrop with shiny gold balls, blue and white stars, it quite the eye-pleaser and very festive! If I were serving this tea at a party I would put out a small bowl of this tea loose for all to oh and ah over, and of course to sniff! It has such a pleasing aroma in dry form. When dry it has mostly an aroma of vanilla, but don’t let that fool you! Once steeped it is caramelized marshmallow all the way.
I would also like to speak to the sweetness of this tea. I am not positive exactly how it is sweetened. Perhaps the shiny gold sugar balls are the only sweetener, or perhaps there is something more added, but whatever it is, it is really done perfectly. You would truly think that you are just getting the sweetness from the caramel and marshmallow itself, with nothing extra added. It has absolutely no artificial or lingering sweetener flavor other than the sweetness the caramel and marshmallow themselves provide.
For me tea often evokes a feeling or memory. This tea makes me think back about all the fire pits during the holidays that my family has huddled around together with friends, either sipping hot cocoa, or toasting marshmallows, or both. If only I had this tea to sip back then, but now this tea can inspire making new memories!