Scarborough Fair from A Quarter To Tea. . . .

by VariaTEA

Every single time I am on the A Quarter to Tea website, the name “Scarborough Fair” catches my eye. Every. Single. Time. I have no idea why or what I am always expecting but the name always pulls me in. I keep thinking it is like a berry tea or something like that and I want it but then I click on the page and read the description which calls it “fruity” and “herbaceous”. Though fruity I like, herbaceous makes me hesitant and in the end my hesitation wins out and this tea gets left behind. However, I guess fate decided to intervene because a sample of this Scarborough Fair tea arrived in A Quarter to Tea’s monthly subscription box for August.

I steeped the entire sample in a 16 oz mug according to the recommended steeping parameters of 3 minutes in 190F water.

The description “fruity” and “herbaceous” hit the nail right on the head, to be honest. The fruity raspberry flavor hits your tongue first but the sage quickly comes up from underneath. Somehow the two components intertwine seamlessly while still being distinctive in their own rights. The rosemary also blends with the sage and the two flavors linger on your tongue after the sip is done, all the while the sweet raspberry note still floats on top. This tea is unique to say the least and certainly very interesting but I can’t decide if that is good or bad.

I am enjoying this cup well enough but if I am being honest, “herbaceous” is just not what I want from my teas. I’m more of the dessert tea kind of girl and though this has a nice sweetness, the herbs are throwing me off. Nevertheless, I am glad I got to try it and for those who like a more herbal element or even just anyone wanting to try something new, I wholeheartedly suggest giving this a taste.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  A Quarter To Tea
Description

Raspberry, sage and rosemary come together to create a fruity and herbaceous cup worthy of Scarborough Fair itself.

Sikkim is located just north of Darjeeling in India. The only garden there, Temi, does its teas in a Darjeeling style. The base tea here is comparable to a second flush Darjeeling tea

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in A Quarter To Tea, Black Tea

Raspberry Champagne from The Love Tea Company. . . . .

by SuperStarling

Love Tea Company purchases have been making the rounds of me and my friends lately. It all started when Nichole (Cuppageek here on the site) sent me a Tea It Forward care package.  So I sent a few to my friends. And then bought samples. 25% of net profits go to the Flagg Foundation for Mental Wellness.  

So I’m of course already in a good mood just looking at the packaging and getting a cup going. Plus, the idea of Raspberry Champagne is very appealing to someone who’s on a diet. Helping people! Drinking but not really! FIVE STARS.

I made this one iced as a dinner accompaniment. I’ve cut soda (for real this time!) (I think!). So I’m learning a little more on iced tea to fill in when I need caffeine.

I’ve made this one before hot, and thought it was pretty good, but ICED, my friends, is where it’s at.

The flavor is a mix of sweet and tart. It has the sass of the raspberry with the gentle playfulness of a white. There’s a bite that I guess I could associate with champagne, but also has a bit of a green apple vibe to it. The white tea has JUST enough caffeine to keep you coasting, but not enough to keep you up at night.

All in all, a lovely blend for a sparkly afternoon.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  White
Where to Buy:  The Love Tea Company
Description

Our White Raspberry Champagne is a great alternative to the real thing!  Our wine inspired blends create a character so versatile you’ll get all of the fun of a “fancy drink” without the boozy qualities.   The pairing of champagne and raspberry flavors dates back centuries and we’ve mastered it here in this wine evoking tisane. You won’t be disappointed this is a luxurious treat any day of the week.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

SuperStarling

"Hey, everybody! I'm Leah, a graphic designer from Pennsylvania, United States. I live with my husband and rescue mutt in a house with colorful walls. I love fonts, colors, animals, flowers, novels, illustration, geeking out, and -- obviously! -- tea. I've only been heavily into tea for about a year, but I've found I tend to prefer loose blended black dessert teas. I normally drink them hot western style without anything added; if I add in some vanilla almond milk or honey, I promise I'll mention it! When I'm not blogging here, I'm blogging at leahlucci.com/starling or posting to Instagram (super_starling), so come say hi!"

This post was posted in The Love Tea Company, White Tea

White Champagne Raspberry from Tea and Tins. . .

by Sophia

Alcohol isn’t really in my life. I don’t mind having a drink once in a while, but it mostly upsets my stomach and gives me a headache. Tea is my drink of choice. However, I don’t mind teas that are made after alcoholic beverages….things like hot buttered rum, pina coladas, or in this case, champagne!

Upon opening my little sample bag, the first thing that came to mind was raspberry tootsie pops. It actually smells JUST LIKE a tootsie pop. Its making my mouth water! Once steeped I gave it a sip and think it needed a little sweetening, so I added just a pinch of agave. It tastes like a tootsie pop. Honestly, I just cant get past that reference! I’m tasting hard candy here. However I will say, that after swallowing I do get a hint of tingly champagne. But all in all, this is totally a raspberry tootsie pop through and through. Sweet and tangy with a hint of cocoa from the tootsie roll sitting in its center, but not too much that you’ve reached the chewiness just yet. I cant really speak of whether you will get a full on champagne experience when you drink this being as all I can taste and visualize in a tootsie pop, but I will say that your taste buds will tingle with bubbly happiness because this is tangy and tasty and leaves you wanting more!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  White
Where to Buy:  Tea and Tins
Description

White tea, safflowers with champagne flavor and red raspberry flavor.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in Tea and Tins, White Tea

Raspberry Flavored Tea Anyone? #Tealightful

by KoalaTea

Raspberry flavors have always been my favorite, from the elementary school era blue manufactured kind of Jolly Ranchers to picking them straight from the vine in a rural southern town. Needless to say, my expectations for this tea were pretty high.

And what can I say? They were MET!

This tea seems unassuming in that it’s just a plain black base and the raspberry flavoring (and a few freeze-dried raspberries thrown in more for aesthetics) but wow, this is a solid blend. The assam is middle-of-the-road in terms of astringency and the raspberry is sweet, sour, and perfectly flavorful all at once. I had a bad experience with a berry-flavored tea a few months ago, so I did not think something like Fruity Raspberry would be my new go-to.

Alas, I blew through 4 ounces very quickly.

My default was to brew 1tsp/8oz for 3 minutes in boiled water. I added a touch of honey and it was on point! This also would be an incredible iced tea for the sweltering months up ahead.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy: Tealightful
Description

Try this stunning dessert tea with a dash of milk and Amaretto Honey Stix. It’s a fresh and fruity blend of certified organic black tea, luscious freeze-dried raspberries, and natural organic compliant raspberry flavor.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

KoalaTea

KoalaTea, aka Nikki, hails from the South where she grew up drinking sweet iced tea to endure the blazing hot summers. That all changed when she studied abroad in Europe and fell into the habit of drinking hot tea daily. She began drinking more and more tea upon her return to the US, and an obsession was born! Among other things, KoalaTea is a mother to her little one year old Koala Bear and wife to a handsome closet tea drinker and LEO. She is a mental health counselor by trade and spends her days working with some of the most incredible individuals in the world.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Tealightful

Sweet Slo-Sippin’ SimpliciTEA Raspberry Rhubarb from Cup of Love. . .

by teaequalsbliss

Sweet Slo-Sippin’ SimpliciTEA Raspberry Rhubarb is a blended Green Tea and Black Tea Duo! The funny thing is I was thinking it was Strawberry Rhubarb but that’s because that used to be my favorite type of pie and I must be hungry for it. Raspberry Rhubarb is just as good and plus I have been gobbling up raspberries like they are going out of style lately!

Enough blabbing and on to the tea, eh? Sweet Slo-Sippin’ SimpliciTEA Raspberry Rhubarb is from Cup of Love. And I’m truly LOVING it!

The Sencha Green Tea is of medium strength and delicious! The Black Tea is second in line and knows how to play well with others. It’s more mellow and quite marvelous in its own right. The dried raspberry pieces are tasty-tart and yummy! The blackberry leaves give it a little extra something – a subtle herb taste. The trio of flowers: Sunflower, Safflower, and Jasmine round it out with a welcomed floral taste. It isn’t a bitter floral flavor but seems to tie everything together.

I have really enjoyed the Sweet Slo-Sippin Series Cup of Love is offering and looking forward to any new flavors they come up with!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green Tea
Where to Buy:  Cup of Love
Description

Down-homespun-goodness!  Imagine picking raspberries and rhubarb, and baking them into a delicious pie, and then pouring it into a tall glass of front porch, sun-brewed iced tea.  It‘ll knock your socks off!   That is…iffin’ you wearin’ any.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

teaequalsbliss

Co-Founder/Co-Creator of Sororitea Sisters at Sororitea Sisters Jennifer (TeaEqualsBliss) is in her upper 30s and lives in the eastern snowbelt area of the US with her husband, 3 dogs, and cat (however the number of furkids can change at anytime as she LOVES providing a forever home for many shelter animals. Her several interests include music, movies, veganism, sports, traveling, collecting Baseball Cards and Unicorns, Radio, Computers, Crafting, and of course…TEA. She started drinking tea at the tender age of 3 thanks to her Grandmother and her love for tea has gotten stronger with each year! In addition to being a co-founder/co-creator of Sororitea Sisters - her main site is MyBlissfulJourney.com. Find out more about Jennifer on MyBlissfulJourney.com.

This post was posted in Cup of Love, Green Tea