Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Green, Roiboos, Etc.
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
Black tea, natural vanilla flavour, candy sprinkles, natural creme flavour and natural caramel flavour.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I will admit it right off the bat. I have tried to play Portal and I was absolutely awful at it. To the point where my kiddos were like “It’s ok Mommy, you are good at other things.” I used to think I was good at video games, guess that just isn’t the case anymore. In that moment, I knew I was old. (ha!)
Geeky Teas is one of my favorite tea shops. They produce fun unique handed blended teas that scream with personality and of course I love the idea that they are based on fandoms. The Cake Is A Lie blend is a mix of black tea, vanilla flavorings, candy sprinkles, creme flavor, and caramel flavor. Just take a whiff of the dry leaf mix and you can smell each and ever one of those ingredients. The dry leaf smells simply divine. One of those teas that you feel like you are gaining weight just by smelling the tea.
Brewed up with freshly prepped boiling water, I allowed this tea to steep for about 4 minutes. I waited a few moments to let the tea cool and took my first sip. Oh my Goodness! This tea isn’t just good. It’s brilliant! This tea is the king of dessert teas! The black tea is the silent base that is giving the flavors to be the star. The creme and the caramel are the flavors you really get along with a chocolate note here and there. The flavors all combined really doesn’t taste like a chocolate cake. I have tried so many different teas that say they taste like cake, this one really does!
This may be the best tea I have tried yet from Geeky Teas. I see a large pouch of this blend in my future!
Asobu Ice Tea Infuser Glass Water Bottle To-Go
Tea Ware:
Where to Buy: Amazon
Tea Description:
- 14-Ounce Iced Tea Infuser Glass Water Bottle
- Made of heat resistant, insulated glass
- Removable top and bottom lids for easy use with loose tea leaf
- A great Tea thermos and mug
- Dishwasher safe 100% BPA free
Taster’s Review:
Sometimes we get so excited about the tea we drink that we don’t chat about the amazing pieces of tea ware that are out there. Recently I picked up a few and some of them have really impressed me. As a tea enthusiasts who has to constantly re-organize her kitchen and desk at work because of all the tea ware she gets, I always love hearing what others pick up that help me brew up my favorite beverage. This particular bottle is one of those pieces.
This cold brewing bottle is fantastic. Easy to use, easy to clean, as far as I’ve experienced-leak proof, and most important of all- the easiest way to cold brew tea that I’ve come across so far. I love cold brew tea but I didn’t have a great way to do it. I came across this bottle and instantly bought it.
The bottle itself is super easy to put into action. This bottle comes in a few pieces, a top lid, a bottom infuser, and a lid for the bottom of the bottom, plus the bottle itself. All you need to do to create delicious cold brew tea is unscrew the infuser bottom basket, add in your loose leaf tea (more than you would for brewing your typical hot tea), put the infuser into the bottom of the basket with the opening facing out, screw on the lid, flip the bottle over (make sure that bottom lid is screwed on tight), and screw the lid on. Place the bottle in your fridge overnight. When you wake up, you’ll have fresh cold brew tea. Simple and easy without having to have several pieces of tea ware to get the desired effect. What is even better is that the bottle is a nice size and it fits perfectly into the side of my laptop bag or in my purse. It can also double as a fruit infuser if you are in the mood for more of just a plain fruit flavored water.
Such a great tool and I’m so glad to have it. Cold brewing tea can sometimes draw out hidden flavors in your tea that you couldn’t pick up brewed hot. It is also a great way to use up any extra tea that is hanging out in your tea stash since you have to use more tea than when you brew hot.
I’ve been using this bottle for cold brew for about 2 weeks now and have found that I have been reaching for the bottle to make iced or cold brew tea more than my tea pots. Just a fun piece to have!
Long Ding from New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Description:
The tea is bright and lively with a unique sharpness accented with bouquet and a slight touch of herb. The body is deep and long for a baked green tea. Its character differentiates it well from other varieties in this region and adds an unmistakeable breadth in the taste spectrum of Chinese green teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have loved New Mexico Tea Company for some time. Their teas are fresh and vibrant. The packaging is fantastic and the art work on their packages is phenomenal. Everything about them is just brilliant and I have recommended them to so many tea drinkers, newbies and tea enthusiasts alike. They have a tea blend for everyone.
This tea I picked up some time ago, I think from a Steepster Stash Sale. I am always on the look out for new green teas to check out and just hadn’t had a chance to try this one until now. When I first opened the bag, I was in awe of the gorgeous longer leaves that filled the pouch. I scooped a few spoonfuls into my tea pot and poured in the prepped water. I loved watching the tea leaves dance in the water.
First sip in and shame on me for not trying this tea sooner. This tea is one of those green teas that give you everything. Slightly floral with subtle vegetal notes and a buttery finish. Just delicious. One of those teas that you crave more of and hate to see your tea pot empty. I’ve already drank a few infusions out of this first serving and I have to say each infusion delivers that same gorgeous flavor. This is one of those satisfying teas that delivers on the flavor it promises. This one is a keeper!
Casale’s Green from 212 Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 212 Tea
Tea Description:
Named after our friends Chris and Melissa Casale, owners of The Fix Barbershop here in lake Oswego. They were the first local business to serve our tea and instantly fell in love with this blend. Casale’s Green is the perfect blend of Pacific Northwest Peppermint and roasted Japanese Houjicha. The result is a smooth toasty green tea note followed by a clean mint finish.
Mellow with a sweet mint flavor, a pleasant toasty note and hints of chocolate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Alright, do yourself a favor. . .if you haven’t tried or checked out 212 Tea take a moment and do just that. They are a tea company out of Portland that know how to do tea right. They are passionate and enthusiastic, attributes that you want in a tea company. They even encourage you to send them tea jokes. Now that is seriously my kind of tea company!
This particular tea is something special! I instantly fell in love with the toasted sweetness I was picking up along with traces of mint from the dry leaves. I couldn’t get water into my tea kettle fast enough!
Brewed this delight up with water at about 190 degrees and allowed the tea to steep for about 4 minutes. I didn’t even allow the tea to cool off. I instantly took a sip and was greeted with some tea loving! This tea had lovely notes of a rich buttery base of green tea that had a nice well balanced solid note of a roasted flavor while the mint gave the tea a freshness that made you just devour it as fast as you could. Seriously, I have already inhaled about three cuppas of this delight from one session and am warming water for a fourth. It is that amazing.
The tea is a cooling refreshing one that warms at the same time. One of those teas that help you melt the day away while indulging your taste buds. I will say towards the third infusion I was getting a slight chocolate note but for the most part I didn’t really pick up any chocolate and I am completely fine with that. I’m loving the cuppa that I’m getting out of the tea right now!
Dark Forest from The Jasmine Pearl Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: The Jasmine Pearl Tea Company
Tea Description:
A great coffee alternative! Smooth dark and rich this blend of chicory, cacao, cinnamon and many other delicious herbs create a satisfying brew for morning or afternoon. Due to the presence of cacao nibs, which contain caffeine, don’t drink Dark Forest near bedtime.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have loved every tea that I have tried from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Company. Their teas are delicious and just knock your socks off sort of fantastic. This particular blend I am trying is their Dark Forest Herbal Tea. Now the description from what the tea consists of online and what I have in hand is different so I think they may have changed up the formula. The blend I have consists of chamomile, ginger, eucalyptus, lemon myrtle, and peppermint.
To begin with, I am not a huge ginger fan. I do like it on occasion but it isn’t my favorite. I know ginger is great for the body so I will drink ginger teas and even enjoy it in food every once in a while, but I do not go searching for it.
So let’s talk about the journey it was to actually drink this tea. First off, I dropped the bag and half of the contents fell out. Ugh. I boiled the water and forgot about it. Boo. And I measured way too water for my new Doctor Who mug and I had tea all over my desk (I used a gravitea steeper). Yep. It seemed like this tea was doomed from the start. By the time I was able to take a drink of this tea I was ready!
The dry leaf reminded me of a sweet pumpkin spice bar. The mixture just smelled heavenly. I prepped my water and allowed the tea to steep for about 5 minutes. And I would recommend that being the time you allow the tea to steep if aren’t a fan of ginger like me. I have a feeling any long than that and the ginger would overtake the tea.
My first sip of this tea and I was surprised and how lovely it was. I was afraid the ginger would overpower and leave the rest of the flavors behind but that wasn’t the case at all. Each flavor was noticeable at different times and mingled together so nicely. The ginger was light but there to spice the tea up, the lemon myrtle provided a bit of that citrus undertone, the chamomile was giving the tea a familiar herbal feel to it and the peppermint gave the tea a fresh flavor. Really well done. Who would have thought those ingredients would make such a lovely herbal?
As delicious as this was, the new upgraded blend sounds just as good! I’m going to have to try that one soon!
Another impressive tea from The Jasmine Pearl!