Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
A new seasonal favorite is here in the form of a gingerbread tea! Natural gingerbread flavor is layered with cinnamon bark, ginger root and orange peels on a black tea base. Mmmmm… tasty!
“Eat me! I mean, drink me!” -Gingy
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Who doesn’t love Gingy from Shrek? That lovable little character always makes me giggle. So it seems that Geeky Teas picked the perfect character to create a holiday tea around.
To be honest, I’m not the biggest ginger fan so I was a little worried about how I would feel about this tea, but I have to say, this tea is a delight! Brewed up like a black tea with water prepped at 212F and steeped for about 3 minutes, this tea is a sweet take on a gingerbread tea. The first note you get is the gingerbread flavor with a hint of cinnamon. The orange peel gives off a nice citrus twist. There is a sweetness in there that I can’t place at the moment.
Such a lovely tea and it has such a nice feel to it. Warm, cozy, soothing. . .this tea has it all! This tea really does remind you of a gingerbread cookie. I mean, can you ask for a better holiday tea?
Cranberry Immune Booster by Tea Drift
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Tea Drift
Tea Description:
This tea has just as pleasing of an aroma as it does flavor. Delightful over ice, the fruity and bright flavors are sure to tickle the tastebuds of any tea drinker. Enjoy it all day long, as it is free from caffeine.
Ingredients: Pineapple, papaya, peach, passion fruit, mango, hibiscus, cranberry and apricot.
Health Benefits:
- High in antioxidants
- Can help lower blood pressure
- Promotes relaxation
- Contains no caffeine
- Aids in digestion
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
‘Tis the season… The cold season. The flu season. The never-enough-tissues-in-the-house season. For those days when a warm blanket, a nice bowl of chicken soup, and a comforting cup of tea are are called for it’s nice to have an herbal tea like this waiting in the cupboard.
Cranberry Immune Booster is a fruity herbal with a slightly tart bite from the hibiscus and cranberry. This actually taste more like a tropical tea. The pineapple is the main flavor while the papaya, mango, and passion fruit mix together in a delicious tropical punch flavor that I think kids of all ages would enjoy. I can smell the peach note in the dry leaf and infused tea, but I don’t taste it. The hibiscus shows up at the end of the sip. Now to be fair, I am not a big fan of hibiscus. I find that teas with hibiscus can turn into a bitter mess in a hot minute. This is especially true the closer hibiscus is to the top of the ingredient list. Thankfully it’s pretty far down on the list for this tea, so while there is some tartness it’s not too bad. Adding sugar would lessen the tart flavor, but I didn’t find that necessary here.
I am not qualified to write about the possible health benefits of this tea, so I’ll leave that for the experts. I will say that tea is always a comfort to me. When I’m feeling under the weather I appreciate a nice cup of tea even more. A caffeine free herbal tea is nothing short of a gift on those days when I need to rest so I can get better. It’s like a little hug in a cup, and who couldn’t use that now and then?
If you’re looking for an herbal tea that’s full of tropical flavors then this is a nice tea to try. It’s delicious and worth a sip whether or not you’re looking to fight off the latest cold virus of the season.
Christmas in Paris by Stash Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Stash Tea
Tea Description:
This unique herbal tea blends chocolate flavors with aromatic lavender and cool peppermint for a sophisticated cup. Add a touch of sugar and a splash of milk for a delightful dessert tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
With all of the hustle and bustle that inevitably happens at this time of year I find it helpful to have some tasty herbals and tisanes on hand to help unwind at the end of the day. I want to enjoy all the flavors of the holidays, but I need to watch my caffeine intake so I can sleep. Otherwise I turn into a grumpy ol’ Scrooge, and nobody wants that! Christmas in Paris has been a very nice end of the day treat that’s caffeine free and delicious as well.
The main flavors in this tisane are cocoa and peppermint. The cocoa note comes from cocoa shells and is slightly dark, but is not bitter in any way. The peppermint is clean, a little sweet, and is well balanced against the cocoa. The other two flavors, vanilla and lavender, are more subtle, but they turn this into a lovely drink. The lavender is most apparent as the cocoa note fades, but it also compliments the chocolaty flavor so well. After having this tisane I really want to try dark chocolate sprinkled with lavender. I’m thinking that would be seriously delicious! The lavender in this drink isn’t overly floral. It’s more of a sweet and bright addition rather than a highly floral one. The vanilla is very soft and almost hidden by the other flavors, but it does add a bit of a creamy note which is very pleasant.
I found that this drink is enhanced by the addition of sugar. I didn’t add cream or milk, but I think a slight amount would be nice. More than a splash will most likely cause the lavender flavor to be too subtle, so use a tiny amount and add more if desired.
Christmas in Paris is a very nice tisane that’s worth a try this holiday season. It’ll help keep your holiday spirits up without keeping you up. Enjoy!
Lime Green with Envy from BlendBee
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tea Description:
You don’t see as many lime teas as you do lemon because it’s so much more sour than a lemon and can be tough to balance in a tea. Here it really works though. The lime is tame. The strong green teas and the raspberry leaf give the tea backbone – a little bit earthy, vegetal and what hints at a black tea flavour.
What’s In It:
All organic ingredients: sencha green tea, china green tea, lemon peel, raspberry leaf, lime extract.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Amoda’s Monthly Subscription Box here.
Taster’s Review:
Let’s all say that when I opened up this month’s Amoda Tea box, I squealed. . . LOUDLY! I love Amoda Tea’s monthly box and to see a company that I have been wanting to try for some tea featured, well, I was a happy girl to say the least.
Each month Amoda Tea puts together a thoughtful offering for their customers. What I love is that when I open the box up, they have lovingly packaged my teas with my name on it. That just makes you smile!
This month they featured BlendBee, a company that I first heard about on Twitter. When I saw that there was a sampling of Lime Green with Envy, I couldn’t get my infuser out quick enough. This tea is described as a green tea with a sour twist. That is a lot for a tea to live up to. So I prepared my water and sat somewhat patiently while the tea steeped. 3 minutes later I was ready to take my first sip.
My initial thoughts? Wow, they got this right! I can really pick up that lime flavor. Sour but not overly so that I’m puckering up as I drink the tea. The green tea base is laying down a nice flavor that is somewhat grassy with notes of a vegetal finish. Each flavor contrasts the other in a very nice way. This tea was crisp and refreshing!
As much as I loved this tea hot, I wanted to try it cold so I popped in a few ice cubes, threw the infuser back in the tea and let it steep for a few more minutes.
What I got in return was one of the best iced teas I’ve had in a bit. This will be one of those teas that I’ll be remembering for some time to come. Cold this tea just shines. I would love to finish this glass off with a nice lemon or lime wedge and possibly turn this tea into a mojito even. Cooled down the lime flavor really shines thru and I’m reminded of summer. A great tea to have to bring some sunshine in your day.
This month’s offerings have made me realize that I need an Amoda Monthly Tea Box in my life every month. I will be asking for a subscription for Christmas and if Santa doesn’t bring me what I want? I’ll be getting for myself!
Winter Wonderland from Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland…”A wonderful blend of green rooibos with cacao and cinnamon and flavored with Bavarian chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnuts. When we sampled this in our store we heard “Best rooibos ever!”, “A new favorite”, “Great everyday tea”. It brews to a golden cup with the delicious aroma and taste of cinnamon baked goodies (we were reminded of apple fritters). Smooth and warming, this blend has the more pronounced taste of cinnamon and hazelnuts, while the Bavarian chocolate is an underlying taste that rounds out the other flavors. Delicious in every season!
Ingredients: Organic green rooibos, organic cacao nibs, organic cinnamon pieces, flavoring, white and blue cornflower petals
Learn more about this tea here.
Tea Description:
I adore and love green rooibos blends. I have considered red rooibos my arch enemy for some time but there is something fresh, soothing, and delightful in green rooibos blends. I’ve had several Simpson & Vail blends but I have had my eye on their holiday blends for some time. So when they offered a chance for me to review them, I jumped all over the opportunity!
This particular blend is a green rooibos base with chocolate, cinnamon, and hazelnut. Um. . .sign me up!
I brewed this up at work and shared a cuppa with a fellow co-worker. 5 minutes later, we were each enjoying this treat.
First sip in and I was looking up and trying to justify buying more of this tea. For 2 oz at $4.25- this tea is a steal!
This flavor profile for this tea is this lush amazing decadent dessert tea that keeps you wanting more and more. My co-worker said it reminded her of apple pie. Me-it reminded me of a slightly honey cinnamon sweetness with hints of the hazelnut and chocolate towards the end of each sip. The more the tea cools the more hazelnut and chocolate become pronounced. There are subtle hints of a coconut goodness as well. Such a great mix of flavors. And just so good. This would be great to share and enjoy a cuppa with family and friends over the holidays. Another fantastic tea from Simpson & Vail. I really don’t think they have a bad tea to offer! Off to get another cuppa. This is going to be one I need to have on hand regardless of the time of year! Looks like I’m going to have to stock up on this delight!