I had to brew this tea three times before I actually started to enjoy it. I don’t know what happened, but I usually brew my black teas for 4-5 minutes. Don’t brew this one for that long, it gets way too bitter and both the salted caramel and pumpkin flavors will be overpowered. This tea needs to brew for only 2-3 minutes in order to be enjoyable!
Aside from the brewing issue, this tea is delicious! I love pumpkin everything- pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin bread, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin pie, and even pumpkin soup. So, naturally, pumpkin tea is going to be something that I have to try. I also really like salted caramel. The combination of pumpkin and salted caramel makes my mouth water. It sounds so good! I was really bummed the first two times I brewed this one because I though that the black tea was just way too overpowering and way too bitter. Thankfully I finally went to their website and saw that this blend is only meant to be steeped for 3 minutes. Once I steeped it properly I was in heaven. Yum!
This blend filled my kitchen with smells of creamy salted caramel and pumpkin. On taste, salted caramel was in the forefront with pumpkin and black tea trailing behind. Even properly steeped, the black tea is still dominant in the blend. My only critique would be for them to maybe use a less bold black tea next time because the flavors of pumpkin and salted caramel would have popped just a little bit more. Otherwise, this tea is really really good! I’m now wondering if they make a salted caramel pumpkin ice cream flavor because the combination is heavenly! Even though pumpkin season is basically over, this blend is still worth a try because it is really good. I will look forward to it next fall!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
Fall in a cup! The aroma of caramel and pumpkin will delight your olfactory sense with the promise of a warm, tasty brew. The amber colored cup offers pumpkin on the front end with the delicious salty caramel taste at the back. These flavors are the perfect marriage in that they complement each other without competing.
Ingredients: black teas, marigold petals and pumpkin and salty caramal flavorings.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
August Peach Green Tea from Simpson and Vail. . . .
Apparently peaches in august are sweeter than other times of the year. I didn’t know this until now. Learn something new everyday, right? I really enjoy the mix of peach flavor and green tea. Theres something really crisp and refreshing about them together that reminds me of springtime air. This tea in particular tastes just like spring, to me.
There are two peach teas that are my favorite right now, both of them come from Anne’s brilliant blends over at 52 Teas- Peach Cardamom Green Tea and Peach Cheesecake Honeybush. Both of them are just sensational. Unfortunately all of 52 Teas’ are limited edition and you have to act fast before they are gone (re-blend! re-blend! re-blend!). So, I have been on the hunt for a good peach flavored replacement. This August Peach Green Tea sounded like it had potential. According to Simpson and Vail, in Vietnam peaches are an indicator of the coming of spring and symbolize peace and happiness. Apparently, peaches that are grown later in the season have a sweeter and more delicate flavor.
My first recognition when I examined the dry leaf was that it didn’t include chunks of peaches. While I realize that most flavor actually comes from flavoring opposed to dried fruits, I still like to see them in my blends. Anyways, I moved forward and brewed myself a cup. I wasn’t getting an overwhelming peach scent. I mostly could just smell the green tea with maybe a hint of peach if you’re looking for it. I’m not sure if I would say that the taste was overwhelmingly peachy either…but that’s not to say that this isn’t good. The first flavor I noticed was the green tea- buttery, grassy, and crisp. Next was the agave I added to the cup. Last was the peach. Even though peach was the last flavor I detected, it was so spot on! The aftertaste of this tea left me feeling as if I had just taken a bite out of a fresh peach! The flavor was so realistic and fresh, I really enjoyed it. This is a light tea and it would be fantastic iced in the middle of summer. I enjoyed the flavors of the green tea mingling with the fresh August peach flavor. Although I don’t think that this beat my other favorite peach teas, it definitely is at the top of my list! A total must try if you like peach and definitely if you like green tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
Peaches are from a deciduous tree that is native to China. Cultivation spread throughout the world and today major supplies of peaches come from America, China, Italy and Greece. Peaches and peach trees have long histories of symbolism in Asia; in China, peaches are considered a symbol of long life, in Korea they are considered symbols for happiness, wealth and longevity and in Vietnam peaches herald Spring and symbolize peace and happiness.
Peaches have a delicate, intoxicating aroma and a heavenly taste. The peaches grown later in the season, in August and September, have a sweeter more delicate peach taste. This green tea blend has the underlying taste of a sweet, Chinese green with the refreshing taste of sweet peaches. Summer tastes all in one cup!
Ingredients: Green tea, marigold petals and sweet august peach flavoring.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Healthy Wellness Tea from Simpson and Vail. . . . Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana) – Yoga Herbal Tea
I’ve been wanting to try Simpson & Vail’s Yoga Teas for a while so when a bag labeled “Swadhisthana” was in the most recent shipment from S&V I did a little ‘Snoopy Dance’ for sure!
The Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana), the seat of life, is located in the center of the abdomen. It is associated with the color orange and symbolized by the six-petal lotus flower. The Sacral Chakra is the seat of our creative and sexual energy and is associated with what our bodies need.
When in balance, the Sacral Chakra, will enable us to accept and solve the challenges of life in a creative manner and allow us to feel compassionate and friendly. It will enable us to express our emotions and connect us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement.
I have done a lot with a trio of chakras the past year or two. My personal trio is the Red, Orange, and Yellow! I have plant based resin coated balance crystals that I have necklaces made out of and also have the yellow and orange balancing cones on each end of my desk.
Some may think this is all ‘hippie dippie’ stuff but I don’t mind. I’ve been called a hippie on more than one occasion and I wear the label others give me with a smile on my face!
What I will say about this herbal tisane and yoga tea is that it’s a harmonious blend of herbs that features a golden cup with a light earthy, spicy flavor and a delicate lemon and mint aftertaste. Simpson and Vail suggests says to connect to this energy center by trying new ways of expressing yourself creatively through dance, art, writing or music which is pretty much my daily life in both work and play.
Ingredients include Orange Peel, Rosehips, Annatto Seed, Cloves, Allspice, Organic Peppermint & Organic Lemon Grass.
The Orange is what shines here – first and foremost – and rightfully-so! The seed, clove, and spice are prominent as well. The Peppermint and Lemongrass pair up for a creative take of its own. This was incredibly satisfying, comforting, bright, juicy, and energizing! LOVED IT!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
The Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana), the seat of life, is located in the center of the abdomen. It is associated with the color orange and symbolized by the six-petal lotus flower. The Sacral Chakra is the seat of our creative and sexual energy and is associated with what our bodies need.
When in balance, the Sacral Chakra will enable us to accept and solve the challenges of life in a creative manner and allow us to feel compassionate and friendly. It will enable us to express our emotions and connect us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement.
This harmonious blend of herbs has a golden cup with a light earthy, spicy flavor and a delicate lemon and mint aftertaste. Connect to this energy center by trying new ways of expressing yourself creatively through dance, art, writing or music. 3 oz. box.
Ingredients:
Orange Peel, Rosehips, Annatto Seed, Cloves, Allspice, Organic Peppermint & Organic Lemon Grass.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Emily Dickinson’s Jasmine Tea Blend – Simpson and Vail. . . .
Now I have to start this off by saying that I am a sucker for author inspired tea blends. So it goes without saying that you are sure to find me reviewing more in the near future. Which shouldn’t be surprising since what is better than a cup of tea and a good book?
Now I think that this tea was simply delightful. It is not too strong and not too subtle, it has a perfect balance in my opinion. As a matter of fact when I was drinking this tea it was like it started to clear my head. Now I don’t mean completely like a lavender tea would do, but to the point where I could think about things. Now since I go to college I began to think about things I could do for my final that is coming up but not only that I can imagine this tea being a perfect companion when I am writing for a more creative venture.
I was also surprised that this tea had little to no dry notes in it whatsoever. And in my experience with jasmine, there would always be slight, somewhat powerful dryness to it. But I believe that this a soft and balanced tea because of the ingredients. The jasmine tea is a beautiful binder for the rose petals, jasmine blossoms, marigold petals and blue cornflower petals. It goes without saying if you have read any of my previous reviews, that I have always loved the pairing of jasmine and rose. In my book, jasmine and rose will always be the power couple.
Now when I was in the process of brewing my cup I had a look at the tea leaves and apart from the enjoyment of finding little jasmine blossoms I was happy to see plenty of blue cornflower petals. Now, for those who don’t know, my favorite tea of all time is Lady Grey and that contains, you guessed it, blue cornflower. And I believe that the blue cornflower is a perfect addition to this tea for it adds a nice subtle, sugary sweetness to the blend.
On top of the delightfully delicate tasting tea the price is not at all bad either. It is $9.75 for a 4 oz tin but if you don’t want the tin you can save about $3 and pay $6.90 for a bag of the same size. Along with a great price this tea also has deep connection with the talented poet we know as Emily Dickinson. As the description reads on the bottom of this review, this tea was based off of Ms. Dickenson’s garden, which was a place that she got most of her inspiration from for her poetry.
All in all, I believe that this a beautiful tribute to Emily Dickinson and I will be purchasing this for my ever growing collection of teas in the future. (My collection is very expansive. If you don’t believe me, head over to my Instagram and I usually post updates on how big it has gotten.)
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description:
Emily Dickinson was born on December 10th, 1830 and lived in a home that was central to Amherst political society thanks to her father and brothers. Growing up around powerful men prepared Dickinson for a life of the same, but society dictated that, as a woman, she was relegated to seemingly less meaningful ventures. Her anger at this slight comes across in her poetry and letters where she explored complex ideas of meaning and self while examining the smallest details of the world around her. She withdrew herself from society and lived in relative solitude until her death. Only a few of her poems were made public during her lifetime, but four years after her demise, a collection of poems was published and met with popular and critical acclaim. Her poems reveal a complicated mind that examined itself with as much attention to detail as it examined the world. Dickinson’s defiance of categorization and simplification make her a popular poet to study even today.
In the years she spent away from society, Emily Dickinson cultivated an extensive garden. In it, she grew jasmine flowers, cornflowers, roses, and many other flowers, plants and herbs. These flowers appear repeatedly in her poetry so our blend had to be floral. We created a delightful combination of jasmine tea and rose petals that brews to a light ecru cup with long green leaves and rose petal accents. This delicate tea hits you with a strong jasmine taste that’s sweetened and mellowed with the subtle flavors of the rose petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Irish Blend From Simpson and Vail. . . .
It doesn’t have to be St. Partrick’s Day for you to enjoy this tea from S&V! Yup! We’re talking (blogging) about Irish Blend from Simpson & Vail!
Irish Blend from Simpson and Vail is one of Mr. Vail’s 15 original tea blends. So you know it has to be good, right!? I mean it has stood the test of time! A fantastic go-to after all of these years!
It’s a blend of Indian teas, mixed with a dash of our Earl Grey blend, that brews to a bright copper cup. The taste is full-bodied and robust with flowery notes.
I always enjoy blended based teas. A true journey of having more than one tea as a base to keep you guessing! The dash of EG they are referring to is fairly subtle and again something that keeps you guessing. You know it’s there but at the same time the flavor keeps haunting you – but in a good way – of course!
It’s a well-rounded tea and pretty robust which I adore! The flowery notes are more on the aftertaste and I’m ok with that. This tea is a real gem for any time of day and any time of year!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
One of Mr. Vail’s 15 original tea blends.
This blend of Indian teas, mixed with a dash of our Earl Grey blend, brews to a bright copper cup. The taste is full-bodied and robust with flowery notes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!