Is there anything in the world better than snuggling up under a blanket with a good book and a cup of tea?
Right. I didn’t think so.
So when this tea arrived for me to sample on the SAME day as my copy of the new book, Heartless, by Marissa Meyer (a reimagined origin story for the Queen of Hearts from Carroll’s own Alice in Wonderland) I knew they had to be paired together.
Now, I’m going to be honest– I’ve never read Lewis Carroll’s original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (GASP).
But I am familiar with the movie, and any story centered around a tea party is a-okay with me. I do, however, know that no matter what– if there are any ties to Wonderland, there needs to be some whimsy. And both this tea and the book deliver on all accounts!
This delightful blend from my beloved Simpson & Vail elevated your traditional black tea with bright, floral notes and a little ethereal sweetness. The perfect cup to sip while reading all about Lady Catherine’s (that’s our Queen of Hearts, in her pre-royalty days) journey from young and in love to cold, calculating and off-with-their-heads-ing all around Wonderland.
I preferred this tea with milk and a touch of sweet– and if I’d had my way, I’d have had the Hatter outfit me with some fanciful millinery for my own little tea party. Maybe on my next trip down the rabbit hole!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description:
The man who would become Lewis Carroll was born as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in January 1832. He spent his happy childhood under the tutelage of his Reverend father, and enjoyed creating fantastical stories for his ten siblings. It was not until after he had graduated university and became a lecturer of mathematics that he met Alice Liddell. He would entertain her and her sisters with the absurd stories that he later published as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. His most famous novels conveyed a childlike look at the seemingly arbitrary rules and customs of adult society.
A tea party plays a memorable role in Carroll’s most celebrated novel as the setting for Alice’s nonsensical meeting with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. “A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden” where, as the Mad Hatter told Alice earlier, “it’s always tea time.” To make our Lewis Carroll blend, we added our fragrant violet flavor to an Indian Black tea and Rose Congou tea, a China black that has been scented with rose petals during the drying process, to create a deep amber cup with an incomparable bouquet and a flavor that is absolutely heavenly.
Ingredients: Black Tea, Rose Congou tea, flavoring, malva flowers.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Roasted Chestnut Rooibos from Simpson & Vail #VeganMoFo2016
Today for the Vegan MoFo prompt it’s “Comfort Food” and since here at Sororitea Sisters we post about teas and tisanes I have chosen Roasted Chestnut Rooibos from Simpson & Vail to be featured today. This Rooibos offering surprised me on so many levels that I just HAD to share my experiences with you!
Not only is Roasted Chestnut Rooibos from Simpson & Vail one of their holiday blends that I could totally see myself sipping on while under a blanket and/or near a fire but it’s super tasty and comforting on the flavor level, too! Right off the bat I can tell you that the color of Roasted Chestnut Rooibos from Simpson & Vail infuses to an exciting and vibrant orange-golden-light-brown color that really draws me in!
It’s smells wonderful with the sweet yet creamy notes, the orange pokes, and the nuttiness! There is a butteriness that I haven’t tasted in other rooibos offerings that I am super stoked about in this S&V creation. This just might be one of my favorite flavored rooibos tastes of this year! Roasted Chestnut Rooibos from Simpson & Vail is a terrific comfort cuppa. I think the reason I am overly excited about this one is because I am not a Chestnut Guru or a Rooibos Rabid Fan! Which makes this even better, I think!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description: Usher in the holiday season with this joyous brew. If you like chestnuts roasted on an open fire you’ll love this caffeine free tisane! The dry leaf has the aroma of nutty, heavenly goodness and the brewed cup explodes with this flavor followed by a light buttery taste. So curl up by a fire with this delicious cup while you read your favorite book and listen to holiday songs. We dare you to try not to sing “that” song!
Ingredients: Red Rooibos, orange blossoms and flavoring.
Brew tea at 212º – steep for 5 minutes.
Caffeine free. Certified Kosher
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pumpkin Spice from Simpson & Vail
As with any seasonally-significant stereotype (I love them ALL, you guys), pumpkin spice is my jam. I’ve tried a fair number of pumpkin teas in my day, and let me tell you– they can be tricky to nail down. Too often, the pumpkin flavor comes across as fake, or barely-there, or the “spice” is way overdone, leaving no “pumpkin” to be found. I was eager to try this blend from Simpson & Vail as in my experience, they always knock it out of the park when it comes to flavors.
Did they capture a delicious flavor? Totally. Was it entirely pumpkin-y? I’m still not sure. This tea has absolutely none of the fake-y pumpkin flavor I’ve come to despise in my seasonal teas (woo hoo!), but it’s coming across more gingerbread-y to me in my first cup. Maybe my brain is just jumping ahead a season or two, but while the spices are on point, I’m having a hard time picking up pumpkin in my freshly-steeped cup. As it cools, however, the pumpkin begins to sneak in a bit more, and I’m greeted with a delightful cup of fall goodness.
Later, I try it as a tea latte with a scoop of pureed pumpkin stirred in and a splash of coconut cream and maple syrup, and BAM– there’s that autumnal flavor I was looking for! I’ll definitely be drinking this one again.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
The stories of pumpkins, both in history and fables, make this fall fruit a staple in American diets. Their importance in American history began when the Native American Indians saved the Pilgrims from starvation by sharing this fall favorite. From fairies creating a pumpkin coach for Cinderella to Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater to the endless faces of Jack-o’-lanterns, we have grown up with pumpkins as a part of our culture. Every Fall I watch with delight as the pumpkins reach maturity, anxiously awaiting the tastes of pumpkin soups, pumpkin breads, and, of course, pumpkin pie!
This blend combines black teas with pumpkin and spice flavor to create a deep amber cup that is velvety smooth and aromatic. Its light, delicious taste is reminiscent of pumpkin custard. This tea, enjoyed year round, just adds another sensory delight to the mystique of the pumpkin!
Ingredients: black teas, pumpkin flavor and marigold petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spiced Mulled Wine Tea from Simpson & Vail
When you can’t drink wine at work why not drink Spiced Mulled Wine Tea from Simpson & Vail? I have various tea stashes all over the place – at home, at work, in my car, – in my purse! I’m not sure where to keep this one! Either at home or at work – most likely! This specific tea is pretty amazing but for several additional reasons for it just being a tea! It’s a wine inspired tea!
Spiced Mulled Wine Tea from Simpson & Vail infuses to a beaming burgundy color that is really quite impressive! Special nod to the Beet Root ingredient that makes the color possible! The orange peel contributes to the fruity-citrus-tart flavor combo and it’s wonderful! I’m LOVING that this is a black tea base with a color like this WITHOUT the use of hibiscus! Oddly, the flavor is VERY MUCH wine-like! And with very few ingredients!
The aroma and the taste of this Spiced Mulled Wine Tea from Simpson & Vail are great! I LOVE everything about this tea and cannot express that enough! I’ve already had a hot cup of Spiced Mulled Wine Tea from Simpson & Vail as well as a cold cup of Spiced Mulled Wine Tea from Simpson & Vail! Delightful!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description:
Looking for a winter concoction without the alcohol? Then, this brew is for you! The blend produces a reddish cup with a sweet fragrant aroma and taste. The tannic taste is reminiscent of red wine and it is perfectly complemented by the light spice taste and the earthy undertones.
Ingredients: black teas, orange peel, beet root, spiced mulled wine flavoring and malva blossoms.
Brew tea at 212º – steep for 3 minutes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pomegranate Passion White Tea from Simpson and Vail
Whenever I try out a Simpson & Vail blend, I know that I’m in for a treat. With the last days of summer upon us, I wanted to try Pomegranate Passion White Tea as an iced tea.
Scooped a few heap fulls into my pitcher, poured in fresh cold water, and a cup full of ice. Placed the pitcher into the fridge and allowed the tea to cold brew overnight. It was fun to see all of the gorgeous colors swirling around in the pitcher while it steeped. The pops of yellow and purple made this tea just holler “Summertime!”
The next morning I poured this cold brew tea into a tumbler with fresh ice. First sip in and this is the way this tea is supposed to be brewed!
Fresh vibrant complimentary flavors of white floral tea notes, hibiscus, and pomegranate said hello as I tried the tea. Each sip finished off with a sweet almost tropical feel that I’m assuming is coming from the passion fruit. Lovely, elegant, and the perfect tea to enjoy poolside or at the park.
Overall, I don’t think this is heavy on the tropical flavors like the description says but there are definitely notes and tones throughout each sip that make you like tropical and sunshine. To me this tea is blended perfectly and with just the right amount of tartness to keep the sweetness in check. White floral sweet notes and the passion fruit just kick this tea to the next level.
One of those teas that you are sad when your tea spoon hits the bottom of the pouch. Truly a tea that I could have pounds of and I still wouldn’t be sick of it.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to buy: Simpson & Vail
Description:
Sweet and delicious! This blend of natural pomegranate and passion fruit flavors has a heady, tropical aroma that transforms perfectly into the taste in the cup. This extraordinary pink brew can be enjoyed either hot or iced.
Ingredients: White tea, organic hibiscus flowers, marigold petals, malva flowers and natural pomegranate and natural passion fruit flavors.
Brew: 2 tsp tea in 8 oz. water (at 175°), steep for 4 minutes.
Learn more about this tea and tea company here!
