Monk’s Blend from Steeped Tea. . . .

by SuperStarling

POP QUIZ: What kind of tea do you think a monk would drink?

NO CHEATING. Think carefully about your answer.

Okay.

Ready?

Did you guess black tea with vanilla and grenadine?

If you didn’t, you failed, and it goes straight on your permanent record. That’s okay. I failed, too. I imagined it would probably be some kind of green tea before it arrived.

This is a really sweet and delicious blend. If this is what monks were having, it’s a more pleasant experience than I could have imagined. Then again, there are monks that specialize in training dogs , so it’s possible I’ve underestimated them again!

I always love vanilla, all the time, and the grenadine makes it very delicious and zingy. Plus, as always, black tea is my favorite.

SECOND POP QUIZ: Are you ready to redeem yourself?

Okay: what is grenadine supposed to taste like?

If you, like my husband, promptly said “cherry,” you’re wrong.

Although restaurants occasionally put grenadine in Coke to make it taste like Cherry Coke, the answer is actually pomegranate.

MAN, this is an educational post. You are so much richer for the experience.

If you’re interested in this tea, head on over to Steeped Tea and find your local seller! (It’s a bit like LuLaRoe or Mary Kay, I think, structurally). Though it’s a Canadian company, there are consultants in the United States, too. They’re ready to help you find your inner monk.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Steeped Tea
Description
Vanilla and grenadine come together in one of our most flavorful black teas.
Ingredients: Black tea, calendula petals, sunflower petals, natural flavors.

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 Black Tea, Steeped Tea

Earl Grey de la Creme from Steeped Tea. . .

by VariaTEA

Steeped Tea is a company I have known about for quite some time now but have never ordered from them or tried their teas. I have been to their site many times and each time when I click the “Shop” button and it tells me to “Shop Now with a Consultant” I am reminded of why I haven’t had their teas and why I am disappointed. It is a different type of business and though some people probably very much enjoy shopping in this fashion, it is not for me.

With that said, thanks to the wonders of tea swaps and traveling teaboxes, I was able to come across a sample of Steeped Tea without the involvement of a consultant. Particularly this Earl Grey de la Creme tea. Normally I don’t enjoy bergamot in teas but every now and again I find an Earl Grey Cream tea that makes for a good latte. This one just sounded good because I am always intrigued by the word “Creme”. That and the fact that this was an opportunity to try a tea company I have been curious about made me overlook the “earl grey” component of the tea.

I brewed this for 3 minutes in 200 degree water. I used 4 teaspoons of tea in about 8 ounces of water and then topped off my mug with 8 ounces of frothed milk. Boom! An Earl Grey de la Creme Latte! Just missing the splash of vanilla and I would have had myself a London Fog.

Alas this is more bergamot and less cream in practice, despite the assistance of the creamy frothed milk. It has a strong citrus oil flavor which comes off too floral and brisk for my tastes. If I drank Earl Grey tea, this may be nice but as someone who isn’t a fan of the blerg I can say that this is way too in-your-face, and would probably be even more so without the milk. Like I said though, I don’t usually enjoy earl grey teas to begin with so I am not necessarily this tea’s target audience.

Personally I would have liked a lot more “de la creme” and a lot less “earl grey”. It was a drinkable latte but not my favorite. At the end of the day though, it satisfied my curiosity about Steeped Tea so it was worth the taste.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Steeped Tea
Description
Ten years ago, this tea started it all! Creamy taste so you don’t need the sugar or the milk.
Ingredients: Black tea, cornflower petals, natural flavors.

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 Black Tea, Steeped Tea

English Breakfast Black Tea by Steeped Tea

by Sensiblyscript
I steeped this tea for two minutes at 212 degrees, with one heaping teaspoon per cup of water.
So this is another tea company I haven’t tried before, how exciting! Let’s get right to the details of this tea. I guess it’s a blend of black teas, since that ‘s how english breakfast teas are generally made.  It has a nice, hearty, strong fragrance, which is of course exactly the sort of thing you’d expect from a breakfast tea (after all, it’s meant to help you wake up in the morning, right?).
It smells a smidge bitter while steeping, but mainly you notice that strong, robust tea flavor! After steeping, it doesn’t look super dark; instead, there’s a cedar-like, chestnutty color, and it’s very clear rather than opaque. The smell fortunately is less bitter after steeping has ended, and I can detect some malty notes.
The tea itself isn’t noticeably viscous/thickened. At the first sip I notice plenty of astringency combined with a tad of bitterness, but not a lot. It’s not too bitter (not as bitter as you’d expect from how it smelled while steeping), so I’m sure people who like really strong tea (or coffee) would love it, or it would be perfect for if you’re planning to have it with milk and sugar. Or, to avoid the bitterness, I’d consider steeping it a tad cooler next time.
While sipping this I can detect plenty of tannins–it seems to be a highly oxidized tea, which is just what black tea is supposed to be, but it also has an extremely tangy flavor, which I find quite helpful for waking up in the mornings (or even in the afternoons if I’m having a hard time staying awake after lunch).
There’s not much in the way of floral or cocoa notes, although there may be a touch of maltiness deepening the flavor here and there.
Of course I also had to add milk (to test my it-would-be-great-with-milk theory) and discovered that this tea is indeed lovely with milk, and that the milk takes out the bitterness just as I was hoping. With milk this tea has a strong, creamy, and excellent flavor, and I find it to be exactly the sort of tea I enjoy the most. <3

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy:  Steeped Tea
Description
This classic breakfast tea is fresh, full and flavorful. Traditionally served with milk.
Ingredients: Black tea.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sensiblyscript

Hi! My name is Tabitha and I'm an uprooted PNW native living in the South with my husband and my cocker spaniel. My favorite teas are usually dark and strong and go well with milk and sugar. I like to combine tea-drinking with all of my favorite activities, such as listening to music, reading YA fiction, knitting, and writing blog and website content for businesses. Because I'm a well-rounded person, I also have other interests, such as wearing mismatched socks and pretending to be ambidextrous.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Steeped Tea

French Toast Oolong from Steeped Tea. . . . .

by TeaRax

My weakness is mystery bundles. There is just something irresistible about being surprised by mail that isn’t bills. I’m also a sucker for a sale. So when my Steeped tea lady, Nicole, told me my order qualified for a Mystery bundle of $100 worth of tea for just $20, you best believe I snatched it up! This was one of nearly a dozen teas inside!

This delightful morning blend is literally the flavors of an entire breakfast in one cup. My cousin is big on the butter in coffee trend, and as much as I’m willing to try new things, I just can’t imagine butter in my tea. Fortunately Steeped’s french toast Oolong is so tasty on its own, that it helps me continue to resist.

The scent transforms from its smorgasbord of tropical dry ingredients to a fresh-bread smelling wet leaf to the buttery, smoky rose-gold infusion.

There are layers of flavor as well. When the tea is hot, there are strong notes of maple syrup, and as it cools, more of the acidic citrus blood orange creeps out.

The after taste is spot-on, french toast-y (Kudos to the food scientists who made this happen!). It tastes of malt, with a sweet acid.

Surprisingly this is one tea that I actually preferred without sugar, even though it’s not sweet. Studies have shown that giving in to your cravings in the morning can lead to fewer cravings throughout the day. this is perfect if you already eat a sensible healthy breakfast but crave excitement. This will definitely be used to hold me over until brunch. Or until my next mystery box 😉

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Loose Leaf Oolong with dried fruits

Where to Buy:  Steeped Tea

Description:

Breakfast in bed is served in this buttery mouth-watering tea.

Ingredients: Oolong tea, pineapple bits (pineapple, sugar, citric acid [acidifier]), coconut chips, lemon wedges, cranberries (cranberries, sugar, sunflower oil [anti-caking agent]), orange peels, rose buds, pomegranate blossoms, vanilla bits, prickly pear blossoms, natural flavors.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

TeaRax

My favorite tea is always changing, like a typical Gemini. When I was a teenager, my native Washington Starbucks coffee was forbidden, but I occasionally snuck in a chai latte, so black teas have been my go-to morning drink when I feel feisty. As an adult, I spent 3+ years living in China and Japan where I learned about green, white, oolong, and pu'er teas origins. I was even prescribed traditional medicinal teas while I was there and that's a taste you don't soon forget! But it didn't scare me away from herbals - I really like cold brewing rooibos and tisanes now because I can share them with my toddler. I am back in school to become a geologist, and these science textbooks can be difficult to get through without a strong cuppa. When I'm not studying, I love pairing my teas with my BFFL and salted caramel macarons, or having existential chats with my dad.

This post was posted in Oolong, Steeped Tea

Apple Mango Sangria from Steeped Tea. . . .

by Hillary

I was a little nervous to try this tea for a couple of reasons. The first being while I love mangoes, I don’t always like mango flavored things. And the second reason being that to me apple and mangoes seemed like an odd pairing.

I made a batch of this tea on ice, because I definitely prefer my fruity teas cold for some reason. What can i say, when I’m wrong I admit it. I had no reason to be nervous, this blend is really fruity and very, very refreshing. The apple and mango kind of blend together to just give this very fruity and naturally sweet flavor that I can’t really describe. I wouldn’t say it tastes specifically like apples or mangoes, but it just tastes really darn good. There is a recipe on their website for an actual sangria with wine, apples and mangoes plus this tea. I can only imagine how incredibly delicious that would be on a warm summer day. I might have to try that recipe out this summer minus the wine.

This tea absolutely needed no sweetener, it was very naturally sweet. As far as fruity teas go, this is hands down the best I’ve ever tried. I came home the other day after doing a lot of walking in warmer weather, and i was pretty dehydrated. I poured myself a glass of this and was instantly cooled and refreshed.

If you like fruity tea, you will absolutely love this tea. I would imagine that it’s really tasty warm, but seriously it is the best iced. With warmer days coming up, this will be a staple in my kitchen!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane/Matcha
Where to Buy:  Steeped Tea
Description
This tasty apple, mango, and lemongrass blend is ready to party. Contains matcha green tea.
Ingredients: Apple bits, fennel, mango bits (mango, sugar, citric acid), lemongrass, chicory roots, Japanese Matcha green tea, safflowers, natural flavors.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Hillary

Book reading, cat loving, tea sipping vegan.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Green Tea, Steeped Tea