This Cherry Bakewell tea by Bird and Blend Co. has been sitting in my stash since January and I keep looking past it and grabbing other options. I am not sure why but this isn’t a flavor that makes me stop in my tracks to brew it. However, when I saw it posted on Instagram with the caption “This is dessert in a cup without being too sweet or artificial tasting”, it definitely piqued my interest. Now I don’t actually know what a cherry bakewell tart is but dessert in a cup sounds good to me.
The tea, which is made of Chinese white tea, almond, cranberries, hibiscus, rosehip, apple, currants, blackcurrant, and red and blue cornflowers, brews up a shade of pink that makes me worry that the hibiscus and rosehips might be in charge.
Though there is a that typical tartness from the hibiscus and rosehips, that is not the main flavor component but rather a topnote. The strongest flavor in my opinion is the almond. The almond and the white tea which makes for a nutty/buttery combo that does help create the idea of a tart shell. That tart shell transitions into a red fruit quality from the cranberries and currants, not a distinctly cherry flavor but alright nonetheless. However, that hibby/rosehip tartness then pops at the back of your throat and really takes you out of the the whole idea of a tart.
It definitely pushes towards dessert but it is not overly sweet or fake tasting. So, in that sense, the instagram posted that inspired me to take this out of the drawer was definitely correct. However, I just wish there was less tart and more cherry. Personally, I could also do with a little more sweetness since the blending of the tart shell and filling can be slightly one-note at times.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Bird & Blend Tea Co.
Description
Bakewell Tart is the classic tea time treat with juicy cherries and sweet almond. This luxury white tea blend is bursting with the same fruit juices and hints of sweet almond nuts, making it the perfect afternoon tea choice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Summertime White from 52Teas. . . .
90% of the time, I’m not really a white tea fan. It’s kinda floral, it’s a little too light for me, I’m not entirely sure I’m fancy enough to be able to claim it as my own– etc., etc. But the other 10%? Meaning, the few months out of the year that I bust out my white tea sample backlog and put it on ice? White tea and I are bffs, you guys.
This particular blend from 52 Teas claims to be orange-cream-y, a bit fruity, perfect summertime sipping (as the name would suggest). It may have just been my sample, but I’m not positive that I picked up on the orange/cream, but there were delightful, fresh and summery hints of citrus undertones, a slightly vegetal-honeyed note that was at once light and reminiscent of syrup-y gold. I paired this iced cup with a splash of lemonade, which only enhanced those notes, and friends– it was to die for.
Leave it to 52 Teas to make a white tea believer out of me yet!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bourbon Smoked White from Embrew. . . .
I don’t like anything smoked. I tried lapsang souchong once and I could barely get past the first sip. I felt like I was drinking water that had had campfire logs soaking in it for a week. Not yummy. Despite my fear of anything smokey, I decided to go ahead and brew this one up. I read up on this company and apparently this tea is pre-sweetened. Well I still added a couple drops of agave because I didn’t think it was sweet enough but turns out it really didn’t need it, so keep that in mind if you decide to try this yourself.
The company’s description of this white tea blend is really enticing. According to Embrew, “This African white tea comes from the delicate immature leaves of the plant that produce a mild, but sweet fragrance of baked bread and white peach that infuses quickly. The real hero is the Bourbon Smoked Sugar which infuses a subtle charred oak aroma.” I think that this description was pretty spot on The first thing I noticed was a sweet smell- that’s where the peach and baked bread flavors of the white tea come in. Taking a sip, that remains true. The aftertaste, however, has a definite hint of sweet bourbon with a light smokey aspect towards the end. This really was a myriad of tastes and flavors that are very intriguing. This one got me thinking and sipping and thinking again…trying to figure it out. Sometimes I find that reading a company’s description of their blend helps me to decipher what i’m tasting and in this instance it did help a lot and I think that the blend was true to its name. I actually think that I would go onto their website and order this blend again, which is funny to me because if you told me i’d say that before I tried this I would have called you crazy!
Embrew is a must try company. No matter what you *think* you like, there will always be that one blend that changes your mind!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Embrew
Description
This African white tea comes from the delicate immature leaves of the plant that produce a mild, but sweet fragrance of baked bread and white peach that infuses quickly. The real hero is the Bourbon Smoked Sugar which infuses a subtle charred oak aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Peony – Bai Mu Dan from Teasenz
I usually stick to the “accepted parameters” for white tea – 180 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes, but Teasenz says to be brave and go with 195 degrees on this one. So I did! And on top of that, I was busy and couldn’t get the leaves out of the pot right away when the timer went off so it went a few seconds longer. And you know what? There was not even a hint of bitterness to the tea.
As is the case with white peony tea, we have a light/medium yellow tea when it is steeped and a light fragrance. The initial impression of the aroma is hay, while the main perception of the tea is creamy, to the point that two people said “creamy” at the same time when asked to describe the tea after sipping. And this tea is all about the aftertaste, which really lingers on and on. I would call this a cleansing tea, and the aftertaste reminds me of the pea pods of sugar snap peas that I used to grow years ago, and we would harvest them in spring and steam them lightly with a little butter. The ghost of that flavor lives in this tea.
It is a good tea for re-steeping. I am only on the second steep but it has lots of flavor and color left and will no doubt keep going. And the aftertaste is still going strong as I write this, too!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Teasenz
Description
An authentic white tea from Fujian consisting of a mix of green coloured leaves and white silver needle buds, resembling a White Peony. Exceptionally smooth and sweet flavour. Full of flavour: It’s unbelievable how many steeps you get from the same leaves.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Summer Sangria (Now Champagne Sangria) from The NecessiTeas
I’ve been saddened by so many teas claiming to mimic a favorite food, then failing. But not here! This tea is a WINNER!
This blend, originally called “Summer Sangria” and now titled “Champagne Sangria,” is made of white tea, orange peel, blackberries, red cornflower petals, marigold petals, natural and organic flavors.
I tried this tea chilled, and found it delightful. There’s something in here that really does taste like wine. This is 100% a sangria — minus the headache!*
* Am I the only one here who takes one sip of wine, gets a headache, and falls fast asleep on someone’s couch?
What a sweet little champion. This one’s going on my wish list for this summer…
… If summer ever comes. This tea is totally rubbing it in that there are times of the year that are better.
I have no idea what Punxsutawney Phil said this year, but I’m still holding him solely responsible for this dreary Pennsylvania weather.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Enjoy a unique champagne-based sangria with light citrus and sweet fruit notes of cherry, blackberry and orange that will captivate you, and then the undertones of the bubbly will linger on the tongue with a mellow acidity. It will “tea”se you with the taste of a white wine sangria on a summer’s day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
