Day 1! The 12 Teas of Christmas set from 52Teas really lets you surprise yourself, with the name of the tea hidden under a silvery scratch-off label on the pouch. It is one of the most fun and most unique daily tea surprise sets I’ve tried.
Today I tried Foggy Coconut Black Tea. In the past I tried Smoky Coconut from 52Tea and enjoyed it, but Foggy Coconut is a new one to me! As soon as I opened the pouch I was wrapped in the distinct citrus scent of earl grey. The fog in the name clearly refers to the London Fog drink, made with earl grey tea. Among the black tea leaves were big curls of white coconut.
Historically, earl grey teas are always walking that balance between crisp bergamot and creamy vanilla, so pairing an earl grey tea with smooth coconut was a winning idea. Even without milk, this tea is full bodied and has plenty of cream taste. The coconut adds a rich buttery feel and taste without causing too much of that oil slick on the top of your tea. All the vanilla creaminess is balanced with just enough of earl grey’s tried and true orange zest to make for a delicious and complex flavor experience.
This tea is also appropriately Christmassy: brew up a cup of Foggy Coconut in honor of the foggy night that Rudolph earned his place among Santa’s reindeer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:
My inspiration behind this blend is one of my favorite coffee shop drinks: a London Fog Latte! I order mine with coconut milk and half the usual amount of vanilla syrup (otherwise, it’s just too sweet!) One day as I was sipping on this drink, I found myself contemplating the beverage. I love the way the hints of coconut play with the bergamot but I found myself wishing that the coconut notes were stronger. (I do love me some coconut!) I also found myself wishing that the tea notes were stronger – which I felt would be accomplished if it didn’t have so much milk product in it – but then, the coconut notes would not be present. Then the idea hits me: why not make my own version of this drink with these improvements in mind!
And here we have it: I started with a base of Assam and Yunnan for a rich, bold, malty flavor. Something that could hold it’s own even with the strong note of creamy coconut. Then I added bergamot – I didn’t want to go too heavy on the bergamot because I didn’t want the coconut and bergamot competing with each other. I wanted enough bergamot to be tasted but not so much that it would interfere with the coconut flavor. Then I added some vanilla bean. Again, not a heavy vanilla taste – just enough to lend creaminess to the coconut and soften the edge of the bergamot and strong teas.
Then I went coconuts! This is a strongly coconut flavored tea but there’s enough bergamot there to give the cup the flavor that I was going for – this cuppa is my ideal London Fog! It’s got lots of coconut flavor without the milk drowning out the flavor of the tea. No “latte” required here, there’s enough creaminess to the flavor. Of course, if you want to go latte, that’s OK – but I’d recommend trying it without first!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Plum Deluxe’s Advent Calendar- Days 1-5
Tea advent calendars are huge right now and I had to jump in and pick up a few for the holidays. One of the calendars I picked up was Plum Deluxe’s Advent Calendar- one of the more expensive ones I came across, but loving Plum Deluxe, I knew this would be amazing.
Unlike other tea advent calendars I’ve seen, Plum Deluxe’s calendar comes with a reusable 25 day “goodie” holder that you can reuse year after year. The goodie holder is made out of canvas and is done amazingly well. I’m quite taken with this calendar and actually wish there wasn’t a winter theme to the artwork because I would love to hang this in my office all year long to help me drink down my current tea stash. Unfortunately, my office is in the corner area of my family room, so it would look a little odd with snowflakes coming out of a tea pot in the crazy hot days of summer. Nevertheless, I’m in love with this holder and can’t wait to use it during the next few winter seasons to come. 
This particular calendar contains a mix of treats and Plum Deluxe teas- sample size. Being a huge fan of Plum Deluxe teas, I was excited to jump in and get my kettle going. I used to subscribe to their monthly tea plan, but found that I had to cancel just because I had so much tea on my hands. If you haven’t had Plum Deluxe teas, I encourage you to check them out. Beyond having delicious teas, they have the most amazing customer service and community behind the scenes. If you ever had any dealings with Plum Deluxe, you know exactly what I mean.
So, without further ado, I’m going to run down the first five days of treats/teas. . .
-Day 1- Sample Size of Apple Cinnamon Warmth Black Tea–
Not being a huge fan of black teas, I was still really excited about trying this tea. Like I said, I took a break from Plum Deluxe for a bit and haven’t had this tea as of yet. Brewed with water at boiling and allowed to steep for 4 minutes then topped with frothed warm almond milk, I was in heaven. This tea was everything I needed on a Mid-West brisk evening. The cinnamon was the star of this tea with a subtle apple note in the background and a touch of orange. I didn’t so much taste the black tea base but I don’t think this tea really needed that. This tea is one for sure I could see myself reordering.
-Day 2- Soul Warmer Herbal Tea (Red Rooibos)-
Unfortunately, this tea contains red rooibos, an herb that I have a strong (insanely so) aversion too. I’m one of those that adores and loves green rooibos but red rooibos is and always will be my arch enemy- so I have added this tea another’s Sisters tea package to send to them shortly. I hope they love it. It looks really pretty and I’m sure is amazing.
-Day 3- Berry Pie Dessert Tea (Honeybush)
This tea right here is hands down the best tea I’ve ever had from Plum Deluxe. The honeybush is crisp and provides this luscious dessert feel with a vanilla backdrop, the cinnamon and cardamom provide this subtle but solid spiced feel that is reminiscent of pie, and of course the berry flavor is spot on. Just so good, so right, so simple and yet so perfect. I want a gallon of this tea at the ready for me at any moment. That’s how much I love and adore this tea.
-Day 4- Self Care Blend Herbal Tea (Honeybush)
Brewed up with freshly boiled water and allowed to steep for about 4 minutes, I was hoping this tea would be a gorgeous blend of apricots and apple with a vanilla background based on the ingredient list. And that is exactly what the taste was but it almost seemed like this tea needed a touch of something else to really bring the flavors to life. The tea was good but it didn’t blow me away like I thought it would. With the second steeping, I threw in a few cinnamon chips and this tea popped to life. The sweet cinnamon brought the apricots, apple, and vanilla into this gorgeous spiced fruit note that blended perfectly with the vanilla flavors the honeybush was provided. I’m now quite addicted to this connection I created.
-Day 5- 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Heart
I do like how there is a mix of teas and treats in the mix, but I was hoping for more tea related treats than a chocolate heart. I’m sure it will be delightful with the right cup of tea and will keep it for a treat later when I have a chocolate craving. (I’m actually not a huge chocolate fan)
So overall, I did enjoy the first week’s offerings. Some hits and misses, but planning an advent calendar to appease the masses would be a huge undertaking and I can’t even imagine getting together something of this nature. I’m hoping for more hits next week!
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description- A daily tea based advent calendar to enjoy through the holidays.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tea 24 Advent Calendar 2018 from Tea Revv. . .
Nothing says holidays like starting each day with a surprise gift. Advent calendars are literally the gift that keeps on giving. Usually they are filled with chocolate but for the tea lover on your list, I recommend checking out the Tea 24 Advent Calendar 2018 by Tea Revv.
Tea Revv was kind enough to send me a sneak peak of their upcoming advent calendar and just from the looks I was excited. The advent calendar box was smaller than I anticipated but its true when they say good things come in small packages! The box is beautifully designed with geometric snow-capped mountains and two little geometric penguins. It certainly evokes the idea of winter and fun.
Inside are 24 small satchets with 2 cups of loose leaf tea each. The satchets are all stacked on top of each other, with the Day 1 tea on top. One thing I
will say is that those who like the surprise of opening a door or scratching off a label to discover what the tea of the day is will not get that here. As you pull out one satchet, the next day’s satchet is right there with all the details of the tea. For me, the surprise factor is not essential and I actually like having all the details about the tea (including ingredients and brewing instructions) conveniently in front of me. In addition, the satchets are sleek and carry the geometric theme throughout with colorful and fun holiday images.
One other face-value perk of Tea Revv’s Tea Advent Calendar is it’s price. Relative to other companies offering advent calendars, Tea Revv is not very expensive and thus a great gift for every budget.
Now, how can I talk about a tea calendar without discussing some of the teas? I pulled out a couple of teas just to get a feel for the different blends the calendar has to offer. There is a lot of black teas and warming winter/holiday ingredients. Chai lovers would certainly be pleased. However, there are also fruit tisanes, rooibos blends, green teas, etc. Something for everyone.
One of the first teas I tried was the Day 1 tea, Frosted Fruit Spice. Frosted Fruit Spice is a black tea with cinnamon, ginger, apple, cloves, cinnamon quillings, amaranth petals, safflower petals, and natural flavors. The dry leaf and steeped tea have a deliciously sweet and spiced fruit smell. It has me thinking of fruit filling in a winter-themed fruit pie. Flavorwise, that spiced fruit pie filling transfers over to the taste though more subtle than the scent would suggest. Mostly that is because there is a floral component that is strongly coming through and conflicting with the pie filling. The floral picks up some of the base tea which gives it a bit of a drying effect. I don’t love that drying but the spiced fruit component is really tasty and the reason I keep reaching for my mug and with a splash of milk that is the flavor that is highlighted with the floral and drying drowned out.
I also tried Ginger Green. Ginger Green is a much simpler blend which simply combines green tea and ginger pieces. I was curious to try something other than a black blend and this is the first non-black tea I grabbed from the pile on my table. Now I should preface this by saying I am not a green tea lover and for that reason this tea will never be my favorite. With that said, I should note that it is actually a nice tea. The ginger has just the right amount of flavor and burn to keep things interesting against the green tea base. The base has a lot of umami flavor. Usually greens are grassy but to me this has more of a seaweed flavor. It took my by surprise but also had a richness to it that is more consistent with the winter theme of this tea advent calendar box.
All in all, I have enjoyed the teas I have tried so far and I am just getting started. I look forward to exploring all the blends this calendar has to offer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Tea Advent Calendar
Where to Buy: Tea Revv
Description
2018 Blends Include: Chilly Willy Chai, Cranberry Apple, Notorious Eggnog, English Breakfast, Coffee Lover, Spiced Apple, Christmas Cake, Ice Cream Earl Grey, Relax, Ruby Amaretto, Golden Turmeric, Gingerbread Man, Belly Bestie, Pumpkin Pie Chai, Irish Cream Breakfast, Rum Pud, Snowballs, Christmas Eve tea, Breakfast Pancakes, Ginger Green, Chocolate tea, Ruby Chai, Achooo, & Frosted Fruit Spice.
Winter is here. But fear not. Defrost those hands kick back relax with Tea 24. 24 seasonal loose leaf tea blends! Each sachet has its own winter illustration packaged in a beautifully designed box. All designs produced in-house. Each sachet contains enough tea for two cups or one large mug. Brewing advice on front of sachets.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
On the 11th Day of Christmas 52Teas Sent to Me (Spoilers)
Today and tomorrow. That is all we have left in our 12 Teas of Christmas. What a wonderful way to count down the holidays. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this promotion and hope that I can partake next year as well. Each tea has been amazing and delivered on quality and taste. Can’t beat that!
Let’s scratch of the sticker and found out what today’s tea is. . . . . . .
Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha
Wooohoo!!! This is one of my favorite creations 52Teas has ever created. I’ve loved this tea from the first time I had it years ago as a cold brew, iced tea, and hot brew. For the longest time, I had a stockpile of this tea so I’m so glad I’m able to yet again enjoy this delicious treat!
Brewed up per the recommendations on the pouch, I allowed this tea to cool for the full five minutes for all the teas to really come together. Took my first sip and I instantly picked up on that familiar sweet roasted flavors with a green tea background. Just lovely.
Yes, this is another re-blend but this time around I feel like the marshmallow flavors have been heightened and are much bolder. Which is awesome! I mean who doesn’t love marshmallow? That flavor combined with the rice notes, roasted hints, and like I said earlier, green tea base, really deliver a unique flavor that keeps you wanting more.
I’ve reviewed this tea a few times and just love it. I would have to say that if 52Teas ever stocked a few of their blends all of the time, this would be one that I would hope would be considered. You just can’t go wrong with it!
So there is the 11th Tea of Christmas. I’m quite sad that we are about done with these blends, but am quite excited to see what 52Teas comes out with in 2017!
Below is the official description of the tea. I write my review before seeing the official description.
Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha!
Tea Description: Another overwhelming fan favorite! I’m also a big fan of this tea. I was one of the lucky ones to get one of the pouches from the first batch which was a blend of Genmaicha plus Genmaicha Uji which is Genmaicha that’s been infused with Matcha. So, in an effort to recreate that stunning first batch, I blended an Organic Japanese Genmaicha and an organic Japanese Genmaicha with Matcha (Or Genmaicha Uji). I really prefer it with the Uji, the little bit of Matcha adds a really nice creaminess to the overall cup. To this, I added marshmallow root and all-natural, organic flavors.
It’s a cuppa yum!
Ingredients: Organic Japanese Teas, organic toasted rice, marshmallow root and all-natural, organic flavors.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is not available but click below for teas that are!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
On the 7th Day of Christmas 52Teas Sent To Me (Spoilers). . .
We are on the 7th day of Christmas in the 12 Teas of Christmas and I am having a blast! If you took advantage of this awesome promotion, I’m sure you are just as pleased as I am.
So get your tea pouch out and scratch to your heart’s content and let’s reveal today’s tea of the day. . .
Marshmallow Assam
I want to say this tea is a reblend but I can’t say that with 100% certainty. Regardless, this tea was exactly what I needed. It’s been a little stressful with the holidays and a few other things going on, so I was excited to relax with a properly made tea latte for the evening.
Eggnog Lattes are amazing. They give the flavor of the tea such a wonderful texture and feel. I just love it. All you have to do is take eggnog (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), froth the mixture and then top your tea off. Add a dash of cinnamon or whip topping and you have yourself an amazing decadent beverage to relax to.
Costco sells an amazingly rich Eggnog that already has rum in it and every year my hubby and I enjoy a bottle during the holidays. All I had to do was brew up the tea to the pouch specifications while frothing up my eggnog with a touch of almond milk in my Breville Frother. Once everything was ready to go I added the topping to my tea and sat down to enjoy.
The tea itself was delicious ( I did have a cup without the added topping), but combined with the eggnog- this tea became something amazing all together. Rich notes of a black tea contrasted that sweet tang of eggnog and the spices while the marshmallow added a creamy note and sweetness. Seriously amazing and my cup was empty in no time at all.
Like I said I did enjoy this tea on its own. What I found was that the marshmallow wasn’t as strong as I would like and the black tea was a bit more dominating. Probably on a different day, this tea would be exactly spot on because all of the flavors were there but today with the weather the way it is (Cold, Snowy, and Icy), the Eggnog Latte was hitting the spot.
I’m going to take the rest of my pouch and cold brew. I have a feeling this tea will be perfect as a glorious cold brew.
Here is the official description of the tea and the Mad Musings behind the creation. I do not look at the official description until after my review.
Marshmallow Assam!
Tea Description: I was happy to reblend this tea – not only because it is a fairly simple tea to
reconstruct but also because it’s quite delicious! This tea was released shortly before we took over
52Teas and I think the timing of its release didn’t allow me the time to review it for the SororiTea Sisters
blog before taking over. So this is – I believe – my first time reviewing the tea!
Frank described this tea like this:
I thought it would be fun to pair a rich bold Assam tea with marshmallow root and organic marshmallow
flavors. This is sweet, soothing, and delicious. What I remember liking so much about the original blend – and about this re-blended version as well -is that the natural malty flavors of the Assam paired so nicely with the sweet, fluffy notes of marshmallow. I didn’t stray from the recipe a great deal – because why? The only real difference here is that the Assam I use is from a different supplier – as is the marshmallow root. This tea makes for a delightful breakfast tea – it’s sweet and comforting yet rich and robust with the gusto to get you up and at ’em!
organic ingredients: black tea, marshmallow root & natural flavors.