Spiced Apple Chai from Adagio Teas

by Sophia

I feel like i’ve been trying a lot of chai’s lately. Adagio actually has some fabulous vanilla chai cookies. Maybe I will review them in the near future! So keep an eye out. Anyways, Spiced Apple Chai by Adagio- I want to start out this review letting you know what my expectations for this blend were. I was really picturing a cinnamon-y, clove-spiced, ginger-touched apple cider. Maybe a spicier version of apple crisp. I absolutely love cinnamon apples as a side on Thanksgiving. I was hoping that this tea would remind me of that.

I actually can say, honestly, that my expectations of this blend were met! Its funny because one of my first thoughts were that this blend would taste FANTASTIC as a hot latte with some steamed milk and honey. It really does smell like a spicier version of cinnamon apples and apple pie. It is so so good! The black tea is very smooth and not too bold, which you know I love. The spices are very well done, they aren’t overly done or too spicy. I am not usually a fan of ginger, but I really appreciate the taste of ginger in this blend and the way it mingles with the cinnamon and cloves is really nice. I am not usually a fan of orange peel, but I feel like it almost brings out the apple/fruit flavor a little bit more and thankfully doesn’t add any bitterness.

I really feel like I am eating cinnamon apples at Thanksgiving while I drink this. I think that turning this tea into a latte with steamed milk, honey, and a sprinkling of nutmeg would be an amazing fall treat! I will definitely be keeping this tea on the back burner and bringing it out in the fall. A great caffeinated alternative to apple cider. If you like chai tea and you like apple cider, you will LOVE this blend!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  Adagio Teas
Description

Our Spiced Apple Chai features the timeless, comforting combination of apples and spice. A lively blend of black tea, classic spices from Indian Masala Chai and bright notes of crisp apple. Juicy and pleasantly sweet, like warm applesauce, with a clean, refreshing texture. We suggest two heaping teaspoons per 8 oz cup. Sugar, cream or soy if desired.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in Adagio Teas, Black Tea, Chai

Blueberry Green Iced Tea Powder from Stash Tea

by VariaTEA

When I first saw this I was intrigued. Just take the packet, dump it into a water bottle, and shake. A new and different way to make tea, perfect for lazy people. Then I started thinking and one question came to mind…”how does green tea powder differ from flavored matcha?”

The answer I have determined is it doesn’t. This is just like a sweetened flavored matcha a la DAVIDsTEA.

This is a mossy green color which screams vegetal and yet it is 100% sweet blueberry. Like blueberry pie filling. Sugary and good for dessert cravings.

At first sip it was a little chalky but that might have been in my head because as I continue drinking it is very smooth. It does coat the tongue a bit flavor-wise though so that pie filling sweetness builds. Just a warning for those who prefer a less in-your-face flavor.

I was actually surprised by this one. I put off drinking it but ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I think it is a pretty niche flavor so I don’t think I would drink it all the time but it’s an easy treat for every now and then.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green Tea
Where to Buy:  Stash Tea
Description

This unique powdered green tea is made from whole green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder. We then add natural blueberry flavor for a refreshing, juicy taste. Just add to cold or hot water and stir, no brewing needed!

You get more of the goodness of green tea, as the entire tea leaf is consumed. Convenient, delicious, and naturally refreshing, make it by the glass or pitcher, or on-the-go by simply adding to bottled water. Shake or stir and enjoy! Each box contains 10 sticks and makes 10 servings, 16 oz each.

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 Green Tea, Stash Tea

Thailand Sticky Rice ‘Khao Hom’ Oolong Tea from What-Cha. . . . .

by VariaTEA

I can’t recall a time that I personally have had sticky rice. I believe I have but can’t be sure and certainly don’t remember to say whether this accurately depicts that flavor.

What I do know is this smells like popcorn. Buttery popcorn. And it tastes like buttery coconut rice and floral oolong. It reminds me of the coconut rice I get when I go to a Japanese/Thai restaurant called Spoon & Fork. Sweet and ricey and delicious, plus floral.

It’s thick and has the mouthfeel of a rice pudding. Well, as much as a liquid tea could resemble a rice pudding. Nonetheless, the thickness helps to sell the whole notion of sticky rice.

I will say I think there is a disconnect between the buttery and almost toasty rice notes and the floral oolong base. This could be due to my own bias against oolong teas, which I am only starting to enjoy, but the two just seem disjointed. I hoped the coconut flavor might bridge that gap but no-go it seems.

Nonetheless, I am enjoying this tea. It is one of two teas by this company I have tried and both have been quite lovely. There may be a What-Cha order in my future yet.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong Tea
Where to Buy:  What-Cha
Description

Has a creamy texture and sticky rice aroma, imparted unto the tea during processing by heating the sticky rice plant’s leaves along with the tea leaves.

Sticky rice scented tea is a specialty of northern Thailand, although traditionally green tea is used, Jin Xuan Oolong produces just as good if not better results.

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 Oolong, Wha-Cha

Green Tea Spearmint from Wissotzky Tea. . . .

by VariaTEA

Meals and mints seem to be a good pairing. Like when you leave a restaurant, they bring you mints with the bill. You can be stuffed to the point of no return but you almost always have room for the mints (unless you don’t like mints which is obviously a whole different thing). The same goes for mint teas as they provide a cooling freshness after a flavorful meal.

For me, today’s meal was a grilled cheese sandwich made with fresh challah (egg bread), jalapeno monterey jack cheese, and some special garlic spread that my sister and I picked up at the one of a kind show we recently attended. I know, I am such a gourmet :P. Even though it is not the fanciest meal in the world, it was still flavorful, particularly with the cheese and garlic spread coating the tongue.

That is where this tea comes in. With its sharp spearmint scent, I was sure it would be the palate cleanser I needed after my tasty meal. Though the spearmint is refreshing, it is almost dulled a bit by the green tea base. There is a slight bitterness coming from the green base and coupled with the brisk spearmint, it is making for an astringent brew. This is also a touch smokey which I did not expect, but also don’t mind.

I think in the future I will stick to my straight spearmint teas but ultimately this did do the trick and was an adequate enough after-meal mint tea.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green Tea
Where to Buy:  Wissotzky Tea
Description

The mint leaves are good for the digestion and they add to the green tea a fresh and charming taste.

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 Green Tea, Wissotzky Tea

Caramel Apple Oolong V.2 from 52Teas. . . .

by Sophia

Charcoal baked oolong….interesting! Ive never heard of charcoal baked oolong before or seen it in any other blends so of course this was an intriguing blend to me.

The dry leaf of this one smelled like apple crisp! Once steeped, it smelled slightly grassy and like green apples. I’m not quite sure what charcoal tastes like, but I can taste a slight smokiness to this blend and i’m going to attribute it to the charcoal baked oolong. The taste also was slightly grassy like green tea and i’m going to attribute that to the oolong as well. As far as caramel goes, I could taste it as I swallowed and definitely on the aftertaste. But, cinnamon apple? Honestly I feel like the charcoal baked oolong and the caramel kind of overpowered the cinnamon apple flavor a bit. I really couldn’t detect as much of the cinnamon or the apple as I had been hoping for.

However, I did find this blend comforting and delicious regardless. It was perfect for being snowed in. I was also really glad I tried this oolong because now I can say I’ve had charcoal baked oolong! It just sounds so unique and it is definitely a must try. I saw that this blend was actually re-blend, as it was named “version 2”. I wish I had tried version 1 so that I could compare it, but I never had. In any case, I will definitely be finishing up my sample of this one and would recommend that you give it a try!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

Some time ago, shortly after I started doing this thing as the Mad Tea Artist, one of my online friends suggested that I create a caramel apple Oolong and he suggested using a roasted Oolong base. I liked the idea but the thing was that Frank had already crafted a Caramel Apple Oolong using a Fujian Oolong. (Click here to read my original review* of that tea.)

So here is a tea that was previously imagined and then later re-imagined based on an inspiration from a tea friend. I started with a charcoal roasted TieGuanYin which is delightfully nutty and sweet. To this, I added a combination of freeze-dried apples: Granny Smith and Fuji (which, interestingly enough, are my two daughter’s favorite apples. Amethyst loves Granny Smith and Lilith loves Fuji.) I added some caramel essence and then – just because I felt that it needed some warmth, I added some cinnamon.

This is a tea that’s deliciously, apple-y sweet but also pleasantly spiced – with a creamy, nutty background of a truly delightful Oolong tea.

Taster size is approximately 15g

ingredients: oolong tea, organic apples, organic cinnamon and organic natural flavors

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Oolong