A saffron tea had me intrigued. This is not an ingredient usually used in tea blends so I was interested to see what it contributed. I had no idea what to expect but there is a creaminess here that I am at a loss for where it is coming from (would saffron add creaminess? I think that seems off. Maybe it is the almonds?).
In addition to the saffron and the almonds noted above, this tea boasts a chai tea profile with rose petals. All on a green tea base.
Tea Trunk recommends this as a detox tea, one to be had to cleanse the palate after a heavy meal and I can see why. For a tea composed of so many chai spices usually associated with warmth and fall/winter tea drinking this tea is surprisingly light. Though still spicy and warm. It is an interesting combination.
So this is creamy and spicy but also quite sweet. I’m thinking the almonds are playing a big role here contributing both the creamy and sweet notes and helping support the warmer notes of the spices atop a nutty foundation. In that regard, it probably also creates a bridge between the green base and the other ingredients.
The rose, on the other hand, is pretty hidden in the mix. Perhaps it adds sweetness but there is no floral component here that I can detect.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Tea Trunk
Description
Green tea is infused with saffron strands, cinnamon bark, cloves, ginger, cardamom pods, rose petals and sweet almonds. This luxurious blend is known for it’s detoxfying properties and is rich in antioxidants and nutrients. Wear your invisible tiara/ crown, and sip with regal grace.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Apple Mango Sangria from Steeped Tea. . . .
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
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sweet Dreams from BlendBee. . . .
You know when you find a tea company that you just love SO MUCH that you want to order their entire tea catalog? I have a small but mighty list– and just added one more. Blend Bee, will you be my tea-bff?
I recently ordered a design-your-own blend from Blend Bee (more on that to come), and the awesome owner, Jamah, told me she thought I’d be a fan of her Sweet Dreams tea, a lemony, custardy honeybush. And she was so right!
One of the reasons I love Blend Bee so much (besides the awesome aforementioned customer service) is that each tea isn’t just a great, flavorful brew, but comes packed with beneficial herbs with great health-supporting properties. Besides the incredible flavor in this brew (light, pillowy vanilla and sweet lemon), I’m also getting anti-inflammatory immune system support, digestive encouragement and more. Have I totally flaunted my tea-crush enough yet? Because it’s real, you guys. Blend Bee, let’s be bff-4-eva.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
This comforting and delicious Honeybush blend is perfect to help you wind down and relax. Rich and creamy, this blend helps with late night sweet cravings. Also, designed to help you detox while you sleep. Sweet Dreams!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Partying Like It’s Not My Birthday, Earl Grey Style. . . .A Quarter To Tea Blend. . .
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined Earl Grey with a cupcake?
Don’t worry if that thought passed you by. Because it did NOT escape the lovely people behind A Quarter To Tea.
And the result is super-fabulous.
This is an Assam Earl Grey (yum! citrus!) with Bavarian Cream mixed in, giving it a super-creamy no-milk-needed vibe. It’s like an orange-and-vanilla cupcake. HAPPY. BIRTHDAY. TO. ME.
(Note: It’s not my birthday. This fact saddens me 364 days a year, which is the overwhelming majority of the year. There is a song out there, called “Party Like It’s Not,” which features the lyrics “Nobody gives a damn about the day that you were born! This song is for everyone who it ain’t your birthday! You gotta party like it’s not, party like it’s not!” This song brings me UTTER JOY, and you might like it, too.)
The sprinkles in this blend contribute to the tea’s birthday feeling.
Why are there sprinkles? Why are they green and gold?
I couldn’t figure out what the heck “support the green and gold” meant on the back, or why it was called “Earl Bay.” If you’re a jock, you’re probably In The Know by now.
For the rest of us, it’s because AQTT are Green Bay Packers fans, hence “Bay” and the colors. Are they celebrating a good season? The joy of football? I honestly would not know. My in-laws are the only NFL people I know, and they’re Steelers people. (If you want to talk Penn State football, though, I’m your girl. And no, I don’t want to discuss That Other Thing. Ever again.)
Which made me think: if I were going to make a sports blend based on my university, what would I do? Penn State is known for its ag program and its Creamery, so I think I’d make it a creamy blueberry (blue) with vanilla/yogurt bits (white) and cornflower petals (blue). And sprinkles (blue and white, in the shape of paw prints or cats). I think the base would be black — not for any University reason, but because that’s what I like best.
If you were going to celebrate sports (or some other local themed thing), how would you make YOUR tea?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Support the green and cold even on the coldest days with this creamy, scrumptious Earl Grey blend.
This Earl Grey features vanilla, hopps, bavarian cream and some totally team worthy sprinkles!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Salty Caramel Pumpkin Black Tea from Simpson and Vail. . . . #allthingspumpkin
I had to brew this tea three times before I actually started to enjoy it. I don’t know what happened, but I usually brew my black teas for 4-5 minutes. Don’t brew this one for that long, it gets way too bitter and both the salted caramel and pumpkin flavors will be overpowered. This tea needs to brew for only 2-3 minutes in order to be enjoyable!
Aside from the brewing issue, this tea is delicious! I love pumpkin everything- pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin bread, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin pie, and even pumpkin soup. So, naturally, pumpkin tea is going to be something that I have to try. I also really like salted caramel. The combination of pumpkin and salted caramel makes my mouth water. It sounds so good! I was really bummed the first two times I brewed this one because I though that the black tea was just way too overpowering and way too bitter. Thankfully I finally went to their website and saw that this blend is only meant to be steeped for 3 minutes. Once I steeped it properly I was in heaven. Yum!
This blend filled my kitchen with smells of creamy salted caramel and pumpkin. On taste, salted caramel was in the forefront with pumpkin and black tea trailing behind. Even properly steeped, the black tea is still dominant in the blend. My only critique would be for them to maybe use a less bold black tea next time because the flavors of pumpkin and salted caramel would have popped just a little bit more. Otherwise, this tea is really really good! I’m now wondering if they make a salted caramel pumpkin ice cream flavor because the combination is heavenly! Even though pumpkin season is basically over, this blend is still worth a try because it is really good. I will look forward to it next fall!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
Fall in a cup! The aroma of caramel and pumpkin will delight your olfactory sense with the promise of a warm, tasty brew. The amber colored cup offers pumpkin on the front end with the delicious salty caramel taste at the back. These flavors are the perfect marriage in that they complement each other without competing.
Ingredients: black teas, marigold petals and pumpkin and salty caramal flavorings.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
