Today was an early morning for no other reason than my body decided to wake up before 6 am. Typically I have to fight to get out of bed for work but today, when I could have slept to all hours of the day, my body decided to wake up at the crack of dawn. That’s okay but it makes for a long day and since I don’t drink coffee, I turned to this tea, Tea-Historic Signature Blend, to keep me awake.
The dry leaf is a lovely blend of dark and traditional Indian Assam leaves and the little golden snails of Yunnan tea. Brewed for 2 minutes in 200 degree water, this steeps up a nice golden-bronze color.
Flavorwise, this is a little brisk and a lot of malt. It stays smooth and has really nice bready notes that make this comforting and a touch sweet. At times I get wisps of smoke but it is rather minimal for those who fear that element. It is really an easy tea to drink, an every-day-sort-of-tea since its got enough flavor to keep things interesting but nothing is so bold that one would quickly tire of it.
This is just an all around nice tea. I don’t reach for straight black teas often but this is one I can see myself enjoying again and again.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea-Historic
Description
The medium leaves of the bold Assam add a brightness to your cup while the golden curls of the Yunnan golden snails mellow it all out. A great way to start your morning with a gentle natural sweet smokiness or to help power you through the afternoon.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tricera-Tips Assam from Tea Historic. . . . .
I LOVE DINOSAURS! Seriously, I am obsessed! Land Before Time, Jurassic Park, Dinosaur…doesn’t matter…if it has dinosaurs in it, I am likely to read it, watch it, listen to it, etc. Between dinosaurs and Chris Pratt, I think Jurassic World might have been the highlight of my 2015. I blame my generation…actually my sibling’s generation and their influence on me. Some people had vampires, some people had zombies, and some people had dinosaurs. I fit into all those groups actually but dinosaurs have a special place in my heart.
So, now that I established my love of dinosaurs, and I would hope my love of tea is also pretty apparent, let’s talk about Tea-Historic, an awesome company that combines two awesome things. A site that specializes in mostly black teas with wonderfully dinosaur-inspired names.
Today Tricera-Tips Assam is what fills my mug, an Indian Assam tea mixed with cacao husks. Trust me, you will for sure know the cacao is there because this is one chocolatey tea. A little too much for my tastes, though I am not the biggest fan of cacao husks as I find they create a more earthy/dusty chocolate flavor. Underneath the cacao is the assam base, which contributes a whole lotta honey but there is also an underlying briskness and astringency that I don’t love. In fairness, this tea cooled a bit before I got to it so the astringency might just be a reflection of that.
A little while back I tried the Yunnan Tricera-Tips tea and if I am being honest, of the two, I think that is the one I preferred. Though this is still tasty, the Yunnan version, in my opinion, is smoother and with less cacao. I suppose ultimately that could be good or bad depending on what you’re looking for in a tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Tea Historic
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mesozoic Malt from Tea Historic. . . . .
More times than not, I reach for flavored teas though every now and again it’s nice to have a plain black tea. I would have never said that when I first started drinking teas because every non-flavored tea I tried was just not for me. It is interesting how tastes change overtime.
This particular tea is accurately named: Mesozoic Malt as this is incredibly malty. It has a bit of a briskness to it that is good for the morning without getting bitter or astringent. The flavor, in addition to the malt and briskness, is sweet and reminiscent of molasses.
As the tea cools, the briskness does get stronger so for my tastes this is best hot. Nonetheless, it makes for a great pick-me-up.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Tea Historic
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
These Are A Few of My Favorite Teas!
Continuing the Birthday Par-TEA (yep- you can call me a nerd now), I thought I’d share some of my favorite teas that I’m currently obsessing over. Earlier this morning I wrote a post about my favorite vessel for brewing tea- The WALL Tea Infuser from Boreal Wildcraft. So I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to chat about the teas I’ve been enjoying with this brilliant mug.
(1) Peeps Genmaicha from A Quarter To Tea. .
I recently did a review of this tea and am still drinking this tea on a daily basis. I’m a HUGE fan of genmaichas so when you combine that gorgeously toasted tea with a marshmallow flavor. . .I’m 100% on board!
This tea is part of A Quarter To Tea’s Spring Collection. . one that I had to pick up several ounces of. If you are a fan of floral teas, you have to check out Lauren’s Honeyed Apricots and Amonds Chun Mee. After one sip of this tea, I was back on the website buying 2 oz. I’ll be reviewing this tea shortly on its own but just had to share the love for this spring inspired blend.
(2) Graveyard Mist from 52Teas. . .
This blend of marshmallow root, green tea, spearmint, and vanilla provides such a lush and haunting flavor that I’ve declared this tea as my ultimate favorite tea. Graveymard Mist is one of those teas that relaxes me and I’ve found so much comfort drinking this brew. From having sinus infection to having a bad day at work, this tea delivers a spot on flavor that just creates a soothing and relaxing feel. Luckily, our beloved Anne (aka LiberTeas) recently reblended this tea so I was able to get my hands on a new batch. (Thank you, Thank you Thank you Anne!)
My husband and I shared a pot of this tea the other night and this new batch delivers all those same feels as the blends that Frank blended a few years ago. I feel a petition needs to be created to keep this tea in stock at all times.
(3) Any tea from Wendigo Tea Co.
Wendigo Tea Co is one that really opened my eyes to what a high quality straight tea can deliver. All of Skye’s teas are ripe with amazing robust flavors and the fact that they are all named after different mythical creatures makes these teas even more alluring to me. Highly recommend these teas and they brew up gorgeously each and every time. Plus, the fact that you are able to enjoy these teas for multiple steepings. . .you can’t go wrong.
My personal favorites are Yeti, Bigfoot, and Nessy, but the King Dragon Oolong is something to behold.
(4) Extinction Event from Tea Historic
Can we just take a moment and chat about this tea company? I mean c’mon. . .combining marvelously high quality teas with dinosaurs. . .it’s such a great match! The logo alone gets me every time. A Dino Tea Party!
Extinction Event is a blend of black dragon and white jasmine pearls. The flavor is phenomenal. Rich and robust with lingering notes of a floral finish. This is another tea I’ve spent many tea sessions with. To make sure that you get an equal flavoring of both teas, Tea Historic has even prepackaged the teas for you for easier preparation. I’m excited to check out the rest of the line of teas they offer.
(5) Custom Blended Teas from The NecessiTeas and BlendBee
Being a sucker for a green tea mint combo, I am always on the hunt for different ways to spruce up this combination. And that is where they amazing ladies at The NecessiTeas and BlendBee come into play.
Linsey at The NecessiTeas has graciously reblended and created different blends for me based on her current lineup of teas. She takes dessert teas to a new level! With teas like Strawberry Cheesecake, Carrot Cupake, and her new blends- Jelly Bean and My Peeps. . .I’m gobbling these teas down like it is nobody business.
For being flavored teas, I’m able to even pull out up to three steepings. Flavors are spot on and even though you do have to buy in larger quantities from her site, trust me. . .it is worth it. Her hand blended beauties are teas you just can’t get enough of.
If you don’t follow Linsey on Instagram, I highly encourage you too. Her pictures are amazing and incredibly drool worthy!
BlendBee offers customized teas with fresh quality teas and inclusions that are second to none. Jamah’s attention to detail on each of her blends is outstanding and her customer service is amazing. I’ve had several conversations with Jamah through email where I’ve felt like I’m being a bother and a pain because I’d like this blend this way or this blend that way and she is always so incredibly courteous.
Along with BlendBee’s pre-made blends, you can also create your own. I’ve made blends like Orange Cranberry Yum (don’t judge my names, I’m terrible at being creative- ha!) and Honey Lemon Green. The process is incredibly simple and the fact that you can include different herbals to add in a healthy kick makes the experience even better. I drink BlendBee teas daily and have found myself consistently looking for these blends in my stash to share with others. I’ve even served these teas at my nieces birthday parties and have shared several pots of these teas with my dad.
These are just a few of my favorite teas that I’ve been enjoying but that is what makes tea such an amazing experience. There are so many different brilliant teas out there that I have yet to experience from companies that I have yet to meet. I have so many different teas that really are my favorites that I keep on hand at all times, but these are just a few that have recently captured my love and affection.
Tricera-Tips Assam from Tea-Historic. . . . . .
The Sororitea Sisters are known for being a bit nerdy – in a GOOD way – of course! We embrace our NERDINESS! We celebrate our NERDINESS! Some of us adore Anime, some like literature, others have a flare for Sci-Fi, and others are VERY pop culture savvy. Today – we can add another NERDY interesting to our running list of LIKES…Dinosaurs!
I’ve LOVED learning about dinosaurs ever since I was 4 or 5. I still enjoying reading about the newest discoveries in world-wide dinosaur digs and finds. So when I heard about Tea-Historic I knew I had to check them out!
The focus of Tea-Historic teas is on the two regions where these two types of plants probably originated – Yunnan Province in China and Assam in India. Most of Tea-Historic’s teas are from one of these two regions. They also have punny dinosaur names to them which I LOVE.
As for the specific tea I am reviewing today – Tricera-Tips Assam from Tea Historic – I feel you really can’t go wrong with an Assam…or a Triceratops for that matter.
Tricera-Tips Assam from Tea-Historic is a tippy Assam black tea that hails from the Nahohabi estate in India. I knew right away by looking at the dry loose leaf that this contained Cacao Husks! YAY! The cacao husks originate in the Dominican Republic and are roasted in the US.
Tea-Historic’s product description couldn’t have described it any better…The combination of tippy black tea and cacao husks becomes a punch in a velvet glove. It’s Energizing but soothing at the same time. This blend is a good morning tea and that is EXACTLY how I chose to start my day recently…with a nice cuppa Tricera-Tips Assam from Tea-Historic!
This doesn’t make a clear tea and there is cacao sediment in the cup due to the small size of the husks being used and I’m totally ok with this! If you aren’t – it’s suggested to use a filter while infusing the loose leaf blend.
The flavor once infused it’s a welcomed ‘punch in the face’. It gives off a deep, rich, dark chocolate taste which is doubly impressive because it’s dairy and guilt-free! The Assam and the Cacao Husks make a strong, sturdy couple!
This experience with Tea Historic was a GREAT one and I can’t wait for my next tea tasting from them! With quality tea and dinosaur themed punny names like this I don’t see Tea Historic going extinct any time soon!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Tea-Historic
Description
This tippy Assam black tea comes from the Nahohabi estate in India. The cacao husks originate in the Dominican Republic and are roasted in the US.
Cacao husks do have a small amount of caffeine but are not the same as cacao nibs or processed chocolate. The combination of tippy black tea and cacao husks becomes a punch in a velvet glove. Energizing but soothing at the same time, this blend is a good morning tea, but use with caution towards bedtime if you are especially caffeine sensitive!
This doesn’t make a clear tea and there is cacao sediment in the cup due to the small size of the husks being used. If this bothers you, you can try using a filter bag. Otherwise, enjoy the extra bit of chocolatey yum at the bottom of the cup!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
