My friend signed up for Simplicity Teas’ subscription/blind box, and has begun passing me some of her samples! HIP HIP HOORAY for MORE REVIEWS!
Today’s pick is “Life is Rosey,” a black tea with rose petals & flavoring. It comes in a charming test tube that you can observe here.
My friend gave it to me because she believes that roses taste like soap. She is not, to be fair, entirely wrong on this point. I often also feel like I’m using hand-wash in my mouth if florals aren’t done delicately.
Fortunately, for me, this particular rose is nicely crafted. The rose adds a charming, grandmotherly stateliness without being an overwhelming love-gush from Bath and Body Works. (A great store. But not for eating.) The black base is a very neutral stoic foil for the rose. The duo reminds me of flamenco dancers: The man dons a simple black outfit; and the woman wears a frilly, showy dress.
And did I mention the test tube? It’s the cutest way to receive tea, I’ve decided. The packaging appeals to my inner science nerd; the rose appeals to my inner hopeless romantic. It’s a fusion of joys!
Though you can’t buy this tea specifically on Simplicity Teas’ site, they do have a blind box subscription to which you can subscribe to try other offerings. I am super into blind boxes. They’re a great way to try new things. Your favorite could be just around the corner.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Monthly Tea Subscription Plan
Where to Buy: Simplicity Teas
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Formosa Oolong from Simple Loose Leaf. . . . .
Most oolongs taste like either greens or blacks to me, but this one’s a perfect in-betweener. It’s got that lighter, vegetal green, but throws in a dash of that sexy deep note that I love about black.
There are also other notes here, some sort of a plum/raisin sugar-tartness that really kicks it up a notch. If I were going to going to assign this tea an aura color, it would be a warm autumn purple.
This is the sort of tea that I would sip while exploring an attic while wearing an oversized woolen sweater. Knowing my luck, that attic would be haunted as EFF. I’d open a yearbook from 1934 and be possessed by some girl who died of — I don’t know — polio? The vapors? What did people die of back then?
I wouldn’t be possessed long. In movies, ghosts LOVE their new bodies, but in reality, a ghost from 1934 wouldn’t know how to use my car, phone, or computer at work. She’d probably go “the hell with this” and bounce of her own accord. If our grandparents are any indication, people of that generation loathe the digital area. She’d cross over.
Back to the tea.
I really enjoy this tea. It’s just the right afternoon lift without making my heart dive-bomb out of my chest.
The outside of the bag says Formosa Oolong is a “perfect introduction to the world of Taiwanese tea.”
Okay, Taiwan. You have me interested. I’m ready for a second date.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Description
This semi-fermented tea from Taiwan, gets its name from the Portuguese explorers who called the island Formosa, meaning ‘beautiful’. The copper-red leaves with tips of silver brew into a beautiful bright golden brisk cup with peach undertones. Delicious hot or cold.
Ingredients: Taiwanese Oolong Tea
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Krampus Brew from Handmade Tea. . . . .
An awesome friend signed me up for a few monthly subscription packages from Handmade Tea. This is a company I had not heard of before so I was very excited to see what they had to offer. This past week the first month’s package arrived and it was bigger than the monthly subscription packages I have received from other companies such as Amoda and TeaTaxi. So, when I opened the package to find just one tea, I was certainly surprised.
Before me was 3 oz of Krampus Brew along with a beautifully wax-sealed envelope containing a note from the tea maker, brewing instructions and tasting notes. The tasting notes were an interesting touch because it seemed as if it were a guide telling me what I should be tasting.
I am told by the tasting notes that the base is similar to a light oolong, smooth but with a hint of smokiness. In fairness, that is pretty accurate. I am also told that the cherries sweeten the brew with a bright honey-like flavor and add a tart finish. I suppose that there is a sweetness here but I don’t know if I would describe it quite as a “bright honey-like flavor” and I certainly am not detecting a tart finish. Finally, the tasting note suggests that the cloves and cinnamon provide the classic spice taste and adds boldness to the mouthfeel. Like the description of the base, that is also pretty accurate.
All in all, it seems the tasting note I was provided is fairly spot-on. However, I am left wondering if I am detecting these things because I feel I should or if I am tasting them because they are actually there. Next month I will drink the tea first and then compare notes. As it is, this tea is mostly a sweet and spiced gunpowder tea. Pleasant enough albeit just a little boring. I expected more cherry from the big pieces in the mix but it seems they are mostly just contributing the fruity/sweet component that is hiding just beneath the base.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Handmade Tea
Description
This tea is no longer on the site but check below for what teas are and to learn about Handmade Tea’s monthly subscription plan.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
