I was thumbing thru my tea stash recently to find something that was more than just turmeric but still had turmeric in the mix. I came across Turmeric Rustic Root from The Whistling Kettle and realized I had yet to review it here at The SororiTea Sisters. So…here goes…
Even tho it’s no longer listed on The Whistling Kettle site I have to say it’s worth mentioning!
It contains Green Rooibos, Clove, Lemon Myrtle, Pepper, and Turmeric.
Those who are interested in natural healthy finds and food and beverage are not a stranger to the Turmeric and Pepper combo as they do have benefits while pairing.
I have to say that those two ingredients contributed to the overall flavor experience but the Green Rooibos and Lemon Myrtle really took it to the next level by standing its ground.
This was a decently flavored Green Rooibos and a treat with a twist on Turmeric. Say that 10 times fast! I dare ya!
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Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: The Whistling Kettle
Description
This blend is no longer listed on the site but click below for blends that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Original Earl Grey (TE10)/Upton Tea Imports -VariaTEA
I don’t really like strong bergamot flavor. Every now and then I’ll reach for an Earl Grey Cream or a flavored Earl Grey but a straight Earl Grey has never been my thing. However, a friend was kind enough to share a sample of Upton Tea Imports’ Original Earl Grey (TE10) and so I figured it was at least worth a try. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to try and make the best of it so I found a London Fog recipe online and got to prepping.
I steeped 3 perfect teaspoons in 8 ounces of boiling water for 4 minutes per the company’s steeping parameters. I used the 3/4 of cup of leftover coconut milk in my fridge, topped with some 1% milk to get to 1 cup. I frothed the milk with 2 teaspoons of honey and one removed from the heat I added 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract. This got poured over the steeped tea.
This is a super creamy latte with a whole lot of coconut and vanilla flavor. Coconut milk is always very rich but to me it is always a touch heavy and seems ever-so-slightly savory (for lack of a better word and maybe because I associate it with thai food more than anything else). I am glad I diluted it down with the 1% milk as well. The honey comes through as a nice balance to the coconut and vanilla, adding some sweetness but not as much as I expected, which is preferable for my tastes.
Of course, how could I talk about a London Fog without mentioning the earl grey itself. I actually am happily sipping away at this one because the bergamot is very nicely balanced. It adds a freshness and a nice citrus flavor but one that is more suited to the cool fall weather. Whereas lemon and lime are typically bright and zingy and make for a nice and refreshing tea in the spring and summer, London Fogs are more cozy. This definitely fits that description.
Unfortunately given all the other ingredients I can’t definitively say that this tea is good or bad but as a base for a London Fog, this tea is perfect. It’s got enough bergamot flavor to push through everything else in the mug without being too harsh or overbearing. Furthermore, from what I can taste, I would say this is good quality given the base is not bitter or astringent either. I still have a fair amount of leaf left in the sample but with this new recipe, courtesy of the Nourishing Gourmet . I am sure I will make quick work of it.
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Description
China Black tea base with bergamot flavor. Produced for the British market, this tea has less bergamot than some American counterparts.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Creepy Cake/Evil Tea -CuppaGeek
Taste buds are a super funny thing. Over the last few months, my taste buds have been all over the place. There was even a time frame where I couldn’t even drink tea. Everything tasted off and not even my favorite teas tasted right. Right around the same time when I noticed my taste buds going wonky, I was starting to notice other health issues so I decided just to take a break from tea all together, hoping that eventually my taste buds would right themselves again.
Recently I felt the urge to have a cuppa tea and I was delighted when not only did the tea taste amazing but my taste seemed to be sharper. Like I was able to pick up flavors I wasn’t able to before. Which was so exciting! I quickly shuffled through my tea stash and got to work enjoying cuppa after cuppa of teas that had not had a lot of attention for a while. After making some headway in my stash. . I decided it was time to check out my friends at Evil Tea once again. I had tried their teas before and enjoyed them but never reordered or nabbed any of their latest blends. After seeing a Halloween promo of theirs, I decided to indulge and pick up a few of their blends. And then a few days later, picked up a few more. . .because. .I was a bit hooked.
I couldn’t wait to try this blend again. I had tried this blend a bit ago and while it was good and I enjoyed the cuppa, with having so much tea in my tea stash- I was trying to still sip a few more down before I ordered again. This morning I was super excited to get home, get the kettle prepped and get this tea a brewing. I was a bit leery about the 5 minute steep time- so I went with a 3 min steep time with freshly prepped 212F water.
First sip in and straight away you are hit with a delicious dessert like note of vanilla that doesn’t really scream straight out vanilla but almost like that soft vanilla like note you would get from a really upscaled cookie or cupcake. The aroma hits you in the same fashion. Just a solid lovely not overdone sweetness that keeps you grabbing for you cuppa and enjoying every sip. This is a Ceylon based blend and there is a slight briskness or astringent note towards the end of each sip that rounds out the sweetness perfectly. There are also adorable sugar coated fennel seeds that I’m not really picking up but that is probably because I didn’t stick with the 5 minute steep. I’m a big fennel fan so I will have to try for that 5 min steep to see if the fennel notes come across stronger.
All in all, just a perfect lovely cuppa that I can only imagine would make an insanely good latte with a spiced oat cream or even a lovely adult beverage with a touch of bourbon cream, which I will be trying later this evening. I’ve always been a fan of my friends over at Evil Tea since they combine two of my favorite loves- all things dark and spooky and tea. Can’t wait to steep up the other blends to see if they hit the spot like Creepy Cake does.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Evil Tea
Description
Ingredients: A blend of Ceylon Teas with Creme Brulee Flavoring and Sugar Coated Fennel Seeds
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Scottish Morn/Harney and Sons -ashmanra
Tea away from home can be a scary proposition. Tea in a public kitchen – scarier.
Needing a cup of tea at a gathering recently, I gulped and inquired as to where the ladies were getting their tea. I was led to a communal kitchen with a metal box containing assorted and sundry tea bags of unknown age and doubtful quality. But lo and behold, tucked in the box was a bag which proved to be Harney and Sons sachets! This, I can trust.
I had never tried Scottish Morn so given my dodgy tummy that sometimes rebels at Assam origin teas I was a little hesitant. Still, it was sure to be the best quality tea available here and I gave it a shot. I enjoy Harney’s Ceylon teas so that was another point in favor of trying this one as it is a blend of Assam and Ceylon.
In spite of my fears that it would be too strong – there was no milk or sugar available and I had no timer – it was quite nice. The water was boiling temperature and the time I guesstimated at 3 minutes. Any diehard strong breakfast tea lovers could go for five minutes and have a blast. You do you.
I saved the sachet in a tiny paper cup and resteeped it an hour later for a second mug, quite satisfactory. Note that Harney’s tea bags are intended for about six or so ounces of tea while the sachets are made with a mug in mind and can do twelve ounces very nicely. Keep this in mind when you are purchasing tea from them, because I USUALLY get 24 ounces of tea from each sachet, and that takes many teas from reasonable to BARGAIN!
The Assam was the dominant flavor, malty and bready, moderately brisk, and the Ceylon brightened and smoothed the cup. It was very drinkable plain and would easily take milk and sugar. It is considered a morning tea but I drank it at night with no food accompanying it and found it enjoyable.
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Harney and Sons
Description
Scottish Morn is a strong tea, perhaps our very strongest. When you stand up your spoon in this tea, it might just stand straight. A portion of Scottish Morn & Scottish Afternoon sales goes to support the charitable endeavors of the American-Scottish Foundation®.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Irish Breakfast/Barry’s Tea -Karatics
Greetings fellow tea drinkers! I come with a review that is from my ancestor’s homeland of the Emerald Isle. After a good search, I found that Barry’s Tea is one of the most popular Irish tea brands. And being that it has been family owned since 1901 I believe this was the best way to taste my Irish heritage. And as a bonus, this brand is from County Cork which is where most of my family is from!
Now I believe that this blend has the typical blend of black teas featuring Assam. But this tea has a lot smoother finish to the malty flavor. Now I am not saying that is better any of the other Irish Breakfasts that I have had but it is definitely different in its flavor compared.
Now I bought my box from Amazon for $7.84 for a 40 count box of bag tea. And it seems for US customers Amazon seems to be the best option. It also not surprising that you can’t get samples of this tea but I don’t think spending about $8 for a 40 count of tea is not too bad. Also looking on the official site they don’t seem to have samples either so if you are not in Ireland I would just use Amazon to order the tea. So doing the math it is basically .20 cents a cup of tea if you get the 40 count box.
In summary, this was a good tea to help me experience my heritage and also to enjoy what I believe to be a true cup of Irish Breakfast. While this tea won’t be replacing my other Irish Breakfasts I believe it still belongs in the ranking of a good Irish Breakfast tea.
See you for the next cuppa!
Kara
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Barry’s Tea
Description
Blended for the Irish Palate, our Irish Breakfast Tea has a brisk refreshing taste and a bright golden colour. We select this blend from the Assam Valley of India and the gardens of Rwanda and Kenya, but it’s the bright freshness of the African leaves that make this tea so refreshing. It’s the perfect blend to enjoy anytime of the day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
