Some mornings are no-nonsense; this Monday is one of them. No time for blends. Time for serious faces, email, and caffeine.
This black tea, which I received this month in my Simple Loose Leaf box, is a yummer. (Nope, “yummer” is not a word — or is it NOW a word? Language evolves, guys. Start using “yummer.” Let’s see if we can get it to catch on).
I knew immediately that this tea was from India because of its slightly spicy and raisin-y tones. The name “Karakundah” also helped — the name didn’t ring as Asian. Turns out that this estate is the highest commercial tea estate in the world.
Make sure to share that fact at your next party. You’ll be swarmed with friends in no time.
This black tea’s powerful rich and malty flavor from a single teaspoon made it clear to me from the get-go that it was a high quality pick. And, lo and behold, it turns out that it’s an “orange pekoe,” which is the highest quality of leaf on the grading scale. (The lowest quality is “fannings and dust,” which I’ve heard is what they throw into commercially-available pre-bagged cheap tea.)
Overall, this pick has gusted me into Awake Land in a quality, unfettered way. It met and, I daresay, exceeded my expectations. Nice work, you high-elevation pals. I tip my cap to you.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Description
Karakundah tea estates, found in the Nilgiri region of India, produce some of the highest grade black teas in that region. Commonly known for the medium-bodied cup of tea, Karakundah black teas are highly sought after on the world stage making this tea a prize for international buyers. Serve with or without milk and add sugar to taste.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
My first month with the Tea Mistress’s Tea of the Month Club
After not being part of a tea subscription plan for a while, over the last few months, I’ve signed up for quite a few. More or less because I was finding myself not as excited with my current stash because I have been on a buying hiatus for so long. So one day I was on the ol Facebook and saw a post by the Tea Mistress indicating that she was going to start up a Tea of the Month Club and I instantly noticed this club was a bit different than others. Instead of getting surprised by what teas you are getting, the Tea Mistress sends out a form for you to sign up for which tea blends you would like. So if you are like me and have a variety of tea you really don’t care for (looking at you red rooibos blends!), you can pick out exactly what you want. Now, I will say this didn’t help me go out of my tea comfort zone, but I liked knowing that what I was picking out, I would probably enjoy.
Each month you are allowed three different choice for the teas you are sent. The teas are then packaged up for you and sent in these adorable tins (that I plan to attach a magnet to and use for tea storage down the road). The tea blends I picked were Imperial Jasmine Mint, Cinnamon Pear White, and Vanilla Lemongrass. Each tin you are given contains a few servings of each blend. I’ve found myself usually using the entire tin in a larger tea pot and enjoying that pot of tea for the afternoon with several additional infusions. So far that method hasn’t let me down.
Out of the three teas I picked, hands down, Imperial Jasmine Mint was my ultimate favorite and I’ve already contacted the amazing Tea Mistress to see about ordering more of that particular blend. This tea blend has it all. The subtle notes of a solid green tea base with the soft tones of the jasmine with a solid punch of mint. Refreshing, soothing, comforting, and just delicious. This is one of those blends that you drink and you get all the feels. Being one that loves jasmine teas, green teas, and mint teas. . .I was in heaven from the start.
Cinnamon Pear White was probably my least favorite. The tea tasted fine and had all of the attributes indicated in the title, but I just wasn’t in love with the tea like I thought. The cinnamon and white tea just didn’t mingle like I had hoped they would. Maybe a tea where you need to play with for a bit to get just the right settings for. I’ve seen this tea offered from other tea companies so I was happy I was able to try it. Just not sure this blend was for me.
The last of my three offerings was Vanilla Lemongrass and wow, is this herbal treat a sweet ditty. Lemongrass, organic apples, orange peels, raisins, and currant flavor make up this tea blend. Delicious hot and I can only imagine this tea would be crazy good as a cold brew. I can’t say that I could drink this tea on a daily basis as is because it is pretty sweet but I’m wondering if I added in a teaspoon or two of chamomile or added in a bit of mint if the sweetness wouldn’t even itself out a bit for my tastes. Regardless, I’m really enjoying this cuppa and am already thinking about prepping up another cuppa. Could totally see this tea being a great one when those 2pm sweet tooth cravings start to come my way.
All in all, I’m super happy with how my first month of teas from the Tea Mistress turned out. What I really love is the serving size you are given is the perfect amount of tea and I’m not finding that I have a ton of tea left over that I have to worry about getting lost in the shuffle like other teas I get from other subscription plans. Sometimes only getting a smaller size sampling is just what you need to make a decision if that tea blend is for you or not instead of getting 1/2 oz or even an 1 oz. And if loose leaf tea isn’t your thing, you can even get the teas packaged in tea bags for you.
Looking forward to trying many more blends from the Tea Mistress. She offers quite a range and list of teas along with coffee, teaware, and other goodies!
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Tea Mistress
Description
Monthly tea subscription from The Tea Mistress. Click below for more info!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Tipped Oolong from Simple Loose Leaf. . .
This tea is like an academic who hikes then comes home to write an academic paper on his worn leather couch. The flavor here is earthy, but sophisticated. There’s that sharp, deep flavor that calls forth dark tweed blazers with patched elbows.
The description on Simple Loose Leaf’s site indicates a “nutty” flavor, but I’m not sure I’m getting that. Believe me, I’ve spent several minutes trying to find it. I’ve been swishing the tea around in my mouth. My teeth are yellower for it.
That said, I’m good without the nutty flavor. The flavor that is here is a winner. It’s a tongue-lingerer, which means I get to keep it for a while.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Description
White Tipped Oolong is an open leaf full body oolong that has a smooth taste. When brewing look for earthy notes along with slight a nuttiness from this oolong. Like many oolongs, White Tipped Oolong will evolve over the course of the tea’s temperature changes – so let the cup of tea cool as you drink to to experience the changing flavor profile.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Quarter to Tea’s Tea Box. . .
Last year for my birthday I was gifted an A Quarter to Tea monthly subscription for 8 months. When the gift ended, I wasn’t ready to give up my monthly box of delicious so I continued on the subscription myself. In March, I received what I like to call my “Anniversary Box” as I had come to a full year of A Quarter to Tea tastiness being brought monthly to my door.
This box has some great options including Green Velvet Cake, a flavored green tea; Pistachio and Cream Cookie, a flavored white tea; and Whisky Chocolate Truffle and Hot Cross Buns, which are both flavored black teas.
Green Velvet Cake: This is the tea I was most excited to try given my love of cake and all things dessert. First thing I noticed was that the dry leaf and the steeped tea capture the scent of cream cheese frosting perfectly.That frosting comes through in taste too, albeit not as strongly as the smell would suggest. Peeking over the edge of that sweet icing flavor, is just a touch of the kukicha base – slightly grassy yet fresh. Personally I could do without the vegetal input of the base tea and with a touch more actual cake notes. The frosting is nice but it isn’t called “Green Velvet Cake Frosting”.
Pistachio and Cream Cookie: This blend combines white tea, sprinkles, pistachios, rose petals, and natural flavors. Though the “cream cookie” calls to me, pistachio is a flavor I am indifferent to and rose just isn’t appealing. When I had this before, it had a creamy note to it, though today it has less cream. Instead of that cream, this has almost a touch of spice and definitely more rose. There is also more pistachio flavor which comes through clearly and helps sell “baked good”. When I think about it, I can see this as a cookie with a hint of brown sugar, a hint of spice, and the distinct pistachio nuttiness. The rose is what takes me out of that cookie mindset so my preference would be to eliminate that ingredient altogether. However, that is more due to personal preferences than a reflection on the rose’s contribution to the tea.
Whisky Chocolate Truffle: This was the one I was least excited about trying. As cute as the shamrock sprinkles are, whisky just isn’t my favorite and chocolate can be hit or miss, especially when cacao nibs and shells are used like they are in this tea. Other ingredients include marshmallow root, semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, and natural flavors. As I drink this, I know it is not for me. It has a chocolate undertone but one that is more dark and bitter than milky and sweet, which is my preference. There is also a definite alcohol vibe here that again isn’t really to my tastes. Something about this tea overall comes off very dried fruit/raisin/prune to me and though I can see this being nice for others, I am just not part of the demographic this was blended for.
Hot Cross Buns: Comprised of black tea, lemongrass, calendula, raisins, and natural flavors, the steeped tea smells lemony and sweet with a touch of raisins. It is certainly selling the baked good scent with lemon glaze. Now I should say I have never actually had a Hot Cross Bun but if they taste anything like the first sip of this tea, I would devour mountains of them because this. is. good. The yunnan base has a strong bread flavor and the lemongrass tastes like a sweet glaze drizzled on top. The raisin pops up every now and again as an explosion of juicy sweetness, just as a raisin in a bun would explode when you bit into it. Honestly, this tea just captures fresh baked goods perfectly…warm, spicy, sweet, doughy and delicious!
As far as the teas in this box go, Hot Cross Buns is by far my favorite, followed by Green Velvet Cake and Pistachio and Cream Cookie. Whisky Chocolate Truffle was a miss for me but I can appreciate that there is quite the variety here to appeal to all tastes. What worked for me might not work for others and vice versa. That is what makes subscription boxes like this so fun!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Subscription Box
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
The gift that keeps on giving!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Fruit Jam from Tea Sparrow. . . .
When it comes to getting me gifts, my friends and family often turn to one of two things: mugs or tea subscriptions. One such subscription that I received as my Secret Santa gift this past holiday season was several months of tea from Tea Sparrow. If I am being honest, as someone who loves really out there flavors, I have been underwhelmed by the more basic options I’ve been receiving.
With that said, this Organic Fruit Jam tea did catch my eye. It has the usual fruit tea ingredients such as apples, hibiscus, rosehips, and strawberries but it also has more exciting flavors like barley malt, cream extract, etc.
I made this iced in light of the potential for tartness thanks to the hibiscus and rosehips. Unfortunately, despite the unique ingredients, this tastes a lot like many of the other fruit tisanes I have had before, tart and with a vague fruitiness. It also has a sharp tart note atop the rest of the tartness that hits the back of your mouth near the end of the sip. Alas there is nothing here that says “jam” to me.
I also brewed this hot and intended to try it that way to compare it with the iced tea but life got in the way and the mug cooled before I got to it. However, the hot brewed tea which has then cooled is smoother than the iced tea. It also is a bit less tart than the iced tea which makes more room for a muddled fruit flavor to come through. Still not a “jam” tea to me but this cup is definitely closer to that desired flavor than the iced tea given there is more sweetness here.
Ultimately, I just feel like I’ve had this tea time and time again. The hibiscus/rosehip tartness is overwhelming with a generic fruitiness taking a back seat. The unique ingredients that intrigued me in the first place add nothing or if they do, their addition is drowned out. It’s not bad per se but it just doesn’t stand out at all in a world filled with tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Tea Sparrow
Description
With your Tea Sparrow subscription, you’ll receive 4 select loose-leaf teas each month: one black, one green, one rooibos and one herbal tea. You can expect about 35 cups of tea per month: more than enough to spread the love or completely hoard for yourself.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!