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
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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.
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Chocolate Truffle/Fraser Tea -ashmanra
We are a family of puerh lovers and food lovers, so when we gather together there is likely to be an ample amount of both. Fortunately, puerh is touted as having a mitigating effect on overconsumption, and I can personally attest that it has been my boon companion after too much pizza with garlic butter.
At our last gathering, we tried something new – Chocolate Truffle, a flavored organic blend of puerh and black tea.
There are some chocolate teas that have a strong, strange odor. I assume it is an artificial chocolate flavoring. I greatly prefer the natural, thumping good bass note that comes from cocoa nibs, and that’s what Fraser uses in this organic blend. Natural cocoa nibs seem to s-c-r-a-p-e across the tongue like unsweetened cocoa without the bite.
The puerh is earthy and sweet, not terribly strong, and the black tea is not a brisk one, which made this delightfully smooth to drink, and it resteeped very well. There is a natural sweetness coming from the flowers without the tea taking on a strong floral taste.
Overall, it is an elegant cup, somewhat mild and very satisfying as a dessert tea. Being on the higher end of the caffeine scale for tea, it may also serve as a little energy boost if you are using it as a dessert replacement.
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Leaf Type: Black/Puerh
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
Sweet cream with earthy chocolate flavors and smooth finish
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Yorkshire Harrogate/Cup of CommuniTea -teaequalsbliss
I know we all know this…but…COVID has changed EVERYTHING. One of the few things I can still find welcoming, familiar, understanding, and comforting is a great cuppa tea.
For this review – I have decided to jump back in the ring with Yorkshire Harrogate from Cup of CommuniTea (formerly TeaLeafs in Williamsville, NY).
The origin of Yorkshire Harrogate – a bold black tea – is from regions in India, Kenya, and China. It has a RICH fullness and flavor to it that also offers a slight astringency.
BOLD…I NEED BOLD these days. I need a solid start to my day. I need a good, swift kick in the pants to continue many of these days. Yorkshire Harrogate from Cup of CommuniTea.
I long for the day when this virus is over. When people don’t have to worry about whether or not they are going to ‘get it’ or ‘pass it on to a loved one’. When we can function like we used to – eventho I think there will be a ‘new normal’ but whatever that ‘new normal’ might be. I can’t wait to get out and about again. When I can travel to some of my favorite tea shops again and discover new ones, too. For now, a simple yet flavorful tea is where I can find normalcy in something.
Another hope I have – is to hear back from Cup of CommuniTea and see if I might be able to do an interview about the name change and business as a whole. In the meantime, I will continue to write reviews of their amazing tea!
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Cup of Communitea
Description
Origin: India, Kenya, China Ingredients: Black tea Rich fullness and flavor. A light astringent cup becomes golden bright with milk
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Almond Papaya/Dollar Tea Club -Just Tea-Zen
This tea smells so delicious when you open the package! Even though I associate papaya with summer weather and tropical vibes, this tea has such a warm aroma. It’s totally acceptable as a Fall tea!
This tea reminds me of trail mix. The aroma and flavor have that nutty-fruity flavor combo that you find in a good quality trail mix with the big chunks of dried fruit. I do love a good trail mix!
Not every flavor blends will with rooibos, but this one is perfectly balanced. Rooibos has a mild sweetness and a slight nutty flavor with just a hint of vanilla; all perfect flavors to blend with almond and papaya.
If you haven’t checked out Dollar Tea Club, give them a try. It’s a convenient and inexpensive way to explore the world of tea and try new tea types and flavors. Watch for upcoming reviews on a couple of their other blends!
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Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Dollar Tea Club
Description
Almond Papaya, What a tea! Premium Moroccan almonds give the German inspired marzipan a magnificent boost. Rooibos and marzipan were meant for each other.
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Hot Mama Jama/Bird and Blend Tea Co -variaTEA
The weather is quickly cooling down and though I am glad to see the humid days behind me, I am going to miss not having to walk a half hour in the freezing wind to get to/from campus. In light of this conflict over the weather, I went with a hot/spicy tea that also has a tropical vibe, Hot Mama Jama by Bird and Blend Tea Co.
This tea is a Chinese green tea blended with lemongrass, lime leaves and pieces (large pieces at that), chili seeds, hibiscus, rosehip, apple pieces, orange peel, passion fruit pieces, mango pieces, and flavoring. I steeped it for 3 mins in 175F water and I am drinking it plain.
The chili has a strong scent as I lift the mug to take a sip and though the flavor is definitely present in the cup, I wouldn’t say this tea is particularly spicy. Instead I get the flavor of chili upfront and a tiny bit of warmth in the back of my throat throughout the sip. That chili flavor melts into a (mostly tropical) fruity flavor that comes out exceptionally sweet in contrast. Sweet but not cloying. The lemongrass can be more prominent than I like at times but mostly there is just a bright citrus note thanks to the lime and orange. I also definitely get a lot of mango with some bursts of passion fruit here and there. The foundation flavor here keeping everything grounded and underlying the entire sip is the familiar hibiscus/rosehip flavor that is found in so many fruity teas/tisanes. Thankfully it is not strong here as it typically is.
This makes me think of a mango sprinkled with chili powder as the two flavors are both present and compliment each other just as well in tea form as they do when enjoying that treat. With that said, this isn’t necessarily the highest quality tea or the best tea but it is unique and tasty. It is the type of tea that I can enjoy every now and then because it is something different than my usual go-tos.
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Bird and Blend Tea Co
Description
Turn up the chilli tea heat and join the tropical carnival with a cup of Hot Mama Jama chilli green tea. But be warned… this blazing remix of refreshing reggae limes and calypso chilli beats will have your taste buds dancing all night long.
Hot Mama Jama is well-loved by our fans in the Brighton Gospel Choir for its amazing abilities to soothe a sore throat. It is the ultimate sore throat tea and when you mix it up with lemon and honey, see sore throat tea recipe it is the best natural remedy for a sore throat that you can find!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
