Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea for All Reasons
Tea Description:
Inspired by Van Gogh’s painting, our version of “Starry Night” is a lovely combination of wild blackberry tea with splashes of blue in the form of cornflower blossoms, and candy blue sprinkles, as well as edible yellow and gold stars.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A tea with three different kinds of sprinkles. . . I’m in! This tea is pretty adorable with the blue and star sprinkles and the gold balls just add to the cuteness. Tea for All Reasons always has a few fandom style teas. This particular one is based off of Van Gough’s painting, Starry Night. But I digress. . .now to the tea.
I added the tea to my Breville, set it up for the black tea setting (212F-3 minutes-4 tbsp-3 cups water) and away I go. The tea definitely smells like berries . I picked that up from the dry leaves as well. As I start to enjoy this tea, I’m not picking up the bright berry flavor that I was hoping for. It definitely has an astringent factor to it. The more I drink and the tea cools, it just seems to be more of a muddled flavor. Definitely drinkable but its like the blackberry flavor is trying to pop but its just not quite there.
For my second cup, I used my Breville Milk Frother and made myself a latte with regular milk. Oh the flavors popped with this addition! Can you say Blackberries and Cream! Yum!! The sprinkles that looked to be there for show before the addition of the milk are now lending themselves to a sweet and subtle addition to the latte. I think I might just have to go for one more cup! I think adding the milk is the way to go with this one.
Blueberry Buckle Green Tea Blend from Tea For All Reasons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea For All Reasons
Tea Description:
Oh, my, when you open up this Green tea blend, you will be transported back to your Mama’s kitchen. The scent is so alluring, you may think you are going to gain weight just sniffing it! But don’t stop there ~ the taste is just as enticing!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh YUM!
I had no real expectations when I brewed this Blueberry Buckle Green Tea Blend from Tea For All Reasons. I have enjoyed the other teas from this company that I’ve tried, especially some of their Earl Grey offerings. And while I do enjoy blueberry teas … I can’t honestly say that’s a flavor that I’m leaping up and down to try, you know? I like it, but, it’s not a favorite flavor.
But … I LOVE this Blueberry Buckle! It tastes SO good. The blueberry flavor is sweet and finishes off with that tarty tingle that you sort of expect with berries, and I can taste a creamy note to this that is somewhere between fresh cream and butter. I don’t know if this is from the flavoring (like a Blueberry Buckle a la mode?) or if it’s from the green tea, but I like that it’s there … it not only gives the cup a decadent flavor component but also lends a sort of “cake-y/freshly baked” taste to the cup.
I can taste the cake in this. I can taste the blueberries. And I can taste the fresh, lush taste of the green tea. It’s absolutely delicious. If you’re a fan of blueberry teas OR cake-like teas … this is one that you need to try soon. Seriously. It’s so good!
This makes a fantastic dessert replacement because all the flavors that you crave when you want a dessert are there! It’s good as it cools, but it’s one you really want to try when the tea is hot. Cold/iced, it’s good … but hot, it’s amazing.
Baroness Grey Black Tea from Tea For All Reasons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea for All Reasons
Tea Description:
Legend has it that one Baroness Grey, who lived sometime in the 16th or 17th century, was married to a man who was a Ship’s Captain in the Royal Navy. As the story goes, his ship never returned from a trading voyage to China. Refusing to believe that her husband would never return, the Baroness would walk to the port lands every morning to greet each ship hoping for news of her husband. Sadly, she continued this practice until the day she died. In honor of this loyal Baroness Grey, our Earl Grey blend, with the traditional bergamot and the addition of lemon represent the bitter tears shed over her beloved.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I was excited to try this Baroness Grey Black Tea from Tea For All Reasons. I love me some bergamot! This blend combines the great taste of a traditional Earl Grey tea together with additional notes of lemon and hints of rose … and I’m loving every sip.
The bergamot is not quite as strong as you might experience in a straightforward Earl Grey. The additional lemon adds sweetness … believe it or not! It’s as if someone liquefied a dollop of sweet, creamy lemon curd and added to a cup of Earl Grey black tea.
I don’t get a lot of tart from the lemon notes, just a sweet, smooth flavor that rounds out the tangy bergamot notes. I was expecting more of a tart or even a bitter note from the lemon … but, I am not getting that as much as I expected. There is some tartness here, certainly, but, what I’m noticing is the sweeter side of lemon here, and I like it. The combination of bergamot and lemon is very nice … they go together very well.
At the finish and into the aftertaste is where I start to notice the lemon’s impact on the tea. The flavor becomes slightly more tarty, and those tart notes tickle the palate in the aftertaste.
The black tea base is a robust, well-rounded black tea. It’s not overly strong, but there is an invigorating astringency to this that leaves the palate feeling clean. The floral notes of rose is very soft and subtle and really, barely noticeable unless you slurp to aerate the sip.
Overall, this is a very pleasant take on the classic Earl Grey. I really enjoyed this cuppa, and I’d recommend this to those who enjoy a gentle bergamot flavor in their Earl Grey style teas.