Wake Me Up, Scotty! From 52Teas

For Star Trek fans or just plain tea lovers alike, do yourself a favor and brew up a cup of Wake Me Up Scotty from 52Teas.  This is based around a Scottish black tea, and gently sweetened with hints of butterscotch and a scattering of marshmallow root.  The name of course, is in reference to the Star Trek phrase, Beam Me Up, Scotty. The tea got its name from all the ‘scotch and Scottish ingredients, and from the hearty caffeine dose of black tea.

I love a good Scottish breakfast blend first thing in the morning, though when I reach for a breakfast tea, I also want a little bit of tartness to make me feel fresh and awake.  I was a little wary that the black tea in this blend would be hidden beneath its dessert flavors, but despite the candy-like inclusions, this tea preserves plenty of that crisp breakfast black tea taste.

This blend has it all: flavorful integrity of the black tea and a caress of caramel and cream flavors. You definitely taste the butterscotch and marshmallow, but not at the expense of the bright black tea.  I take my tea without sugar or milk, but if you love the butterscotch notes, you can draw them forward by brewing this as a latte or by adding your favorite sweetener.

The caramel and marshmallow come across in this blend with almost the same nutty sweetness as honeyed breakfast cereal with mini marshmallows, which takes this whole idea of a breakfast tea to a new level.  A delicious and balanced blend that I should keep on hand in my cabinet for any breakfast time brewing.

I applaud 52Teas for always being inventive in their flavors; they seek out new teas and flavor blends, and boldly go where no tea company has gone before!

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:

So this tea comes with a story – please bear with me . . .

I don’t usually go for teas that have already been blended. I usually want to do the blending myself. I also usually don’t go for CTC teas. But this tea presents us with an exception to that – because on a whim, I happened to sample an organic Scottish Breakfast Blend from a would-be supplier and I absolutely loved it. It was rich, rugged and malty and I immediately began to imagine what I might do with this tea.

So I ordered some of the tea to play around with it a bit and while playing around, I thought – hey, it’s a Scottish Breakfast Blend, I should try blending it with butterscotch. Not real creative, I know. But after my initial taste test of the blend flavored with butterscotch – I was hooked. I decided to lighten things up with some soft, creamy marshmallow. And my “Scotty Breakfast Blend” was born. Again – not a really creative name, right?

As I was sitting around with Mat and updating him with my tea studio happenings, he asked me why I called this one “Scotty Breakfast Blend.” And I told him something like: because it was made with a Scottish Breakfast Blend and I used ButterSCOTCH as the primary flavor component.

He mentioned I should call it “McBreakfast Blend” or something like that. Then I thought, what if McDonalds decides to slap a Cease and Desist on me for using their Mc. He told me that he didn’t think they could actually do that and they probably don’t lay claim to the prefix Mc. However, I wasn’t too keen on McBreakfast Blend … what about O’Scotty Breakfast Blend? During this exchange, I’m not sure who threw in “Beam Me Up, Scotty” into the mix . . . but I liked it. Not because I’m a big Star Trek fan because really, I’m not. I’m much more Harry Potter than Star Trek although I really liked Ricardo Montalbán’s portrayal as Khan.

But I digress.

I liked the idea that – for those of us who like to see different meanings in words – the “Beam Me Up” could be thought of as waking someone up or inspiring a sense of alertness which is what black tea (especially a rich CTC blend like this) does for me. At the end of my exchange with Mat, he said, just call it “Wake Me Up, Scotty!” because those who are Star Trek fans will appreciate the alluding to “Beam Me Up” without actually saying that – and those who wouldn’t get what I’m alluding to might still appreciate that this is a wake-me-up kind of tea with a Scottish Breakfast Blend base and a butterscotch flavor.

This a well-rounded black tea that on it’s own is pretty robust and stimulating – a fantastic first tea of the morning! The butterscotch and hint of marshmallow offer a pleasant sweetness to the cup. A delightful cuppa!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Waffley Wedded Custom Blend from Plum Deluxe

Waffley Wedded from Plum Deluxe is a specialty blend, and I was lucky to get a taste thanks to a tea swap.  In trying this tea I learned that Plum Deluxe can be contacted to make a custom blend for a special occasion, in this case for a wedding.

With such a sweet and punny name, I was predisposed to like Waffley Wedded.  I got a novelty waffle iron a few holidays ago and I use just about every weekend.  This is a great tea have on hand while I’m waiting for my waffles to cook.

This is a blend of black and oolong tea, so it is both full-bodied but has a rounded mouthfeel.  Sweet maple and creamy vanilla are the driving flavors, perfect on its own or with a dash of milk to pump up the dessert-like experience.  A hint of citrus comes through from the orange peels to help the blend bright and not overly sweet.

You won’t see this blend on their everyday listing, but if you’re looking for something similar give Pick Me Up Oolong a try, which also has maple and oolong flavors.  Or blend your own tea favors for a special occasion and customize it just the way you like.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black and Oolong
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe

To have your own custom blend made and see all the amazing blends Plum Deluxe has to offer, click below.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Tea and Toast from Bird and Blend Tea. . . .

Bluebird Tea went through a name change and now they are Bird and Blend Tea.  Regardless of the name, they are still making delicious tea flavors.

Recently I tried a new summer blend called Tea and Toast.  This is a black tea with raspberry jam notes. I’ve been enjoying this tea as my summertime breakfast brew, hot or iced depending in the morning temperature.

The black tea is robust and balanced, very much the backbone of this blend. The raspberry is very fragrant in the dry leaf but mellows out slightly in the brew. The blend also includes raspberry pieces and the ever-polarizing hibiscus petals. The hibiscus is used sparingly, and adds just enough juiciness to help the raspberry pop with sweet and tart red berry flavor.

This is a delightful way to spice up you daily breakfast brew. The raspberries taste like summer, but don’t overpower the familiar traditional black tea base. Tea and Toast blend feels as delectable as trying a new flavor of jam on your breakfast toast or in your favorite PB&J. Get a sweet, fresh take in your morning brew this summer before this blend retires at the end of the season.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Bird and Blend Tea
Description: Traditional English breakfast tea with sweet raspberry jam!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sun Moon Lake Assam from Cameron Taiwan Premium Loose Leaf Teas . . . .

Sun Moon Lake Black tea from Cameron gets its name from its home region of Taiwan.  What a celestial and romantic name! Do how did the tea compare?

This was a competition grade assam black tea.  The dry leaves were large and flat, darkly colored from the full oxidation process.  When I put my nose into the bag of dry leaves it smelled pleasantly like chocolate and dark plum.

Brewed, this tea was smooth and crisp, which was a bit of a surprise.  I’m familiar with assam teas with big names like golden tiger which brew up deep and chocolatey, with a robust warm-and-fuzzy feeling.

This assam was much brighter, tasting a little greener.  It reminded me of the tartness of a breakfast black tea, with a brisk and refreshingly dry mouthfeel. Though there wasn’t as much of the cozy chocolate notes as I expected in the brewed tea, there were plenty of sweet fruit flavors like apricot and plum alongside the more traditional black tea notes.

Maybe the duality of Sun and Moon come into play in comparing the tea’s scent with its taste.  The fragrance of the dry leaves are very much the evening moon, with darker, richer tones of cacao and purple plum.  The brewed leaves are much more like the sun, bright and crisp and perfect for breakfast.

This is a great tea if you are looking for a high quality assam that will surprise you.  Take a walk on the brighter side of assam and brew up a cup of Sun Moon Lake tea from Cameron.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Cameron Taiwan Premium Loose Leaf Teas
Description:

Sun Moon Lake is located at altitude of 700m, surrounded with mountains and lakes with remarkable environment and typical climate. Heavy moist and stable yearly average temperature make the tea trees grow thick and rich tea leaves which produce carmine and perfectly clear liquor.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Perfect, Cold-Weather Cup: Boisahabi Estate Assam from Capital Tea Ltd

Assam teas are known for their fuller, malty feel and flavor, distinctly different than the tart zing of Ceylon black teas.  This Assam from the Boisahabi Estate from Capital Tea Ltd., is a high grade tea (STGFOP (SPL) ) with a mix of black tea leaves and the highly-prized golden tips that bring the complex and delicious flavor.

In the dry leaf, this tea smells comforting and slightly spicy, like cinnamon sticks and fresh wood.  Brewed, the tea becomes surprisingly fruity, with lush muscatel flavors like pear and plum.  Beneath this fruitiness, the black tea is smooth and full, with toffee tones.  Overall, the tea feels very pleasant to drink, with a texture that fills my mouth with a warm, fuzzy feeling, without being too cloying or too sharp.

In the winter season, I seem to be drawn to all the crazy dessert-flavored teas like pumpkin pie or gingerbread cake, but while those teas are fun, their flavors are certainly enhanced by artificial flavors or added sugars and sprinkles.  There’s a time and place for those tasty flavored teas, but this Assam from Boisahabi Estate really took me by surprise and felt more flavorful and festive than those other blends.

This tea has a beautiful balance of both bold and delicate flavors, with the lighter, garden-like flavors of stone fruit, and the rich caramel and black tea undertones.  Even without sugar or milk, there is a smooth and comforting natural sweetness to this brew, which speaks to the quantity and quality of the golden tips and the tea leaves as a whole.

When you want a mature cup of tea with comforting yet complex flavors, brew a cup of Assam black tea from Boisahabi Estate from Capital Tea Ltd. and stay cozy in the chilly weather.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Capital Tea Ltd
Description:

Sweetly aromatic attractive deep brown Assam leaves with plenty of golden tips. These leaves infuse to a rich, full bodied, and intensely flavourful tea liquor with prominent notes of candy-malt and toffee. Highly recommended as a breakfast tea to drink with milk

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!