It’s confession time again, tea-friends. I love iced tea. I ADORE it. It’s pretty much 95% of what I brew as soon as temps creep past the 60s all the way through the first frost in the fall. But while I’ll happily sip my oolongs, greens and herbals (even white teas!) plain and pure, I usually need a little something extra in my black iced tea to jazz it up. And *usually* this is either a squeeze of citrus fruit, or a dash of lemonade.
Now, don’t get me wrong– there is nothing negative about a delicious Arnold-Palmer-style tea. But I’d like to be able to sip a black tea straight from time to time, as I hold some silly tea-purist-standard up in my mind. Not many teas make that possible, but oh, this one makes up for them all. This bright Ceylon black is fresh and vibrant, and the ginger and grapefruit notes literally sing– this blend is fresh, fruity, with a hint of warm and spice from the ginger that translates surprisingly well to the iced cup. There’s something almost fizzy (I think it’s that ginger again) in this brew that is so incredibly refreshing.
For those of you whose iced tea habits have lent themselves more towards the kiddie-cocktail-side (ahem, moi) in the past, give this one a shot with no added goodies. It’ll made an un-sullied iced tea convert out of you yet!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This blend is sold out but click below for more information about this and other A Quarter To Tea Blends
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Vanilla Grapefruit from Harney & Sons. . . .
If you’d like a mild midafternoon pick-me-up, I have a delicate refresher for you!
White Vanilla Grapefruit by Harney & Sons is a pastel-flavored creamy vanilla with very faint fruit notes. It manages to be mellow, but not boring. It’s not a showy tea. It understands that it has something very important and comforting to impart. There are times when one wants something that is simply NICE.
It’s the flavor equivalent of a Mary Cassatt piece. It’s a homey domestic scene that reminds one of a vase of tulips and the feeling of warm laundry right out of the dryer. It’s reading a fresh magazine on a sunny couch. It’s the first time out in a new pair of socks. It’s a half-day at work. It’s the joyous announcement of a pregnancy.
Other people LOVE this tea. When I went onto the Harney site to grab the link for this tea, there are twelve — TWELVE — pages of reviews on this. People talk about enjoying it with their roommates, going on quests to find it, where they first tried it. This seems to have an almost cult following.
Will you become a raving fan, too? You’ll have to try it to find out.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Harney and Sons
Description
Our cleansing white tea blend of White Vanilla Grapefruit is enriched by vanilla, and brightened by the clear citrus notes of grapefruit. Its vanilla aroma adds a pleasantly indulgent touch.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Detox Herbal Supplement with Green Tea from Lipton
What a name! Detox Herbal Supplement with Green Tea from Lipton. Goodness. What this tea really should be called is amazing tasting Detox tea that you’ll want to drink that isn’t overwhelmingly spiced with ginger and is one of the best grapefruit teas around! Yes, that’s right. . . Grapefruit Detox tea. . .
I am one of those that is constantly on the look out for great tasting detox teas. Not because of the whole losing weight detox plan but because I have found that detox teas with spices like nettle and yes ginger, can actually help me feel better. But so many of those teas make you want to just gulp the tea to get it over with instead of experiencing and really enjoying the tea.
Recently, we were asked to review a new Wellness line of teas from Lipton. I will be 100% honest here. Lipton is the tea I grew up on and still drink it from time to time at my parents house. But beyond that, I don’t drink a whole ton of Lipton products. So when these teas showed up at my door, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What ended up happening, is that I fell in love with a Lipton tea!
Brewed up with water prepped right under boiling, I steeped this tea sachet for about 4 minutes. While the tea was steeping, I kept sticking my nose in the steam to get the wonderful aromas that were omitting from my cuppa. Right away, you can pick up the grapefruit essential oil. Such a lovely fresh and clean smell. I couldn’t wait for the tea to cool so I could take a sip.
First sip in and my search for a grapefruit has been satisfied. This tea is delicious. Grapefruit and green tea are the major flavors you pick up and towards the end of each sip is this really lovely herbal finish. There is a sweet, tart, vegetal, and herbal contrasting play each and every time you take a sip of this tea.
Super happy with this tea and especially with how this tea is in a easy tea bag form. I was even happier when I was in my local grocery store the other day and this tea was sitting on the shelf.
Now I have a great detox tea with nettle and dandelion root along with a grapefruit tea that makes me smile. I’m a happy tea loving gal!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Lipton
Description
Bounce back to you with the new Lipton Detox Herbal Supplement with Green Tea, containing dandelion, nettle, and grapefruit. Detox is an herbal infusion that’s the perfect companion to clean eating*. Carefully selected botanicals are blended with green tea and grapefruit essential oil that make every cup delicious. Enjoy a daily cup or two of Lipton Detox to supplement your varied, balanced diet.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Grapefruit White Tea from Socra Tea Detroit. . . . .
Even with the summer months coming to an end and the fall months beginning, I’m still finding myself drawn to my spring and summer white teas. White teas were my “jam” this summer. I couldn’t get enough. I just found myself craving the crisp floral notes that white teas provide.
Strawberry Grapefruit White Tea from Scora Tea Detroit had me from the start. Start with a gorgeous blend of white and green teas, huge gooseberries, and beautiful pomegranate blossoms. The aromas that swirl you while you steep this tea and bright and so uplifting.
Prepared with fresh water right around 190F , allowed to steep for 3 minutes, and cooled for another 2-Strawberry Grapefruit White Tea is a brilliant blend of sweet floral notes with a tang of citrus. Being a huge fan of grapefruit, I’m always searching for that grapefruit tea that actually tastes like grapefruit. I need look no further!
This tea has this wonderfully fresh grapefruit flavor that mingles perfectly with the strawberry flavors. The white tea gives those familiar floral hints while the green tea gives off a much needed vegetal touch.
I absolutely adored this tea and exhausted the tea leaves. The tea would no sooner be ready than I was turning around and prepping my next session. I just couldn’t get over the fresh crisp flavors this tea was yielding.
Highly recommend this tea, especially with all the heavier spiced teas of fall and winter just around the corner. This tea is a great way to remember the sparkling flavors f spring and summer!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White/Green
Where to Buy: Socra Tea Detroit
Description
High quality green and white leaf and fine Jasmine tea, with its typically unique flower note, form the fine base for this fruity-fresh tea indulgence. Whole freeze dried cape gooseberries enhance the fresh optic of this blend.
Ingredients: green (50%) and white (40%) tea, freeze dried whole cape gooseberries, pomegranate blossoms.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Grapefruit Granita from DAVIDs Tea. . .
Grapefruit Granita, a 2017 Summer Collection Green Tea made with ginger, sweet blackberry leaves, apple, apple pomace, beetroot, grapefruit peel, marigold flowers, artificial grapefruit and cream flavouring.
Since this is a Granita tea, I figured at the very least I should try it iced.
First thing I noticed was ginger. Lots of ginger flavor stands as a wall at the front of the sip. And when you get over the wall, you find a flood of sweet apple. Very sweet apple thanks to the blackberry leaves. It is a weird dichotomy of flavors.
The clash of flavors does channel grapefruit, though one that is artificial and a touch bitter (which grapefruits are bitter so I don’t find that as offensive here as I would in other blends). I am blaming the cream flavoring for the artificial quality. It seems out of place here, in my opinion.
It is not my favorite but this received a lot of VERY negative reviews that I don’t think was that warranted, at least based on this cup. Will I be buying this again? No, but I also am not dumping the mug down the sink like so many others seemed to have done. I will probably finish my sample and move on.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
With hibiscus, rosehips and juicy grapefruit, this fruity tea is as fresh as it gets.
