Cherry Blossom/DAVIDs Tea

It is late at night and I am already sleepy.  I want something light and sweet as a bedtime treat, so I chose Cherry Blossom. Although it is primarily labeled as a white tea, this is a actually a blend of white and green tea with cherries, coconut chips, rosebuds, and natural and artificial cherry flavoring.

Cherry flavor can so easily go wrong. So many cherry teas (and other cherry flavored things) taste like cherry cough syrup, which is NOT what I am looking for. Remember Luden’s Cherry Cough Drops? Now THAT I could handle, or real sweet cherries, but not something that tastes like actual cough syrup. (Not a rooibos fan as a general rule because it tastes like cough syrup to me. It takes throwing in a ton of flavoring to make it palatable for me.)

Happily, this didn’t go wrong. The coconut is giving it body and creaminess, the rose adds a little sweetness but honestly not a ton of floral flavor, and the main event is definitely sweet cherry without the cough syrup BLARG.

This one has really been a hit with family and friends, and I think the next step is to try it iced and see what happens!


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  White/Green Blend

Where to Buy:  DAVIDs Tea

Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Zombie Cure from Down The Rabbit Hole. . . .

Morning me is a zombie. I feel like I’m rotting internally. I yearn to attack others. My skin looks frightful.

The cure? Tea. Possibly even, specifically, Zombie Cure by Down The Rabbit Hole!

This tea is a blend of different things that sounds complicated: “a blend of orange pekoe, green and Yerba mate. The flavoring is natural and it is vegan but not organic.” But the hodgepodge comes together beautifully. The mate is smooth and full of caffeine. The orange pekoe black is rich; and green perkiness rounds it out. The natural flavoring is sweet and creamy. This blend tastes milky without me having to actually put milk in it. And it’s vegan!

Zombie Cure comes from a cute little shop in downtown Jim Thorpe, PA. Jim Thorpe’s a town with a haunted jail and a lot of cute, hippie-ish stores. Down the Rabbit Hole, specifically, is a spot with eclectic jewelry, coffee, and tea — much of it with a whimsical/Alice in Wonderland sort of theme.

I can’t resist an Alice in Wonderland themed thing, ever. I have an Alice in Wonderland tattoo. I draw Alice in Wonderland illustrations.

Basically, if I lived in Jim Thorpe, I’d be in there all the time. Maybe I’d work there. Or just install myself in a corner and talk to people about tea. Not sure. But I’d definitely be ON THE SCENE.

If you’re not in Jim Thorpe, PA, often (or, uh, ever), they do take phone orders (484-767-3703) or facebook messages. The person I’ve been bothering on Facebook with ingredient queries has been very helpful and quick to reply.

Follow the rabbit to a wonderland of flavor!

(Sorry. I can’t help myself.)


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Down the Rabbit Hole
Description

Even though this store may not have an online presence, check out all their goodies below!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Arabian Nights from Fox Tea Club. . . .

It’s black. It’s green. It’s creamy. It’s buttery. It’s fruity. It’s got complete roses in its blend.

This tea sounds like an indecisive hot mess, I know. The blend’s ingredients sound like someone had a bunch of leftovers and upended them into a vat. (They include, for reference, Black Tea, Calendula, Cornflower, Green Tea, Mango, Pineapple, Rose).

But it totally works. It’s sweet and friendly and flowery. I’m not getting “Arabian Nights” from this (possibly because I’ve never had Turkish delight). I’m getting “Mother Goose.” This tea is a fairytale jumble. All of your favorite stories and flavors, blending together. It’s a dessert potluck. *

* (note: Have you ever had a dessert potluck? Probably the best party I ever threw.)

If you’re in the mood for some sweetness, throw this in your kettle. All the rabbits and sprites in the forest will be clamoring to join you.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green/Black
Where to Buy:  Fox Tea Club
Description

Exotic seductive smoothness and delicate spice aromas float from the cup with each sip of this black and green tea blend, which includes calendula, red rose, and cornflower petals. Remarkable subtle tones of vanilla cream with rich sponge cake recall warm deserts evenings with the crescent moon rising in the starry sky.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Endurance Citrus Mint from Sportland Tea Co. . . .

This is my first time brewing matcha powder and leaves together, and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I didn’t want to whisk fibers out of the leaves, but I also didn’t want to lose out on any matcha goodness in a filter bag. I settled on using a gravity brewer to trap the leaves but let matcha through.

This Endurance citrus mint brewed a unique opaque army green. We start with a definite mint smell, but I don’t taste it…and it’s subtle on the green tea … perhaps my tastebuds are too busy with the strong lemongrass flavor? There’s a soft aftertaste tingle on the tongue that travels down the throat with a gentle ginger zing – hello, I’m awake now! The density of the particles in this tea causes a heavier, fuller mouthfeel, to the point where I felt as if it were starting to coat my tongue. This was especially true on those last, sediment-rich sips.

I love the idea of matcha teas as a midday or workout time pick-me-up. I’ve seen some brands who sell pure fine-ground matcha, who also sell this hybrid with larger flavor bits at a lower cost. Though I am frugal, I’m too much a traditionalist at heart to be able to fully embrace this ”best-of-both-tea-worlds” bag and powder offering from Sportland Tea Co.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Green Tea and Matcha
Where to Buy: Sportland Tea Co.

Sportland Tea Co.’s Endurance Blend is a unique mix of matcha green tea and herbs. With ginger, mint, and ginseng. This blend is an invigorating option any time of the day.

Drink approximately 15-30 minutes before a workout, run, or when you are having a long day at the office. Try it over ice for an even more refreshing and hydrating option!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Hand Blended Almond Flavored Green Tea Treat from Storehouse Tea. . . .

I have tried a lot of teas that are named some variation of sweet almond. It is always a green tea, but they all do not taste the same. Some are very much like marzipan, others are more so the taste of green tea. This one, by Storehouse Teas, is more the latter than the former. Which is good, sometimes you don’t want that overly sweet marzipan taste!

The smell of this sweet almond tea is most definitely sweet almond with slight marzipan. I added just a tad of agave though because on taste, it was not as sweet as it smells. It actually was a really decent green tea, with a prominent green tea taste. Much less marzipan that I would have expected. So, if you’re not usually a fan of marzipan but you want a sweet almond tea, you would enjoy this one.

This definitely has nutty undertones, and they blend really well with the cool and crisp vegetal flavor of the green tea. Its very light, very smooth, and does really well with an addition of addition of agave. The rose petals also add a floral tone that blends well with the other components. I think this is one of my favorite sweet almond green teas that I’ve tried! I really like how its light. I don’t always like when the flavor is light, though, but with this it really works. I would recommend trying if you like green tea!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green Tea
Where to Buy:  Storehouse Tea
Description

This blend of mellow sencha and energizing green yerba mate is a restorative aromatic blend of sweet almonds and coconut. It captivates not only with its striking look, but also with its fragrant aroma and pallet pleasing taste. Sencha and mate are known for their bountiful antioxidants, mood enhancers, energy and aid in weight loss.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!