Brunch in Paris from Plum Deluxe. . . .

If you are looking for a creative, rich, bold, chocolaty blended base to start your day…might I suggest this one…Brunch in Paris from Plum Deluxe!?

I was THRILLED to read that this doesn’t have dairy in it…just stand alone Cocoa Nibs! All-Organic Ingredients – to be exact – Black Tea, Honeybush Tea, Cocoa Nibs, Orange Pieces, Orange Essence. Love, Gratitude. What a great way to start your day…with love and gratitude!

These days it seems like if you say ‘love and gratitude’ it makes you a hippie. And some people think that makes you weak. I say…that couldn’t be further from the truth! And I would take it as a compliment to be called a HIPPIE. Actually, I have been called that…more than once…and I have to say that puts a smile on my face each and every time!

It takes a stronger person to love one another than those who hate. It takes a bolder person to stay positive and a weaker person to be ‘down in the dumps and negative’ all the time.

The same could be said for this tea. The black tea base is bold and rich. The cocoa is strong pretty ass-kickin’ but in a ‘warrior pose’ sort of way (and not a violent way). The orange isn’t as prominent and it’s the only thing I would alter if I was asked what I would change about. But I’m not saying that to complain because I truly do LOVE this flavored black tea/honeybush blend.

And let’s talk about the honeybush, shall we? I’m stoked they used honeybush and not rooibos here! Kudos on that!

I’m VERY pleased with this cuppa. It makes me want to go out and face my day with a smile on my face, love in my heart, and a certain swagger I was lacking before the sipping experience!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Plum Deluxe
Description

We think that a good cup of tea can transport you to someplace special.  And that’s what we had in mind when we created our fresh, flavorful blend of chocolate orange tea.  It reminds us of brunch in a fine cafe in Paris, the city of light.

To create this magic we pair a simple blend of black tea and honeybush tea with cacao nibs and orange peel / orange extract.  It’s delicious and will give you an emotional boost.  Excellent with a splash of honey and milk.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Carrot Cake Pancakes from 52Teas

I am a carrot cake fiend. I also love me some pancakes. And before I found this magical tea hybrid of the two, I found actual carrot cake pancakes…or perhaps it was pancakes carrot cake? Basically it was a cake sold in a deli in Montreal that looked like 20 pancakes stacked, with cream cheese icing in between the layers. It always fascinated me but I never got to try it so this tea is my chance to give it a go.

The first thing I noticed while drinking this tea is that it has the nice spice that I love in a good carrot cake. The cinnamon is definitely strong, though smooth, with a touch of nutmeg and a dash of allspice. It is a nice rounded spice flavor that is kept in check by the sweetness of the carrot. With that said, the black tea has a touch of thickness in the mouthfeel that is bringing to mind a denser pancake as opposed to a fluffy/light cake.

At first when I finished the cup I was sad that there was no semblance of a cream cheese icing. With that said, I can definitely see this as carrot cake pancakes, as in pancakes inspired by a carrot cake recipe as opposed to the carrot cake that looked like 20 stacked pancakes layered with icing. So no cream cheese icing but this does taste like a pancake with carrot cake spices and some carrot sweetness. If you want carrot cake, this is not the tea to go with but if you want carrot cake pancakes, then give this a try.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

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

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

The Unicorn! from 52Teas. . . .

For my 25th birthday, my family surprised me with a sweet table. An entire sweet table! Not just any sweet table though. It was a unicorn themed sweet table and it was amazing. So, you can be sure that when 52 Teas came out with a unicorn tea, I would be all over it. Lucky for me, I didn’t even need to place an order because I won a contest and this arrived at my door. I would say it was meant to be.

This tea was inspired by the limited time frappucino from a certain coffee shop. It is a black tea blended with marshmallow root, vanilla bean, mangoes, blueberries, and strawberries. It also has adorable heart sprinkles that make for one lovely tea. I steeped it for 2.5 minutes in boiling water as per the recommended steeping parameters. I then let it cool for a bit before I started drinking.

The tea really is lovely. The yunnan and assamica is smooth and malty while the vanilla adds a creamy note. The marshmallow is fluffy and the whole tea has a nice fruity flavor to round everything out. Each fruit flavor pops from time to time but overall the marshmallow, vanilla, black tea, and fruit just come together so beautifully to make one awesomely flavored dessert tea. Also, having tried the drink that inspired this, I would say this definitely surpassed its inspiration given it doesn’t have a year’s worth of sugar and therefore is not overly sweet. Instead this has enough flavor to be interesting while not being over-the-top that one would easily bore of it.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

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

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Coconut Flan Genmaicha from 52Teas. . . .

So I am only about half a year late but I am getting into the 12 Teas of Christmas. This particular tea, Coconut Flan Genmaicha, was from the 4th night of Christmas and unfortunately that means it is no longer available. However, in case it comes back, I will probably try snatching some more of this up because it is a tasty tea.

I have never had flan personally but my understanding is it is a gelatinous custard with a caramel top (drizzle? coating?). So if I am wrong about what flan is I am sorry but that is what I am basing my interpretation on and based on that, I would say this tea is pretty true to its name.

The first thing I notice is the almost thick and creamy custard quality. A little bit eggy and a little bit sweet. In fact, a caramelized sweetness floats atop the sip. Underneath the custard, the genmaicha – a pop of roastiness to keep everything else in check. It is both desserty and like cereal which makes this tea great as either a nighttime treat or a morning pick-me-up.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

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

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Razzleberry Rooibos from 52Teas. . . .

I am always on the lookout for good caffeine-free options. Always. It seems like my cupboard is comprised of mostly black teas but I don’t want to be drinking cup after cup of caffeinated blends just before bed. So…the search is always on and I am always open to suggestions.

Recently, I was browsing the 52 Teas site and noticed this tea, Razzleberry Rooibos, was still available in both large and taster size and since I had an unopened taster bag at home, I decided to try it out to see if it was a blend I might want to stock up on.

This tea is a blend of green and red rooibos with blackberries, raspberries, and natural flavors.

Flavorwise, I get mostly red rooibos if I am being honest. It’s a mellow rooibos flavor that is neither medicinal nor woody and melds with the slight berry flavor that is present. It is sweet, not overly so but more generic than distinctly berry, even though the berry flavor pops up every now and again.

I love 52 Teas but this blend leaves me wanting more. More berry flavor. More razzledazzle.

So this isn’t going to be a caffeine-free staple in my cupboard but 52 Teas has many offerings for me to search through so I am not discouraged.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Rooibos
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

Here at 52Teas, we’ve had a few different variations on the Razzleberry (Raspberry & Blackberry) flavor – and they’ve all been so delicious that I see no reason why we should stop exploring all that’s Razzleberry! This time, we’ve flavored a combination of organic green and red rooibos. The result is a slightly tart, deliciously sweet berry tea that’s naturally caffeine free! 

The base is light, slightly fruity with hints of nutty warmth. The berry flavor is bright and tempting! Tasty!

Taster size is approximately 15g

organic ingredients: green rooibos, red rooibos, blackberries, raspberries and natural flavors

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!