Hello, fellow tea drinkers!
This week I officially got back my taste buds after being ill and I thought it was wise to partake in my first cup of white tea. So I figured that Tea n’ Joy’s White Peony was the way to go, for based on the description this tea is a perfect starter for black tea drinkers.
As far as white tea goes I didn’t know what I was expecting for my friends have informed me that white tea is usually very bland. Given that impression, I took that first sip and was pleasantly surprised. I will say that when I think of white tea I think of something that is light and cleansing and this brew did deliver that. But in addition to the palette cleansing, I was also greeted with a sweet after taste. It’s hard to put a description on it but the best that I can say is that it has a creamy sweetness. Also, White Peony goes amazing with cookies or biscotti. I myself used an almond chocolate biscotti and I did not regret it!
Now how hard is this tea going to hurt your wallet? Well at 4 oz it is priced at $18, 8 oz is $26, and $42 for 16 oz. So doing the math that is $4.50 an ounce which is normal for most loose leaf tea blends nowadays. Now I did not see an option to buy this tea as a sample outright but if you do make a purchase on their qualifying tea blends (White Peony is a blend that is qualified) you can receive two samples.
Given that this tea did appeal to me as an almost exclusively black tea drinker I will be sure to purchase this blend in the future. This blend has also motivated me to try other blends from Tea n’ Joy, their blend Earl Gray Moon is most definitely catching my eye.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea ‘n Joy
Description
Also known as “Pai Mu Tan” or “Bai Mu Dan,” White Peony is the second-most famous white tea after Silver Needle (“Bai Hao Yin Zhen”). Its flavor is bolder and deeper than Silver Needle, making it an exceptional choice for new white tea drinkers, especially those who usually prefer black teas. Refreshing and faintly reminiscent of fresh apples with a lovely, lingering flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Meditative Mind from The Tea Spot. . . . .
With the new semester starting and my mind trying to keep up with all the things around it, I was more than down for a nice cup of soothing tea. I was glad to find just want I was searching for with this relaxing blend.
Meditative Mind is a very soft tea where your taste buds will be lightly touched by the flavors of the jasmine flower and the rose petals. And as I said before in my previous reviews, this power couple of these two flowers always is a good base for any tea in my book. Not to mention the white tea does a fabulous job of joining these two together.
Additionally, I am glad that the flavors of this tea are very subdued for that is the point of this tea. In my opinion, this should be a tea that you drink when you are trying to wind down either by listening to the rain or some light music. Giving you a chance to really experience each flavor without distraction.
Also, a great thing about this tea is that is moderately inexpensive. For a 1.5-ounce tin is $12.95 but if you buy a 2-ounce tin you save some change by paying only $12.25. But if you are still unsure The Tea Spot also offers $3 samples which according to their site is good for five 8 ounce cups, which I think is a perfect trial for any tea. Another thing to feel good about if you do purchase this tea is that 10% of all The Tea Spots’ sales go to cancer and community wellness programs. So, while you enjoy the warmth of one of their numerous teas you can be confident that your purchase is helping those who are less fortunate.
Now, will I purchase this tea in the future? Most definitely! Because not only is it a good blend for stress relief and relaxation but my money is also helping to maintain “the on–going wellness of cancer survivors and facilitating healthy habits to decrease cancer risks”.
See you for the next cuppa! Kara
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Description
Our beloved blend of pure Chinese white tea, rosebuds and jasmine pearls creates an experience of aromatherapy that sharpens the mind and arouses the senses. The exotic floral scent of night–blooming Jasmine is uplifting and soothing, and is used as an anti-depressant in herbal medicine. Rosebuds are used to ease nervous tension and stress, and have a calming effect on the mind. This combination works together to enhance the light, subtle flavor of the white tea leaves. This tea brews into a golden liquor with a very soothing fragrance, and is perfect before, during, or after a stressful day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ooh Peppermint! – Harlow Tea Co.
When I received the Oo’ Peppermint Tea from Harlow Tea Co I first thought, “Oh man, this is going to be another one of those teas that extremely overpowered.” For any kind of peppermint tea the creator of said tea uses the oil from the peppermint plant and you can easily overpower any creation with just a tad over the amount of oil that was intended. But Harlow Tea didn’t depend on oil but instead the peppermint plant itself! Which, in fact, makes for a delightful flavor.
But this tea is not just peppermint leaf, its base is actually oolong tea (which gives meaning to the “Oo” in Oo’ Peppermint) with the accompanying flavors of tulsi leaf, almond, and vanilla bean. And I believe that this tea is blended to perfection for its splendid flavor is smooth and comforting. And that means a lot coming from a tea drinker such as myself for I usually try to stay away from vanilla. Paired with the almond makes the two most powerful flavors, the vanilla and the peppermint leaf, agree with each other to a point where you can have a cup that is too strong or too sweet.
Now on to the details about this tea. Harlow Tea Co. is an Etsy run shop and their prices are pretty fair indeed. For this particular cup it is $4 for 1 oz, $6.49 for 2 oz, and $10 for 3 oz. They also offer samples of all of their teas for a mere 50 cents. So if you are curious I would take advantage of their fair pricing.
All in all this will be a tea that I will keep stocked in my pantry. It will be a perfect tea to accompany me in illness or in health. I can’t wait to try more teas from this company for they have already won me over. And just as a side note, to all of you that are aware of/love Twinings Buttermint I would say to try this on for size.
See you for the next cuppa!
Kara
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Harlow Tea Co
Description
Do you love peppermint, well I hope so! This tea gives a kick of peppermint that lingers long after that last sip is taken! Oolong has long, pun intended, been known as an all around pleasing tea for those who may find green tea too bitter and black tea too strong. Love both, then oolong is a perfect combination of the two!
Oo’ Peppermint offers hints of almond and is balanced with pieces of vanilla bean. You may even see some vanilla bean seeds in your tea!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Rainy Day and a Cuppa – Storm’s a Brewin’ – Bumble Teas
Here on the coast of Mississippi, Hurricane Cindy is rolling through, bringing a lot of rain and thunderstorms my way. And I love it! I have always thought that I should be in a rainy state like Washington or even in the country across the pond called England. And what is better to do in this weather than to grab a book and a cup of tea? So I thought that this would be a great opportunity to try out a tea that is all about those perfect rainy days.
Now on the first sip, this tea settles on my palate like a normal green tea would but paired with creamy matcha-like taste, and this is without any kind of cream mind you. So as I was enjoying this beverage I decided to look up why this tea would produce such an interesting/delicious flavor. On Bumble Teas’ Etsy shop the ingredients are as follows: ginkgo leaf, gynostemma, bilberry with one of my favorite ingredients as the last touch; cornflowers.
Now the first two ingredients are foreign to me, ginkgo leaf and gynostemma. According to Mountain Rose Herbs’ website, ginkgo leaf is one of the oldest species of plant on planet Earth, 225 million years old. And Bumble Teas description does say that it is ancient but I wasn’t thinking that it would be in the million range. And this venerable plant is said to help promote healthy blood circulation. That claim along with leaf having a naturally sweet taste to it could help you warm your bones during frightful weather.
And when you pair that with gynostemma (or Jiaogulan), which is supposed to offer immune system benefits, you got a good cup of tea that warms you and may be able to keep away a cold. Now this tea sounds like it should be a pretty penny since of the ancient herb that it contains but this tea is actually pretty cost effective. It is $7 for 1 oz, $13 for 2 oz, and $24 for 4 oz.
All in all, this tea is light but flavorful and perfect for those rainy days. To me, this tea is just as soothing as the sound of the rain streaming down my window pane and the thunder that booms along with it in perfect symphony. And yes, before you ask, I will be purchasing this blend for my ever growing collection.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Bumble Tea
Description
Storm’s a brewin’, can you feel it in your bones?
Ancient, healing ginkgo leaf steeps alongside naturally-sweet gynostemma and bilberry, and cornflowers let you ditch the caffeine without losing those wonderful, antioxidant flavonoids that tea leaves normally supply.
Naturally caffeine-free.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Creamy Honey Oolong – Embrew Tea
I will start off this review by saying that I am not the biggest honey fan in the world and I was not at all excited to review this tea. But, who knows I may be surprised.
Now the tea was definitely creamy not an ounce of bitterness to be had. Now the only thing that I didn’t like about this tea was, you guessed it, the honey. Now I will say this, the main reason why I don’t like honey is because of the sickly sweet taste it has. And that taste is overpowered when it comes to grocery store honey so I knew that my taste buds were aware of the low-quality honey it has had before. Now this tea was a more downplayed sweetness to where the honey flavor was. In other words, this tea had a nice and soft honey flavor.
Now to the specifics of this tea. It is kind of pricey for $15.95 for a 10 tea bags, so about $1.60 per cup of tea. But I think the price is somewhat justified for on their product page (found here) the honey that is used is 100% real honey granules and it seems that they use only the finest oolong that can be found.
Now, will I ever purchase this for myself?
Probably not. But I definitely know a couple of people who would love this tea. For it is a great tea for honey lovers for it is not too much honey. It seems like the perfect cup to have when you need a pick me up and it would be fantastic when you are under the weather with just a drop of lemon.
See you for the next cuppa!
Kara