Snickerdoodle from 52Teas. . . .

by Sophia

I am a fan of dessert blends, regardless of what the tea base is. Whether it’s caffeinated or not, I always tend to prefer something sweet & unique. 52 Teas definitely has some unique blends so they are usually my go-to. This particular tea, Snickerdoodle, is a Honeybush/Rooibos blend which means that it is caffeine free and perfect for a guilt-free after-dinner treat to warm you up on a cold rainy evening!

Smelling the dry leaf on this one, the cinnamon and cookies really shines through. Even more so once the tea has been steeped. Snickerdoodles are not my favorite cookie, i’m more into hot chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the over with a cold glass of milk! However, the flavors involved in a Snickerdoodle (cinnamon & sugar) make for an excellent cup of tea. Not only is this warm, cinnamon-sugary, and comforting but there is an actual “cookie” flavor to the cup. The Honeybush/Rooibos blend is subtle and smooth so if you tend to dislike rooibos you should still give this one a try!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Honeybush/Rooibos
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

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

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Honeybush

Cotton Candy Genmaicha from 52Teas. . . .

by Sophia

I am a sucker for 52 Teas flavored genmaichas. Their Marshmallow Treat stole my heart long ago and I have yet to turn back. Not to mention, some flavors just call to me when I am ordering teas. Things that scream “sweet” and “dessert” almost always catch my attention and Cotton Candy is at the top of that list. That is why the minute I opened the email advertising this Cotton Candy Genmaicha tea, I started building a cart. I was quick but not quick enough because the large packs of this tea were gone before I even opened the site.

Looking at the tea, I can see the immediate appeal. Besides the mouthwatering name, this tea is lovely, with its amaranth petals and adorable purple heart-shaped sprinkles atop the typical genmaicha base loaded with popped rice. Before even trying the tea, I am won over. Thank goodness too because I might have stocked up without even giving this a taste.

Alright…the moment of truth…how does this lovely tea taste? Well, like genmaicha. A little vegetal from the green tea base and the matcha and a lot roasty from the popped rice. How does the cotton candy play into this than? This is sweeter than the typical genmaicha, and I suppose that makes sense because at the end of the day cotton candy is just sugar. It is not overly sweet though which is both good and bad. Good because it means one can drink this more often without feeling like they are developing cavities. And bad because when you think cotton candy you think over-the-top sugar and I am just not getting that here.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green
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!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Green Tea

Pick Me Up Oolong from Plum Deluxe. . .

by Sophia

A delicious blend of oolong tea with Vermont maple syrup, orange peel, and almond essence. I was immediately excited to try this! It sounds more like a fall blend because of the maple, but that’s okay. It’s funny because my favorite season are fall and winter and that rings true in the flavors I prefer.

I like pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple, almond flavors and those tend to come out more in the fall and winter. But because I love them so much, i’ll drink them anytime if they’re available!

I’ve really been happy with all my tea blends that I received in my Plum Deluxe order and I am going to be ordering again. This blend, in particular, exceeded my expectations. My first sip was unsweetened, but I decided to add some agave for effect and it definitely brought out all the flavors more. The oolong base here is very smooth and subtle and is the perfect stage for this myriad of comfort-flavors.

The first flavor I could taste was the maple, which was almost creamy. The nutty and sweet almond came out towards the end of the sip and left a nutty almond taste in my mouth. The orange was undetected by me, but I did not have a problem with that as I am not always fond of citrus. This blend both smelled and tasted like pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with almond slices. I definitely recommend it, anytime of the year!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy:  Plum Deluxe
Description

Sometimes, we just need a pick-me-up — the kind of tea that gives us a gentle hug, a firm pat on the back and says, keep going. That’s what inspired us to create our Pick Me Up blend tea — it’ll put a spring in your step and give your creative spirit a boost.

We start with an earthy Formosa Oolong tea from Taiwan. We add a pinch of orange peel and rooibos tea as well as natural almond extract and real Vermont maple syrup (yes, really!). The result is a smooth, balanced tea that is both rich and sweet while at the same time being crisp and earthy. With the lower caffeine levels, it is wonderful any time of day you need a pick-me-up — from getting out of bed on the right foot to an afternoon emotional reset.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in Oolong, Plum Deluxe

On Wisconsin from A Quarter To Tea. . .

by Sophia

This tea caught my eye due to the description of cheesecake and honey. Doesn’t that sound heavenly? This is an Oolong blend and it contains REAL pieces of graham crackers. The Oolong itself is actually a little bit more floral than I would have thought. However, the floral aspect works well with the honey. The taste of cheesecake is not something I would have picked out initially, but thinking about it now I do taste it lingering once the sip is gone

Opposed to what you would think when hearing the description of this yummy blend, i’m not quite sure if I would classify it as a dessert blend. It isn’t overly sweet or anything. This is still one that could be drunk in the morning before work or for a quick pick-me-up during that mid-afternoon slump. My favorite part was definitely seeing the pieces of graham crackers in the blend, I think that that is the first time I’ve seen it! I also enjoyed how no one ingredient took over the entire cup, they all blended nicely and were subtle. I would definitely recommend to give this blend, and a plethora of other blends from A Quarter to Tea a try. I think all of their tea blends are well done and very creative! I haven’t met one that I truly dislike.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong
Where to Buy:  A Quarter To Tea
Description

A sweet and creamy jade oolong with sweet honey and cheesecake flavors and cow sprinkles straight from the dairy state.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in A Quarter To Tea, Oolong

My Morning Blend from The NecessiTeas. . . .

by Sophia

My Morning Blend by The NecessiTEAs is a strong and robust blend of black tea and cocoa beans.

It is very bold and slightly bitter, so I added agave to tone it down a bit. That helped, but the flavors of the black tea and cocoa beans are still overpowering the agave. It smells strongly of black tea with a tiny hint of chocolate.

The cocoa definitely comes out more once it’s steeped, but the main flavor is bold black tea. Although this is not quite my “cup of tea”, I think it would be a great, tasty, energizing blend for someone who is looking to switch from coffee to tea.

I used to drink coffee, but that was over two years ago so I am not really used to the bitter and bold qualities of coffee. I do, however, remember those qualities and I think that this tea possesses them more so than other teas.

Therefore, I can definitely see someone who predominantly drinks coffee really enjoying this blend especially in the morning!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  The NecessiTeas
Description

If you are looking for a wake-me-up, perk-me-up cup in the morning, that’s off the beaten path of coffee, look no further. This strong black tea has the smoothness of chocolate, and the boldness of roasted cocoa beans. Doctor it as you would a cup of coffee, with milk and sugar to start off your day!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in Black Tea, The NecessiTeas