There is literally no “wrong” time of year for pumpkin spice. I will never let such trivialities come in the way of a delicious taste or a review thereof.
Feel free to pat me on the back for journalistic integrity. I boogey to the beat of my own drummer.
Go ahead. Incorporate this into your own life. Drink tea “out of season.” Wear white after labor day. Wear black in the summer. Have visible panty lines. Go to a water park in the winter. Celebrate Halloween with a Gothy holiday tree. Adopt a squirrel and wear it as a hat.
Just kidding. I was checking to see if you were paying attention.
This tea totally nails the buttery, creamy, slightly-spicy nature of pumpkin pie. There’s even a caramel note that I am going to declare as “crust.”
The sweet night be a little bit too strong for it to taste exactly like pumpkin pie, but the tea does still retain that spirit.The tea’s flavor has the warmth of a chai with additional sweet milky smoothness, even consumed black. (I drink almost all teas black.) There’s that playful spicy moxie here that I typically associate with chai.
This tea isn’t available at the moment because, well… it’s out of season. That’s really the only downside of reviewing things “whenever” — things disappear! But that’s all right: keep an eye on Bluebird. Those spunky kids are always releasing new goodies, and one like this might be in their fall lineup!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Description
This tea is not available right now but click below to see the new teas they have to offer.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sensiblyscript’s Take on Lapsang Chai by Bluebird Tea Company. . . .
Steeping specs: One teaspoon at 212 degrees for 4 minutes in 1 cup of water.
This was an exciting idea for a tea. I’ve tried actual lapsang souchong once and couldn’t get through my mugful (maybe it was a bad idea to add milk, but I couldn’t stand it without milk either so I figured it couldn’t hurt anything). It’s not because I don’t like smoky flavors, either. I love smoked meat (I mean, BACON, right?), and I love campfires although it’s true I don’t eat them. But combining smoky tea with other strong spices that I know I like sounds like a very clever idea. I only wish I’d had it. In fact, I think I might have the rest of that sample packet of Lapsang somewhere; maybe I should go experiment with mixing it with various chais.
After steeping for four minutes I took a good whiff–it smells tantalizingly smoky. This could be either a good thing or a problem, as mentioned above. The color is amber-ish–on the light side for a chai, I think (and I do have the unfortunate tendency to judge my tea’s strength by its color! I’ve been known to waaaaay over-steep my tea just because it didn’t look dark enough to me). A few crumbs of leaf have escaped my basket, so maybe I’ll use the finer mesh next time I steep this. What’s really exciting is that although the smell is smoky, I can smell spices too! Cinnamon, ginger, and possibly clove, I think.
First taste: it’s definitely not tasting like liquid smoke here, which is good! The flavor combo is hard to describe, though. The smoky tang and the warmth from the spices hit me at approximately the same time with each sip, which means it really has a kick! It’s not a super spicy chai, though, so if you’re sensitive to spice that probably won’t be a problem (depending on just how sensitive you are, of course. Some people manage to complain of spiciness in foods that taste basically bland to me).
The smokiness combines especially well with the ginger notes for some reason. Does ginger have a smoky component normally? I don’t know. I just know that this tastes really, really good. The smoke lingers a bit after each sip, but like I said, it’s not overpowering.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Description
We like to do things a bit differently at Bluebird. Our latest infusion is a thoughtful blend of Lapsang Souchong, malty Assam + aromatic masala chai spices. A BREWtiful blend of tea + culture alike!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Gingernut Matcha from Bluebird Tea Co. . . . .
Whether you are a Matcha Maniac or the more adventurous type of Matcha fan today’s featured Matcha may just rock your world! Gingernut Matcha from Bluebird Tea Co. The company calls it the Detox Warrior. The Energizing Elixir. The Slimming Superhero. The Hangover Destroyer. Well, I personally, haven’t put any of these claims to the test but what I CAN tell you is that Gingernut Matcha from Bluebird Tea Co is an impressive flavored matcha that is certainly worth a taste!
Gingernut Matcha from Bluebird Tea Co seems to be ideal for autumn/fall/winter. It’s a limited edition matcha so be sure to get it before it’s gone! It’s also something that would appeal to those who enjoy ginger and spicier notes with even a little tingle in the sip.
The flavor of Gingernut Matcha from Bluebird Tea Co was potent and intense. It had an incredible ginger flavor, a nuttiness to it, and even a chili kick, too! The flavor lingered long after the sip was complete. I sampled this straight-up with nothing added but I’m looking forward to a Matcha Latte of sorts to see and taste how this steps up! I’m sure it will continue to shock and amaze!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha (Green Tea)
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Description
Our limited edition Gingernut biscuit matcha blend is so moreish with milk! Get your matcha kicks with a ginger tingle this Autumn – Winter season!
Our expert Tea Mixologists have created the UK’s first flavoured Matcha Collection in some of their favourite flavours using organic, natural ingredients and all hand blended at our HQ in Brighton.
The Detox Warrior. The Energising Elixir. The Slimming Superhero. The Hangover Destroyer. These are some of our nicknames for the Superhero Superfood – Matcha!
Matcha is a traditional Japanese powdered green tea with up to 10 x the benefits of regular green tea, 7 x the vitamin C as orange juice and 3 x the energy boost as an espresso shot! It’s packed full of antioxidants, minerals and nutrients and is said to aid weight loss, lowering blood pressure and increasing concentration levels and clarity of mind.
Bluebird’s Mixology Matcha contains rare and unique white matcha, grown at higher elevations to ensure an antioxidant boosted, even more nutrient rich cup.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Holiday Blend Alert! Snowball from Bluebird Tea Co.
I love Hostess Sno-Ball cakes. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, the Sno-Ball was a chocolate cake, filled with cream, covered in marshmallow, and crusted in coconut. Yeah, I know, it’s a lot to take in. Not to mention the cakes were dyed different colors for the holidays (orange for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, pink for whatever). As a kid, these cakes were the nectar of the gods. Into adulthood, we entered the dark ages when Hostess filed for bankruptcy and the snacks were no longer being manufactured. To help me cope with the loss, I took a stab at designing my own chocolate-coconut tea blend (it turned out pretty good). Since then, the Hostess recipes have been acquired by new companies and I can now find those tasty marshmallow cakes back on the shelves.
With all this in mind, it was an easy choice to order up a bag of Snowball tea from Bluebird Tea Co. I love this blend, it is no surprise to me that it has even won awards for its taste. Rich coconut and sweet chocolate are really pushed over the top with mini marshmallows. There’s a hot-chocolate coziness to this tea, made all the more decadent by the creamy coconut and cocoa shells. I take my tea black, without sugar or milk, but this is just the kind of tea that would make a fantastic dessert late with milk and whipped cream. I look forward to ordering more of Snowball tea from Bluebird Tea Co. to drink and to share before the season is over.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Description:
The chocolatey, marshmallow, coconut goodness of a gooey Snowball is one of the best sweet treats of Christmas and this year it is award-winning too! Our most famous Christmas tea blend scooped a Great Taste Award this year for it’s chocolate chips in plenty, coconut flakes in tons and a sprinkle of mini marshmallows to finish it off- The perfect Christmas Snowball.
This tea is no longer on the site but click below for what teas are
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Holiday Blend Alert! Spiced Pumpkin Pie from Bluebird Tea Co.
In my family, the holidays mean nothing without our traditions. Buy Christmas PJs together the day after Thanksgiving? Check. (Even as adults. Yup, this is a real thing, you guys.) Go to the orchard every autumn and come home with enough apples to keep us flush with homemade applesauce until the cows come home? Check. (Still eating that applesauce, btw). Surprise each other with new books on Christmas Eve and spend all day cozied up (in our Christmas PJs, naturally) and reading? Check. (That’s one of my faves).
But no Thanksgiving tradition runs as deep in our family as pumpkin pie. My grandma used to make the MOST delicious pumpkin pie yearly, only for Thanksgiving, and my plethora of cousins and I would duke it out for the biggest slice year after year. Even now after she’s gone, my mom and aunts carry on her tradition at our family gatherings. I’ve tried to play with her recipe a few times, tweaking it to be grain- and dairy-free– and while I’ve gotten it close, nothing tops the memory I have of the sweet, creamy, spicy, toothsome (and hard-won) pie of my childhood.
That said, if a tea is going to claim to taste not just like pumpkin, but pumpkin PIE? I’m going to hold it to some high standards. This black tea blend from Bluebird Tea Co hits many marks– not every mark, but enough that I can definitely give it my pie-stamp of approval. A bagged black tea with visible chunks (pumpkin sprinkles? maybe dried sweet potato?), it definitely delivers on the pie flavors I’ve come to know and love– sweet, creamy, almost vanilla crust-like notes, complimented by a heart dose of squash and spice. This tea takes cream and sweet well, and my dash of added maple syrup only likely elevated these flavors.
The only downfall I found was that when hot, this tea has a bit of a bitter aftertaste that I didn’t care for. When my cup cooled down, this bitter-ish flash all but disappeared, and the rest of the cup was a sweet delight. This might not be my grandma’s pie, but it’s close. Sipping on cups of this in November just might be a new addition to my autumn traditions!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
This tea is no longer available but these holiday teas are!
