When I started up the kettle I had a plan. I was going to brew up Magic Potion by DAVIDsTEA, get a cool timelapse video for my #365daysoftea challenge, and write a kickass review about the tea and its magical color changing effects. Although I can say that it was pretty to see the rich blue of the butterfly pea flower give way to a deep purple when mixed with lemon juice, I have to say everything else was a bit of a mess. The timelapse wasn’t all that interesting and the tea was undrinkable as a result of my distaste for stevia. I scrapped my first tea plan and went for something else I thought I might enjoy more…Limoncello by the NecessiTeas.
I steeped two perfect teaspoons of the dry leaf in a 16 ounce mug. I brewed the tea for 5 minutes in 200F water, per the recommended steeping parameters.
I have to say, after the disaster that was Magic Potion, this tea felt like making a new friend after being stood up on a first date. My first attempt at a tasty evening tea may have been a bit of a disaster but this tea was there to pick up the pieces.
The lemon is front and center – crisp and true to the fruit without being bitter or overly sour. I think that is due to the combination of lemongrass, which is a bit more savory than lemon, and lemon peels which bring the bright lemon zest flavor. What surprised me as I drank is that this tea has a lot more body than just a typical lemon tea. I think the addition of the brown sugar gives this an almost baked good vibe and that is where the body and richness is coming from. Moreover, the tea has a bit of a vanilla creaminess. I should say that in light of my description, this tea that has body and cream is not at all heavy and in that sense “lemon meringue” feels like an accurate description.
All in all, I quite enjoyed this tea. It is both new and different from teas I’ve had and yet at the same time it feels very familiar. I would most definitely classify this as a dessert tea but not one that is overly sweet, which is surprising given there is sugar right in the leaf.
Ultimately, this tea might have been the second tea I grabbed but it is by no means anyone’s second choice.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
The Italian dessert drink has made its way into a tea. Imagine lemon meringue teasing your taste buds, while sweetly melting in your mouth with a blend of vanilla and brown sugars. The lemony brightness shines through with lemongrass and a sprinkling of golden marigold petals, all topping a green rooibos tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Grandma’s Apple Strudel from The NecessiTeas . . . .
My grandmother was more of an apple crumble lady herself. My dad’s grandmother, however, could apparently make a mean apple strudel. Now I never met his grandmother but I have gone to a Hungarian restaurant, Old Country Inn, with my Dad who has told me that the strudel there taste’s just like she used to make so that’s my basis of comparison here.
In order to recreate Grandma NecessiTea’s strudel, this tisane is a blend of apples, raisins, cinnamon, chicory, almonds, vanilla, and natural flavoring. I brewed this hot, steeping about 3 teaspoons of tea in 16 ounces of 200F water for 5 minutes.
The first thing this tea brought to mind was the Forever Nuts blend by DAVIDsTEA. Both teas have that warming and sweet nutty flavor to them that takes over. At first when I tried Forever Nuts, I loved the flavor but it is strong and I was quickly turned off of it to the point that even the smell was off-putting. However, whether it be the long time I went without a tea like this or the subtle differences between this and the DAVIDsTEA version, I don’t mind this so much.
The apple is definitely the foundation flavor of this blend, coating your tongue with its sweet and fresh cinnamon-apple note. At first it is a bit of light vanilla that sits atop the apple but that quickly is taken over by the heavier and nutty almond and chicory flavors. There is a baked good vibe here and though the different components all together sound like an apple strudel, I find in actuality this tea doesn’t come together quite how it should so instead it is a jumble of flavors. In fairness, that could be due to my negative experience of Forever Nuts and the similarity to that but as I sip, I just can’t help but think that this is not the Apple Strudel tea for me.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
This tea does not appear to be available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Let’s Go Bananas Again! Recent Tastings of Banana Teas
Check out my first Let’s Go Bananas tea posting.
It’s no secret I love the flavor of bananas. I like the taste in pastries, candy, breakfast, the fruit itself, and of course, the taste of bananas in tea! Here is another round of tasty banana inspired teas I’ve tried lately
Banana Split from The Necessiteas
Leaf type: red rooibos
This red rooibos blend has all three essential components of a banana split, with pieces of strawberries, bananas, and carob bean (“chocolate”). The strong red rooibos compliments the sweet and tart fruit pieces in the blend. The chocolate is an undertone, taking a backseat to the driving banana and strawberry flavor combination. The blend benefits from sweetener and milk to make it feel more like a dessert and bring out more of the bananas.
Perles de Antilles Rooibos Blend from Camellia Sinensis distributed by Amoda Tea
Leaf type: green rooibos
This tropical green rooibos blend has pieces of dried banana, pineapple, and coconut. All three fruits are prominent, and no one ingredient takes the lead. Banana and coconut are the sweet components, bringing creaminess and body to the blend. The pineapple adds a much-needed pop of tartness to balance the blend. This tea is the most refreshing as an iced tea, and drinking it iced helps support its summertime tropical vibe.
Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha from 52Teas
Leaf type: green
52Teas has a whole host of delicious flavored genmaicha teas. Being the sucker for banana that I am, this was one of my favorites. The sweet cream of the marshmallow pairs well with the banana, almost like a banana cream pie. The toasty flavors of the puffed rice help this blend from being too sweet, and if keeping with the pie analogy, the rice makes up the crust-like component of the blend. All the warm, roasted flavors of puffed rice and gentle green taste of genmaicha with creamy marshmallow fluff and banana.
I know there are still banana teas out there that I haven’t tried, so I’ll need to fill up my mug and go bananas for banana tea all over again!
Strawberry Shortcake from The NecessiTeas . . . .
There’s something about strawberry shortcake that makes me think of summer, or at least makes me think of flowery tea parties. Maybe it’s just the fact that strawberries are at their height in the summer, or the fact that strawberry shortcake is often served with everyone getting their own little cake on a doily or saucer. Either way, drinking Strawberry Shortcake tea from the Necessiteas felt like the right thing to do on a beautiful summer day.
This tea smells decadent even in the dry leaf, with lots of strawberry and vanilla fragrance. The scent is supremely sweet, almost like strawberry Starburst candies. The blend brews up gold in color, and continues to be berry-sweet and incredibly fragrant.
In taste, the most forward tastes are strawberries and cream, with a bit of the earthy white tea to balance all the dessert-flavors. There are yellow cake notes at the back of each sip, reminding me of birthday cake ice cream. These cake flavors combine with the white tea, bringing an almost buttery, savory feel to the tea that gets creamier as the brew cools.
Three things go into strawberry shortcake: berries, cake, and cream, and this blend has all three essential elements in tea form. This is a must-try blend for any dessert-tea fans, or for any fun summery, strawberry occasions in your schedule.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description: Angel food cake perfectly combines with a light layer of sweet cream and juicy strawberries to create this guilt-free dessert. Enjoy hot or poured over ice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pineapple Mimosa from The NecessiTeas. . .
As I get older (hello, 30, comin’ round the mountain), I’ve noticed my body just can’t handle alcohol the way it used to. I’ve never been a huge drinker, but I enjoy a hearty glass of red wine with a big ol’ steak, or a fresh and fruity mimosa paired perfectly with a late-morning brunch. But in the interest of hangover-after-one-glass-of-wine-is-no-longer-worth-it, I’ve been abstaining mostly from alcohol as of late. I occasionally miss the special-ness of a fancy cocktail at a fancy event, but you guys. FOMO-no-more, I have found the perfect replacement.
Some of my very favorite tea companies (The Necessiteas being one) have blended up some spectacular brews that, on ice, make for a killer mocktail. This blend, Pineapple Mimosa, hits that brunch-tastic spot just perfectly. An herbal blend chock-full of fruit and beautiful marigold and cornflower petals, this one brews up to a beautiful golden liquor that looks like a dead-ringer for your favorite cocktail, served in a fancy glass. There’s a definite sweetness there, but a nice tempering of the fruit as well (perhaps from the addition of ginger?) that gives it a little more depth of flavor, mimicking something like a dry-but-fruity white wine. Even tastier is this one mixed with a plain sparkling water for just a hint of fizz.
If you’re like me and choose to stay away from alcohol, but still love the special-ness of a fancy beverage in the summer, look no further! The Necessiteas has the perfect solution.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
I am a total brunch girl or at least a brunch cocktail girl! I love testing champagne cocktails with different tropical flavors the same way I do with tea. I decided to stick with pineapple for this blend because of it’s delicate taste. But it was the ginger that really blew up the whole combination and turned this fruit infusion into something spectacular! Ginger was the missing puzzle piece to complete this yummy champagne “mocktail”. It’s all there, the fizz, the slight ginger spice and the sweet pineapple flavor balancing everything out.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
