Petit Macaron/Whittard’s of Chelsea -Ashmanra

Photo Credit: Whittard of Chelsea

When I first tried this tea, I didn‘t know the difference between a macaron and a macaroon. Macaroons are far more common here! I have now been introduced to macarons, which I much prefer, but that’s just me! The two are very different.

This tea does have lots and lots of coconut pieces and the coconut flavor is as noticeable as the pastry like scent, the caramel, and hazelnut flavor, with hazelnut being the lightest element here. There isn’t a lot of oil floating on top like some coconut flavored teas have, nor is coconut overpowering to me.

The main thing is noticed was that as much as I loved the flavorings in this one, they did not obliterate the taste of the tea base. Quite often, flavorings will utterly mask the tea base, and tea lovers can feel a little let down. We want TEA. Here we have equal strength in the cup of tea, coconut, caramel, hazelnut, confection…how did they accomplish this?

I think the key is that over a third of the leaves in this blend are Sencha, a green tea from Japan that boosts the actual tea presence to keep it from being masked. It’s has a bit of edge that some black teas don’t have, and you end up tasting both the black and green, with the black tea lending a luscious, rich base for all the other ingredients.

I often pair sweets with unflavored black tea, usually from China, but this is a flavored tea that goes well with most sweets or serves as a decadent and chic afternoon treat on its own.


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type: Black/Green

Where to Buy:  Whittard’s of Chelsea

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Co-Coconut Almond/A Quarter To Tea. . . .

Co-Coconut Almond is a tea by A Quarter to Tea that was featured in the  monthly subscription box. It is comprised of black tea, coconut flakes, raw almonds, cocoa nibs/shells, and mini sprinkles.

Steeping the tea using the recommended steeping parameters, I brewed it up as a latte and topped it with coconut whipped cream. Since the whipped cream was being rather uncooperative, I ended up with a fair bit more whipped cream than I wanted, though thankfully it complimented the tea quite nicely contributing a deliciously sweet and creamy coconut.

As for the tea itself, the main flavor for me is the almond which is smooth throughout the sip and then really pops at the end. I don’t usually love almond in tea as it tends to come off like marzipan as opposed to the actual nut. This tea does get a bit of a marzipan quality to it at the end of this sip when there is a pop of flavor but until that point, it is much more true to the nut itself and it blends nicely with the creamy coconut of the tea, another strong flavor. What I don’t get at all is the chocolate.

This tea did make for a nice latte and I think those who enjoy marzipan would love this, especially if they are coconut fans as well. As someone who doesn’t love marzipan, this was not my favorite but it was still quite nice.


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  A Quarter To Tea

Description

This blend was part of the monthly tea subscription box.  Click below to learn more!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Coconut Warrior from Wise Ape Tea Company. . . .

Wise Ape Tea company has some hella-cool branding.

Its logo is a three-eyed ape. The site says things like “Wise ape is more than just a tea; it’s a tribe of like-minded individuals who are focused on self-motivation and an altruistic attitude.” The pop up-ad asking you to subscribe to their newsletter says: “We welcome you to join our growing community of health hackers, zen warriors, and legendary tea drinkers. We require nothing but an open mind. Drink healthy and stay wise.”

I mean, like, HECK YES. Was that MADE FOR ME, or what?

When I spotted the samples the SororiTea Sisters received on Instagram , I begged for a few. (This is also a plug for our Instagram. We have one! Follow us!)

Here’s my first sample. . . 

Coconut Warrior is a perfectly-balanced mix of sweet (coconut) and a little bit spicy (tumeric/bark). The flavor is a bit like a chai — one that doesn’t have that runaway spiciness that I find exhausting. It helps that the base is assam, not darjeeling, which is a bit spicier by its very nature. Assam is a good “straight man” companion to hold up a flavored black tea.

It’s good, y’all.

I can’t really tell you if it’s going to reduce your inflammation, “repair,” or “regenerate.” But it WILL “revitalize.” This sweet & lightly spicy little number will put a little pep in your step. It might even open your third eye to exciting new possibilities of the day.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Wise Ape Tea Company
Description

A revitalizing blend of assam black tea, coconut and turmeric, combined with wildcrafted pau d’ arco bark to heal your human temple. This legendary elixir is designed to mitigate inflammation and defend your body from the inside-out.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Coconut Cream Pie from David’s Tea. . .

David’s Tea’s site says that this tea makes a great dessert substitute. I say, uh, nice TRY, but we all know YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIES on this one.

That said, this tea IS a sweet sensation. It’s got coconut, white chocolate, and oolong, my personal favorite. It tastes like a tropical morning. Enough kick in the oolong to scoot you along, but enough sweet to say “hey, it’s a sunny and fun day ahead.”

Despite living in Pennsylvania during January, I do momentarily feel — with this tea and my light box — that bikini weather is right around the corner.

Just let me pretend.

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong
Where to Buy:  David’s Tea
Description

Rich, toasted coconut flakes and creamy white chocolate unite in this delectable oolong tea. Infused with all the flavours of a homemade coconut cream pie, this velvety oolong blend smells as delicious as it tastes. Who needs dessert when you’ve got this tea to satisfy your sweet tooth?

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Coconut Peach Turmeric from Spice and Tea Exchange. . . .

Count me in with the legions of humans who have been recently flocking to turmeric in everything, friends– I love its slightly bitter spiciness, I love how well it translates in everything from sweet to savory, I love its inherent anti-inflammatory goodness… I love it all. I recently participated in a tea swap with a fellow Sororitea Sister, and when she asked what kinds of teas I’d like to try, I requested anything that would be tasty iced. (that IS my summer tea drinking M.O., clearly.) While I usually reach for a very specific few kinds of teas to ice (greens, fruity herbals, fruity blacks, nothing nutty/savory/decadent), it was fun to see someone else’s choices of ice-able teas and push myself outside of my comfort zone!

Now, while this tea TOTALLY fits within those guidelines, I think the ‘turmeric’ in there would have typically swayed me away from trying this one iced, and that would have been a shame. Hot, this tea is tasty– but iced is totally where it shines. The bitterness of the turmeric is perfectly offset by the sweet peach and creamy coconut, and where these flavors could potentially veer into saccharine or dull territory, they’re perfectly accented by the spice of the turmeric. I’m so glad I gave this one a try, and I’m now totally motivated to expand my ice-able comfort zone to teas I normally wouldn’t try. Thanks, fellow sister!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Spice and Tea Exchange
Description

This tea is not currently on the website but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!