Jasmine Oolong Tea from Tea Ave.

JasmineOolong2Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy: Tea Avenue (to be opening soon!)

Tea Description:

Jasmine Oolong is a flower tea with an inviting floral scent and a clean, strong taste.  The flavor of jasmine blossoms overlaying earthy Oolong undertones.

Taster’s Review:

TeaAvetoteSo, this review is a little bit unusual because the company – Tea Avenue – hasn’t yet opened it’s online store.  (They should be opening soon!)

A few months ago, I was approached by Tea Ave. about reviewing some of their Oolong teas on our blog.  When the package arrived a couple of days ago, I was astonished by it!  Tucked inside the large box that DHL delivered was this cool tote bag – this is the size that you’d use to tote your groceries home so this bag will be reassigned to grocery duty!TeaAveTeas

Inside the bag were three sample size pouches of tea:  Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong (a favorite of mine!), Magnolia Oolong (yay!) and this Jasmine Oolong!

TeaAveAromaSet
Aroma set – two porcelain cups with a solid oak tray!

Also inside the bag was an introductory letter and a gift card for $15 off the next purchase of $75 dollars or more … and a beautiful, white pearlescent box that opened to reveal a gorgeous aroma cup set with tray!  Wow!

I felt like I won a prize or something!

And because they sent me not one but TWO of these marvelous introductory gifts, I have an extra one to share with one of my lucky readers!  Keep reading for details on how to win!

But in the meantime, let me tell you about this tea!

JasmineOolong1Jasmine Oolong!  I’ve tried a few Jasmine Oolong teas in the past, and I’ve enjoyed most of those that I’ve tried.  To brew this, I grabbed my gaiwan.  Following a quick 15 second rinse, I steeped the first infusion for 1 minute in water heated to 175°F.  I added 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion.

My first cup (the combination of infusions 1 and 2) was absolutely delightful to sip.  The flavor is distinctly jasmine, but I love that it isn’t at all perfume-y.  Floral – yes, and quite floral at that.  There is a perfect balance between creamy notes from the Ali Shan Oolong and the sweet floral notes from the Jasmine.

My second cup (the combination of infusions 3 and 4) is stronger in flavor than the first cup was, but there is still a really pleasing balance between the flavor of jasmine and the creamy notes of the AliShan Oolong.  The cup is more floral this time:  the jasmine notes are mingling with the natural floral notes of the Oolong tea, and the AliShan is delightfully creamy and smooth.  The flavors aren’t bitter or sharp.  Just smooth and relaxing and oh-so-delightful.

This seems to be about as perfect as it can get:  my favorite Oolong tea combined with my favorite floral for a tea – jasmine!  It’s such a remarkable tea!

My third cup (infusions 5 and 6) is a little less balanced versus cups one and two.  I still get a pleasant jasmine note and a lovely flavor from the Oolong, but these flavors have become more mellow.  It’s a smoother cup – more creamy while the jasmine is a little less focused.  Still wonderful though – so I highly recommend going for that third cup!

PLEASE NOTE:  THIS CONTEST IS OVER AND A WINNER HAS BEEN SELECTED.  THANK YOU FOR VISITING OUR BLOG AND PLEASE KEEP CHECKING BACK.  WE DO FREQUENT GIVEAWAYS!

Now, as promised, I’m going to offer my second ‘gift set’ from Tea Ave. to one of my readers!  

This contest will run from today (February 15th) through  Saturday, February 21st.  On February 22, I will select a winner by random draw using Random.org.  

The gift set includes:  three samples of Oolong teas from Tea Avenue, along with a gift card for $15 dollars off your next purchase form Tea Ave., a gift boxed porcelain aroma set with oak tray and a durable tote bag suitable for reuse (as a grocery bag, a book bag, or whatever you want to use it for!)

To enter for your chance to win, you just need to comment below.  Be sure to include a way to get in touch with you if you’re the lucky winner!  If I’m unable to contact the winner within three days, I will need to conduct another random draw.

Want extra entries?  Of course!  Who doesn’t?  Here are a few easy peasy ways to earn extra entries:

  1. To earn another entry, follow Tea Avenue and SororiTea Sisters on twitter.
  2. Like Tea Avenue and SororiTea Sisters on Facebook.
  3. Tweet this contest – and be sure to link it – on Twitter.  After you’ve done this, be sure to send us a link to the tweet so that we can check it out!
  4. Mention this contest on Facebook – and be sure to link it!  After you’ve done this, be sure to send us a link to check it out!

That’s it … four simple ways to earn four extra entries to win this amazing gift set!

It’s a Whole New Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!  PLEASE VISIT AGAIN SOON TO CATCH OUR NEXT GIVEAWAY!

After a brief break during our Season of Giveaways here on the SororiTEA Sisters blog, we’re back with an all new giveaway!  Our sponsor this week is Boutique Teas!  I’ve had the opportunity to try a couple of their teas so far:  check out my reviews for their Phoenix Oolong and their Big Red Robe Oolong!

boutiqueTeasThis week, we’ll have not just one, not two, but THREE winners of a sample tin size of their amazing Phoenix Oolong Tea!  And these are no ordinary “samples!”  These tins hold enough tea to make 15 – 20 cups of tea. That’s a lot of Oolong goodness!

So if I’ve whetted your appetite for some delicious Phoenix Oolong and you want to win some of this amazing tea … here’s all you have to do to enter:

1.  Post a comment to this blog.  Your blog comment should include a way that we can contact you in case you’re the lucky winner!  The best way to do this is to either join Steepster or Tea Trade so that we can contact you via Private Message at either one of these, or let me know your user name and which site on which I can contact you.

Want to earn additional entries?  Here’s how!

2.  Become a fan of Boutique Teas on Facebook.  Be sure to come back here and let us know that you’ve done this, we do check, but all fans are not automatically entered into this contest … so please let us know!

3.  Follow Boutique Teas on Twitter. Again, be sure to come back here and let us know that you’ve done so!

4.  Tweet about this contest!  It’s as simple as it sounds!  Be sure to include #SororiTeaSister in your tweet so that we see it, and come back here and let us know that you’ve tweeted about the contest.

5.  Share about this contest on your Facebook page.  Again … easy peasy!  Be sure to come back here and provide a link to your post on Facebook so that we can verify the entry when it comes time to tally up the entries and pick a winner.

Now … let’s get down to the nitty gritty … or … the fine print as some would say.  You can enter now through February 10, 2013.  On February 11, I will tally the entries and select three winners randomly via Random.org.  This contest is open to US and Canadian residents.  Your prize will be shipped within 10 days of receipt of your shipping information … so be sure to get back to us promptly if you’re notified as a winner!  If you have been selected as a winner and I do not hear back from you three days after I’ve attempted to notify you, I will need to consider your entry invalid and select a new winner … so like I said, be sure to contact me right away when I contact you.  This ensures a smooth process.

That’s it … GOOD LUCK!

Nutty & Sweet SororiTEA from Uniq Teas

Nutty & Sweet SororiTEA from Uniq Teas
Nutty & Sweet SororiTEA from Uniq Teas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Genmaicha, Green

Where to Buy: Uniq Teas

Tea Description:

Delicious nutty genmaicha blended with sweet succulent strawberry green tea. This is Azzrian’s blend. Azzrian loves genmaicha, and strawberry teas are her weakness, so she combined the two. A mix of nutty and sweet, just like her!

Blend

55% Genmai-cha / 45% Strawberry Orchid

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

A huge Thank you goes out to Uniq Teas for giving me a chance to create my own blend!

Nutty & Sweet SororiTEA from Uniq Teas is a blend of two of my favorite things, Genmaicha and Strawberries!

I love a good genmaicha, and I adore the fresh sweet flavor of strawberries. Combined it is the most wonderful flavor you can imagine! In some ways it reminds me of a Long Island Strawberry Tea, which is one of my summer staples! It has that really ripe, fresh, and not overly sweet strawberry flavor.

If you are looking for a strawberry flavor that is intensely sweet to the point of almost cloying, or an artificial soda pop flavor of strawberry then this tea is not for you. This is something very natural tasting, very refreshing, and of course add to that the genmaicha, which is savory, nutty, green, etc … its just delicious!

I named my tea to reflect my personality which is somewhat nutty, somewhat sweet, but perhaps not too much of either on its own. I also can certainly be bitter from time to time so you want to be sure that you steep my tea blend correctly or it could, like me, get a little snappy! It is fresh (I can be a little fresh at times) and refreshing, (I would like to think I can be) with its grassy natural flavors, (I do love nature), and excellent cooled or iced. Also like LiberTEA, and TeaEqualsBliss, who also created and named their own blends, I wanted my tea blend to represent our Sisterhood! It is the perfect blend when you want to get some grounding earthy goodness or when you want to feel rejuvenated!

See TeaEqualsBliss’s review and her tea here. See LiberTEA’S review and her tea here.

I love my blend and now you have a chance to win a custom blend of your own! Check it out here.

Yep … it’s that time again! Time for Another Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed, but please watch our blog for more giveaways during our Season of Giveaways!  

It’s our first Season of Giveaways – and it’s been quite a season thus far!  So many wonderful tea gifts given away to our readers … this next giveaway could be won by YOU!

steap-logo-plainThis week’s sponsor of is sTEAp Shoppe!  This is a fairly new company that has gained quite a bit of popularity on Steepster thanks to its Virtual Taste Testings it’s sponsored.  I enjoy their teas because they’re so unique and they taste fresh and natural.  Some of my favorites thus far have been – Milk Chocolate Caramel (oh yum!), Swedish Delight, and Caramel Apple Tea.  Click on the links to read my reviews of those teas … or simply visit the sTEAp Shoppe to see what other amazing blends they have!

So by now, you’re probably wondering what the prize is, right?  Well, here it is:  A Tall Tea Box set, which will include the three tins, filled with the teas of your choice!  This prize has a value of $30 – and it’s yours if your name is the one drawn on the 28th of December!

tall-gift-box
This is it! The Tall Tea Gift Box!

So, have I captured your interest yet?  Want to know how to win this wonderful prize?  It’s simple!

To enter:

  • Visit sTEAp Shoppe’s online shop, choose your three teas, and then comment on this blog post.  Sounds simple enough right?  Well, it is!  Just visit the sTEAp Shoppe, and check out their amazing selection!  Then comment on this blog and list the three teas that you’d choose for your Tall Tea Box.  Now, don’t worry if you change your mind between now and when the winner has been selected … if you’re selected as the winner, you can choose different teas than those that you’ve added to the comments … I just am curious to know what teas interest YOU the most right now!  Also, be sure to include in your comment a way for us to get in touch with you should you be the lucky winner of this week’s contest.

To earn additional entries:

  • Tweet this contest.  Be sure to include a link to this blog post so that those that read your tweet can enter to win too.  Also, be sure to add @SororiTeaSister on your tweet so that we can easily find it.  This will help us verify the tweet, and plus we like to see our name on tweets.  It makes us feel important and special.
  • Follow sTEAp Shoppe on Twitter.  Really simple, and it earns you an entry into the contest.  Be sure to come back here and let us know that you’ve done this.
  • Add a link to your Facebook Page.  Just mention this contest on your facebook page and include a link so that your Facebook friends can enter.  Be sure to add a comment to this blog post with a link to your facebook page so that we can verify the Facebook entry.
  • Like sTEAp Shoppe on Facebook.  Again, really simple, and it earns you an additional entry into the contest.  Be sure to come back here to let us know you did this.
  • Follow our Blog!  This is really simple to do too.  Just click on the button on the bottom right hand side of the screen, and enter your email address.  Do that, and then let us know that you’re subscribed to our blog and you’ll earn yet another entry!

Be sure to come back and tell us what you’ve done, so that we can properly credit you with your entries.  You can earn up to five extra entries, for a total of six entries to this contest!  Awesome!

This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only.  You can enter to win now through December 27.  On December 28, a winner will be drawn via Random.org and contacted, and once contact is established, the winner’s name will be announced.  If we are unable to reach the winner within 3 days, that winner will forfeit and a new winning name will be drawn until contact is established.  To ensure that we get a hold of you if you are the lucky winner, please be sure to include the best way to contact you in your entry.

Annoucing Another Giveaway – It’s our Season of Giveaways!

This giveaway is now closed, and a winner has been selected.  Please watch our blog, though, because another giveaway is on its way … SOON! 

The response to our Season of Giveaways has been HUGE!  So, let’s keep it going, what do you say?

This week, we’re giving away December’s Tea Tasting Box from Amoda Tea!  (Value $15 plus shipping!)  I heard about Amoda Tea on Steepster, they started out with tea tasting box that was exclusively for Canadian tea drinkers for their first month (October) and expanded to the US market in time for their November Box.  I received their November box and I squealed with delight when it arrived.  I love the the packaging and I love being able to try three brand new teas that I had not tried before.


These boxes are FUN, FUN, FUN – Of course, when is it NOT fun to receive tea in the mail?  Second only to drinking the tea, it is the best part of my job as a tea reviewer! – and the boxes would also make a great gift or stocking stuffer for someone special (even if that someone is you!)  It’s also a great opportunity for you to see what Amoda is all about.  I love this company – and I think you’ll love them too!

Here are the teas that were in the box in November:

Honeybush Haze

Darling Darjeeling

Zulu Chai

And you can bet there will be some fabulous teas for their December Box – the box you can win just by entering this giveaway!  This contest allows you to get in on the fun for the month of December.  The winner of this contest will receive the tea tasting box from Amoda Tea for the month of December!

To enter:

  • Comment on this blog post.  Sounds simple enough right?  Well, it is!  Be sure to include in your comment a way for us to get in touch with you should you be the lucky winner of this week’s contest.

To earn additional entries:

  • Tweet this contest.  Be sure to include a link to this blog post so that those that read your tweet can enter to win too.  Also, be sure to add @SororiTeaSister on your tweet so that we can easily find it.  This will help us verify the tweet, and plus we like to see our name on tweets.  It makes us feel important and special.
  • Follow Amoda Teas on Twitter.  Really simple, and it earns you an entry into the contest.  Be sure to come back here and let us know that you’ve done this.
  • Add a link to your Facebook Page.  Just mention this contest on your facebook page and include a link so that your Facebook friends can enter.  Be sure to add a comment to this blog post with a link to your facebook page so that we can verify the Facebook entry.
  • Like Amoda Teas on Facebook.  Again, really simple, and it earns you an additional entry into the contest.  Be sure to come back here to let us know you did this.
  • Follow our Blog!  This is really simple to do too.  Just click on the button on the bottom right hand side of the screen, and enter your email address.  Do that, and then let us know that you’re subscribed to our blog and you’ll earn yet another entry!

So you can earn an additional five entries in this contest, for a total of six entries to win!  It’s really easy!

Now, for the fine print:  This contest is open from today, December 11, through December 17.  A winner will be drawn via Random.org on December 18 and will be contacted privately before the name of the winner is announced.  If we are unable to reach the winner within three days, an alternate winner will be drawn until we can contact the winner to obtain their shipping information, which will then be forwarded to the staff at Amoda Tea.

This drawing is opened to US and Canadian residents only, because at the moment, that’s where Amoda Tea ships.  If you are a SororiTea Sister, you’re not eligible to win – then again, there’s only three of us, so if your name is not Anne, Jennifer, or Joely, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re not a SororiTea Sister.  The same goes for the staff at Amoda Tea.  For the rest of you, please enter and join in on the fun!

This Giveaway is now closed, and a winner has been selected!  Congratulations to eugaet … he is the winner of this week’s giveaway sponsored by Amoda Tea!

Watch our blog for another giveaway … coming soon!