I loved everything about this warming tea. I loved seeing the big coconut pieces, the delicious coconut aroma, and of course the taste. As soon as I poured the boiling water over this tea, all I could smell was coconut.
I associate coconut with all things sunny and warm, so it was very soothing on a cold, grey, snowy winter day. I added a little raw sugar and a splash of coconut milk and just enjoyed the heck out of this cup. I never thought of combining any kind of tea with coconut(other than milk) but it really works out so well.
The caffeine in the black tea helped to wake up my fuzzy brain, and the aromatherapy of the coconut helped not only wake up my senses, but put me in a mellow, peaceful frame of mind which is so important. I felt like this tea was giving me a big, welcoming wake up hug. If you love coconut, this is a tea that you need to try. It’s the kind of tea that you mourn the last sip, you just want it to last forever.
I would say this is in my top three favorite new teas I tried in 2016. Actually, I would say it’s in my top two. It’s competing with another coconut tea, matcha with coconut. I guess I just love coconut!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for what teas are.
Tea Description: I just wanted a tea that was coconut-y and a little bit smoky. So that’s what I did.
Sometimes, that’s what my inspiration is all about. I wanted a coconut-y tea and I thought that the combination of a lightly smoky tea with the creamy, sweet coconut flavor would be really interesting.
I started with a blend of black teas – a rich, malty Assam; a smooth, medium-bodied Ceylon and a tippy, robust Yunnan. Then I added just a teensy bit of Lapsang Souchong to give it a hint of smoke. I wasn’t going for a heavily smoked tea this time around – I didn’t want an overpoweringly smoky presence – just enough smoke to add some contrast to the silky sweet coconut flavor. Then I added a bunch of huge shreds of coconut.
The result is a sublimely yummy cuppa that you’ve gotta try. Sure, it might be a little on the ‘usual’ side especially when compared to some of the teas that we’ve made in the past but it’s no less delicious. Sometimes – going with something a little more ordinary can lead to extraordinary results!
This tea is vegan, gluten-free and all organic!
organic ingredients: black teas, coconut and natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Perfect Tea for the Holidays! Old Fashioned Spice Cake from The NecessiTeas
With the upcoming holiday season upon us, taking a moment to reflect, relax, and enjoy those moments around us become even more important. What better way to reflect,relax, and enjoy those moments than with a lovely cuppa!
Old Fashioned Spice Cake from The NecessiTeas was a tea I was a bit wary of. Mainly because I am not a huge spiced tea fan. But, I prepped my water and set to getting myself a cuppa. So far every tea I’ve had from The NecessiTeas has made my taste buds dance. (The hand blended offerings from The NecessiTeas are simply amazing and if you haven’t tried their tea yet, do yourself a favor and pick up a blend or two. You wont’ be disappointed!) If anyone was going to make me enjoy a spiced tea, it would be them.
Right off of the bat, this tea’s dry leaves have a wonderful holiday like aroma. Almost like when you go home for the holidays and walk into the kitchen and a family member has been baking desserts all day long. My tea couldn’t steep fast enough. And remember, this is from someone who doesn’t care for most of the ingredients in this tea.
First sip, my taste buds did a happy dance. Simply delicious. Almond and cinnamon notes are the most prominent and together they provide that baked cake flavor. The ginger is very subtle and the cocoa provides that smooth lush profile. The rest of the spices give that holiday feel that you really pick up as towards the end of the sip. So many flavors. Such a gorgeous and well balanced tea.
This tea is one that you need to brew up huge tea pots full, crack open the tea cups and saucers, and enjoy with family members all around. Creating memories with loved ones is what this tea is all about!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Warm and comforting, simple and timeless, this old-fashioned spice cake is a new autumn favorite! Get cozy with the warming spices of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and sweet bakery notes of almond cream.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemon-Lime Meringue Kukicha Green Tea from 52Teas (plus an experiment!)
Our Sister’s Thoughts:
Lemon-Lime Meringue Kukicha Green Tea from 52Teas. Just thinking about this tea makes your mouth water. I loved the original blend from 52Teas and honestly still have some. So I thought it was time to revisit the re-blend that was created earlier in the year.
First impressions-this tea has crisp tangy citrus notes that are crying to be a shaken iced tea. So that is exactly what I did.
I actually experimented a bit with this blend and tried cold brewing the tea a different way. I have a Grosche Smart Tea Maker and I love it. (Actually I have two!) They work really well.
So, I threw a few scoops of this blend into the tea maker, added cold water, and a few ice cubes and let the tea do its thing. At home I have very little free fridge space with having 5 boys with ranging ages in the house. So if this works, this could be a great shortcut to making cold brew tea.
Allowed the tea to cold brew for a few moments and took my first sip. Of course the tea wasn’t 100% ready but I was curious what the flavor would be like.
At 10 minutes: Brew came across as a subtle limeade. What flavors I could note where soft and gentle.
At 30 minutes: Tea was coming around. Lime flavors were stronger and there was a hint of lemon. Green Tea notes are starting to become pronounced.
At 1 hour: Lemon-Lime Green Tea at its finest! Ice cold and refreshing! The lime notes are the most prominent with a lemon citrus tang following. I can’t really pick up the kukicha green tea like I could when the tea was brewed hot but I love the rich smoothness the base tea adds to the iced tea. Absolutely delicious and refreshing.
I did try this blend brewed hot and I didn’t like it as much as I did as a cold brew. This is the way this tea should be enjoyed!
All in all, I think this experiment was a great success. This is going to be a great way to make cold brew tea while I’m at work.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:
I was very excited when this tea won the vote for this Retro Monday, mostly because it was my first opportunity to blend with Kukicha! And after this very positive experience, I think I’ll be working with it again in the future!
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a lemon-lime meringue pie. My gramma used to make lemon meringue pies quite often, though and when I first smelled this tea, it brought me back to one of her delicious pies. The citrus is bright and I find that as I continue to sip, I pick up on more of the meringue flavors and even just a hint of buttery pastry.
The original description went like this:
This is a Kukicha green tea blended with lemon myrtle and natural flavors.
We’ve managed to capture the essence of a slice of lemon-lime meringue pie, with a light touch of pastry-like crust, lemon and lime and of course, the meringue. Those of you who have the opportunity to try this are going to be blown away by it. Don’t delay, it’s not going to last long.
This was one of my favorites from Frank’s teas and it’s especially awesome iced. I realize that it’s not quite iced tea weather just yet – depending upon where you are in the world – but you really should try some of this iced before your pouch is empty!
Taster size is approximately 1/2 ounce.
ingredients: kukicha green tea, dried lemon & lime segments, lemon grass*, lemon balm*, lemon myrtle*, lemon peel*, lime leaves, vanilla bean* and natural flavors*. *denotes organic
Learn more about this tea here.
Bananas Foster from Handmade Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Handmade Tea
Tea Description:
Handmade Tea is a once a month tea subscription company. Each month you receive a high quality tea that is unique and fantastic!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Bananas Foster is a dessert that I just can’t pass up. I love bananas and when you add in caramel and other goodies. . .I’m in! And when tea blends are created with this idea in mind to make a Bananas Foster tea, I just get giddy.
This tea is an oolong based tea with banana slices, butterscotch chips and cinnamon, along with a few other spices. The tea smells amazing and I couldn’t wait to dive into the tea and check it out. I eagerly steeped up the tea. I couldn’t wait to try this. I’m always on the look out for an amazing banana tea.
Brewed with water at about 190 degrees and allowed the tea to steep for about 4 minutes. Once the tea was poured into my cup, I allowed the tea to cool off for a few before trying it. First sip in, I was very pleased by the flavors I was getting. Now I will say, I still haven’t experienced any banana flavor in this tea. I can see the banana chips in the blend but I just am not picking up those notes. What I do get is this amazing silky smooth vegetal flavor with a caramel sweetness that just makes you smile. Every now again I pick up a honey note and butterscotch flavors. I wish I picked up more of that butterscotch and obviously the banana but having an oolong that is sweet and vegetal all in the same, that works for me! The tea is still delicious and I will have no problem finishing it. I had recently cancelled my subscription to Handmade Tea just because of the amount of tea I currently have, but I have to say, I don’t think I can quit them! I can’t miss any of these fun flavors!
Equestea from Geeky Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
Black tea, apple pieces, natural caramel apple flavor and cinnamon bark.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Who doesn’t love My Little Pony. I mean c’mon! They even have bronies! I have loved My Little Pony forever. I remember playing with my ponies and doing their hair for hours straight as a kiddo. So when I saw that Geeky Teas had a fandom tea based off of My Little Pony- I said yes please!
This particular tea is a take on a caramel apple tea with cinnamon and a black tea base. Geeky Teas black tea base is very hit or miss with me and seems to be a bit more on the finicky side sometimes. But when it is good, it is good!
Brewed this up like a black tea with water prepped at 212F, allowed it to steep for about 3 minutes. The whole time the tea was steeping you could smell this wonderful aroma. Reminded me of a bakery. Sweet and almost nutty.
The waiting time was finally over and I took my first sip. Oh my goodness! This may be the best tea I’ve tried from Geeky Teas yet! This tea is amazing. I really wasn’t in the mood for a black tea but oh my goodness!! This tea really does taste like a caramel apple. The black tea provides a lush smooth silky like background while the apple brings a tartness, the cinnamon gives the tea a bit of a spiced feel, while the caramel apple flavoring gives you that sweet nutty flavor. Seriously good tea here! I’m in love!
I’ve said it before but if you haven’t checked out Geeky Teas, you need to!