Red Wine Apple Cake from A Quarter To Tea. . . .

Friends, there’s no question that we here at SororiTea Sisters love us some A Quarter to Tea. (I feel like I can speak for us all. I may be speaking out of turn, but… have you *seen* our AQTT archives? I rest my case.) I’ve recently renewed my AQTT subscription box to be a monthly thing, and not just a “whenever I feel like it”, because I have to say– I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a bad blend from the brilliant minds in AQTT’s blending room.

Now– when this particular blend (red wine apple cake? Who’d even heard of such a thing?!) showed up at my doorstep last month, I wavered a little bit. Would this be the blend that steered me wrong? I’m not typically a white tea drinker, and it takes a LOT for me to be impressed by a white blend. I shouldn’t have worried, though, you guys. Even on sniff alone, this tea is impressive. Big chunks of apple are strewn throughout the bountiful white leaves, boasting deep apple-and-grape-y notes that translate just beautifully to the brewed cup. This one is heartier than most white teas, and that’s probably why I love it so. The only thing I can’t quite pick out are the “cake” notes– which, let’s be real: when someone tells me there’s cake (in my tea, at work, on my birthday/any random tuesday), I want CAKE. This one’s a bit lighter, and lacking on the pastry notes I’ve usually come to know well from AQTT’s blends. That said, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing– in fact, I think cakey, pastry flavors may have overwhelmed the beautifully fruity notes otherwise present in this blend.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  White
Where to Buy:  A Quarter To Tea
Description

This tea is currently not available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Purple Snozberry from Paper Box Goodies. . . .

Anyone who has ever read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or watched the famous film has heard of a Snozberry. I mean “The snozberries tastes like snozberries” line is one of the more popular since it left people wondering, “what the heck is a Snozberry?!” Here’s the thing…DO NOT GOOGLE WHAT A SNOZBERRY IS unless you are willing to have your childhood ruined. The internet gave the term all sorts of disgusting meanings that make that line a little dirty for a PG-rated film. So, what I recommend instead is to either (a) come up with your own meaning for the word, or (b) accept the flavor of this Purple Snozberry tisane by Paper Box Goodies as an accurate interpretation of what a Snozberry is and move on with your life.

Just looking at this steep, you can see it is rather whimsical as the Butterfly Pea Flower slowly releases its purple coloring into the water. The end result is a color that I wish I could accurately describe because it is beautiful. I went searching for the right name and came up with the following descriptions: A dark plum, a deep red wine but with blue undertones as opposed to red, and Pantone 2449 but a little more purple added to it.

Tastewise, I would say that snozberries have a hibiscus tartness upfront. That tartness melts away to a sweeter berry flavor at first. Alas, the more you have, the more the tartness builds on your tongue. Underlying the hibiscus, is a slightly vegetal flavor, as if there were a bit of green tea here, yet I know this to not be the case. Perhaps that is the pea flowers contribution? Personally I do not have much experience with this ingredient so it is something I would like to explore more.

Anyways, while I enjoyed the nostalgic quality of this fun little teabag, beautifully packaged with a lovely little tea tag, I find the tart hibiscus to be too overbearing. I used 200F and steeped for the recommended 5 minutes though I imagine if this were steeped for less time, that may tame the tart or perhaps a larger mug would help in that respect? I think there is potential here but when not brewed properly, it is like a berry that’s still too sour to enjoy.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Paper Box Goodies
Description

Weird name, right? Well, it is a magical blend of Wonka-esque proportions. This blend is made of Butterfly Pea Flower, strawberry, and hibiscus, and it brews up(you guessed it) PURPLE!! The prettiest tea you’ve ever sipped.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!