Just Peachy from BlendBee. . . .

Every summer, my aunt shows up at my mom’s house with pallets upon pallets of fresh peaches “from Georgia”. (Mind you, we live in the upper Midwest.) At first, I just thought she meant that she was getting peaches from the grocery store that claimed to be Georgia peaches but no, these were real, bonafide, no-middlemen, straight-from-the-state peaches. Where she gets them, I have no idea– but I like to imagine it’s a sneaky, clandestine peach deal that goes down under the table, away from the prying eye she of Big Grocery. Either way, wherever they come from, they are hands-down the best peaches I eat every year. Fresh, juicy, mouth-wateringly sweet– these are the real deal.

And maybe it’s this peach experience that I have that informs every peach flavor I critique.

This tea, in the bag, smells herbal but juicy, a hint of that bright and fresh stone fruit flavor I’ve come to love. While the juicy peachy-ness doesn’t necessarily translate quite as mouthwateringly to the brewed cup, this tea’s interesting combination of honeybush, green tea and peach/cinnamon flavors makes it a delight to drink, hitting the perfect mark somewhere between sweet and herbaceous. Teas like this have become my favorite dessert after a heavy meal– mellow enough to settle my stomach while still hitting those sweet and treat-like notes. And though it’s not a perfect doppleganger for my favorite summer treat, it is indeed the perfect reminder in this bleak and snowy winter that in a few more months, fresh fruit will be on the way. . .

From Georgia. In the back of a truck. Straight to my aunt’s house. Mmm.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Green Tea Blend
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description

Honeybush and green tea infused with fresh peach is absolutely divine hot or iced. Sip and savor the delicate peach flavor with spices like ginger and peach. This blend will brighten any day!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

UNITEA from BlendBee. . . A World United In One Cup

BlendBee was a company I discovered this year and every blend just blows me away. The kindness, compassion, amazing quality, freshness of the teas and flavors makes BlendBee a company that really sticks out to me. This is one of those companies that once you discovered them, you just can’t get enough.

UNITEA came in last month’s subscription box from BlendBee. This blend is a mixture of Darjeeling, Honeybush, Yerba Mate, China Green Tea and English Breakfast. The description goes like this:

From South America to South Africa, India to China, with a touch of the Enlglish. Let’s all unite with one exquisite cup of tea. Spread love, joy and harmony. Cheers friends!

And Cheers friends is exactly right!

Right off the bat while this tea is steeping you get that familiar English Breakfast aroma wafting through the air. A smell that I haven’t encountered for some time and its definitely giving me love, joy, and harmony.

The flavors mingle together nicely to provide a wonderful cuppa this morning for sure.  The notes that really stand out are the Darjeeling and English Breakfast ones. I can pick up the Honeybush as well but I’m not really getting the green tea or yerba mate. But that’s ok. I know they are working silently in the background to complete this gorgeous flavor that is really helping my morning along.

Such a wonderfully robust strong tea that really makes you want to drink it all morning long while checking off projects around the house or even at work. At least that’s what I’m doing now. This tea has a lot going on but everything really works well and jives.

This tea by itself is outstanding but I wanted something a bit more (after I had about 4 cups of it) , so I added in a bit of ginger and peppermint and wow, this tea has taken on a life of its own.  Such a well balanced and thought out tea and now it looks like a tea that would be a great one to experiment your blending your own tea blends with.

I’m so happy this one showed up last month. Now I’m wondering what would happen if you threw in a touch of marshmallow root and some orange peel. . . . this could be something fantastic in the making. . .(hint hint BlendBee!!)

If you are looking for that last minute present for that tea drinker on your list, check out BlendBee. I know they will enjoy their blends as much as I do!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description

From South America to South Africa,  India to China and a touch of the English. Let’s all unite with one exquisite cup of tea. This unique blend is crafted with the worlds best teas for you to truly savor. Spread love, share joy and harmony. Cheers friends!

 

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Using Heavenly Hazelnut from BlendBee to Create A Nutella like Latte!

Back when I was in grad school, I worked as a nanny. And among the many, many things I adored about the wonderful family I worked for, near the top of the list was the CONSTANT supply of Nutella they always had in their cabinet. You guys? I was obsessed.

So as soon as I took one whiff of this tea from Blend Bee, I was instantly transported back to the tablespoon I’d smear in my oatmeal every morning, or lick off the knife after I was done making a treat for the little ones. This tea is one hundred percent, spot-on hazlenut in scent and flavor, and I knew there was only one way I wanted to brew it– by making it into a Nutella latte.

I simply steeped the tea in about 3/4 the normal amount I’d use of hot water, and when finished, stirred in a tablespoon of dry drinking chocolate mix we had in our cabinet, and topped it off with some steamed coconut milk. The result? Nutella in a cup! It was pure, decadent perfection, while still feeling light and not overly-sugared from the tea base. I don’t think I’ll ever brew this tea any other way– as it is an herbal tea, it made for a lovely, caffeine- and guilt-free way to end the day.

Yum!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: BlendBee
BlendBee-Logo-and-Tagline-2Description

A delightful and highly beneficial Honeybush tea blend. Paired with rich ingredients like Chicory Root and Carob Bean. Rounded out with super nutritious Agrimony Herb and infused with exquisite and nutty Hazelnut & Vanilla extracts.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

White Chocolate Samoa by The NecessiTeas

Yay, a white chocolate coconut tea! With caramel! And it’s caffeine free, so it’s great as a nightcap.

I approximated the steeping instructions for this tea, noticing as I did so that there’s plenty of coconut visible in the dry tea. It has a sweet creamy smell even when dry. Once the tea is steeped, it turns out to be about the color of apple cider, but a bit darker. It has a light, pleasant flavor and fragrance from the very first sip. I found it to have a creamy flavor and aftertaste (presumably from the coconut).

 As the description says, it’s more of a “spin” on the idea of a Samoa cookie than a total reproduction of the cookie flavor, since it does have honeybush, which is noticeable in the flavor profile (and not present in the original cookie). The honeybush does add a nice touch, though; it complements and melds with the sweetness and creaminess of the coconut, and the caramel flavor adds even more sweetness. I think it’s a great flavor combination overall. As usual, I can’t single out the white chocolate flavor here, but maybe it’s not supposed to stand out.
Both the aroma and the flavor of this tea are lovely. It’s very very sweet (like a cookie) meaning it’s great as a dessert tea. I also tried it with milk, although I decided it’s already sweet enough without sugar. The milk brings out the coconut creaminess and the honeybush tang (almost like acidity or astringency) but muffles the caramel.

Altogether I found this tea very enjoyable, although I don’t think it’ll end up in my rotation for daily drinking. It’s very heavy on the coconut (since it contains both actual coconut and coconut flavor) and on the sugar factor, so it’s a sure winner if coconut is your favorite flavor ever and you take lots of sugar in your tea!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Honeybush/Herbal
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
necessiteas-logoDescription:

Growing up I was a Girl Scout and I was great at “selling” cookies. I would polish off a box of Samoas after school while working on my homework. Chock up another “sale” my parents had to chip in for. Gone are the days when it was okay to eat an entire sleeve of cookies. So here’s my guilt-free version of the classic Samoa. As always, I like to put a spin on things so I used white chocolate instead then added sweet caramel and toasted coconut to recreate an old favorite.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Chocolate Coconut Truffle from The NecessiTeas

Imagine my JOY…Chocolate Coconut Truffle from The NecessiTeas option!  YAY!  The chocolate in this flavored Black and Honeybush Blend is cocoa nibs.  I really must pause and try and explain to the best of my ability the aroma that rolled out of the bag once I opened it.  It was like a DARK Chocolate Brownie.  Upon a second sniff I was able to take in the coconut aroma as well.

Chocolate Coconut Truffle from The NecessiTeas has a very dark sip at the beginning and then follows through with a sweeter middle sip.  The end sip on to the after taste is much more creamy and dreamy and the flavor that lingers well on to the after taste is another treat in itself.

The apple ingredient is more of an afterthought.  It’s very subtle but I couldn’t imagine Chocolate Coconut Truffle from The NecessiTeas without it.

Once this has had a chance to cool at room temperature for a bit I noticed the flavor becomes even more smooth.  This is darn tasty!  Now I want to eat a brownie!  Chocolate Coconut Truffle from The NecessiTeas the ultimate sweet tooth tea.

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea/Honeybush Blend
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description: A truly sublime black tea mix, this “island night” blend of real coconut and cocoa evokes the rich and calming beauty of an after hours exotic getaway. The undertones of honeybush tea, apples, and other natural flavors beautifully complement the chocolate and coconut, making this flavorful escape a full destination of deliciousness.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!