Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Take a trip over the river and through the woods to Grandmothers house and have a slice of her amazing pumpkin pie! Or, grab your infuser and our Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie tea and have just as great an experience! With the traditional spices you know from the classic pumpkin pie blended into black tea with pumpkin shaped candies you will be sure to crave this one over and over!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
While sorting through my tea stash (it never seems to get any smaller no matter how much tea I drink and cook with and give to friends … not complaining, mind you, just stating a fact), I came across this Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie Flavored Black Tea from Della Terra Teas, the last that I had yet to try from the autumn sampler that I bought sometime this past autumn. So, I decided I’d have some pumpkin pie in my teacup this afternoon!
And even though it is a decidedly autumnal blend (and isn’t it cute with those little pumpkin shaped candy sprinkles?), it tastes good now, even though it’s starting to look a lot like summer! Anytime is a good time for pumpkin pie!
The pumpkin flavor is smooth and sweet, and I love the warm spices. Cinnamon is prominent, but, I taste hints of clove and nutmeg as well. It’s a very cozy tasting tea … one of those comforting kinds of tea. It is also very dessert-y (obviously!) and would make a great dessert option for those who want something sweet and indulgent without partaking of the calories.
The black tea is a little hidden behind the flavors here, but, not so hidden that it’s completely absent. That is to say that I taste the black tea, it’s just a rather mellow tasting black tea that seems content with being set off in the background and letting the pumpkin-y flavors and spice notes play the starring roles here.
One thing that is missing, though, is the pie crust. I found myself wishing that there was a touch of buttery, pastry-like flavor here to round things out. Oh, don’t get me wrong, this is a really tasty tea … even without the pie crust flavor, but, if we’re talking pumpkin pie, there should be some pie crust, right?
This tea tastes great served straight, but I actually prefer it with a little bit of turbinado sugar to bring out the spices and enhance the pumpkin-y flavors. Add a splash of milk to bring out the creamy notes, because, let’s face it, what’s pumpkin pie without that dollop of creamy whipped cream?
YUM!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
As for this week’s tea, imagine homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, encased in a delicious buttery pastry, full of sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb. Now imagine that in a comforting mug or icy tumbler full of caffeine- and calorie-free honeybush. Can you imagine it? Well, you don’t have to imagine it, you can order it now.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but I haven’t ever had rhubarb (except for rhubarb flavored teas) … at least, not to my recollection. I am pretty sure that I’ve never had Strawberry Rhubarb pie. But if this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas is any indication of what I’m missing, I think I need to try some soon!
This is really tasty! The nutty, sweet flavor of the honeybush is not a strong, distinct flavor but, I do notice it, and it melds nicely with the slightly buttery taste of the tisane … giving it a sort of freshly baked pastry shell kind of flavor.
The strawberry tastes sweet … in fact, it might be a tad too sweet for me to say that it tastes of authentic strawberry … it tastes a bit more like a glazed strawberry or like the strawberries that my gramma would mash with sugar for strawberry shortcake. There is a tart note to this too, but it isn’t that “berry tart” … so I can only presume that the tartness comes from the rhubarb. The aftertaste imparts a slight “berry tingle” on the tip of my tongue.
I find that I like the fruit taste here … it is smooth, sweet and delicious. It doesn’t really POP as a strawberry flavor … the strawberry is more of a smooth, soft flavor, and again, I can only presume this is due to the rhubarb presence. But I do find this to be an enjoyable tisane, one that is nice to sip later in the evening when I want something sweet and dessert-like. I like this one … it’s not my favorite from 52Teas, but, I’m enjoying it.
Pumpkin Pie Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Inforamation:
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
As we start turning the corner into hot tea season, I feel like we have to share this Zoomdweebie’s favorite with our 52teas customers.
We sell more hot tea lattes with this tea than you can shake a stick at. It is seriously like warm, soothing pumpkin pie in a mug, without the guilt.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Pumpkin Pie Flavored Black Tea has been part of 52Teas permanent collection for quite some time now, but it is one that I’ve never tried until now. I’ve tried 52Teas other pumpkin offerings, including Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Pancakes … just to name a couple off the top of my head, so I knew that I’d probably enjoy this … but I just never took the time to order it until I learned that it might be one of the permanent collection teas that 52Teas decides to retire soon. Since I didn’t want it to be retired before I had a chance to try it, I decided there was no time like the present to order it!
And Oh YUM! This is really good. I am not surprised at all, because as I said before, I was pretty sure I’d like it given how much I’ve enjoyed 52Teas other pumpkin offerings, but … this REALLY tastes like pumpkin pie! Like someone dropped a piece of pumpkin pie in a blender with a cup of black tea and blended it until liquefied. All that’s missing is a dollop of whipped cream on top … which can be easily remedied with a splash of milk or cream. And I think that the addition of dairy here really enhances the cup, giving it that creamy note that pumpkin pie has.
The spices are well balanced. It’s just a simple combination of cinnamon and cloves, but, I like the way these enhance the pumpkin taste. By mid-cup, I notice notes of buttery pastry.
The black tea tastes rich, and I was a little worried because I thought that this might be 52Teas old black tea blend, and I didn’t always have success with that black tea base … it would sometimes be too astringent, veering on the side of bitterness, but, this is really quite pleasant. Strong, bold and rich … it does have some astringency but not too much, and no bitterness.
Not all companies are able to get the pumpkin pie tea right … 52Teas does though! This is really good.
Warm Apple Pie from sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black and White Blend
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
Warm Apple Pie is the experience of biting into that wonderful pie with the cinnamon and apples baked together wrapped in a flaky crust, without the guilt. Loose leaf Bai Mudan white tea & Assam flowery Orange Pekoe Black tea combined with Naturally Dried Apples and Organic Maple syrup crystals giving that rich apple pie taste. Local fresh pressed apple cider is infused in the dried apples to enhance the apple experience in this tea.
Bai Mudan White Tea, Assam Flowery Black Tea, Naturally Dried Apple, Fresh pressed Apple Cider, Organic Maple Syrup Crystals, Cinnamon, Allspice
Naturally Caffeinated
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the package my eyes rolled back in my head and I emoted some primal “yummmmmm” sound. My mother made the most delicious apple crumble for Thanksgiving and this tea was spot on for that amazing aroma!
From the scent alone, my mouth was watering at the ripe juicy smell of apple! Now you may or may not know but sTEAp Shoppe uses all natural flavoring in their teas and Janet of sTEAp Shoppe works painstakingly to perfect her blends without going the easy route of artificial flavors! Her dedication to using natural ingredients is something I applaud.
First sip … Lord have mercy! This is so very very good. To me, its more of a tisane than a tea because it is something I would reach for in the evening when I need my sweet tooth appeased. The tea bases themselves are not what is front and center here but sometimes I just don’t care if I can taste the tea in a blend. I can’t say I am shocked by this either because in dry form the tea is not what is front and center either. More so oodles and oodles of apple pieces. Now of course there is tea present both in dry form and in the flavor of the tea itself but truly what stands out here is an all natural very fresh decedent flavor of apple cider, warm pie, maple, and a very delicious cobbler like flavor. Pie, cobbler, tort, whatever … its soooo good!
We have many apple orchards near my residence, luckily I have been exposed to many wonderful apples in my days, and I have to say that this tea brings back memories of growing up by an apple orchard, or the Apple Festival we have every year, or the historic park not too far from me where this dear old man runs a cider mill on weekends. Not to mention memories of that amazing apple pie my mother made for Thanksgiving recently.
This tea is on the sweeter side, the longer it sits and cools the sweeter it becomes. Yet with the all natural ingredients it offers so many health benefits it takes away the guilt of enjoying such a delicious decedent dessert, or um, I mean tea.
Banana Cream Pie from Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
When you drink this tea, it is like indulging in a slice of banana cream pie without the guilt. It makes a wonderful iced tea and be sure to check out the recipe page to see how to make a tropical milk tea with this product. Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, Organic Coconut Flakes, Organic Allspice, Organic Vanilla Beans, Organic Banana, and Organic Compliant and Organic Flavorings.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I like bananas. I don’t love them, although … there are some things that are “banana” that I do love. Like banana ice pops, banana cupcakes and banana flavored teas. I also like banana cream pie, although it’s not my favorite kind of pie (Lemon Meringue is my favorite). So I was really excited to try this Banana Cream Pie tea from Trail Lodge Tea!
The dry leaf smells very little like bananas. In fact, if I had blindly took a sniff of this tea, trying to ascertain the flavor it would be, I would not have guessed Banana Cream Pie! I smell a sweet – almost perfume-y sweet – aroma, and it does not smell like bananas.
But the flavor is absolutely BANANAS! I taste the creamy, sweet taste of bananas and vanilla cream custard. The hint of coconut adds to the creaminess of the cup while imparting a delightful, complementary flavor (I love the combination of bananas and coconut!)
With the first few sips, I didn’t actually taste much in the way of a baked pastry or pie crust kind of taste … although now that I’ve had a few sips, I start to notice the pie crust flavor a bit more, and this taste is nicely accentuated by notes of allspice. It tastes like a good, home baked pie that’s been liquified and added to black tea!
The black tea flavor is not overwhelmed here, either. It is a fairly mild-tasting black tea, smooth and not bitter, this tea is robust enough to handle the strong creamy flavors going on without being overpowered, but not so bold that it offsets the flavor balance that has been achieved here. I love that I can taste each element of a Banana (and Coconut) Cream Pie, and I still taste tea too. And I love that every ingredient in this flavored tea blend is Organic!
This one is definitely a winner in my book!