Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
High grown Organic Ceylon Flowery Orange Pekoe Black tea with Swedish delights like organic wild Lingonberry, Cardamon and Orange make for a full flavored unique black tea. First you are taken with the aroma of Cardamon then the flavors of Lingonberry and a full flavored robust Ceylon black tea with just a touch of orange citrus. The flavor of Lingonberry lingers on the tongue for a spectacular finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This flavored black Ceylon tea is quite unlike any other that I’ve tried. It is – indeed – truly unique.
The cardamom and the orange notes work very harmoniously together, but I don’t think that these two ingredients is what makes this blend so unique. There are quite a few orange spice blends out there. What makes this stand out is the lingonberry.
Lingonberry is a fruit that I have very limited experience with, and most of that experience is limited to my visits to IKEA. They have a cafeteria there, and when we shop there and start to feel hungry, we often visit the cafeteria. The food is decent and the prices are good. I usually order the meatballs that are served with a bit of lingonberry sauce on the side, and for a drink, I usually choose the lingonberry soda. So… yeah, like I said, my experience with lingonberry is pretty isolated … I think I may have tried one other tea with lingonberry in it.
And I am LOVING the lingonberry in this blend. From what I understand, the raw lingonberry is quite tart, but I’m not finding this blend isn’t overwhelmingly tart. It does definitely have a tarty tingle to it toward the tail, and a sweet-tart kind of flavor throughout. The cardamom adds a hint of warmth to the cup – just a touch of spice that offers a nice contrast to the overall flavor.
These three ingredients – orange, cardamom and lingonberry – present themselves in a really stunning way that is smooth yet pleasantly tart and sweet. This delivery is facilitated, no doubt, by the black tea base. The organic black tea used in this blend is a Ceylon and I think that this was a perfect choice for this particular blend. The Ceylon is smooth and medium-bodied and manages to make itself part of the overall flavor of the blend without disrupting the unique combination of lingonberry, orange and cardamom.
This blend is a real winner. It has some comforting similarities to a autumnal/winter-y orange spice blend but with the added flavor of lingonberry it becomes really quite unique. This would make a great alternative to the usual holiday blend!
Milk Chocolate Caramel from sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
Milk Chocolate Caramel flowery Assam Orange Pekoe black tea. This is a tea you will let swirl around on your tongue amazed at how smooth it is. At first wif you get a bit of caramel, then you delight in your first sip with the shock of how smooth this tea really is. As you let the tea wander over your tastebuds you experience a rich silky smooth texture similar to allowing a chocolate to melt on your tongue. No one note pops out at you but each note is distinct. Notes of Caramel, Cocoa & Vanilla with a milk like cacoon encasing the flavors to bring them together as one.
Taster’s Review:
I was lucky enough to be bestowed with the honor to be one of the first people to try it! It is definitely a blend that would capture my interest – based on the name alone. Milk Chocolate and Caramel? Um… YES please! No arm twisting required.
And this cup of tea is just as delicious as the name would suggest!
The chocolate and caramel flavors are profound, they leap right onto the palate from the start of the sip. It is rich and creamy and delicious! There are hints of creamy vanilla amid the sweet chocolate notes, and the caramel is also sweet, while offering hints of bitterness from the burnt sugar. Not in a bad bitter kind of way, but in a very delicious bitter kind of way, as it keeps the whole confectionery taste from becoming cloying.
The black tea is a softer tasting black tea – it’s quite mild, but it is still substantial enough to stand on its own. It delivers a nice, well-rounded taste and a very silky texture to the overall cup. And while it is not a tea I’d consider as bold or sturdy or any of the other adjectives I’d use to describe a strong black tea, I really don’t think a stronger black tea is desired here. It might interfere with the delicious flavors of chocolate and caramel – and this chocoholic seems to enjoy this just the way it is!
This is so delicious on its own, it doesn’t need any additions whatsoever. It is certainly sweet enough, and I think that milk would overwhelm some of the more delicate qualities of this tea. Really, the vanilla notes provide enough of a creaminess to this that it is almost like a rich, creamy latte without the milk!
This is the first tea I’ve tried from this company, but it is certainly not the last! I am thrilled with this tea, and very honored to be the first person outside of the sTEAp Shoppe to try it!
Smokey Mountain from sTEAp Shoppe
Leaf Type: Black Tea, Oolong Tea,
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
This is a smoky robust Tea is a blend of Organic Lapsang Souchong, Organic Se Chung Special Oolong, Organic Assam flowery Orange Pekoe. Each tea brings it’s own flavor profile and combined they create a smoky floral tea. With the addition of Chicory you will experience a coffee like tannins, Organic Cocoa Nibs & Organic Vanilla Bean introduce a smooth rich flavor and aroma and the Fenugreek seed helps bring all these unique flavors together as one with it’s milky sweet flavor.
This tea has a muted smokey flavor yet rich and creamy with coffee undertones.Learn more about this tea here
Taster’s Review:
WOW!! Okay for reference, I am not a huge Lapsang Souchong fan, at the same time I do not dislike it, I quite enjoy it every now and then but only every now and then. I am quite picky about my Lapsang Souchong teas, and I have to be “in the mood” for them. With that said … I absolutely feel I have been converted to being able to drink Lapsang Souchong daily!
Why? Because this tea, with the addition of oolong, and chicory, the cocoa nibs, the vanilla, ALL OF IT, just makes this such a delicious blend! I am not too familiar with sTEAp Shoppe or their teas, as a matter of fact I knew nothing of them until last week when they were offering some samples and of course I jumped on that bandwagon. This so far is my favorite from them and I have to admit I was hesitant to give this a try because I really am NOT that big into Lapsang Souchong, oh sorry I already said that. Seriously though, I reluctantly opened the package and the smells that came up into my wanting nostrils were AMAZING! I instantly knew this was no ordinary lapsang souchong! I can safely say that THIS tea should be their flagship tea! I feel they will be converting a lot of LS non believers into LS lovers very soon! Now all I want to do is go meander over to their site and see what else they have to offer because they clearly are working hard to get their blends perfect!
The smokiness in this tea is going to be a wonderful compliment to the vegetarian chili I am in the process of making, its smokiness is not over powering whatsoever, and the vanilla gives it just the right amount of creamy sweetness without being a sweet tea. It would hold up well to cream and sugar if you enjoy that in your tea. There is a quality chocolate undertone from the cocoa nibs but also I am very picky about chocolate flavored teas and absolutely hate any fakey artificial chocolate flavors, this has none of that nonsense! Did I mention that sTEAp Shoppe uses all natural and organic flavors? They do!
The chicory is pleasant and would also be something coffee drinkers could appreciate without making your tea taste like coffee! This has such a perfection of balance and all things wonderful I just can’t go on enough about it. You would think I had blended it myself I am so proud of this creation! Good work sTEAp Shoppe!
Thanks for allowing me to try this one!
