Hello tea friends!
With Christmas almost here and the cold weather set in I’m drawn to the festive teas. This one was from my late November tea club box and I’m only just getting around to trying it.
Ingredients: Rooibos, Almond Pieces, Pistachios, Orange Peel, Coriander, Flavouring, Pink Peppercorn.
Opening the packet I am drawn in by the scent of ginger biscuits. It’s the most ginger biscuity thing I have ever smelt that was not actually ginger biscuits. It’s incredible! Ginger with baked bread and sugar but also a touch of spice.
Steeping instructions: 1tsp // 100°C // 3-5 mins
Once steeped the tea is golden red in colour and bares a sweet yet spicy ginger biscuit and Rooibos scent. Very similar to that of the raw scent.
The first few sips reveal a very sweet and gingery note that lingers in the after taste. When I say ginger it’s more like a ginger candy than raw ginger, sometimes blends are too much on the ginger front but this is such a sweet ginger and it’s very nice. Very biscuit like! Also a touch of dryness in the after taste.
After those initial first few sips it remains sweet and with a touch of actual Rooibos flavour with a creamy orange and ginger and peppercorn spice. The whole blend was well done, it doesn’t taste too much like Rooibos at all which is favourable with me.
I can’t say much other than it tastes like sweet and creamy ginger biscuits with a dry after taste. It truly does.
Bruu Tea have done some good blends but this may be my favourite so far. It’s very delightful and festive.
Until next time, Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos blend
Where to Buy: Bruu Tea
Description:
The rich, naturally woody taste of rooibos is already a perfect treat for cold days, but the added tastes of gingerbread and orange in this blend allow you to truly spoil yourself. Caffeine-free and incredibly festive, this decorative infusion makes a wonderful gift – for others or yourself!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Spritz Iced Tea From Teabox
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teabox
Tea Description:
Strawberries – sweet and luscious – are the perfect summer treat and this tea blend is just as so.
Yielding a gorgeous brownish-red color liquor, this tea is complex, charming and subtle. Sweet aroma of fresh strawberries and mint makes the brew inviting. The mellow, silky-bodied liquor promises to render your palate with tangy flavors of strawberry and orange that linger on for the long haul Marked by a long, fruity finish, this medium caffeine tea is suited for a soothing sip throughout the day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Strawberry Spritz Iced Tea just sounds amazing, doesn’t? It brings to mind relaxing thoughts of reading a good book while enjoying a bright and sunny day. So relaxing. This blend is a lovely blend of black tea, strawberries, orange peel, mint, vanilla and cinnamon. Quite an array of bright and vibrant flavors.
Brewed up per the pouch instructions-190F for 5 minutes, I happily poured the brew into my mug. I think I may have overleafed just by the aromas I’m getting from the tea. Darn!
From what I’m getting, this tea has amazing promise and may deserve a cold brew session. There are strong sweet strawberry and orange notes in each sip. The astringent factor of the black tea base seems to be a bit stronger (again, probably due to overleafing!) than I would have liked. The rest of the flavors are mellow and give a nice background for the other flavors to pop. I wish the mint or vanilla was a tad stronger to give the tea a bit more of a complex feel and flavor.
This tea is pretty good. Even with my overleaf issue. I wish the strawberry notes or orange notes were a bit stronger, but all in all, very decent. I truly believe this is a blend that needs to be enjoyed as a cold brew. Can’t say I would want a ton of this one but I’m very glad I was able to try the blend.
I didn’t realize Teabox offered flavored blends like this. I’m off to see what other fun blends they have to offer!
Lime Green with Envy from BlendBee
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tea Description:
You don’t see as many lime teas as you do lemon because it’s so much more sour than a lemon and can be tough to balance in a tea. Here it really works though. The lime is tame. The strong green teas and the raspberry leaf give the tea backbone – a little bit earthy, vegetal and what hints at a black tea flavour.
What’s In It:
All organic ingredients: sencha green tea, china green tea, lemon peel, raspberry leaf, lime extract.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Amoda’s Monthly Subscription Box here.
Taster’s Review:
Let’s all say that when I opened up this month’s Amoda Tea box, I squealed. . . LOUDLY! I love Amoda Tea’s monthly box and to see a company that I have been wanting to try for some tea featured, well, I was a happy girl to say the least.
Each month Amoda Tea puts together a thoughtful offering for their customers. What I love is that when I open the box up, they have lovingly packaged my teas with my name on it. That just makes you smile!
This month they featured BlendBee, a company that I first heard about on Twitter. When I saw that there was a sampling of Lime Green with Envy, I couldn’t get my infuser out quick enough. This tea is described as a green tea with a sour twist. That is a lot for a tea to live up to. So I prepared my water and sat somewhat patiently while the tea steeped. 3 minutes later I was ready to take my first sip.
My initial thoughts? Wow, they got this right! I can really pick up that lime flavor. Sour but not overly so that I’m puckering up as I drink the tea. The green tea base is laying down a nice flavor that is somewhat grassy with notes of a vegetal finish. Each flavor contrasts the other in a very nice way. This tea was crisp and refreshing!
As much as I loved this tea hot, I wanted to try it cold so I popped in a few ice cubes, threw the infuser back in the tea and let it steep for a few more minutes.
What I got in return was one of the best iced teas I’ve had in a bit. This will be one of those teas that I’ll be remembering for some time to come. Cold this tea just shines. I would love to finish this glass off with a nice lemon or lime wedge and possibly turn this tea into a mojito even. Cooled down the lime flavor really shines thru and I’m reminded of summer. A great tea to have to bring some sunshine in your day.
This month’s offerings have made me realize that I need an Amoda Monthly Tea Box in my life every month. I will be asking for a subscription for Christmas and if Santa doesn’t bring me what I want? I’ll be getting for myself!
White Lemon Lime Iced Tea by Southern Boy Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Southern Boy Teas
Tea Description:
Here’s our sweet, hay-like organic shou mei white tea fannings paired with the delicious tartness of organic lemon and lime flavors. It might not be as complicated as some of our other tea blends, but it will definitely put a smile on your face.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about SBT’s monthly subscription here.
Taster’s Review:
I have been on such an SBT kick. I started cold brewing tea and am completely obsessed with it. And what is the easiest way to cold brew teas- Southern Boy Teas!
So during the last sale, I stocked up. And I went through these awesome iced tea pouches quick! This is one of the ones that I instantly said “Yep” and threw it in my cart.
Last night threw this one in my pitcher, added water, and into the fridge it went. This morning I poured myself a huge glass of it, threw some ice in it, and underwent my morning routine of taking my kids to school.
I was hoping this would be one that I would fall completely 100% in love with . . .but alas no. This tastes like a solid white tea. That part I love. It has that delicate touch to it. The part I am not 100% on is the lime. I really didn’t pick up any of the lemon at all. Just lime. And it is more of a tart lime. A bold lime. A hit you in the face sort of lime. Which is fine, but I really wanted that lemon lime taste. I stopped drinking soda about 6 months ago and Diet Sprite or Diet Sierra Mist I still crave. I was hoping this would take the place of those cravings and help me with my sweet tooth when I have those cravings. Maybe if I tried again or if I brewed it up hot, maybe the lemon would come out more. I’m sure if I played around with it, they would. Or if I added in some sugar. That might help too.
This is delicious if you are looking for a lime tea with a delicate white tea base or finish. Don’t get me wrong, this is very tasty. Just not what my little ol heart was wanting at the time.
Apricot Meadow Herbal Tea from Plum Deluxe Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Tea Description:
One of the best parts of a monthly tea experience is to try unique blends; this month, see what happens when unexpected ingredients come together. Apricot + lemongrass? Who knew! Spicy, sweet, yet gentle.
Lemongrass is a very interesting herb – it really transforms flavor when it is paired with other flavors. It’s a lot of fun to experiment with – you can actually make it into a tea all on its own, but we think this combination is perfect excuse to slow down and laze on a sunny spring day. You’ve earned it!
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Plum Deluxe’s subscription plan here.
Taster’s Review:
I have been wanting to do a tea subscription for a very long time but with not really digging red rooibos I was always leery of committing. Plus with some of the subscription plans you get a lot of tea and I am really the only one that drinks it in my house, so I wasn’t sure if my cupboard could handle the overflow. But I finally took a chance and decided I would check one out. I emailed a few companies with a few questions and Andy from Plum Deluxe was the first one to reply. I have asked him so many questions at this point, I bet he thinks I’m crazy.
I received my first package and it is adorable. Along with my 1 oz of the tea of the month, I also received a sample of another of their blends and a cute little reusable bag with the companies logo on it. I love tea mail days. I dug in right away.
The dry leaves definitely smell like a fresh apricot. Threw 2 tsps into my Breville, set it up to 212F and steep for 5 minutes.
This really is a beautifully and well done herbal tea. I highly recommend it. The sweetness is there and you can really taste the apricot. The honeybush really provides a great sweet addition. There is almost a spicy tang to it as well. But its gentle and warming. The package says its great iced so I tried the herbal that way as well. Same steeping parameters but added some ice. Wow. I can see this as being a great summer tea. The apricot and honey flavors are really pronounced maybe even more so than when I enjoyed this hot. I might have to hold off one drinking anymore and save it for later in the summer months. I’m excited to see what next month’s tea will be.