Blog Archives
Drink Me: Tea Embassy, Secret Garden
Another tea I picked up in my last Tea Embassy order was their Secret Garden blend.
From the website, Secret Garden contains Pai Mu Tan, Darjeeling and Chinese green teas, sencha, dragonwell, gunpowder, jasmine jade pearls, candied mango bits, candied pineapple bits, orange peels, strawberry bits, red currants, sour cherry bits and apricot bits.
Secret Garden is available at $6.50 per ounce in 1oz, 2oz, 4oz, 8oz and 1lb packages.
When I first opened the package, I got the overwhelming tropical scent of the mango and pineapple. As it brewed I also detected the cherry and strawberry scents. The tea itself was light and fruity. The blend didn’t taste strongly of any of the actual teas: I didn’t get a black tea feel from it, and the green tea was very light and not grassy. Overall, it was a really nice light fruity blend. I think it would be fantastic iced and I really enjoyed it.
Drink Me: Adagio, Spiced Apple Chai
When I ordered from Adagio a few weeks ago, I decided to try some of their Spiced Apple Chai. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know how I love a good spicy tea around the holidays.
From the package, Spiced Apple Chai contains black tea, cinnamon bark, ginger root, cardamom, orange peels, cloves, and apple pieces.
Spiced Apple Chai is available in a variety of sizes: sample for $3.00, 3oz for $8.00 and 16oz for $24.00.
When I opened the package I smelled both the sweet apple and the savory spices. I love a good spiced tea so I had high hopes. The tea itself tasted wonderful – lots of apple cider-like taste, with a heady kick of spices. I will definitely be adding this to my rotation. It’s a perfect blend of tea, fruit and holiday spice!
Drink Me: Lana’s The Little House, Chautauqua Blend
A few weeks ago I received an unexpected package in the mail from Lana’s The Little House. Worried that I might be tea shopping in my sleep, I opened the box with a bit of trepidation. What I found inside was a lovely note from Lana herself.
Apparently when I reviewed my previous order I had noted that one of the samples I received was fairly light. Now I have gone back and looked carefully at the current site and there doesn’t seem to be a defined amount for the sample size, so I guess I must have been comparing that particular sample to the other one that I ordered and also reviewed. Regardless, this surprise package contained a note from Lana apologizing for the small size of the sample and as well as a few other samples of her tea to try. I don’t think an apology was necessary, but I appreciate the thought and thank Lana for her excellent customer service.
I received two teas in this package: Fredonia Blue & White and Chautauqua Blend. Today I’ve chosen to review the latter.
Chautauqua Blend contains black tea with a combination of strawberry bits, raspberry bits, orange peels, and other fruit flavors.
It is available in a variety of sizes including 4oz for $12.00 and sample size for $3.oo.
When I opened the package I smelled the berry flavor and it reminded me of summer. Once brewed I got more of the black tea aroma, but it still smelled like summer fruits. The tea was smooth with just a hint of sweet. It was delightful as an afternoon cup of tea, but I also think it would be wonderful iced in the summer months.
Again, I would like to thank Lana for her thoughtful package and I encourage you to try some of her offerings (including her Snowflake Tea which I love!).
Drink Me: Tea Forté, Sweet Orange Spice
Last week I wrote about my visit to The Perfect Blend Yarn & Tea shop in Saugerties, NY. While there I picked up a can of Tea Forté in Sweet Orange Spice.
Sweet Orange Spice contains black tea, cinnamon, orange peels, clove buds, natural orange flavors, and natural cinnamon flavor.
I was able to purchase 2.1 oz of Sweet Orange Spice in a beautiful tin for $13.50. It doesn’t appear that you can order from The Perfect Blend Yarn & Tea shop online, so I include a link to Tea Forté’s Sweet Orange Spice page.
When I opened the canister I could smell the cinnamon and cloves and my mouth watered. I absolutely love spicy teas! Once brewing I could smell a bit of the orange. The taste was wonderful. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and the cinnamon and cloves added a spicy undertone. This was perfect for a chilly afternoon.
The Corner of Knit & Tea: Episode 108, Rhinebeck Recap
Welcome to episode 108! Buckle up because this one’s a long one. Lots of knitting to show you today and a little spinning. Then the second half I talk about Rhinebeck, show my haul, announce a giveaway and the next KAL!
Please come and join the Ravelry group.
You can also find me on Ravelry as Fluffyk, Twitter, Instagram as Fluffykira, and in my shop The Corner of Knit & Tea.
Tea:
- Tea Forte, Sweet Orange Spice – from The Perfect Blend Yarn & Tea
Knitting:
- Finished: Don’t Touch those Leaves by Debby Reece, The Cyborg’s Craft Room Assockilate in One of a Kind Colorway
- Finished: Vanilla socks for Roxy in Opal Harry Potter in the Tonks colorway
- Finished: Smooth Operator Socks by Susan B. Anderson, Simply Socks Yarns Poste Yarn Striping in Ghost Town
- Finished: Simple Garter Stitch Slippers by Hanna Leväniemi, Knit Picks Swish Worsted Brights in Pucker
- In progress: Milkweed Socks by Anne Podlesak, Nerd Girl Yarns Dingo in Met Him on the River
- In progress: Vanilla socks for Roxy in The Cyborg’s Craft Room Assockilate in One of a Kind Colorway
- In progress: Sowerby by Annika Barranti in my handspun
Spinning:
- In progress: Southern Cross Fibre Bond/Suri/Silk in Get Happy
- On deck: JulieSpins BFL/Silk in So Ready for Spring
Extras
- I talk about my haul from Rhinebeck including purchases from vendors Spirit Trail Fiberworks, Hedgehog Fibres, Cozy Color Works, Spun Right Round, A Hundred Ravens and Bijou Basin Ranch.
- I brought back a few things for you from Rhinebeck. Be sure to check out the Rhinebeck giveaway thread in the Ravelry group. To enter to win please tell me your favorite thing about fall!
- Get ready. The Gift-a-long is coming back! Knit something for someone else (Christmas gift or otherwise) between November 1st and December 31st and enter it in the FO thread to potentially win prizes. Why not have a chance at prizes for something you’re doing anyway? WIPs count if you do at least some amount of work on them in the time frame specified (sorry just weaving in ends or sewing on buttons doesn’t count!). Check out the Ravelry group for details!
Drink Me: Plum Deluxe, Strawberry Orange Herbal
As you know, I recently ordered a few teas from Plum Deluxe. Another tea in this order was Strawberry Orange Herbal Tea. This tea is actually from their “blooper” section and is offered at a sale price. The reason it is a blooper is because a large customer ordered a special blend and then didn’t end up purchasing the blend. Their loss is my gain!
From the label, Strawberry Orange Herbal contains honeybush tea, hibiscus, rose hips, orange peel, apple pieces, strawberry pieces and raspberry leaves.
Strawberry Orange Herbal is available in limited quantities for $3.50 an ounce.
When I first opened the package I could smell the strawberry and the apple most strongly. Once brewed I got more of the hibiscus scent, along with the berry and orange flavors. I did add just a touch of sugar, but this one is fruity and sweet enough I’m sure I could have gone without. This was excellent both hot and cold – just a fruity, refreshing summer drink. If it sound good hurry or you may miss it!
Drink Me: Plum Deluxe, Hammock Blend Black Tea
A few months ago I received a lovely package from Plum Deluxe and I was hooked. I went ahead and joined their Tea of the Month club which I have been enjoying quite a bit. I haven’t shared those teas here, however, since they are unavailable to those outside the club.
With the coming summer months I have been looking for good iced tea blends, so I decided to order a few from Plum Deluxe and see what they have to offer. High on their list of recommended blends for iced tea is their Hammock Blend Black Tea.
From the label, Hammock Blend contains black tea, orange peels, and natural creme flavor.
Hammock Blend is available for $7.00 an ounce.
I have heard talk from other Plum Deluxe customers that this tea tastes like an Orange Creamsicle, or what we used to call 50/50 bars and I was intrigued to try. When I opened the package I could totally smell the orange and the cream. Once brewed I got more of the black tea aroma. I added a bit of sugar and the tea was delightfully orange and creamy. I noticed one of the other customers added milk to hers and made a tea latte, which she said just accentuated the creamy flavor of the tea. This one definitely reminded me of running after the ice cream truck and eating popsicles at the park during summer.
Drink Me: Republic of Tea, Hibiscus Sangria
The second iced tea that I ordered from Republic of Tea was Hibiscus Sangria.
Hibiscus Sangria contains hibiscus, apple bits, sweet blackberry leaves, orange peel, natural orange, lemon, lime and strawberry flavors.
It is available in a tin which contains 8 pouches (to make 8 quarts of tea) for $6.99.
The tea itself is refreshing. I can taste the sweet hibiscus but the orange peel with lemon and lime give it a bit of a citrus tang that makes it not too sweet. I’d be eager to add fruit and maybe a splash of wine to it and see how that jazzed it up, but I did enjoy drinking it plain as well.
Drink Me: Republic of Tea, Orange Ginger Mint
I recently placed an order with the Republic of Tea, which is one of my favorite sites. I rarely get a tea from them I don’t love. Recently I have been enjoying their Orange Ginger Mint at a local cafe, and I wanted a stash for my desk.
From the website, Orange Ginger Mint contains ginger, orange bergamot mint, lemon thyme, anise hyssop, anise seeds and blackberry leaves.
It is available in a variety of sizes (and also as loose leaf) but this time I opted for the tin of 36 teabags for $10.25.
When I open the tin I get a healthy dose of the orange, the ginger and the mint. I really enjoy this one with just a bit of sweetener to sip on in the late afternoon, or as an after dinner drink. I find that the ginger is a good stomach soother, and the citrus and mint also feel good when allergies hit. All in all, this is going into the desk drawer and into rotation.
Drink Me: Mrs. Kelly’s Tea, Celebration Tea
Another flavor I picked up in my last order from Mrs. Kelly’s Tea was her Celebration blend.
From the label, this blend contains Ceylon tea with cranberry, vanilla, cinnamon and orange peels.
Celebration is available in a 3oz bag for $8.50 and an 8oz bag for $12.50.
When I first opened the package I smelled the cranberry and cinnamon most of all. It definitely reminded me of a holiday tea. As it brewed I got more of the Ceylon aroma. This one was a delicious Ceylon, but I admit I lost most of the other flavor notes while sipping. The tea itself was delicious – I might try the Ceylon by itself next time.
