Blog Archives
Drink Me: Tea Runners
Late last year I heard about a new tea club that would be starting in 2017, Tea Runners. Tea Runners is the brain child of Jewel Staite and Charlie Ritchie. Each month Tea Runners sends out a box of 4 loose leaf teas along with tasting and brewing instructions.
I was lucky enough to get in for the March box and was delighted when it arrived. The packaging was really nice; it was evident a lot of thought and care went into the presentation.
The teas included in March’s box include: Makalu Mint Green Tea Blend, CTC Black, Annapurna Oolong Tea and Peach Ginger Detox Tea.
I love that the labels are chock full of information including ingredients, brewing and tasting instructions and where the tea came from so that I could find it again in the future.
This week I had a chance to try both the CTC Black and the Peach Detox Tea.
The CTC Black was excellent. It was strong flavored, but extremely smooth. It was a great black tea for a morning cup, and I also enjoyed it in the afternoon with just a touch of sugar.
The Peach Ginger Detox Tea smelled amazing when I opened it – just like ripe juicy peaches. It ended up being a really light tasting white tea with a hint of peach. I got almost no ginger in the flavor. I bet this one would be fabulous iced on a hot day, maybe even with a slice of peach?
If you’re interested in giving Tea Runners a try (and I suggest you do!) head on over to the website to sign up to be notified when subscriptions are open and boxes are available. Do keep an eye on your mailbox as they sell out quickly. There were 300 boxes available in March and they were gone within a few hours! Monthly memberships are $25 per box, or if you want to commit to 3 or 6-month subscriptions they’re available for slightly less.
The Corner of Knit & Tea: Episode 90, Finishing Frenzy
Welcome to episode 90! Today I talk about my finishing frenzy and what’s next on the needles. Don’t forget that the Shawl KAL ends tomorrow. Knit like the wind and post your finished shawl in the FO thread!
Please come and join the Ravelry group.
You can also find me on Ravelry as Fluffyk, Twitter, Instagram and Periscope as Fluffykira, and in my shop The Stashbuckler: Adventures in Yarrrrrrrrn.
Sipping:
Knitting:
- Finished: Vanilla is the New Black by Anneh Fletcher, in Show Me Yarn Bootheel in Aunt Gigi
- Finished: Beach Cove Shawl by Anne Podlesak, my handspun
- On deck: Dream in Color Shrug by Kay Dahlquist, Dream in Color Classy in Rio Verde (Camp Loopy 2016)
- On deck: Wedge by Cookie A, hand dyed yarn by a friend (Sock it to Summer 2016, Knot a Podcast)
Spinning:
- Finished: Hello Yarn Targhee in Shadows Parted
- In progress: The Topeka Twister Merino Silk in Blackberry Citrus Tart
Extras:
- I’ve started a Corner of Knit & Tea Tour de Fleece team. Are you interest in joining? Please come chat about it in the group.
Drink Me: Teavana, Sweet Asian Pear
Another tea I ordered in my recent Teavana order was Sweet Asian Pear.
From the label, the blend includes: apple pieces, white tea, oolong tea, pear pieces, rosehip peels, peach, jackfruit, papaya, orange slices and peels, pear pieces, orange petals, elderflowers, grapefruit, passionfruit pieces, passionfruit juice and lychee pieces.
It is available in a variety of sizes: 2oz for $14.98, 4oz for $29.96, 8oz for $59.92, 16oz for $119.84, 3lb for $359.52, and 5lb for 599.20.
When I first opened the package all I could smell was the tangy pear. As it brewed I got more of the sweet apple and peach aromas, as well as a little bit of a floral undertone (perhaps the elderflowers?). The taste was crisp and clean; a little sweet and a little tangy. I enjoyed it hot although it might be delicious cold as well. It was perfect for this chilly fall day!
Drink Me: Teavana, Peachberry Jasmine Sutra
Another tea I added to my last order from Teavana is the Peachberry Jasmine Sutra. Since I love both peaches and jasmine tea I hoped this would be a winner.
From the label, Peachberry Jasmine Sutra contains Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls green tea, green rooibos, hibiscus flowers, apple pieces, rosehip peels, peach pieces, kiwi pieces, strawberry pieces and marigold petals.
The tea is available in multiples of 2oz for $9.98 per 2oz.
When I first opened the package I smelled sweet peach, with a hint of jasmine underneath. Once brewed, the jasmine overshadowed the other scents. The taste was a pleasant mix of the two. The tea wasn’t as sweet as I had hoped – it’s definitely a bit more tart, but the jasmine was very nice. And neither here nor there, but I’m fascinated with the jasmine pearls!
Drink Me: Teavana, Rooibos Tropica
A few months ago, one of the members of my Wednesday night knit group brought me a sample of some Teavana Rooibos Tropica tea that she had bought her son for Christmas. I’m happy to say that even though I’ve decided I’m not a rooibos enthusiast, this blend was really tasty!
From the website, Rooibos Tropica is a blend of red and green rooibos, peach, strawberry, and rhubarb with rose buds and marigold petals.
It is available from Teavana in the following sizes: 2oz for $5.98, 4oz for $11.96, 8oz for $23.92, 1lb for $47.84, 2lb for $143.52 and 4lb for $239.20.
When I first opened the bag I smelled a strong, sweet fruity smell. Once brewed it still smelled fruity and tropical. It tasted sweet – definitely of strawberries and rhubarb, with a bit of the creamy rooibos flavor beneath, but it wasn’t overwhelming. This is another one I can see as a sweet dessert tea, or an iced tea on a hot day.
Drink Me: Adagio, Peach Oolong
The fourth and final selection included in my Orchard Sampler from Adagio is Peach Oolong. From the website, the blend contains oolong tea, natural peach flavor, apple pieces, marigold flowers and apricots.
It is available in several sizes: a sample pack for $2, 2oz for $6 and 16oz for $29.
When I first opened the package I smelled a sweet and slightly tart mix of the peach and apricot. Once brewed the smell was almost honey-like. I thought the taste was more apricot than peach, but sweet and soothing. I think this is a good mid-afternoon brew if you’re looking for a calm moment.
Drink Me: Adagio, Ginger Peach
I know I posted about visiting the Tea Market, but I’m also still working through my box of samples from Adagio.
Another of the teas I received in my initial order was Ginger Peach which is available in a sample size for $2, 3 oz for $6 and 6 oz for $19.
From the website, the Ginger Peach tea includes black tea, ginger root, natural ginger flavor, natural peach flavor, natural apricot flavor and marigold flowers.
When I first opened the bag I definitely smelled the tangy ginger above everything else. Under that there was a hint of peach and apricot. This particular tea smelled very strongly of ginger and I wasn’t sure I would like it. But again, it was deceiving because when it was brewed it was much milder. I could definitely still taste the ginger, but the black tea and the peach and apricot flavors mellowed it out quite a bit. I won’t say this is a favorite of the ones I have gotten, but I did enjoy it.
Drink Me: Adagio Teas, White Peach
I really like anything peach, from fresh peaches in the summer to peach flavored Jolly Ranchers and everything in between. So when I saw that Adagio had a White Peach tea I had to give it a try.
From the website, the White Peach Tea includes white tea from China, apricots, natural peach flavor and marigold flowers. It’s available in a sample size for $2, 1.5oz for $6 and 8oz for $19.
When I first opened the envelope all I could smell was peach. Once brewed, the tea scent came through. The tea was really light and sweet, like a diluted peach nectar. I really think this tea would shine as an iced tea, particularly during the summer months. It’s definitely something I would add to my collection, especially on these cold winter days to remind me that summer is coming!
Drink Me: Adagio Teas, Glow Cloud.
I’m going to start with a tin of tea I actually bought a few months before starting this whole project. In October of last year, I was involved in an online swap through Ravelry, a social network site for knitters. The swap was themed around one of my favorite podcasts, Welcome to Nightvale.
In one of the forums there, someone mentioned the The Town We Do Not Speak Of signatures tea collection at Adagio Teas. As I understand it, Adagio allows users to create their own signature blends of tea. Some users also decide to create artwork to go with their teas and then make them available to other users as well. In this case one user created 10 teas as part of her signature collection. For the adventurous, Adagio offers the collection of 10 as a sampler set, including the mini tins for $39.
The Town We Do Not Speak Of sampler set, Adagio Teas, $39
I read through the ingredients in each of the teas and decided to order just one that sounded appealing, Glow Cloud. The selection was offered in either a 3oz pouch for $10 or a 6oz tin for $24. What can I say? I really wanted that tin.
Per the Adagio website the signature blend contains green tea, white tea, pu erh dante, orange peels, marigold flowers, apricots, natural mandarin flavor, natural peach flavor and is accented with cranberry and hibiscus.
The first thing I smelled when I opened this tin was the delicate scent of peach. I could see bits of orange peel, cranberry and hibiscus leaves. I let the tea steep about 2 minutes before drinking and when it was done I was very pleased.
Overall, it tasted tangy and sweet. I could taste the green tea, but it was subtle, and the citrus and peach flavors definitely came through. I have now drunk this one several times. It is great as an afternoon pick-me-up and I can see this being a favorite I keep in the collection.
