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tea

Black Tea Fruit Tea Green Tea Reviews Rooibos Tea Reviews White Tea

Review of a Truly Exquisite Range of Loose Leaf Tea from Jadu Tea

13th February 2016

Recently I was sent a selection of tea from Jadu Tea for me to review. The first thing I noticed upon opening the box is just how incredibly Jadu Tea is presented, the gloss black packaging with the metallic gold labels feel luxurious and modern. I especially love the packaging for the China Green tea I received, which is in a blue velour box with metallic gold writing and wrapped in black paper, I felt like royalty as I opened it!

The teas I received are:

Mademoiselle Grey

Woodland Fruit

Rooibos Creme Brulee

Calming Chamomile

Mint Melange

White Mango Lime

Also included was a selection of individually wrapped pyramid teabags

Earl Grey (not actually edited)

Mademoiselle Grey

The tea I got most of is Mademoiselle Grey which is high-quality Sri Lanka tea with a citrus scent and a hint of lemongrass, finished off with red cornflowers for a luxury feeling. You can smell the floral bouquet with every sip, with a perfectly refreshing black tea that’s balanced with notes of bergamot and a slightly lemony zing. This tea is also very economical as it can be made quite weak while still tasting fantastic, I was also able to infuse this tea more than once. Overall it’s without a doubt one of the best Earl Greys I’ve ever had.

 

Woodland Fruit

Woodland Fruit

Next up is Woodland Fruit, the first thing I noticed with this tea is it has whole dry berries, something you don’t often see. The dry smell smells like Ribena with berries filling the room when the water is added, tempting me as I work on my desk. The quality is unbelievable and the liquid is a beautiful deep purply colour. Overall this is a well rounded berry tasting tea with none of the dreaded sharpness often found with other teas.

 

Creme Brulee Rooibos

Rooibos Crème Brûlée

Next to take centre stage is Rooibos Crème Brûlée, this is a really sweet tea with a dessert-like flavour. The dry smell has a cakey pudding feeling that would satisfy the sweetest sweet tooth. I love the flavour of Rooibos and that I can drink it at night without being kept awake by the caffeine. The colour once brewed is a magical deep red colour. This is one of those teas that you just want to fill a big mug with and sit for an evening with a good book.

 

Chamomile

Calming Chamomile

The quality of The chamomile is amazing, you can literally see the flower buds. It has a soothing summery fragrance with a nice yellow liquid. Chamomile is known for its calming effects so you really do achieve benefits when drinking this tea, it’s perfect to drink at the end of the work day. It’s also subtly sweet and fantastic before bed, you can really feel content as this tea as it eases you to sleep. Camomile tea has never been one of my favourites but this tea is of such high-quality that it’s made me change my mind completely and I’ve drunk a ton of it! 😀

 

Mint Melange

Mint Melange

I usually steer clear of mint tea, I’m not really sure why but it does kinda remind me of toothpaste I guess but I’m always up for trying new things! Mint Melange from Jadu Tea is a blend of peppermint and spearmint and that’s it! The amount of each mint is perfect as you get the cooling of the peppermint while the tea remains sweet because of the spearmint. It’s also not overly minty and is really refreshing, it’s amazing if you have an upset stomach, one mug fixes almost anything! The tea also retains it’s flavour when it’s cooled down and can be drunk hot or cold. As mint tea goes this is one of the best I’ve tried, it’s my least favourite tea out of the Jadu Tea range but that’s probably largely because mint tea just isn’t my thing, I’m sure with this level of quality that if you like mint tea you’ll love this one!

 

Lime White

 

lime2

White Mango Lime

I absolutely adore white tea so I’m always excited to get new and exciting flavours. The first thing I noticed with this tea is the incredible fragrance that bursts out of the packet when you open it, it’s a combination of the delicate scent of white tea with the sweet kick of Mango. This tea is packed full of good quality pieces of fruit and nicely sized tea leaves, no dust-like tea here! Every sip is heavenly and really conveys the magic of tea, something Jadu Tea are pationate about promoting. I love that alongside the sweetness of the mango there’s a lime kick to add an element of indivuality and excitemend to the blend, this kick also adds to the refreshment this tea offers. The silvery, almost metallic colour of the tea once it’s steeped is beautiful, along with the smell it really is a luxurious experience that I won’t forget.

 

China Green

China Green

The China Green that I was sent was in the most beautiful box I’ve ever received tea in. It’s a luxuriously soft blue suede embossed with the Jadu Tea logo and China Green in gold, it’s so nice I actually don’t keep it in my kitchen, it lives on my desk by my computer (making it really hard to resist!). The dry tea is a deep green colour with a clean a healthy scent, as well as the grassy fragrance there’s also a sweetness to it. When brewed it makes a lovely golden tea that always wows my guests and even wins over my less cultured guests that usually reject green tea. Watching the leaves unfurl is a magical event and this tea is fantastic made in large quantities as it tastes great at every temperature and any strength, varying the tea between sweet and more vegetal. Tea presented in the Jadu Tea gift boxes makes the perfect gift for any tea fan and is sure to blow them away, you get a little slice of royalty with every infusion 🙂

 

Teabags

Pyramid Teabags

The last item sent for a review was a lovely little box with the same sleek black packaging that contained a selection of pyramid teabags. The pyramid bags are great, nice and roomy for the tea leaves to unfurl and swirl around, so maximum flavour is achievable even if you’re in a rush (or lazy 😛).

 

That’s the end of my Jadu Tea review, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it and drinking the fantastic tea from Jadu Tea. If you’re still undecided where to by your tea I strongly recommend Jadu Tea, you can find their website here.

The last thing I’d like to say is a massive thanks to the Jadu team for sending me your magical products to try, I really appreciate it! 🙂

As always you can find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Come say hi or leave a comment below!

Catch ya later! xXx

 

 

Reviews Teaphernalia Top 10's

Top 10 Tea Books Every Tea Lover Should Read!

12th February 2016

Recently I’ve been buying books about my favourite subject! I was amazed at how many there were so I thought I’d put a list together of the best ones. I own some of the books and plan to own them all but some of the top 10 are based on the books with the most favourable reviews.

In no particular order the top 10 tea books I could find are as follows:

tea book dk1. The Tea Book (DK) – This is one I do own and my favourite I’ve been able to find, it has loads of material and history of tea as well as tables to better determine the flavours of the tea you’re drinking, really helpful for blogging!

 

 

teapigs book 2. Teapigs The Book of Tea – Another one I love! although Teapigs isn’t my favourite brand of tea this book is still fantastic. It features loads of interesting history, how tea is made, growing tea and a breakdown of the culture of tea in different countries all around the world.

 

 


3. Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties – An escorted tour of the worlds tea growing countries, written by the owners of the Camellia Sinensis Tea House in Montreal. It covers black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu’er, perfumed, aromatic and smoked teas.

 

 


4. 20, 000 Secrets of Tea: The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature’s Healing Herbs – This is one for the health conscious, it details how to benefit from the many magical healing effects of tea.

 

 


5. The Ritz London Book Of Afternoon Tea: The Art and Pleasures of Taking Tea – A more traditional take on this great british pastime, including an in-depth view of Afternoon tea at The Ritz. A nice extra is it even includes recipes so you can enjoy a posh afternoon tea in the comfort of your home (and without missing that mortgage payment).

 

 


6. Tea: A History of the Drink That Changed the World – This book gives an entire history of tea and its impacts on the world, including it’s social implications and it’s effect on the ethics of business.

 

 

the art and craft of tea
7. The Art and Craft of Tea: An Enthusiast’s Guide to Selecting, Brewing, and Serving Exquisite Tea – This book makes the history and traditions of tea accessible to everyone. If you want to take your reading one step further the book also has recipes for blending tea using natural ingredients.

 

 

tea enthusiats handbook

8. The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook: A Guide to the World’s Best Teas – The perfect guide to the world’s finest teas and how to get the most out of them, with an approach that behind every tea is a story of the land it came from and the skills used to craft it.

 

 

little black book

9. Little Black Book of Tea (Little Black Books) – What could be better than a pocket sized guide of tea?! This book is beautifully finished and would be an awesome gift for the tea lover in your life. It has 160 pages of the different grades of tea from around the world, including the best ways to enjoy them and recipes.

 

 

the china tea book

10. The China Tea Book – This is the most expensive book on the list but after doing my research I found that the reviews are always positive and it’s bound in a lush hardcover. The focus of the book is China and its 5000 year history of tea drinking and the culture and tradition that surrounds it. It covers the sophistication of tea drinking and the love that goes with it.

 

That brings us to the end of my top 10 tea books, I plan to eventually buy them all but I hope this helps you to decide which one(s) to buy. Remember to share and thanks for reading! 😀

Black Tea Reviews Rooibos Tea Reviews Tea Storage Teaphernalia

Bluebird Tea Co. Christmas Hamper Review, The Best Gift Ever!

11th December 2015

A while back I went to the post office to collect a parcel and was given a box with Bluebird Tea Co. stamped all over it. I wasn’t expecting anything from them so I was instantly intrigued and massively excited! I opened the box and inside I found an incredible Christmas hamper full of tea! I was absolutely blown away, I’m sure anyone who receives one of these hampers will be equally blown away but it was definitely an OMFG moment! :p

The hamper included a selection of Bluebird’s finest Christmas gifts, which included 2 boxes of tea, a canvas Bluebird Tea Co. tote bag, an extending silver tea infuser, a tea bauble (so lovely!), a mulled wine cocktail kit and a Bluebird Tea Co. mug. The sweetest part is they even personalised the mug with my name, my first mug with my name on it! I’ll go through the tea in a bit more detail below but I’ll say up front, these teas are phenomenal!!

Snowball

Snowball 50g Box of Loose Tea

The first tea I tried was Snowball, a chocolatey marshmallowy black tea treat with a hint of coconut. This tea feels like a dessert, it’s actually really helped having it on hand with the run up to Christmas as I tend to become a bit of a chocolate fiend but this satisfies my sweet tooth! I often find with basically all chocolate tea I’ve previously tried, that the tea isn’t actually chocolatey at all but this is totally different, there’s actual chocolate chips and you sure can taste them! I did actually pick the marshmallows out as I’m vegetarian and my boyfriend is vegan but I’ve been saving them so my mum gets extra when I make a cuppa so her tea is even naughtier!

 

Chai

Gingerbread Chai

Gingerbread Chai is a winner of a Great Taste Award and I can really see why. It’s a rooibos base and tastes phenomenal, my hamper contained tea bags and they go a long way! I have a HUGE Batman mug, I love to come in from the cold and fill it with Gingerbread Chai; Batman mug, Yoda slippers and my dressing gown and I’m all good!:P The Ginger warms the back of your throat and just the right amount of cinnamon is there for a little kick, this is a tea you just have to try. I’ve been trying to build up my collection of caffeine free tea as I do a lot of my tea drinking at night, often in to the early hours of the morning so this tea’s just perfect.

 

 

Tea Bauble

Christmas Cake Tea Bauble

This is something I found so exciting! It’s a plastic see-through bauble filled with teabags. I hung it straight up in my study and while I’m working I reward myself with some Christmas Cake tea every time I finish a chunk of work. Apart from the inventive packaging the tea is beyond words, it really does taste of christmas cake but sweeter with a beautiful marzipan flavour from the almond and a warming orangey fruitiness. It also has little snowflake shaped candy pieces, where else would you find tea this cute?! 😀

 

 

wine and kit Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine Kit

This would make the perfect gift for anyone who likes mulled wine, it’s so nicely presented and easy to make. I’ll be honest, I haven’t actually ever had mulled wine so this was a first for me, a bit of a complication is I don’t/can’t drink alcohol so I found a non-alcoholic red wine to use instead 😊

The bottle contains all the spices and fruit you’ll need for the perfect mulled wine so you just add your red wine, leave for 48 hours and then simmer on the stove, strain and serve to guarantee that Christmas feeling!

I added more wine at the simmering stage to make the spices less intense but the result was fantastic! A beautifully sweet taste followed by a mouth warming hit of festivity!

 

 

Tote Bag Infuser Combo mugs combo

The Extras

Also included in the hamper is a super cute Bluebird canvas tote bag, it couldn’t of come at a better time, with this 5p per bag business beginning! I keep it at the bottom of my manbag ready for my shopping. There’s also a really kool tea infuser, it’s telescopic and compresses to about 1.5cm thick, then it extends in to a full size tea infuser and with a classy chrome finish. Last but not least is a Bluebird Tea Co. mug with a festive bluebird, the lovely guys and gals at Bluebird also added my name to the mug which is so lovely <3

 

Overall this hamper is simply gorgeous, as are all the Bluebird Tea Co. Christmas gifts, they have a lot more to choose from at different price points so there’s something for everyone. I’ll be placing an order soon for some presents for my Boyfs parents and to stock up on more of the Christmas tea while I can, I have a feeling I’ll be drinking Christmas tea well in to the new year! 😉

I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this and I urge you to go and find the perfect Christmas present from Bluebird Tea Co.. One of the gifts I think would be particularly lovely are the tea blending kits, they contain 6 tins of tea ingredients and recipe cards for you to make your own blends, heaven! You can get the exact hamper in this review here, it’s a gift your loved one will never forget! 🙂

I’d like to say a HUUUUGE, MAHOOSIVE  thank you to Bluebird Tea Co. for sending me this incredibly generous gift, I’m so so thankful. I’ll be coming to Brighton in the new year so I’ll be sure to call in and see you guys! 🙂

Merry Christmas to all my readers, friends and fellow bloggers who read this! I’d love to hear about any other amazing tea Christmas gifts you’ve found in the comments below or come find me on Twitter!

Oh one final note, you know you wanna be on my mailing list! 😉

Black Tea Green Tea

Tea Time Tea Subscription Reviewed!

16th November 2015

Recently Tea Time sent one of their monthly subscription boxes for me to review. Tea Time is a tea subscription service that delivers you amazing health-focused tea each month. The tea was received in a slim white box which fit through my letterbox perfectly. A nice touch is the inclusion of some empty teabags you can fill if required, which offers the best of both worlds.

Inside there were three pots of tea – Lemune Superboost, Jasmin Pearl Zen and Tummy Tonic, for only £4.95!
Also included was a flowering tea, which is a small ball that you drop in to a teapot, the ball then opens up and grows in to a flower and infuses the water at the same time!

 

Lemune Superboost
Lemon
 This smelt divine! As soon as the water hit the dry tea you could smell the lemongrass. It brings back fond memories of a local Thai restaurant, that I visit a lot with my partner. The leaf was nice and fresh with no powder or small bits and it goes a really long way using an infuser so it’s very economical. I really liked the inclusion of whole goji berries which added a really refreshing zing but without sharpness, as well as notable superfood health benefits. The smell the entire time you drink is incredible and you become immersed in a magical lemony mist with every sip.

 

Jasmin Pearl Zen
 Jasmin
This tea was definitely my favourite out of the three teas I received. This also had nice sized leaf which opened up impressively once infused and it’s really nice to see such good quality jasmin. It has a strong healthy Jasmine scent with a flavour to match, this tea is perfect for leisurely sipping, as the jasmin flavour dances around on your tongue. The flavour overall is refined but clearly has the Jasmine tones, without being overpowering and I loved to watch the dragon pearls unfurl in the mug at the end of a busy day 🙂

 

Tummy Tonic
 Tummy Tonic
I think out of the three teas I received tummy tonic was probably my least favourite, it wasn’t really bad but just not my ‘my cup of tea’. I’ve never really been a fan of mint tea I find it is not sweet enough and it always reminds me of toothpaste. When you open the poy there’s still good quality leaf, with a definite mintyness which is the dominant flavour when you drink it. If you like mint tea this would definitely be a wise choice for you.
One thing I did notice about this tea is one day I had indigestion and a slightly upset stomach so I decided to drink this and test out it’s health benefits. I did find it really helped and quickly settled my stomach. I think despite the flavour not being totally perfect for me, I ‘ll keep a stash of this and ration it to use when I next have an upset stomach, which thankfully is very rare 😛

 

The packaging was really good and clearly labelled, I love the addition of the symbology guide inside the lid of the box, it shows you what the symbols on the lid of each pot of tea mean. Such as whether the blend is decaffeinated, how many servings per pot and also if it can be reinfused. The only info I felt was missing from the packaging is the temperature at which each tea has to be a infused, this is especially important with any teas that contain green or white tea.

Overall I really enjoyed the service and the variation of tea in the subscription box. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants new and unique tea without having to hunt it down yourself. You really can’t go wrong for the price as well, £4.50 per box, which is far less than rival tea subscriptions!

The flowering tea is a really nice addition to the box. I love flowering tea as it’s a really good centre piece for any occasion and always impresses guests!

Be sure to check out Tea Time’s website! 🙂

If you have any questions please contact me either via the comments below, email or Twitter. I’d like to say a big thank you to Tea Time for sending me their subscription box and I hope that my feedback is helpful.

Bye for now! xXx
Matcha

Matcha Halloween Zombie Cake Pops Recipe

27th October 2015

I wanted to make something horrific for halloween and I decided cake pops would be perfect. You can eat them yourselves, make them with your family or even give them to trick or treaters!

I made white chocolate chip vanilla cake and covered them in matcha white chocolate, matcha is a fantastic natural alternative to green food colouring and tastes divine. I use Kiss Me Organics Culinary Grade Matcha, as it has a great taste and is also really green and it gives the brightest green colouring I’ve found, it’s also cheap for over 100g!

You’ll also need a cake pop mould, I used this  Sweetly Does It mould.

Originally the plan was to use orange food colouring to make orange chocolate and decorate them as jack o lanterns but the food colouring I bought was awful and wouldn’t make the white chocolate anywhere near the orange I wanted.

I also decided I wanted to get some matcha involved somehow and while watching the Walking Dead premiere I decided that the perfect combo would be matcha green cake pops with zombie jack o lanterns! I had one white chocolate cake pop that I made before adding the matcha, so I had an idea to have the white chocolate one as a human. The finished result is the display of the women running from the zombies. It might not be that good (I’d never written with icing before) but they tastes fantastic which is the main thing! 🙂

So here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

 

120g unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

150g unrefined caster sugar

4 tbsp of milk, also room temperature

180g of self raising flower

1 bag of white chocolate chips

Culinary grade matcha, to taste

 

Method:

1. First thing you’ll want to do is cream the sugar and butter in a bowl

2. Add the eggs one at a time and beat gently with an electric whisk and add the vanilla extract

3. Sieve the flour and baking powder in to a bowl and combine

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix thoroughly

5. Add the milk and stir until the batter mixture is smooth and your desired amount of white chocolate chips.

6. Grease your cake pops mould thoroughly in all the holes and spoon the mixture in to the holes, add the lid of the mould. You can use a cocktail stick to prod the cake pops through the hole in the mould, to check if they’re cooked.

7. Place the mould on a tray to stabilise the cake pops while they cook and cook for 15-20 mins

8. Remove the cake pops when they’re ready and leave on a wire rack to cool. Take the top of the mould off and you should have perfect cake pops!

9. Last step is to melt some white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, add the amount of matcha you like. Dip the cake pop sticks in the white chocolate and leave them to set slightly, this will help to secure the cake pop in place on the stick (you can see my fallen cake pops as zombie heads in the background lol).

10. Stab your first cake pop with the stick and dip the cake pop in to the white chocolate, I used a fork to help lift the cake pop out, which greatly reduced the amount of cake pops falling off their stick. Put the cake pop in the holder and allow to set before decorating, repeat this for the rest of the cake pops and you’re done! 😀

Close Up

 

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have a fantastic Halloween! 😀

If you try these I’d love to hear how you get on 🙂

xXx

Green Tea Matcha Reviews Tea Reviews

Yunomi Matcha, Matcha Latte Mix & Hojicha Review

25th September 2015

Recently I was lucky enough to be sent some fantastic Japanese tea from Yunomi to taste test and review. I received 30 grams of Yunomi Factory Direct G3 Matcha, 50 grams of Azuma Tea Matcha latte mix (which I adore!!) and some Hojicha.

Keep reading to find out what I thought of Yunomi’s tea!

Matcha Factory Direct G3

Matcha Top Down

 

Matcha Powder

 

This is what I was most excited about trying and it didn’t disappoint at all! I’m totally addicted to matcha, I love to cook with it, make lattes, drink it hot or iced.

The first thing I noticed with this matcha is the colour, it is BRIGHT green, like the colour of grass! It also has a slightly more moist look to it, unlike nearly all of the matcha I’ve purchased in the UK, which is always dusty and powdery. This matcha is just so fresh smelling and the freshness is even more pronounced once it’s prepared. There’s no bitterness at all which often accompanies UK matcha, instead all you taste is a healthy flavour with a silky consistency.

The packet I received has proven to be incredibly economical, because it’s such good quality I’ve been able to use less than I would with UK sourced matcha.

Overall I’m so thrilled with this matcha, I definitely won’t be buying my matcha from anywhere else. This is the best matcha you will find, sourced straight from Japan and it’s simply fantastic!

Matcha, Chasen, Powder

 

 

 

AZUMA: Matcha Latte Mix

Matcha LatteI was so excited to find this on Yunomi’s store, I absolutely love a good matcha latte but very rarely have them due to the time it takes to make one and them being basically unavailable in UK coffee chains.

This latte mix just needs water and quick stir, then it’s ready to go, it has sugar and powdered milk already added. The result is a perfect matcha latte in seconds, and it really is as good as the ones I’ve made myself and even the lattes I’ve bought in London! I found I did have to use quite a lot for the latte to have that thick, milky consistency but it still costs a fraction of the price of lattes on the highstreet. The back of the packaging suggests using milk instead of water, which would provide the milky consistency while using less of the matcha latte mix.

I developed the beginnings of a cold randomly for a day or so during the time I was testing these products. I dived straight in to my matcha vitamin C boosting routine (the perfect excuse for constant matcha lattes) and the cold never progressed, which I largely thank this latte mix for!

One other thing I did really like is the packaging, it’s stylishly presented, feels super traditional and the resealing strip is really functional.

 

Roasted Hojicha Instant Tea

Hojicha Web Ready

This was something new for me so I was eager to try it and I wasn’t disappointed! It has a similar fragrance to matcha but with a roasted, slightly smoked hint. I added it to 80° water and waited in anticipation, a deep almost coffee-like smell began to drift up to my nose.

Once prepared, it’s taste is also similar to matcha but with a more intense nutty flavour, which is really comforting now the weather is plummeting in the UK! It feels sort of chalky in consistency which is surprisingly enjoyable and the vegetal taste gives an overall healthy feel. I love the roasted aftertaste, it’s so warm and really addictive!

 

Final Words

I’ve love these Yunomi products sooo much! The matcha is hands down the best matcha I’ve ever had, the flavour is deep, not bitter at all and just blows UK bought matcha out of the water. If you’ve never tried Japanese matcha I urge you to make an order with Yunomi and try REAL matcha, you won’t regret it! Take a look at Yunomi’s website!

Finally I’d like to say a huge thank you to Yunomi for sending me these products to review, I’ve had a ton of fun tasting them and taking the photos!

 

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Black Tea Fruit Tea Iced Tea Rooibos

My First Tea Sparrow Tea Subscription Reviewed and Taste Tested!

29th August 2015

Tea Sparrow were kind enough to send me a monthly subscription box this month which I’m thrilled to be able to review for you all today. You can find out more about Tea Sparrow on their website.

I’m happy to share my pictures with you as I cover these four fantastic teas, read on to find out why a tea subscription service could be perfect for you!

All of the teas included by Tea Sparrow over the summer months are teas that are also great iced, this is a really nice idea to keep the subscription service exciting over the summer months.

The parcel arrived and it fitted straight through my letter box in a nice smart brown box. Inside were 4 very different teas, this months selection is Earl Grey Vanilla Rooibos, Pineapple Coconut Oolong, Citrus Sunburst and Mandarin Rose Tea. I also received a nice note explaining how to get the best out of the Oolong tea included in this months subscription, which is a really nice touch 🙂 All four teas are from different sources so the variety is great and they aren’t in any way similar, I’ll cover them in more detail below!

 

Earl Grey Vanilla Rooibos

Earl Grey Vanilla Rooibos

This tea is from Aromatica Fine Teas and is really special! When I first began relentless tea drinking I wasn’t really a fan of Rooibos, I found it a bit sickly but I’ve had some truly great rooibos since then and this is one of them!

It smells fantastic, like sweets or dessert and the smell fills the room as soon as the water hits the fiery red leaf. The Earl Grey flavour is very definitely there and works amazingly as the vanilla sweetness swirls around with the bergamot. This tea is a beautiful colour and would be perfect to share with friends in glass teaware.

Earl Grey Vanilla Rooibos is also very economical and the amount provided by Tea Sparrow will be enough to enjoy this tea many times, I’m on about mug 10 and still have a lot left!

 

Mandarin Rose Loose

Mandarin Rose

Mandarin Rose

Mandarin Rose is sourced from Mighty Leaf Tea. I was a little skeptical about this tea as I’m really not a fan of floral tasting tea but it actually is pretty amazing. Upon opening the packet I was greeted with a burst of a sweet rose smell just like Turkish Delight which I love! The rose petals are a nice size and a beautiful pink colour, paired with high quality black tea leaf. This tea kinda tastes just like a liquid Turkish Delight, and I think because it has a black tea base the rose element isn’t too overpowering.

I also tried this tea iced on one of the few sunny hours this summer and it was AMAZING, the smell becomes sugary sweet when it’s iced and provides the perfect refreshment on a hot day. I took the opportunity to get my Kilner mug set out and drink through a stripy straw, I’ve gotta say it tastes even better through a straw! :p

 

Close up Iced

Citrus Sunburst

This fruit blend is from Tiesta Tea and is another great choice by Tea Sparrow. The smell is mainly citrus but with beautiful berry notes in the background, it smells amazing loose.

When I first added the water it turned a luxurious deep red colour. It smells literally intoxicating when it’s steeping, I found my self hovering over the mug breathing it in as it brewed. It has a multi-layered flavour that’s expertly created using a combination of the sweet berry element with the citrus tone.

Next I decided to take this tea for a spin iced and I’m so glad I did! I used two teaspoons which was enough to fill my bottle and I was also able to refill it from half full to get even more use out of it. It’s so refreshing as the pomegranate and apple flavours bubble to the surface while the citrus seems to take a slightly more refined approach than when hot.

 

Pineapple Coconut Oolong Loose

Front

Top Down

Pineapple Coconut Oolong

I’ve saved the best until last! This tea has been created by Samovar Tea and I can honestly say it is one of the best teas I’ve ever tasted, Tea Sparrow really flexed their curating muscles with this one! 😀

I opened the packet and there was an outburst of a birthday cake like smell, I’m not really sure why as pineapple and coconut aren’t traditionally birthday cakey, either way this is a smell you need in your life! I decided to go all out and invite my favourite ‘special occasion’  teapot to the party. The prepared tea is a nice pale liquid that I still feel smells of vanillary cake, it’s also massively economical as you can brew the leaves 3 to 4 times and experience the full range of flavours this oolong offers.

I LOVE this tea, often tropical flavoured teas have way too much pineapple in them and the other flavours don’t get a look-in but this is different, the pineapple and coconut waltz across your tongue in perfect harmony. I urge you to try this fantastic creation, you won’t be disappointed!

 

Final Thoughts

I’ve been looking at tea subscription boxes for a while now and always felt that I’d need to find somewhere that I could trust to only send me good, enjoyable teas. Tea Sparrow are that company, all four of these teas are beautiful and the presentation and variation of this subscription box really shows that this service will provide you with expertly curated teas, from sources you probably wouldn’t ever find on your own. The amount of each tea provided is very generous and really will go a long way, Tea Sparrow’s service is actually really great value based on the quantity and quality of the tea you will receive.

Ask yourself, what could be better than a box bursting with character-filled teas arriving once a month, without you having to hunt for them yourself?

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this review, I had so much fun with these teas and loved writing this review. I also had so much fun taking the pictures, these teas were deserving of my favourite teaphernalia 🙂

Thanks for reading! xXx

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Reviews Teaphernalia

Bosch TWK8633GB Multi Temperature Styline Kettle Review

10th August 2015

I’ve been sampling and writing notes for a ton of reviews I’ve got coming up and one thing I always found tiresome to get right was the correct temperature for each kind of tea. I felt that if I’m going to write reviews I should get something that reliably controls the temperature of the water, after all I’d hate to give a company a bad review because I burnt their tea without realising. I’d been using an olden days thermometer to check the temperature but I decided it was time for modern technology to lend a helping hand!

Enter the Bosch Styline Collection Kettle TWK8631GB. It can reliably heat water to 70°, 80°, 90° 0r 100°  celsius, so you get perfectly steeped tea every time and switches between different temperatures for green, white, fruit or black tea with ease.

The other features that are worth noting are:

  • Removable Anti limescale filter
  • Easy opening
  • Acoustic signal (beeps when ready)
  • Stainless steel interior
  • Rubberised soft grip handle
  • Double walled to remain cool when touched
  • 360° cordless base
  • economical 1 cup boiling mode
  • Keep warm function retains the water at the required temperature for up to 30 minutes
  • Litres and cup measurements, one on each side
  • 3KW heating element for rapid boil

The removable limescale filter is super convenient and a large button on the lid smoothly pops the lid open, the acoustic signal is also quite helpful, especially if you’re in another room. The quality is phenomenal as you would expect from Bosch, the kettle features solid robust construction throughout. Everything just feels so sturdy and bulletproof, the hinge on the lid is solid and whisper quiet and the handle offers a reassuring grip thanks to it’s seductively soft rubberised handle. Surprisingly the Bosch Styline Collection Kettle TWK8631GB, is still light enough to be easy to use, impressive with build quality of this standard.

Lid Open

 

Handle

1 cup boiling is fantastic, I often used to return to my kettle the following day to find wasted water in the kettle, this is now a thing of the past and this kettle heats the water FAST!

Gloss White

Kettle on StandThe kettle is simply stunning to look at, I love the gloss black finish of the kettle and base combined with the brushed steel and sturdy handle. The kettle is also available in gloss white with brushed steel but I’ve gotta say the black wins, especially as the white will get diiirty in the kitchen. The base is also beautiful and features the controls to choose the required temperature, which is as easy as pressing 1 button. The base matches well with the kettle and together with the red illuminated display it’s perfect throughout.

Controls

I did a lot of research before ordering this kettle and priced at £59.99 (at the time of writing) I was debating whether it would be worth it, after all how much can a higher priced kettle offer? But I was wrong, this kettle has changed the way I drink tea, making it easier to prepare, now the white and green teas I have which are my favourite are being drunk more often (some would say relentlessly!).

This kettle has won a Which? best buy award as well as having nearly 1000 Amazon reviews across both colours (at the time of writing), with a rating of slightly below 5 stars.

That just about rounds it up, please take a look at the pictures, I hope they convey the overall quality and beauty of the Bosch TWK8633 kettle. If you have a similar kettle I’d love to hear about it and how it compares to my new baby! Also if you’d like to ask any questions I can answer from an owners point of view, you can reach me on Twitter or by Email, I’d love to help.

Thanks for reading and I hope this has helped you to make an informed decision! 🙂 xXx

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Green Tea Matcha Recipes

Matcha Green Tea Coconut Ice Cream Recipe

4th August 2015
Close Up

Last week I joined The Hectic Vegan and his ice cream makers and made my Matcha Green Tea Coconut Ice Cream. This ice cream is really easy to make, tastes amazing and is 100% vegan which is also a massive bonus.

After perfecting the recipe I decided I’d write it up as a guest post which you can read here. If you make it I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below! 🙂

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Green Tea Iced Tea Reviews Tea Reviews

Do I LOVE Tg Green Teas Iced Tea & Pyramid Teabags?

7th July 2015

Recently Tg Green Teas asked me if I’d like to try some of their products, obviously I jumped at the chance and was sent a selection of items. These included 3 flavours of Bottled iced tea and 3 packs of green tea teabags. Keep reading to get the low down on these teas from Tg Green Teas!

All 6 products are green tea, the bottles all have ginseng added alongside a choice of mandarin, jujube or standard green tea.

Iced Green Teas

Cold Bottles

The iced green teas are ready made and bottled so they’re always ready to go, the bottles are a comfortable shape with a bullet proof non leaking lid. They contain less than 30 calories each and have just enough sweetener, no less, no more. I love the taste of good quality natural green tea that these iced teas have and the sweetness is perfected with great precision, often bottled iced tea is LOADED with sugar but not these beauties!

Mandarin & Ginseng

I adore this iced tea (good thing I received 2!), the mandarin fragrance explodes from the bottle as you remove the lid and the flavour doesn’t disappoint. The mandarin is very clearly there sitting happily alongside the green tea but it doesn’t overpower it, I’ve had orangey iced tea from other companies that literally tastes like Fanta (eew!). The mandarin flavour is also sweet rather than sharp and all this with only 30 calories!

There also isn’t too much of a dry green flavour to the drink, I expect because the mandarin is so expertly blended with the green tea in precisely the right quantity.

 

Classic Green Tea & Ginseng

I shamefully expected this to be the least exciting but in all honesty it is by far my favourite Tg product, truly gorgeous. It’s so refreshing chilled and really invigorating to drink during the hot weather we’ve had recently. With just the right amount of sweetness, this is an extremely well rounded iced tea that I’ll be sure to be coming back to again and again. The only downside is I finished the bottle in a matter of minutes, and was a tad devastated when I realised!

If you only try one of Tg’s products this is the one. I’ve tried to recreate something even remotely similar myself using iced loose leaf green tea and agave nectar but it just can’t be done! Buy a couple of bottles of this classic green iced tea and pop them in your backpack next time you’re out for the day, bliss!

 

Jujube & Ginseng

Finally I tried the Jujube & Ginseng, the most noticeable difference to the mandarin flavour is that the flavour’s stronger. The Jujube takes more of a centre stage position in this iced tea, again the sweetness is perfect and there’s none of that sugar coated teeth that other iced teas leave you with (I’m looking at you Lipton!). It was so hot the day I drunk this so I got my favourite glass out, poured the pinky tinted liquid, added ice and kicked back with my laptop and got through a sweltering afternoon of work.

The Jujube really sits alongside the green tea flavour perfectly, neither flavour is over the top and both complement each other wonderfully. This iced tea was the only one that ended with a slightly dry taste, but this was a real positive quality on a boiling hot day! 🙂

 

Teabags

 

Next up is the teabags! The teabags are pyramid teabags which is great to see, pyramid teabags improve flavour by giving the leaf more room to expand and move around. I found I could easily get two mugs out of a single teabag which makes these incredibly good value at £4.15 for 15 teabags. The leaf across all 3 flavours is of good quality and much larger than you would usually see in teabags, none of that dust filling that a lot of teabags have!

All 3 flavours taste great, the green tea tastes really pure and is delicate and not too vegetal, the flavours are also just the right strength. I found these teas were better with a sweetener, Tg suggest sugar or honey but I used agave nectar to sweeten mine which made it fantastic! The expiry dates of the packets I received are all 18 months away, and the packets reseal fantastically so your tea will stay fresh for a long time. The matte black packaging features vibrant colouring, which I find really alluring as the colours pop out on my tea shelf, against a backdrop of the usual brown tea packaging.  Keep reading for my thoughts on each flavour 🙂

Ginger & Lemon Zest

Upon opening the packet I was pleased to find that the lemony fragrance wasn’t overpowering, I often find blends featuring lemon to be overly zingy. Alongside the refreshing lemon fragrance I could detect the ginger undertones peeking out.

I was easily able to get two infusions from each teabag and actually found the second infusion tasted better as the green tea is a little more subtle and allows the other flavours to take the spotlight. This tea was the one I found most in need of a sweetening, just to lightly soften the ginger flavouring. I really enjoyed just sniffing the mild zingyness of the lemon as I took a sip. This would be a great morning tea to get you feeling refreshed and energised!

 

Jujube & Osmanthus

The jujube & osmanthus teabags have a nice earthy but sweet smell, the kind of smell that makes me think of curling up on the sofa for a Netflix session! 😉 Once brewed I found the flavour was quite savoury but with a sweet fruity smell accompanying the green tea. These teabags also easily do 2 infusions, so what could be better than sharing a teabag and a chat with a friend?

Again the quality is top notch with large leaf, good quality pyramid teabags and none of the dust that you find in inferior teabags. The thing I found really convenient about these teabags is they do offer you loose leaf quality without the hassle. Admittedly, I do find it quite fun to prance around the kitchen preparing my loose leaf tea and getting my gadgets involved but if I’m in a rush these are the first teabags I reach for!

 

Classic Green Tea

Again I left the classic green tea for last, I found the flavoured teabags more compelling to try, but the unflavoured green tea is actually really relaxing and comforting. With all the crazy flavourings of tea I have, I sometimes forget just how nice straight unflavoured tea is. The classic green tea from Tg is LUSH, when you taste it unaltered you can really appreciate the quality of the leaf that goes in to their teabags. The classic green tea has a slightly dry vegetal flavour, with that healthy feel, but it’s also great lightly sweetened.

 

Final Thoughts

I had such fun trying these products and found it especially exciting to try some new iced tea! I’d like to say a massive thanks to Tg Green Teas for sending me such a generous selection of products to try. I strongly suggest you keep an eye out for these teas or even better, buy directly on Tg’s website.

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