Tea Man is The MAN

You guys know by now that I am ALWAYS crusing around Etsy. And, you should all know that I am a tea person (had a British Grandmother you know) and am always willing to try new tea. Well, that's how I found TeaMan!

I'm usually a strict "black tea" person and I tend to stay within say English Breakfast, Chai etc as far as flavors go. I've never really been a fan of fruit flavored black teas..usually the fruit overpowers the tea and it just tastes like I'm drinking hot juice. One Saturday Night during Etsy SNS sales time..TeaMan was offering 25 free bags of his new Cherry, Orange & Almond tea with any purchase. So, I thought it was about time I tried his tea, I'd seen him on the promotion forum often enough. I ordered myself a black tea sampler and got the free tea.

It was $7.50 for the sampler which has 65 tea bags in it and shipping was only $3, fairly reasonable. He shipped them rather quickly and I got my tea in a matter of a few days, so that is also impressive.

Here are the flavors I got in my sampler:

Darjeeling and Ceylon tea

Peach and Apricot tea

Northn comfort tea

Chai black tea

Black Currant black tea

Earl Grey black tea

Strawberry black tea

Cranberry tea

Vanilla black tea

Gingerbread tea

Black Raspberry black tea

English Breakfast black tea

Plus the 25 Cherry, Orange & Almond tea.

I already went thru my usual lovies, the vanilla, the chai, the gingerbread and they are excellent. The quality is outstanding for a home made tea. The flavors are just perfect and meld in just the right way with the tea leaves. There's no overpowering of any spice or flavor. The tea just comes out perfect every time.

I already said I wasn't a big "fruited" tea fan. But, now that's all I have left to try. Tea Man is so good with his blending techniques that the fruit and tea go so well together. I actually enjoy his fruited black tea. It's like good strong black tea with a gentle touch of fruit so you get the flavor of both the tea and the fruit without your tea tasting like hot fruit juice. Even the Cherry, Orange & Almond, which I thought I wasn't going to like, is excellent.

I can truly say with all honesty that if I brew a cuppa Tea Man's tea, I'm going to be content and happy. Prices range from $2.50 for 25 bags to $14 for the Super Sampler. He seems to have special going on all the time. If you purchase $5 or more you'll get 25 of the Cherry, Orange, Almond teabags or if your purchase is under $5, you'll get 10 teabags for free. If you're a tea person like myself, you have to give his tea a go. I highly recommend the Chai and the Gingerbread tea, some of the best I've ever had.

Tea Man ROCKS!

Tea to KEEP Me Happy

If you're a regular reader then you know that I love my cuppa tea! I grew up with a British Grandmother so I had to love tea regardless :-). So, when someone asks me if I want to try their tea, well I'm not one to refuse tea. So, when Krystyne over at The Ivy Keep asked me I was more than happy to oblige.

I'm really a basic black tea kinda gal. I love my Chai, English Breakfast, etc. I was able to pick some samples from Krystyne's selection and give them a go. My favorites were Earl Grey Creme, Vanilla Sencha (Green tea) and the Monks Blend.

I'm not a huge Green tea fan. I've tried alot of different green blends but nothing that really showed up as something I really liked. Now, the Vanilla Sencha is definitely different. Some major tea makers use artificial flavors in their tea. You can always tell that fake vanilla flavor and thankfully it is real Vanilla in the Ivy Keep blend. The vanilla definitely mellows out that bitter green tea taste (I almost always have to cut green tea w/lemon juice to make it drinkable to me) and makes it smooth and mellow. A nice easy drinking tea with no aftertaste. I didn't even have to add much sugar to it which is also a plus.

Now, Earl Grey Creme, I have tried before from another tea maker so it's nice to compare. Earl Grey Creme is your basic Earl Grey tea but with vanilla and some subtle floral hints to it. It's a little sweeter than regular Earl Grey so there's no need for too much sugar. I actually found Ivy Keep's Earl Grey Creme to be a bit smoother and more natural tasting than others I have tried before. It's very easy on the taste buds.

The Monks Blend I really liked. Monks Blend is basically black tea with vanilla and a bit of Grenadine! Oh, the Monks liked their Grenadine. I've also had a Monk's Blend from another tea maker. I found the Ivy Keep blend to taste more natural. It's got a good strong flavor but not overpowering or artificial. If you want a good, flavorful cup of tea then I recommend Monk's Blend.

I really enjoyed my tea from the Ivy Keep and I hope that they continue to build up their selection of tea. Prices range from $2 for a sample (which will give you one full pot of tea..for someone like me who drinks one cup at a time this is plenty for awhile) to $4.75 (there are many inbetween price ranges). They also sell hot cocoa, lip balms, granola and various Villainess bath & body products. Head on over and take a look. At least try the teas I recommend here!

Ice Wine without the Hangover

As many of you know, I am a TEA drinker. I get my caffeine the good old fashioned, Bristish way..with a good ole cuppa tea! And, it's not like I really needed more tea (my cabinet is full of many many different flavors) but I had a sample of a Blue Raven Tea in my last Lemming Central box and a pretty good coupon. The coupon gave me one free 1 ounce bag of any flavor with my order. So, I figured...I had some Secret Santa stuff to buy and of course I could always expand my horizons to another tea maker.

I perused the selection at Blue Raven and found a flavor that really intrigued me..Ice Wine. Now, I have had the real thing. Real Ice Wine is remarkable. It has such intense sweet flavor, it's just lovely. So, I wanted to try this tea. Here's the description and ingredients from the site:

"Add a pinch of sugar and have yourself a amazing joureny to the winter vineyards of Niagara. A delicious fresh white grape flavor with hints of exotic fruit that pleasantly lingers on the tongue. Ingredients: Premimum black tea, freeze-dried grapes, white tea, dried grapes, premium white tea, Ontario Ice Wine, natural flavors."

This is amazing tea. It smells and tastes just like Ice Wine. Now, I know there is some ice wine in the tea itself but it is amazing how much it tastes like the real thing. It didn't even feel like I was drinking tea (well with the exception that it's hot and not cold). And, the good thing is..no hangover!

Blue Raven has very reasonable prices and a very good and interesting selection of flavors. There is even a whole category of several English teas there. A one ounce bag is only $2.25, which is very reasonable. For me, a one ounce bag lasts me a long time..I'd say I get about 10 cups out of it. So, if there is a tea lover in your life...Xmas is only what 19 days away. Take a peek...I'm sure you'll find something unique at Blue Raven Tea.