TheNecessiTeas Loose Leaf White Tea 'Strawberry Shortcake'

Tea Information:
Tea: Strawberry Shortcake
Type: White Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: TheNecessiTeas
Purchase: Here
Description: Just when you thought strawberry shortcake couldn't get any better. Well now it can with our guilt-free version of the dessert. This tea is a blend of white tea, angel food cake and bavarian cream flavors topped off with sliced strawberries.

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: 750ml filtered water, 185°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: just like a freshly made strawberry shortcake
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, strawberry
Flavor: I would have believed it a black tea with hints of strawberry
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: strawberry
Liquor: translucent orange brown

The smell was divine, the tea was surprisingly full for a white tea. This was a swap from LENA who had the teas each labeled and i adorable tiny Tupperware, she included amazing notes for each tea!

I failed to read the Steepster notes first and am surprised everyone else tasted cake and not berry.

If it tasted as amazing as it smelled I'd get it again, but alas the taste is pretty standard.

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

TheNecessiTeas Loose Leaf Rooibos Tea 'Chocolate Orange'

Tea Information:
Tea: Chocolate Orange
Type: Rooibos Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: TheNecessiTeas
Purchase: Here
Description: This blend is hard to resist with the sweet aroma of chocolate and orange and the tempting chocolate chunks! Add a splash of milk and a touch of sugar for a truly decedent treat! Naturally caffeine free!
Ingredients: rooibos, orange peel, chocolate chips, and natural flavors

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 2 zarafina cups filtered water
Tool: Zarafina herbal-loose-strong
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: exactly like "Terry's Milk Chocolate Orange Ball"
Steeped Tea Smell: exactly like "Terry's Milk Chocolate Orange Ball"
Flavor: orange, hints of rooibos and chocolate
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: hints of sweet chocolate
Liquor: translucent dark orange-brown

Oh my did the tiny rooibos chips make a mess inside the zarafina! They escaped the mesh basket and got everywhere.

On the other hand this is a delicious caffeine free dessert tea.

Resteep: zarafina herbal-loose-strong
Orange colored water, this is not resteepable - at least at whatever time the zarafina uses for strong.

Rating: 3/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

TheNecessiTeas Loose Leaf Black Tea 'Earl Grey Le Creme'

Tea Information:
Tea: Earl Grey Le Creme
Type: Black Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: TheNecessiTeas
Purchase: Here
Description: Our Earl Grey Le Creme is a forgiving indulgence essenced with vanilla and cream. Go ahead, treat yourself!
Ingredients: black tea, blue corn flowers, and flavoring

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 tsp (recommended 1.5 tsp per 8 ounces)
Additives: none
Water: 8 oz / 1 zarafina cup
Tool: Zarafina black-loose-medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, fruity, floral, vanilla, delicious
Steeped Tea Smell: earl grey
Flavor: earl grey
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: none
Liquor: translucent medium brown

I should have added a bit more leaf, but I was too excited and didn't read the directions before I began.

It came out as a very decent earl grey, nothing too different from the normal (creamy or otherwise) I could detect. It was a bit on the mild side and I wonder if using strong instead of medium would have served the tea better?

It was only a sample, and I split my samples with my mom, so no fiddling with this one for me. There are plenty more earl greys that are more unique and I would prefer for me to worry about revising the preparation of this one.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: Zarafina black-loose-medium
Weak but serviceable cup of tea

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

TheNecessiTeas Loose Leaf Herbal Tea 'Strawberry Kiwi'

Tea Information:
Tea: Strawberry Kiwi
Type: Herbal Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: TheNecessiTeas
Purchase: Here
Description: Sweet strawberries are blended with kiwi to create a fruit tisane that is full bodied and refreshing. Makes a great iced tea! Naturally caffeine free.
Ingredients: apple, hibiscus, rosehips, kiwi, strawberry, natural flavors

Steep Information:
Amount: 5 tsp - the entire sample bag
Additives: none
Water: 1 cast iron teapot full of filtered boiling water
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 8 minutes (did 5, it was too weak)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: strawberry, kiwi
Steeped Tea Smell: strawberry rhubarb pie
Flavor: Strawberry, sweet berry
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: slightly tangy (hibiscus)
Liquor: store bought cherry pie colored

Purchased this sample to help find a tea to fill my nightly no caffeine niche.

Where are you hiding my kiwi? I can't find it. And I am not sure why there are rosehips in there, and not sure I could find them, but I wonder if there would be less weird 'other' in this tea without them.

I was happy to drink the whole pot, but it was straightforward strawberry so not interesting enough for me to purchase more of.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

TheNecessiTeas Company Review

www.thenecessiteas.com

Everyone had been raving about "rootbeer float tea"
Contests had been giving it away
I was NOT going to buy a ton and hate it.

I am browsing the website, and see lots of yummy teas. But I don't see sizing options.

Twitter:

AmazonV: @TheNecessiTeas any chance you'll ever have little sample sizes? or a sampler pack of your favorites? 1:49 PM Mar 4th via web in reply to TheNecessiTeas

TheNecessiTeas: @amazonv email me through my site of a list of samples you want but don't see and I might be able to put some together for you ;) 1:59 PM Mar 4th via Echofon in reply to amazonv

So I go to the website and use "contact us" to beg for sample sizes.

I get an email back explaining there are sample sizes of the teas I want under the samples category! DUH reading fail (facepalm)

So other than not having each flavor that has a corresponding sample size point out such to unobservant people like me the site was easy to navigate and use. The checkout process was simple and clear.

So then I visit the website again use the "samples" to order:
Chocolate Orange
Peppermint Pattie
Root Beer Float
Strawberry Kiwi

I paid via PayPal

I got a prompt confirmation order (Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 6:09 PM)

I also got a follow up (Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 1:59 PM) to know my order was shipped

It arrived today (3/8) in a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope in 4 sealed zip lock bags (mylar one side clear the other)

TheNecessiTeas Loose Leaf Rooibos Tea 'Root Beer Float'

Tea Information:
Tea: Root Beer Float
Type: Rooibos Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: TheNecessiTeas
Purchase: Here
Description: This blend will take you back to your childhood days sitting on the porch sippin on those old time root beer floats. Perfect with a touch of sugar and a splash of milk, you will swear you were drinking the real thing! Naturally caffeine free!
Ingredients: rooibos and natural flavors

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 2 zarafina cups
Tool: Zarafina Strong-Loose Leaf-Herbal
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
MilitiaJim: It smells like root beer with a hint of overcarbonization.
AmazonV: Minty birch beer.
Steeped Tea Smell:
MilitiaJim: This tastes "funny," And by "funny" I mean exactly like root beer. Except hot. And flat.
AmazonV: smells minty, birch beer, just like birch beer I tried to save too long and kept until it went flat and was warm...with mint.
Flavor: rootbeer, followed by mint
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: mint
Liquor: deep dark reddish-brown

I was skeptical of this tea. There have been many teas in the past that sounded good, maybe even sounded and smelled good but didn't taste like I wanted.

So i purchased a sampler from the website. It holds about 6 tsp. I like that it comes in a nice ziplock bag.

I do not like that the website does not have ingredients listed. The sample bag does have them listed.

This tea is confusing....it's hot root beer...it smells the part, and tastes the part perfectly. I think the float part is a bit of a stretch though.

We need to try this iced, and buy some more, it's delicious!

Post-Steep Additives: lactose free milk, makes it creamier and hides the mint in the sips but not the after taste.

A touch of German rock sugar only makes it better.

Resteep: weak but drinkable, still definitively root beer.

Iced (in freezer) left my brain a bit less confused about the whole warm root beer thing.

Rating: 3/3