Category: Review

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Dessert by Deb’s Jingle Bell Berry

Jingle Bell Berry by Dessert by Deb
Green Tea / Flavoured
$6.00 for 25g

First Impressions

If you have been following my Instagam (@onemoresteep), you might have seen my unboxing video for the very first Dessert by Deb tea subscription box! For those who aren’t aware, Dessert by Deb is created and curated by the same mastermind that was behind The Sugared Teacup (of which, I had also had a subscription to as well). Dessert by Deb features handblended organic teas from Toronto, Ontario (Canada) – created in partnership with Lemon Lily (also a Toronto-based tea company). Jingle Bell Berry is the first of the teas from the box that I’ll be showcasing and reviewing here on One More Steep (and no, this is not sponsored – I’m just an enthusiast for trying out tea blends from a Canadian-based organic tea company).

Jingle Bell Berry came in a matte copper pouch that was sealed and is resealable – which is always nice for keeping the tea from going stale. There are a lot of berries in this blend, which is the first thing that I smelled. It’s quite fruity and sweet – I don’t really smell the green tea base but with a name like Jingle Bell Berry, I’m not even mad about it. Jingle Bell Berry consists of organic: green tea, cherries, elderberries, currants, raisins, hibiscus, juniper berries, apple, rosehips, and safflower. That’s six berries and two flowers, for anyone who’s keeping track at home.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Jingle Bell Berry in 200°F (93°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to steep at a lower temperature (175°F/79°C) but did steep for the full 6 minutes.

First Taste

Jingle Bell Berry steeps to a curious golden red colour, it’s not quite what I was expecting when I saw hibiscus in the list of ingredients (that often lends itself to a brighter pink colour). The aroma is mostly that of cherry to me, an overall nice fruitiness from it. The flavour is sweet, and I can taste berries. It’s pleasant with surprisingly no tartness given the hibiscus in it. I didn’t really taste the green tea base, as all the berries are much stronger in flavour strength.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Jingle Bell Berry and found that the flavour just didn’t quite match the initial steep (I think it’s because most of the flavour of the berries and flowers were sapped in the first steep).

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Jingle Bell Berry. I found that the fruity berry notes were really pleasant, and I did enjoy the colour. I was a bit surprised at how strong the cherry flavour and aroma was, given the presence of all the other ingredients, but it was quite tasty. I do wish that the green tea had been more present in the steeped tea, but I think it likely supported the other flavours. I would consider cold steeping Jingle Bell Berry in the future, as I think it might make a nice fruity iced tea.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Tea Experience: Cakes n Sweets Bakery

Cakes n Sweets Bakery
Coquitlam, BC
High Tea – $24.95 each

I went to Cakes n Sweets Bakery last month as part of my birthday celebrations – after all, how else would I celebrate turning yet another year older than with tea? Cake n Sweets Bakery is located in a small strip mall in Coquitlam, BC. Cakes n Sweets Bakery is primarily a bakery, afternoon tea is served almost every day, but reservations are required and they offer a discount if you order an afternoon tea to-go.

Cakes n Sweets offers their regular high tea menu, along with a gluten-free ($28.95 each) and children’s menu ($14.95 each). Due to the nature of their recipes, they’re unable to accomodate dairy-free or vegan options. Just something to consider if you fall into either of those categories!

When you walk into Cakes n Sweets, you’re first greeted by a gorgeous display case with all the desserts you can purchase à la carte (which is really pretty, by the way). We were seated at a cute table that had the menus, teacups and saucer sets, and cutlery.

The tea menu isn’t pages long, but it has a good selection with options from black, green, rooibos, and even a kiddo friendly option called Bubblegum. I opted for my standard Earl Grey with added sugar cubes and cream for extra decadence. The tea itself didn’t overwhelm me, but it did pair really well with the savouries and sweets.

The food arrived on a two-tier cake stand – with the savouries and scones on the bottom with all the sweets on top. The sweets included a macaron each, which we got to pick the flavours.

On the bottom tier, there were buttermilk scones with Devonshire cream & raspberry jam, three cheese quiche, egg salad on croissant, and a cucumber with lemon aioli sandwich. We each got two scones, and then one of each of everything else on the savouries tier. I really enjoyed the buttermilk scone (especially with the Devonshire cream and raspberry preserves!), as well as the quiche as it was served warm, and the cucumber with lemon aioli sandwich.

For the desserts, I picked the cookies and cream macaron. The “assorted delectable desserts” included: apple pie cupcake, chocolate ganache in a chocolate shell, and a raspberry thumbprint cookie. Hands down, my favourite was the apple pie cupcake – so flavourful! And I really enjoyed my macaron flavour selection as well – it had a great cookie cream flavour to it and the bright blue reminded me of Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster.

I really enjoyed Cakes n Sweets. I found that the serving staff was attentive, and the tea and food was served at a decent time after placing our orders. I would definitely consider going back with some friends for a casual afternoon tea date – especially if those apple pie cupcakes on are the menu!

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Celestial Seasonings’s True Blueberry

True Blueberry by Celestial Seasonings
Fruit Infusion / Flavoured
$3.49USD for 45g (20 tea bags)

First Impressions

I’m working my way through the Fruit Tea Sampler that I’ve been mentioning the last couple of weeks (see 1 and 2). This week’s tisane is True Blueberry. A curious blend because when I first opted the package, I didn’t really smell blueberry. What I did smell, however, reminded me of orange and berries – but nothing that was distinctly blueberry. True Blueberry came in portioned tea bags, which made it easy for me to steep.

True Blueberry consists of: hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, natural blueberry flavour with other natural flavours, blackberry leaves, wild blueberries, and blueberry leaves. I’m giving this tisane a bit of a side eye because of how low blueberry actually shows up in the ingredients list.

Preparation

Celestial Seasonings recommends steeping in boiling water (100°C/212°F) water for 4-6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep for 6 minutes.

First Taste

True Blueberry steeps to a bright ruby red. The aroma of this tisane does actually remind me of blueberries, funnily enough. On first sip, I notice that there’s a nice fruitiness that reminds me of blueberries. To go along with the sweet berry notes is a strong tartness, which I attribute to the hibiscus. I don’t really get a lot of the orange peel or rosehips, which is fine by me. It’s okay hot, but I think it’d be much better iced.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep True Blueberry and found that the flavour was just not there compared to the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I liked Celestial Seasonings’s True Blueberry. I found the dry aroma of the leaf to be fairly different from the steeped tisane – which isn’t a bad thing because I enjoyed the aroma and flavour of the steeped product. However, it was a bit disappointing that the dry leaf didn’t mimic the flavour better. I found the blueberry notes to be nice in my cup, and think this would be an excellent tisane if had been iced. I think it would also be lovely if mixed with club soda for a bit of bubbly.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.