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Dessert by Deb’s Sugar Plum Berry Bars

Sugar Plum Berry Bars by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.00 for 25g

Sugar Plum Berry Bars came as part of my November/December subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed about Sugar Plum Berry Bars (besides the name designed to trip me up) was the pale pink pouch. Very lovely and just has a nice aesthetic behind it (I love the colour pink). Sugar Plum Berry Bars comes in a sealed, resealable pouch, with a colourful label on the front of it with the ingredients and steeping instructions printed on it. The idea of berry bars makes me think of like apple crumble tarts or square, just with berries instead of apples (and cinnamon!). So I’ve got it in my head what I’m expecting this to smell and taste like.

Sugar Plum Berry Bars consists of organic: black tea, elderberries, currants, raisins, hibiscus, Canadian maple, raspberry and blueberry pieces, cranberries, brown sugar, and pink cornflowers. The aroma is very strongly berries, and reminds me a lot of a mixed field berry jam (which is delicious, by the way). And I can also make out the brown sugar and maple, which really lends itself to reminding me of a baked good. The one thing that would really make it stand out as a baked good/dessert would be the addition of vanilla (which I also love).

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Sugar Plum Berry Bars in 212°F (100°C) for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to follow the steeping instructions and do an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Sugar Plum Berry Bars steeps to a golden orange that has a pink hue around the edges of my cup – which is so difficult to photograph but I wish I had been able to do so because it was just so pretty. The flavour of this continues to remind me of mixed berries – it has a moderate amount of sweetness to it, thanks to the brown sugar, fruity ingredients, and maple. I get a lot of molasses sweetness, which I think is thanks to the brown sugar, and I find that it’s just very pleasant. It’s fruity, and I get a bit of astringency at the tail end of each sip with an almost malty flavour that’s playing second fiddle to all the fruity flavours from the black tea base. I’m pleasantly surprised that I can taste it, albeit being overwhelmed by all the fruity flavours. I do like the blend of berry flavours though, because it just has a nice balance of fruity goodness to it.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Sugar Plum Berry Bars and I was disappointed in it – but not surprised – because the berry flavours were lacking. With almost all ingredients that aren’t tea, the flavours are just harder to come by when it’s not the initial steep. I would recommend Sugar Plum Berry Bars for just the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Sugar Plum Berry Bars. It just does a beautiful job of invoking the idea of a berry crumble dessert and I think it tastes pretty good! I like the amount of sweetness that the tea has, and think that if you were going to add anything to it some brown sugar or a splash of vanilla would be just the ticket to really make it the perfect dessert. I think it’s a fun black tea blend, and I really liked the fact that I could taste the black tea base! This could be nice as a tea latte, but I had a lovely time sipping it as a straight cup of tea.

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

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Angry Alpaca’s Bohemian Raspberry

Bohemian Raspberry by Angry Alpaca
Green Tea & Oolong Tea / Flavoured

I received Bohemian Raspberry as a gift as part of a tea swap for the holidays in December 2020 from the lovely Jann of Tea With Jann (check her out on YouTube!). As it was a gift, I won’t be looking up the price, but I will include the link to the company’s Facebook page so you can check out their other available tea blends as well as Bohemian Raspberry.

First Impressions

Some things that really stood out to me was the feel of the packaging – it has a soft paper-feel to it with fibres that hang off a bit, and it’s resealable. The label is fun – bright colours with a crocodile?! I find the idea of a ‘naturally aggressive tea’ to be a bold statement, which makes me want to try the tea even more. The name of the blend itself is punny, which I do like. The back of the packaging has a clear window to see the tea, and a label that includes instructions, ingredients, the fact that this tea is made in River Hebert, Nova Scotia (hello, maritimes!), as well as including an artist credit to the cover art (a British Columbian artist by the handle @GOZNO. All in all, a very nice first impression with the packaging.

The tea itself has a really bright berry aroma to it. I can definitely see the leaves, petals, and berries mixed it. I can smell the green tea, not so much the oolong, but also the floral and berry aromas as well. It definitely reminds me of something that could be had iced and I’d probably be pretty happy about it. Bohemian Raspberry consists of: green tea, oolong tea, dried strawberries, dried raspberries, hibiscus, lime leaves, calendula, carthage and sunflower petals.

Preparation

Angry Alpaca recommends steeping Bohemian Raspberry in 90°C (194°F) water for 3 to 5 minutes. I followed the steeping instructions and did an initial steep for 4 minutes.

First Taste

Bohemian Raspberry steeps to a very pretty golden yellow colour. It has a strong berry aroma to it, and I can smell the oolong! The flavour of the tea itself is nice – get some grassiness from the green tea, some strong floral notes, I can definitely taste the berries, and there’s a buttery quality that lingers in the background that I believe to be from the oolong base. It’s well balanced with not a whole lot of sweetness, but it doesn’t seem to really need it. Bohemian Raspberry is pleasant hot, but I imagine it would be stellar as an iced tea with those fruity flavours. I’m a bit surprised that it didn’t end up steeping a bit more pink or more tart, given the presence of the hibiscus.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Bohemian Raspberry once by adding an additional 30 seconds to the steep time and found the flavour to be a bit lacking compared to the initial steep. The fruitiness from the berries just wasn’t as forward as I would have wanted it to be, but the green tea and oolong tea bases both shine a bit more. So I would recommend resteeping if you’re a fan of the base teas.

My Overall Impression

I loved Angry Alpaca’s Bohemian Raspberry. I really enjoyed the flavour profile that they were able to create with both the green tea and oolong tea base. I think the fruity flavours are nice and really shined in the initial steep. I’m definitely going to set aside the rest of the bag for some cold steeping/iced teas for this summer because I just really think it’ll do well iced or cold steeped. Plus, I do need to give bonus points to a company who takes such care in their design to include fun artwork, highlighting Canadian artists, and giving their tea blend a punny name.

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

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Almost Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Just under a week to go before the big day of love… if you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day. Alternative names also include Galentine’s Day, Single Awareness Day (often celebrated February 15th), or just… Sunday, February 14th. Whatever it is that you’re celebrating, and however you choose to do so, let’s talk about some potential gift ideas.

And these are not in any particular order.

A new tea mug or cup and saucer set is always well-appreciated by that tea enthusiast in your life. Bonus points will be given for items with red, pink, or white florals over hearts because it’ll be less in-your-face Valentine’s and have more everyday use potential. While most tea lovers would also love a tea set, those take up considerably more room, so tread lightly unless you’re more certain about their likes and dislikes. This doesn’t have to be expensive! I’ve gotten some super cute and love-themed teaware from my locally owned dollar stores before (see: above).

Cute tea spoons are always a win. I personally love a nice floral design and they tend to come in sets – perfect for those at-home tea parties that people are having these days. There’s also options for different finishes as well – rose gold, silver or a rainbow sheen would be lovely to use. You can go with more modern styles (and get them delivered right to the door) or brave going into a thrift store or antique mall to get something with real silver plating or with a nice patina to it. This option could be as inexpensive or wallet-emptying as you want it to be.

Do you know their favourite tea brand or type of tea? Get a new tin or box of tea, wrap it up nicely and add a red bow. People have different love languages, but taking the time to notice what your loved one’s favourite is and putting that knowledge into motion is definitely top Valentine’s Day points. This is only a viable option if you can get it quick in the post or stopping into a shop to purchase it in time for this up-coming Sunday.

Self-care is the buzz word of the year (and of last year as well) and there’s nothing more pleasant than being able to take more time than normal for yourself to take care of yourself. Whether that be carving out some time to read a book, enjoy a face mask, or a bubble bath, it can all be done in the luxury of a soaking tub… So why not make it a bundled self-care gift? Get your hands on a lovely over the tub tray, include a nice face mask, new wine glass or tea cup, some tea (looseleaf would be stellar!), and couple it all with a bath bomb or bottle of bubble bath. Turn down those lights, include some scented candles and you’ve got yourself a winner. Yes, this gift giving option includes more legwork and effort from you, but I just put together a shopping list for you – so get out there and make it happen!