Bird & Blend Tea Co.

I had a cup of this yesterday morning and it has grown on me tremendously. I think I have enough for one more cuppa in my sample pack, but I will definitely be reordering this blend in the coming months. It’s a nice black tea with subtle, slightly sweet banana flavor. It’s another one of Bluebird Tea Co’s blends that only improve the more I drink it. Very impressed.

The banana flavor is really enhanced as the tea cools. It’s really subtle but very tasty. Another consistent cuppa from Bluebird Tea Co. I was expecting to be wowed by their fruity teas, but it is their flavored black tea blends that are really impressing me.

Another tea from my Pick N Mix experience pack.

I had to do a double-take of the packaging when I sipped this hot and straight this morning. There’s banana in this? I didn’t taste much other than black tea with the slightest hint of vanilla. I added a bit of sweetener and a good splash of (almond) milk before taking a second sip.

Truthfully, given the name I was expecting a more in-your-face banana tea. That said, the tea did not disappoint. The banana flavor is subtle but delicious. I sort of wish there were more bananas in my bag because the flavor they’re giving me is more natural than artificial. I definitely don’t get the banana candy flavor (think Runts) that seems to be so prevalent in the banana teas I’ve tried. I’m so used to bananas being paired with chocolate in teas that I assumed chocolate was in this blend as well. I’m really glad it’s not. It would’ve overpowered the lovely, delicate banana flavor. It’s lovely as a breakfast tea and would probably make a killer latte. I need to start making a list of teas to latte (latte is a verb, right?) on weekends.

I might repurchase this when I’ve used up some of the other banana teas hanging out in my collection.

I need to buy some desiccated coconut to throw into my steeper, but this tea is so consistent and comforting.

Weekend sipping…

This tea never disappoints. The raspberry note is so fresh and juicy. Juicy tea? Yeah, sure. Again, wishing for a bit more coconut but thoroughly enjoying every cuppa regardless.

It’s like vanilla sponge topped with a thin layer of coconut butter/manna, smeared with homemade (slightly tart, slightly sweet) raspberry jam, and served with a dollop of whipped cream.

This tea is so good.

I bought a 150g tin of this because I was hopeful that it’d be a suitable replacement for the long discontinued Fantasy Island. I must say that this is everything I was hoping for and more. In fact, I think I prefer this blend to DT’s Fantasy Island. That’s saying a lot because Fantasy Island is one of my all-time favorite teas from DT.

I didn’t think I’d be crazy about the raspberry leaf in this blend but, thankfully, it doesn’t bother me. The black tea base is really nice and smooth. It reminds me of the 52 Teas black tea base(s). If anything I wish there was a bit more coconut flavor, but the berry/raspberry flavor is just so delightful. I don’t know that I distinguish any cake notes, but that’s fine by me. It’s quite decadent and jammy regardless. I added a few drops of stevia to sweeten it a bit. It also takes (almond) milk well.

Cococabana Coola + Main Squeeze (1:1), lightly sweetened with stevia, iced.

I just finished off my 20g sampler bag of Cococabana Coola this morning. Truthfully, it’s like a tropical vacation in my mouth. Of the fruity herbal blends I’ve tried from Bluebird Tea Co, this one is my favorite. It’s really flavorful so it masks the flavor of Main Squeeze, which I don’t mind. I’m drinking Main Squeeze for the stimulant boost more than the flavor. I’m holding out until the summer collection is released, but I’ll definitely be adding a tin of this to my next Bluebird order.

This is another yummy blend that I did not like hot (as expected) but really enjoy over ice. It’s fruity, very fruity – mango, pineapple, passion fruit, orange and papaya. It’s like a lovely tropical cocktail without the alcohol. I love hibiscus, but I don’t find that it’s so overwhelming that it overpowers the fruitiness. It does have a very tart aftertaste, but I don’t mind. I will be repurchasing this one to sip on this summer. All that’s missing is the rum!

This tea. This tea caught me off guard. I expected to like it (chocolate teas seem to be my thing lately), but I didn’t think I’d like it THIS much. Truthfully, I had no idea what easter egg nests were until I googled the phrase. Apparently easter egg nests in the US typically contain coconut. Easter egg nests in the UK seem to contain cereal, usually popped rice. This tea tastes like a chocolate covered Rice Krispie treat. It’s really quite delicious – great chocolate flavor, slightly sweet, and a lovely toasted rice note. I sampled it hot and straight, but I imagine it would be even tastier with milk and sweetener. I’ll be stocking up on this as well.

I cold-steeped this for two days (forgot it was in the fridge!) to see if I’d like it just as much cold-steeped as I do iced. I think I like it more. Score! Cold-steeping is my new favorite way to steep herbal teas because I can use half the tea and still get all the awesome flavor. Nevermind the fact that they’re still tasty even if they’ve been in the fridge for over 24 hours. Yum! This is delicious. I wanted to try it a few different ways to be sure that I wanted to spend the money to stock up on it (another LE tea! grrrr!). It looks like I’ll have to bite the bullet after all.

This was one of the first teas I tried in my order, as I realized that the spring collection would soon be gone. As suspected. I was not a fan of this blend hot, but it’s lovely over ice. The dry leaf smells like a candy shop – sort of like Starburst and gummi bears combined. I’m not a Brit and I’ve never had a chance to try these fruit salad chews, but to me the tea tastes like raspberry and pineapple gummi bears (Haribo) in one bite. That’s the only way I can describe it. I will be stocking up on this one. I think it’ll be very refreshing in the summer.

Cold-steeped this for 24 hours. The flavor is better but still quite light. I would’ve liked more hibiscus or something to give it a little more OOMPH. Cold-steeping seemed to tone down the lemongrass quite a bit, so at least it was more pleasant and palatable this go around.

Note to self: If you want a piña colada just have the real thing. Piña colada tea is not your jam.

I’m glad I had an opportunity to sample this without committing to a large quantity. It sounds like something I’d enjoy, but I’m quickly learning that lemongrass (along with pineapple) in tea is really hit or miss for me. I think it’s safe to say that any tea that combines pineapple and coconut is not for me. I enjoy piña coladas but, to my taste buds, those flavors just don’t translate well in tea. Pity.

I used up the last of my sample pack this past weekend. I steeped the tea and then used the tea to cook a small portion of steel cut oats. Yum. What a comforting, chocolaty, slightly spiced bowl of deliciousness. I don’t know that I’ll miss it over the next few months because it’s blazing hot outside, but I might repurchase it when the weather starts to cool down at the tail end of fall.

Weekend sipping…

Mocha Chai + a sprinkle of Bluebird’s Great British Cuppa + cocoa powder and vanilla powder (Wild Foods Co), steeped in almond milk.

I’m not usually a fan of chai teas but I wanted something warm and caffeinated to help me wake up early Saturday morning. Holy smokes! This really hit the spot. I had the first cup warm and I enjoyed the remainder over ice in my mason jar mug. Warm it tasted a bit like a Mexican hot chocolate – the spicy (not hot) chocolate flavor accented with vanilla. Iced it tasted like melted chocolate ice cream with very subtle spiciness. Spicy teas aren’t my thing, but this is one of the better chai blends I’ve tried.

This tea is a total surprise for me. Honestly, I added it to my sampler pack because of the word mocha in the name of the tea. Truth be told, I didn’t even read the ingredient list beforehand – how unlike me! I sampled it this weekend, along with a few other teas that I thought I might want to reorder just based on the sniff test. It was delicious! Very complex coffee flavor, nice body from the black tea base and the melted chocolate, and lovely spice notes (words I never thought I’d say). I will be repurchasing this. I think it’d make an outstanding latte.

I cold-steeped a few teaspoons over the weekend. I think it was the promise of papaya that prompted me to add this blend to my pick ‘n mix. I’m not a fan of Earl Grey blends and, once again, I’m not getting much (read: any) papaya or lime in my cold-steep either. Bummer.

I’m not a huge fan of Earl Grey blends, but the strawberry and papaya notes in this tea sounded intriguing. The tea reminded me of The Earl’s Garden by DAVIDsTEA. The strawberry note was dominant in this cuppa. The papaya was detectable but only just. I don’t taste lime at all. It’s very fragrant and very floral, and, thankfully the floral quality subsides once steeped. The black tea base isn’t harsh or bold. Altogether it’s a pleasant tea, but it’s not one that I’ll be repurchasing.

There isn’t a ton of white tea flavor coming through, but I’m okay with that. This blend is primarily cherries and marzipan to my taste buds. I’m not sure what’s contributing to the baked goods note/flavor, but it adds a bit of depth that’s, quite frankly, a surprise considering the short steep time. It’s really quite a nice little blend, and it’s making me wish I had some cherry bakewell tarts to accompany my cuppa.

I had this blend over ice this morning and definitely prefer it iced over hot. It tastes like flat Coca-Cola with lime, only not sickeningly sweet. I’m still toying with the idea of making this as a teapop. If I happen upon a sparkling water that I actually enjoy drinking I’ll give it a go. Until then I’ll be enjoying this over ice or chilled.

Weekend backlog —

What a surprisingly wonderful blend. Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting much. I added it to my sampler pack because I enjoy guayusa and maté blends. If lime cola were tea this is what it’d taste like. You can definitely taste the guayusa but the lime and cola flavors compliment it so nicely. I’m having a hot cuppa this morning but I imagine it’d be very tasty over ice and/or as a teapop.

First day back at work (boo!) and I really, really needed a strong, no-nonsense tea to get me going. Having said that, I’ve been here for 40 minutes now and I’m still not properly awake. Nearly two weeks of lie-ins have made the early start and the whole work thing in general really rather difficult to re-adapt to. Clearly I need to win the lottery, but until then I have this tea.

It’s a CTC, first off. Those wonderful pellets of pure strength that I often overlook when I’m feeling more normal. It brewed up super quickly to a deep red-brown, so I added a decent splash of milk and crawled back to my desk. Here I discovered that it’s strong (very strong) yet flavourful – a good combination if ever there was one. It’s malty in a very thick-tasting, almost chewable way, with some deeper molasses-like notes lurking in the background. It’s very sweet, smooth, and not as tannic as I feared. There’s a hint of caramel and baked bread towards the end of the sip (particularly as it cools), but this one is mostly all about the malt.

It’s not a tea I’d want all the time. It’s not subtle, and there are characteristics I enjoy in black tea that just aren’t present here. For a day like today, though, it’s perfect. Maybe when I wake up, I can see what else I’ve got in my drawer. Until then, this’ll do nicely.

1 tsp, 2 minutes, boiling water. Milk, lots of.

212/365

I picked up a sample of this one with my last Bird & Blend order, specifically for cold-brewing. Apparently I’ve tried it before, but I don’t remember it at all.

It’s actually pretty refreshing – a nice strong, sweet hit of pineapple at the beginning of the sip, then a touch of coconut, before the mint comes in and lingers well into the aftertaste. I tasted the mint more prominently in the first few sips – after that, it’s like I almost become acclimatised to it, and I taste the pineapple/coconut more. It’s a nice contrast; I probably wouldn’t have put tropical flavours with mint, but it works pretty well.

I’d repurchase this one, but probably only in summer. I have tried it hot in the past, but I think in flavour terms it’s probably better suited to cold brewing.