Bird & Blend Tea Co.

First cup of the morning. I still love the creamy amazingness of this one, and the light hand with the bergamot. Yum!

Another one of these. Yummy yummy yummy is all I have to say, really. It’s my favourite EG at the moment. I went to see Cats yesterday — I enjoyed every minute of it, and it brought brought back some fond memories. Probably my favourite musical!

I was naughty and ordered more tea. Oops. That wasn’t supposed to be allowed until I was under 200. Still…hard week at work. I need something to cheer me up.

So anyway, in an effort to begin using up some of the tea I actually have, I pulled this one out to try today. I have a love/hate relationship with Earl Grey. In general, we get along very well, but I’m not a fan of very strong, sharp bergamot, especially when paired with an astringent base. That’s why, although it’s generally something I enjoy, I tend to approach each new EG with a little trepidation. It’s probably also why the idea of Earl Gret Creme appeals to me, although it wasn’t something that was even on my radar until I joined Steepster. How the world of tea has opened up to me. This was actually the first Earl Grey Creme I purchased, so it’s been waiting in my stash for a while. I was in the mood for something like this at breakfast this morning, though, so that’s why it was finally chosen.

It’s love at first sip. In my ideal world, EG would have bergamot, but it would be a mild, tame thing that added a bitter citrus edge but generally minded its own business. IT DOES THAT HERE! I think the cream flavour helps to tone it down, but it’s a slight thing. It’s not sharp, it’s not right in your face like it is in some EGs, it’s not screaming “I’m bergamot, hear me roar.” It’s just there, sitting still and minding its own business, adding a touch of flavour and nothing more. For me, it’s perfect.

Then there’s the cream. Oh goodness, don’t get me started on the cream. Again, it’s perfect. I was half expecting it to be quite an artificial taste, but it’s not at all. It’s deliciously vanilla-flavoured, soft, and adds a cloud-like fluffiness to this cup. It’s got the bergamot on a tight leash, and it’s toned down any astringency the base might have dared to have had. The base itself is pleasant, although I can’t really taste that much of it. It’s pretty hard to identify where the base ends and the flavouring begins, if you see what I mean. It’s just a really great combination.

This is my favourite Bluebird tea to date. We are officially friends, me and EGC.

Hmmmm interesting. Ceylon , Japanese green blend with almond and cinnamon. This is not what I was expecting.
I’m getting apple – apple crumble maybe – apple nutty cinnamon pastry of some sort – almost a little creamy too. They could call this apple pie and ice cream – and I would buy that. Most times I don’t like the names of tea, and I can’t believe I’m suggesting something like that.
Anyway – I like it, it’s really nice. Not sure why I’m getting SO MUCH APPLE in a tea that’s not suppose to have any in it. Call me crazy – it’s ok. Subtle cinnamon, more just a hint in the back ground. I have had a couple of cup of this tonight, and will be happy to continue to work through my package of it.

I wanted to love this, as it’s the last of my Bluebird tea. Unfortunately, all I got from it was apple, and a tiny bit of spice one sip in a while.

additional notes: I’m enjoying this favorite today, mostly because sinuses need some Cayenne right now… I wonder if the new version also uses the new black tea base that is stronger, like the other new versions of the other black teas? I hope so. I just couldn’t take this Ceylon and it’s the only bad thing about this blend. This is certainly a blend with my name on it. The cocoa shells never age. (This is an older blend…. still so so good, piping hot.)
I watched the movie of ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ last night and what took me so long? I love that movie. It not only made vampires and werewolves funny, but I swear there were various shades of Blair Witch in there as well. I’m a bit afraid for the show though… I have faith that the funny Matt Berry can pull the show off, but I’m already missing Jemaine and Taika’s characters. I’m very glad it’s now a show, because I’m lacking in funny shows lately.

Additional notes: A new batch of this one, even though I have some others in stock. I just had to take advantage of Bluebird’s sale and also stock up on this favorite. I was a little worried it would be different, as I didn’t spot as much chili as in past blends and could swear there were some other ingredients that weren’t there before. But it tasted pretty similar… the same blend I love! I love the hints of chocolate and the heat from the chili. Just perfect. Though I do wish the chai spices would be a little more prominent. It seems the notes of other Steepsterers aren’t tasting the same cup I am, but this one must be made for me then, hits just right. :D

Additional notes: This one tastes the same as I remember too! LOVE. I just wish there was a stronger black tea base… but I love the chili with the cocoa shells!

Thank you so much MissB! I’ve always wanted to try this one! Chocolate chili chai is always one of my ideal blends. YOWZA this is hot stuff though! The chili is really hiding in this blend…sneaks up on you! I’d definitely suggest not going over a teaspoon. (I went with a teaspoon and a half.) I like that this is actually spicy though. I just should have went with a teaspoon. I love that there are multiple chocolate elements here, including cocoa shells that I recently discovered in a Herbal Infusions blend (also thanks to MissB!) I think most chocolate teas should use these cocoa shells. They are very effective for chocolate flavor. I just wish there was more chocolate flavor. It must be hiding under all that spice! The second cup was very spicy too. I would even recommend getting some of Herbal Infusions cocoa shells, using maybe 3/4 teaspoon of the chili chai and then adding HI’s cocoa to cut down the heat and add more chocolate. This is comparable to 52Teas Mayan Chocolate Chai but I think they just use cocoa nibs. If Bluebird would just use a tastier black tea base, most of their blends would be perfect! It showcases the flavors well enough though.

The last of my sample from Scheherazade — thank you! I’ve really enjoyed this.

Today I brewed it with a bit of milk and sugar, after having to accept that not every single tea will shine best as a plain unsweetened beast. I’m being rewarded for my milk and sugar efforts today! This was a delicious dessert treat.

Sipdown of this delightful blend. Perfect with a bit of sugar, SO Turkish delight.

Another Friday, another wonderful parcel full of tea samples, this time from Scheherazade! So exciting.

I had to pop this one open for an evening cup. Yum. This is just what I was hoping it would be. I kept a little smidge of sugar on the side in case I felt like I was going to need it, though after tasting the tea it was just fine for me as it was. I threw a bit of sugar in toward the end just to see how much it may have changed things, and it really did pop the drink from being a cup of Turkish delight – inspired herbal tea to being a liquid block of pink jelly. Got it.

I’m going to see if I can sneak a bit of T2 Cocoa Loco into my next sample of Enchanted Narnia and really draw that chocolate flavour out, too. Drive myself a bit crazy. Ok, time for bed. Delicious bed.

Thanks again Sarah! Super keen to work my way through all these awesome teas.

This is a bit odd, not quite what I was expecting, but still I like it.
I was expecting this to be a fruity tisane, but for me it was more like a wellness blend. Does that make sense – there is some taste (lemongrass maybe) that i find in most wellness blends. Whatever that is, that’s what this tastes like.
Anyway, I like it – not very hibiscus – nice coconut and pineapple. I would order more of this.
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I don’t normally talk about my cupboard in my tasting notes, but just for the record I’m down to 250 – was at 358 in the middle of January. Would like to gradually reduce it down to about 150, but for now I’m feeling a lot better about it.

I love the inspiration behind this blend from Bluebird Tea Co. The dry leaf looks like something right out of Narnia, with its whole pink rosebuds, additional rose petals, plentiful cocoa shells, lemongrass pieces and the fluffy, mossy greenness of the raspberry leaves. It’s so pretty, the White Witch of Narnia might well use it to tempt Edmund away. I used a generous heaped teaspoon of leaf for my cup, and gave it 4 minutes in boiling water. No additions. The resulting liquor is a medium golden brown, and the scent is faintly herbal, maybe a touch floral.

To taste, this one is pure liquid turkish delight, although the variety that comes coated in chocolate rather than dusted with icing sugar. The rose is the most prominent flavour; sweet with a hint of perfume. The flavour of milk chocolate emerges in the midsip, adding a creamy, almost vanilla-like sweetness that really complements the rose. Although cocoa shells are responsible for the flavour, there’s none of the dry bittersweetness cocoa can sometimes add to a tea. This is liquid milk chocolate over rose-flavoured turkish delight; sweet, smooth, and perfectly befitting a fairy tale.

See my full review here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/06/15/enchanted-narnia-herbal-tea-bluebird-tea-co/

So, I finally worked out how to get turkish delight from this one! You ICE it. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it before, but there you go. I cold-brewed the last of my bag (about 3 tbsp), in one litre of cold water, and left it in the fridge for around 12 hours. I wasn’t expecting a lot, but it’s an okay tea so something pleasant and refreshing to sip on at work was all I was really after. Instead, I get amazingness. The kind of amazingness i was looking for all along!

The initial sip tastes just like biting into a piece of turkish delight; sweet, with rose and lemon flavours by turns. For once, the lemon isn’t first! Rose is the prominent flavour, and as that fades the lovely mellow citrus of the lemongrass takes over. It even tastes somehow gooey, and there’s a pleasing overall sweetness that really is reminiscent of icing sugar. Hot, this is useless. Cold, it’s liquid turkish delight. My only regret now is that I didn’t try cold brewing this one earlier. Somehow, it just didn’t occur to me. I have 1 tsp left for a final hot cup before we say goodbye, but I think this might be on the repurchase list after all. There’s a surprise. I’ve increased the rating, because now I feel I know what this tea is about.

I haven’t had this one in a while, so I pulled it out for last night’s pre-bedtime cup. It’s an interesting one — the main flavour is lemongrass, but there’s also a strong element of hot chocolate. It’s creamy tasting, with strong hints of cocoa, a touch or rose…and lemon. I’m not really getting turkish delight, and I do find the lemon a slightly odd combination with cocoa and rose, but it’s a unique experience all the same. A bit like Narnia, I suppose!

Added a sizeable chunk of crystal sugar to this one tonight. I’m still not getting quite the flavour I’d like from it, but it’s getting there. The cocoa was certainly detectable, and deliciously creamy. The rose/turkish delight flavour was also slightly enhanced, but I’d still like to bring that out a little more if I can. More experimentation required!

I bought this one for its billing as a “turkish delight” tea. Generally, floral teas haven’t been my thing, but I know my tastes are changing. Unfortunately, I’m not getting much in the way of turkish delight from this…I guess it needs a little more sweetness to really bring that off. Possibly a little crystal sugar in my next cup might help.

I do get roses, although they’re not as overpowering as I expected them to be (given that there are a lot of rosebuds in the bag). There’s still plenty of space for the lemongrass to shine, and for a slightly earthy herbal taste to develop. I can’t taste chocolate or cocoa very much, although there’s actually very little to be found in the dry mix, so that doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. There’s a slight hint in the aftertaste, especially as it starts to cool, but that’s about it.

My overall impression, then, is of a rose and lemongrass herbal tea. It’s lightly floral, slightly powdery, with a hint of chocolate. I actually think this one might work better iced, so that’s something else I’ll have to try. As it cools, I’m starting to think that, yes, this could actually beigin to taste a little like turkish delight.

Bluebird create some intriguing blends, and some of them take a while to grow on me. I think this is going to be one of those blends. As far as first impressions go, though, this is definitely one I’d like to revisit. Subject to refining my brewing parameters a little, I think this one has the potential to become a spring/summer favourite.

The smell is very creamy and smells strongly of honey. There is no chocolate taste, though on some sips the chili hits the back of the throat and lingers in an unpleasant way. Thanks for the sample Nattie, but this tea wasn’t for me.

Thanks Nattie for this sample in my recent Hapa-tite! Tea Swap. This is much better than the other rooibos I tried (chocolate chili), but I still find the actual rooibos leaves overpowering to the flavor. It tasted a bit watery and flat with a sweetness similar to honey coming from the rooibos leaves. I didn’t get any mint from this tea, and it would have helped.

Thanks to Nattie I received a nice sample of this.

Clean and sweet but without being syrupy. The mint and Roobis keep the tea earthy and fresh and the chocolate adds a nice roasted and nutty deep sweetness. A really pleasant, mild tea that isn’t limited to just dessert.