Teatourist - April 2018

April's 'Ravish & Lavish' box from Teatourist contains a scattered selection of two black teas, one herbal, one green, one rooibos, and a yaupon. They are, apparently, 'guilt-free sweet treats and... mood-boosting blends'. One should never feel guilty about a treat, sweet or otherwise. But good tea always improves my mood, so let's get stuck in.

Belgian Chocolate Rooibos by Cheshire Tea
Rooibos, cacao bean pieces, calendula petals, natural flavours.
This is a special blend from Cheshire Tea, created exclusively for Teatourist. As I've said numerous times before, I'm not crazy about rooibos, but gosh do I love the chocolate! So I was eager to try this. My first thought on sipping was - am I crazy or can I taste mint? Because there's no mint listed in the ingredients. It's a bit of a mystery. I had low expectations of this - the rooibos caveat! - but I actually ended up liking it. It's at the bitter end of chocolatey, with an underlying sweetness coming through. And I am sure I can taste mint!

Breakfast in Bed by Teatourist
Black tea, vanilla pieces, flavouring.
It looks like Teatourist have come up with their own blend - and it's pretty good! You really can't go wrong with a quality Assam, flavoured with vanilla, and this one is sweet and enticing, but strong enough to wake you up. Also perfect as a dessert tea.

Pedernales Green Yaupon by Catspring Yaupon
100% organic yaupon.
Yaupon is North America's only naturally caffeinated wild plant. I'm not a fan of yaupon. I've tried several different types, but it's really not the drink for me. At first I found this one earthy with a hint of sweetness, but as I continued to drink it became sickly and bitter. This is a situation where having my crew of additional tea tasters on board would be helpful, but sadly they were not around to lend further opinions.

Mountain Mint by Nazani Tea
100% wild mountain mint.
One might think that mint is mint and that's all there is to be said. But that's not quite true. As with all plants there are dozens of factors that affect the final taste. And this is not your usual mint tea. It has sweet undertones, but also, I found, a strangely bitter aftertaste. It certainly has bursts of flavour, but I'm not at all sure that I liked it.

Blooming Marvellous by eteaket
Green Chinese sencha, rosebuds, strawberries, mallow, sunflower petals, natural flavouring (lemon, vanilla, red fruit).
The scent of this is just so enticing! A good sencha is bright, lively, and refreshing, and this one has a subtle sweetness with fruity and floral notes. A highly enjoyable brew, and one that I am likely to come back to. I tend to drink my teas hot, but there is the suggestion to try this one over ice, with a slice of orange, and I reckon that would go down extremely well.

Shakti Original Masala Chai by Sonya's Chai

[Assam], cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, anise seed, black pepper, clove, fennel.
Now, this says that it's a flavoured black tea, but then fails to list black tea amongst the ingredients. This is something that has come up several times in my reviews, and Teatourist really needs to be a little more careful about it. But after that reprimand, I have to say - I loved this! I accidentally brewed the first pot for much longer than the recommended four minutes, and I'm really glad that I did because it ended up just the strength that I like, full-flavoured and bringing out all the sweet and spicy notes in perfect balance. This is possibly the smoothest and fullest flavoured masala chai I've tasted. Top marks!

Complimentary Brew Buddy: Vegan Crème Egg Fudge by Fab Fudge
Vegan dark & white chocolate, vegan condensed milk, crème egg flavouring.
The ingredient list here is somewhat light on information, which might be off-putting to both vegans and allergy sufferers. But having said that - this was actually delicious!

You can still order this box, or any past Teatourist box that you fancy, so check out my reviews of previous boxes and see if there's something that you like.

UPDATE: Teatourist seem to be on hiatus at the moment, and not sending out any new boxes. Please check their website for details.