I've never been a big fan of a standard brew. It's not that I dislike normal tea, in fact I quite enjoy a cuppa now and then, it's just that it's never been something I've craved or reached for in general. A few years ago after reading great things about green tea I decided to try it out for myself, and I fell in love. Now a whole section of my cupboard is filled with different green teas or flavoured teas. So when HumbleBee Gift Company asked me if I'd like to review some of their teas I immediately said yes!
I was sent these adorable little mini cubes that contained one tea bag each as little individual tea tester experiences. These are from the brand Cérémonie an Israeli company offering premium tea. The three flavours I received to try were Sencha Green Tea*, Jasmine Green Tea* and Wild Berry* and can be brought from HumbleBee's Mini Tea Shop.
Overall I thought these teas were lovely, I like the idea of them coming in individual boxes so you can sample different teas without committing to a huge box. The actual tea leaves are quite large with actual bits of leaf and other flavourings in the bag, which is nice and I think definitely adds to the flavours. The tea bags are also netted which allows the water to move through the bag easily helping to enhance the flavour in comparison to other types of tea bags that don't allow as much movement of the leaves.
The first one I tried was the Jasmine Green Tea which is described as "delightfully reassuring" and is a pine needle green tea with a flowery taste, grassy undertones and fascinating pearlish hues. I can definitely agree on it having a flowery taste, which I can sometimes find a bit over powering, however in this is was quite light and it still tasted like green tea but I think the pine needle flavour comes through and has a different flavour to other green teas I've tried. This tea also had a lovely Jasmine scent which I really liked, and I think this would be a lovely tea to have in the evening to relax.
Next I tried the Sencha Green Tea, which is a steamed whole leaf green tea "of lush character, delicate and sweet aroma" and is said to be perfect for welcoming the day. In compaison to the Jasmine tea this is definitely a stronger flavour of green tea and I can see why it is suggested to be taken in the morning as it has an uplifting scent and flavour. I'd say it tasted sweeter and slightly more floral than more plain green teas I've tried before. It was probably my favourite out of all three teas.
The final tea was in the flavour Wild Berry, a tea of Eastern European origin, that is a caffeine free blend of berries and hibiscus that brews to a beautiful ruby colour. This tea was my least favourite of the three but that was just down to my own tastes. I wasn't a huge fan of the smell, I couldn't put my finger on it but I just wasn't as nice as I'd hoped. The flavour was also a bit too strong for me, being very fruity and sweet but with a slightly sour hint to it. This tea could be enjoyed cold as well, which is a great idea because Im always forgetting about my tea and letting it go cold!
Over all I enjoyed these teas, I loved being able to sample a few different flavours and I definitely want to experiment with other teas. I think giving tea or coffee as a present is a lovely idea, especially if you know the recipient is a coffee or tea lover! HumbleBee also offer a subscription service where you can receive a bag of tea or coffee each month, as well as variety boxes that have lots of these mini cubes in different flavours which would make a perfect gift for someone who likes to try new things or love their tea! I also love this little House Shaped Tea Infuser!
Are you a tea drinker? If so would you ever experiment with different flavours or types of tea? When's your favourite time to have a cup of tea? I love curling up in bed with a nice green tea and a book.