Teas and More Teas! - Kickstarter Updates

Last week I told about the Just Organic Tea Kickstarter project, which was on track to successfully finish, soon after my post. It finished most successfully at nearly four times the goal. In the coming months, I will be sharing further thoughts on their offerings. If you missed their campaign, you can still buy their tea from their website, here.


I had also mentioned the "Loose Leaf Tea: Sip & Slip Into the Leaves of a Story" project. After the project gained full funding, the fairytale blends inspired backers to push for the first stretch goal: even more tea! With the achievement of this stretch goal, Rebecca King intends to add villain-inspired blends to each fairytale package. In her eighth update to the project, she reveals the first of the villain blends:

For the first blend, I've chosen to go a more traditional route with a combination of black teas from three regions: Assam, Darjeeling, and Ceylon. Because each of these black teas comes from a different growing region, they have different flavor profiles: Assam is known for a malty undercurrent, Darjeelings are lighter and fruitier in flavor, and Ceylon teas pack in that traditional black tea flavor. The combination is a robust blend that floods your taste buds with flavor and a clean finish.
This tea blend was inspired by the sea-witch in The Little Mermaid. In the Hans Christian Andersen tale, the little mermaid swims by boiling eddies, bubbles, and whirlpools to reach the sea-witch's domain. In the same way, the three black teas are similar in type and general flavor but add their own unique characteristic to the overall tea. Additionally, the clean finish to the tea reminds me of water which fits well with this story.

Her ninth project update reveals the second villain blend:

Refined ladies everywhere enjoy hosting afternoon tea so naturally Cinderella's step-mother regularly hosts gatherings. After all, she has to keep up appearances! However, her sour disposition can't help but filter through which means her tea takes on a citrus twist.
This tea base is a classic Earl Grey (black tea, cornflower petals, and natural flavors) with the addition of: Orange pieces, Hibiscus & Rose petals, and Lime leaves. The result? Classic Earl Grey flavor with a lemon highlight. 

Rebecca King's Kickstarter tea project ends on Friday, May 23. The funding is currently at $3,600, and she has promised a fourth fairytale, when the funding reaches $4,500! I truly hope that it achieves its goals. Check it out and back it for some awesome-sounding tea!


Read my post from last week, here.


All photos and logos are owned by their respective campaign creators.

A Special Review of Just Organic Tea's Just Naughty 'Nilla Tea

Description from Just Organic Tea: "We start with our premium black tea. Then, we add a generous amount of vanilla. Top it off with carob, and you've got the perfect dessert tea. Luxuriously rich and inviting, you'll melt into vanilla heaven with hints of caramel-chocolaty goodness. Organic certified."

The dry leaves of Just Naughty 'Nilla, as of yet untouched by the water that will steep them, let off a sweet-but-not-cloying aroma of vanilla and slightly-malty black tea. The vanilla scent seems solid throughout the blend, and I begin the steep. A recommendation of 195ºF water, steeping for 3-5 minutes, leads me to the happy median of 4 minutes in water that is just off boil.

Sniffing at the steeping tea, I am surprised at how subdued the vanilla aroma has become. The blend now smells much more of the black tea, which reminds me of a Keemun. Finished steeping, this tea smells slightly sweet, and I wonder greatly about the taste.

My first sip is very, very smooth. The subtle sweetness surprises me. I was not expecting the natural sweet flavors, but they are much more pleasant than artificial vanilla flavoring. When I say that I was not expecting them, I mean that I was not expecting just how natural the flavor would be. The carob in this blend lends some molasses notes. However, to be sure, these are not unpleasant. Molasses in black tea can be very hit-and-miss. In this blend, it is subtle and not a primary flavor. The tea itself has light, malty notes. Many black teas with vanilla use either malty or quite weak black teas. Just Organic Tea has chosen a nice base for their blend. It will not overpower your senses, but the sipping experience will be a pleasant one.

On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea an 87/100.

If you are interested in knowing more about this tea and how you can get it, I urge you to check out the Just Organic Tea Kickstarter campaign, ongoing now! It is not yet available for purchase from Just Organic Tea.
Photo credit to Just Organic Tea.

Notebooks and Teas - Kickstarter Updates!

As of May 1, the Furrow Books campaign is closed. The great news is that they successfully met their funding goal. The goal had been set at 12,500 USD, and the campaign managed to raise 22,052 USD! The best part of this achievement is that in addition to the rewards for which they backed, every backer, at the 6 USD or higher levels, will now receive a Furrow Books sticker. Plus, the Founding Supporter Limited Additions became available in the large size notebooks (5.5" x 8.25"). Thanks to everyone who helped back that project. I am very excited to see the notebooks and share my thoughts with all of you.

Just Organic Tea is a small tea company in Ohio, United States, who focuses on providing excellent organic teas that taste great and result from fair trade with the growers. Their Kickstarter campaign, here, involves an effort to produce and provide their teas in greater quantities. However, in order to do so, they must have large minimum orders, and this is where they have turned to their backers! By pledging for various levels, you opt to receive one or more of their teas, based on your reward level. The Kickstarter campaign has been on-going, and will finish in three days. Though they have already far exceeded their funding goal, another stretch goal lies before them...a goal at which they will add a new, community-inspired flavor to their lineup! Please take a look at their offerings. I will be sharing my thoughts on their teas and herbal blends, soon, and you can visit the Just Organic Tea Steepster page, here, to read the opinions of others.

One final Kickstarter campaign, which is new to me, is the "Loose Leaf Tea: Sip & Slip Into the Leaves of a Story" project. Inspired by classic fairy tales, the creator, Rebecca King, strives to share her future vision of a fairytale-themed tea room. This campaign and the creation of these tea blends marks the first step toward that future goal. With sixteen days remaining, she has nearly reached full-funding, and there are still more rewards to be had for over-funding! A number of reward levels are available, including the option to receive a small amount of each of the six blends (available within the United States and internationally). Your assistance in funding this campaign looks to be met with tasty rewards!


All photos and logos are owned by their respective campaign creators.