Tea Review Tuesday Special on a Saturday - A Review of Loose Leaf Spot's The Steadfast Tin Soldier Collection

The Steadfast Tin Soldier collection is a trio of teas from the Loose Leaf Spot, originally released as a part of their Kickstarter for fairy tale-inspired tea blends. See the review for more information!

Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Unfortunately, it appears that the Loose Leaf Spot's online storefront is no longer active, but you can still access their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
You can read more about my Personal Enjoyment Scale, here.
Text is copyright 2018, Built from Ink and Tea.

Tea Review Tuesday Special on a Monday - A Review of Loose Leaf Spot's Cinderella Collection

Previously, I had spoken of a Kickstarter by Rebecca King, wherein she was crafting tea blends, inspired by classic fairy tales. Recently, her Kickstarter campaign ended, and the tea blends were shipped to the backers. (However, even if you missed the campaign, you can still try the blends, because she now has them for sale on her website, Loose Leaf Spot.) The blends, which are currently available, are based on four different stories. This provided a pre-organized method by which to group my reviews by each collection. Here are my thoughts on the blends of the Cinderella collection: Glass Slipper, Midnight Waltz, and Noble Twist.

Glass Slipper
Chamomile and mint. Easy enough around which to wrap my mind, though I must admit to not having considered them for blending, before. Then, I recall Xiao's Blend by Peet's Coffee & Tea, which contains these two ingredients, plus rosehips. I loved Xiao's Blend, so I eagerly begin to prepare a cup of Glass Slipper.

As a chamomile herbal blend, the use of more leaf, than with a tea blend, is suggested. For a twelve ounce mug, I use a little over two teaspoons of the mixture and top it with boiling water. As I prefer my chamomile strong and full, I steep the blend for seven minutes - the upper limit of the suggested time. The resulting brew smells of chamomile, through and through. If there is mint in the aroma, it is barely noticeable.

In the flavors, mint still sits less prominently than the chamomile, but it adds a pleasant coolness to the flavor and really mixes quite well with the floral chamomile. The aftertaste contains a lot more mint than the body of the brew, and I really enjoyed the cup. Glass Slipper is a fantastic herbal blend, suited perfectly to evening sipping and relaxation.

On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it a 97/100.


Midnight Waltz

The blend of Midnight Waltz is simple. Take a medium-grade, Ceylon black tea and blend it with the flavor of blueberry. Add some cornflower petals for decoration. Follow the instructions to brew a great cup of tea.

Here, the great cup of tea was crafted with a teaspoon and a half of in a twelve ounce mug, topped with just-boiled water, and left to steep for four minutes (the packaging recommends three to five). Once it had cooled a bit, it was time for sipping. Immediately, I noticed something that struck me as different from many of the blueberry-flavored black teas I have tried - the blueberry was subtle. The flavor of blueberry did not crash across my taste buds, like the flavor does when biting into fresh blueberries. Rather, it slid across the tongue, well-blended with the black tea, letting me enjoy the flavor of the Ceylon, too. Four minutes might have been a bit too long, as I started to noticed some astringency in the edges of the flavor profile. Perhaps, next time, I will steep for three and a half.

As a general descriptor, "brisk" fits Midnight Waltz. It is most certainly not a bold tea, and so its versatility is increased by being able to fit the mood for any time of day. I can imagine this as a complement to breakfast or with an afternoon snack. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea an 86/100.

Noble Twist
I never imagined that I would ever try an Earl Grey with - of all things - lime flavors. Yet, that is the precise "twist" added to this blend. The aroma embodies Earl Grey with a citrus undertone, but the lime is very subtle. Just as with the Midnight Waltz, I had used a teaspoon and a half with boiling water for four minutes in a twelve ounce mug. I do not detect any astringency in the aroma.

Unlike anything I have tried before, the flavor of my cup of Noble Twist remains most definitely Earl Grey at the base. However, the tastes of fresh orange and lime snakes throughout the cup. Truly, the aftertaste is quite juicy. Something strikes me as "off" about the flavors, but it might be that my taste buds do not prefer the combination of fruits. That said, the tea is quite flavorful and makes a lovely cup, albeit a very unique one!

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



These reviews were unsolicited and uncompensated.
The three blends of the Cinderella collection can be purchased from the Loose Leaf Spot website, here. Check out the rest of their offerings, too!
Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Text content is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea .

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.

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.