I love drinking tea all year long, but it is especially comforting at this time of year. There’s nothing like the way a mug of tea warms your hands as the delicious scent fills the air. I was recently offered the chance to sample a few of the offerings from Art of Tea, a tea importer and wholesaler based in Los Angeles.
Art of Tea sells a huge variety of teas and tea-related goods. They even have a monthly subscription box! (Talk about the perfect gift for a tea lover.) Their website even has a Tea Wizard to help you decide what flavors you might enjoy. It’s definitely fun to play with and in fact, one of the samples the folks at Art of Tea sent me was on my recommended list (White Coconut Crème).
Let’s start there.
White Coconut Crème
Ingredients: Organic White Tea, Organic Safflower, Organic Cornflower, Organic Coconut, Natural and Artificial Flavors
The first thing that struck me when I looked at the tea was the amount of coconut flakes. I couldn’t get a photo that accurately showed how nice they were: big, thick flakes of yummy coconut. They definitely don’t skimp on the ingredients! The flavor was nice and light. I added a bit of sweetener to my cup to bring out the flavors a little more. It was a great mid-afternoon treat.
White Winter Chai
Ingredients: Organic White Tea, Organic Black Peppercorns, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Fennel, Organic Cloves, Organic Cardamom, Star Anise, Natural Flavors
French Lemon Ginger
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos, Organic Honeybush, Organic Lemongrass, Organic Ginger, Organic Lemon Verbena
Typically I don’t choose lemon teas, but I was intrigued by the addition of ginger to this blend. The other day I wasn’t feeling well and had a sore throat so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to finally try this tea. The smell of the tea leaves was wonderful and made me excited for them to finish steeping.
The scent of lemon and ginger was as soothing as the tea itself. I added a few spoonfuls of the lemon-ginger honey I make every year to get us through cold season. All of the flavors worked so well together and I loved that I could really taste the lemon. I think that’s why I’ve tended to stay away from other lemon teas — even when I’ve added a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, the flavor I wanted just wasn’t there. Not the case here! The ginger added a nice kick.
I was really impressed with these samples and browsing through Art of Tea’s online catalog, I see so many other flavors I want to try, like Butterscotch, Cran Marnier, and London. If you want to treat yourself, or are looking for a last-minute gift for a tea lover, I recommend checking them out!