Bird & Blend Tea Co.

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Recent Tasting Notes

84

When it was hot, this tea was kind of eh. Once it’s cooled down to room temperature, it’s rather lovely! I never have nuts and fruit together, so at first I didn’t notice what I was tasting, but the almond and strawberry are both present, and they complement each other so nicely. I look forward to having more!

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19

Sipdown (1004)!

One last “goodbye” cup and then into the TTB this goes…

It was a curt goodbye – steeped, allowed to cool, and then shot-gunned back in a matter of minutes. I hate the overwhelming about of chamomile in this blend, and the Chai spices don’t do enough for me to compensate for that.

I’m passing it along because I do still think the concept is cool, and I hope that other people who are less chamomile adverse have better experiences with it!

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19

I just finished a VERY unpleasant latte of this tea…

Cons:

Somehow I managed to make a latte drying/astringent, which is a very weird and texturally jarring experience. The taste was also reaaaallllyyy chamomile dominant, with an off putting sourness.

Pros:

This used up a TON of the loose leaf, which means there’s less left for me to either drink through or swap away. It also looked pretty; the same kind of creamy blue that the bantha milk from Star Wars is. The cinnamon was also not awful.

The cons far outweighed the pros.

Nattie

Oh, no!

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19

Oof…

This was a rough tea – and it’s a primarily chamomile blend so I knew it wasn’t exactly going to be my tea, but it was definitely less pleasant than I’d already expected it to be. Really intense chamomile, but also a hint of cinnamon/clove and this really gross soapy taste that I couldn’t attribute to any of the ingredients on the ingredients list. I mean, it is really vibrant blue so I guess that’s pretty but I think that’s more of a novelty than a selling point.

I didn’t finish the mug…

Martin Bednář

I hope they have not included it in subscription.

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75

I rarely do a review for the same tea again (my original post on this is here: https://steepster.com/mastressalita/posts/396293 ) but after attempting this tea (stovetop style) a few times over the weekend I think I’ve finally perfected how I like it. The first time I made it, I had trouble getting it quite right, too. Since past and present Sara have the memory of a goldfish, it stands to reason future Sara will too, so this is for you, future Sara!

1) Use plain oat milk, not vanilla. Otherwise it’s way too sweet.
2) For a 16 oz. cup: use 2 cups oat milk and 3 heaping regular ol’ kitchen teaspoon globby scoops tea for a more “mild” profile; for slightly more kick, use 1 cup oat milk/1 cup water and 4 heaping teaspoon scoops of tea mix.
3) While simmering the tea, DO NOT BLINK. BLINK AND YOU DIE. (Or at least your chai will boil over that quickly… but I’m still sure Weeping Angels are involved somehow…)
4) Don’t even think about trying to use your gravity well infuser as a strainer. Just don’t do it. Goopy residue will coat the fine mesh and you’ll never get the tea out and have to use a standard strainer anyway.

It’s a nice chai, albeit a bit finicky because of the goopy honeyed leaf. Having tried a sticky chai now, I don’t think I’d ever get one again, since it is much easier to measure the leaf consistently and get more balanced scoops with dry leaf, and I can always add my own honey to the stove mixture to taste anyway. It has been a bit interesting that every cup I make seems to be an entirely different dominant spice flavor, likely due to just what happened to be stuck in my clumpy scoops that time; yesterday, I had an extremely fennel/anise cup that tasted like melted black licorice (I love black licorice, so I was fine with that!) while today, I’m not getting that at all, instead it tastes very cinnamon-sweet.

Flavors: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Licorice, Spices, Spicy, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 3 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML
VariaTEA

Chaiwala makes a sticky chai that is awesome, albeit not too sticky which makes measuring it easier. It’s my favorite chai.

Also, I laughed really hard at this review so I am super glad you shared it. Thank you.

Mastress Alita

Ah. This one is frustratingly sticky, which adds to my frustration of trying to get a good and consistent brew. I guess I just figured all sticky chai would have the same issues! It doesn’t taste bad, just a lot more of a pain to scoop/measure/get a consistent flavor compared to dry leaf chais I’ve tried. I know I tried sticky chais by Prana Chai at a tea festival and liked the taste of those, too (especially their mint one).

Tiffany :)

This is the first sticky chai I’ve ever had (I have chaiwala from the Toronto Tea Festival I need to try and a few of B&B flavored sticky chai that I need to get around to). Thank you for sharing this review I enjoyed it (like VariaTEA) as well :)

Leafhopper

Your review also made me laugh. :)

derk

For simmering milk, enameled cast iron was a game changer. It heats milk in a way that allows you to blink and not die, at least with the continuous heating of a gas range. Nor will the milk scald on the bottom of the pot.

Tiffany :)

Tell me more about this “enameled cast iron”? What does this mean? :)

derk

Tiffany: it’s cast iron cookware coated in enamel paint. Here’s a good thread about different types of cookware: https://www.chowhound.com/post/enameled-cast-iron-stainless-steel-ceramic-clay-782038 If my housemate hadn’t already had an enameled cast iron dutch oven for slow-cooking acidic soups and stews, I never would have invested the money in one. They can be very expensive. Costco out here in California has a 2-pack for $69 right now.

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75

Todd has now returned to California after doing a bang up job putting up blinds and curtains in my condo all weekend (he is a saint!) On Sunday afternoon I prepared afternoon tea for us and I asked him what kind of tea he wanted, and he said he wanted a chai. I hadn’t even opened this package yet (I know, big surprise with me!) so I decided to make this one. He’s vegan but fine with honey. I like to make chai by simmering it on the stove, so I did two cups vanilla almond milk mixed with two cups water and four heaping teaspoons of the Sticky Chai mix (it really was quite goopy/sticky!) simmered on the stove for about 10-15 minutes, then strained into my teapot.

It was good, just right if you don’t like your chai in the “overly spicy” range. I probably could’ve done with maybe 1-2 more teaspoons for the 4 cups liquid to get to my personal perfect zone, but it was still very nice, a smooth blend, warm and satisfying, and I found a lot of the spices really popped the further down we worked in the pot, particularly the clove and cardamom flavors. I enjoyed dipping shortbread cookies (Todd had vegan-friendly Biscoff) into the tea and snacking and just having a breather. It was the first time I’ve had a friend for tea at my new house.

I still need to experiment with the ratios since I am not used to not being able to really measure the same way with tea that is stuck together in globs of honey (I am a precise “dump it on a tea scale and get a milligram weight” kind of gal!) but sometime the moment outweighs all else.

Flavors: Cardamom, Clove, Licorice, Spices, Spicy, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 4 tsp 32 OZ / 946 ML

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90

Another tea from today!

I don’t know why but the name of this tea really gets me – like, it’s cute and adorable as a stand alone name but also kind of witty/clever as a Spice Girl’s reference which feels extra clever since it came from a British tea company. Like, why does that hit me so much!? I had the bag of this tea at my desk today and every time someone came by while I was drinking the mug I would thrust the bag at them and excitedly squeal “look at this tea! The name is so cute!” It was like one of those out of body experiences where I was watching myself get excited about it and I just reacting with slight amusement and lots of confusion…

As for the taste!? Well, I actually enjoyed this A LOT more than I expected to. My initial fear was that it was basically just going to be a whole lot of spices and it would just taste like a generic pumpkin spice mix without either a unique element to the profile or any actual pumpkin. Well, colour me shocked because it was delicious. Definitely a spice blend to be sure – but the combination of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a little ginger are very well balanced. I particularly loved the amount of clove in the blend; it was distinct and so tasty. However, the best part was this thick and creamy vanilla note that I wasn’t prepared for, along with a hint of pumpkin – mind you, I imagine it was a pumpkin flavouring comboed with either just vanilla flavouring or either cream or vanilla cream flavouring but those notes were really smooth and strong. It actually tasted like having a slice of sweet pumpkin pie with cinnamon baked into the crust topped with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream and finely ground pumpkin spices. Really accurate and well done! Definitely more interesting than a straight up “pumpkin spice” blend, that’s for sure!

Only criticism is the sprinkles – cute as they are (and they are cute) I really just don’t think they’re necessary in the blend. I mean, I don’t love sprinkles in tea blends in the first place but in the case of this tea is just seems like something meant to elevate the visual, but I think the visual looks just fine – appropriate for the tea as it stands…

tea-sipper

I think the original blend needs that hint of sweetness from the sprinkles. It’s a perfect blend. I haven’t tried Baby Spice yet though!

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82

I had a really strong craving for spearmint yesterday so I ended up making myself a mug of this in the early evening. It’s still very much a jasmine forward tea, but the sweet and cooling spearmint notes were so pleasant. The combo always evokes this sort of “lush” feeling for me. Like a thriving flower garden covered in dew or after a Spring rain shower.

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82

Cold Brew!

Definitely over leafed this cold brew just a bit because it was pretty intense and even a little bit coarse, which is always strange for something cold brewed. The cooling crispness of the sweet spearmint with this very lush and round jasmine was refreshing though. It would have been a nearly perfect cold brew for the hot summer day I drank it on were it not for some of the abrasiveness of the white tea.

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82

Intellectually I know that I like this tea, but every time I make a cup I’m caught off guard by just how much it works for me – the balance of fresh floral jasmine and sweet spearmint is so well done and I honestly find it very relaxing and smooth. I think I first got this tea from a coworker, and thank God I did because I’m pretty sure I never would have ordered this for myself but it’s kind of become one of my favourite teas from Bird and Blend!

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82

Loving the soothing, soft spearmint notes of this tea – it’s a great afternoon tea that creates a level of calm and serenity that I think we all need right now. I can’t help but mentally compare this to DT’s Buddha’s Blend and honestly this one works better for me. It’s no where near as temperamental when it’s being brewed, and I prefer the combination of mint and orange blossom to jasmine and peach. That’s all personal preference, of course, but I’m happy to have this in my assortment for the time being…

Martin Bednář

I was thinking about getting this one. It looks pretty good!

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82

Something that I had at work today…

This tea reminds me heavily of DT’s Buddha’s Blend white tea – both it terms of the name and the ingredients as well. I’m not totally sure if that was intentional or not on the part of Bird & Blend. It’s not like floral white teas and taking inspiration from Zen Buddhism is unique to DT – but it’s enough of a coincidence that I could by that potentially it was on purpose…

I actually like this better than Buddha’s Blend – though to be honest neither are exactly my cup of tea. However, the reason I enjoy this one more is because it’s just a lot less tempermentel to steep (Buddha’s Blend gets really bitter VERY quickly), and I like the combination of jasmine and spearmint more than jasmine and peach. There’s a great clarity to the flavours in this tea – they come out really sweet and well rounded but distinct and fully realized. I really appreciate when a tea is about to be delicate and soft/gentle but still have great and refined flavours.

Would I purchase this one!? No – I’m just not a big fan of jasmine and that’s pretty prominent. However, I have respect for the blend and totally get why people would love it.

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It’s chilly outside and I wanted something spicy and comforting, but had a black tea at breakfast, so wasn’t quite ready for another one. In comes this beauty that I had received in my B&B subscription. It has a predominately cinnamon aroma. The flavor is a nice combination of cloves, ginger, and cinnamon, and the green base is nice and mild. The ingredients list chili peppers, but I’m not getting any of the heat I would expect from the chili’s. Overall, a bit more mild than I expected but still an enjoyable, comforting cup.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Green

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86

Made this one yesterday morning as an iced coconut milk latte! It was just nice and mellow with a sweet tropical tang to it. Obviously tasted like coconut because, well, coconut milk but with the fresh fruity pop of flavours and that thick creaminess of the coconut milk it was the perfect light and refreshing pina colada to sip on while I tried very, very hard to ignore the snow outside.

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86

First tea of the morning! I managed to get a hold of a mostly full large tin of this, which I was really happy about – I was sad when I finished my advent sample, for sure! This cup was nice because I woke up to pouring rain and thunder/lighting this morning (something I love!) so I got to begin my day with rain watching/listening and pina coladas! How perfect is that!?

Mouthfeel is kind of sticky and lingers on the palate/leaves sort of a film on the bed of the tongue. The taste is very pina colada, but coconut cream forward over pineapple. I love this one so much!

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCwSMsdAbxI/

Coincidentally the photo I ended up using for my 2K follower giveaway on instagram…

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szHSZf8zkyA

This is my absolute favourite version of the Pina Colada song (or, I guess, “Escape”)…

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86

Sipdown (800)!

A sad sipdown, but a delicious one! I finished the last of this tea powder off while making tea filled Valentine’s Cards for coworkers. I commissioned the lovely Steph this tea to design a wood print for me of a gaiwan pouring tea into the shape of a heart; they came out BEAUTIFULLY and I can’t wait to share them with my coworkers!

I’m mostly proud of myself, though, for not procrastinating and leaving the card filling to the last minute. That’s a big deal for me, actually. I’m happy I had something delicious to drink during the process, even if I did very nearly tip over the matcha bowl at one point. Thankfully no cards were ruined by my clumsiness!

I’ll keep an eye out for this tea, to restock, in the summer!

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86

#adventageddon Day Seventeen – 4/6

See previous tasting note for a more in depth description – it’s nearly midnight for me ATM and I have to get up to work tomorrow morning so I’m trying to fly through these tasting notes quickly tonight. I liked this a lot, but it was very sweet – nails the pina colada notes though. Had essentially the same experience as my first tasting, so I was impressed with the consistency.

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86

Another new (to me) Bird & Blend matcha!

I suppose this is technically speaking not a matcha – but I’m down with more liberal interpretations of what a matcha is so I don’t mind the branding choice. It was very easy to “whisk” up, though it doesn’t really froth like a matcha and the particles don’t stay suspended in the water as long as a matcha would.

In terms of taste this is DELICIOUS – but why wouldn’t it be!? I love almost anything pina colada flavoured, and I especially love when a pina colada inspired tea puts a bit more emphasis on the pineapple. That’s exactly what’s happening here! I mean, technically any pineapple I’m tasting is coming from flavouring and not actual pineapple – but I’m sure the lemon peel/lucuma/baobab are playing into the general fruitiness as well. I kinda get the lemon in particular; it’s just vaguely citrusy which works with the strong tropical vibes. Coconut is a little creamy, but mostly sweet. In general, this matcha is very sweet. Very, very sweet. It’s kind of sticky and coating too – I feel like it’s lingering in the bed of my mouth for a really long time and while I find it awesome I totally get how this whole tea would probably be a little much for anyone who doesn’t love sweet things, pineapple, or both…

The other note worthy thing? ZERO texture issues! That’s a big trigger for me with Bird & Blend matchas – but this one is smooth a silk.

Yeah. I’m a fan.

VariaTEA

How did you prep it. I have this at home and need to make it.

Roswell Strange

Just whisked a matcha spoon and a half (roughly; I eyeballed) in a mug of near boiling water.

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I was having a hard time picking a tea so VariaTEA kindly randomly chose this one for me. Sweet and cinnamon forward, in a way that was almost coating on the palate (similar to the sensation of licorice root), and a bit like a watered down cinnamon heart candy flavour. The finish was very floral and rose heavy, which was a tiny but at odds with the spice but still ultimately enjoyable. I used to find this blend really aggressively floral to the point where it sometimes reminded me of baby wipes, but I do feel that it’s actually gotten better as its aged – those floral notes are now much more tame and pleasant.

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Geek Steep S1E1 – Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Aaaaahhh! After months of preperation and recording, the podcast that I’m doing with my friend Marika officially launched on Thursday! It’s been many hours of love and labour, and is most definitely still an on going project. Basically, our podcast focuses on the exploration of both new and familiar fandoms through conversation shared over tea and pairings while “doing the geek” each week!

I made a discussion board topic with our mission statement/thesis, background on the podcast, an “about the geek” for each of us (though I think most of you know me pretty well) as well as little blog style snippets from Marika for the two episodes that have already aired on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts! We upload an episode every Thursday, and each week focuses on new fandoms and tea!

Here’s the DB topic:
https://steepster.com/discuss/42133-geek-steep-a-new-tea-and-fandom-podcast

Our first episode looked at Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and this was the tea that I chose to drink during the recording of the podcast! Like I explained then, if we have picked episodes that fit the “typical” style of Buffy and weren’t such unique film styles/topics this is likely what I would have chosen to pair with my rewatch. It’s fun, campy and on the nose with the inspiration and that feels really appropriate for this fandom and its episode/narrative style!

In general, this isn’t my favourite tea – but I think I would have enjoyed the thick floral rose and sweet cinnamon notes a little bit more when married with a fandom that I love so dearly! We actually didn’t say it on the podcast, but I have TWO Buffy tattoos!

For our first episode – I think this was pretty perfect!

Our Website: https://www.geeksteep.com/
Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geeksteep/

Listen to us on Buzzsprout:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1286036/podcast/website

tea-sipper

yeah Buffy! My gram once randomly went to a production of ‘Once More with Feeling’ which I could only wish I had been there for that. haha

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Cold Brew!

Didn’t love this one hot, but figured I’d try something different and cold brew it just to see if that changed anything. It didn’t – it’s still a very weird blend. The flavour is this super weird mix of cinnamon and rose with that weird “baby wipes” thing still coming through. I also just kind of feeling I’m drinking a lush bath bomb too, so it’s a pass…

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I’ll be honest, the name pulled me in.

Like, I saw the ingredients list and realized I probably wouldn’t like it and I still wanted to try it because of the fucking name. Marketing is crazy, y’all.

As expected, this isn’t my jam. The cinnamon flavour is pretty nice – it’s that sweet “Cinnamon Hearts” kind of taste but a little softer/milder. I think if this was give a cinnamon (or spice in general) and green tea combo I’d be ok with it. However, it’s also really rose heavy, and almost has a fruity undertone as well? The mix of the cinnamon and rose is really unappealing to me – I don’t think they compliment, and it’s doing this funky thing where it also kind of tastes like Febreze or really perfumed baby wipes!?

Again – I’m not surprised, I knew when I saw the ingredient list that this wasn’t for me. I was hoping to be surprised, but it’s ok. You can’t love everything and I appreciate what they were going for here.

(And that name is still damn good.)

VariaTEA

I wanted this because of the name too but I resisted lol

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72

I’ve had a couple cups of this now and I can’t decide what I think of it. To me it is warm water. I can’t taste anything . Of course, someone else probably could taste it perfectly well, but with no sense of smell, I rely on the ‘feel’ . Like, peppermint and ginger and other spices leave a sensation on my tongue. I can taste sweet. I can taste bitter or sour. At least it is not bitter. That really ruins a tea for me. Or things like hibiscus are so tangy that it is unpleasant.

This is not at all unpleasant. I just don’t taste anything. Maybe I’ll double the amount I use next time.

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90

Delicious! I bought a small bag of this the last time it came around as a seasonal without realising that it was a seasonal — very distressing when I came to re-order and found I couldn’t! There’s a lovely light, sweet nuttiness to this blend that goes along with a very rich mouthfeel to make a really delicious cup.

Flavors: Brown Sugar, Hazelnut, Nutty, Vanilla

Preparation
3 tsp 26 OZ / 768 ML

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