So, I’m really excited to write about this one guys!
The other day I stumbled upon BlendBee – they do a monthly subscription service that looks interesting, but personally what I found even more interesting is that they also let you custom blend your own teas! Now, having done this through Design A Tea a while back I can tell immediately that there are some differences: for one, this is definitely more expensive however you also get to add ingredients like herbs/spices/flowers/fruits/and not just flavourings to your blend which is also different and lets you go a bit further/more detailed into the blending process. Then finally, as an added touch you can name your blend and come up with your own description of the blend to be printed onto the pouch. To me, this part was almost as fun as creating the blends themselves. Plus, the packaging is really cute and the added touch of seeing my custom names/descriptions printed out is awfully cute.
I ended up making five blends, and if they end up tasting solid enough/the quality is up there then I can definitely see the experience of making your own tea 100% justifying the somewhat higher price tag that comes attached.
So – this is a blend idea I’ve had kicking around for a LONG time. I named it Daughter of Satyrs because Satyrs are mythological, forest dwelling creatures and I thought the “daughter” aspect added a softness that personally I thought fit the sweetness I was hoping the berries would add. The blend itself is a mix of lots of berries, but probably most importantly the juniper berries, which have a pine quality that makes me think of nature/forests, and wild berry flavouring. In addition to the berries, I also added various herbs that have pine-like notes to them and some sage to evoke the feeling of trees and some mint for that refreshing, cooling finish that is like a crisp, cool breeze. It should feel very natural and forest-y while having this brightness/sweetness to it that gives off an almost enchanted quality. Like a forest filled with Greek mythological creatures. Personally, I’ve always pictured it on a Shou Pu’erh base because I think the strong earthyness would support the flavours I want and work well with the overall idea that this should feel like a walk through a forest – but Pu’erh isn’t a base option on Blendbee so I went with a black tea base which is the next best option.
Honestly? This is pretty much EXACTLY what I was going for.
I was worried with the amount of berry in the dry leaf, and the fact that the three flavourings I picked were also berries that element of the blend might overtake the rest of it but I think everything plays out really nicely! The berry is certainly the first note you taste – it’s a sweet, jammy and seductive top note that transitions into the body of the sip. It’s a really raw, and dark sort of mixed berry flavours: you know, on the side of acai, blueberry, juniper, elderberries and then black currant but without the brightness of stuff like strawberry or raspberry. If that makes any sort of sense at all. I feel like I really taste the juniper, blueberry, and currant in particular.
The body also has a lot of those forest-y notes I wanted: plenty of pine and hints of the herbaceous sage coming through with that undertone of super refreshing/cooling peppermint. I find it very refreshing, and I love the soft cooling sensation of the peppermint on the bed of my tongue. The peppermint itself transitions well into the finish of the sip as well, and you get not just the feeling of the peppermint but the taste of it as well.
It was really cool to see this creation finally played out because I’ve wanted a blend like this for… honestly? Definitely over a year. Even without the pu’erh base I always imagined it’d have, this was super satisfying and definitely took me out of my living room where I was drinking it and really placed me outdoors surrounded by trees and wild berries. If I didn’t know better, I’d ever say I’d seen a bear walk by me as I was taking the last few sips.
…Or was it a centaur? Hmm.
Blendbee offers their teas in 1 oz sizes (what I got for all my blends), 4 oz sizes, and 8 oz sizes – while I don’t think I’d ever personally want an 8 oz amount of ANYTHING I do think I could maybe see myself ordering 4 oz of this if the rest of my sample is as refreshing and enchanting as my first cup. 2 oz would be perfect for me though, in an ideal world.
It was well worth the money, for this one, seeing my vision carried out.
How neat! What a cool experience.