Mrs. Kelly's Tea

This tea is perfect on a fall day. Again, perfectly balanced between all the flavors and not overbearing in any way. Absolutely adore and very sad that I used the last of it up.

When I travel I have a trifecta of things I must acquire; tea, cupcakes, and jewelry. This last trip, I only got the tea but, then again, I was a wee bit preoccupied with meeting and cooing over my new niece.

After being somewhat disappointed in the tea options in the Minneapolis area I stumbled upon Mrs. Kelly’s tea at the farmer’s market and decided to branch out a bit from my normal dessert tea and try this, a white tea, and a green (which you can see from my tasting logs are rare for me). I’m glad I did. I haven’t found a ton of fruity black teas that I like but this renews my faith in fruity black teas. It’s got a really nice balance between the fruit, the tea, and the vanilla and cinnamon, and, most importantly, the fruit flavors aren’t artificial and gross.

Happy I have family in Minneapolis who can bring me more of this.

The nose on the loose leaf is great, a soft sweetness emanates and eliminates the harsh smell of the rooibos loose leaf. It’s mostly red but there’s great variety in it too, even some interesting little buds (probably the corn flowers). There’s a ton of tea in my actual cup (finely ground leaves + bad infuser).

The liquor is a deep reddish brown, not the best color. A little muddy looking. Add the water and you get that familiar rooibos smell I’m not too fond of.

The tea is good if not a little weak. Sweet with nothing of the bitterness I sometimes find in other rooibos. I can’t quite distinguish the different fruits but if anything maybe a just a hint of the sweetness of the banana. Very pleasant with a lingering sweetness. Not the best I’ve had, but definitely enjoyable.

I made a big batch of this to take to work today. After infusing the tea, I poured the warm mixture over fresh cut lemons and sugar and then put it in the fridge to cool, essentially make a tea-lemonade mix. I really enjoy this tea warm, but I believe the verbena and lemon will be even more refreshing cold.

This is a warming, comforting blend of cinnamon and orange in a rich black tea. The scent of this tea just shouts winter to me and is the perfect accompaniment to a book, a chair and a fireplace in a cozy corner. For an extra touch of warmth and to balance the spice I would add milk and sugar.

This is my favorite green tea blend. The pomegranate and hibiscus turn this tea a gorgeous shade of deep purple. I usually enjoy this warm but the tanginess of the fruits create a great iced tea as well.

This is a tea blend from a local Minnesotan brand, Mrs. Kelly’s Teas. The mango flavor is full and fruity but doesn’t overpower the delicate green tea. I like it with a little honey or raw sugar to draw out the mango flavor a bit more.