What is the best tea subscription on the market?
I got really excited when a friend pointed me toward Monstrositea, a new Australian tea subscription service. I signed up ASAP but missed out on the first two boxes (and one of the teas in the first one looked so good I ordered a bag of it anyway), ready to receive my first box this month, the third box EVER. Also it possibly has the most giggle-worthy tea-pun name I’ve come across so far, and though the website’s a bit of a mess, they’re active on facebook, twitter and instagram, which makes me love them all the more.
After signing up for Monstrositea, I got curious and googled and of course there are more Aussie tea subscriptions (how did I not realise this was a Thing?), so now I have to check out the other one as well.
Monstrositea, launched January 2014: choose between 12mths upfront ($156 = $13/mth), 6mths upfront recurring or bi-monthly ($85), or 12mths via recurring $15/mth payments via Paypal. 4-5 different teas for you to try with enough of each to have approximately 3 cups (or one good sized tea pot). http://www.monstrositea.com.au/
Mr. Earl Tea, also launched as of January 2014: choose between 1mth ($20), 3mth ($15/mth) or 6mth ($13/mth) subscription, 3 different teas from 3 different suppliers. “Varieties will vary from month to month as will the total weight of tea due to differences in each variety. Rest assured there’ll be enough for at least 20 cups of goodness.” http://mrearltea.com.au/
I know that also Deitea.com.au and TheRabbitHole.com.au have “tea subscriptions” but this is for a single bag of one of their teas each month and that doesn’t interest me as much as the sample options do. So I’ll be reporting back on my Monstrositea subscription and I’ll also be signing up for Mr. Earl in time for their April box.
I have done tea of the month clubs from Tavalon and The Tea Table as well as Teavana.
How good they are seems to me to depend on what you are looking for in a plan. It is probably obvious but I would first make sure you have tried the company’s wares apart from the plan to see whether you tend to like their teas before investing in a plan. After that, some companies offer plans that focus on types of teas like blacks or greens and some offer all different types. When I was doing them, I gravitated toward the ones that offered the most variety.
I don’t know if this helps, but for Lupicia, if you spend over $30, then you get a free subscription to their monthly magazine (US addresses only). It is, however, just a single tea bag of what I believe would be their tea of the month.
http://lupiciausa.com/v/static/about/monthly-magazine.html
My mom and I always take a trip to the city just to go to Lupicia every summer and we always spend at least $50 in store so might as well subscribe :)
I LOVE Lupicia so much (they’re my first tea love hehe) but I never buy any of their stuff online since my favourite tea of theirs has to be bought in store.
They have three blends that you can only buy in San Francisco: Te De Frutas (tea with rose petals.. it’s okay to me), Golden Honey Dew (green rooibos, and my absolute favourite!), and Napa Blanc (I’m sure I’ve tried this many years ago, but I forgot how it tasted like).
I have no idea why they’re store-only! It says on their site that those flavours are unique to Northern California so that’s why it’s only sold at their San Francisco location. I think they’re smart about that because it always keeps me coming back every summer and I always spend a ton and stock up on my honey dew.
http://www.lupiciausa.com/San_Francisco_Original_Blends_s/1004.htm
Of their teas that are available online, I love their Jasmine Mandarin, Momo Oolong, and Momoko :) I always take a trip to the city with my mom, and she usually does the shopping (since she’s the one who pays ahaha) and she loves her fruity teas! I actually haven’t tried many of their black teas, but I’ll definitely get something other than fruity on my next visit :)
Awesome! Not sure how much variation there will be between the online store and physical store here in Australia but I’m planning on checking it out next time I’m in Melbourne. Adding your suggestions to my wishlist just in case!
I wasn’t sure if there was a Lupicia in Australia, but I looked and there is! I’m looking at the site now, and I definitely see some differences in the teaware. So cool to see many different things, but I won’t be able to buy them haha.
And there are some special Australian blends which are pretty dang cool :)
Yeah I’m pretty keen to check them out! I had no idea they were in Australia, super cool they have such a global spread—particularly when the majority of people on Steepster are North American, I find I spend a lot of time pining for North American teas it can be tricky to get a hold of down here!
I have had great experience with Handmade Tea (a subscription was gifted to me by a friend) – starting at $12.95 a month: http://handmadetea.com/plans.php
I just signed up for a 52Teas 6 week subscription.
I also enjoy the Lupicia samples I get with the newsletter
A unique initiative to help you discover the real world of Indian Tea. Discover India – A India tea subscription programme with 10 expertly selected teas door delivered every month the entire year direct from India.
Our annual plan is available at an all inclusive price of $99. 10 grams of 10 New Teas every month with free shipping Direct from India.
Read more and subscribe at http://goldentipstea.com/pages/discover-india-subscription-programme
Please note that the current price is an introductory price so hurry :)
That’s really a compelling price point. Am I reading correctly that this is the first month for the box? If not, are there prior boxes where we could see the list of what went out? I am most interested in the mix between the types – such as if you try to have so many blacks, so many greens, etc.
Even though we come with a heritage of 80 years in tea, our subscription programme is brand new.
We want all tea lovers to discover the beautiful world of Indian tea and hence the competitive price.
Please note that each shipment will have a combination of black, green, oolong, white, flavored teas from Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri and other regions in India. Definitely the % of black teas will be high but we would want to assure you of a interesting assortment.
Apart from that every shipment will include tasting notes and detailed information about each tea.The subscription programme is applicable for all countries :)
In that case, you will love all our shipments :)
Also, the entire idea is to help your discover new tastes so we do not disclose the contents of the box. But we are very hopeful you will love the surprises.
Do try us :)
You can cancel anytime with a full refund.
After doing some online research and reading reviews, I subscribed. Looking forward to it!
Thanks for subscribing with us and welcome to the family. We hope you love the experience :) Please do share your feedback on the teas here.
I subscribed as well, and just got my first box. I already feel like it was well worth the initial cost – I was overwhelmed with the variety I received, and I am so excited to try them all. Definitely worth the price in my opinion, even before first sip, for people like me who want to try a bit of everything.
Dear Leah,
Thank you for the kind words. Please note that these teas were delivered direct from India :)
Some of the teas in this box are second flush Darjeeling’s & Assam which were harvested as soon as 2 weeks back. (You can find the date of picking for each tea on the package). Assure you that this is the freshest tea you may have ever tasted.
Also, we will be only satisfied as a company when you like the teas as well :)
We will be putting up the profile of each tea on Steepster and it will be great if you can put in your reviews.
This is just the beginning, sit back and enjoy 10 New teas every month :)
Team, Golden Tips Teas India
I subscribed when there was 25% off when it first went up. My first package is due to come today! I keep checking the tracking info. I’m a bit nervous cause i put the address of my apartment complex down wrong a bit(I hadn’t moved in yet when I ordered) but so far all the mail I’ve had delivered to the wrong address has at least ended up in the leasing office.
I really wish my water quality was better in the new place. I’ll probably try all the teas now but save enough to try when I get a decent filter. It’ll be an interesting comparison.
It’s an amazing deal, especially for someone like me who’s really been wanted to branch out into Indian teas.
I am really excited about this one as well. Lately I have been leaning toward more straight teas versus the flavored ones, and I already know I love Assams, so I think this is a great opportunity to explore more. And, the price was right! Mine says it’s out for delivery today, we’ll see – it was two hours away this morning.
I am happy to post pictures if I can figure out how :)
I also plan to post reviews as well as I taste them. Also, special thank you for the extra samples – I knew it seemed like a lot at first glance haha, they are much appreciated.
I feel like a little kid on christmas waiting for this to come.
Does DHL require a signature? I’m listening for every little noise outside the door and checking the tracking to see if it accidentally gets delivered to the leasing office.
So color me amazed. This box was like clowns coming out of a VW. I couldn’t believe how much was in it.
I ordered this Assam sampler.
http://goldentipstea.com/products/assam-tea-samplers-set-of-all-assam-teas
Here’s a picture of what I got for $7.80 minus coupon and free shipping: http://imgur.com/MYocdMu
Then my monthly subscription, less than $10 and free shipping – I’m reposting this picture, it was missing two:
http://imgur.com/jmnoDWi
Sorry it’s sideways, trying to do all this from my iPad.
If that wasn’t generous enough, these two free samples:
http://imgur.com/uZC1Hay
I haven’t tried the tea yet and it’s getting late in the day for this type, but I am so excited to get started tomorrow!
Edit, I just noticed that there is a CD in the box as well. I missed it yesterday! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Here is an overview for size- mine required a signature. I decided against super detailed photos because I am a freak and like all the labels and types to be a surprise for my subscriptions :) They are all 10g, the two up top have a free sample label on the back.
Wow, that’s a lot. It’s a great value. I’m still just learning that I like some darjeelings and assams, or I might have already signed up. The signature is a bit of a problem for me, though. Will they always require a signature?
Marzipan, the clowns coming out of a VW comment made me giggle. And it’s exactly how I felt when I opened the deceptively small box that Nicole sent me! “Where is all of this coming from?! Is this some kind of Mary Poppins box?”
I was pulling tea out and I kept thinking, no way is the rest of this box filled with tea, there must be packing material. I was wrong!
I see that. I’m debating. I look forward to your reviews. I might order. Not that I need another subscription, but I love subscriptions. News teas are so much fun!!!
Oh heck, it has a cancel at any time option. And if it’s coming out of my money, I don’t have to tell my spouse….Yeah, why the heck not?!
God I feel like such a baby but it turns out my package won’t be delivered today because of the address mix up. I contacted DHL as soon as I saw that it hadn’t been delivered and it’s being redelivered tomorrow but I’ve had such a crap day I was really really looking forward to this.
I’m in so much pain and I just want to cry.
Dear All,
Thank you so much. Yes, we added 2 Free Samples for our first 250 Subscribers.And you were among them :) The teas packaged in gold pouches are extremely premium gourmet leaf teas.
Please do share it with your friends and family and help us help you discover the real world of indian tea :)
After many calls to DHL it came!
I wanted to hug the delivery man! Now I have to wait for my water filter to come because I don’t want to decrease the quality of the tea by using my highly chlorinated water.
shhhhh*** I’m actually drinking a small cup of the Applause CTC Assam Black Tea because I thought it had the best chance of standing up to the water and the sample size was certainly big enough for a few more cups once I have good water. I just couldn’t wait.
I’ve forgotten how much I loved Assams! Thank you so much Golden Tips. I did have one question though. You seem to have two company listings, one is just Golden Tips and one is Golden Tips of India. Where would you like us to post our reviews? Maybe you could get the admins to combine the two if you’d like.
Not as much of a tea subscription service, as a tea community… but I thought I’d mention Global Tea Hut. www.globalteahut.com $20 / month (or more if you want to pay more to help out the cause) they send 1 rare organic tea per month along with a gift and a magazine full of tea talk and wisdom. My friend is a member and has got some really good teas. I haven’t joined yet, but it looks like a good group.
There is a send a friend a free month when you subscribe, maybe we should split the cost of one month and see how it is.
Wow. That’s pretty cool. If I ever get the sort of money to afford it, I might give this one a shot. The tea magazine especially looks pretty neat.
I have both Simple Loose Leaf and Tea Sparrow. I like the amount of tea one gets with both subscriptions. I like that I can choose what I get with Simple Loose Leaf.
I just started Simple Loose Leaf this month. I know they ship on the 1st, but what day do you usually get your box?
I’ve actually gotten mine on the first or second before, because they shipped it early one month. Usually I get it about the 4th or 5th business day of the month. I expect this month’s on Saturday or Monday.
Marzipan, I can send you some samples of the tea I have gotten from them if you want.
I’m more interested in your thoughts on it, amount of tea, packaging, how you liked it.
What do you think of Tea Sparrow, Cheri? I’m shopping around for a tea subscription.
I’ve only gotten one month so far, but it seems nice. It’s a pretty good amount and the tea seems nice so far. I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve tasted, including one’s I probably never would have ordered, but liked.
I love, love, love Simple Loose Leaf. I always get the sampler pack, which gives sample sizes of all five teas on the tea menu each month. This is perfect for me since I’m a taster. I have only really been disappointed with one tea from them, and that’s because it was a “coffee” blend with coffee in it, and I was expecting more of a chocolate flavor and less coffee. But, it was my own doing, I requested that tea, and Simple Loose Leaf more than made up for it when they learned of my disappointment. I think that Andrew (the guy who runs Simple Loose Leaf) is very nice – great customer service with this guy!
I like SLL a lot. They have so many different teas to choose from. I only got the sampler one time, but I definitely liked it. I haven’t complained about teas I didn’t like, but there was one last month that I thought I would enjoy and I really did not at all. Ah well. You do get a very generous amount of tea with the Simple Loose Leaf subscription, which is cool. I like that I can choose which ones I get so I don’t get teas I would really hate and be disappointed with.
I don’t get a reward for others signing up. I just really like this company and I want to see it succeed. Like I said, Andrew is a wonderful guy who works very hard to keep his customers happy. I like that in a company.
Hey Marzipan, we are working on getting a rewards program in place. But if there is someone on here that really steers you towards us and on their suggestion you join our club, let us know. We will make sure to show our appreciation to them.
I just received my first installment from the Golden Tips subscription plan. Talk about an embarras de richesses! I’m in Indian tea heaven! And this is only the first delivery, with eleven more to come! ;-)
I have often toyed with the idea of ordering a sample of everything from India listed in the Upton Tea Imports catalogue, but then I inevitably end up feeling overwhelmed and abort the project.
This Golden Tips plan is just what I needed, since they make the choices for me! Hurrah!
I am so sad I haven’t gotten this yet. It’s gone into DHL limbo all because I mistyped my new address :(
Yesterday they said it would be delivered today after I updated my address with them but it was a no show. I talked to them via chat and phone today and they’re promising it’ll be here tomorrow.
I do have to admit to “cheating” and reading some of Marzipans notes while I wait.
It will be such a nice treat when it gets here and to put an optimistic spin on things it comes the same day as my new water filter so maybe it was a sign not to drink it with my crappy tap water!
Have any Canadians tried the Golden Tips plan? I’m curious as to how much it is with shipping but didn’t see it on the site!
Dear Cavocarax, it is just a one time payment of $99 including shipping. This is for all countries across the world including Canada. You just need to pay once and you will get a box of 10 teas x 10g every month for 12 months. No other costs :)
Please note its an introductory price so hurry :)
You can read more at http://goldentipstea.com/pages/discover-india-subscription-programme
I would like to hear anyone’s opinion on Verdant’s blends club. I wish they had examples of past teas to look at, like they do for the classic version. So basically, are the teas good/interesting? Do you enjoy them? :)
Login or sign up to leave a comment.