Gnat and Bee

January Challenge Prompt: drink a latte
Needed something anti-inflammatory the other day so I pulled this out to make a latte. My mom surprised me with a jar of this one after first her jar of it and really enjoying it.
It’s a really lovely golden milk and it’s nice to be able to support a small business. I prepared this with a small amount of water and then added some frothy almond milk. It was probably 4oz of water to 6oz of almond milk? I can’t quite remember though.
The spices are strong but balanced and the marshmallow root likely adds some creaminess. I have another similar golden masala chai blend and that one isn’t nearly as balanced as this one is and I like how this one is caffeine-free. Caffeine in an anti-inflammatory blend would somehow feel a little less medicinal to me for some reason. There was quite a bit of the spices left in the bottom of my cup but that didn’t bother me. Perhaps that’s one downside to not preparing it on the stove? This would be a delicious daily cup of tea but I’ll save it for those health flare-up days. My mom actually got an ice cream maker for Christmas and I bet golden milk non-dairy ice-cream would be delicious…

Shae Advent Day 9

Hot, this tasted like mildly flavored black tea. I added milk and let it cool to room temperature, and now I’m tasting a lot more complexity. I get some berries and a little of something else that I can’t pin down. I thought it might be chocolate, but it doesn’t look like it. Maybe some pleasant earthiness? Forest berry is an apt name for this one.

F is for… Full Moon.

Okay, okay, not bad. Honestly, this is pretty good. Certainly not what I was expecting with the huge pieces of hibiscus flower in the blend. I received this as a free sample with my most recent order from Gnat & Bee. It has a juicy, fruity flavor. I’d drink this again willingly, sure!

I remember Mastress Alita talking about this one a while back, so I was excited to see it as a sample in the gift box I bought for Christmas. I prepared it with whole milk and honey and then put it in the blender to get it nice and frothy. I really enjoyed it. Very comforting, warming. I only have a bit left, but I’ll order more of this once it’s gone.

Steeped extra strong and topped with four ounces of frothed whole milk. So nice. I can taste chamomile and mint (spearmint, maybe?).

I thought about saving this for Valentine’s Day, with the name and the rose petals, but found another that’s actually a dessert tea so I’m having this today. I steeped a tablespoon in 8 ounces of milk (1/2 whole milk, 1/2 coconut milk) for about ten minutes. It came out way too thick (maybe from the marshmallow root?) and it tasted like soap. I’ll try again another day, but for now I’m dumping this and grabbing a pint of ice cream instead.

Hmm, I really like this one. I bought it as part of a sampler right before Christmas. It came with two herbal blends, this black chai, a jar of wildflower honey, a candle (Scent: Fireplace), and a beautiful piece of handmade pottery – a large and cozy moon mug! I definitely purchased for the mug. Anyway, back to the tea. The base is bold, the spices are flavorful but not spicy. Definitely more of a sweet-spiced chai. One of my favorites from Gnat & Bee so far!

This small-batch custom blend tea shop hit my radar from Shae at some point (thanks Shae!) I saw they made their own Golden Milk and I had recently run out of the one I had from Tea Chai Te, so I decided to try theirs.

Since I’m a spice wuss, I usually use Coconut Milk to prepare this, since it is sweet enough to offset any extreme spicy heat, and I also just find that flavor compliments turmeric very well. I tend to froth 1 tsp per 1 cup Coconut Milk, and I am amazed at how foamy it gets! This is actually very nice; it does have a strong earthy, rooty turm flavor (I mean, one would expect!) but I can still taste the sweeter cinnamon and a pleasant warmth on the back of my throat from the ginger and black pepper. The only spice in the blend I’m not distinctly picking out in the flavor is the cardamom. There is also marshmallow root in this blend, which I believe may be contributing to just how creamy this blends up and tastes. Prepared as a warm latte offset with a very sweet milk, I’m getting just the right amount of spicy warmth, and since I’ve been dealing with a bought of sinusitis, that warmth of turm and ginger and spice feels divine. I love that it isn’t caffeinated so I can drink it right before bed when I seem to feel very clogged up, too.

It does get a bit grainy toward the last few sips of the cup, but otherwise this is a very rich, foamy, creamy spiced latte!

My very favorite tea from Gnat & Bee. I’m surprised I haven’t written about it here before. I drank through this cup without thinking much about it, so I’ll have to come back later for a proper review.

It’s been a long day, so I’m having a cup of black tea this afternoon (something I normally make a point not to do, because sleep). As a treat, I added some sweetened condensed milk to this cup instead of my regular honey and oat milk. It’s not overly sweet so the flavors are still coming through, but it’s also mega creamy which makes my soul happy today. This is an interesting blend from Gnat & Bee. I’ve bought several of her teas, and some are really good while others are not so great. I would say this one falls squarely in the middle. It’s certainly not a repurchase for me at this point, but I’m really enjoying the cozy vibes I’m getting from it in this moment. It calls to mind a decadent hot chocolate, but light on the chocolate. If that makes any sense at all. It’s faintly floral but also earthy and a bit spicy in the way that ginger is spicy – more of a punchy heat than a spicy heat.

Cold brew/steep. A mint tea. I don’t taste blueberries but it’s refreshing nonetheless.

I’ve been sipping on this one all day. I don’t think Natalie uses any kind of artificial flavorings in her teas, so it’s not a strong or overpowering blend. It’s very balanced. I had this side by side with Adagio’s Earl Grey Bella Luna not too long ago. While I love them both, the flavors in the Adagio blend are much more assertive. With the Sister Grey, I can taste all the flavors – lavender most of all – but they are more subdued in a really delightful way.

Gnat & Bee is one of our favorites around here. If you’re at all interested in herbs, cats, or beautiful nature photos, definitely check out her Instagram. Natalie is the sweetest and has always been more than willing to chat with me about herbalism and tea blending when I have questions.

https://www.instagram.com/gnatandbee/

TTB #11

I was compelled to try this blend based on the lovely dry leaf, filled with bright red peppercorns and flower petals. Unfortunately, the lapsang souchong is overwhelming whatever other flavors are present. I don’t get whiskey and I don’t get fig…just smoke and an unfortunately bitter and drying black tea. Not a fan.

Gnat and Bee is such a wonderful small business. Not only does Natalie create some amazing teas, she also does seasonal extracts, soaps, and bath products. Her autumn Chroning tea is one of my all-time favorite smoky teas. This Whiskey & Fig tea was recently released as part of her autumnal shop update, and my brother placed an order the day it came out. We love supporting Natalie because you can tell that she truly puts the love into everything she does.

This tea blend is strikingly beautiful, with pink peppercorns and what I’m guessing is bright red cherry bark. There is a smoky aroma, no sweetness at all, and the taste is just the same. I have to say, I’m a little disappointed that I’m not tasting the juicy fig, but maybe she was going more for a Fig Newton. I actually get more of that flavor. There’s almost a breadiness reminiscent of that dense, unsweetened cookie so if you like Fig Newtons this tea may be for you. I’m not a fan of them at all. I don’t get any sort of whiskey flavor but I’m not a big whiskey drinker so I’m likely just not picking up on it. It’s very drying too.

I just wish I liked this one more. Unfortunately, it’s a miss for me. Perhaps a shorter steep next time will help with some of the bitterness.