Tuesday 28 April 2015

Tea with Alice March Box - Tea Review

Kia Ora!

I've been a busy bee taste-testing all of the delicious teas that were sent to me as part of my first Tea with Alice box. I've had a complete blast doing it, and have discovered a couple of teas that are going to be favourites in the future; I can tell from how fast I finished the sample bag!

I was surprised to find a second package on my doorstep a few days after receiving my first box, but after contacting the wonderful customer service team was assured I could keep it. Their system had a bit of an ooops, which is in my favour this time (that sounds like a Monopoly card). I'm really happy about this as there were two other black teas in the box for me to try. The herbal blends were the same (to the benefit of my mother), but I'm always excited by more black tea.

I've written a bit of a review of each tea, along with some pictures. If there are any questions or comments, feel free to pop them at the bottom and I'll make sure to reply ASAP. Enjoy!


I spent an afternoon taste testing the tea varieties, and enjoyed it immensely. I usually add milk (and lots of it) to my black teas, but I've photographed them here with just the infusion so you can compare the varying colours. I know some people drink black tea, well, black, but I'm a fan of milk so I tend to over-add sometimes. This affects the colour of my tea, and it all looks a bit insipid so I thought taking photographs at this stage would be better.


Afternoon Tea Please!

Long thin leaves make this tea a little difficult to get into a brewing implement, but tongs help! I'm going to be investing in some tiny tea tongs, or small glass jars to make this process easier. The leaves have a deep, dark scent, but this scent doesn't carry over once hot water is added. It is a medium brown tea, reminiscent of Bell tea. This is a great comfort brew. It tastes like 'normal' tea, albeit fresher. It is supposed to have an aftertaste of cocoa, but I didn't notice it. I think this is a good solid tea, although it isn't anything special or different, but it is a nicer version of generic tea bags from the supermarket.

7/10
Repurchase: Maybe, if I ever run out of tea.



Breakfast in Bed

This tea is my favourite tea of the moment, I truly can't get enough of it. It comes in tiny balls of tea leaves, and this creates a deep and strong liquid and aroma. The scent becomes more noticeable upon the addition of hot water, and makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It has a very strong and deep, dark flavour, and I think it works very well with milk. I find it is perfect for helping me wake up in the morning, with the depth of the flavour (and I like to trick myself that it is more caffeinated than other teas). This tea reminds me of variations of Irish Breakfast tea that I've tried previously.

9.5/10
Repurchase: Oh god yes, I'm saving up for some more as I write this!


No Dress Code

Another tea with long thin leaves, and has a lighter colour liquid. This one I found was a lighter tea, with very little depth. Once I added the milk it completely overpowered any tea flavour. I can see this one being good for those who like weaker tea. I have an uncle who likes the teabag dunked in for a few seconds, and then milk added, so for this type of tea preference this tea would be great. Personally, I hated this one.

5/10
Repurchase: No, too weak for me.


Kiss Me Now

This tea had long thin leaves in varying shades of brown, and looked really pretty before I added water. There was a strong chocolate scent that accompanied the leaves, and a dark liquid. The scent is actually stronger than the flavour of these teas, which is sad, but there is a significant cacao flavour that accompanies this tea. Yum! It isn't a sweet chocolate flavour, but it lingers on the tongue. I demolished this packet very quickly, as flavoured black tea is my jam.

8/10
Repurchase: Yup, can't beat a tea/chocolate combo!


Purely Peppermint

This tea has a strong peppermint scent and flavour. I'm not really a fan, so I didn't pay as much attention to this one. I know that my SO's mother loves peppermint, so this will probably head her way. The tea does smell lovely and fresh, but I don't normally drink this type so I can't definitively say much about it.

3/10
Repurchase: No, not my thing.


Detox Me Now

These tea leaves are green and yellow, look a bit like dried dandelions, and smell like grass. I was very hesitant at actually drinking this one, but it wasn't too bad once I got over my reservations. It does taste a bit like grass, but a watery version. It has less taste than could be expected from the strong scent of the dry leaves, and I actually enjoyed it once I had had half a cup. I'm not sure I'll order more of it, but I will finish the packet I currently have.

5/10
Repurchase: No.

Phew! That was actually a lot of tea, but I enjoyed the excuse to drink cups upon cups of tea for an afternoon or two. Overall, I have figured out I like my Tea with Alice subscription, and I'm really excited for the next few months to arrive in my mailbox. I might end up changing to just the black tea option, but I'll see what other herbal options come through in the next two months first.

Until next time ...

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