Hello again fans and friends! It’s Krissy here, ready to spill the tea again B) We’ve got some heavy hitters this time!
Braylon
When I opened up Braylon’s tea I squealed because I didn’t realize his ALSO had glitter! This is why Brooke and Braylon are besties both in and outside the game! Then I took a sniff and I was overwhelmed with juicy fruity flavors. It smelled so good I had to huff it for a while until my partner got irritated because he wanted to try the tea, too.Â
The ingredients looked promising: aged dark tea, black tea, shaved dark chocolate (vegan), lavender, natural black currant & chocolate flavoring, and edible gold glitter.
The lavender is a strong top note, easily complimented by the black currant. This was a delicious, complex but not overwhelming, sweet but not cloying, super smooth tea. When I added milk and sugar, it kind of drowned out the complexity and only left lavender. I didn’t hate that, but I definitely preferred this tea unadorned.Â
Malia
After that was a crowd favorite, Malia, and it was easy to see why. This tea brews pitch black, and it smells absolutely wild, fresh and earthy and grassy, almost? And strongly of ginger. And coconut! The ingredient list confirmed: fig, ginger, black teas, roasted coffee beans, chaga & reishi mushroom, blue pea flower, coconut, and cumin seed.
Out of all the teas so far this is the one that tastes exactly like everything it promised. I have no idea how Friday Afternoon Tea managed to highlight every ingredient without crowding it or making it clash, but this tea was nuts. And for an extra bonus, when you add milk, you can see this tea change from black to soft pale blue! This is because of the blue pea flower :)
I don’t think I have to hype this one as much as the others because it’s already a best seller, but I am here to say the hype is 1000% true. Malia’s tea is a must-try.
QuinnÂ
I was most excited to try Quinn’s because my typical tea order is a London Fog! That’s why I got this one in a bigger size, as opposed to one of the sample tins. I was pleasantly surprised by how stylish and cool the packaging is. The glass and wood are sturdy, and the logo on the lid is a fun textural element. Clearly a lot of love and labor went into each of these teas, not only in the content of the blends themselves but in their presentation.
Anyway: the tea! Bergamot oil is heavy in this tea. It is an Earl Gray after all. It smells strongly like black licorice, and tasted that way too. And I appreciated that it came pre-sweetened with honey clusters. This is probably where I should straight up list all the ingredients: black teas, pistachio, shaved dark chocolate (vegan), cardamom, granulated honey, rose, star anise, bergamot oil, and natural vegan cream flavoring.
Looking at Quinn’s tea you can see it’s beautiful to behold as well as to sip. I took my time enjoying it, and I’m really happy that Quinn’s background is highlighted here with burfi flavors— pistachios and star anise and cream. This is a truly special tea and I completely get why so many people have fallen in love with it. Check out our TikTok on how to make it!
Yuna
I saved this tea for last and all I can say is, MY GOD, IT’S YUNA WITH THE STEEL CHAIRÂ
I was utterly twitterpated when I opened her tin and saw all the sparkles inside. It smells like pure sweet candy, like opening the door to Willy Wonka’s factory. My partner proved to be a bad influence as I couldn’t help but take a piece of candied fruit and nibble on it.
Here’s the ingredient list so you can get an idea of what I mean: roasted barley, papaya, kiwi, sugar stars, strawberries, natural raspberry & lemon flavoring, and edible pink glitter.
Yuna joins Braylon and Brooke in the glitter squad!!! Out of all the teas, this one was the most overtly sweet. I drank it warm but I can imagine this makes a great iced tea as well. The roasted barley made me think of some of the really good green teas I’ve had in the past, but of course Yuna’s tea has zero caffeine. It also served a nice contrast to the sweetness, so the tea didn’t leave me feeling like I was drinking straight juice.Â
And that’s that! Thanks for joining me on my tea journey. Now that I’ve tried them all, I can say with certainty that my favorites were Braylon and Yuna! While all of them were good, I could easily drink those two every day.Â
I know by the time these thoughts get posted it will be too late to give any teas as Christmas presents. But these are great as a treat to celebrate any victories in life, no matter how small. They also make a thoughtful birthday gift. (Or heck, maybe you just want to stan your fave.) Be sure to check them out in our shop!
Either way, I hope wherever and whenever you read this, you’re having a good time, and I hope to see you all again soon! Bye!Â
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