"TEAS the season! Why is tea the perfect holiday gift? Tea can bring a moment of calm to a fast-paced life. Inhale the wonderful aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and let them transport you to the joy of a holiday morning. Tea makes a great holiday or hostess gift for the health-minded. Unlike most soda, Mighty Leaf Tea is all-natural and free of sugar, calories and artificial flavors. Looking for an eco-friendly gift? Invite your loved ones to give up to-go cups and steep tea in our TeaTop brew mug. It's great for commuting because the used tea pouch nestles inside the lid, preventing over-brewing."
I have been a fan of Mighty Leaf Teas for year, and spent the summer brewing my own homemade iced teas to enjoy with family and friend with the Mighty Leaf Gourmet Iced Tea Set.
So, when I was contacted and asked to review and giveaway one of their top ten holiday gift ideas, I couldn't resist. Not only was I looking forward to try out more teas from them, but I was excited to have the opportunity to offer my readers the same opportunity, as tea is a healthy alternative to coffees, sodas and other sugary drinks many of us consume on a daily basis.
After browsing through the Top 10 Mighty Leaf Holiday Gift Ideas shown in the image below, I opted to review and giveaway the Mighty Leaf Master Tea Pouch Sampler, as I loved it gives you an assortment of teas to try yourself, while also providing enough tea bags to enjoy tea with family and friends this holiday season and into the new year.
I am always amazed at the oversized tea pouches from Mighty Leaf. I have never seen tea bags this big.
And, unlike other tea bags you purchase in stores or online, these are silken, Artisan tea pouches that are hand-stitched with unbleached cotton and without using glue or staples. I can't tell you how many times I have gone to brew a fresh cup of tea to have the label holding the tea bag string come in contact with the tea water and dissolve, leaving the staple to fall into my mug. Not fun, when you are trying to fish out a staple from hot water, and especially not fun if this happens to a guest. But, since switching to Mighty Leaf Tea, I have not run into this problem ever. :-)
The perfect gift for any tea aficionado, this assortment of 108 Tea Pouches wraps our best selling and most unique teas in a luxurious gift box.
The Mighty Leaf Master Tea Pouch Sampler includes the following:
Three Black Teas: Enjoy the floral, sweet, and lingering finish of Organic Darjeeling Estate and the citrusy organic bergamot of Organic Earl Grey. Orange Dulce teems with bergamot, orange, vanilla, and jasmine blossoms.Three Green & One White Tea: In Green Tea Tropical, smooth green tea leaves meet sweet tropical fruits. Inhale the layers of Arabian jasmine buds in Organic Spring Jasmine or savor a nutty, buttery cup of Organic Green Dragon. White Orchard is a mouthwatering blend of green and white tea, melon, and peach.
Four Herbal Infusions: In Organic African Nectar, Organic African rooibos leaves mingle with mango and flower blossoms. Mint meets basil in Organic Detox Infusion. Egyptian chamomile flowers mingle with subtle citrus slices in our Chamomile Citrus infusion. Let Rainforest Maté energize you with maté tea, licorice, spices, rosehips, and apple.
The Mighty Leaf Master Tea Pouch Sampler is available at mightyleaf.com for $59.95.
When it comes to drinking tea, my tea of choice is green tea. So, I was excited try the three green teas from this sampler box. Out of the three, I have to say my favorite was Green Tea Tropical. It was not overly sweet, and still had the smooth, refreshing green tea flavor I love. The Organic Spring Jasmine was a close second. :-) As for the other teas, I have been having fun sampling the different flavors and adding new teas to my Mighty Leaf favorites list. And, this past Thanksgiving, the Master Tea Pouch Sampler came in handy when I had 20 guests over to enjoy turkey dinner. Before and after the meals, guests were able to pick their own tea bags from this sampler box for me to brew up for them. As I brewed each cup, I couldn't help but share brew tips I had recently learned thanks to the folks at Mighty Leaf Tea (scroll down to learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea).
The only wish from guests was that Mighty Leaf had included separators to let them know what the different teas were. Once you took the top of the sampler box, the 108 tea bags were nestled together inside. You have to pull up random tea bag envelopes to see what teas are included, or to find your favorite tea flavor. I can see why some people would want some sort of divider to easily find their tea of choice, but I love being able to randomly select a tea, brew it up, and try to guess the flavor. But...that is just me! :-)
I am so happy that I was able to sampler the different teas that make up the 108 Mighty Leaf Master Tea Pouch Sampler, and have found a few new flavors I otherwise would never have tried, but now can call my favorites. This sampler box would make for the perfect gift for that special tea lover in your life, or to pick up and have on hand to offer a tea sampling to family and friends who come to visit this holiday season. I don't know about you, but it is always nice to brew up a fresh cup of tea and sit down with those you haven't seen in awhile and catch up, especially during the holidays.
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In addition to sharing my thoughts on how great each of the teas that make up the 108 tea pouch sampler, I also wanted to share great brewing tips the folks at Mighty Leaf Tea shared with me. If you are a tea aficionado or just love to switch things up and brew flavored teas during the cold winter months, these brewing tips will come in handy the next time you reach for a tea bag (hopefully it is Mighty Leaf Tea).
Brewing Tips:
- Prepare your tea with filtered or bottled
water. Avoid tap, distilled, or
mineral water.
- Be sure not to over-boil the water as it
makes flat tasting tea.
- For black tea and herbals, hot water is
key! Please do not let the water
sit and cool before adding the tea pouch.
- Brew green teas in water 30 to 40 degrees
below boiling. At this temperature,
the steam from the kettle rises in curling wisps rather than a vertical
column. Or boil water and let it
sit for 1-3 minutes before adding the tea pouch.
- Immerse the tea pouch completely in the hot
water and move it back and forth several times to maximize water flow
through the bag.
- There is a recommended brew time on the tag
of our tea pouches. Steep 4 to 5
minutes for black tea, 3 minutes for green tea, and 5 minutes for herbals.
- Use a timer and be careful not to over-steep
which can impart a bitter taste.
- Reusing the tea pouch is not recommended.
- Store tea in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
In addition to brewing tea to drink, the folks at Mighty Leaf Tea also shared some other great alternatives to enjoying their tea:
Holiday Recipes:
Tea
is a versatile ingredient that can be used to make lattes, smoothies, mocktails,
and cocktails. Substitute tea for coffee
to make a Vanilla Bean Latte. For
ingredients, you will need Vanilla Bean, a black tea from Mighty Leaf with Madagascar
vanilla, purified water, and milk (sugar is optional). The recipe is here: http://www.mightyleaf.com/tea-recipes-vanilla-bean-latte/.
For
a new twist on eggnog, steep Bombay Chai from Mighty Leaf Tea in hot water,
chill it, and add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggnog. Mighty Leaf’s ChaiNog Latte recipe has just the right aroma to bring back Holiday
memories.
Impress
your friends with tea infused cocktails.
Celebrate in style with a Bourbon Nectar by steeping Organic African
Nectar by Mighty Leaf Tea, chill it, then add bourbon, simple syrup, and a
squeeze of fresh lemon. Check out our
video of this recipe at http://www.mightyleaf.com/learn_tea-recipes-tea-cocktails/#TeaCocktail Recipes.
Pair Tea with Holiday dinner courses:
Just like wine, pairing tea with food adds an artistic flair to a multiple course
meal. Full bodied black tea
complements main dishes with poultry, meat, and game. More delicate green teas work well with
fish and vegetables. Surprise your
friends with an unusual white tea, like White Orchard from Mighty Leaf Tea,
and pair it with fruit or cream based desserts. For more tips, go to http://www.mightyleaf.com/pairing-tea-with-food/. Pair Tea with Holiday dinner courses:
Cooking with Tea:
Think of cooking with tea as being the same as cooking with spices or herbs. Asks your guests to name the exotic ingredient in Chocolate Green Tea Pound Cake. Brine your turkey with Mighty Leaf Chai and fill your house with festive aromas. Share your recipe with us on Facebook or Twitter.
I for one can't wait to try out some of the tea-inspired recipes found at the Mighty Leaf Tea website, including the above Chocolate Green Tea Pound Cake. I plan to bake this and serve it topped with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream as part of my upcoming Christmas dinner dessert offering. Mmm, I am getting hungry just thinking about it. But, in the meantime, I have been enjoying sitting by the fire in our oversized club chair with a good book, and sipping on a freshly brewed cup of green tea from the Master Tea Pouch Sampler. What a way to unwind after a busy day! :-) So, if you are love tea, or are looking for a last minute gift to pick up for someone on your shopping list, or still need to get your wish list to Santa, why not consider this or any of the other amazing Mighty Leaf Tea gifts available for purchase from the online Mighty Leaf Tea website? Click here to begin browsing their selection of teas now -- www.mightyleaf.com.
--GIVEAWAY--
Thanks to the folks at Mighty Leaf Tea, one lucky reader will win the Master Tea Pouch Sampler to enjoy with family and friends this holiday season and into 2014. To enter this giveaway, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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