Tea Tasting Sumer Flavors from The Whistling Kettle

This month, I jointed the affiliate program for The Whistling Kettle, a New York-based tea company. You’ll now see ads and promotions for the company on my blog, social media sites, and newsletters if you haven’t already. I’ve been a lifelong tea lover, a beverage preference synonymous with books and writing. So, I found this partnership to be very appropriate not only to my brand but to my own personal tastes.

The Whistling Kettle recently sent me some samples to try. So below, I share my experience trying these teas.

And of course, since this is an affiliate sponsorship, I will earn a commission on any sales. This goes towards supporting my blog which helps to support indie authors trying to get exposure for their books. Get 10% off your first order  at Th Whistling Kettle using the code laurasbooksandblogs at checkout!

My tea preferences

When The Whistling Kettle asked me about my flavor preferences, I admitted that my tastes are pretty plain. My go-to is a plain, black tea that I drink either hot or iced, though I’m up for trying anything.

Still, I do tend to stay away from green tea and almond flavoring as they upset my stomach. Earl grey is also not a favorite, and berry teas taste like hot juice to me.

The Whistling Kettle ended up sending my three flavors: vanilla cream, peach rooibos, and Kettle’s iced tea blend. So, I busted out my good teapot, cups, and iced tea maker and got started.

How I make tea

As an American, I tend to boil water for my tea in a kettle on my stovetop. I do have an electric kettle as well, but I find that it doesn’t get the water hot enough for my tea. But my stove is electric. So, same difference in my opinion.

Vanilla cream

First up was the vanilla cream. It’s a black tea with vanilla pieces mixed in. When I opened the packet, I could smell a strong vanilla odor.

Once my water was boiling, I steeped a teaspoon of tea for four minutes. The result was a golden color. I like my tea on the weaker side. I often use a tea bag two or three times. So, I tend not to steep tea for the recommended amount of time. But in this case, I did, and it didn’t make the tea too strong.

I tend to drink my tea straight up with no added flavoring, though I’ll sometimes add milk, sugar, or lemon. So, I left this cup plain. I found that the vanilla emerged more in the after taste than in the initial sip, making it a more subtle additional flavor after its strong introduction in the odor of the dried tea leaves. I liked this subtlety because it keeps the tea light and easy to drink without that heavy settling in your stomach.

Peach rooibos

Next up was the peach rooibos which contains marigold flowers, natural peach flavor, apple pieces, and apricots. Upon ripping it open, the smell of peach wafted out, followed by a slight smoky smell which matches up with the known nutty flavor of rooibos teas. You can see the dried fruit pieces and shaving spread throughout the mix.

The color of this tea came out a little more yellow, and the other fruit scents really emerged once brewed. The fruit flavors alone weren’t enough to sweeten it to my taste. So, I did add a tiny bit of sugar. But its subtlety is a welcome alternative to that hot juice taste in other fruity teas that I mentioned earlier. So, I would definitely recommend this as a great summer tea flavor.

Kettle’s iced tea blend

Finally, I scooped four tablespoons of Kettle’s iced tea blend into my iced tea maker and brewed a quart of iced tea. This blend incorporates tea leaves from Sri Lanka and China. It has a sweet smell while dry, and its flakes are a lot larger than the hot black tea.

The brew came out a little light at first because I didn’t have the proper filter for my iced tea maker. So, the strongest part of the brew got trapped in my tea maker. Once that was added, along with ¼ cup of sugar, the iced tea was that perfect, traditional caramel iced tea color.

Of course, you can sweeten it even more than I did and even add lemon or other flavorings. But this is the perfect base for a traditional iced tea.

Final thoughts on The Whistling Kettle

This tea tasting was really fun. It was nice to try a new brand of tea that matches up with the type of tea that I usually drink.

Had I not liked the brand, you would not be reading this post. Just like my book reviews, the affiliates I choose to feature on my blog must be brands that I would recommend to a friend.

Luckily, my experience with these teas was very satisfying. It’s a high-quality brand that feels very simplified and doesn’t try to overpower its basic flavors with additional flavors or weigh heavy on you after you consume it. And with the amount of tea that I like to drink, that’s a big plus. This also means that the brand will appeal to a wide range of palettes.

If you want to try some different flavors but don’t want to commit to a large order, the sample sizes that I used in my tea tasting are available at www.thewhistlingkettle.com. And remember to use my coupon code, laurabooksandblogs, for that additional 10 percent off. Then, if you like what you try, you can buy a larger amount the next time you need tea.

What are your favorite flavors of tea? What flavors from The Whistling Kettle would you like to try? Leave your answers in the comments below!

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