Tea Runners Review May 2017

Tea Runners is the world’s finest tea club. Every month their members receive a curated collection of four of the world’s best loose leaf teas, along with tasting notes and brewing instructions. Each box contains enough tea for 30-50 cups.   Tea Runners brings the undiscovered world of small batch loose leaf tea to your door. They receive dozens of samples every month, taste them all, and select only the best. They kindly sent us this box for review.

This is our very first time reviewing Tea Runners!  Wow!  Get a load of that box!  I felt like I was receiving an adventure when it was placed into my hands.  It really brings back the history of tea, sea trading, old England and when tea was actually worth more than gold!  I also have a thing for pirates, so I feel pretty in love with this box.

I had to open the box slowly and show you each step of it.  So much detail in this box I don’t think I’ll be able to recycle it!  It’s just too beautiful.  I’d love to see Tea Runners make a line of permanent tea boxes so you could display them… Ok, that was a total rabbit trail.

Four teas are provided with your subscription each month.  They will add from a variety of teas to each box, including black, green, herbal, white teas, oolong, and more.

Moonlight Jasmine

Named after the alluring scent of Jasmine blossoms on moonlit summer evenings, this gorgeous green tea sets a new bar for aromatic elegance.  This tea is made from pure spring harvest buds which are left in their natural, slightly twisted shape instead of being rolled into a pearl.  Take a sip and you’ll see why it’s one of the most expensive teas we’ve shipped to date.

Wow, this sounds so fancy.  I may have to save this blend for special company.  I haven’t had too many Jasmine teas, so I may get completely spoiled right out of the gate.

Kenyan Black

From an area of abundant rainfall fertile soil in western Kenya, this black tea is a complex, robust and authentic caffeinated kick.  We love an old fashioned deep and full-bodied CTC that makes no apologies for its strengths and earthiness.

Wow, is that describing a tea, or my taste in men?: “complex, robust and authentic, old fashioned, deep and makes no apologies for its strengths and earthiness.”  But seriously though, I’m elated to see a Kenyan tea!  I spent three weeks in Kenya in 2012 and it will always have a place of fondness in my heart.  Drinking my morning tea in Kenya will always be one of my deepest and strongest memories.  Tea is a staple for Kenyans and often the only breakfast most Kenyans will have.  The making of the tea is very important and almost a right of passage for most children to learn.  I still have spice mixes from Kenya that will be adding to this tea and I plan on brewing it in milk like Kenyans do to get that real authentic taste!

English Breakfast

Here’s your new morning pick-me-up with an exotic flare: a gorgeous, bright red English Breakfast tea cultivated from the Assamica gardens in the remote northern mountains of Thailand.  Full bodied and tart to taste, this tea has subtle notes of raspberry and a smooth finish.  Try it with a little milk and sugar, or go bold and enjoy it in its pure, unadulterated state.

It’s funny, I’m a black coffee drinker, but when it comes to classic black teas I like them loaded, lots of sugar and milk.  That classic black tea will always remind me of lunch at my grandparents house as a kid.  The adults will linger at the table for hours after a meal, the tea and coffee would come out along with the desserts and I remember trying tea for the first time… loaded with milk and sugar.  This is probably why I still prefer black teas this way.

Fellini’s Folly

For our caffeine-free offering, this Rooibos will surely have your tisane-loving tastebuds tingling!  Rooibos is known as an immunity-booster, a sleeping aid, and is even recommended for a sore tummy.  This award-winning tea is not only good for you, but it’s got personality for days.  With its earthy and aromatic profile, we don’t think you’ll be forgetting this one anytime soon.

Wow!  SO excited about this!  How is it possible to get so excited about tea?!  I had no idea Rooibos was good for so many things.  Now I love it all the more.  This is the perfect blend for me.  I may add lavender and honey to it, which is my favourite combination for a basic Rooibos.  But it does sound like this one deserves to be tested as a stand alone before complicating it’s flavouring.

Tea Runners May 2017 – Final Thoughts

Is there a standing ovation emote?  Because I need one right now.  I’m so impressed I almost feel like I don’t have words to finish off this post.  Let’s start with that box again, holy, beautiful!  Love the attention to detail in the graphics, fonts and colours.  It really felt like a transport to an adventure.  I’m also a bit of a sucker for colonial times, remember, pirate obsession here.  The teas provided were a really nice size, bigger than all the other tea subscriptions I’ve received.  The quality sounds amazing, but will be tested by water of course…  All the flavours appealed to me and actually brought back a lot of really great memories!  It’s funny how tea can do that.  I hope to become a regular subscriber of this box, as this is one I could really get excited about each month!

-Shonah