Fava Tea Co.

I received a free sample of this tea with my last purchase at Fava. They do fruit-flavored black teas really well, so I was excited to give it a try. The aroma was AMAZING…lots of tropical fruit!…but the flavor turned out to be just so-so. I think it’s the blackberry that brought it down for me. Somehow, it tasted more like blackberry leaves than actual blackberries and even though there were brighter notes from the other fruits popping through, it wasn’t the smooth, summery beverage I was looking for.

I’d much prefer this on a black base. The green base is a little bitter, and the nuttiness is quite mild. I did like it more after it had sat a bit. Then some more dessertiness came out. Still not super great though.

The story of my life seems to be having favorite teas discontinued and spending years searching for replacements. Does anyone else relate? Years ago, TeaSource in Minneapolis had a chai blend they called “Reena’s Chai” that was probably one of the top 10 teas I’ve ever had. From what I recall, it was heavier on the nutmeg than most chai blends I’ve tried and just seemed to hit the perfect balance between sweet and spicy. Since then, I’ve tried dozens of chai blends from all my favorite tea companies trying to find a suitable replacement. Fava has an herbal chai that I LOVE (their Roasted Almond Chai, if you’re curious) so I decided to give this more traditional blend a shot. It was…fine. Pretty much the basic spice blend I would expect from a Masala Chai on a CTC base. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, but also nothing to make it special or memorable in any way. The search continues!

I was so excited to find this blend on Fava’s site! I recently tried a lemon basil oolong blend from The Cultured Cup in Dallas, which was delicious but pretty pricey. This one was about half the price and just as good! (Plus it’s from my local teashop, which I always want to support when I can.) The oolong is smooth and sweet, the lemon flavor is bright and natural, and the basil is mild and adds just a nice hint of depth to the blend. I’ve been enjoying it hot, but can’t wait to try it iced now that the weather is FINALLY warming up around here! I foresee this becoming one of my staple teas from Fava that I always keep on hand, along with their Coconut Souffle and Banana Walnut Bread.

This is a good basic, well-balanced Earl Grey. Too sharp and bitter to drink straight, but very pleasant with milk. It doesn’t beat out my favorite (Piccadilly from Letterbox Tea, if you’re wondering) but I’m enjoying it!

The flavor on this one seems more lemon than lime and I don’t really get anything that screams “pie”. That being said, it’s a nice natural citrus flavor (it doesn’t remind me of cleaning fluid like some artificial lemon teas do!) and balances well with the base. Nothing amazing, but I’d drink it again!

I recently placed a curbside pickup order with Fava to support them during this difficult time and tried a bunch of new-to-me teas. I enjoyed most of them, but this one is definitely my favorite of the bunch! I use 2-3 “pearls” for a 12oz mug of tea and get a rich, reddish-brown brew with delicious notes of chocolate and caramel that sips down super-smooth. I can get at least 2 more equally delightful steepings out of the same leaves! Though it’s a bit pricier than some of Fava’s other options, I will definitely be re-purchasing this one next time I want a special treat!

Despite the name, this tea isn’t super “golden” in appearance. There is a random scattering of gold tips, but it’s mostly curly, tightly twisted black leaves. That being said, the flavor is exactly what I was hoping for! Sweet, smooth, malty deliciousness that hangs on for multiple re-steepings. At such a great price and supporting a local tea shop, this one may become a staple in my cupboard!

This is one of my favorite blends from Fava! Add a splash of milk and you basically have a melted Almond Joy bar in a cup.

I dunno how y’all found pumpkin flavor in this. It just tastes like syrup with the ghost of cinnamon.

From the TTB
Yum, this tastes like a bit of banana bread with chocolate as an aftertaste. It smells like banana, and I get some creamy butter in there too. Thanks Inkling for including this in the TTB! I loved Butiki’s banana walnut butterscotch, and this tea reminds me of that one. I like that this tea has different layers, though I’m not getting much walnut. It’s buttered banana bread to start and dusted cocoa to finish.

Finishing this up from the advent that Inkling made for me. I really enjoyed this one, and I was particularly craving a coconut tea the other day. Very nice, authentic coconut flavor. No bitterness at all, but a very dry mouthfeel. Had sweetened and hot, but I’d imagine it would be excellent either with the addition of cream, or iced as well.

Another SipsBy offering for the month of January. I was surprised to see another pistachio tea from Fava in my box so soon, but I love pistachio, so can’t complain. This tea has loads of ingredients that I love (marzipan drops and almonds in particular), but there was just something off about this blend. It’s not nearly as bad as the other Fava pistachio blend that I tried, but I’m still not loving it. It’s missing that marzipan favor, and is instead reading as a bag of mixed nuts.

What I smell: marzipan (strong)

What I taste: pistachio butter

Notes: This tea reminds me of the almond-paste-filled Danish Kringle pastry that’s occasionally available at Trader Joe’s. Fairly light, but in a pleasant way. Might try steeping a minute longer next time. Found via Sips by subscription box.

Advent day 10! I always love trying new variations of tropical blends. Green bases work especially well with tropical flavors for me. This one I wasn’t a huge fan of, though. The fruit notes were a bit too muted for my liking, with the base being a bit too vegetal for the mild flavors.

Day 2 of my advent calendar from Inkling, and this is another winner! I’m constantly on the hunt for good banana teas, and this is definitely one of the best I’ve tried. It truly tastes like a slice of banana nut bread. Especially delicious with a splash of oat milk. This is one I will certainly be purchasing.

I’ve been wanting to try this blend for awhile, and was so happy to see it arrive in my SipsBy box. Boy, was I disappointed. I opened the bag and it just smelled like salted nuts. I was still hopeful. Maybe the flavors would really shine once brewed? Nope. Tastes like hot buttered popcorn. Just awful. Couldn’t finish the cup.

I bought this tea after trying it in-store. The sample was smooth and bright with a distinct pina colada-type flavor. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to recapture that flavor at home. I may have to keep messing around with my brewing parameters, but after preparing it as I do most green tea blends (1 tsp for 3 minutes at 175 degrees), I got a watery, artificial banana flavor with hints of coconut. Quite disappointing! I think I’ll try more leaf next time and see if that makes a difference.

I love a good banana-flavored tea. Butiki’s Hello Sweetie is one of the many reasons I’m devastated that company shut down and A Quarter to Tea’s Banana Nut Pancakes is another standout favorite. I think this one may round out my top three! I wasn’t sure about the green tea base, but it actually works beautifully, giving a lighter twist to a heavy flavor. There’s a nice butteriness to this one along with the banana and walnut flavors that definitely gives me the vibes of a piece of warm, buttered banana bread. What a treat!

Very enjoyable. Lightly sweet with notes of fruit. I wouldn’t know there was pineapple in it, the touch is subtle. Slight hint of vanilla

Hands down my favorite tea. Smells like marzipan. Light and a tiny bit sweet. Doesn’t need milk or sugar, but holds either nicely.
Enjoyable any time of day

This is another great tea from the Fava Tea company. I bought five different rooibos teas from them and they all got packaged in a nice black resealable pouch. It even had a hand written note with it to thank me for the order and a ton of flyers about tea and the benefits of it. Great packaging and fast shipping. Also there was a little sampler package for tea with it, the Sunny Disposition they sell :) The mango tea I ordered has a very pleasant and mild taste, not to Mango-ie. I was doubtful because I’m not a big mango fan but I couldn’t drink it fast enough when I was drinking it. Great tea!

A previous reviewer says this is like David’s Tea forever nuts with cinnamon. That description is spot-on.