Steeped in Praise: What Everyone’s Saying About Keats & Co.

Learn more about the loose leaf tea & coffee line on everyone’s lips (and in everyone’s mugs)! | By Aly Krajewski, Good Store Art Director

I have to make a confession. It’s not only incredibly embarrassing; it’s not just an admittance of shameful deceit; it will likely change the way you perceive me for the rest of our lives, and I have to own that truth and live in the light as my Real Self from here on out. Okay, deep breath … 

I am a tea novice. No, less than a novice. A tea noob. I have spent a certain amount of years (not telling you how many) on this planet with ample access to a millenia of information on all things tea related at my fingertips, and I couldn’t tell you the main differences between earl grey and breakfast blend teas if my life depended on it.  And don’t get me started on my exit from the world of sachets and into life with loose teas!

“But Aly”, I hear you say, “you work for a company that sells premium loose leaf teas–how could you go this long without educating yourself?” And you are right, you beautiful soul, how right you are. What has truly been the saving grace of my woeful herbaceous non-education hasn’t been Google or Wikipedia; rather, I have learned so much from our very own Keats & Co tea reviewers. Not only are Good Store customers usually super willing to let us know their thoughts on all kinds of products, but they also tend to provide the best kind of feedback (and the reviews on tea are no exception).

Like Param’s thoughts on our April Meadows Green tea:

“Floral, but not too much. The aftertaste is awesome, I actually crave it. Really, really nice and refreshing. The more time you enjoy each sip, the better it’ll taste. The tea leaves also smell really nice. I’ve drank green tea before through tea bags, and I’ve liked the taste, but never craved it like I do this. It tastes really, really good. Also tried loose leaf tea once, though that wasn’t green tea, more of a mix of different blends I’m guessing; that was marketed in an enticing way. But even that was nothing even close to this. I’ve never craved a healthy drink like I do this. The tea and the taste of it definitely stands on its own for me at least, but it doesn’t hurt that I know…the profit goes to a good cause.”

Ellen S and her husband opened my eyes to the wonders of our Golden Fire Ginger tea when I’m under the weather:

“My husband and I really enjoyed the ginger tea. I often find ginger teas too harsh and don't like the way they sort of bite back, but this one was really smooth and not overpowering at all. I was able to happily drink this one black, though we were trying it when we were both a little under the weather and I found some honey in it made it really lovely and comforting. It felt like a little pick-me-up with the bright ginger notes that didn't attack my throat as much as other gingers I've had. I would happily reach for this one when I was sick!”

I spent years wondering why my beloved Chai tea would make me wiry when I had it before bed, and Matthew N reminded me that our caffine-free Evensong Chai would eliminate this problem wholesale:

“I love a spiced/black tea but having it before bed is usually impossible. Having a caffeine-free chai that is delicious and makes the house smell great right before bed is perfect.  This is a part of my bedtime routine now and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a Chai without the caffeine.”

While comments like this one from Lauren might not have a lot of critical tea knowledge, they sure do make me want to drink our Sweet Briar Botanical blend:

“You know how you smell a fruity, floral perfume and wish you could drink it, but know it would be a bad time? This tea tastes exactly like what your brain imagines that perfume would be. It's a late spring/early summer afternoon, you're surrounded by wildflowers, the sky is blue, the clouds are fluffy, and you can hear birdsong in the distance. That is this tea.”

If you, like me, have any questions or concerns or reservations on loose leaf tea, a quick jaunt through any of our tea page reviews tends to quell fear and tie up loose ends. I still have a lot to learn about the vast world of teas, but I rest a little easier knowing that I’ve got a whole community of tea lovers helping me find my way, one cup at a time.