If you know me at all, you know that I Love Tea, as explained in depth in that blog post. So I was pretty excited to sign up for the Sips by Tea Subscription Box.
Now, I’ve done a few makeup subscription box in the past, and spoken with friends who do others, and ultimately I ended up completely swearing them off because I got a lot of boring products, duplicates, and stuff that just didn’t work on me. Ultimately I had an entire box full of random samples that I never used. But I felt like a tea box would be a good choice, because I love almost all tea, and Chris and I could easily finish an entire box like this each month, without any worry of things piling up.
My First Sips by Box
I signed up for Sips by on Thanksgiving weekend, taking advantage of a deal to get 50% off my first box, so our subscription started with December’s box. Sips by had me fill out a survey where I indicated what kind of teas I liked, why I drank tea, if I preferred loose leaf or bagged, and any dietary restrictions (including, thank goodness, an option to say I do not like teas with added stevia).
Every month, you get four tea samples, and if you receive loose leaf teas, you get some empty tea bags. Those aren’t necessary for us since we use infusers, but it’s a nice touch.
For December, Sips by did a good job of sending teas that fit my profile. I received three loose leaf teas (my preference), one bagged tea, and also two additional tea bags as a bonus for the holidays. There’s an oolong, a pu’erh, a chai, and a flavored black tea (I think the bonus teas are a green/herbal blend), and all were pretty well-suited for the winter season.
But how was the tea?
Since receiving our first Sips by box, we’ve tried each of the teas we were sent, except the special bonus. And over all, we’ve been really pleased.
Menghai Te Ji Grade Ripe Pu-erh from Yunnnan Sourcing is a smooth pu-erh. It has that earthy, almost barn yard like scent, but the flavor is pretty mild. Although we both tend to gravitate towards more earthy, really dark pu-erh teas, this was still an enjoyable brew. I could definitely see using this as a way to introduce someone to the idea of pu-erh.
Apple Cinnamon from Zest Tea is the one bagged tea we received. This is a “high octane” tea blend that has extra tea extract added to amp up the caffeine level. I brewed this up one morning when we’d been up too late the night before. As promised, it gave a smooth, level buzz without making either of us jittery. The apple cinnamon flavor was also perfect for the season. While I prefer loose leaf teas, I could see myself picking up more of this to keep on hand for traveling, as an alternative to the weak tea usually found at continental breakfasts.
Original Chai by Chico Chai is exactly what I think of when I think of chai. Some companies forget that chai should be spicy, and they stick with just some cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Or they add just enough pepper to say that it’s there, but not enough to give it some kick. This chai has just the right amount of pepper, along with other spices, to make an aromatic, flavorful cup. I brewed it in an infuser like I normally do, but they also included instructions for doing a slow simmer method of brewing, which I definitely want to try next.
Shangri-La Oolong by Nepal Tea is an organic oolong from Nepal. It was rather mild on the first brewing, but with a really lovely honey/fruit scent. Later I decided I wanted more tea, and the resulting brew (from the leaves that had been hanging out in a bit of water) was much bolder and more flavorful. My one complaint about this tea is unlike the other loose leaf samples, it didn’t come in a resealable bag, so I had to find a container to put it in.
Value
I believe the idea is that a single person making a cup of tea should have enough of each tea for about 4 servings (plus the ability to resteep the more robust teas). I found that for the loose leaf teas, we have about enough for 2-3 pots of each, to serve the two of us. And 4 bags of the Zest Tea.
The Sipsby Box normally costs $15, including shipping. Now, I’m not sure if this is exactly $15 worth of tea. I could probably get more tea for my money shopping locally. That said, these are high quality teas, ranging from $8-17 for a full sized package. So based on the retailers’ pricing it probably is close to $15 worth, especially when you consider the cost of shipping if I ordered the teas online.
To me, the real value is the ability to try new-to-me teas from brands I might not easily be able to find locally. While some people like to drink the same tea every morning, I love novelty. I like to wake up in the morning and pick something based on my mood, or what I’m having for breakfast, or how much caffeine I need to jump start my brain.
This first box at least provided me with a really good variety, all from brands I hadn’t tried before.
Additionally, each brand included a 20% off coupon code, so I can restock any that I like at a discount (and maybe try a few other things from the brand while I’m at it).
Other Perks
Like many subscription boxes, Sips by has a rating system where you can earn points while hopefully refining the future selections included in your boxes. You can also get points by referring friends. And they have a selection of recipes using the teas included in the boxes, in case you want to do something other than just brew a cuppa.
Will I keep subscribing?
The quality of this first box was good enough that I’m going to stick with Sips by for now. In another 3 months or so, I’ll write another post here providing an overview of my experience so far, and decide if Sips by is ultimately worth $15/month.
In the meantime, if you want to see my opinion of the teas I receive from Sips by as well as other teas that I drink, I’ve taken to posting mini tea reviews at least once a week on Instagram.
Join Me!
If you’d also like to try Sips by, signing up using my referral code will get you $5 off your first box, and I’ll get 200 points. Alternatively, you can check out their Indiegogo campaign for growing their company, which has perks like discounted subscriptions.
