I don’t know where November went, but I can tell you Paru’s tea box subscription did not disappoint…and if you keep reading, you might even find a little surprise if you haven’t already tried this subscription!
In case you haven’t heard of them, Paru Tea Bar is a female-owned organic, looseleaf tea company based in San Diego. Founder, Amy Truong, initially started the company as a reprieve from her fast-paced corporate job. At first, word spread through local pop ups and community gatherings; now you can find her at all kinds of places, like: distilleries, art installations, yoga classes, kombucha suppliers, and gelato stores.
The Paru Tea Bar tea subscription box is one of a kind, because Amy and her team personally source all of the teas. Each month, subscribers will be mailed a seasonal variety of teas curated specifically for that month.
In the box, you’ll find: (3) 1 oz bags of loose tea, which makes about 10 cups per bag (30 cups per box in total); (1) garnish packet (or snack) to pair with your tea; and (1) informative guide to walk you through things like flavor notes, caffeine levels, and interesting tea-specific facts.
Each month, the tea selection will include: one black, one green, and one herbal.
WHAT’S INSIDE
The November box is the definition of cuddle weather goals – in here you’ll find a “coffee” tea, a breakfast tea, and a brown rice green tea.
Breaking it down, flavor-wise, I’d say that the “Cacao + Chicory ‘Coffee'” is kind of like a hot coco/coffee hybrid. Paru suggests pairing this tea with oat milk, which I imagine would be really nice to mellow out the strong cinnamon and cacao nib flavors. I’ve yet to find an oat milk in stores…so if you have a favorite, let me know where I can find it!
The second tea in the box is a saigon breakfast tea, in homage to Amy’s Vietnamese roots. This tea has a bit of a smoky taste and is a great option if you’re looking for a black tea with a twist.
Finally, the third tea in the box is my favorite of the set. Genmaicha is a traditional Japanese green tea that’s made of green tea and roasted brown rice. It has an aromatic nutty flavor that warms you up from the inside out (perfect for all this cold weather)!
Also included in this box, subscribers will find a packet of “garnishes” that include: blue cornflower, rose, and candied orange slices. According to the packaging, smell and sight affect our food and drink experience the most…not taste. This is why Amy and her team have included some fun things to add to your teas to “spice up” the experience, if you will. If anything, the garnishes make for an Instagram-worthy shot of your tea! You can put all of the additions in one cup, or one per tea, or mix and match – it’s up to you!
(NOT SO) SECRET NEWS: I’m so excited to announce 2LWithIt subscribers get access to a unique discount of 15% off either a monthly or annual subscription with the code: ANAQ15
And if you’re wondering how this code works, just plug it in at checkout. I don’t make a commission off the code at this time and 100% of the savings go directly to you! So if you’ve been wanting to pull the trigger to try this subscription box, or just want to send a *hint*hint* to someone to give them an idea for a Christmas/Hannukkah/etc/just because present, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO DO SO.
If I hadn’t already purchased an annual subscription, this is definitely something I would have forwarded to my boyfriend as a Christmas present idea…because it’s more personal than a gift card + it’s something we could do together.
Alsooo, since you know I’m big on savings and discounts, this is one of the first of its kind for this box. You can scour the interwebs, but as far as I know, these boxes haven’t gone on sale *yet;* it didn’t even go on sale for Black Friday…so this code is kind of a big deal.
All in all, I really enjoyed this box. It has a nice mix of different teas (a little sweet with the cacao coffee, a little nutty with the genmaicha, and a reinvented classic with the breakfast tea). The garnishes are a fun little twist to elevate the tea drinking experience; pair them with some snacks and a Hallmark movie, voilà, you can have yourself an impromptu date night!
WHAT’S IT COST?
Monthly plans are $24.95, and yearly plans are $239.95. With the discount code, you get $3.74 off one box, or $35.99 off the annual plan. If you do the math, that’s about $17 a box for the annual subscription
If you have any questions about the subscription or Paru, feel free to connect with them!
This subscription is paid for by 2LWithIt; all thoughts, opinions, and photographs belong to 2LWithIt.
