Sips by is a monthly box of tea selected just for you. Rather than everyone receiving the same box each month, you fill out a profile to get customized selections.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Sips by
The Subscription Box: Sips by
The Cost: $15/ month + free US shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 50% off your first box!
CODE: SUBSCRIPTIONADDICTION
The Products: 15+ servings of tea distributed among four different varieties selected according to your profile.
Ships to: the US for free, Canada for $9.50, and Western Europe for $13.50-$17
Sips by November 2020 Review
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The box came with this information card. My teas were selected based on a pretty extensive profile I filled out. This isn't an exhaustive list but here are some of the choices I made:
- Caffeinated or herbal OK
- Black, green, white, and oolong OK
- No licorice (this is often used to sweeten teas but I don't care for the flavor)
- Loose or bagged OK
- No coffee flavors (I do not like the taste or smell of coffee)
- Guarana and yerba mate OK
- No guayusa (this is in Runa Tea and it makes my throat tingle until I take Benadryl...)
- Chocolate OK (encouraged, really)
- Flavored and unflavored OK
- No stevia (I'm not a fan of stevia in drinks)
- You had the option of picking vegan, which I did not choose, as some teas may have honey or dairy ingredients and I am OK with those, but then I selected not to receive anything meat/shellfish/etc. derived (might be easier for them to offer "vegetarian" as a selection as well)
- No mushrooms (there are mushroom teas and I have tried a few in other subscription boxes and I do not like them)
I thought the profile covered most things well. I'd add "vegetarian" as an option and would also add "no lemongrass" as an option because I really don't care for lemongrass. But overall the profile survey was pretty comprehensive. (There was also a specific allergy section where you could pick items from a list not to get.)
Let's see what I received!
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Stash Chocolate Mint Oolong (4 bags) - Buy 18 Bags for $5.00
So I actually got this one back in September, too, but I was not sad, because that was my favorite selection from September, and because none of the stores around here carry Stash, so if I want some, I have to spend like $50 on the Stash website to buy a lot (because would you rather pay for shipping or get free shipping and use that money for tea?). Although this doesn't have any added sweetener (and hence, few to no calories) it tastes sweet to me, sort of dessert-like, but also it has caffeine from the oolong, so I can totally justify drinking it in the morning to help myself wake up.
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Asheville Tea Company Asheville Grey (about 4 servings) - Buy 1 oz for $10.00
I received a different Earl Grey in September, and it was good, so I was happy to see another. This is a new brand for me, which is nice since one of the things I value about subscription boxes is the discovery aspect. This has a lovely, almost peppery aroma when you open the package and a great level of caffeine for the morning. (Fair warning, I don't drink coffee, so tea is almost all the caffeine I get, so in terms of morning wake-up power, your mileage may vary.) As you might expect, this company is based out of Asheville, NC, and they try to use some local ingredients in their blends which, in this case, means the calendula petals.
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The Witchwood Teahouse Faerie Organic Color Changing Loose Leaf Tea (multiple servings) - Buy 1.5 oz for $15.00
Apparently, I am steeping this for too long the first time, because although it started a golden color, it turned purple, which according to the product listing isn't supposed to happen until a second or subsequent steeping. Oh well. (I rarely remove tea bags but just leave them in there for a long time.) This is a white tea so not super caffeinated. Although it has rose, chamomile, and a few other ingredients, it tastes mostly like mint to me, so there is a little bit of a mental disconnect there for me with the purple color. This one is very pretty to look at in loose-leaf form, as well.
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Republic of Tea Pumpkin Spice Black Tea (4 bags) - Buy 50 Bags for $12.50
This is a brand I know and love and buy from time to time at Whole Foods, but I had not tried the pumpkin spice black tea before. I really like it. You can leave the teabag in for a long time (in fact, you will see it in the picture with the mug) and the spice part doesn't get too strong, which can sometimes happen, especially in teas that contain cinnamon as this does (along with ginger, nutmeg, and cloves). This is a great seasonal tea if you happen to like pumpkin spice, which I do.
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Biodegradable Filter Bags - Buy 100 for $12.00
If you opt to receive any loose leaf teas, you will get some biodegradable filter bags. I like these because you don't have to clean them out like you do with steel and silicone tea strainers and, in fact, I usually have a couple hundred of these in my kitchen cabinet at any given time. But for those who don't have any of these, it is convenient to receive them in the box.
Verdict: I didn’t calculate a total value for Sips by this month since the items aren’t sold online in the provided quantities and/or configurations. There were at least 16 servings of tea in my box (probably more like 20+ as I am finding with the loose-leaf ones) so they are under $1 each, or a little less when you add in the filter bags. Once again, I was happy with everything, even though one was a repeat (which happened to be my favorite from the month in which I previously received it). I discovered a couple of new brands to investigate further and I actually liked everything, plus I can tell the people at Sips by were definitely taking my preferences into account when making these selections.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your subscription would start in December, and at any rate, depending on your profile quiz answers, your selections may be different from mine. From Sips by:
Renews Automatically. Allow up to 3 weeks for your first box to arrive. Subsequent boxes will arrive within 2 weeks of your original order anniversary date on a monthly basis until you cancel your subscription.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 50% off your first box!
CODE: SUBSCRIPTIONADDICTION
Value Breakdown: This box is $15 per month, so you are paying less than $1 per serving of tea, or about half that if you like to steep each serving twice.
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