Why I Delayed Launching My Venus Tea Blend
When I first started Inlustria Tea & Blends, I thought I had found the perfect supplier. Especially for Venus.
The company advertised custom loose leaf tea blending, and I was so excited to finally bring my vision to life, that I immediately ordered from them to start packaging the tea. Venus was designed around full-leaf white peony tea, rose petals, and hibiscus. I go into further detail within my Behind the Blend series, but the blend is inspired by a fusion of astronomy and mythology.
When the sample arrived, I immediately knew something was wrong.
The white peony leaves were broken, dark, and crushed. Even the smell didn’t seem quite right when I had initially opened it. Venus is one of my more popular blends due to the beautiful, pink hue it takes on from the balance between the blend and hibiscus, and so many were eager to experience that color for themselves.
Instead of producing the soft, delicate cup I envisioned, the tea steeped a muddy orange color. And the taste? Well, I couldn’t bring myself to finish it after the first sip. The floral notes were overpowering, and I felt like I had tasted a diluted perfume.
This would have to be one of my first big hiccups in the creation of Inlustria Tea & Blends, but it taught me an important lesson about tea sourcing: ingredients matter, but quality matters just as much, if not more.
Rather than launching anyway, I spent another two months searching for a supplier that could provide full-leaf white peony tea.
The difference was dramatic.
The leaves unfurled beautifully during steeping, the liquor became clearer, and the flavor felt balanced instead of overwhelming. The final blend maintained the soft floral character I wanted while allowing each ingredient to contribute without overpowering the others.
Creating Venus reminded me that good tea takes patience. Sometimes the best business decision isn't launching faster, it's taking the extra time to create something you're proud to share!
For me, Venus became more than a tea blend, and would have to be the blend I am most proud of so far. It became the standard I wanted to set for Inlustria Tea & Blends.
