Backlog from last night! I got this tea as a swap from Ost. I wanted to purchase it when I made my order, but they were sold out of the 1 ounce packages and I didn’t want to buy a larger quantity not knowing if I would like it. The dry tea looks like mostly rooibos with some flower petals (Della Terra loves those) and some dried citrus peel. I have no idea what the leaf smells like because the resealable bag that it’s in smells strongly of S’mores (the other tea Ost sent me). I brewed 1.5 tsp for 3 minutes.

The brewed tea smelled lovely – like sweet lemon pudding and meringue. Yum yum yum! The taste followed suit. It’s light, sweet lemon at first, with the lovely addition of vanilla. There’s definitely a creaminess that I could associate with pudding and the vanilla kind of translates to meringue for me. The one thing I didn’t get from this was crust, but that’s okay with me. There was a nice lemony aftertaste. Honestly, the flavors were all nice, but this tea came out a bit weak for me. I have enough for a small cup so I’ll try it with a longer steep time for me, and see if that helps. Holding off on the rating until then!

Flavors: Cream, Lemon, Meringue, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Stephanie

I wanted to like this…just can’t get past the rooibos :/

Cameron B.

I didn’t really notice a ton of a rooibos flavor, but that’s the reason I only steeped it for 3 minutes.

Ost

Weird that you thought it was weak, it was strong for me. And I usually just use 1tsp. Should have doubled the zip lock on the S’mores…didn’t even think about it. >< I actually thought this tea was stronger, smell wise. So weird.

KiwiDelight

It’s strong for me when I let it steep for 7+ minutes.

Cameron B.

KiwiDelight I have enough left for a 4 ounce cup or so. I’ll make sure to do at least 5 minutes. I’ve just had long steeps make the rooibos overpower in my past experience.

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Comments

Stephanie

I wanted to like this…just can’t get past the rooibos :/

Cameron B.

I didn’t really notice a ton of a rooibos flavor, but that’s the reason I only steeped it for 3 minutes.

Ost

Weird that you thought it was weak, it was strong for me. And I usually just use 1tsp. Should have doubled the zip lock on the S’mores…didn’t even think about it. >< I actually thought this tea was stronger, smell wise. So weird.

KiwiDelight

It’s strong for me when I let it steep for 7+ minutes.

Cameron B.

KiwiDelight I have enough left for a 4 ounce cup or so. I’ll make sure to do at least 5 minutes. I’ve just had long steeps make the rooibos overpower in my past experience.

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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