CHAroma

Today was a very exciting and productive day! I’m now only 6 days away from my wedding day!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeehhhh!!!

I picked up my wedding dress, put together the table numbers, made our initials out of moss to hang on the front doors of the reception venue, made a long list of all the things we need to remember to pack, and picked up Tiffany necklaces (and one bracelet) for my bridesmaids! :D I am SOO excited!!! I’ve been waiting for this day my ENTIRE life, and now it’s finally almost here!

I decided to celebrate my productiveness with a hard earned cup of green tea. My skin is rebelling and a couple large pimples have cropped up over the last couple days. Agh! Here’s to hoping the green tea works some sort of magic and speeds up their healing. If anyone has any other suggestions, I’m all ears!! (I popped them, cleaned them out with hydrogen peroxide, and then put a dab of Neosporin on them).

But I digress. ON TO THE TEA!

The dry leaf aroma is just that. Dry. It smells like a dry generic green tea. The leaves themselves are dark green, almost black, with white tips. The brewed tea aroma is a lot more artichoke-y then I would have expected from the dry leaf aroma.

The taste is very nice! It’s sweet and green, but much less artichoke-y than the aroma. My kitty seemed interested for a couple seconds but didn’t lick it, thank goodness. I don’t need his kitty germs. :P Back to the flavor, it sits slightly heavy on the tongue. It doesn’t have that clean, refreshing quality that I’ve come across in other Chinese and Taiwanese green teas. It also doesn’t seem to have any smokey elements to it, which I’ve definitely tasted before in the Bi Luo Chun variety.

Overall, it’s good. But it’s not my favorite. I’ll still drink another infusion though. ;) Oh, and thanks to Nuvola Tea for the free sample!

Big thanks to Momo for this glorious sample of Classic Apple Pie from Della Terra Teas!!! This sample came at the perfect time. I am so stressed out from wedding stuff!!!! I went to try on my wedding dress today. It was supposed to be 100% done, no more alterations, pack it up and let’s go get married! Instead, I put it on and it’s soooo tight on my back. Uncomfortably tight. Like my back is squishing out over the dress in a very non-pretty way. And it’s looser in the waist…wtf happened?!

I went for lunch for 2 hours while they did some more alterations: letting out the back and taking in the waist. I mean, does anyone else find that weird? How could my back get bigger while my waist gets smaller? I’ve been working out like a fiend, so the only thing I can think of is that my back muscles must be larger. I mean, they really don’t look larger and I still can’t do a single pull up despite all my efforts. I don’t know. I called my mom freaking out and she just laughed because apparently she had the exact same thing happen to her a week before she married my dad. They had to let out the top of her dress and take it in at the waist. So, I guess like mother like daughter. It’s still bizarre though.

Anyway, I tried on the dress two hours later and it’s definitely better. I was so stressed though that I don’t think I really looked at myself. I just feel like there’s still so many things I would change about the dress, but we’re out of time. Honestly, I probably won’t feel good about it until it’s my wedding day and the dress fits and I’m married and it’s all over.

Okay, that was a really long rant. ON TO THE TEA!!!

This was exactly what I needed right now. Apple pie is total comfort food. It’s one of my favorite foods and I wait for it every year (we usually have it at either Thanksgiving or Christmas, both if I get lucky). I added Truvia and a splash of unsweetened almond milk. YUM! This tea is amazing! The black base is fairly quiet and non-descript. It’s the perfect backdrop for the other flavors I think. The spices are low key and not in-your-face or overdone. There’s a sweetness like cinnamon filling drizzled with caramel sauce. And then there’s the apple of course. Juicy, naturally sweet apple. Mmmm! This is delicious! Oh man, I’m going to go make another cup right away. There’s no way one cup is enough. Thank goodness for this tea and thank goodness for Momo!!! You’re a lifesaver!

I brewed another cup of this tonight because I enjoyed it so much two days ago. My fiancé came in the room complaining of a headache, so I suggested he have some tea. You know men, when they don’t feel well they act like they’re dying.

He did the whole sick voice thing, “Maybe I’ll have some tea.”

“Okay, what kind of tea do you want?” I asked.

“Green tea.”

Lucky for him, I had just brewed this up. So, I handed him the steaming cup.

“It’s done already?!” he asked surprised.

LOL! Oh, men. I may not be enjoying this tea tonight, but at least someone is. :)

I have awaited this day with a quiet reverence. Part of me thought it would never come. But part of me knew to stay faithful. The first re-blended batch sold out in less than 12 hours. But luckily for me, Frank re-blended a second batch. :)

Opening the packet is like opening the first present on Christmas day. Excitement and joy bubble up within me until they overflow with the eager anticipation of this moment. The dry leaves smell amazing! Like blueberry and cream and sugar and heaven. Sweet and fruity and motherwateringly delicious! I set my kettle to boil and measured the leaves into the strainer. Ah, how I love this morning tea ritual.

About three minutes later, I lifted the brewing basket from the cup and inhaled deeply. AAAHH! Oh no!!!! This smells bad. :( It smells like a specific variety of Assam that I really don’t like. Noooooooo! Why did you do it, Frank? I tried a sample of this tea about 9 months ago (generously provided by the lovely Ninavampi), and it definitely didn’t have this base. Ugh, my heart is broken. My perfect Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish tea has been desecrated. :(

Once the cup cooled, I ventured a taste. That awful Assam hits me first. But then up creep the blueberry and the flaky Danish pastry and the creaminess. Maybe this will be okay? Most everyone could enjoy this tea straight, but the Assam is hitting me like a battering ram right between the eyes. So, I went ahead and added a splash of skim milk.

Unfortunately, all that did was tone down the blueberry and make the base even more pronounced. Then I added a tiny bit of Truvia, and now it’s just a cup of sweetened Assam tea. Blech. What total fail. Why do my taste buds have to hate this base? WHY?! I’m going to leave the rating unchanged because that sample was heaven. This cup would probably be rated something more along the lines of a 40. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go ball my eyes out.

I have a major case of the munchies tonight. And I’m doing everything I can not to munch, LOL! So, it’s tea time!!! Somehow, I missed trying this tea when I bought a boatload of Butiki Teas a few months ago. Whoops! Well, I get to try it now! :)

Even after all this time, the dry leaves still smell very green. They’re long, paper thin, crispy, dark green curls. The brewed tea aroma is rich, buttery vegetables. Yummy! I’m not gonna’ lie, I used more leaf than was recommended. I do it every time! I can’t help myself! I just love strong tea. ;)

And this certainly is strongly flavored! Well, it’s unflavored but it has a lot of flavor. You know what I mean! :P Gosh, I sure do love smiley faces today. I guess I’m just happy and in the mood to emote! The wedding is swiftly approaching, and I’m getting more and more excited with each passing day. It’s going to be AMAZING! Probably more amazing than this tea, although this tea is pretty darn good.

I’m so impressed with Butiki Teas. The lowest rating of the thirteen teas I tried was 72. The average rating was 83. Five teas scored in the 90s, and one tea even got a 100! This tea is remarkable and uber delicious. I love the butteriness. I haven’t eaten real butter in about 4 weeks. So, this tastes almost forbidden. ;)

Mmmm, it’s almost creamy but not quite. Buttery is a better description. And it is sweet too. I love sweet! Fresh, crisp vegetables dripping hot butter. YUM! I love this! Go get some Butiki Teas right now. Seriously, you will not be disappointed. Flavored or unflavored. White, green, black, or oolong. They’re all amazing!!

Oh, wedding planning just never calms down, does it? There’s too much to do!!!

I need some tea. So, I reached for this free sample I received from DAVIDsTEA. The dry leaves smell strongly of guava candy. Like super sugary guava. The brewed tea aroma is guava and mango and a little more subdued.

The ingredient list says that this guava flavoring is artificial. That’s a mild disappointment. But what’s more disappointing is the taste. This tea tastes like a low-grade bancha with very little fruit flavoring. It actually reminds me of some low quality bagged green teas I used to drink before I found loose-leaf.

For all that sugary aroma, this is fairly bland and leans towards the bitter side. Unfortunately, this tea has artificial additives and you can really tell. Thank goodness this was only a sample. I am not a fan.

In exactly three weeks at precisely this time, I will be a newly married woman! I can’t believe the wedding is so close. I’ve waited my whole life for this moment, and now it’s almost here! Eeeeeeehhh!!!

Well, on to the task at hand. This was a free sample with my latest DAVIDsTEA order. I recently broke my favorite travel mug: a double-walled glass tumbler from DAVIDsTEA. Luckily, it was in stock on the website! So, I was able to buy a replacement immediately. While I was at it, I figured I might as well pick up some tea! Shhh, just don’t tell the fiancé. I’m technically not allowed to buy any more tea. :P But I only picked up a small package of Love Tea #7, so my stash hasn’t noticeably grown. ;)

I don’t usually like mate all that much, but I’m willing to give this one a go! The dry leaf of this sample smells sweetly of honeydew melon. The brewed tea aroma is a nice combination of honeydew and mate. First sip is surprisingly yummy! It’s juicy and flavorful and reminds me of a Honeydew Skittle. Mmm, those tropical Skittles are so yummy.

Anyway, this is a really lovely tea. The green rooibos helps even out the mate. The melon flavor tastes true and authentic, not artificial at all. Of course, I am comparing the honeydew taste to Skittles, which isn’t the most dependable comparison. But I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten a real honeydew melon before. So, it’s all I’ve got!

I am pleasantly surprised by this tea. The only negative I can think of is that with each sip, I seem to feel the caffeine hit my system. It’s an impact that first strikes my soft palette and then moves up into my head. It’s an odd sensation but tolerable. Thanks to DAVIDsTEA for the free sample!

Life has been brutal. My fiancé was diagnosed with a disease last week. His treatment plan is intense for the next 8 weeks…and our wedding is only 7 weeks away. I feel sad and angry and frustrated and defeated. His health is the #1 priority. I suggested we postpone the wedding so he can concentrate on getting better. He doesn’t want to postpone because he’s worried about the money we’ve invested. I’m a lot less worried about money and a lot more worried about him getting better. There’s just no good option, and I feel powerless.

On to the tea, which was a free sample from Nuvola Tea. I apologize it’s taken me so long to get around to tasting it. This tea appears to be everything anyone could want from an Oriental Beauty Taiwanese oolong. Sadly, my heart isn’t in it and this has always been one of my least favorite varieties.

I’ve known that there’s been something wrong for a while. I think he has too. But we’ve just been in denial. It’s easier to ignore than to deal with. I apologize for hijacking this tasting note with sadness and bad news. It truly is a great tea: woodsy, dark, a little nutty, and a little spicy. I’m sure others would really enjoy it. It’s just not meant to be for me.

Thanks to Ninavampi for a large sample of this tea! The dry leaf aroma is strongly caramel and chocolate. Yum! Totally mouthwatering. I tried it first sans additions and it was okay. It’s much more enjoyable with milk and sugar. The sugar brings out the caramel and chocolate flavors more, and the milk cuts the bitterness of the base.

With additions, this is a yummy dessert tea that delivers what it promises. It’s not like eating a Ghirardelli chocolate square, but it’s also way fewer calories than the real thing. This reminds me of 52teas’ Cashew Turtle. It’s not quite as good as that, but it’s pretty close. This is a safe bet if you’re a fan of chocolate/caramel combos. Thanks again, Ninavampi!!

I opened the ½ ounce packet and was surprised to find tightly rolled, green oolong leaves. For some reason, I thought this would be a roasted brown oolong like in Butiki’s Maple Pecan Oolong. But this is a pleasant surprise for me because I adore green oolongs. :)

The dry leaves give off a lovely strawberry aroma, and yet there doesn’t appear to be anything in the pouch except oolong leaves. I wonder how this was flavored…hmm, that remains a mystery even after tasting it. But I’m jumping ahead.

The brewed tea aroma is much like the dry leaf. The taste is a beautiful, floral, green oolong with juicy strawberry flavoring. It tastes of both strawberry fruit and strawberry seeds. Yum! It’s a wonderful flavor with a natural sweetness.

OMG, this is divine!!! It has all the wonderful characteristics of floral green oolongs that I love. But it also has one of the tastiest and truest strawberry flavors I’ve ever had. This is one yummy cup of tea! I honestly can’t do it justice with words. I feel like any time I wanted a green oolong, I could just drink this instead. It’s a perfectly balanced, perfectly flavored, natural tasting, fruity tea. I am in love! *Swoon!

I randomly chose this out of my Butiki bag of fun leaves today. :) The dry leaves certainly are interesting. They appear to be striped in the picture. But in actuality, they’re creased in perfectly spaced lines. The aroma from both the dry leaves and the brewed tea is subtle, generic green tea.

The taste, however, is not subtle or generic. It’s delicious! Savory. That’s the main word that comes to mind. It’s very flavorful and savory. The taste is buttery veggies and salty nori (seaweed). It’s an interesting combo that I don’t know if I’ve come across before.

I’m wicked surprised that this tea calls for boiling water. It was really hard for me to put the brewing basket into that steaming cup. I thought for sure the whole thing would be so scorched, it’d be prone to burst into flames at any second. But luckily, the brewing instructions did not lead me astray.

I’m sipping at a yummy cup of green tea with a perfect balance of flavors. It’s not grassy at all and it’s also not overly veggie. Sometimes the green teas that lean too heavily towards artichoke aren’t to my liking. This is simply perfect. No bitterness and only a little astringency as it cools.

It’s different and yet the same. That’s what I love about green teas. At their heart, they’re mostly all the same. And yet, somehow they are all different and unique. If that’s not evidence for God’s beauty in nature, I don’t know what is.

I dug this out from the bottom of my stash this morning. Literally, it was the last pouch on the verrrry bottom. It’s been a really long time since I last had a cup. According to Steepster, my last tasting note on it was about 11 months ago. I’m excited to see if it’s still as tasty as I remember!

The dry leaf aroma is still going strong: orange and strawberry and sugary sweetness over a black tea base. This is the “old” 52teas black base. But you know what? It’s still delicious! I don’t think their former base was ever bad really. Just fickle. Luckily, this cup wasn’t fickle in the least.

I added a splash of skim milk and a bit of Truvia. Mmmm!!! This tastes like a strawberry orange scone all right! Why haven’t I drunk this up yet? It’s utterly scrumptious! The orange and strawberry flavors are about equal. The milk added a nice creaminess that doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. And this former black base has a nice cake-y, scone-like quality to it. It’s completely YUM!

Wow, I’m so glad I decided to brew this up today. What a treat! If anyone else has a pouch lingering somewhere in their stash, I strongly recommend you pull it out and make a cup. It yields a tasty surprise. :)

Thanks to Indigobloom for providing a generous sample of this tea! My taste buds may be a little compromised because I just ate pan-fried hashbrowns followed by a glass of Moscato d’Asti. Why did I just drink wine in the afternoon when I plan on working out soon? I have no idea. Just like I have no idea why I’m watching commercials on a pre-recorded show. I keep forgetting I can fast forward. Anyway, I digress.

The brewed tea aroma is STRONG. Luckily, the flavor is less intense than the aroma, but definitely still flavorful in its own right. This tea is assertive and tastes of bergamot and citrus. I wish I could add some milk, but it looks like my carton expired four days ago. Thank God I read it before I poured it into the cup.

I accidently let it cool off too much, so I threw it in the microwave for a minute. This one is good. I feel like the base is a little heavy for these flavors though. I wish I had more adjectives to describe it. It’s not malty or robust nor does it have notes of cocoa or honey. The base just strikes me as heavy and dark, although not bitter thankfully.

I generally like lighter, more complex black teas. This tea oddly doesn’t give off any flavor if you swirl it around in your mouth. The flavor comes only in the aftertaste. I think that’s what I dislike about it. I’m willing to give it another shot again once I buy some more milk. This is definitely not my cup of tea sans additions. But I look forward to experimenting with it.

I’m in an adventurous mood, so I’m going to try a tea I bought on a whim and am most likely not going to like. Yep, it’s my second experience with the dreaded puer!! Dun dun DUN!

Just from reading the label, it’s already a new experience for me. You’re supposed to steep 4 grams in 4 oz. of boiling water for 3-5 seconds. And you get 20+ infusions??! Wow. Okay, here goes nothing.

First, the aroma. Leather. It smells exactly like leather. I like wearing leather and smelling leather but drinking leather? Hmm. First sip is…surprising. I do taste leather but there’s a lot more going on too. It’s very complex. Naturally sweet and a tad spicy. Aromatic and interesting. Wow!! Maybe I can enjoy puer?

I’d never be able to go 20+ infusions if I drank the whole cup each time, so I’m going to take a few sips, pour it out, and then move on to the next steep. Please forgive this blasphemous behavior. I can tell from that first cup alone that this is a high quality tea that any puer enthusiast would drool over. Lucky for this tea, I just set up a swap with someone who does like puer. So, the rest of this ½ ounce sample will go to the loving home of Shmiracles!! :)

Anyway, back to the mission at hand. Here are my thoughts from my inexperienced tongue:

1st steep: As described above, but also with a bit of something akin to dry autumn grassiness. The aftertaste is reminiscent of a high quality green; something like Organic Dragon Tip.

2nd steep: Wow! Burned my mouth. That’s HOT! Anyway, the leather is a little more enjoyable now and not so horse saddle-like. The grassiness/vegetal flavor is more pronounced now as well and reminds me of buttery vegetables. I had to read the description for more ideas of how to describe this unique flavor. I definitely get the association with oak. It is oak-y.

3rd steep: Leather is continuing to fade and is being replaced by a floral oak-y-ness and buttery vegetables. This is the first steep that I detected floral notes. This infusion also has a great umami!! Buttery and silky smooth. My favorite mouthfeel and flavor so far.

4th steep: At this point, the buds are open. Leather is almost completely gone now. Floral oak is the most prominent flavor now. It still has that buttery vegetable aftertaste too. This is becoming more and more drinkable for me! I can say that I’m actually enjoying it!

5th steep: Floral oak. Buttery vegetable. And some unidentifiable puer-ness that distinguishes itself as definitely not a green tea, despite the similarities I’m finding. After this cup, my teapot ran out of hot water. So, I had to wait while I boiled more.

6th steep: Same as 5 above but maybe a tad lighter on flavor. Very enjoyable.

7th steep: Went with a little longer steep this time. About 15 seconds. A tad more spiciness is apparent, matching what I tasted in that first cup.

I’m getting a little bored now though, so I think I’ll call it quits here. Although I’m rating it a 79, I’d probably rate it a 100 if I actually liked puer. A 79 from me is extremely high considering that my only other puer experience gathered a whopping 25 and was thrown out after a couple sips. No re-steeps there. So, don’t mistake me; I’m giving this one high praise!!

I have the 2012 variety by the way. Also, the liquor was extremely light yellow the entire time for me. It never reached that light brown color as pictured. But I did use very short steeps. Another thing to note, it’s really hard not to burn your mouth in between steeps. How do you puer drinkers do it? I don’t have a gaiwan, so I just used my regular stainless steel infuser basket and 8 ounce owl mug (although I was careful to only fill it up halfway each time).

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 12

I’ve finally made it to the end of the sampler, and it’s a bittersweet achievement. This tea is already sold out, so this is my only chance to try it and hopefully enjoy it too. Let me just say two things to Frank up front: 1) What a gorgeous iconic Christmas label! I love it!, and 2) THANK YOU FOR USING PEPPERMINT (and not spearmint)!!!

The dry leaf aroma is peppermint candy wonderland! But the brewed tea aroma is kind of…weird, for lack of a better word. It’s pulling at something in my memory, but I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is. DAVIDsTEA Read My Lips maybe? While I wait for the tea to cool, I’m going to tell a quick short story.

My phone just rang. I answered, and it’s a recorded voice telling me I won a cruise. Press 1 to talk to someone and 2 to decline the offer and be removed from the call list. I pressed 1. I figured it’s probably not a free cruise in reality, but it’s worth a couple minutes of my time to find out. What happens next? I’m put on hold for about two minutes. And then…another recorded voice tells me that all representatives are busy assisting other customers and I should leave my name and number after the beep and they’ll call me back later…Are you kidding me?! YOU called ME you stupid people!!! Clearly, I didn’t win anything. What a pain. I’ve never heard of this type of scam before but it really annoys me.

Anyway, back to the tea. First sip sans additions was a pleasant surprise. After that weird aroma, I wasn’t too sure how this would turn out. But it’s a yummy peppermint-y dream! It has a nice creamy aspect to it and a natural tasting sweetness. It’s like drinking liquid peppermint candy!! Yum!

It really is a great cup of tea just the way it is. But I’m curious what a little Truvia and skim milk will to do it. Hopefully, I don’t ruin a great thing. As I suspected, it doesn’t change things for the better. Luckily, it didn’t necessarily make it worse either. More of that weird aroma makes it into the flavor as it cools. I prefer drinking it piping hot!

I’m not getting any chocolaty notes that others have. Quite frankly, the base is sort of elusive here. It’s covered by the cream and peppermint. This was a yummy experience all in all. The second cup was just as delicious as the first. :) But I’m not disappointed that I missed the chance to scoop up a bag. I’m happy with the amount in the sample.

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 11

Ah, Butterbeer! Another oldie but a goodie. The dry leaf aroma is just as I remember: root beer and butter. The taste is magically delicious! Wait, that’s the slogan of Lucky Charms cereal isn’t it…well, whatever. You know what I’m getting at.

This tea is perfect and a wonderful complement to my evening of unwinding after a hard day’s work. I don’t have much to add, so see my previous tasting note for more specifics. And thanks again, Frank!

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 10

Oh man. I was hoping for a new tea I hadn’t tried before. This one is a disappointment. I love Boo-berry and I LOVE Cotton Candy. But this blend has a gunpowder base, and I’m not a smokey tea fan.

I went ahead and made a cup anyway just to see if it’s any different than I remember. The dry leaf aroma seems a little more blueberry and less cotton candy than before. The brewed tea aroma is blueberry and smoke. A LOT of smoke. Phew!

The taste is a little more enjoyable this time around actually. The smoke seems to stay mostly in the aroma, which I definitely wasn’t experiencing last time. It’s still in the flavor, but I’m able to taste around it. I can find a sweet, spun sugar likeness in this cup. Surprisingly, the blueberry is quieter than before. I remember that being the dominant flavor along with the smokiness.

Although this is a better experience, I’m leaving the rating unchanged. See, 52teas’ Cotton Candy tea has a lovely floral element to it. And Boo-berry is just blueberry perfection. But with the addition of a smokey green base, I’m losing that floral aspect I love and the blueberry seems to have left the party early. It’s good, just not great.

1 tsp 52teas’ Cashew Turtle + 1 tsp 52teas’ Double Chocolate Decadence

The last time I tried Cashew Turtle, I was underwhelmed. Which is weird because I LOVED that tea a year ago. So today, I decided to add some extra chocolate with Double Chocolate Decadence. You can never have too much chocolate!

As usual, I added a splash of skim milk and some Truvia. Mmmm, this is a delicious combination! I lucked out. Well on second thought, I don’t see how this could have turned out badly. One great tea plus another great tea equals one super awesome cuppa!

Chocolate is the dominant flavor, as would be expected, followed by caramel. The nuttiness is subtle and light but definitely not imagined. I’m really enjoying this. Yummy! What a great dessert tea! I’d rate it about 90.

I’m amazed at the dry leaf! The aroma is strongly raspberry, and there are a TON of freeze-dried raspberry pieces and chocolate chips in the blend. I’ve never seen a tea so chock full of ingredients!! It’s almost a ridiculous amount of generosity. Almost. ;)

I usually try a new tea straight before trying it with additions, but I’m really impatient right now. So, I’m just going to add skim milk and Truvia from the get go. I usually enjoy black tea better that way, and I’m ready for this dessert tea treat!

The brewed aroma is mostly black tea and raspberry. First sip…mmm this is good! I probably should have tried it without additions first, but it’s too late now! It’s very sweet and cocoa-y with the raspberry adding a nice complement to the cup. All the flavors are very balanced in my opinion. It’s equally dark chocolate, raspberry, and black tea.

I’m not a huge raspberry truffle fan though. I’d have preferred coconut truffle or caramel truffle or milk chocolate truffle. Maybe even cherry truffle. But the tea can hardly be blamed for that. As a raspberry truffle tea, this one is hard to beat. As others have mentioned, it does possess a nice creamy quality.

It’s also very strongly flavored! There’s nothing subtle about this tea. Granted, I used an extra ½ teaspoon than recommended. I can’t help myself; I’m a rebel. ;) This truly is yet another stellar tea from Butiki Teas!

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 9

This is another one I missed this year. It certainly is very lemon! The dry leaf aroma alone is super lemony. The brewed tea aroma is…different. I’m guessing that’s the Chun Mee and cardamom coming through.

The taste is rather lacking in my opinion. I get a strange green tea flavor that I assume is the Chun Mee. I’ve never had this type of green tea before so it’s a hard flavor to recognize. There’s also lemon but it’s not a super lemon like in the aroma. It’s much more subtle and blends nicely with the cardamom spice. But it’s not really spicy either. And neither sweet nor bitter. It’s just sort of…bland.

I’ve read reviews where people compare this to Sun and Cloud Mist. Honestly, they’re worlds apart! There’s really nothing similar about them at all in my opinion. Except of course that they both contain lemon. But really, Chun Mee and Yun Wu are two extremely different green teas. I much prefer the latter.

Maybe I needed more leaf, or maybe I needed to let it steep longer. I tried a second steep at 185 degrees for 3 minutes. The resultant cup is unfortunately not much different from the first. I added a bit of Truvia and now it’s a sweet lemony green tea. But it still sits heavy on the tongue and makes my mouth feel stuffed with cotton.

I’m not having an allergic reaction. :P Rather this tea leaves a thick, heavy feeling in the aftertaste. It’s not a clean feeling like I’ve experienced in other green teas, namely Organic Dragon Tip from Butiki Teas. In fact, I think I may go make a cup of that next to cleanse my palate. This is just too heavy and bland for my tastes.

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 8

YAY!!! It’s the morning and I wanted a black tea, and BAM! Frank gave me a black tea!! And not only that, but it’s a chocolate tea!!! EEEEEEEH!!!

I quickly brewed this up while an incredibly annoying kitty meowed incessantly. Seriously, what do you want??! He has food and water and I even tried to pick him up and pet him and give him attention. But no, he just walks off and keeps meowing like he hasn’t eaten in days. Ugh.

I need an especially delicious treat this morning to put up with him, so I added Truvia and unsweetened almond milk to my cup. The result? A really sweet, really chocolaty elixir of +20 to ignore kitty sounds. Aaaah, ignorance is bliss.

This is a seriously yummy dark chocolate tea. I’m getting dark cocoa and a hint of bittersweetness. Yum yum yum! It’s like death by chocolate! Which consequently is a lot more pleasant than death by annoying kitty sounds. ;)

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 7

Time for tea! The dry leaf aroma is very LIME. The brewed tea aroma is unexpected: sweet, sugary, & citrus-y. First sip is lighter than I expected too. I probably could have used more leaf. It feels like the lime is punching me in the tonsil though. Wow, that is some strong lime!

The sugary sweetness is only in the aroma. The taste is much more lime green tea than sugary candy treat. This is an interesting tea. It’s probably suited well as an iced tea. Maybe I’ll use the rest of the sample that way if I can remember to do so.

I gave the cup to my fiancé to try. He took several sips and said, “I have no idea what it is, but I like it a lot. It tastes round, if I had to describe it as a shape.” Interesting description, my love. I wouldn’t have any idea what it is either. Well, if I hadn’t cheated and read the description. :P

It is yummy! But just not a flavor I think I’d want all the time. I like lime on salmon and in margaritas. That’s probably about it. It’s weird in tea. I prefer lemon tea. Hmm, now to come up with a rating. This is hard! I feel like I have to reserve judgment until I try it iced.

I waited for the cup to chill and it does taste different cold. More of the marshmallow root comes through now. It actually reminds me of the Rainbow Sherbet from last year. It’s still not going to be a favorite of mine though. When it came out, I debated whether or not to buy it. In the end, I’m glad I didn’t. But I’m happy for the chance to try it and gotta’ give props to Frank for creativity!!

EDIT: Uh oh, just found some slimy gunk in the bottom of my cup. Yuck. I don’t know what that is, but now I’m really freaked out. Did that come from the tea, or did I not clean the cup properly in between teas? Either way, yuck. I’ll leave the rating alone though because I’m not entirely sure this is the tea’s fault.

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 6

Hmm, Graveyard Mist. I would have been really excited for this one, if I hadn’t received a sample from Indigobloom a while back. I didn’t like it very much then, and I don’t like it very much now either. I’m just not a fan of spearmint in tea. It’s too much like toothpaste. Oh well, on to the next!

Mmm, the dry leaf aroma is heavenly almond buttery baked confection! The brewed tea aroma is similar but with the black tea base shining through. First sip, hmm a little thin for my tastes. I added a little Truvia and unsweetened almond milk. BAM!!! WOW!!! This is incredibly delicious!! Almond Indulgence indeed!

It tastes just like pie crust, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and almond pie. Have I ever had an almond pie? Well, no. But I assume it would be like pumpkin pie except almond. YUM! This stuff is fantastic! I just can’t get over how good it is. Every sip is as delicious as the last. I added an extra ½ teaspoon, and I’m glad I did! I love strong tea.

Ooh, pick up a sample of this ASAP people! It’s sooooo good. I just can’t stop raving about it. I love it whether it’s called Almond Indulgence or Almond Cookie. To me, it’s baked almond pie! Mmmmm yum!!

It does remind me of the almond cookies my mom used to make at Christmas time. I didn’t get any this year though. I have my second wedding dress fitting in less than a month, so it’s salad, fruit, and veggies for me!! This will be the yummy treat that keeps me on track.

It’s dare I say better than eating pie! :) It’s even better than Cantaloupe & Cream, which I wouldn’t have thought possible. And the first Butiki tea to earn a 100 rating from me! :D