CHAroma

OMG!!! The dry leaf aroma is spot on cotton candy!!! I gave it to my fiancé to smell and he said, “Ooh that smells good!” I asked him what he thought it smelled like, and he quickly and confidently replied, “Chocolate!” LOL! Well, so much for his opinion. I think that it smells exactly like sugary, slightly caramelized, spun sugar. Yum!

I bought the classic matcha with robust flavoring. Hmm, the taste of this one is really interesting. It’s not nearly as sugary as I would have thought from the aroma. The grassy matcha flavor is actually still quite strong, and the cotton candy flavoring lends the tea a natural sweetness. I had expected more in-your-face sugar. But this is delightful!

It’s so amazing to me that this tea has no added sweeteners. How is that even possible?! A peek at the ingredients list reveals “pure matcha powder from green leaves” and “cotton candy natural flavor.” It definitely tastes natural. But it must be a sweetener or sugar or Stevia or something!

This is definitely not one to get with a lighter flavoring level or I’m not sure you’d taste it at all. Maybe I’ll be bold and go for the “There’s Matcha in there?!” flavoring next time. :D Don’t get me wrong; I can definitely taste cotton candy. But the cotton candy flavor and the matcha flavor seem to be almost equal. Soooo delicious! I’m off to make a second cup because this one disappeared rather quickly. It’s just too yummy!!

Oh yeah, you can get yours here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cotton-candy-matcha.html

Tried it again with 3 teaspoons this time (three times the recommended amount). Now this is yummy! Still no burnt sugar or vanilla custard. That’s sad because I love crème brulée. But it’s still a delicious pumpkin tea that pairs perfectly with my cinnamon sugar toast this morning. Mmm, yum! I sucked this cup down! Second steep for 3.5 minutes was still super yummy! What a treat!

I haven’t tried an Earl Grey green before, but I’ve heard good things! So, I picked up a sample of this back in June when I visited DAVIDsTEA in New York City and have held on to it ever since. It’s time to try it!

The aroma of the dry leaf is strong bergamot and citrus. The combination of the two reminds me of soap. Let’s hope it doesn’t taste like that! The brewed tea aroma is even more potent. But I can’t be afraid. Not of tea!! Here goes nothing!

First sip…phew! This tastes pretty much exactly like it smells. There’s virtually no green tea taste. Just lots of bergamot and lots of citrus. I guess if you love those two things, then this would be spectacular. But I’m finding this bergamot to be a little too powerful for me. It feels like I’m drinking it through my nose instead of my mouth, kind of like getting water up your nose when you go swimming. Not an entirely pleasant feeling.

Overall impression? Not good. First impression was maybe a 62. But upon further reflection (and further sips), this one is really too bergamot-y for me to enjoy so it’s getting a 45. Oh well, it was worth a shot. Maybe another Earl Grey green will be more to my liking. Or maybe this just isn’t a good combo for my taste buds. Either way, it was fun to try! :)

I’m giving this tea another shot! Pistachio is an interesting thing to add to a tea…I don’t think I’d have come up with that on my own. Very creative, Stacy!

Well, here goes nothing! The green tea base is very grassy, which I was afraid of at first. That’s not my favorite flavor. But you know what? Pistachio and grassy green tea go well together! Of course, Stacy already knew this, but I’m a recent convert. ;)

This is a wonderful flavored sencha, just not my favorite. The flavoring is subtle and light and not very complex. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still delicious! This is a much better experience than the first time I tried it. Freshness makes all the difference with this tea.

Still though, I’m getting nothing in the way of ice cream here. There’s no milkiness, creaminess, or sweetness to speak of. It’s pretty much a nutty, grassy tea. So it’s not bad, it’s just false advertising. Raising the rating from 50 to 72. I used 2.5 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water and drank it straight with no additions. Second steep for 4 minutes is virtually flavorless. This tea seems to have only one good infusion in it.

I’ve been on a Butiki Tea marathon ever since my package arrived. I can’t get enough! I randomly picked out the next tea to try and this is it!

The leaves are very cool and look like flattened leaf tips. I used about 2.5 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water. The aroma of the brewed tea is very vegetal. And the taste? Like steamed artichokes. Yummy! It’s also very clean tasting. I know that sounds weird, but that’s the only way I can think to describe it. Vegetal, steamed artichokes, and clean.

I’m loving this! It’s definitely a very high quality tea. I’m not getting any astringency or bitterness at all. I did a second infusion for 2.5 minutes and a third for 3 minutes. The first steep was my favorite and the most flavorful. The others were still good, just not quite as good. ;)

Overall, this tea is outstanding! And this is one of my least favorite types of tea too!! But this is too good to rate anything other than what it deserves. De-lish! I highly recommend it (and strongly suggest that you pick it up in your next order). You’ll love it too. :)

Oh my goodness!!!! I’ve been waiting for this ever since I knew it existed. A while back (like maybe a year ago), I had some delicious maple pecan granola. I’ve never been able to find it again, and I always thought it would make a great flavoring for tea. Then I accidently stumbled across this tea here on Steepster and knew I had to purchase it ASAP!

And that brings us to today. It may not have the black tea base I was imagining or the granola flavoring, but it’s pretty darn close! I brewed this 10 degrees hotter than recommended because I thought 170 was too cool. I don’t even use that cool of water for matcha or white tea! So, I’m definitely not doing that for oolong.

I’m not sure where this oolong is from. It’s definitely not the green oolong that I love. I usually dislike the dark Formosa oolongs, which I assume this to be. But it actually works! The leaves are dark and thin. If I had to guess, I would have thought they were black tea leaves and not oolong! I used 2 teaspoons, and the resultant liquor is a light brown.

The flavor is awesome! But I knew it would be with a winning combination like maple and pecan. ;) The dark oolong adds a nice woodsy element that complements the pecan nuttiness perfectly. This tea really needs sweetener in my opinion. With just a little sugar, the maple really POPS! Even the third steep for 5.5 minutes is delicious! Oh, I’m so happy Stacy decided to make this magical creation! I’m in love!

I got this Darjeeling because I’ve had very little experience with Darjeelings in general. I had one bagged version that was horrible. I had another loose leaf version that was delicious! So, here’s hoping this one is like the latter. On to tea #3!

This is classified as a black tea, but it’s really more like a white tea in my opinion. I used an extra half teaspoon than is recommended. The liquor is a very light yellow color. Honestly, I’d say it’s near colorless. It has that slightly floral, slightly dried grass, white tea flavor.

Why is this considered a Darjeeling black tea? I suppose maybe it’s because of the muscatel. I think I can detect that in this cup. But that’s also a new quality that I’m still trying to grasp, so you may want to refer to a more seasoned Darjeeling taster.

My verdict? Definitely enjoyable, but not at all what I expected. If you’re looking for a strong black tea, this isn’t the one for you. But if you’re looking for a Darjeeling white tea, this could be it! Very yummy!

The Butiki tasting marathon continues! The dry leaf aroma is pumpkin spices. The brewed tea aroma is a baked pumpkin confection. Boy, I can smell butter. So excited!!!

Surprisingly, it’s pretty bland straight. I added a little bit of sweetener and that’s when it had flavor. I’m not getting anything in the way of crème brulée sadly. I’ll reserve final judgment until I try it again with more leaf. As it is, I used about 2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water, which is twice the recommended amount.

Granted I had high expectations, so I don’t want to be overly harsh. But if I could only have one pumpkin tea for the rest of my life, I’d choose DAVIDsTEA’s Pumpkin Chai.

I added a couple more pumpkin chips to the second infusion, which was 4 minutes. I also added both milk and sugar this time. It’s definitely an enjoyable cup of tea. It’s just not my perfect pumpkin tea.

Yay!!! My (very large) Butiki order arrived today!!! Thank you so much to Stacy for providing that awesome Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal that made me pull the trigger on this long awaited purchase. Luckily, I got home before the fiancé. So there was time to hide the new arrivals among my stash. Hehehe.

I really do have too much tea. There’s no room for this giant box!! What to do??! I ended up having to get out the step ladder to reach the highest cupboard in the kitchen. LOL! Well, there’s virtually no chance he’ll find it now. I’m going to dispose of the invoice though, just in case he goes snooping. ;) I’m so bad, but I can’t help myself! It’s tea time! EEEEEEEEEHHH!!!!

I don’t know what to start with first! Maple Pecan Oolong, Pumpkin Crème Brulée, Pistachio Ice Cream. Oh MAN!! Well, Cantaloupe and Cream finally won out the honor of first steeped tea, which you’ve obviously already realized since that’s where this review is logged. So much for suspense. :P

I carefully opened the little package and peered in. Y’all weren’t kidding. These leaves are pretty! Giant clusters of yellow Helichrysum blossoms lay amongst huge whole bai mu dan leaves. I kind of felt bad dunking the flowers in the hot water, watching them shrink up. Poor little things. Ooh, I can’t wait to try this tea! The dry leaf is heavily aromatic with cantaloupe. I swear it smells just like cutting into a big juicy melon!

I followed the suggested steeping parameters by Butiki, even though they’re a little longer than I would normally do a first infusion for a white tea. I also didn’t precisely measure the leaf ‘cause I was afraid of crushing it. So, I just eyeballed it. It’s probably a little more than recommended, but I like strong tea. Ooh, I can hear it beeping! That means it’s done steeping, and I finally get to try it!

Wow!!! The aroma coming off this cup is juicy! This is insane, and I haven’t even had a sip yet! OMG! This tastes just as good if not better than it smells! Holy Butiki! No wonder this won an award! My life is forever changed. Super sweet, super mouthwatering, super delicious! Juicy really is the best word to describe this tea. It’s like drinking sweet warm juice dripping from a melon that’s been left out in the sun. Ohhhhh mmmmmyyy gggggoosshhhhh!!!!!!

Cream? Yes, there’s definitely a creamy element to this tea. And as it cools more, the lovely bai mu dan flavor comes out strong, especially in the aftertaste. There is absolutely nothing about this tea I would change, except I’d probably give it first place instead of third in that tea championship. ;)

Second steep for 4 minutes is just as flavorful as the first. Perhaps the bai mu dan comes through a little more. But that’s the only noticeable difference. Sooo yummy!! The third steep was for 5 minutes. The added flavorings were definitely quieter in this infusion, but it was still a delicious cup of tea. Can I drink this forever? ‘Cause I seriously want to.

OMG! Maple Syrup matcha is INCREDIBLE! This tastes EXACTLY like maple syrup! I mean, it’s supposed to so I don’t know why I’m surprised. I bought 30g of the classic matcha with robust flavoring. Let me first just say that 30g isn’t nearly as much as it sounds like. Maybe I just make strong, concentrated matcha, but I really should have bought more. I can tell this is going to go FAST.

The dry leaf aroma is spot on maple syrup. It reminds me of opening a 52teas’ maple blend. The aroma is exactly the same. I’ve been whisking up this matcha all week ever since it arrived. It’s a perfect flavor combination: matcha and maple. If maple syrup was sap from a maple tree, then drinking this tea is like licking the sap off a leaf. Okay, maybe that sounds gross. But it’s delicious! I promise you!

The vegetal flavor of the matcha and the sweetness of the maple create a soft, mellow, light drink. It’s not creamy and heavy like some of the other flavored matcha I’ve tried. This is just fantastic. Buying flavored matcha you haven’t tried before is like rolling the dice. It could be a winner, or it could be an odd pairing. This one is a winner!

I’m so glad I included it in my first Red Leaf Tea purchase. I can’t wait to mix this with Cheesecake matcha to make Maple Cheesecake!!! YUM!! This is delight in a cup. Pure and simple. You can get some here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/maple-syrup-matcha.html

This is a free sample from Nuvola Tea. Thanks!!! The dry leaf has a great green oolong aroma, similar to Tie Guan Yin. I didn’t really time the steep, but I think it was about 1.5 minutes. The flavor is very similar to Tie Guan Yin too: green, buttery, floral, and amazing!

There is something odd about this tea though. Most of the flavor is in the sip. The aftertaste is faint and light and just a little bit salty. I usually find that green oolongs have a heavy, vegetal, floral aftertaste. But this one doesn’t. This tea’s aftertaste is still flavorful, just light and delicate and not what I’m used to. I’m betting the second steep will be even more amazing!

Second steep was for 3 minutes. I timed it this time. ;) The leaves are fully open now, and the flavor is maybe a little more developed. But overall, it’s very similar to the first cup. Yummy! I think I’ll stop the infusions here though. I’m practically sloshing with tea. That’s what I get for brewing oolongs Western style. :P

I’ve been wanting to try this one for a while, and thanks to Indigobloom now I can!! Woot! This one smells uber-minty! I’m more of a peppermint fan than a spearmint fan though. So, I hope this one isn’t too toothpaste-y.

Hmm, I don’t know what to make of this one. I’m getting green tea and spearmint, but no vanilla or sweetness to speak of. I’m not sure this tea is even supposed to be sweet, but I think it could be improved by the addition of a little sweetness. I added a tiny bit of Truvia and BAM! Now that’s the aspect I was missing!

Marshmallow root? It was definitely in the blend, but I’m not tasting that either. It could definitely use some more vanilla too. I took a chance and added a drop of pure vanilla extract to my cup. I don’t think it made any difference, LOL! Well, it was worth a try!

The spearmint leaves a funky aftertaste on my tongue, which I’m not loving, so I’m lowering the rating a tad. But with a little doctoring, this tea is pretty good. It’s definitely very unique and unlike anything I’ve tried in the past. Thanks to Indigobloom for sharing this exclusive tea! :)

How have I let this one sit in my cupboard for so long without trying it??! Have I lost my mind? I do love 52teas’ Boo-berry black tea, and I LOVE their Cotton Candy black tea. So, here’s hoping the two combined in a green tea will be just as good!

The dry leaf aroma is recognizably blueberry and cotton candy. Yum! The brewed aroma is blueberry green tea with a hint of smoke. Uh oh. I’ve never liked smokey teas, so here’s hoping that gunpowder calms down a bit.

First sip is equally green tea and blueberry flavors. The aftertaste is where the cotton candy and smoke come out to play. Oddly enough, those two polar opposites seem to go well together. Now I’m not saying that it’s a pairing made in heaven, but it’s not horrible.

The more I sip, the more the blueberry floats to the background and the green tea becomes the most prominent flavor. That’s a little disappointing. I then added a teeny tiny bit of sweetener. That helped bring more cotton candy to the forefront, but I wonder what the second steep will be like…Two and a half minutes later, I’m sitting with a nice cup of green tea. Sadly, there’s no blueberry or cotton candy flavor left. But it is a nice high quality green tea!

So, the verdict on this crazy flavor pairing tea? Eh, if I had to take it or leave it, I guess I’d leave it. :( Sorry 52teas. I’m just not a fan of the smokey gunpowder. I’m sure as a black tea this would be drop dead incredible! Alas, this was not meant to be a favorite of mine.

Sipdown…if you do a concentrated 30 second first steep and throw it out, then the second steep is actually pretty enjoyable. I’m surprised how much I like it this time around. Much improved. Raising the rating from 39 to 49.

Whoa. I’m not sure what flavoring level this is, but I’d bet it’s at least robust. This is so peppermint-y that it burns my nostrils and not in a good way. Oh boy.

First sip is pure liquid peppermint with a weird aftertaste. I know it’s the matcha base trying to come through. But it kind of tastes like strong peppermint followed by earwax. Either earwax or maybe a dandelion. Not entirely pleasant either way.

I suspect it could be great if used in baking. But when it comes to drinking straight matcha, I think I’d enjoy this one more with the delicate flavoring. Thanks to Indigobloom for the sample! This isn’t my cup of tea, but other samples have definitely been winners. :)

This is one matcha that I inhaled long, slow, deep breaths of the dry aroma. It smells very interesting. Definitely good, but hard to describe. Creamy, sugary, buttery? I think that’s the aroma. It’s hard to be sure because it also smells like matcha. LOL!

At first, the brewed aroma was awful! It was potent and chemically and made me say, “Oh dear!” But I think that happened because I made it concentrated and then diluted it. Once diluted, it smells more like the dry aroma with a nice matcha grassy undertone.

First sip…and the verdict is……delicious!! YUM!! This stuff is sooo good!! Just make sure you get the right water to leaf ratio and then you’re golden! Mmmm, this is uber delicious. I can’t even think of any other descriptive words. I just want to drink more of it! Oh, and I forgot to mention that this is the basic grade matcha with robust flavoring.

No clumps in this one. I did a better job. ;) Awww, but my cup is empty. :( I’ll just have to go make more samples to appease my newfound love of flavored matcha. Thanks so much to Indigobloom for rocking my world!! This is definitely one I’ll buy!

This is a sample of the old formula cherry matcha from Indigobloom. Thanks!! The dry aroma is recognizably and undeniably cherry. This one froths up really nicely! Super frothy!! Seriously, it’s significantly frothier than any of the other matcha samples I’ve tried. Of course, I did use my milk frother for ease and speed, but still. It’s been at least 5 minutes and there’s still a substantial layer of froth sitting on top. Yum!

The taste is fantastic too! Just like the aroma, it tastes cleanly of matcha and cherries. Now this cherry taste is not like cherry cough syrup (thank goodness!). It’s kind of like cherry candies because it smells very sugary and sweet. Come to think of it, this is akin to cherry Skittles. But the matcha’s innate bitterness calms down the sugar so that this cup is neither sugary nor bitter. It’s a perfect mix of sweet and smooth and tasty!

I really like this one a lot! I’m surprised that they decided to re-make their cherry flavor. This formula seems fine to me! Better than fine really. It’s great! (Thus the overuse of exclamation points in this tasting note). ;) Oof, there was a big clump at the bottom. Dang. I’ll have to be more careful next time. I’m sure using a sifter would have prevented that.

Overall, I’m really pleased with the flavor. It’s not as overtly scrumptious as say the caramel matcha, but it’s still delicious nonetheless. I’d recommend this one to people who prefer savory over sugary. I’m definitely the latter. So while this was an excellent sample, I’m not sure if I’ll purchase it for myself. Thanks again to Indigobloom!!!

Wow, this tea is surprising me this morning! I let it steep for a lot longer than usual and then added skim milk and Truvia. It has a very creamy taste to it, like I poured in some heavy whipping cream instead of plain skim milk.

The result is insanely delicious! This tea tastes nearly identical to caramel ice cream!! Yum! Raising the rating from 81 to 83.

Enjoying another cup of this on my work from home day. Thanks again to Ninavampi for such a large sample of this one! The cream cheesy goodness is especially apparent today. It is sooo delicious! Lip smacking good! :D

Hmm, this one is not as expected. The dry aroma is spot on Oreos. But the taste doesn’t translate. I had plenty of matcha in my sample, so I know it’s not a leaf to water ratio thing. Can you describe matcha as having leaves since it’s powdered?

Maybe Oreos and matcha just aren’t a good mix. Oh man, but now I really want Oreos. So far, caramel matcha is the clear winner in the matcha taste test. More to come later! Thanks for the sample, Indigobloom!!!

OMG!!!! This is the stuff!!! I have died and gone to heaven. Luscious, sweet, smooth caramel and a fantastic matcha base. According to Indigobloom, who generously provided the sample, this is the basic grade matcha with robust flavoring. I don’t want to drink anything else! Ever again! I’m in love!! If I wasn’t already engaged to a fantastic man, I’d marry this matcha.

Wow. Every sip is better than the last. I only just tried the strawberry matcha less than 10 minutes ago, and I can’t even remember what it tasted like after this. This is an A+. This has earned a gold star. I need to place an order ASAP. How have I lived without this?? And a BIG sincere thank you to Indigobloom!!!

Holy cow! Strawberry matcha is incredible! The aroma alone is intoxicating. But that taste! Ooooh, that taste!!! I want to bathe in this stuff! FYI: Milk frothers make great matcha. Verry smooth. No grit. Thank you soooo much to Indigobloom for sharing with me! I enjoyed this so much that I’m off to make another matcha sample!

I have two lovely ladies to thank for samples of this one: Ninavampi and Indigobloom. Thank you both!!

The brewed aroma is black tea and a hint of butterscotch. Drinking it straight is all right, but drinking it with milk and sugar is a treat! Before I knew it, the first cup was gone and I was brewing the second. Surprisingly, the second cup is almost as delicious as the first! That’s not usually true of 52teas’ blends.

Wow, I’m already done with the second cup too. This stuff is so delicious!! A yummy treat indeed. Thanks again, ladies!

Yay! I finally found my sample of this tea! I thought it had either gotten lost in the move or that I had drunk it and forgotten to write a tasting note. (Blasphemy, I know).

The aroma of the dry leaf is pure York Peppermint Patty! It smells amazing! When I first lifted the lid off my strainer to get a whiff of the brewed tea, I was assailed by overly strong mint and peppercorn. It felt like my nose hairs were burning!! Oh dear. But once it began to cool, the chocolate aroma came out more. I’m excited to try this, but I really hope those peppercorns die down. I’m not a fan of hot and spicy things.

First sip, hmm…this is interesting. It’s mint at first, and then it slowly transforms into a prickly peppery sensation on your tongue after you swallow, but then the mint seems to come back again. And then finally about 10 seconds after the sip, I get a dark chocolate flavor that’s so soft it’s like I ate a piece of chocolate 5 minutes ago and can still taste it.

The more I sip, the more the chocolate comes to the forefront. It’s definitely mint chocolate now followed by that prickly sensation from the peppercorns. I think it would be much better without the latter. I’m just not a fan of that sensation.

I’m going to add a little bit of sweetener and milk to try and overpower this strong mint. It’s making me feel lightheaded. Ah, that’s a little better. I think I probably should have used a bit less leaf. This is one strong cup of tea! I like mint, but I think this might be too heavily mint for me. I’d like more of a balance between the mint and the chocolate. It was fun to try though, and I’m sure others could enjoy this more than me.