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All I want is a citrus tea that’s ice-able…

So, yesterday I went into DAVIDsTEA with a list, since without one I get overwhelmed very quickly but the sheer number of teas I have not tried. I wanted (more) Jolly Jellybean, Amaretto, and some La La Lemon (to be iced). The sales-girl helping me recommended this tea instead of La La Lemon, since apparently that tea tends to get pretty bitter.

Now, the last time I tried this tea was the summer of last year and my opinion wasn’t very high: “…not really my thing. I think it might be the oolong? Or maybe the harsh lemon? Either way, it wasn’t smooth enough to really grab me.” BUT I’d only tried it in-store, so maybe brewing it at home would make a difference.

I cold-brewed it in my fridge: 1L of previously boiled (mine was lukewarm) water + 5g Citron Oolong + place pitcher in fridge overnight. The end product was… alright. A bit too floral for my taste, so I added extra lime + agave.

Any recommendations on a nice, citrus-y ice-able tea? Or should I just stick with Red Rose suntea + lemon?

Husband has the flu and has been asking—okay, more like pleading in between feeble coughs—for cup after cup of this tea. So much so that our 20g bag was cleaned out and we’ve only had it for a couple days! Thus, I went to the store and purchased a 100g tin… but only got 2 jellybeans in the whole tin! Sadness. Lots of candied pineapple though.

Sampled a nugget of this in-store, but it was especially bitter. Reminded me of Mango Madness… bitter, bitter mango. My little girl enjoyed it though and drank the rest of my sample for me.

Both my rooibos connoisseur husband and my toddler loved this tea.

Well, and I did too, but they almost wouldn’t let me at my own cup of tea they wanted to drink it so badly! Are we sure that it is, indeed, jellybeans in this tea and not crack?

I chatted up the sales-associates when I bought this tea, which might be why I have a couple jellybeans in a mere 20g bag. I cut one in half before I steeped it to ensure that the goodness could go around a bit longer since I don’t really live anywhere near a candy store (in order to buy more beans).

I’m definitely tasting and smelling piña colada from this tea, which seems to get stronger the cooler it becomes. Hmmmm… next time I’ll have to ice it. This is definitely going to be a tea to stock up on, if my husband + daughter’s enjoyment is any indication.

I thought this tea couldn’t get any better…

Then my husband brewed me a cup, added milk + sugar… + whipped cream.

Heaven

Upping the rating, since I find myself craving this tea more than any other right now.

You’d think I would crave something chocolate-y since I gave up chocolate for Lent… but no. This is all I crave. And I tend to dislike flavoured green teas.

Also, I just had a brain wave… wonder what this would taste like mixed with Mom’s Apple Pie? Hmmm… next time!

Liquid. Cinnamon. Hearts.

Is is just me or does it feel like this winter is dragging on and on and on? It doesn’t help that my husband’s side of the family is from South Africa and they’ve all been vacationing over there for weeks while posting lovely, sun-drenched, beach-laden pictures on facebook of their adventures. Sigh.

It was free tea day yesterday, but I felt guilty about just popping in to abuse this perk, then leaving… so I lingered around a bit and got talking to one of the new sales-associates (I know because almost all the others know me by now, or at least they know my adorable toddler) who kept suggesting to me teas I have already tried. When he asked if I had tried Hot Lips I told him I hadn’t… that I’d just never gotten around to it. So, he took the canister down, popped the lid, and even before I leaned over the canister I could smell the cinnamon-y magic.

However, once I got home I had to wait to steep it, since my caffeine tolerance is so low even this would keep me up. This morning I brewed it and BAM the whole apartment smelled like cinnamon hearts. Drinking it is like liquified cinnamon hear candies are flowing down your throat, minus the overwhelming sweetness and burn of the cinnamon. So good, I even got two really flavourful steeps out of it!

Got this free in-store today because it’s LEAP day, can’t argue with that!

Hot: It’s alright, rooibos-y (should be called greonbos—Afrikaans for green bush—since it’s not the red variety, it’s green), fruity and sweet.

Cold: Absolutely, without a doubt, one of the BEST iced teas around! Needs barely any sweetener since the rooibos + fruit do some of that already. Just a splash of agave and you’re ready to go on a journey towards iced tea nirvana, my friends. Now I’m sipping this and wishing spring would hurry up and get here!