JacquelineM

1 tsp Honeybush Vanilla, Teavana

1 tsp Monkey Colada (which is half Pina Colada Honey Bush, and half Monkey, ummmm you know (it’s a banana rooibos) 52 Teas

I love the Monkey Colada blend as it is, but with some of the creamy Vanilla Honeybush? Mmmmmmm! Even more pina colada action! The vanilla just seems to bring out all of the various flavors of coconut, pineapple, and banana even more. I’m not sure why or how, but ooooh I like!

When I had the Vanilla Honeybush by itself, I liked it very much, but what I really like to use it for is blending! I am systematically trying it with ALL of my roobois blends, and seeing what happens. So far, the whole is winding up to be greater than the sum of its parts!

I really enjoyed this tea. So much so, that my super generous sample from Ricky is now gone! A perfectly classic milk and sugar tea. Smooth as can be. Perfection in the afternoon. A platonic ideal!

Ricky, the little Kusmi tin you gave it to me in is so charming that I put lip balm in it, and it is out on my vanity. So so pretty!

1 heaping teaspoon Firefly Chai, Mountain Rose Herbs (a rooibos)
1 heaping teaspoon Honeybush Vanilla, Teavana

My husband wound up going to Trader Joe’s for our groceries instead of Wegman’s, so no replacing of Zhena’s Vanilla Chai. This is my attempt to make something like it…

…and it worked! Not only did it work, but I think it’s even better! the cardamom, cinnamon, etc in the Mountain Rose Herbs chai are so fresh and top notch that it brings this Chai up a level. I mention the cardamom specifically because I think it is that together with the vanilla which gives it that nutty flavor that you don’t get with chai alone. Fantastic with a little honey and a splash of milk.

I’m so glad I tried this, because it is not only delicious but actually much more cost effective – I have 7 oz of loose tea for about $10, and Zhena’s is $6 for 22 bags which only weigh 2.33 oz!

I now have my own stash of this tea (I first tried it through a coworker). It’s a windy cold day, and I’m really in the mood for something spicy. I feel like my indie cred is totally blown drinking Mall Tea but guess what – I don’t care! I really like this! It’s spicy but citrusy and tastes so mellow at the same time. That mate gives quite a kick energy-wise, but tastes nothing like black tea. I feel like I could drink this allllll day. Love, love, love!

I think the place Teavana is going to have in my life is only online, and only for these unique blends (I know where to get much better single source tea for less money), but after years and years – I have caved. I love that Youthberry Orange concoction, I love this. and I also got a Vanilla Honeybush which I forgot to review but I will next time I drink it – but it’s super yummy too. The bigger they come, the harder they fall, huh?

Oh boy, I did it. I placed an order at Teavana.

They sent me a sample of a Youthberry/Wild Orange Blossom/German Rock Sugar concoction, and being a Caffeine Fiend (and this very low in caffeine) I was wondering how I would use it. Then I had An Idea – if it’s orangey, I can mix it with some Earl Grey! I love a little sugar with Earl Grey as a treat, and an orangey flavor can make an Earl go into Lady Grey territory. I sniffed at the tea, and it’s uber fruity, but nothing that would hurt an Earl Grey tea base.

I threw my sample ounce into a tin with my Harney Earl Grey Supreme and Bingo! This is delicious. Orangey and pineappley Earl Grey. Fruity, but you’d never doubt this was black tea. The little bit of sugar is complimenting the tea, but it’s not overly sweet. Lovely! I’m glad I was reckless and threw the whole sample in my tin!

I find it extremely funny that I haven’t written a tasting note yet for this one…because we just finished our entire tin! I just bought the tin on 11/28, so that is a little more than a month. To say we enjoyed this is an understatement! The secret is respecting the 6 oz of water per bag rule. I make a pot with 18 oz of water and three bags, and it is oh so delicious with some honey and a splash of milk. The vanilla makes it for me. It’s not only vanilla in flavor, but sort of like a vanilla creamer…milky and almost nutty. It is so warm and soothing combined with the chai spices. We are completely addicted!

I am not going to take it off my cupboard just yet, because my husband is going to Wegman’s tomorrow and I put it on the shopping list. Fingers crossed that they have some left!

My first steep of this was “Hey, this is a pretty good green-ish oolong, but not anything I haven’t tasted before. Hellllllooooo Orchid?”

BUT

My second steep is redolent of the finest vanilla extract. I say extract because there is a particular boozy, intoxicating quality to this flavor. It’s floral, and delightful and downright lavish! I actually stopped what I was doing and said, “Oooh!”

I just have a teeny ounce of this from my birthday gift certificate from this now defunct shop, but I am definitely searching for another orchid oolong to keep in my cupboard, because woah – this is fantastic and so up my alley!

Have you had an Orchid Oolong you’re crazy about? Do tell! I’m in the market!

Delicious, as always. I am having this one today because I have a Mad Scheme to try with it, and wanted to have it in its original state one last time.

My scheme is such: I want a vanilla tea that is made from high quality Chinese tea, so that I can have it at work sans additions. Since I have less than an ounce of this left, I was thinking the remainder of this, with some Zhi Tea Gong Fu Black added to make 2 oz, plus a gorgeous organic vanilla bean cut into it, sit three weeks, and see what happens. Both of the teas are rich and chocolatey, so I’m thinking this should be a very low risk endeavor. I’ll report back!!! :)

My coworker became a tea person over the break :) and brought me in some of this to try. OH MAN THIS IS GOOD! Spicy but gentle and very, very, very flavorful. I taste a million spices, and some fruitiness, too! A great natural sweetness with nary an addition. This is my first experience with mate, and I like it!

I still do not want to go into the Teavana store and get accosted, but this might put me over the edge and order online.

Today is back to work day :( I brought my Breville back in, but FORGOT MY BREWING MUG! Ahhhhhhhhhhh. I was craving Earl Grey, so I thought that a visit to Starbucks would be my best bet.

I have good associations tied to this tea. I used to get it before my favorite history class. So, this morning was made better by that memory to taste brain connection :) The tea is ok – I have much better Earls in my drawer at work – but that taste memory makes it my go-to Starbucks tea when the need arises. The hint of lavender is nice, too.

Made a staunch cup of this one today! I was heavy on the leaf, and I think my scoops had to be heavy on the Yunnan! Tangy, tarry, and thick tasting. No cranberry notes today! Delicious nevertheless. So warming and fortifying.

Enjoying pulling out all of the black teas that I take with milk & sugar during my break! On this freezing cold day, this stout but sweet and fruity? jammy? tea is really hitting the spot. Bold but nicely complex. Love that it’s strong yet nuanced. That jammy note, a malty note…ahhhh! It’s also gorgeous – the leaves are so long and have so much golden tipping!

So comforting and delicious on this cold windy day. I feel 32334535634535434 times more snug after a cup of this tea. Love the creamy vanilla made even creamier with a splash of milk.

Many, many, many thanks to Ricky for sending a generous amount of this to me (in the most beautiful little Kusmi tin)!

I made some rugelach for the holidays yesterday, and wanted a completely classic tea to go with it. The one instantly came to mind. I knew it would be perfect even though I hadn’t tasted it yet because a) It’s from Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea and b) it is a Ceylon which tastes so good with pastry!

Yay, I was right! This tea is so balanced: medium bodied but good with a little milk and sugar. Classic tea flavor. I usually taste a lemony profile in Ceylons but I did not taste it in this one. This has a much sweeter round flavor to me – much more like an Assam without the boldness. Absolutely spot on with the rugelach. It did not compete with the buttery cinnamony puff of heaven-in-cookie-form, but rather supported it. Nice.

I’ve been on my break for 3 days so far, and this is the first afternoon that I’ve had the time to sit for a cup of tea! Since it is the afternoon, and I’m home (where the milk and sugar lives!) I wanted to try something froofy, flavored, new to me, and compatible with milk and sugar.

This one stood out since cinnamon and pears sound very hoilday-ish to me! I was excited but scared. Pear flavoring can be so fake, and cinnamon…well, I’m a big fan of Hot Cinnamon Spice, and I can’t imagine any cinnamon tea usurping that one as my favorite. The other scary thing was the tea is very broken/CTC looking. I decided on a 4 minute steep and hoped for the best.

I was rewarded with a nicely spiced, very juicy and natural pear flavor! I wouldn’t call the tea complex, but it’s very drinkable and not bitter. The cinnamon is not hot. Think mulled wine spice, not red hots. I like! Very nice in the afternoon, and extremely nice as a Fall/Winter treat. I’m gravitating less and less toward flavored teas these days, but gosh, it’s comforting as can be to have something sweet, milky, and spiced every now and again!

Enjoying my Second Favorite Breakfast in the Whole Wide World: this Earl and a multigrain bagel with cream cheese. The hearty bread and creamy cheese play so nicely off the citrus-y good tea. Also, as I’ve said a zillion times before – this tea has magic properties and puts me in a fantastic mood. :) :) :)

I haven’t had this one in an age! I pulled it out because I’m studying for my final (which is in 2 hours eeeeee) and I needed something warm, comforting, caffeinated and completely unfussy to prepare. This fit the total shebang but was also supremely delicious. Rich as can be – you might think it was prepared stovetop with way more than the splash of milk I used. I love the spice level and the coconut is sweet and a perfect touch to make it a little different. I’m very glad I took a break to prepare this :)

A testament to how delicious this tea is: I’m finished my extremely generous sample from Teavivre! Roasty toasty, naturally sweet and so easy to drink. This is exactly what I love in a Fujian daily drinker. Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Today we are having our holiday celebration for the office, and what better tea to drink to anticipate it than Hot Cinnamon Spice!? It embodies all of the best things that the holiday season has to offer: cheerfulness, exuberance, sweetness, and cinnamon, cinnamon, cinnamon. :)

Home with a bad stomach today :( Thomas is a delicious comfort. Strong but not harsh. So good with milk and sugar. What I imagine the tea tastes like in all of the olde English novels I read :) I’m glad he’s still in my cupboard!!!

Lisbet’s tasting note on this one intrigued me, and when I found myself in Wegman’s with their extensive Republic of Tea selection, I couldn’t NOT pick it up :) Oh boy, she is so right. Good, good, good, good! It really tastes like the most decadent peppermint hot chocolate imaginable!

Part of the reason I think this tastes so delightful is that I read, and followed (!) the directions on the tin. 6 oz of water per bag! Yes, the tin is expensive, and yes, I have to use 3 bags to get a nice 18 oz teapot full of Minty Cocoa Goodness, but it’s worth it! 88 cents for a pot, or 44 cents a cup for a healthy and delicious holiday treat like this isn’t the worst I can do!

Love, love, love it! I’m so glad you posted about this, Lisbet!

We had the last of this tisane with the last of the pecan pie. Bittersweet! Although this chai is a bit weak, it has a nice basic spiced flavor. I hope to move on to a more flavorful loose rooibos chai. (I’m a little more bitter than sweet about the end of the pie. I made Dorie Greenspan’s version which is less teeth achingly sugary than the traditional version, and has the addition of a little chocolate and instant espresso, and omg. New favorite Pecan pie!!)

Good Morning Steepsterites! I survived Thanksgiving! I cooked for 22. We managed to offer a relaxed, leisurely paced over five hour feast on Thursday for our guests. I made the traditional Italian American twist on Thanksgiving by having first antipasti, then Escarole soup (some people call it Italian Wedding soup) then ravioli course, then the Turkey and all the trimmings course. Dessert ended the meal, and I was smiling and tired. Like every year, I barely ate a thing because as soon as I served a course, I was working on getting everything ready for the next one!

The real fun for me comes on the next day. Leftovers! I always make extra so I can slowly savor the different dishes. I had a heaping plate of sausage stuffing and gravy with a side of sweet potatoes for lunch yesterday. For dinner, the ravioli with a huge side of broccoli rabe. While we were watching a movie, Vanilla Comoro and a slice of homemade pecan pie!

I’ve praised Vanilla Comoro over and over on this site :) but I also want to say that I am very THANKFUL for it. I am so grateful that Harney and Sons offers such a full flavored decaf tea, and I am so happy that I was introduced to it by the wonderful ashmanra. I am so thrilled that I get to share it with all of you through tasting notes. As I drank my tea and ate my pie, I thought of you all, and felt very thankful indeed.

Each time I come here to write a tasting note, something pulls me away. Home is busy, work is busy, school is busy! This is my third attempt to write a tasting note today :)

Thankfully there are teas like this one to get me through crazy busy times. I don’t know what they put in this tea, but it makes me so cheerful! It’s perfectly bergamot-y and perfectly good-tea-ish. I love that it’s bold enough to drink in the morning, but fine enough to not need a grain of sugar. I have relied on it several times in the past week.

Love!