kanata

This tea is the reason why I’ve drifted from Steepster as it has become my daily tea. A great flavourful decaf tea. I’ve been searching for a decaf Earl Grey for a long time as my doctor advised going off caffeine for awhile. This has proved to be the best of the ones I’ve tried and I ended up buying 1000 grams to last me through our rainy seasons. Nothing better to have brewing after a cold dog walk.

A basic tea with a light bergamot flavour. Usually I drink with a splash of milk and sugar.

No notes yet.

Fall struck today and I busted out the comfy sweater, switched on my therapy light to sit under and brewed up this tea. I wanted something comforting and sweet. I don’t know how this tea made its way into my cupboard as I don’t remember buying it but who am I to turn down the magic tea cupboard gifts.

Mine was bagged and I made it sweet and milky. I was just really searching for a sweet caramel flavour and this served its purpose. I actually prefer this over another creme de caramel roobios that I own which is much more costly. It is just a good basic tea for when you have a chill on and want something sugary to get your heat on.

This is probably the first tea I ever bought on my own so it has that comfort flavour for me. Using up the last bag that someone sent me in the mail in a yarn/knitting swap as it is 3 a.m. and I just don’t feel like emptying and cleaning my pot and strainer for some loose leaf.

Not much to say about this tea that hasn’t been said before I’m sure. A basic black earl grey. My taste buds have changed since I have become more aware of tea over the years and I don’t have much bagged outside of restaurants but this is still enjoyable. Not overpowering with the citrus (though I hear they are changing that) and just the right amount of bergamot.

Usually made willy nilly. Pour water into cup, add bag and wander away. Remember tea and come back. Add some milk and a splash of sweetener for comfort if I have it around. Drink tea. Enjoy. Not much thought required.

This is my first experience with white tea and I probably went about it all the wrong way as I had to quickly drive someone a few blocks over and thus it steeped for about 9 minutes. Seeing as how I see some whites being recommended for only a 30 second steep and this exact brand recommends 4-5 I am sure I sinned greatly here.

On first sip (with the recommended milk and sweetener – agave) I wasn’t that big of a fan. I think the aroma of the tea put me off a little. The mixture of chamomile, tea, some sort of mint and something else I can’t identify just smelled a little off. Or I may just not have experience with the smell of white tea.

Two sips in and it started to improve a bit. A light flavour. I can taste the butter and the chamomile but none of the mango it mentioned. I sense a tad bit of florals as well as which is off putting to me as I’m not a floral fan.

I won’t be buying this again but if offered a cup by someone I wouldn’t turn it down. Though I wouldn’t turn down most tea. :)

I’ve had this tea twice now with the only difference between brewings being the addition of milk in the first round. (Agave syrup used both times). Yet I’ve gotten completely different flavours from it.

Round one it was heavenly. Such a nice deep lemon vanilla flavour. It reminded me of lemon meringue pudding that I’ve had. So thick and rich on the tongue. Just perfect for a dessert tea or a before bedtime snack as it is caffeine free. It moved to the top of my list of citrus teas and I was happily awaiting a chance to have it again.

Tonight I skipped the milk as I’m trying to cut back on that habit and just found the whole thing falling flat. Barely a lemon taste and certainly no vanilla. I steeped it for the same amount of time and you’d swear that all I did was walk by and wave my tea at the water hoping it would flavour it that way.

So I don’t know what is going on here as I’m sure milk doesn’t make that much of a difference. I put the tin back in the cupboard to punish it and maybe lingering in the back for a few more weeks will teach it to brew properly.

This is the default brew of the diners and basic restaurants in my town. Thus, I’ve had it a hundred different times all pretty much served the same way. In a scalding hot metal tea pot that is sure to leak upon pouring and burn your hands. If I’m lucky they bring it to me without the bag in so I can at least be aware of the steeping time and maybe they bring a pitcher of milk. Usually I’m stuck with creamo at the table and sugar or splenda if I want to sweeten it, as I usually do for I find it sort of bitter.

I guess I can’t say that I’ve actually tasted this tea pure so maybe I am selling it short. I associate this with coffee mugs of milky sugary heat that I’d have one after another while chain smoking and gabbing with friends late until the night. So less of a flavour and more of a good memory tea.

I’m not quite sure what the blue flowers bring to this tea aside from decoration. I am finding that more and more these days I’m running across them in black teas merely to impart colour to the blend it seems. As long as it doesn’t impact taste I am fine with it I guess but do find it a tad silly.

This is one of the better Earl Greys I have tried and one of the samples I got from Upton. It is just a regular ol’ Earl Grey. Nothing shocking or surprising here. Nicely balanced mix between the bergamot and the tea. I’m a huge fan of Earl Grey and will say that this will go onto my shopping list for the next time I decide to bite the bullet and pay for the shipping Uptons’ charges.

I’m a sucker for a mint chocolate flavour in all food and this tea doesn’t disappoint. It is more minty than chocolate and does tend to run bitter if over steeped but if done right or even under it is like a mini dessert. I find milk and a sweetener improves it even more. I’ve tried both rock sugar and agave nectar and been pleased with both additions. Add in some plain biscuits for dipping and you have a nice treat for yourself and ,dare I say it, a replacement for a chocolate bar.

This tea makes me sad. Sad that I bought so much of it. Its hard when you only have access to tea by shopping on-line and you have to take that risk that your click of the button will be proven worthwhile.

It is an o.k. tea. A basic Earl Grey I suppose. I find something in it to be too overpowering than others I’ve tried since. It isn’t the bergamont scent either so it must be something in the tea leaves themselves. The only way I can save this is by adding quite a bit of milk and some sugar (or agave nectar).

I still brew up a pot from time to time mainly so I don’t feel wasteful and if I get the milk/sugar ratio right I can raise my interest in it from blah to well, at least it is a warm beverage.

I’ve been feeling a bit of a scratchy throat and thought I’d try to fight it off with some lemon tea. I found this in my cupboard and brewed up a pot. I under steeped it for silly reasons (I have a new teapot and was using for the first time and excited about the whole process) but it proved to be the right length.

There is a strong lemon scent and flavour to this tea. Almost too strong and I wouldn’t like to over steep like I usually do. However I found it to be a fresh lemon flavour as if I had picked them off the trees myself. After a sip I added some honey as I find that it is a black that definitely needs to be sweetened.

All and all a basic lemon black tea but quite enjoyable.

I went into this not knowing really what it was as I just found the sample in the back of the tea cupboard. I was expecting something a bit more…well..super chocolate-filled. There is definitely a flavour of cinnamon which was nice but not something I would drink again in the morning. If I take out my chocolate expectations I would say it was a decent drink but definitely something I would prefer in the afternoon instead of an early morning treat.

Backlog: A great tasting Earl Grey. I usually loathe vanilla flavouring but this had just the right scent and touch. I think it being a creme earl grey is what did it. I ordered this in the sampler set of earl greys and had to restrain myself from drinking pot after pot of it. I was sad to use it up (on guests even! when I should have hogged it for myself!) and definitely can see myself ordering some again if I could only get over the shipping costing more than the tea itself. Darn Canadian postal prices.

Back log from this summer: One of the first iced teas I made. Was disappointed in it as I quite enjoyed the aroma of the tea and the idea of it was exciting. However, found it just to be too light. I steeped for a long time (again, me and my over-steeping!) but it didn’t seem to get better. In the end it tasted more like water with a tinge of banana.

I received this as a sample awhile ago and finally got around to using it this morning. I initially was put off by the idea of coconut as I’m not a fan but decided to risk it as I’m just bored with what is in my cupboard. I steeped it for quite a long time (forgot I had made it actually) and found myself enjoying the subtle lime flavour. I couldn’t detect the coconut at all which is probably for the better.

I don’t think I would shell out money for this but if I had another sample I wouldn’t be disappointed. I do love me some citrus teas.