LiberTEAS

Backlog from this afternoon:

As I was sorting through some of my stash, I found a little bit of this old favorite in the back of my cupboard. I love this tea. Time has taken a toll on the flavor, however, and it isn’t as good as it once was… but it wasn’t bad, and I still found it quite enjoyable.

Backlog:

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this chai! I love chai!

And I loved this chai! A very finely chopped CTC, but I think that this was not a bad thing, because it brought out all the flavors of the spices and the tea in a very good way. A very bold, delicious chai. I loved the spiciness of it. If you like chai, this is one I’d recommend!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/06/real-chai-tea-blend-from-teas-and-botanicals/

Backlog:

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a bit of this tea!

It’s a delightful Green tea! Sweet, vegetal – with a taste that falls somewhere between sweet grass and mild steamed veggies – a very invigorating, light, crisp cuppa!

Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/06/jeju-summer-harvest-korean-green-tea-from-spire-tea/

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If you’ve gotta have bagged tea – if the convenience and no-mess, no-fuss qualities of a bagged tea outweigh the quality and flavor of a loose leaf, here is the bagged tea that you should use. No other type of tea bag or sachet rivals these cubed sachets from LuLin Teas. And the way they perform when brewing an Oolong is the true test, in my opinion, because Oolong teas are the teas that expand so much … and I always frown upon bagged Oolongs – well, I did before I tried these cubed sachets! There was ROOM TO SPARE!

Yes, loose leaf is the best … but, if I were to try this tea loose in a side by side comparison with the cubed version … I don’t know that I could tell the difference, because honestly, I got full flavor out of these cubes.

THEY’RE AWESOME!

Here is my full-length review of this tea: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/05/ginseng-oolong-lan-gui-ren-tea-cubed-from-lu-lin-teas/

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A really beautiful, delicious Genmaicha. It is pleasant and light, but with a really cozy toasty quality that I found very welcoming on a cold evening. Notes of a popcorn-like taste. Tasty!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/05/genmaicha-green-tea-from-tealet/

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It took me a while to really start appreciating this tea. The first couple of sips, I was just sort of “meh” about it, but, as the tea cooled, I found myself liking it more and more. This tea is one that should be served ICED because it really shines as an iced tea.

Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/04/peach-blossom-from-fusion-teas-2/

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I like this one quite a bit. Bright and brisk, just like the description suggests. Pleasant flavor, really smooth. One of those teas that is nice to keep on hand … for moments when you want something that is bold, robust and still easy to drink. Very nice.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/04/basic-black-tea-from-fashionista-tea/

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Thank you Azzrian for sending me some of this tea.

I liked it, but it was still a bit disappointing to me. I didn’t taste butterscotch. I tasted white tea, cinnamon and pepper. I like cinnamon, pepper, and white tea … so it tasted good. But it didn’t taste like butterscotch, and I really wanted it to. The earthiness of the white tea melded quite nicely with the earthy tones of the spice notes. But there just wasn’t enough butterscotch to this to make me happy.

A tea that is called Butterscotch should taste … well, like butterscotch.

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An excellent black tea from Nuvola. Sweet and plum-like in flavor, with notes of caramel and cocoa. Hints of malt. Pleasantly mellow, a really good afternoon tea.

Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/03/sun-moon-lake-black-tea-from-nuvola-tea/

Backlog:

I finally wrote my full-length review for this tea a couple of weeks ago, here is the link to that review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/02/double-knit-blend-from-damn-fine-tea/

Another great blend from Damn Fine Teas! I really like this one. Rich, a touch of smoke, full-bodied and tastes heavy without feeling too heavy. A very enjoyable cuppa.

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A really nice caffeine free blend. I find that I prefer blends with both rooibos and honeybush in them as opposed to pure rooibos. I like the way the two herbs compliment each other. The honeybush makes the rooibos taste better.

A delicious cherry almond flavor. Really tasty. Here is the full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/02/cherry-and-almond-rooibos-from-trail-lodge-tea/

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LOVED this stuff! I found it a little unusual to be looking at these perfectly shaped pearls and not smell the distinct jasmine note that I expect when I see green pearls, but I got over it, especially after trying the tea. It is a really refreshing cup of tea. Vegetative and very pure tasting. Very enjoyable.

Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/01/long-zhu-from-infussion/

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I really enjoyed this offering from Teavivre. I loved the pollen-y quality to it. I find myself wondering how drinking something like this will help reduce seasonal allergies … but probably not so much unless one happens to be surrounded by tea plants since it is camellia sinensis. This time of year is hell on me with my allergies. Fortunately, they have gotten considerably better after a couple of years of consuming quite a bit of locally harvested raw honey. Still have the allergies, but they aren’t nearly as severe.

Anyway, back to the tea. Or tisane. I enjoyed this. I brewed it a bit strong but I’m glad I did, because I really enjoyed it the way it was brewed. Sweet, honey-esque and floral. Pleasant. I like!

My full-length review is here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/01/organic-dehydrated-camellia-from-teavivre/

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A really delightful Sencha. A surprisingly full-bodied, satisfying Japanese Sencha. Sweet and very pleasant to sip. Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/01/31/chiran-sencha-from-o5-tea/

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A LOVELY tea from Verdant … of course, that seems a little redundant, since nearly every tea I’ve ever had from Verdant has been absolutely amazing. I can’t recall one that I’ve really disliked … I can always order in confidence from them because I know I can trust them to deliver awesomeness.

This tea was indeed awesome. It has an Oolong-ish sort of fragrance to it. Being a California girl, I sort of disagree with the suggestion that there are flavors like avocado in this tea – but, I can see how the comparison can be made. That said, I think an avocado tea would be awesome.

Here is my full-length review of this tea: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/01/31/mi-lan-dancong-black-tea-from-verdant-tea/

Backlog:

Sorry about the number of backlogs … I’m trying to get caught up.

This is a delightful Earl Grey offering from Lu-Lin Teas. I’ve tried a few Lu-Lin teas now (watch for more reviews coming soon) and I have been very impressed with their teas. And it’s a really nice company too, having had a few email conversations with Hannah from Lu-Lin. She is really pleasant, and I appreciate her dedication to fine teas.

This is a very silky tasting tea. Very smooth … with a nice balance between tea flavor and bergamot. Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/01/30/posh-earl-grey-from-lu-lin-teas/

Backlog:

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea.

I don’t hate this as much as some other people did. But, it wasn’t the greatest cup of tea I’ve had either. I do like the representation of fig in this cup, it has a decent fig flavor. I tasted hints of citrus. Overall, it was just ok. Not something I’d order again (which is a good thing since it doesn’t appear to be available any longer) but if I were offered it, I wouldn’t mind drinking it again.

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a bit of this tea. It’s a nice Golden Nepal … it has a very bright flavor … nice wine-like finish. Sweet. I didn’t get the chocolate notes that my Sister experienced, but, I’m enjoying it nonetheless. This tastes more like a Darjeeling to me than a tea that would offer chocolate-y notes, although it has a richer taste and a thicker body than I’m used to from a Darjeeling.

Overall, a pleasant cuppa, but probably not one I’d stock up on.

A very nice Darjeeling with a very distinct Muscatel note. Sweet and wine-like. Somewhat astringent, slightly dry, reminding me of a sweet, dry wine.

Very enjoyable.

I’m not really jumping for joy with this blend. The mango is very mild. The black tea is astringent. It’s just kinda … eh. There are much better teas out there.

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a bit of this tea. I can’t find this on Upton’s website anymore so I’m guessing it’s sold out.

I disagree with my Sister on one point regarding this tea … it doesn’t look like fannings to me, but it is a very finely cut CTC. It is a very rich and flavorful tea, nice amount of malt and a wine-y quality to it as well. A nice Assam … it definitely does have a harsh side to it and I think if it was left to steep too long it would have been bitter (I steeped it for 2 minutes and that produced a really flavorful cup with minimal bite)

A good Assam … I’ve tasted better, but, this one certainly would work as a good jump start in the morning when you need one.

Just finishing up a cup of this now. It’s pretty darned good. Sweet, chocolate-y, warmly spiced … with just a hint of orange. The Pu-erh brings out the earthy notes in the spices … I like how well this blend works together … it’s not overly energizing (I don’t feel really caffeinated after drinking it) so it’s nice to drink later in the day. It’s good as a latte, but I like it even better without the dairy.

A lovely pear tea … I was surprised to see that it has been retired. It’s really nice. A really unique approach to the flavor of pear … it is sweet and the pear tastes authentic, and I love the touch of anise. The floral notes are nice too. But the anise really is what makes this tea just … amazing for me. I am glad I got to order some before it was retired.

Backlog:

This tea took me by surprise … first in learning that it wasn’t just a rooibos blend, but a black tea and rooibos blend. The combination of these two leaves makes for a lighter base, and I think that this allows for a richer chocolate flavor to come through. I also love the coconut and vanilla additions to this … it gives the cup a smooth, creamy, sweet profile. It’s a bit like a latte without dairy. Nice!

I liked it a whole lot!

PS: I can’t say enough about how awesome the packaging is from Fashionista too! It is REALLY fun to receive a package from them.