Jaime

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The third Chai sample from Meghann M. Needless to say, I’m excited!

Oh, the smell! It smells just like Mayan or Aztec Hot Chocolate. Identical. The taste is smooth and chocolatey. It’s not spicy at all, and then the tea hits the back of your throat…

Woah. This one is spicy. Not as spicy as the Matador’s Kiss I had yesterday, but quite spicy nonetheless. It sneaks up on you. I’m very glad that I only brewed up one cup, because I don’t think my “delicate sensibilities” could handle more than just this cup. Yowza. Don’t know if I could handle a resteep even. It’s delicious, but it burns.

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Ah, now that’s more like it. Brewed at 212 rather than 195 (and just how do you get the degree symbol to show up?).

It’s both floral and fruity. The peach is obvious, but not overpowering. No bitterness when brewed at this temperature. It’s a smooth, pleasing cup that is delicious hot, but I suspect would be even better iced on a hot summer day (though I hope those are far behind us now).

Tried this out with the “oolong” setting on my One-Touch. Normally I just brew this like a black tea (the package, after all, says to pour boiling water over the bags).

It’s barely peachy at all at this temperature, and the tea itself has a strange bitterness to it that I hadn’t noticed before. Going to make another small pot (2 cups) with boiling water to see how they compare.

Making sure that the temperature is right certainly makes a difference with this tea. If you brew it with too hot water, it’s bitter and thick and must either be watered down or mixed with something to be drinkable (I usually use lemonade).

When brewed with the correct temp, it’s still thick, but not bitter. The pineapple is the most prominent note, then coconut, followed by a healthy taste of rum. The green tea base is almost lost, but there’s a grassy note in the aftertaste that let’s you know it was there. Not my favorite of Zhena’s, but if you like coconuts and rum, it’s worth a try.

Edited because I can’t type or spell right now.

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This is a lovely wintertime blend. The fruits and spices almost beg to be sipped whilst sitting in front of a roaring fire. It’s very reminiscent of the spiced tea that my granny used to mix (which was made with instant tea, but we won’t hold it against her). There’s definitely some citrus notes to this, and you can taste the cloves. The black tea used as the base is strong enough to match the fruit/spice flavors without being lost or turning bitter.

I’m nearly out of this tea; perhaps have 1-2 pots worth left. I can definitely see myself getting another tin of this in the future.

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The hunt for the perfect chamomile continues.

These bags are from the stash my coworkers collected whilst we were at conference…the hotel rooms had tea as well as coffee, and they gathered me a baggie full. So who knows how old they are, but I’m brewing them up anyway.

I must say, for being just straight, plain, no-frills chamomile, this isn’t too bad. I’m sure that fresher bags would make a difference, but this is very light and delicate and smooth. It’s definitely chamomile, but it’s not flowery. I could see this ending up as a regular part of my stash.

So I decided to try this tea again. This time, brewed at 175 for 2 minutes. It’s still gross.

Adding a 1/2 teaspoon of French Vanilla creamer made it drinkable. Mainly because it tastes more like creamer than the tea, but the tea still tastes funny. And not funny ha-ha.

I want to love this tea. Caramel? Tea? It should be delicious. But it’s not.

:’-(

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Definitely my favorite of the Celestial Seasonings Zingers I’ve had. I love the hibiscus, the blackberry, and the cranberry notes that are in here. It’s a fruit-punchy tea that wouldn’t appeal to everyone (if you don’t like hibiscus or tart, stay far, far away). I love all things fruity and naturally sweet with that edge of tart, so this tea is delicious.

This was part of a sampler pack of fruit teas. I wish there were more variety packs from CS, because there’s a lot of flavors I’m interested in trying, but they can be hit or miss and I hate to buy a box I’m not going to want to drink. I’ll probably grab a box of this one next time it’s on sale.

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Kind of a citrusy rooibos. The rooibos itself is a bit different from others I’ve had…it’s not quite as woodsy/grassy, but more lemony. Seems more like honeybush than rooibos. Which I suppose would be good for some people, but I’d like a stronger, true rooibos taste with a stronger citrus note.

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Apparently it’s my day for drinking teas that aren’t listed in Steepster yet. Apologies if I’m creating duplicate entries; I really am trying not to.

I found this at a Tupperware store in a mall. They had several different types of tea (only a few of which I can find on their website, which is driving me a bit batty), and I chose this one. It comes with a rather strange, yellow infuser that apparently fits a particular Tupperware brand pot.

It smells and tastes of apricots, with just a hint of mango. I’m not really picking up any cherry at all, and the white tea base is very strong. It’s loose leaf, but is better suited to putting in Tsacs because it’s rather finely cut. Overall, it’s pretty good, especially considering Tupperware is selling it. Probably not one I’d pick up more of; then again, there’s a lot of this per package, so I doubt I run out anytime soon.

Have put a dash of French Vanilla creamer in it…it seems to actually increase the intensity of the spice rather than tame it. This is not a tea for the faint of heart.

ETA: I may be conceding to the Matador. Mouth is on fire, and I’m not usually one to say no to spicy. Put a dash more creamer in…ouch. Couldn’t finish the final cup. If anyone is brave and wants some tea that could potentially be used as chili seasoning, let me know. I’m thinking this was my last cup.

I bought this tea at La Vida Java, a coffee spot in Louisville. I’m not sure if they blend their own teas, or if there’s a source tea, but I’ve googled the bejeebus out of this name and can’t find it from any other company.

I bought an ounce of this, untried, and when I got home, used my basic black tea prep: boil water, steep 5 minutes. OMG, it burns. Literally, my mouth hurt from the spicy heat. It’s been sitting in my stash for a while now, whilst I readied myself to try it again.

So I tried it in my One-Touch, boiling water for 3 minutes. Also used a smidge less than a teaspoon per cup. It’s still hot, but not quite to the “please, give me ice water and milk and an antacid” level. There’s definitely chili powder in this somewhere, and some flowers. The black tea base is good, or what you can taste of it is. And it definitely starts the roof of the mouth tingling from the hot spice.

It’s spicy. Really spicy. And I’m still not sure if it’s my thing. Definitely clears out your sinuses, though. Going to rate it a 50, but reserve the right to change it.

Light, smooth, with a hint of flowery cherry flavor. The green tea base is delicious.

And, whatever you do, don’t let this get cold. Blech.

Strong black tea is the most prominent flavor note, followed by rhubard and a hint of flowers. It’s good for a strong morning cuppa, but it’s not one that I would keep on hand at all times.

Having another pot of chamomile before I’m off to bed…hopefully it will bring sleep swiftly!

This is a different sort of chamomile than I’ve had before. It smells more fruity than flowery, and that translates to the taste as well. Rosehip is the first taste I note, followed by citrus and chamomile. The only thing I’m not enjoying is the taste and tingling of the peppermint. It’s much too…invigorating to have the peppermint with the chamomile. Almost makes my tongue go numb it’s tingling so. Closer to the perfect chamomile, but still not quite there yet.

This is another sample from Judith of Angel Teas.