Jaime

LiberTEAS included this in the surprise box she sent me. Thanks so much!!

The lime is really strong in this one. The hibiscus is there as well, but for me the yerba mate is a bit stronger than it. It is indeed tart, and unlike the Citrus Rose blend, the yerba mate here tastes “dark”, maybe even a touch smoky. Would this one be dark roasted and the Citrus Rose not? A search of Mate Factor’s website doesn’t yield any info on the Citrus Rose…and it doesn’t really say either way on the entry for it here.

My impression: a smoky-tart lime mate with hibiscus notes. Not as good as the Citrus Rose, but very nice if you enjoy tart!

Alright, having another go at this one. Reduced steeping time to 2 minutes, and the temp down to 200*. The odd flavor that I was thinking was “dusty” is still kinda there, and there’s still astringency (quite a bit for only 2 minutes), but I think what I’m getting now is more…meaty? Proteiny? It’s so hard to find the words for it. It’s much more palatable at this time/temp…I’m still not really getting much bergamot taste, though.

Okay, after thinking on this tea, it reminds me of those paper tasting strips in my genetics class. Did anyone else do that? They’re little strips of paper that have chemicals in them…some people can taste these compounds, some can’t, and the ability to taste each different compound is, apparently, a single gene trait. I don’t remember which ones we did, but I do remember being the only one who had to run out of the room to rinse my mouth out after trying one of them.

Okay, back to the tea…I did get a better cup this time around, and, in fact, actually finished the pot. I think I’ll shorten the steep even more next time around.

(And a big thanks to LiberTEAS for taking the time to help me out with this blend. You’re awesome!)

No notes yet.

Well, I didn’t quite add the picture right…and I don’t know how to make it not blurry! Please, someone, feel free to fix it!

This is from my latest Praise Tea order. Have I mentioned how awesome this company is? During their Black Friday sale, they ended up selling out of some teas that I had ordered. Most of my order had already shipped, and then I got a call from the company. A real phone call!! Letting me know what had happened, and what options we could do. Amazing!! So, my second box arrived (with my replacement teas), and there were extra pouches of tea in there, too. Seriously, above and beyond customer service.

So, as some of you may know, I’m constantly on the hunt for the perfect chamomile blend. I suffer fits of insomnia, and a pot of chamomile at night really helps me to stay asleep the whole night (few things help me to fall asleep fast). But I don’t like chamomile too flowery, nor do I like not tasting it.

This is really, really close to The One.

It’s definitely a chamomile blend, no doubt, but it doesn’t taste floral at all. I can taste fresh, juicy mango, as well as a subtle, crisp, tart apple. I’d almost be that there’s a touch of hibiscus here, too, just from the hint of tart that I’m getting. It’s just the faintest hint, and makes the whole thing a delight. I only got a sample of this…definitely will need more!

Switching it up today…alternating caf/decaf since I’m feeling a bit twitchy/hyped up. I picked this up at my conference back in October; this brand is apparently their “house tea”. I was given quite a few bags of it (some decaf, some not) by various attendees who know I drink tea. I’ve been a bit wary of it, because sometimes these things turn out not-so-well…

It’s certainly not horrendous, especially for being decaf. It is, however, completely unremarkable save for the fact that it’s decaf and is 100% drinkable. No chemical taste, no bitterness, no astringency, nada. And it does, in fact, taste like tea.

I don’t know if I’d actively seek this out for purchase…I do like having decaf teas on hand, but am just as satisfied drinking herbals/rooibos. I definitely would partake if it’s the tea available at the hotel I’m at. I’m certainly satisfied by this cup, and the other bags of decaf I have won’t linger for too long.

No notes yet.

I was sipping on this when I needed to go to our front office (us supervisors have an office toward the back of the building…apparently we’re loud) to drop off some papers. On my way up there, another coworker was at the coffee station fixing up her coffee with sugar and half & half. Can you see where this is going?

So I added a packet of sugar sub and some half & half. And whilst it’s a bit too sweet (next time I try it this way, I’ll only do 1/2 a pack), it’s really nice like this. Perhaps I should be using half & half instead of milk when I try this stuff at home…

Mr. Polo and I aren’t having the best of luck, it seems.

The first pot was way too bitter/astringent to be truly enjoyed. The second had me wondering what all the fuss was about. Yup, you’re right, this is only my third pot.

It’s not as astringent this time around, and I’m noticing more of the berry taste. Cream’s there as well, but not as much as I was expecting. Since many add milk and sugar, I went to do the same. Luckily, I noticed the date on my milk (which I will not post) and did the sniff test. And then I went and grabbed the french vanilla creamer.

I think I’m getting closer to finding the perfect way to brew this for me. With the creamer, it’s well, creamier, and the vanilla adds a cake-like note to the berry. I still need to fiddle with the time on it, and maybe even the temp. I want to taste what all the cool kids taste when they drink this one!

Oh, hello lover.

He’s rich and golden, gently sweet with just a hint of astringency/bitter. Crisp, malty, honey, bakey, beautiful. Perfect to cuddle up with on a cold December morning.

Thank you, JacquelineM, for sending me this tea. He’s wonderful, and I must have more of him in my life. This first pot is already gone, and I have such a horrible sad right now.

ETA: Second steep at 6 minutes. Less honey taste, much more robust. Edging on the bitter side without getting there and all the better for it. Excuse me, we’re going to cuddle now.

Now this is good. A true, lemony dessert tea. Have you ever had lemon bars? The gooey kind? This is a liquid version. It’s like I can even taste the powdered sugar that’s sprinkled on top! The lemon is strong, in your face, and that perfect balance of sweet/sour. There’s a pastry/vanilla/crumbly taste underneath the lemon…divine!! And for those people who aren’t fans of rooibos: well, I can’t find it at all in the taste. Maybe, if I try hard, there’s a green rooibos in the background. But that’s with me really trying to find it.

Disclaimer: if you have a low sour/tart tolerance, you’ll probably want to avoid this one. Or not brew it for 10 minutes like I did. My tart threshold is higher than the average, and this is definitely higher on the tart scale. Which I really like.

ETA: A second steep at 15 minutes is nearly identical to the first!

LiberTEAS has done it again! She sent me a tea that I wanted to try before I even read a tasting note on it. She’s that good!

TeaEqualsBliss logged this a few days ago, and the combination of cinnamon and hibiscus sounded so wrong it could be right. And, for me, this is full of win. It’s like a hibiscus cider in both smell and taste. Yes, the hibiscus is strong here (I steeped for 8 rather than my usual 10), but the cinnamon and licorice kind of calm the tart down. Reminds me somewhat of wassail (or, rather, the wassail they served at my college’s Madrigal dinner).

Again, for me, this is full of win. LiberTEAS, thank you so, so much!!!

This tea and I, we’re having some conflicts here. Those first couple of pots were ah-may-zing, but as I get closer toward the end of the box, I can’t reproduce the taste, even at the same parameters.

So I’ve done something that I have never, ever done before. Ever. In the whole of my tea-drinking existence: I steeped it for only a minute. A ^minute. It’s such a short, teeny amount of time. How can tea goodness be released in only a mere minute and not just taste like flavored water (now, I know it’s done, but I just haven’t been able to fathom it yet)? But this kept tasting cooked at 3 minutes, regardless of temperature, and this morning’s to-go pot of 2 minutes at 175 didn’t come out tasting all that grand either (the only reason that was finished was that I was caught in traffic and cold). So, I’m trying it at a minute.

The cooked taste is less, but still there. Better than what I had earlier, but still, it’s not what those first couple of pots were and I’ve no clue why.

This is much better at 195 than at boiling! Still smells like Dr. Pepper (ick), but at this temp the cherry is much more of a real, tart cherry flavor than the syrupy cherry that I got out of it before. I’m tasting a lot more cherry than tea.

Next time I’ll try it at 175 to see what happens!

Finishing the last of my sample of this from Meghann. Bit astringent, but definitely pumpkin. I’m not really getting the “pie” bit still. Black tea base is delish.

Bumping my rating up on this, as I’m really liking it this morning.

No notes yet.

Finishing up the pb/choc blend that I attempted with this as a base (since my pb blend from Frank isn’t happening for a bit ^pout). 3 heaping teaspoons of it to 16 oz water. Smells like a reese cup, I did get that much right. Taste…not so much. Even with extra leaf, it’s just not what I was trying for. I’m thinking the chocolate extract that I have is old, or I picked too strong of a tea for the base.

(Numerical rating is for the LL Ceylon before I went messing around with it. Numerical rating for this wanna-be peanut butter cup blend is much, much lower.)

I think I need to tweak my steeping parameters on this one. There’s just something…not right about it. It’s got this toasted, dusty taste to it…and at first, I thought maybe I’d just gotten a bad batch, but the bags that LiberTEAS had tucked into my surprise box were the same (had those at work but didn’t log). Could this tea be picking up the cardboard taste? Any steeping suggestions?

And this is another with 2 entries!! Funny how I keep finding those. vanilla_bookworm sent me a few bags of this. I had it last holiday season and couldn’t remember if I wanted to get more or not…thanks for letting me have a few bags to decide!!

It steeped for way over 10 minutes. Probably close to 20. I had an applicant come in to explain to me why she was the best candidate for my open position…which we’re interviewing for tomorrow, and she didn’t get an interview (she only found that out today). Oy vey. Time for tea!

So I remember this now. It’s bland. Weak. It’s like a boring blind date one of my guy friends tried to set me up on: with someone who was described as “punctual and available most nights and weekends.” Translation: not much to look at, has no personality, and can pretty much just stare at you. This tea is that guy. No deep flavor, no personality…just kinda warm and there. I mean, if it were paying for dinner, sure, I’d like it a lot more. And after the meeting with that lady, it really ought to be much more comforting than it is.

I think I’ll pass on another tin. Want Apple Cider tea? Go get Bigelow’s.

LiberTEAS sent me this to try…I think because I love hibiscus, and that’s the first ingredient. I’m beginning to think that a love of hibiscus is unusual around here…especially when brewed at 10 minutes!

I don’t really taste the hibiscus here at all. It’s a true, honest-to-goodness raspberry taste that I get. Like I just took a whole handful of ripe red raspberries (with about 4 not-so-ripe tart ones) and shoved them in my mouth and their juice exploded. They definitely got the flavor right with this one.

LiberTEAS, you have definitely figured out my tea tastes. Thank you so much!!

My cup is empty. :-(

Backlog a bit; had this as my morning drive cuppa. I’ve been playing with the temps on this one. Note: not so good at 185. 195 is much better.

This smells just like another tea that I’ve had…for the life of me, I can’t think of which tea that was. I’m not sure it bodes well for this tea…

I taste the spices…sadly, the one I’m picking up on most is the licorice. Not noticing any cinnamon or ginger, but I am getting the cardamom (note: licorice and cardamom are two of my least favorite spices). The tea is there as well (and surprisingly strong for a 3 minute steep and the amount of spices added), but the orange really isn’t coming out for me. Maybe in the aftertaste…but even then, I’m having to hunt for it.

It’s just okay for me. If you like licorice, then it’s something you might want to try.

So I didn’t get a snow day today. I have mixed feelings about this…happy I won’t have to make up the day, sad because I have to leave the warmth of my house, and dreading the drive in. This tea is helping to make things better, though.

This is perhaps the most chocolatey tea I’ve had. It’s got a very rich, milk chocolate flavor that very nearly drowns out the black tea base it’s so rich. Mouthfeel is almost like hot chocolate rather than tea. I can definitely see why this is the PMS blend! If you need a chocolate fix, this tea certainly fits the bill. I’ll have to try this as a latte…maybe with chocolate milk!

It’s not really motivating me to get ready for work, though. But since it’s 17 degrees F with a windchill of 6 (-8 and -14 for those who think in celsius), there’s not much that will motivate and make me want to leave my house.

I’m cold. A friend suggested that I try cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and Indian spices to improve circulation. I’ve translated this advice as “drink more chai”. I picked up this sample from Octavia, and now’s a good time for it.

It smells like apple cider. In fact, it tastes very similar to apple cider. So much so that I went looking for apple on its ingredient list (not there). Very good and warming. Not quite as chai-spicy as some teas I’ve had, but the amount of cinnamon makes up for it. I think this would be fantastic to use in place of mulling spices to make ciders or mulled wine. In fact, that’s very likely what I’ll do with the rest of the sample!

Ah, I love this stuff!! I threw in a few more peanut butter chips to make it even more peanut buttery. I’m getting low on it…I’ll have to order more with my next order (hopefully there’s still some left).

I was inspired to have this after my lunch: grilled peanut butter and jelly.