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OMGsrsly

OMGsrsly drank Chocolate Phoenix Chai by Verdant Tea

I took a break from doing math homework and clutching my aching belly to go to the post office. Yay!!! My order arrived!

This is the tea that won out for first try. I’ve done a 1 minute brew with 2 tsp tea and 200ml water that’s just off the boil. First impression? It’s weird. There’s a lot of spice here (Cardamom! Whoa!), a lot of complex tea flavours that I can’t pick out, and a weird sour note.

Steep 1 with sugar: added 1/4 tsp sugar, and its better. The sour note is more juicy, although this is definitely a cardamom steeping!
Steep 1 with sugar and milk: even more to my taste.

Steep 2, 3 minutes: This really is a very light tea. I don’t know why i was expecting something significantly darker. Anyways, i could drink this steep plain, but i prefer this tea with a little sugar and milk. 1/8 tsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp soy creamer, 200ml tea. Pretty darn tasty.

I’ll have to try this again with a 3 minute steep right off the bat. I’m not sure I would order this one again, though. I guess it depends on what I think of future cups!

2013-03-18 20:13:09 -0400

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Kittenna 2013-03-19 02:12:38 -0400

This one may grow on you, once you get accustomed to it. It’s definitely quite light though! I usually go with a similar tea:water ratio as you, but a 4-min steep to start off, otherwise it’s too weak. And it does taste great with milk and sugar (although just a bit).

OMGsrsly 2013-03-19 03:16:15 -0400

Good to know! I was reading and someone had less sour with tap water than brita filtered, so I’ll try tap water tomorrow too. Our water here is pretty good, just chlorinated.

Kittenna 2013-03-19 04:01:54 -0400

Lucky – the tap water here is ridiculously hard. So much so that I have trouble drinking it straight unless it’s ice cold and I gulp it down. So it’s Brita or nothing for me (I’m not buying bottled!)

OMGsrsly 2013-03-19 15:22:05 -0400

It’s (much) better today, but yes, a very very light tea with lots of spices. Not really what i was looking for, and now i’m scared to try the laoshan village chai.

Kittenna 2013-03-19 16:41:47 -0400

Laoshan Village Chai is definitely more your classic chai :)

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Black teas are my favourite, although I do drink the occasional green tea. I am exploring herbal and fruity teas for summer icing and winter evenings, and oolong and pu erh are new and exciting… although I do not like an oolong that tastes mostly of seaweed. I avoid mint, and my BFF is allergic to raspberries, so I read a lot of ingredient listings.

I have discovered that I do not like teas that are too roasty and toasty. Some Rig Red Robe teas are ok, some Yunnan Blacks are ok, some hojichas are ok. Just some. I seem to prefer traditional blends (oh Irish breakfast), Assam, Ceylon and Nilgiri types as unflavored morning caffeine boosts. Flavoured black teas are closest to my heart, and therefore take up the most room in my stomach.

My ratings are based on the little faces, and depend on what face I make when I sip the tea! :)

(Isn’t that a bling-tastic tea cup?)

Also: A map of tea places in Vancouver. I’ve been to some of them, but not a lot. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
http://goo.gl/maps/gXsKK