QueenOfTarts

I haven’t been able to drink tea lately since it’s been so darn hot! I’m not a big homemade iced tea drinker (we don’t have ice at the house) so I waited until it was dark and cool outside. I finally was able to have a cup of this tea this evening and it’s smooth, sweet and comforting, as usual.

My little Tea From Taiwan sampler arrived today and I was so excited to try this one first. I haven’t tried a flavored milk oolong before and to be honest, the idea of leaves being drenched with milk or flavoring sounds delicious to me. Yes, I still love natural milk oolongs, but this sounded like a real treat!
Once I poured the hot water over the leaves, I immediately smelled a rich buttery scent. It didn’t differ from previous buttery smelling oolongs, but made my mouth water. Interestingly, the first steep isn’t as strong as I thought it would be. It does have a buttery taste with a bit of the oolong in the background. What I love about this tea, though, is that it is so smooth. With each sip I’m expecting a drying, astringent effect, but I’m not finding it in this first steep. It’s not really thick in the mouth, more smooth and a light kind of silky without being creamy. I’ve read that many flavored milk oolongs do not last past the first or second steep. I can’t say I’m looking forward to the next steep because I’m enjoying the buttery, sweet tea I’m getting in this cup. That being said, I will steep this again and report back with how it goes.
EDITED: 2nd Steep and it isn’t anything like the first cup at all. There really isn’t any buttery flavor left.. just a bit lingering in the scent. It’s also a bit more astringent. I wouldn’t say that it’s terrible.. just significantly different than the first glorious cup. I still might buy this because the first cup was just lovely.

My friend gave me a teabag of this tea because she didn’t like it. To be honest, I am drinking this tea tonight because of an upset stomach. Steeping, this tea became quite cloudy and had an almost overwhelmingly strong scent. The most pleasant part of the sip comes at the beginning when you get a burst of ginger and a bit of lemon. The bite smooths out into a sweet, very strange aftertaste. I am detecting a bit of licorice and something that tickles the throat. I wish that more lemon were present — I do enjoy that tart, strong lemon kick that is sometimes found in herbal teas. If I felt like I didn’t need this cup tonight, I honestly wouldn’t finish it.

So far this is my favorite milk oolong tea that I have tried. I’ve sampled DAVIDsTEA, Holy Mountain, American Tea Room, The Republic of Tea and ThePuriTea milk oolongs. The leaf of this tea is quite large, even in its rolled form. The scent is of vegetables with a light spray of milk. Once steeped, the cup is very floral and I’m detecting honey notes as well. The scent lacks the buttery tones that I’ve found in other milk oolongs. There isn’t a sense of thick, rich milk, but this cup is brilliant. Even though I’m looking for creamier and richer notes, the honey sweetness mixed with the smooth floral flavors make for a very enjoyable cup. I will be sad when this is gone, but will look forward to my next milk oolongs.

My friend and I love drinking tea together. While we share similar tastes, we often have differing views on certain blends. I gave her a couple of teas I wasn’t crazy about and she gave me one of these bags to try. In her words, this tea “tastes like dirt. It’s terrible.” Looking at these other reviews, I can see that she’s not alone! The scent is mostly rooibos (not terribly woody in my opinion) with a hint of something fruity (think Creme Brulee from DAVIDsTEA). Nectar is a very appropriate word to describe this scent. As for the taste, the wood notes are most prominent. There is a fruity bit, but it is quickly smothered by the rooibos. I was expecting something far worse, but it’s actually not that bad. The finish is terrible, however. It almost feels like you are swallowing small wood chips (sounds appealing, I know). I’m glad to have tried this tea and I will finish the cup, but won’t purchase in the future.

I’ve noticed that Tea Forte teas smell absolutely amazing. This tea was screaming to be iced, so that’s what I did! The strongest notes are citrus and mint. It’s refreshing, but I feel like there are far too many flavors going on. Tea Forte makes nice teas, but they seem like they are trying too hard to be sophisticated with all of their blends. My mouth gets confused with the mint, the citrus and some other flavor I can’t identify. It’s interesting, but not something that I would purchase. Thank you very much to Ottawa Tea for a sample!

The apricot scent is spot on through the dry tea bags. The peach is a nice pairing, but the apricot is most noticeable. I’m having a cup of this iced today. Brewed, I find that the tea base is prominent and the fruit flavor comes at the end. The fruity finish is of true fruit, nothing artificial, which is quite nice. I only wish it were stronger! I think that this would be rather nice with sugar, but I don’t typically sweeten my tea. Overall, a decent & simple iced tea. Nothing superb or unique about it.

I’m increasing the rating of this tea since my first try. I’ve tried this tea with boiling water and water at around 195-200 degrees. I’m liking the boiled version better. No matter how long I steep it, though, I do get a very drying sensation in my mouth from the black tea (From 3 minutes to 3 & 1/2 to 4). I don’t sense any kind of creamy texture or taste. I wish I did! How is everyone else getting this rich creaminess?
The vanilla tastes like it’s of good quality and adds a nice sweetness, but it’s the tea base that confuses me. It’s almost thin with a kind of coppery tinge. I really don’t know if I should buy a tin of this (even though I don’t love it) because I love that it’s decaffeinated — black tea at night! [ Any suggestions for awesome flavored desserty decaf teas are welcome! ]

It’s a very smooth black tea, especially for Adagio (I’ve always found their tea to be a bit bitter and drying). The blackberry taste is definitely present. I don’t know if I would be able to identify it as blackberry, but it blends with the black tea base very well. The vanilla is detectable in the smoothness of the sip. I can’t really taste it otherwise. There is a tiny bit of astringency which adds a nice tartness to the blackberry note. I wonder what a little splash of milk will do to the flavors. Overall, a very fun tea! I might be popping this in my shopping cart in my next Adagio order. Thank you so much, SimplyJenW for a sample.

I was so excited to see this tea in honor of the Royal Wedding. I’m such a sucker for anything limited edition or a product produced especially for an event. I’m usually not a white tea drinker as I prefer black tea and rooibos blends. This tea has a sweetness that lingers on the tongue long after you’ve finished the cup. I can’t really detect the vanilla or coconut as separate notes, but just a general sweetness. There is also a floral note in the background (not exclusively rosebuds) that blends well with the white tea flavor. Although it’s not my favorite, I might have to purchase more of it just because it is delicately tasty and rather different.

This is an interesting tea. I usually don’t like plain black tea.. I enjoy black tea that has a pop of vanilla or caramel. Drinking it plain, I kept expecting a bitter or sharper taste, but it’s very smooth! I’m tasting mostly a smoky note and I have to say that I don’t like smoky teas (perhaps I would if I found a smoky AND creamy, sweet blend). The finish isn’t entirely smoke which makes it drinkable. Overall, this is a solid and bold black tea. Normally I don’t drink my tea with milk or sugar/sweetener, but I think it might be interesting to experiment.

The scent right out of the pouch is very fruity and very strong. The flavor is a bit difficult to describe. It’s fruity and with a little bit of something that tastes like sage. This flavor makes the tea more savory instead of sweet. The finish gives me that interesting fizzy sensation, like I’ve had a sip of soda. I think that this would be so much better iced, but even then I don’t think I’d go crazy for it. Thank you Ottawa Tea for a sample!

I came home from work today and I felt like I needed a cup of tea. I made a bit of Harney & Son’s Tower of London Blend (Review on that one later) and then felt like having another. This tea smelled like strong wheat – very rich, roasted and hearty grains. The taste isn’t very different from the smell. It’s a starchy kind of tea with a whole bunch of toasty flavor. What I dislike is that there is very little dimension to the tea. It’s just relatively flat.. toasty, almost like bread.. but not the good kind. I think this would be good if you paired it with some kind of food. On its own, I’m not impressed and a bit underwhelmed. Soba Cha isn’t necessarily BAD, it’s just uneventful for me.

It’s too late for black tea right now (I’ve got to get up early tomorrow morning) and I don’t want to drink my last bag of Caramel Creme Rooibos. Banana Dulce it is! This isn’t my first time drinking this tea. I’ve had it a few times and must say that I didn’t LOVE it right from the start. I messed around with the steep time and for me, around three minutes is best.

Very Long (and unnecessary) Nap: Check.
Pancakes for Dinner: Check.
A Hot Cup of Tea: Check.

I don’t do backflips for chamomile, but this blend is very enjoyable for me. The tiny flowers are cute and there are actual shreds of coconut, pieces of (kinda-soft) banana, something that looks like banana dusted in graham cracker, very small bits of rooibos and longer strands of lemongrass.

The taste is comforting. The chamomile flowers give you that VERY distinct chamomile taste, but it’s enhanced by the coconut and banana. I’m not sure if the coconut and banana are really strong, but weave themselves softly with the chamomile. My tongue doesn’t get a trace of rooibos, to be honest. I’m also not getting a ton of lavender or lemongrass. Strangely, when I sip.. I sense that everything is there, though. It feels FULL – like I’ve eaten a sachet kept in a sock drawer (without getting the individual components).

No, I don’t feel like I’ve been taken away to a tropical beach nor do I feel like I’ve eaten a hefty dessert. It’s a very different and interesting tea. Floral? Yes. Slightly sweet? Yes. Dessert-like? Not really. Bizarre? You betcha. I’m not scared away by this tea and I might have another cup when I finish writing this tasting note. I really can’t put my finger on what this tea is, but it’s quite nice for tonight.

This tea looks like creme brûlée from DavidsTea. I love the rooibos and the bright petals. The tea is sweet with that distinct amaretto flavor and a nice bit of peach and apricot (I can’t tell the difference between the two), but the fruit portion is quite juicy! This is a great combination. The tea is very rich and actually makes me wonder if I had eaten a very large dessert. Yum! I am not sure if this will be a purchase for me only because I find it slightly similar to the creme brûlée (richness-wise) and I like that one a bit more. I am so glad to have tried this, though. This is a great treat! Thank you so much, Ottawa Tea!

It’s rainy today and rain always has me craving tea. Wait, I always crave tea.. but it seems more appropriate to sip on a cup while it’s raining. Instead of going for something flavored (the kind of tea I typically drink) — I was in the mood for something a bit different. These leaves are long and wiry. I definitely struggled trying to measure the leaves in my little spoon. The color of the tea wasn’t that pretty, in my opinion. It was a dirty yellow, not bright or clean looking like some other oolongs. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this appearance.. maybe something not so great? I was really surprised after the first few sips.The flavor is definitely that familiar oolong taste (no fruit, unfortunately) with a nice honey finish. I’ve never actually gotten a honey taste from a tea before, so I’m quite glad that I was able to experience this. The honey finish is what bumps this tea up. It lingers in the mouth leaving you wanting more. Quite delicious! I saved the leaves and think I’ll treat myself to another steep. Thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for this good cup!

Maybe it’s because I’m in the mood for a tart, fruity tea, but this tea is very fitting for this rainy evening. I love the bright lemon flavors! The beginning of the sip is a little bland, but the tart finish is rather enjoyable. It’s not a jaw-dropping tea, but I’m very pleased with it tonight. Thanks, TeaEqualsBliss!

I’ve tried this both hot and iced, and I have to say that neither blew me away. Yes, there’s hibiscus, a tiny bit of something that wants to be blueberry and a bit of peach. On a positive note, the dry leaf is quite nice. Small pieces of fruit and flower petals make it very pretty to look at! Thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for a sample!

I had this tea again and I realize that I keep coming back to this one. The tea smells buttery, sweet and woodsy. It makes a really enjoyable cup for me at the end of the day. This will definitely be a repurchase unless someone points me in the direction of another good rooibos caramel tea. Delicious cup!

This is just an okay tea. I thought that it sounded delicious in its description, but I’m honestly just tasting hibiscus.. rooibos with a whole lot of TART flavor! The sweetness that I’m wanting is mostly in the scent and a tiny bit at the tail end of the sip. I’ll finish the cup, but I’m not crazy about this tea. Thanks, TeaEqualsBliss!

This tea is pretty yummy. Definitely has a sweetness to it that I like (I think it’s the vanilla and perhaps the white chocolate), but also a nice mint component as well. I think that the mint is the dominant flavor, followed by the sweetness in the swallow. The honeybush is a fantastic background for these flavors. Not my favorite from 52Teas, but I’m glad that I tried a pouch. It’s a bit too much mint and not enough of the vanilla/chocolate. I might want to try this tea iced now that the weather is getting warmer!

This is an interesting tea. The bright fruits against the black tea leaves are really pretty. I’m loving the fruity scent, even if it is a bit bizarre.. just something I haven’t tried before. The oolong is definitely earthy and most of the fruit flavor is at the end of the sip. It sort of reminds me of a natural fruit and veggie smoothie. Strange and interesting, but not my favorite DAVIDsTEA. Thank you to laney for a sample of this!

I bought this for my friend a long time ago for her birthday because I knew she loved jasmine tea. I was visiting her house just the other day and she made some of this iced with just a little bit a sugar. Maybe it was the utter refreshment of something cold to drink, but this tea was awesome. VERY heavy on the jasmine, but it went very well with the ice and sugar. As much as I want to dislike Teavana, I found myself enjoying this tea. I might have to pick some of this up next time I’m around a Teavana.

This tea has such an interesting flavor and I can’t identify just what it is. It’s not exactly wine, to me, and not exactly fruit either. The sip is strong on the black tea, too. I’m definitely glad I’ve tried this one, but it’s really too strange for me. Thank you ladykittykat for a sample!