SimplyJenW

Tea of the morning….

EDIT TO ADD: Their delivery service is appalling. I cannot in good conscience give this tea a good rating. Service = 0, the tea was about an 80.

And likely my last pot for a while as it is gone and my refill is stuck in a warehouse somewhere. I was so fortunate to be able to make an order at their online store for some tea for myself as well as a gift for a friend. I thought I ordered in plenty of time Nov. 23. My invoice showed a delivery day of Dec. 8. I was pretty confident that would give me time to get the gift in the mail and off to where it was going in plenty of time for Christmas. The 8th came and went….and after a few emails with Customer Service at F&M, I found out that my order has not shipped out (on Dec.22) because they are having warehouse issues. Wow. It is a good thing I emailed, because there was no offer of this information. I know it is bad to review a place based upon one experience, but I am very disappointed. It will probably be my only order from them ever, and I will just have to enjoy other teas. For those considering an order, my suggestion is to plan way ahead. And maybe avoid the holidays all together. I would cancel my order, but the allure of orange marmalade with gold leaf in it celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee for my friend is just too cool…along with a commemorative tin of Jubilee Tea. Maybe by Valentine’s?

Tea of the completely wrong time of the day…..I don’t usually drink tea in the evening, so lets hope I can go to sleep later…..

Tea 21 of 24……..This is from Dinosara from her world travels, and I feel so lucky to have a chance to sample the teas she brought back from Paris. Thank you! I usually find blood orange to be overpowering, but in this tea it is perfectly balanced with the chocolate and the tea base. I could not detect the hazelnut as a standout flavor, but I do think it was kind of the flavor that smoothed all the other flavors together, rather than being able to taste each on its own. I am definitely much more impressed with the flavored teas from Dammann Freres than the flavored ones from Marriage Freres.

Tea of the morning…..

And tea 20 of 24. This one came from Batrachoid. Thank you!

I know I am always hesitant to try a bagged tea anymore, but really, I should just get over that. This is good. It kind of reminds me of the English Breakfast from Trader Joe’s. Good basic black tea that is still miles away from Lipton. It will never replace my Keemun for breakfast tea, but this travels so much better. The teabags look normal. (I always get a little self-conscious about the tea bags that you fill on your own. People are usually not used to seeing such an oddly shaped bag.)

I do like that there is a little more tea in them than a standard tea bag as I usually drink tea by the mug rather than the cup. It really helps that I know how to brew tea, too. In my pre-loose leaf days I did not brew correctly, so it is a wonder I ever had an enjoyable cup of tea back then.

Mug with 1 teabag, boiling water, about 3 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Tea of the afternoon….

And tea 19 of 24. Man, the numbers are getting bigger and that means there is sooooo much to do! This sample is from DaisyChubb. Thank you very much!

I really like this. I do get the peach and a hint of almond. It is almost the perfect flavoring for this tea base. The flavor is light so that it does not overpower the base, and really does not need any additions. Would I buy more? Yes. The next time I order from David’s, this will be in my cart!

Mug method at 190 for 5 minutes.

Tea of the late afternoon…..

And day #18 of 24. Thank you Dinosara for sharing this one with me!

The tea itself does have a nutty essence. I mostly get almond, some pecan, and I thought hazelnut. However, upon reading Dinosara’s review, she found the last nut to be walnut in her research. Usually I can taste walnut a mile away because it never sits well with me (sensitivity/allergy to raw walnuts and hazelnuts so I always notice the taste of them to avoid them), but it is definitely not present in the tea as far as I can tell. (Luckily, an infusion of the nuts I cannot eat raw does not affect me too badly, and if they are roasted or cooked, I am fine.) All that being said, the almond in this blend is nice. I don’t think it is the end all be all for almond tea, but I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to try it. One day, I will find an almond one that I love. One thing I do find interesting is that the tea base Marriage uses in their flavored teas is good, but I guess I just expected more.

Usual teapot method.

Second tea of the morning….

And tea 17 of 24. This is an interesting flavor combination. I did not look at what was in the blend until coming on here to write this tasting note….I was getting fruit, even though I thought apples, along with cinnamon. It looks like I was pretty close. I should have guessed something more citrusy based upon the smell of the tea. It is a light green base, and pleasant enough. I am not sure the cinnamon and green tea is a good combo, but the cinnamon is also light. I am very thankful to have had the chance to try it, QuiltGuppy!

Mug method with 185 water and 3 minute steep.

Tea of the evening…..

And tea 16 of 24. This one was from swapping with aisling of tea. (Thank you!) I was hesitant to try it when I got it because David’s was out of stock at the time, and I hate trying something, liking it, and then being unable to get more. I am getting over that, now, and know each cup is meant to be savored in the moment, but it took me a little bit in my tea journey to get here. And I do think this one might be coming back? (Yes, it did!)

Anyway, the infusion is light, sweet and somewhat nutty. I am amazed at how good it is for something that seems so simple. I have enough for a few more cups, so it might be something I will try in larger amounts. The jury is still out, but if it does what David’s suggests it does ("Health freaks say they stabilize your blood sugar, curbing carb cravings and mood swings. ") I definitely would like some of that!

1 tsp in a cup, boiling water for 6 minutes. Straight up!

Tea of the afternoon today, too!

I have a lovely friend that makes us pizzelles every year during the holiday season. This was my treat for the afternoon, so I was looking for an elegant tea to go along side….. The SoHo Blend was perfect. This is a tea I was trying to blend for myself over at a vendor that is known for its custom blends, but I could not come up with something I loved due to the quality of the tea. This blend is perfect. In fact, since I had to order some Hot Cinnamon Spice for a friend, I added on a whole pound of this to the order. Yum. And I will always be drowning in good tea!

Usual cup method with one sachet.

Once the holidays are over, I can offer a few samples! Any takers? (Edit to add, I will do at least 6!)

Tea of the afternoon…..

And day 15 of 24…. This one is from Uniquity, and I have to say this one is so worth the try if anyone gets the chance! Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I love that I have had the opportunity to try teas from all over.

I definitely get a wine taste with this one. It is lovely (I am usually a dry red drinker if I partake). I also get hints of pear and berry, but they are fairly seamlessly blended with the wine flavor so that there is not a great distinction that they are there. The black tea base is good, and there are no hints of bitterness or astringency. I did a slightly shorter steep than usual, and it works…. Yum!

Usual mug method for 3 minutes.

Tea of the evening…..

And day 14 of 24. I think this one came from JacquelineM, but I am not positive. Apologies if I am wrong….and thank you if I am not! (How’s that for sounding completely batty?……)

This one is more hibiscus than I like, BUT I am drinking it without sweetener. I am not really sure I have done that with an herbal like this before. I do get raspberry flavor, but very little in the realm of vanilla, because the hibiscus overpowers the cup a little too much. Why, oh why to herbal tea blenders go so heavy on the hibiscus? Really, it ends up tasting quite a bit like lemonade. And it might actually be very nice for those days when you have a sore throat.

8 oz boiling water, 1 teabag, 5 minutes. No additions.

Tea of the afternoon……

New tea! If you like Harney’s chocolate teas and coconut, this tea is definitely for you. I knew I would love it, so I bought a tin of sachets just because….. The tea itself is beautiful as it has amaranth petals in it, and it smells heavenly. Another wonderful detail……the design of the tin makes me feel as if I am back in the SoHo shop. The colors and styling of the tin mimic that of the shop. (Nicely done!) The tea is just as good as I imagined it would be….think of Harney chocolate tea with a hint of coconut. Yum. I will definitely buy more when my tin is gone.

Usual teapot method using 2 sachets.

Tea of the afternoon…..

And Day #13 of 24….. This one comes to me from Uniquity. Thank you! (I do really like this one!)

Blueberry black tea goodness. The tea base is pleasant, and the taste of warm blueberries is bringing back the memories of this blueberry crisp I made over the summer after taking my kids to a U-pick blueberry place. It was heavenly!

Usual mug method.

Tea of the morning……

And tea #12 of 24….half-way there! I am not completely certain who sent this one. (It was probably QuiltGuppy, LOL!) One other thing that is interesting about this tea…it looks as if it was a free sample sent out by thepuritea (I am not saying this to infer that I care how the sample was originally obtained….stay with me….) On the label it says it is strawberry black…and under that it says SpecialTeas. It is definitely in a small silver sleeve that says thepuritea. I am now wondering if SpecialTeas was the source of some of the teas at thepuritea. I feel safe mentioning it now, as it is unlikely that this tea will be sourced from SpecialTeas at this point since it is out of stock at thepuritea and SpecialTeas has now been absorbed into Teavana. I just love a tea mystery……

Good basic strawberry tea. The tea base is pleasant enough. And I guess I had better enjoy this as it is not likley that I can get more like it!

Usual mug method….

Tea of the evening…..

And day #11 of 24. This is a sample that was sent to me by Jillian. Thank you again for the unique teas you sent! You definitely had a part in encouraging my David’s addiction….

This one is the most unique rooibis I have had to date….. It has sprinkles. There are orange jimmies and black cats. The brewed up tea kind of looks a dark murky green. And it really reminds me of the taste of melted popsicles. I don’t mean that to sound bad in any way, because this definitely took me back to my childhood when I would try to get every last drop of juice left from eating a freezer pop. You know….the ones that come in the plastic tube. I get fruit flavors and it really does not taste like a rooibos at all, which for me is a plus. This is a fun tea!

Teapot method with a 7 minute steep.

Tea of the morning…..

Since this one was out from blending up Jenn’s Bilbo’s Darkside, I decided to have this one for my morning tea today. I do remember how much I love this one…hot or cold. Bold berry flavor with a sweet-tartness……

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the afternoon……

Since I had all of the components of this blend created by Jenn, I had to give it a try! The only sub I had to make was Harney’s Valentine Tea for the Chocolate tea. This is good! I get the black currants and chocolate, and then the vanilla just smooths it all together. I will definitely be mixing this up again!

Teapot usual method…..

Tea of the afternoon……

And tea #10 of 24. This one was sent by QuiltGuppy for my green tea and oolong self education. Thank you so much for sending this one as it is my first Moroccan mint! I also don’t think I have had a gunpowder green on its own, so this is completely new.

I love the refreshing flavor of the mint. I am trying to drink this one as is. It kind of reminds me (in my limited scope of mint green teas…) of Candy Cane Lane but more like real tea as it has much more body and fewer flavors to distract from the green. I expected the color of the tea to be lighter, but it is a light caramel color. Maybe it is more in line with other gunpowders….I have a sample of just gunpowder green that I will have to try for comparison. All in all, a refreshing tea and a great afternoon pick me up.

15 oz. mug, just over 2 tsp tea blend, 180 water, 3 minutes.

Tea of the morning…..

…And a lesson in water temperature. I had my kettle set for green tea and made up my tea this morning without checking the dial. Once I started pouring the water into my pot, I realized my mistake and tried to compensate with a little bit longer steep time. While it is not bitter like I thought it might be, it is not nearly as strong and satisfying as when I actually brew under the correct parameters. I am bummed, but I will drink it. Lesson learned.

For this pot, I rate it at about 70. Usual teapot method with the exception of the temp being 180 and time being about 6 minutes. Tea FAIL on my part!

ChOTE…….chai of the evening…….

I was looking for something cozy and sweet because I have an intense sweet craving right now. This will certainly help, and it won’t keep me up. Yum! I will be looking for a rooibos chai in the future that doesn’t have as much anise flavor, but this is still good.

Usual pan method with a minute added onto the initial water/chai mix step…..

Day #9 of 24….and tea of the afernoon.

I received this sample from my Harney dealer….I mean the lovely ashmanra. Thank you again for all the fun things to try out….

This is lightly floral and cherry scented. Really, pretty good for a green. It turns out I like them quite a bit more than I thought I would, and my taste for them is growing. I also like that they don’t require any additions for me. Good, but I still prefer the Tropical Green.

12 oz water, 1 sachet of tea, 180 water, 3 minute steep. Straight up!

Day #8 of 24…..

This sample comes to me from aisling of tea. I can’t believe I did not get around to trying this earlier. Maybe I was suffering from hibiscus worry…… Thank you so much for our swap eons ago that definitely fed my David’s Tea addiction! Now they ship for $5 for orders under $50, which so helps in just putting in an order to try things, in comparison to the $20 it used to be…..

This really is pretty good. It really does taste a bit like juice or a fruit lemonade. I can see kids really liking this one! A gateway for the younger generation……?

Mug method with a 7 minute steep time and twice the blend.

First tea of the afternoon…..

I need to try this so I can be sure it is something I need in my cupboard. Turns out, it really is. The thing I cannot get over is the price. It seems so much more affordably priced than any other milk oolong out there. I have to admit that I rather enjoyed the Milk Oolong from American Tea Room, but the price is a little scary.

I have to agree with other reviewers about the sample packaging. While it is cute, and I feel that the samples are secure, there is the matter of how to store them once they are opened. Luckily, I am a motivated sampler of teas, so I figure something out. I am not sure others would feel the same way. I did get a great deal on the samples, and I caught a free shipping deal, so in all, I am very happy with my order.

Buttery and smooth without much of a veggie taste, just like I read in another review. I can drink this straight up and rather enjoy it. Now I just need to decide how much to buy….

15 oz mug, 180 water, 3 minutes, about 2 tsp tea.

Second tea of the morning……

Wow. This is the one. It is much smoother than Hao Ya B, but still roasty, and more intense on the dark chocolate notes one typically gets with a Keemun. More roasty than Keemun Mao Feng, so this one would be my morning Keemun, and KMF for afternoon. There was a slight price jump from Hao Ya B to Hao Ya A (about $1 per ounce), and to me it was worth it. I have spent more on teas I did not care for, and this is worth it at $5 an ounce. Perfection!

Usual mug method….

First tea of the morning…..

I think I need to start calling myself ’Keemun Queen" instead of SimplyJenW. Truly, Keemun is my kindred spirit in tea. (Except that our relationship is kind of cannibalistic in nature since I am to the point where I consume it for survival!)

This is really good. Not as smooth and light as Keemun Mao Feng, but more in your face….a coffee drinkers kind of tea. I definitely get more cocoa and roasty notes than English Breakfast or F&M Keemun, and it is definitely their more intense counterpart. Now to decide if this one is going into the cupboard or if it will be Hao Ya A. Tune in for the next cuppa…….

Usual mug method…..