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Happy Day of Eating Too Much everyone! I have spent my day being crafty (need to make sure my Melted Geek Shop is stocked for the holidays) and drinking teas while rocking out to 80s New Wave. In honor of my geeky inspiration I decided to review a tea that is inspired by a fandom that has been near and dear to my heart for years. I discovered Harry Potter when I was fifteen and the series helped keep magic alive in my heart when I was going through a really rough time in my life, so of course I wanted to try the Butterbeer tea!

Before I go much farther I should say, I have a very distinct idea of what Butterbeer is supposed to taste like in my head, I will try my best to be fair if it doesn’t taste the way I expect it to and review it as a tea and not as a fandom geek out. As a giant nerd this will be hard…I mean, don’t even get me started on a rant about a fandom I am a part of, it never ends well! Butterbeer by 52Teas is made from Black Tea, Licorice Root, Chicory Root, and natural flavors. The aroma is very strongly rootbeer. Pretty much the only thing I am picking up is the aroma of rootbeer, and maybe a hint of creaminess. I have a problem here, I absolutely loathe rootbeer, probably more than I loathe lemongrass which is saying something. So lets try steeping the tea, sometimes I get surprised.

Once steeping the aroma becomes creamier, definitely more like a rootbeer float rather than just soda. There are notes of earthiness from the chicory and also notes of malt and a touch sweet. It smells like a very bright tea. The liquid has notes of oak along with the strong notes of rootbeer and sweet cream. As I pull the cup away from my nose I notice a bit of a bitter root aroma.

Tasting time! I can certainly taste rootbeer, ugh. The tea is creamy and there is a touch of bitterness from the chicory but it is a little too much like rootbeer. Oddly the more I sip on the tea the more it is growing on me, I find that really amusing actually. The tea is naturally sweet, but only mildly, so I think I am going to add a bit of cream and sugar (my favorite way to drink flavored blacks). Ok, that is really tasty, it still has a bit of the rootbeer taste, but now I can taste a bit of malt, some earthiness, and a touch of oak. I don’t hate it, it is not a new favorite tea but it is not as bad as I was expecting it to be with that strong of a rootbeer aroma. However, I do not think it tastes anything like I expect Butterbeer to taste like, so my quest continues.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/52teas-butterbeer-tea-review.html

As you might recall, yesterday I took a walk in the frigid air to the store (for milk and hair dye, life’s necessities) and I believe I picked up a new friend when I was out. Yes, there is a squatter in my lungs, a friendly little cold or some sort of irritant, meaning this is a perfect opportunity to test an herbal tea while taking a break from my spriting. The Perler inspiration bug has bitten very hard.

Today we are looking at Breathe Deep by Yogi Teas is a blend of herbs to support respiratory health and includes Licorice Root, Eucalyptus, Basil Leaf, Ginger Root, Cardamon Seed, Cinnamon Bark, Thyme Leaf, Elecampane Root, Peppermint Leaf, Mullien Leaf, and Natural and Organic Flavors. Opening the wrapper you get a nice slam in the face of eucalyptus, hello cooling fumes for my lungs! Mixing that aroma with mint and licorice it makes for a sweet blend with a very strong cooling effect for my sinuses and lungs, it is very refreshing. If you are not a fan of the aroma of eucalyptus and mint, walk away now because it is crazy strong!

Steeping the tea has turned my bedroom into a lung soothing sauna, or a jar of Vapor Rub. The aroma is mostly mint and eucalyptus but there is also an undertone of green, herbal aroma with a hint of savory herbs. It is certainly a good aroma for breathing in when you are unwell.

Holy Mary Mother of Mudkips that is intensely sweet. I was not expecting that level of sweetness, it is the strange sweetness of licorice root that gives it an almost artificial taste, if you have ever chewed on licorice root you will immediately recognize that flavor. For once I actually wish a tea was less sweet, I really must be unwell…or it really is just that sweet. The mouthfeel is refreshing and cooling with a delightful tingling as it goes down. There is a medicinal aftertaste that is not very pleasant. I can certainly breathe easier, so it does its job, but the taste is not exactly pleasant. I am not sure if I actually need to drink this tea in the future, I think that breathing in the steam from the tea did most the easing of my lungs.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/yogi-tea-breathe-deep-tea-review.html

I owe all of you an apology, as you noticed I did not blog yesterday, I completely forgot! The whole day I had this nagging ‘I know I am forgetting to do something’ and it wasn’t until I woke up this morning that I realized what it was. Feel free to blame the excessive amounts of Minecraft I have been playing this week. While out walking to the store today I thought to myself, I need to blog about a tea that captures the idea of Winter because it is really cold today.

Kyobancha by Yunomi.us and Obubu Tea Farm captures the idea of Winter in a different way than most teas. From Kyoto (that is where the Kyo part of the name comes from) this Bancha is plucked in March, having spent the entire Winter curing on the bush and then roasted. A rare tea, even hard to find in Japan, I knew I had to try it because the idea of this tea’s Winter journey makes me think that a little bit of the season is captured in the leaf. I am nothing if not whimsical in my way of looking at nature. The aroma is that of old leaves, like it is late Autumn and you are walking through a forest where all the leaves have fallen and there is that distinct aroma of old leaves and crispness. There is a roasted aroma but it is faint compared to other roasted teas and there is also a mild loamy aroma that ties it in with the forest imagery. I really enjoy where the aroma of this tea transports my mind.

Once the leaves are steeped the aroma of loam becomes stronger, as does the roasted aroma. I can also pick up notes of umami as I move the leaves away from my nose. It is savory and rich with also an earthy note and a very delicate hint of smoke. The liquid has a strong roasted aroma, but also notes of buttery sweetness.

Time for tasting! The first thing I notice is the buttery and very smooth mouthfeel, it just slides down my throat and I have be careful to not chug it! The flavor is sweet and rich with notes of earthiness and loam with a hint of wood. It reminds me a bit of brandy but without the alcohol, hard to imagine alcohol without the alcohol, I know. There is of course a roasted taste as well, it is mild, I could see someone who is not a huge fan of roasted teas enjoying this one. The flavors in this tea, while being distinct are also very subtle, it is a soothing tea for when you don’t want to be overwhelmed by flavor and just want to enjoy the delicate. As the tea cools it becomes sweeter and smoother. This tea is wonderful for cold days or right before bed (especially since it has almost no caffeine) and is very soothing to the stomach after a rich meal.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/yunomius-obubu-tea-kyobancha-tea-review.html

I have the house entirely to myself for the week, everyone is off in Madison celebrating the holidays and I am here at home. I decided to stay home because travel is not good for me and it has been a long time since I had some real ‘me’ freedom. So far I have spent my time playing Minecraft and drinking tea, so nothing too different than usual. Today’s tea review is going to be different (kinda) than the usual, today I am reviewing a Traditional Chinese Medicinal (to be abbreviated TCM from here on) tea, oh dear.

Kam Wo Char comes in one of the coolest looking packages I have ever seen, I admit that and the extremely cheap price at my local beloved Asian market were the reasons I tossed it in my basket. Hailing from Hong Kong, it is one of those ‘staples’ that a lot of houses have, it is like the TCM version of theraflu, although the box just says ‘to soothe dry throat membranes and as a mouth refresher.’ Also it says in very clear letters NO POISON, I found that hilarious because if you have ever had TCM teas you can safely say they taste like poison. There are a humongous amount of herbs in this tea, I have heard of quite a few of them, but there are some that I have never heard of and do not translate into Western herbalism.

The aroma is very much so that of an herb shop, there is a little bit of everything. The aromas that stand out the most are straw, sweet Annie, mint, and pickles. Yes, this tea smells vaguely of pickles…and I am completely ok with that. Compared to other TCM this tea smells like heaven, at least compared to the ones I drink regularly. The aroma clears the sinuses and is refreshing and a little nostalgic.

The instructions for this tea say to steep for fifteen minutes, that is pretty impressively long! The aroma of the steeping leaves is a balance of the different herbaceous aromas, no ones herb stands out and there is an underlying sweetness that was not there previously. The liquid sans the pile of leaves (that now resemble the remnants of leaves in a gutter after a storm) has a much richer aroma with notes of mint and earthiness. I also detect a hint of root herbs. I noticed there was a slight oily film on the surface of the tea, it was shimmery and pretty, but I am easily entertained.

And now it is time to taste. The liquid is so dark that it seems almost black, well no more stalling. If you can imagine me sipping the tea and then immediately convulse and start making strange noises, then you are entirely correct. The initial taste is incredibly bitter, the bitterness of medicinal herbs and roots. After the initial kick of bitterness the taste becomes very smooth and just herbal. The more I drink the more I start noticing other flavors; mint, dill, straw, it seems to evolves with each sip. I start noticing herbs that I cannot even begin to describe their taste because I have nothing to compare it to, the evolution of this tea makes it very fascinating. If you can get past the initial kick in the face bitterness it is a great medicinal tea, and it certainly helped my sniffles and sore throat, not to mention my headache! This tea is certainly going to be a cold season staple.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/yuen-kut-lam-kam-wo-char-tea-review.html

I received a package in the mail today from Germany, which is a first! I was very excited to open it because it contained tea that I won in a contest being held on Steepster by RiverTea. In order to keep people excited for the upcoming launch of their online shop they asked readers ‘what would you do if only 100 grams of your favorite tea existed in the world, what would you do to get it?’ and my answer involving crayfish put me among the winners. As per usual when I get a box in the mail containing tea, I had to try some of it immediately!

Today I am reviewing Marquis de Gris by RiverTea. (they are still pre-launch, but if you sign up for notification you can get a nice discount and samples) This tea is a blend of Mango, Bergamot, and Black tea with Rose, Sunflower, and Cornflower Blossoms. This tea is exceptionally pretty and colorful, I love teas that stimulate multiple senses. Well, on to the olfactory analysis, in a word this tea is heavenly. The aroma is one of the best blends of, well a blended tea, that I have run into, no one aroma overpowers the other. You can certainly detect the sharpness of the bergamot, the sweet tropical aroma of the mango, the delicate floral aroma from the various blossoms, and a rich maltiness from the tea.

Once steeping the aroma fills up my room, even though the petals become sad and faded. The aroma becomes more intensely citrus and the oaky, malty aroma of the black tea is really noticeable. It is a very brisk aroma and wakes me up (which is good because I have a serious case of the groggies). The liquid has a more sweetly floral aroma that blends well with the aroma of mangoes. The bergamot and black tea aromas are not as intense as with the steeped leaves.

The taste is wonderful, a perfect blend of mild sweetness, floral, and tartness. There is a hint mild astringency giving the tea a brisk quality that is not at all intrusive. A while ago I tasted a Lady Grey and thought it was, well, kinda awful, this tea gives me what I want in a ‘milder’ bergamot Early Grey style tea. I do not necessarily want there to be less bergamot but I want it accented with other things so it does not overpower. In this tea I can taste the citrus, the roses, the rich mango, and the base tea and they are harmonious, it does a wonderful job of being subtle while also being intense enough to keep my interest. I decided to add a splash of cream and sugar (my usual way of drinking Black teas, especially blends and first thing in the morning) and it was an excellent idea! The cream added that edge of richness and made the mango more pronounced and the sugar, well I just like my first tea of the day to be sweet. I have been looking for a new morning tea and I think I have found it, as you all know I do not often say ‘new favorite tea’ but today I got lucky.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/rivertea-maquis-de-gris-tea-review.html

When I ordered my Kyusu from Den’s Tea I also ordered their New to Den’s Tea Sampler so I could try a few of their teas. The first one I tried was a delightful Pyramid Teabag filled with Genmaicha Extra Green. This tea mixes Genmaicha and Matcha for a very green concoction, I like green teas that are vibrantly green, looking at them makes me immensely happy. Opening the wrapper I can certainly smell the Matcha, it is the most dominant aroma, vegetal green and sweet. I am not sure why but the aroma of Genmaicha always makes me a hungry (maybe because it has food in it?) and this is no exception. The rice aroma is roasted and nutty without being overpowering, the different aromas are balanced and not fighting for dominance.

Steeping the bag fills the area with the aroma of fresh grass and toasted rice. The strongest notes are that of the grassy green Matcha, followed by a gentle sweetness and mild umami. The toasted rice gives the tea a bit of a cereal like aroma (hmm, maybe I am just hungry) but it is muted by the Matcha.

The first thing I noticed about the taste is umami, a slight touch of kelp and delicious grassy green. A good beginning to a very pretty tea. The mouth feel is smooth and creamy, it certainly feels good to drink. The next note that I notice is the roasted rice nuttiness, it is not very strong and comes in as a mid to aftertaste. As the tea cools it takes on a slight sweetness and a resemblance to mown hay more than fresh grass. This is a great bagged tea and I look forward to seeing how it compares to the loose version of this tea.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/dens-tea-genmaicha-extra-green-pyramid.html

Lets be honest, I drink a lot of tea and I am also antisocial. What does that have to do with anything, well I live in a house with other people and there are long periods of time where I don’t want to have to go to the kitchen because it almost always means interacting. The kitchen was where my stove was and if I wanted tea I had to submit to being around people. This became even more of a problem when I became a full blown tea blogger since I needed access to the kitchen more.

Luckily I have an awesome mom who got this beauty for me as an early birthday gift so I can have tea in my room. Also she knew my lament at having to use the ‘Chinese water boiling technique’ instead of having temperature control, it was a perfect gift. This kettle does a wonderful job of heating water to the desired temperature, even my most finicky greens come out perfectly. There are no weird tastes from the kettle that taint the water. There is also a function to have it turn on at a specific time so you can wake up to water ready for tea, I have not used this function yet but the idea is pretty awesome.

I have only had it about a month so I cannot really speak to durability, but I do use it multiple times a day, switching between temperatures, and using it at various water levels and it is still going strong.

Complaints? It is loud! I find the roar of the water heating up comforting because it means tea, but it has woken my boyfriend up a few times during my nocturnal tea drinking times. Also the noise terrifies my cats though they are getting used to it! The cord is pretty short, easily fixed with an extension cord.

My mother and I decided to go splits on a set of four since neither of us really needed more than two each, they certainly add a level of whimsy to our tea gear collections. I have decided to lovingly call them ‘fairy cups’ because they look magical and they are so delicate that it is not at all hard to imagine fairies or even Tolkienian elves sipping from them.

They are very tiny, perfect for a really rare tea where you only have a small amount or if you are doing a ton of steeps and don’t want to end up sloshing when you move. These are not everyday cups, very much so a special occasion or just ogling the design kind of cup.

The price was very reasonable for the set of four, probably the best price for this style cup that I have found (and I browsed around a lot). My only complaint is I am so afraid of breaking them, my hands are arthritic so I tend to drop things a lot so HOPEFULLY I have not doomed these cups to a nasty floor smashing by owning them.

Since it is my birthday, ok not anymore since I took a nap and it has passed midnight…don’t judge me, I had too much cake and needed to sleep it off. It was a delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl cake made for me by Ben, it was so good I had to have a slice when I woke up from the nap. I might be addicted to to this cake.

Some cakes come in forms other than cake, like cupcakes! Actually no, those still count as cake, how about icecream and tea? Those are cakes that transcend the reality of cake but yet still maintain the idea of cake. Maybe I am still groggy from my nap.

Birthday Cupcake is a tea by Della Terra made from a blend of Black Tea, Coconut, Cornflowers, Cake Flavor, Chocolate bits, Chocolate flavor, and Sprinkles! This tea is very colorful and pretty, and of course smells delicious. The aroma is very creamy and sweet, a bit of coconut and a bit like vanilla. There is also the aroma of chocolate and vanilla, both similar to a liqueur or like sniffing a bottle of extract. The aroma is very much so a German Chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting, it smells like dessert!

Steeping the tea makes the room smell crazy sweet and creamy! The aroma has more coconut and the chocolate becomes much richer. The leaves have more of a general baked dessert rather than a specific dessert aroma. The liquid however should have a floating candle plopped in it to make a wish on because Holy Cake Batman! The aroma is so clearly German Chocolate cupcake with frosting that it is surprising that it is fact not a cupcake. Very rich, blending coconut and chocolate with the creamy vanilla aroma.

This tea was torture while it was steeping, I wanted to drink it because (well, when I was officially tasting it) I was having a serious cake craving. The taste is sweet, creamy, and chocolaty! The coconut flavor really shines through mid mouth giving the chocolaty taste an added buttery smoothness. It has a slight liqueur taste reminding me a bit of my chocolate rum balls, even though it tastes like liqueur it does not make it have a ‘fake’ taste and makes the taste richer. This tea is quite decadent with its aftertaste of buttercream, as it cools the creamy taste intensifies. Adding a touch of cream and sugar makes for a tea that is intensely rich, very much so a dessert tea! The sprinkles give the liquid a tiny bit of a pink tone, sadly though if this tea gets cold it gets a waxy film from the same sprinkles, so make sure to drink this tea hot.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/della-terra-birthday-cupcake-tea-review.html

My birthday weekend has passed and it was pretty mediocre event wise but I got some excellent presents. A nice shiny new pound of dice from Ben and a nice shiny monetary gift from my dear grandparents (which I used to order a Minecraft hoodie I have been lusting after for quite a while.) A bit of good news has occurred, I feel inspired again and not only designed some neat perler bead creations, I made a Minecraft Cat 3-D statue too! Go me!

Enough about being inspired to do crafty things, it is time for tea! Today’s tea is another awesome selection from Single Origin Tea, Yunnan Imperial Black. As you can most likely tell from the name, this tea comes from the famed tea growing region of Yunnan, China, a region known for amazing Pu Erhs and even more amazing Black teas (no offense Pu Erhs.) The aroma of this tea is muscatel and sweetly oaky with a tiny hint of cedar and earthiness. It reminds me of oak wine casks with a tiny drop of chocolate and a strongly woody after thought.

Time for a nice steeping! The aroma is much earthier and oakier with the muscatel notes being milder. It is very smooth and sweet and has a touch of loam, like the forest floor after rain. The aroma of the liquid is honey sweet and slightly like sweet grapes, mildly earthy and woodsy as a last whiff. The aroma is still very smooth and sweet, it makes my nose tingle.

The taste is sublime, this is one of the smoothest Black teas I have ever had, bravo! Sweet and earthy with a wonderfully gently mouthfeel. There is a tiny amount of an astringent feeling in the back of the throat after you swallow giving the tea an almost citrus like taste. The aftertaste is oaky and reminds me of the oak cask again. As the tea cools it becomes more woodsy and astringent, the taste also becomes sweeter like honey with a mild chocolate aftertaste. It leaves a pleasant mouth tingling sensation when you drink it cool. This tea is very delicious and is wonderful after a heavy meal or first thing in the morning, adding sugar or cream does not accentuate the flavors at all and really takes away from this tea, so I do not recommend it, enjoy this beauty in its natural form.

For blog and photos (Include the cat statue :P): http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/single-origin-tea-yunnan-imperial-black.html