Uniquity

The beau bought 6 of these tonight. We’d never had a flowering tea before and he went a bit overboard…Luckily, it all worked out! I’m not so clear on what is in this tea, but I can say that it is absolutely delicious. I always think I don’t like floral teas, but it’s not true. I don’t like chamomile yet, but every other floral tea I have is delicious. For $2.50 apiece (we got a discount buying 6, and got a free tin to store them in) they are a treat in the teapot, but a delightful tea as well. The tea is very mild tasting, and sort of sweet. Natural sweet though, the way that vegetables can be. I really am enjoying it. We’re on our second steep already…Hopefully we get a few more.

((This one really opened up on the first steep and is really pretty!!))

ps – I get a hint of spiciness on the sip, but the beau doesn’t. Not sure why. We both agree that this (the second steep) is more flavourful than the first. Also, I’m loving my new koi teacup for this lovely tea!

Had a cup of this today at Sawadee tea house. I was there for the first time and I LOVE it. Good teas, lovely owner, great teacups. I walked out with three teas, two teacups and big plans to return. Often. ((The beau also bought two teacups and three teas…)

Anyway, this is a nice chai. Mild, no ((EDIT: green)) cardamom or strong flavours. Didn’t pick up the vanilla at all, but I really enjoyed this. Bought a tin to take home and enjoy. So pleased with Sawadee…and still feeling the burn on my tongue from the pepper (The last little bit had sat in the press an extra five minutes or so and got spicy! This chai is more of a spicy chai than a gingerbread chai, but I like it!

Oh my, have I fallen for you. When I’m looking for a more classic tea taste, you are the lady for me! The lemon/citrus is pretty front and centre, but this is a big switch from my normal berry flavoured teas. Love it!

Oh my. Somehow I’ve forgotten how delicious you are, both hot and cold. Luckily, this morning, I was reminded. Juicy and fragrant. Black Currant awesome. This is the only tea I’ve managed to have yet today, but oh what a tea it was.

Okay, preparing some of this on the stove tonight. I threw in some milk, some water, some random loose tetley I got in the grocery store for 50% off over a year ago that is definitely not the greatest, and of course some highland chai mix. Couldn’t say the proportions I used, it was all a fun experiment. Of course, I realized afterward that a tea ball might have been a better aproach than throwing it all in loose, but too late!

The loose tetley is really throwing me for a loop. The tea is all broken up like in the teabags and really looks like coffee grounds. Why did they make this? Why did I buy this? Will I ever use all of it???? Anyway, everything is steaming away on the stove. I’ve not a clue what I am doing, so it will be interesting.

In the pot, it has an exceedingly revolting look, but the smell is nice. Getting that warm gingerbread smell I get from The Tea Brewery’s chai latte. God, I hope it tastes like that! Okay, tea finally made and strained. Looks quite like the tea latte they make…it’s surprisingly thick, though that’s likely because of the milk. Smells really good, but also like I should have added more chai spice.

First sips are thick and creamy. I am not a fan of milk, but I do like this. I know the milk is there, but the chai spices are rocking it out. I think definitely a titch more chai next time, or maybe a better distribution of the components, but this is a definite win. <3!! (Also, it DOES remind me of their latte in taste. YAYAY!)

I’ve evnded up in the unusual circumstance of having this tea available both in bagged and loose. Honestly, the smell of loose (and my own preference for same) is the way I love to go, but these bags are perfect for work.

Since I’m stuck at Switchboard for the afternoon (and off and on for the next three weeks, gah) I figured a big mug of vanilla comoro was the way to go. I popped it in my travel mug, poured some hottish water on and am leaving it to steep. I would prefer to have some loose as this teabag doesn’t really flavour up enough for my 16 oz. mug, but it’s still got a lovely mild vanilla flavour. Sort of reminds me of cappuccino (sp?) but less strong.

It’s been a while, old friend. Sweet mandarin, nice flavours. Popped it in the travel mug this morning (lazy, I know!) since I over-slept and had no time for tea earlier. Lovely.

Finally giving this a go. As we all know by now, every pouch of this is super different, so obviously I am commenting only on my pouch. The dry smell is of tea, but faint. Not much fruitiness, just a sweet mild vegetal tea taste.

Steeped, the liquor is a relatively pale yellow, looks like a mild tea. The steeped smell is reminiscent of the dry – sweet, mild, green tea, but also has fruit notes. All sweet. Exciting. I’m a little apprehensive, but only because I’ve been having a questionable relationship with greens lately.

The beau was in charge of water temp and steep time, but he assures me that he let it cool considerably after boiling. He is actually the one who recommended this tea for our evening tea, strange since he claims to not like greens at all. I think he was just drawn in by the ingredients list (aka: YES).

First sips continue to be mild. I get fruit taste at the end of the sip, much as I do in the smell. No way to tell what fruit I am tasting, but it is slightly reminiscent of very merry berry medley and blueberry cream cheese danish, so maybe a light blueberry flavour? Looking in the pot, the tea leaves are quite large and there are chunks of something or other here and there.

I can’t say anything specific about this tea really. It’s certainly nice, and probably a good way to get me back into my flavoured greens. I’m still getting mild green tea, with little to no vegetal taste and mild fruits. Not blowing me away, but definitely a nice cup to sip absent-mindedly.

I don’t remember if this was my choice or the beaus. Because of the peppermint, I’m tempted to say I picked it. Either way, it’s been in our cupboard for quite a while and not really seen the light of day. The bags come in individually wrapped packets, so they’re probably as “fresh” as they would be if you picked up a box at the store today.

I think I had it before and didn’t like it, but can’t remember.

First scent impression is of a lemony kick in the pants. I love lemon, so this is okay. I also like ginger and LOVE peppermint, so I’m ready for this. Let’s do it. First sips – lemon. I don’t really get any of the other stuff. Just lemon. Strong lemon, slightly tart. I’m getting a minor ginger burn at the end. The peppermint must have walked away when I wasn’t looking. My, I wish the peppermint were here.

Anyway, nice enoguh. Should have had some of this when I was sick, it would definitely help. It sort of has that lemon neo citron smell, if you know that stuff.

Might get the beau to try it again, I think he would REALLY like this. I definitely think it’s okay, but I’ve got so many lovely loose teas that taste better, this will likely just be a work or illness tea.

EDIT: Upped the rating. Really came to enjoy it more and more as it cooled. Still lemon dominant and I maybe get a hint of mint in a chilliness at the end of the sip, if that makes sense. Gingerburn in the throat, but freshness at the same time. Quite nice!

Upping the rating. Had a travel mug full this morning to start my work day. The sweetness of the fruits and berries mixed with the tart hibiscus is making my mouth dance. I think of it more as a summer tea than a spring tea, but that’s semantics. Mostly I just think of it as a delicious delight.

I don’t know anything about goji berries, but there is one really sweet juicy flavour, that I assume must be goji, since I don’t remember having it in any other tea. My only qualm with this tea is that it’s quite heavy, and therefore on the more expensive side. For now, it’s a lovely treat, and likely to be cycled with my regulars for take to work tisanes.

Gave the leftover tea a second steep this morning for breakfast. This came out more watered down, obviously, but had a rich blueberry flavour nonetheless. The black tea taste was essentially gone (not that it was strong on the first steep) but in my opinion, it really stood up well to the second steep. The beau was proven wrong, haha!

I do agree with another poster who said that it had the flavour of the bluberry filling you would find in a good danish. Yum!

Okay. OKAY.

I re-organized my tea cupboard this afternoon. And much of my house. It looks a little nicer in areas. As a reward, the beau offered to make tea. I had intended to try this one out earlier (which spawned the tea cupboard re-orgaanization, which in turn led to cleaning everything else. Obviously I got side-tracked). So, I chose this one!

The dry smell is delicious – blueberry heaven. Now, I have two blueberry teas, which taste extremely different from each other. And this one smells (and tastes!) totally different again. I really like this. I don’t know that I get cream cheese or danish, BUT I do get the smell of homemade blueberry pancake mix, so obviously, there’s a bit of a dough aspect in there somewhere. I lit up like a kid at Christmas when I looked in the teapot and saw 5 ENORMOUS blueberries swimming in there. The tea leaves were also really large, and these factors only increased my excitement.

First sips are yummy. Big bold blueberry flavour, still reminds me of my pancakes. I get a hint of tea at the end of the sip and I am over-all very impressed. For a blueberry tea It’s high 90s. For a cream cheese danish, it’s much lower, but I’m rating it on how much I like it, not on whether it tastes like a pastry!

The beau says it won’t do a re-steep, but I might try it out anyway. Those blueberries look like they have oodles of flavour to release yet.

EDIT: big thanks to Meghann M for sending me this delight in my package of awesome. I’m slowly making my way through the ranks and have been delighted every step of the way!

200th tasting note, brand new tea. Obviously the tea buying ban was temporarily lifted today. We had planned to go to Sawadee tea house, but ended up at David’s instead. The beau smelled this one and proclaimed we had to have it – and now we do!

Steeped a cup this evening. My tastes are still a little off (thank you, cold…) but I really enjoyed it. The hibiscus got a little too dominant for me, but paying better attention to the steep would really help with that. A dob of honey would probably do it too.

The smell is intoxicating, and the taste is delicious. Wish the hibiscus would back off a little bit, but it’s not too over-whelming. I found it on the middle of the sip, if that makes sense. Will try again soon when taste buds are re-aligned.

So madly in love with this tea…

Re-steeped last night’s leaves for my morning tea. The flavour had diminished quite a bit, but I kind of expected that, for a number of reasons. Luckily, the black tea base to this tea is really nice, since that is mostly the flavour I got this morning.

Had my first cuppa this loose today – My tea arrived! Made a pot for the beau, a friend and myself. It was very lovely, though the smell was stronger and more caramelly than the teabags I had before. A pound of tea, it turns out, s a very large measure indeed!

It’s been a crazy week at work, with everyone dropping like flies. 2 people essential to our flow are out sick today…and I, as always, am in sick! :)

Covering for switchboard for the second afternoon n the row (I like overtime, but I really just want to go home ON TIME!). So, big mug o’ mint to get me through the afternoon. Good for my throat, too!

First time I’ve had this in months and months, I think. Possibly since I bought it – Today I threw it in the travel mug and let it sit for 4 hours (still finishing it up). It’s yummy both hot and cold, though I didn’t get much caramel taste, between my cold and the insane steep time. I got a strong pear taste, almost sharp. Yummy, and I look forward to having some again when I can taste properly.

Yummy yummy breakfast. Didn’t get much black tea flavour teoday, but enjoyed the spices. Was a mood for a chai, but this came close enough!

Getting more of a rum and coconut taste from this right now, but my tastes are being played with by my cold. The coconutty edge doesn’t make me happy, but it’s definitely still drinkable. There’s also a stronger black tea taste – I am reaching the bottom of the wee bag I have at work, so my guess is that the component distribution isn’t so hot anymore. I also didn’t add the extra spearmint I often do. Maybe I should have, hmm.

Brought a big mug of this to work with me, to get me through my morning. i persist in getting a vanilla-ish lemon taste, not quite like a lemon meringue, as it lacks the sharpness I associate with true lemon. The rooibos background gives it a natural sweetness, and provides an enjoyable cup that requires no extra attention. Perfect!

Cuppa detox to go with my buttered toast for breakfast. I can’t entirely taste it, which is a shame, but the juniper berries are the dominant flavour for me in my state of sickness. Come on rooibos, kick this cold’s butt!

Slightly oversteeped and very cold – Not so much time for tea in the new position as one might have hoped. A nice stand by, and easing the pain in my throat slightly. Being ill stinks.

Will write a proper tasting note later. Tried this tonight (first Joy’s Teaspoon tea I tried without having tasted or smelled). It was delicious – the black tea was definitely there, but a background to complement the cranberry, etc. Yum!