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The beau bought some of this the other day without looking at the price. Considering our general dislike of green teas (or at least a lack of enthusiasm for them) I wasn’t very impressed with him. We tried it out last night and I must say that I wasn’t impressed. I won’t give a numerical rating for now as I had only a few sips, but this was little more than hot water to me. I couldn’t pick out any sort of taste, not even vegetal or buttery as expected. It eas extremely mild and way too pricy. So far, I’m not impressed.

Had one of these today at my cousin’s house (she recently got a Keurig). I figured ‘d give it a shot, plus it’s fun to use the little cups. Up front, I hate all the waste involved but it was a novelty. Nothing special about the tea, fairly standard ‘bagged’ fare. Didn’t get too bitter, but probably because it didn’t seem to reach boiling. Totally do-able in a pinch, and pretty neat!

It’s been two months since I received this and in this time the flavours have REALLY come together. I steeped this about ten minutes and get a lemon lime POW at first, and that gives way to a delicious creamy aftertaste, as if I have VERY recently eating a bit of cheesecake. It’s sort of like a one, two punch and I am loving it. I read a comment once (I think from LiberTeas?) that Frank’s blends, as with all blends, do best if they’e had a little time to sit. This one is a shining example..I am so glad to get a cheesecake taste from this! Yay!

Using a free sample obtained from David’s Tea during their recent birthdy party. Intriguingly, this sample has no fruit pieces in it, which I remember featuring in the blend. This was one of my first DT favourites, one of the few I have refilled my tin of. However, apparently I haven’t had it in almost a year. A year later, I wonder what I think of it. I’m starting to think that perhaps knowing too much about tea ruins my enjoyment of it…I used to just try anything and give it a go, but now I have certain prejudices against ingredients, base teas, and additives. So when I noticed green rooibos in this (which I surely wouldn’t have when I first tried it) I was uneasy. Also, there is green AND black tea in this. Now I think that’s weird. I’ve steeped this as a green, to be safe.

Smells…like green and black tea. Kinda hard to explain, but they are both present in aroma with a fruity something sticking around afterward. Tastewise, I am disappointed. I might have over-steeped it for a black, or steeped it too hot for a green but this is a little bitter. The fruitiness is very vague, and I mostly get a sense of slightly burnt black tea, not of exceptional quality, either. I think a hint of sweetness would save this cup, but I’m not much for that. I am pretty certain it is the black tea that is throwing this off… Will try again under better circumstance another time. I really do remember enjoying it!

Good afternoon Steepsterites!

Sorry to have been gone so long, but I spent the past week drinking Bagged Orange Pekoe (PC brand) at my father’s after the death of my paternal grandfather. At a time when I could have used my favourite teas, I had time and energy only for whatever my family had thrown together. On the plus side, I learned that I come by my tea drinking honestly (even if I am the most discerning in the family). On the minus side, I ‘lost’ both my grandfathers in two months. My remaining grandmother has been informed that she has to live forever.

On to the tea! On my fiorst try, I didn’t appreciate Good Morning Mate. I took out all the coconut pieces to remove that issue, but I found the cinnamon over-powering and the chocolate lacking. Today, I added 1/2 teaspoon of Fusion Tea Room’s Chocolate Mint to 1 teaspoon of their Good Morning Mate and like the result a lot more. The cinnamon is still kicking it up a bit more than I would prefer, but the extra chocolate and hint of mint tone it down a bit.

Increased rating because it worked well when blended – Though it seems a waste of the Chocolate Mint I so enjoy. : )

This day is no good. While working at reception this morning (never my favourite part of the day) a netbook was stolen from under my nose. Kind of a big deal, to me at least. At that point, I was ready to go home, but no, I have to stay and put in more time at reception, switchboard, etc. Fine. I get to switchboard after taking half a lunch (worked the other half because my true job was hectic) and accidentally over-steep my tea. For ten minutes. This is my first try of this tea and it smells so divine in the bag that I was hoping it would correct my wobbly day. Here’s hoping it is exceptionally forgiving..

My cup has two beautiful goji berries that smell fabulous. SO fabulous. And they’re pretty! And there’s no hibiscus! (Over)steeped, it still smells good but not as intense as when it was dry. First sips are a relief. I definitely don’t think this is at it’s maximum potential, but it is still very tasty. Surprisingly mild and unassuming at first, and with a delicious goji berry taste left at the end of the sip. No discernible green tea, really, but I can tell that there is a bit of burnt something in there, nullifying my wonderful gojis. I think I will hold off on a numerical rating and proper review until I can do this again properly, but for now let me say that I am impressed. If I had to rate this cup, it would get a 75, but since I know I screwed up (again!) I won’t punish what I think might just be an excellent tea.

Yet another sample from Fusion Tea Room – Thanks! In the bag, this smells divine. A mix of fuzzy peaches and Tim Horton’s Peach Juice, which I adored as a child. Not quite authentically peachy (I just had one, actually) but definitely a strong peach association, just a hint sweeter. Steeped for three minutes, this tea yields very large leaves, a few bits of lemon rind and a twig. Twig aside, it looks delightful and smells just like peach juice, a little less sugary though.

First sips are peachy, but mild. Not as bold in flavor as the aroma suggested. I’m not getting any discernible green tea yet but I imagine that will pop up as it cools. Personally, I don’t mind the lack of green tea taste as I’m not always a huge fan. This is definitely peachy, but in an unassuming sort of way, pleasant to taste and enjoy. I don’t think I have a peach tea yet that is so approachable. It’s not bogged down by unnecessary flavours, it is mostly just peach with a hint of green tea base. I am really enjoying this one!

Ps – I was right. As it cools, I am getting more of the green taste, but this particular cup at least is very unassuming. The tea is just there to hold up and highlight the peach – which still reminds me of peach juice, but for adults! And without sugar… : )

Continued thanks to Fusion Tea Room for this sample. This is one of the ones that I was very excited to try, as it smells divine in the package. Sweet citrus goodness, sort of like clementines. I was a little concerned about the licorice, but (in aroma at least) it worked with the citrus.

Steeped, it has lost a lot of the sweet citrus aroma and makes a dark brew. Unfortunately, I can taste the licorice a bit too strongly in this for my taste. I get licorice, then citrus, then a very bold smoky flavour that I didn’t expect – possibly from the roasted mate? Unfortunately, despite my high hopes, this blend is another one that isn’t quite right for me. I still haven’t come to accept smoke notes in my tea, and this is really hanging around in the aftertaste.

As the cup cools, I get more citrus but also more smoke. I don’t think I’m going to finish this one. : ( Now hoping that Peach Citrus Green from Fusion Tea Room will be more up my citrus loving alley. I still can’t believe how strong the smoky mate taste was in this, that is something I haven’t tasted yet in any of the mate blends (I’ve tried about a half dozen.)

Continuing on my mate and chocolate streaks, I figured I would give this a try today. However, this was a tea from Fusion Tea Room that I was afraid to try. Though I have really come around on chocolate or cocoa in tea, I still hate coconut. So much so that I actually picked out all the coconut pieces from this tea, so as to minimize any potential coconut flavour. Accordingly, I assume that my cup of this tea tastes at least a little different than it is supposed to.

I also learned that this one really needs to steep to the upper limit of the parameters, either that or it makes a weaker cup than the other Fusion Tea Room blends I have tried. I get a hint of cocoa and a (stronger) hint of cinnamon (is there any in there??) but not a whole lot else. For me, this would be improved with a stronger chocolate taste, and possibly more mate/no rooibos. This one is a bit of a miss for me. Drinkable, though a bit bland. As the cup cools I get more and more cinnamon…which, unfortunately, I am not enjoying. Thanks for the sample, Fusion, but this one was not for me.

Wow, looking at everyone else’s comments I am sorry to rain on the parade. The cinnamon really didn’t work for me, and in this cup at least, that was all I tasted. Maybe the coconut I removed was vital to the overall taste, in which case this is definitely not the tea for me. Oh well!

There are definitely ‘rinds of orange’ in here…you can smell them in the dry bag and taste them (albeit tempered by the spice) in the steeped brew. For a bagged tea, this is kind of nice. Nothing special about it, but drinkable and easy to pop in a cup at work if my Perfect Tea Mug is dirty. Fairly nondescript, though I do enjoy the orange. Reminds me of Christmas at home, as my mother heats our leftover clementine peels on the stove to make everything smell orangey. Almost reminiscent of a really orangey gingerbread. Man, I want gingerbread!