Uniquity

I just lost my post. : (

In sum: This is still delicious. Bought 100 grams of this which stays at home (the beau and I both like it) and the sample stays at work. Reminds me in taste of Joy’s Teaspoon’s Lemon Zest but the mate aspect really makes it stand out. Naturally sweet, but not cloyingly so (I find myself averse to too sweet tea lately). Highy recommended! (Disclaimer: I have no discernible reaction to caffeine and the like, but I’ve hear this one can be pretty “energizing”.)

I know I go through this all the time, but I have found the Saigon Chai sweet spot! I had another 50 g tucked away somewhere and brewed a cup today. Only 2 or 3 minutes to steep and I shook out the dust beforehand. I find this batch has fuller leaf which means less bitterness off the bat. I added a tiny bit (maybe 1/8 tsp) of sugar to my Perfect Tea Mug, and it’s great. For now. Historically, it gets worse as it cools, but I’m hoping this cup holds up better. Raising the rating, for now. Really need to do a proper stovetop chai with this sometime!

Re-visiting this one again today. I’ve been feeling very under-whelmed lately with my tea options at work so I have been bringing in bits and bobs from home. Of course, it doesn’t help that I seem to have no idea what I want, but I persist in my quest nonetheless. This tea is a bit unusual in my cupboard, I don’t think I have any others that feature bamboo and honestly not that many that are strawberry. I remember enjoying it quite a bit during the summer so I am hoping that enjoyment is still there.

Dry, the leaves have an odd smell (almost reminiscent of melon or white tea – I don’t know where I’m getting that from) but there is a strawberry sweet note as well, sort of like strawberry candy. I steeped two heaping teaspoons for 7 or 8 minutes, and the result is a liquor that smells almost exactly like the dry ‘leaf’ – sweet but something off about it.

The taste matches the smell. It’s pretty much like I remember it. Sweet artificial strawberry, with the taste of the bamboo coming through as almost hay or oat-like. Right on the top of the sip I get a note that is almost like dark chocolate which really boggles me. I’m enjoying this at the moment, though I think I might prefer it iced (rare for me). Glad I only bought 50 g, as it doesn’t quite have the lasting impression I hoped for.

Still no spicy note. Bringing down the rating from 93 to 80s.

EDIT: Soooo, I accidentally posted this as Lime Bang – I really meant Lime Gelato. Whatevs! : )

Oh, Lime Gelato, you flirty fool. Today you are lovely and rich with sweetened lime aroma and taste. I think you would make a lovely mixed drink, were I not at work. To be honest, it’s a bit sweet for my mood at the moment, but that could have been from too much ‘leaf’ or too long a steep. I’m really shying away from overly sweet teas at the moment and this is falling into that category, but I am sure that my preference will change again soon. A fault of the drinker, not of the tea!

Wow, is this ever tart today. I used recomended amounts and steep time, and it is very tart. I also noticed rooibos in my cup, possibly for the first time. I hate that discontinued teas disappear from the Davids Tea website as I have no way of confirming the ingredients list now, but I swear I see rooibos. The things I don’t notoce sometimes..

This is so intriguing. I have some experience with unflavoured blacks, but this is a totally different universe. I get a really rich thick liquor, almost brothy. I get what I refer to as cocoa notes, but I don’t know that it is cocoa per se. At first I wasn’t sure what I thought, but it grew on me through the cup. I wanted to use words like grainy and roasty and even malty, but I don’t know if those are associations or just words that got stuck in my head. Won’t rate until I’ve tried it again as this tea demands attention.

The beau pointed out that it has honey notes and I didn’t get that in the tea itself but in the aftertaste. Dark chocolate in the sip (but not at all bitter!) and sweet honey in the aftertaste.

Steeped 3/4 tsp in smallish gaiwan with boilling water for around 3 minutes.

This is part of a sample I purchased from David’s Tea in July when this one came out – and I am finally getting to it! In aroma (both dry and steeped) the juniper berries and mint are the stars of this show. They were actually so potent as to make my eyes water when I brought the tea too close for a sniff. I know that might turn a lot of people off, but I LOVE mint and have a distinct fondness for juniper berries, so this is exciting. I am a little worried about how those elements will work out with the apples but these are all ingredients I love independently.

First sips are a little underwhelming. Hint of something fruity sweet at first, with minty ‘burn’ at the end. Nice, nothing very show-offy about the blend. I wonder if perhaps there aren’t too many ingredients and they are muddling a little bit. I’m definitely enjoying this (especially the coolness of the mint) but I’m not quite as impressed as I’d hoped. I was thinking this might be an okay Mojito replacement, but I don’t think that will work. I’m not sad to have this, but I don’t see the need to buy more. A nice middle of the road tea.

As I get further in the cup I almost wonder if I would like it better sans apples. Although then it’s pretty much just mint and juniper berry. I think this one was meant to be iced, and I imagine that would create a totally different set of flavours altogether. I think this would be great for when I have a cold. I just got over mine, but hopefully I’ll remember to dig it out next time!

(Cooler cup yields stronger apple taste, tempered by Juniper with mint in background. Very strange, especially with the apple sweetness. Very very weird.)

This was one of the 60 plus samples I received in my box of goodies from LiberTeas via Tea Trade. It seems similar to a few chocolate teas I have come to love so I was really looking forward to trying it. Like Fusion Tea Room’s Chocolate Mint Rooibos, this seems to have some fruit pieces in it (I am assuming Apple?) which lend a distinct “natural” sweetness to the blend. I also spy some red peppercorns, though I don’t ‘feel the burn’ so I don’t know how much they are contributing in terms of taste. As for that taste, I get sweet chocolate, with the fruit pieces really standing out on the sip. That said, it is a bit sweet for my tastes but still yummy to taste. Sort of like chocolate covered raisins, only without the raisin. I almost feel it might have done better with a stronger base – I am partial to flavoured blacks – though I can see the advantages of using rooibos with this.

As a fun aside, I am typing this up in outlook as I don’t have time to log in to Steepster at the moment and Outlook doesn’t think that rooibos is a word!

Sick again so having some of this. I had the beau add extra mint – all I can taste is berry with a mint background. None of the lemongrass I had last time. Hopefully it helps!

Trying again. I let the water cool to what seemed like an appropriate level then steeped for three minutes. Ish. I get a fairly bold goji berry taste (there were three in my cup) but not very tart goji. Not getting much flavour other than that. It is a bit ‘thin’, but enjoyable. I think I will keep it in the 75 range.

I might prefer the tea to have a bit more oomph, but I’m not much of a green tea drinker and I suspect that might be the issue. The smell is amazing, however, and if you are into flavoured green tea, definitely give this a go!

De-cupboarding! Made a jumbo pot of this – not sad to see it go, but glad to see a hint more room on my tea shelf. I’m finally learning to just hold on to the favourites!

I’ve been saving this sample…I like berry teas but am not always in the mood for them, and I wanted to watch out with both rosehips and hibiscus in the mix. The mix looks divine, with red berries, green lemongrass and yellow/orange bits of rind. I let it steep about 10 minutes as I think I was a little shy on the ‘leaf.’ The taste of this one is nice – There is a wine sort of aroma but nothing over the top. Forget the sangria and focus on the fruit. Is it both tart and sweet and really enjoyable – a dot of honey might temper the hibiscus, but it wasn’t overwhelming at all, just worked with the other flavours.

For those looking for something to replace Pink Flamingo from David’s Tea, this might satisfy. Yummy!

Another of my samples from Fusion Tea Room…only two more after this! Dry, this one smells a little odd. It is sharp and a bit tangy smelling (from the mate) but with some tart berry aroma to balance it out. Steeped, it smells less appealing. Almost cardboardy, very faint. The taste, however, is a different animal.

It does have the traits I’ve learned are characteristic of green mate, but it also has a really true tasting raspberry flavour. You get a hint of tart in the middle of the sip, but otherwise it is clearly a sweetish raspberry flavoured mate. The taste is a hint more mate than I would prefer (in that the raspberry could be stronger but I think that might make it seem artificial).

This tea is very true in taste to what you would expect and delivers on the name. I am starting to think I prefer teas with fewer ingredients, to avoid taste confusion and this one is just wonderful. For the raspberry lovers in the room, this would be a good one for you to try!

First off, apologies to Fusion tea room for taking so long to review this generous sample. I mean to finish the last few off a few weeks back but things went sideways after my paternal grandfather passed away. But here I am with a mug of Carrot Cake in front of me. Honestly, I am worried about this one as I get more cinnamon than I would smell in the dry ‘leaves’. Steeped, the liquor is very dark but really does smell like Carrot Cake once you get past the dry cinnamon smell.

Here goes! First sips are very sweet (candied sugar sweet) then I get a hint of smokey flavour and an aftertaste of cinnamon sugar. Once I am done sipping, it is definitely true to carrot cake taste – not so much in the sip itself but in the lingering tastes. Honestly, this cup is a bit sweeter than I can stand, likely because of the hunks of dried fruit I saw in my infuser. This level of sweetness is a bit much for me so I think I will try it again another time, after checking the components in my infuser!

As it cools it is losing some of that over-bearing sweetness and is more of a cinnamon sugar flavour, with echos of raisins and icing. Still over the top but probably ideal for a dessert or sweet tea lover.

Oh, Read My Lips – I love you so! When I first smelled and tasted you, I thought you could never be the one for me…but now? Now I don’t know how I ever lived without you. I just sent some of you off to a co-worker who also loves mint and chocolate but I can’t help but mourn that cup I’ll never have. Luckily there are 50 more grams of you at home, and tonnes more at the store. You might just be my winter indulgence this year!

ps – Thanks for making me love chocolate teas…I never knew what I was missing!

Enjoying this at the moment. I feel a bit guilty that the same teas stay a work all the time while the bulk of my collection is at home. I wish I could have all my teas all the time, but such is life. Had some of this today after a bit of a break and am enjoying it. Mint is dominant, but with the green tea tempering it out. I still think you’d have to be a mint nut to enjoy it, but I AM a mint nut! : )

Gave another sample of this a try. I have a tin somewhere at home, but am trying to clear out samples. This one was composed more like what I am used to, with visible pieces of fruit. There was something that loooked like a strawberry in my cup, enticing me. While this is better than my last tasting (I decreased water temperature a bit in deference to the green tea) it still takes on a bitter edge toward the end. I truly wish there were no black tea in this blend, I think I would enjoy it more without that addition. At first I get a sweet green tea taste, not overly vegetal but clearly green with a hint of fruit and then the bolder black tea steps up the plate to dominate the finish. It’s rare that I want a green tea, but I think they are starting to grow on me…

Wow. SimplyJenW swapped me this ages ago (at my request) and apparently I didn’t get the opportunity to log it until now. I steeped some up in my gaiwan and am enjoying a nice smooth cuppa. I get dark cocoa and smooth tea behind it. Reminds me of the memory of Golden Snail. Really a treat, and I expect to get a few steeps out of it. First taste is maybe 5 ounces water, 3/4 tsp of tea and a three minute steep with water just under boiling. All very different from my usual lazy way, but I managed to pour it without spilling or burning myself which was excellent! My, this really is a cocoa tasting tea. Mmmm…

Also, comparing this to the Keemun Panda from Sawadee that I had earlier today, this is a much smoother tea, seems unlikely to become bitter unless treated very poorly.

Mmmm. Here’s hoping this one comes back this winter. I still have a bit left in the tin and decided a cup of this would be the ticket. I used two teaspoons and have a pretty good ingredient distribution (an issue with this tea). I only have one big piece of orange left in the tin though and I seem to be saving it for a special occasion. Anyway, after a ten minute steep this yielded a powerful and sweet liquor, reminiscent of apple cider but not quite as intense. Perhaps a diluted apple cider, like one might do for children (why are children’s juices watered down, anyway?) Yum!

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. : )