Veronica

Since trying Banana Jack from Element Teas I have been on the hunt for a really good banana flavored tea. When I saw that Frank had released this tea I snapped it up because I knew I would not be disappointed. I was right!

The banana flavoring is spot on. There is no fake candy flavor or funky aftertaste that is common in a lot of banana flavored teas. And while I am not a fan of coconut in real banana pudding, it works in this tea. I was worried that the coconut might overshadow the banana because there were some big pieces of dried coconut in my infuser basket, but happily it plays a supporting role. I think it also helps lend a creamy taste to the tea.

I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite teas this summer. I’m looking forward to trying it iced and sweetened with simple syrup. This might also make its way on to my Memorial Day picnic menu. I’ll serve a basic black tea and then have this as a sweet tea option. Something tells me it’ll be a hit.

Went to The Tea Place this to pick up more of this lovely tea and found out that the shop is being sold. I’m so sad because it is a great little store/tea house. I wish I could buy it myself, but there’s no way that’s going to happen. Hopefully another tea aficionado will take care of this little gem and keep selling me my favorite vanilla tea. Fingers crossed that good things will happen!

I have mint on the brain. Yesterday I was at the store and couldn’t resist picking up a chocolate mint plant. While it will be in its own container it will be nestled up against my orange, sweet, and pineapple mints. I’m already looking forward to all of the minty goodness I’ll be eating and drinking this summer!

Since I was thinking about chocolate mint I decided to make myself a cup of this tea. It’s really good. Lots and lots of peppermint followed by a bit of chocolate. I can’t taste the base tea, but I don’t mind since the mint and chocolate flavors are so good.

Finishing the last of this sample that I received in a trade from yappychappy (thank you!).

I wanted to try Anti V-Day to see if it was Della Terra’s Candy Cane tea made over for another holiday. By now I guess everyone knows that it is. This is fine with me because I loved Candy Cane, so remakes make me smile. The tea is an excellent mix of mint and vanilla with a good black tea base. Out of all the DT teas I’ve tried this on resteeps the best. Just one more reason to love this tea!

This has become my favorite vanilla tea. It is delicious, and with a little cream and sugar it is a great before bed treat.

I really like this tea. It’s so rich and flavorful. I love the big pieces of coconut in my brew basket, and I really love that there is no artificial taste but instead a clean, sweet fruit flavor. Plus, the tea itself is really bold and pairs beautifully with the coconut. Love, love, love it!

I was in the mood for a dessert tea, and this one fit the bill. Sweet,creamy, lots of flavor, and much better for me than the carton of ice cream I’m avoiding in the freezer. Sadly, I used the last of my sample. This one will be missed until it can be replaced!

Used my last bit of this today. I’ll be ordering more. It’s a great basic black to have around. Stronger than a lot of teas, but no bitterness or astringency. Perfect way to get myself way to get myself going in the morning.

Today I was doubly thankful for this tea. My daughter had to go back to school because her school chose to end spring break two days early to make up for the days they missed from Hurricane Sandy. Needless to say, my girl was not a happy spirit when she came to the breakfast table this morning. She eased in to her day with a cup of Strawberry Cream. I drank my tea and avoided all conversation while she grumbled about the unfairness of life. Thank heaven her brother, who goes to a different school and is still on spring break, was asleep. By the time I had resteeped my tea she was heading out the door and even managed a polite goodbye before walking to the bus stop. Sometimes twelve-year-olds can be scary little creatures. *shudders * :)

Herbal of the night. Lots of mango flavor, but the passionfruit seems to be missing. Sweet, fruity, juicy. Ah, the passionfruit comes out as the tea cools. Now it’s lots of passionfruit with the mango coming in at the end of the sip. As far as bagged teas go this one isn’t bad.

This is one tasty herbal. Lots of peach flavor with strong apricot notes slipping in here and there. The honeybush and vanilla give the tea a creamy flavor so that this is almost a peaches and cream tea, but not quite. There is a slight floral note at the end of the sip that I love. It takes the tea from being another yummy fruity herbal to something special.

Thank you, Lariel for sharing such a generous sample with me! I will enjoy every sip.

I had a (really good) citrusy IPA earlier, and it’s stuck in my brain. I was getting ready to make myself some lemon jasmine tea when I remembered that I had put this in the refrigerator to cold brew last night. It isn’t citrus, but it is fruity and delicious. Cold brewing makes this almost delicate. It’s soft with the flavors of the green tea, blueberry and mallow flower blending beautifully. The only thing I don’t like is a hint of bitterness I get at the end of the sip. Other than that it’s wonderful.

My morning cup. This is an ok Ceylon, but it was too light for my first cup of the day. This is more of an afternoon tea.

The tea has a very slight floral taste as well as a note of hay. It was a bit dry on the back of the throat. I was reminded of late summer when everything has been baked by the sun for weeks on end. Dry and crisp but also a little hazy around the edges.

This tea was from the teabox, and while I liked it it’s not a tea I see myself buying. It was nice to try though.

This sample was sent from yssah. Thank you!

This is a really nice tea. I taste vanilla more than blueberry, but the blueberry is definitely there. It’s more like a good vanilla tea with hints of blueberry. The base tea is also very good, so even though the berry flavor isn’t as present as I would like it is still easy to enjoy the tea.

I have enough of my sample left for one more cup (which I’ll probably have tomorrow) and if I remember I’ll add sugar and cream to my cup. This is a tea asking for additions.

I’ve been cold all morning. I thought a cup of this might help warm me up. Here’s hoping it does because I am tired of being cold. Hurry up spring!

This is still one of my favorite everyday chais. There’s lots of spices and a good black tea base. Add a little honey and milk and its even better.

Went out for a wonderful dinner tonight. I ate far too much and still came home with enough food for my lunch tomorrow. Oy!

Since I had over indulged I decided to skip dessert and coffee at the restaurant and have this at home instead. It’s a nice Moroccan Mint. I like that the mint doesn’t overwhelm the tea. I do wish there was more smokiness from the gunpowder green, but the tea was still nice without it. For people who want to try Moroccan Mint but don’t like smokey teas this could be a great option.

This isn’t my favorite Moroccan Mint, but it is a good one.

I have tried this tea twice now, and it just doesn’t work for me. The tea taste both overly sweet and highly astringent. Not a good combination. The second time I had this I ended up with an awful stomach ache. I can’t say that it was from the tea alone, but I know the tea didn’t help.

I can’t see myself drinking this again. If anyone wants it let me know. Otherwise I’ll post it on the swap board later this week.

So apparently I have a fruit flavored theme going today. Strawberry, blueberry, and now pineapple. This is a decadent tea. The pineapple is as sweet as one would expect after it has baked and caramelized. It’s almost candy sweet but without the fake flavor. The pineapple is definitely the main flavor, but there is also cake. I’m not sure how Della Terra accomplishes the cake-y flavor in their teas, but they do an excellent job. Really, everything about this tea is delightful. I love it! Since this is a decadent tea I’ve added sugar and cream. Oh my word… yes.

If I were to line up all of my favorite teas there would be a row of black teas and then this little gem. I love the blueberry flavor, and I love the sweet grassy note of the green tea. It’s so light and refreshing. This will definitely be one of my go-to iced teas this summer. For now though I am enjoying it hot with a little sugar added to bring the blueberry flavor out even more. Good stuff.

First cup of the morning. The strawberry and vanilla flavors in here are so good. If I have to get out of bed in a cold rainy Tuesday then this is the way to do it.

I had a sudden craving for lemon tea, and this is one of my favorites. I thought I could keep it in my travel mug and sip on it throughout the day, but it kept the tea so hot that none of the flavors really came out. I ended up pouring it into one of my ceramic mugs. Once the tea had cooled a tiny tiny bit it was perfect. Lots of lemon, cake, and floral notes. Delicious!

Sipdown!

I have really enjoyed this tea. Della Terra makes a delicious vanilla mint, and I think their base tea works especially well with this one. This is a tea I can drink anytime of day and have always liked. That said, I was sorta happy to drink the last of this today. Spring is in the air here, and I’m ready to not have mini candy canes, no matter how cute they are, floating in my tea basket. I will, however, be looking for this one next fall/winter!

This is a nice tea. I’m usually not a chocolate tea fan, but the chocolate and berry flavors are so well balanced, and the base tea robust enough, that I find myself really enjoying this one. I’m glad I grabbed a sample of it from the teabox. This is good stuff!

Tea #26 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Peach but no Oolong. It’s really strange. The peach flavor is nice, but then there’s nothing. None of the usual oolong flavors. I had no trouble finishing the cup, but it would have been a much nicer cup had the Oolong decided to make an appearance.

Tea #25 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Happy tea! My first sip of this tea and I had to smile. The cotton candy flavor was so spot on that it made me think of summer time and the amusement parks on the boardwalk. I thought I was missing the blueberry, but after the tea cooled a bit it was there. Yummy! It wasn’t long before both of my kids realized I was sipping something delicious and began asking for sips of my tea. Between the three of us my cup was empty in no time. Thankfully the resteep of this was pretty good, so we were all able to enjoy ourselves a while longer. Even my non tea drinking ten year old son gives this tea two thumbs up. This one’s a keeper!