Veronica

Tea #24 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Mmmm, this is some tasty tea. It’s dark and malty, but not at all astringent. As the tea cools the fruity flavors become more noticeable. There’s apricot and something else… not cherry, but some other stone fruit. About halfway through the cup I added some milk. The addition seemed to meld all the flavors together. Nice! This is a tea I would like to have again.

Tea #23 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Backlogging.

I had to try this tea just because of the name. I figured I would not be a fan since it’s rooibos based, but it was actually pretty good. Lots of spices mixed in with the carrot, walnut and raisins. Very tasty. I love the sweetness (which I assume is from the maple brittle) because it was just the right amount of sweet for the tea. Not too much, but no need to add sugar. Every now and then the rooibos flavor was stronger than I would have liked, but all in all a great herbal blend!

Tea #22 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox

Backlogging.

Have you ever watched one of those videos where an adult gives a baby a taste of lemon, and the baby’s face contorts at the unexpected tartness? I’m sure that’s how my face looked when I first sipped this tea. Even after adding sugar the tartness was overwhelming. Me thinks this is not the tea for me.

Tea #21 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

I have really mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I was excited because I liked this even with the rooibos base. On the other hand I found the flavor of the tea lacking. I mean with a name like Strawberry/Lemon/Basil I’m expecting flavor/flavor/FLAVOR. Ya know? Everything here seemed muted which left me disappointed. That’s not to say that the flavor was bad. It has a nice sweet flavor from the strawberry, a bit of pop from the lemon, and little hints of basil coming out every now and then. The combination of the three together should have been amazing, but it was just middle of the road.

I might try this one again at some point but not any time soon.

Tea #20 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

I am slowly becoming a fan of raspberry especially when paired with Oolong. With the first steep of this tea (3 minutes) the raspberry flavor was so light it was almost floral. It was sweet and soft while just hinting at juicy berries. Combined with the buttery flavor of the Oolong the tea was delicious. The second steep (5 minutes) gave a tea that was all raspberry with almost no Oolong flavor to be found. I was kind of surprised at how strong the raspberry flavor was, but it was still wonderful. I may do a third steep later tonight just to see what happens.

Tea #19 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Ooh, this is a good one. This was my first time trying mate, and I loved it. It also gave me the chance to realize that I like green rooibos but not red. The mate and green rooibos blended together give an earthy flavor that I really enjoy. On top of that base flavor is a bright, citrusy lime note that makes me oh so happy. Really, whoever blended this did an incredible job. I am a fan. I did not taste the pistachio, but that didn’t bother me since what I did taste was so good.

After I finished my first cup I went back and resteeped the leaves. I learned two things 1) this blend resteeps very well, and 2) my caffeine tolerance is quickly reached when drinking mate. My face started to feel all tingly which I did not take as a good sign. I’ll have to remember that in the future.

Tea #18 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

This is a nice EG cream. Lots of bergamot flavor, and the vanilla gives the tea a smooth, creamy quality. The base tea is a little weak for my taste. I sipped this while folding laundry, and when I reached the bottom of my cup I thought that it was a nice cup and I would resteep the leaves later. So, nothing that made me stop and really take notice, but a nice cup nonetheless. If only I could find the bottom of my laundry basket as quickly as I find the bottom of my tea cup!

Tea #17 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

My daughter wanted to try this as her morning tea. I didn’t think she would like it, so I just brewed up the one cup thinking I would finish it. Turns out she loved it. Loved it! I was able to get her to let me try a couple of sips, but this is more her tea review than mine.

Lots of pineapple and coconut flavor mixed with the sweet grassiness of the green tea. The rum (which my daughter referred to as ‘the odd flavor’) lingers on the front of the tongue throughout the sip. No sugar required. The tea is plenty sweet on its own.

She also hinted that this would be great with coconut cake. Looks like I have another tea to add to my shopping list and some baking to do.

Tea #16 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Backlogging this from last night.

This was my before bed tea. A very nice, relaxing herbal with lots of flavor. The strawberry was the dominate, but there was enough kiwi to keep it from becoming an all strawberry tea (not that that would be a bad thing). I added some sugar to help highlight the fruit and hide the hibiscus, and I ended up with a really pleasant cup.

I’m kicking myself for not knowing about Element Tea earlier because I would have loved to have ordered from them. I think I have liked every tea I have tried from them out of the teabox, and they have some of the best herbals ever. Many thanks to Tea Sipper for allowing me to try these great teas that I otherwise would have missed all together!

Tea #15 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

This is a decent chai. All of the spices are there, and the base tea is ok. Given all of the amazing chais that are out there I doubt that I would order this one, but I certainly wouldn’t turn down a cup of it were offered to me.

Tea #14 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Oh. Holy. Yum. This is delicious.

I normally stay away from banana flavored teas because I think that too often that they end up tasting like banana flavored Laughy Taffy. Thanks, but no thanks. This tea, however, isn’t a banana tea as much as it’s a tropical tea with banana as one of the flavors. The coconut keeps the banana in check, and the two blend with the black tea very well. There is a bit of an artificial flavor that comes out more as the tea cools, but if I ever have another cup of this I doubt it sits around long enough to cool.

Element Tea, please, please, please carry this again!

Tea #13 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

I really like vanilla tea. There is something so calming and relaxing about it. As far as vanilla teas go this is a good one. I’m glad it found its way it into my cup.

There are actual chunks of vanilla bean blended in with the tea. How awesome is that? I actually did a double take when putting the tea into my basket because I had never seen that with a vanilla tea before. The tea brewed into a very dark color which made me regret my four minute steep. I wish I would have gone with three. The tea is somewhat astringent, but the vanilla taste is lovely. I wish more companies added vanilla to their tea the way this one does. Even with my over steeping this is very good.

Tea #12 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

I made the mistake of reading the reviews before trying this tea, so I was set not to like it. Turns out, though, that this is a decent herbal. The chocolate adds plenty of sweetness, and the spice is there, but it is also fairly mellow. This seems like a great tea for those late nights when I want some chai but I also want to sleep at some point. That being said, I think this would be awesome added to a mid-grade Assam. Seriously yummy.

Tea #11 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

I made this to drink on my way to church, and I have to say it’s not my favorite. Too much honey and not enough of anything else. I could pick out some bready notes in the tea as it cooled, but I never tasted the pistachio. I was also wishing I had added a little milk to my tea, (something I rarely do) but I had already left the house, and I didn’t want to go home. The sad thing is I think this could be an awesome tea if I had the time to baby it, but there was no way to make that happen today.

Tea #10 from the ‘Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

This was my first tea this morning. The tea was lighter than I expected, and there was an oily film on top of the tea once it steeped. I know it’s the oil from the flavoring, but it kind of grossed me out. Especially first thing in the morning. Once I moved past that and was able to taste the tea I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of maple flavor, but nothing over the top. There was a bready note form the base tea, and the combination of maple and bread reminded me of French toast. Strangely, I haven’t had French toast in years and years, but now it’s all I can think about. Maybe we’ll have breakfast for dinner tonight just so I can give in to my craving.

Tea #9 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

This tea is a bit bland to me. There’s a faint peach flavor, but I’m not getting anything from the sencha or the jasmine. I made sure my steeping parameters were appropriate, so I’m thinking this is not the tea for me. However, I love the idea of peach and sencha together, so I’ll have to see what other options are out there.

Tea #8 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Last tea before bed. I have to say that today has been a highly enjoyable tea day. After having so much caffeine I knew my last tea would have to be an herbal. Otherwise I would never get to sleep tonight!

I was hesitant to make this tea because I’m not a hibiscus fan, but I loved the idea of all the different fruits so much that I brewed a cup anyway. I timed it carefully it wouldn’t be too tart, and I added a little bit of sugar. The result was a fruity concoction that almost tasted like the juice from a jumble berry pie. Very fruity, and while there is a touch of tartness it’s nothing overwhelming. This was a perfect way to wind down and get ready to sleep.

I’m sure I’m going to dream about tea tonight, but at least they’ll be happy dreams!

Tea #7 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

This tea is weird… I think I like it. I don’t taste apple at all, but there is a very sweet note at the beginning of the sip. Not sure if that’s the apple or the anise because there’s no distinct flavor – just sweet. It’s followed by the savory flavor of the fennel and then the heat of the chili bits and ginger. I don’t smell or taste cinnamon or cardamom which is strange since they’re both distinct (and often strong) flavors.

I like the mix of flavors. It’s different and definitely invigorating. Not something I would care to drink every day, but every once in awhile it’s nice to have a weird tea. :)

Tea #6 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Moment of truth… I don’t like eggnog. Never have. For some strange reason, however, I am very curious about eggnog flavored teas. Maybe it’s my love of vanilla, or maybe it’s the spices, but for whatever reason anytime I can get my hands on a tea that taste like eggnog I have to try it.

This tea definitely smells like eggnog. Lots of sweetness and spice right out of the package. After it steeps the smell reminds me a lot of vanilla chai. The taste is vanilla with a hint of spice and a creaminess that surprised me. I thought I would need to add milk, but I think the tea is good on its own (well, I did add a bit of sugar). I wish the spices were stronger, but even with less spice this is one of the better eggnog teas I have tried. I’ll have to remember to look for it in the store next Christmas.

Tea #5 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

I love lemon and ginger, so when my daughter asked me to make this for our afternoon tea I was happy to do so. The scent while steeping is mostly ginger, but when I poured the tea into cups the smell of lemon was really strong. It made our house smell so good!

The taste was much like the smell – lots of ginger up front with a sweet lemon burst towards the end of the sip. I really loved it, but my daughter thought it was just so-so. If some honey were added it would be the perfect sick day tea, and while I toyed with doing that I decided to add ice to the last cup. I let it get lukewarm and then added a bit of sugar and lots of ice. Heaven. This is an iced tea that’s meant to be drunk outside on a wide porch while rocking in a big white chair and chatting with the neighbors. It’s light and citrusy, but the ginger gives it just enough of an edge to keep it from being boring.

Another tea added to the shopping list. Yay for wonderful teaboxes!!!

Tea #4 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

First, I love the name of this tea. It makes me laugh, and it makes me want to read Sense and Sensibility (which, at times, also makes me laugh). Second, blackberry vanilla cream tea? Why yes, please. I think that would be lovely.

This is another tea with a strong black base tea. I find I really enjoy this in flavored teas. I want to be able to taste all of the flavors, but I want to feel like I’m drinking tea, too. Any edge that might have been in the tea is smoothed out by the cream flavor. On top of that is a mix of blackberry and vanilla. Neither flavor is super strong, but they are both present in such a way that it makes the tea easy to sip and enjoy. I don’t have to stop and “look” for the flavors. Everything is there and in balance.

This tea is going on my shopping list and will easily find a place on my pantry shelf. I can see this being a delicious iced tea this summer.

Tea #3 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

I’ve seen this tea in the store and been tempted on several occasions to buy a box, but I’ve always passed it by. Since it was in the teabox I decided to brew a cup in my travel mug before going out to run errands.

The taste was mostly mango with the faint flavor of coconut slipping in on occasion. I’d take a sip, think that it was nice, and then continue on with my errands. While it wasn’t a mind blowing tea I would definitely drink it again if offered. As far as tea bags go, this one is more than decent. In fact, I probably will buy a box the next time I’m at the store because I like to carry tea bags in my purse for “tea emergencies”. I’m sure I’m not the only one. ;-)

Tea #2 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

Wow! This is spicy. Just as the spice hits the back of the throat there is a wonderful sweetness from the coconut on the tongue. I really, really like this. I added some sugar and milk to my cup. The milk smooths the spice just a bit, and the sugar highlights the coconut so that the toasted flavor comes out more.

Yum!

My first tea from the ’Here’s Hoping’ Teabox. It’s a very good choice, if I do say so myself!

The bergamot is not overly strong, but it allows the raspberry to be the star of the show. I like that the raspberry is a fruity flavor rather than a candy one. So the taste is mostly of raspberry with the bergamot being a lovely end note. It’s absolutely delicious! The black tea base is strong, which I also like. I wish more EGs were paired with a strong tea base!

I’ll definitely resteep this tea later today. I wish I had known how good this was before Ovation went out of business. C’est la vie.