1118 Tasting Notes
Before bed tea. This is actually really nice and spicy tonight. I still get apple crisp more than gingerbread, but there’s definitely a ginger-y heat in the back of my throat. The rooibos flavor has also mellowed a bit, or maybe the spice is covering it up. Either way, I’m pleased with the results. A nice, spicy, before bed chai, and a (hopefully) good night’s sleep. Win!
Preparation
Sweet mercy in the mornin’, this is some good stuff! It’s delicate and lovely with rose and lemon notes giving way to good crusty bread. There’s a sharpness to the finish that is very wine-like, and as the tea cools the muscatel notes come out and blend with the floral and lemon notes in a really beautiful way.
Love, love, love this one.
Bumping my rating up from 99 to 100.
Preparation
I honestly forgot I had this one in my cupboard. An unopened tin just sitting there waiting for me to notice it. Well, today I did, and I made myself a travel mug of this lovely before heading out the door this morning. I like the caramel paired with the citrus flavors. I also like how it is super flavorful but not super heavy.
Dear Paris,
I’m sorry I ignored you. Please forgive me. I shall not make the same mistake again.
xoxo,
Veronica
Preparation
From the Round 3 Here’s Hoping TTB
Tea of the morning. This is a tea to wake you up! Robust and full bodied, it has a steel cut oats flavor that I enjoyed. This could easily take milk and sugar, but it’s really good plain. No astringency or bitterness. Just a simple dark tea to give you a kick in the pants and send you on your way.
Preparation
Mmm! There’s a grocery store (Whole Foods clone) within occasional driving distance that carries several Ambessa varieties. Wonder if this is one of them…
This sounds good.
Gmathis- I wish I had a store near me that sold it. All of the tea shops around here are going out of business. :(
Cheri – It’s very nice, and it comes in a tea bag which can be helpful on those mornings when I’m running behind.
The store I’m referring to is about an hour south; probably a good thing because it’s too far for me to blow my grocery budget on nothing but tea. Locally, the tea selection is expanding a little (can actually find a few Harney & Sons basics at our Target) but still isn’t as elegant and eclectic as I’d like it to be.
Veronica The Fresh Market has this.
From the Round 3 Here’s Hoping TTB
This was my before bed tea last night. I’m pretty sure this is the same as Culinary Teas’ Tuscany Pear, but since I wasn’t 100% sure I logged it here.
I wan’t a fan of this one. There was a sour note that didn’t appeal to me, and the rooibos flavor was too strong. Every now and then I’d taste something that reminded me of apple, but I never thought “oh, there’s the pear flavor”.
Guess you can’t win them all!
Preparation
I was looking at the tea section on reddit, and in one of the post there was much talk about Twinnings Earl Grey and Lady Grey. The more I read the more I wanted a cup of this, sweetened with an added splash of milk. Ah, orange creamsicle goodness. I’m glad I keep this one in my cupboard. It’s simple, but it’s tasty, too.
Preparation
From the Round 3 Here’s Hoping TTB
I have to admit that the steeping instructions on this one scared me. It calls for 2 tsp. of leaves for a 6 oz. cup, 212 degree water, and a steeping time of 7 – 8 minutes. Yikes. Fortunately, Awkward Soul, who added this tea to the box, posted a nice review of it which allowed me to set my fears aside and steep it according to the instructions. The resulting tea is thick and strong, full of malt and raisin notes. There’s also some astringency but not as much as I was expecting and no bitterness. I’ll definitely resteep the leaves later today as I’m sure they have more to give.
I have to say that I love additions like this to tea boxes! Chances are I would never have had the opportunity to try this tea any other way.
Flavors: Malt, Raisins
Preparation
From the Round 3 Here’s Hoping TTB
Tea of the morning. There was one serving of this left in the ttb, and I’m glad I decided to try it because this is some yummy stuff. There’s a good black currant flavor which, while not super strong, is spot on and very fruity. The same is true for the vanilla flavor. No strange artificial flavor. It’s well balanced with the black currant and the base tea. The base tea is medium bodied with just the tiniest bit of dryness at the back of the throat. I may try resteeping this one later today to see if I can coax one more cup out of the leaves.
Preparation
From the Round 3 Here’s Hoping TTB
This is okay but it’s not my favorite. The vanilla flavor is good, and the tea has a nice creamy feel but the woodsy rooibos flavor is too strong for my liking. I think I’ll stick with Vanilla Comoro for my nighttime vanilla fix.
Preparation
From the Round 3 Here’s Hoping TTB
This is an apple flavored chai, and it’s a really fun tea. Lots of flavors going on, but what I love the most is that there’s sage in this tea, and it works really well. I think I’ve only has sage in one or two teas, and both times it just seemed wrong. In this tea, however, it works. The spice blend does overpower the apple flavor at points, but then the apple makes a reappearance in the next sip. A fun little tea. Something I think I’d enjoy as a seasonal tea come late October and into November.
