Awkward Soul

Turkish spiced apple tea? Yes please! I love Bluebird Tea co’s lineup – so many cool teas, I think I might need to order from them again!

Very lovely spiced apple tea! I love the sage here as it really sets Ankara Apple from other apple spice teas. The savory green tea compliments the sage, cinnamon and clove spice, with the natural juicy apple makes this tea nice and snuggly! Oh, how I’d love to have a cup of this tea in the winter with apple slices and cinnamon sticks!

I prefer this tea with some sweetener! It makes the apple pop much more! I was wishing this one had more apple flavor, but sweetener fixes it.

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/ankara-apple-from-bluebird-tea-co/
I’m a tea bird!

Sample of this from Rachel Sincere, yay! TY!

Very interesting tea – it’s kinda light/ slightly water, with a coconut, little creamy and little roasty almond taste. The black tea in this (or the green for all I know) is going astringent.
Appearance wise, it’s got a film on it, I’m guessing from the white chocolate. I kinda think this could be better just as a black tea, not as a mix or with more chocolate! Always more chocolate!

Hmmm, not bad but I probably need to mess with the steeping times and maybe drop the temp down to dump the astringency.

I went to the LA farmers market as part of my anniversary outing! Looked like it was gonna rain the whole time! Though, last year it rained really heavy after the ceremony!

I got a nice glass gaiwan and cute owl cake pan
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=559128980784078&set=a.517063994990577.124981.516160198414290&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=559129794117330&set=a.517063994990577.124981.516160198414290&type=1&theater
OMG must make Owl tea cakes!

and I got home just in time to have a round of tea before I cut myself off caffeine for the evening! So, running Dragon Feelers though my glass gaiwan, which is ouch, hotter to deal with. I’m tempted to knit some gloves (cute owl cables?) with little non slip finger tips for gaiwan use! That be so geeky!

Dragon feelers? So far so good. I think I like the western brewing better as the flavor is stronger, but this is still good. Very green beany today. They are entertaining to watch in a glass gaiwan!

Ugg, steak tartar for dinner.

Today is my husband and I’s first wedding anniversary! We had our civil ceremony a year ago, though our family wedding event was 6 months ago. (I had a fiance visa, so we had to get married in 90 days, so we couldn’t plan the wedding that quick).

So, of what teas I have time to drink today, I will drink my favorites! This one! So I tried it at 175f instead of 212f – i can taste the green tea more, the tart is less, and less fruityness. The colour of the cup is an orange. Overall, a lighter flavor.

Hmmm, it’s a toss up, but I think I like 212F more. Maybe I’ll try a temp in the middle!

Off to.. I dunno what we are doing yet. The weather is pretty grey looking so picnics and garden tours might be out.

I have a huge jar full of individually packaged bagged tea. I remember this one was a favorite before loose leaf.

I totally dislike when I open the package and I get sprayed with matcha. Taste? ehhh, kinda stale, though this has to be pretty old. The silk plastic tea bag I can see the tea looks like grainy mush. Oh, i’m spoiled from loose leaf. Snooty owl!

Yum!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=558307787532864&set=a.517063994990577.124981.516160198414290&type=1&theater

Had this while I made dinner. I was cooking a chicken recipe from “50 Shades of Chicken” cookbook. Seriously a very weird cookbook! Nice recipes though. I’ve been using my gaiwan while I’m in the kitchen doing stuff like cooking or cleaning.

This tea was really light for gaiwan runs and the first steepings looked like hot water, but had that sweet corn vegetal taste! I got ummm.. 4 steepings? I can’t remember. Last couple where really good and had a pale peach colour to the tea.

Oh, and I was interrupted by the UPS guy. I had like 5 seconds on my steep and the doorbell rang. I chose to pour the tea and get the door rather than oversteep. It wasn’t a tea related package though, boo!

Thanks to Rachel Sincere for a sample of this! TY! Wild Watermelon kinda looks like DavidsTea Goji pop.

Wow, this is pretty good – it’s a refreshing and watermelony with a grassy tang of lime. Its slightly sweet, but could use more sweetener.

I got another cup’s worth, which I will save for an iced tea later on.

I’m really tired this morning, but awake enough to use loose leaf.

I added german rock sugar while steeping – yum! I love the cakey, pineapple flavor of this tea! Bleh, still tired though, need to drag myself to the post office.

Sample sip down!

ARGGGHHHGG! I got the hiccups and they are bothering me! GO away! /hiccuphiccup! I got a sample this with my last DavidsTea online order. I cold steeped this tea for like 7 hours.

Ehhh, it’s okay. The pomegranate is really light as an aftertaste with a snippet of tart. The main flavor is the strong green mixed with a bit of black tea richness in it. I’m oddly picking up some floral, like jasmine. My roommate thought this was a jasmine tea as well.

Drinking this makes me miss Pom Power – now that’s a pomegranate tea!

Sip down!

Sad – had an interesting tea tale with this one. I disliked it the first time I tried it, but was told to make it as a latte, now we are talking! Steepster is awesome!

Anyways, my last latte. I’ve been saving this cup, but I really need the tin room right now. Sadly, as much as this is tasty buttery, rummy, coconutty latte tastyness, I don’t think I’d get more of this tea for awhile as it’s only good as a latte.

Anyways, off to work on some artwork – it’s my wedding anniversary soon

More samples! Wahh, this one is kinda old, oh well. This one came from Kittena!

First sip and I’m reminded that 52 Teas makes good lemon teas. The lemon tastes zippy and flavorful with a hint of sweet. The strawberry fruit hits me as a mild aftertaste. The white base seems a little stale, however, this sample has been kicking around my “try it” box for awhile.
I’m gonna wish list this one – I can see this being a killer iced tea, with slices of lemon and strawberries! YUM!

Sip down sample! This one’s from Kasumi no Chagin.

I got 4 rounds with a gaiwan on this black. First 2 infusions were really good! Had an interesting sweetness and fruity (grapey raisin?) going on that I wasn’t expecting. However, steeping 3 it started getting bitter and steeping 4 was full out bitter.

I find the bird logo on these Majani teas quite attractive!

Sip down!

I gotta say, this tea is lovely. Cool name! Still tastes like minty cream soda to me, with a slight astringency.

Must drink down samples to make room for more tea! Maybe I should just buy more tea tins.

I’m at like 197 teas – dangerously close to 200. Sad thing is that I never cupboard my samples and they get shuffled to the bottom of tea tins – so my stash is probably more like 225. Time to drink ALL THE SAMPLES, or at least try to dent them.

This one is an old one from Rachel Sincere. Tastes like.. wine? It’s oddly malty to me. It has a slight sourness from the pineapple thats rounded out by the raisiny grape flavor. Very interesting, not really for me /waves fist at raisins, but I think i might have to get some for my MIL, who I’ve been getting wine teas for. However, she says she’s overloaded with tea – with a stash of like 12. OOOooooOooOOOO, 12! I don’t think I could function with a stash of 12!

Trying to get the hang of my gaiwan. After my first experience (that I’ll blog about later) my gaiwan skillz got better. Today I’m just accident prone. I knocked over my cookie batter bowl, then the electric hand mixer. I missed chucking my tea leaves into my compost pail, so there’s red hibiscus tea splotches on my tile. Probably not a day to gaiwan, but I’m stubborn.

I got 3 runs so far, twice burning my fingers and one spilling accident. Of course, I just cleaned the kitchen this morning, but now its got cookie dough and tea all over the floor and counter!

First two quick steepings of this black was pretty good – rich, bold and a little caramel like. 3rd round my cup is now astringent, but still good.

Though, this tea goes well with my cookies!
http://www.culinate.com/content/1682/Chinese+Five-Spice+Cookies
I wish my cookies were pretty, I just sliced them. Knowing my luck today, I would of cut myself with the cookie cutter.

TY Kasumi no Chagin for the sample!

First to tea log Blushing Geisha?

I thought this tea would be really tart. Green tea, jasmine flowers, marigold petals, safflowers, hibiscus, and natural flavors? Hmmm.

Anyways, Blushing Geisha is really easy to steep! 212F for 2 to 3 minutes and it comes out a delicious, not too tart, lightly floral & sweet and very hibiscus fruity tea! The green tea is light here, as the mystery flower fruityness took over. With sugar or made as an iced tea – watch out! Very good and exotic!

Only thing that didn’t come out was the resteep and cold steep. Resteep was too light and the cold steep was too tart and not all the flavors came out.

Full blog review at Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/blushing-geisha-from-steep-city-teas/

My husband, the tea hater, needs to try this one as he might like it. He was at work when I was drinking this – I’ll report back if I can get him to try this tea!

NoooooOOooOOOoOOoooOOoo! Sip down!
/downward spiral

I made Kamba Berry iced – came out super strong strawberry! There was quite a bit of small bits at the bottom of my bag. Though, it resulted in a very natural tasting strawberry tea! Very yummy!

Back to making cookies! Hate when I’ve already made the cookie batter and I find out I need to chill the dough. Boo, the oven is all ready to go!

I forgot I had this tea! I was in a hurry to make some cold steeps before I went out to do grocery shopping.

I cold steeped this.. uhh.. a couple hours? I forgot which one was this one until I took a sip. Coconut? Walnut – ahh walnut brittle!

My first Verdant Tea! Uh oh!

I selected this oolong as my first, hey, Oolong Owl, yeah?

I did a gongfu brewing and went completely tea drunk crazy. I need to do this again! LOL

Very good oolong – I was impressed how rich and flavorful this tea was in very short steeps! Lots of great nutty, caramel and floral notes. At infusion #8, I was getting mineral notes and bell pepper vegetal which was interesting. I had a really good tea trip adventure!

The cold steep was okay, but I prefer this tea hot!

Full, long and crazy review on my blog, the Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/shui-jin-gui-wuyi-oolong-from-verdant-teas-tea-review/
Owls wearing tea strainers? Oh boy

I’m watching more k dramas – tonight is Rooftop Prince! Man, I like historicals. I almost was tempted to watch Faith over again, that series is amazing!

So, veg’n out on popcorn and this tea. There was a time I thought “I will blog ALL my teas” but figured in the end, with 200 teas in my cupboard, that will take a year. So, I figured I woulnd’t blog this one.

This one is okay. It has a tropical edge with the pineapple and papaya, however the dreaded raisin is present. I don’t mind raisins in tea (ie, Oatmeal Raisin cookie by Della Terra), though they don’t seem to agree with me so far for fruit herbals. The taste is just kinda funky. Oh well. I’ll finish this off.

Back logg’n

I had a crazy week with etsy related stuff – I came out with a new owl crochet pattern, which took up most of my week of writing, taking photos of owls, answering emails and repeated trips to the post office. Arg.

So, I forgot to tea log this. Orange Brulee is very candy like – the orange is sweet and strong, with savory caramel and creamy flavor! Bit grassy at times too. I got a solid resteep and probably could of gotten another one.

I found this tea pretty sweet – I like to try a new tea once with sweetner, but Orange Brulee was already pretty sweet!

I love how strong and full flavored this tea is. Also amazing how DTT got the orange, caramel and cream to come out. However, as much as I like candy like teas, this was pushing the sweetness level for me – so I can see myself saving this tea for super sugar cravings.

Full Review on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/orange-brulee-from-della-terra-teas-tea-review/

I’m still not used to the climate here in southern california. Friends and family back home are talking about the snow melting, and it was 20c here today. Of course, not used to the dryness vs. Vancouver rainyness and I’m coughing more plus allergies are starting! Boo!

ANyways, I needed my required pu’erh intake – I swear when I drink pu’erh any slight cough I have goes away. And after this cup, I have only 1 cup left of the tropical white pu’erh – that went fast! I dig the tropical flavor here – totally reflects living in this warm climate. 1.5 minute steeping was very nice!

I miss the rain and wearing my awesome daisy print rain boots. I almost wore them yesterday because I felt like it, even though theres no rain in sight and it was warm outside.

Tea peeps? This tea is FREAKING BEAUTIFUL!

This is a new tea for me, and from what I was told from the tea seller, yunomi.us, this is a very traditional japanese flavor. Ehh! A Challenge! An Adventure! Lets go!

Dry leaf, these pretty blossoms smells like pickles. Oh boy! Most likely they smell like this since they are salt pickled cherry blossoms.

The taste? I get a cute kiss of a sweet cherry taste that is floral. The sakura tea’s flavor flutters softly towards a more savory flavor that’s a little salty. The more I sip away, the more stronger and floral this tea gets.

Full review with lots of gorgeous pictures on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/sakura-tea-from-yunomi-us-tea-review/

Yes, Zen Tea’s Coconut Oolong – we are together again! I could not resist adding you to my cart.

I dig the floral and the sweet coconuttyness in this tea! The oolong here is fantastic as well! YUM!

And I drank my entire pot really fast while I was working on my crochet blog and pattern sales.

Wanna see? OWL CROCHET CUTENESS
http://awkwardsoul.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/owl-amigurumi-crochet-pattern-tea-mug-owls/
The Snowy Owl is a photo bomber and the Green Owl likes tea!