canadianadia

I’m hoping this St. Patrick’s Day tea will bring some good luck – a lot to expect from a tea, I know. At least the warmth seems to be helping to soothe my sore throat. So that’s a good start.

My Hubby had to take an emergency weekend flight home – his grandfather is not doing well. I’m glad he was able to get the flight here and he’ll be able to fly back out for his training on Monday; unfortunately it’s not for a happy occasion.

As for this tea, it tastes exactly like I expected, like mint and green tea – similar to graveyard mist, but with less sweetness.

All done! I must say that I’m not sad to see this go, I’ve fallen out of like with this tea. It’s a bit too tart and the tea base is too light for my taste. I used double the amount of leaf that this calls for, and it does taste better this way, but still, it’s not something that I need in my cupboard. It was a good starter tea, but now that I’ve tried so many better options, this one just can’t compete anymore.

Raised expectations = Lowering my rating a tad

Hmm… I just figured out that I’ve been misspelling sherbet my whole life…I thought it was sherbert? I try to learn something new everyday…I think this qualifies :)

I managed to try the second steeping of this and it was quite tasty.

“What happened to the first steeping?” you ask, well…

… I was making this in the perfectly sized glass pitcher that my family has had for years. In retrospect I should have made the hot tea in my teapot, but I was using it to make a different tea, and I wanted to get it brewing so I could get to bed.

As I poured the cold water into the jug, I heard a crick ping crack! I couldn’t see anything, but from the sound, it was evident that the structural integrity of the jug had been compromised. I finally decided to gently lift the jug to try and inspect it over the kitchen sink.

yeah…it didn’t make it.

As I started lifting the jug a sudden flood of tea surged forth, leaving the entire bottom piece of the jug on the counter, and me holding the sides of the jug while the tea gushed out all over the counter and onto the kitchen floor. Quite the mess, but at least it didn’t have sugar – that would have been shticky. I’m sad that I didn’t get the chance to try the first steep, but I must say, the kitchen smells glorious!

I must admit that I’m not really a sherbet kind of girl, but when 52teas had their sale I decided to give this one a go. The fruity citrus creamy taste is beautiful together with the flavor of the black tea. I think I’m going to have to go searching for another proper-sized jug so I can make more of these iced teas over the summer.

I purchased this tea as part of the flavor tea assortment last Fall, but with the way Teavivre packages it, I feel certain that it’s as fresh as the day it was packed.

This is a perfect tea for when I’m in the mood for an oolong with a subtle sweetness. Like other oolongs, this re-steeps very well, but it also differs from others I’ve tried in the past. It comes double wrapped in airtight packets and the tea leaves are rolled then bonded together by the honey in a single oolong ball.

When I saw the sticky oolong ball I expected the taste of honey to be front and center, but despite the honey stickiness, the sweetness is actually quite delicate. It’s more in the background and supports the flavor of the tea, rather than overwhelming it.

Woohoo! 300th tasting note!

I always hesitate to buy ginger tea. It just doesn’t seem like something that I’d like, but every time I drink it, I enjoy it. I tend to only drink ginger tea when my throat feels sore (although I’m starting to think I should drink it more often). This one is particularly effective, the warmth of the ginger, the peppercorns, and the other ingredients are a welcome sensation to soothe my throat.

Sometimes I’m not sure if my sore throat is because I’m dehydrated, or if maybe I’m fighting something off. Thankfully, this tea takes care of both issues. Tonight I suspect I’m just a little dehydrated, but the guy who sneezed on my neck while I was on the skytrain does make me a little nervous :O

I love eucalyptus, I enjoy grapefruit, but somehow these two flavors just don’t quite fit together for me in this tisane. It feels a little like this was made by putting two completely different teas together. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but this one just isn’t working for my taste buds. Whenever I think of combining two completely different things I think of the Friends episode where Chandler asks Joey to choose between the Xerox girl and a tub of jam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4SddMI3NdI

This tisane is not horrible, in fact I’m glad I gave it a shot, and I’ll happily finish off the remainder of my sample, it’s just not one that I’ll want to repurchase.

This is a “Say it isn’t so!” sipdown :(

I’ve been hanging on to the last bit of this honeybush because I couldn’t bear to see it gone from my cupboard. But today I was searching for an oldie but a goodie, and this one fit the bill perfectly. As with most honeybush blends I brew this one strong and for a long time. It’s nice as a hot tea, but I find that the flavors come out even more when it cools. When I had an upset stomach, I enjoyed a splash of this honeybush with club soda. Goodbye old faithful, I hope to see you soon

I’m surprised how well this one did in my travel mug and thermos today. It was a lovely hot tea, but it was also nicely refreshing when it cooled down. I kind of want to try it iced, but part of me fears that it might be a tad too light a tea for that. I somehow didn’t get any bitterness at all this time, so I must have gotten the steep time, the temperature, and the amount of leaf just right. I really do love my black teas, but it’s still kind of nice to throw a light tea like this one in there every once in a while.

Today the weather warmed up a little earlier in the day than it was doing last week. I’m tempted to brew up some iced tea for tomorrow. I’m not sure what it is but I really don’t like drinking cold tea in my travel mug. If I want to take it out with me, I have to put it in a bottle, otherwise I have to just drink it at home in a glass. Of course my reusable bottles are packed up somewhere in a box for the duration of the reno, and I don’t think I’ll find it until we move back into our home in September. Hmmm…do I go out and buy another one, or just sit tight and hope I run across the right box?…cue the Jeopardy theme…

The weather hasn’t been cooperating with me. I made this a few days ago and I set it in my fridge to cool for the next morning. But these past few mornings have been a little cool which have enticed me to have hot tea instead(thus the delay in consuming this tea). By time the sun comes out, it’s usually nearing my caffeine consumption cut-off time, and I just want to resteep the hot tea that I had been drinking.

Today is another cool-ish morning but I decided to just put a sweater on and go for it. I guarantee that I would appreciate the refreshing nature of this iced tea much more if it were a little warmer out. The black base is what I can taste the most with this tea, but the berry taste is definitely present in a complimentary way. It’s nice that it tastes like actual berries, rather than the chemical imitation. I saved the teabag, because it looks to have quite a bit of oomph left, but since I’ve been waiting so long to drink this first batch, I’m not sure how long the teabag will keep. Will it go bad? Will it make me sick? hmm…should I venture to play a little game of teabag roulette?

I enjoy iced tea, but I’m a little new to all the various methods of brewing, so I particularly appreciate the brewing instructions included on the packaging for this tea. I haven’t made iced tea for years (I think I was a teenager when I last made iced tea), and when I did, it was always did it the same way:
-Brew a strong tea in teapot (I used a loose leaf vanilla tea from Mauritius)
-strain tea into jug while still hot
-add ridiculous amounts of sugar
-Chill in fridge
- Squeeze a lemon slice or two into it
-Enjoy with a smile as if to say “look, I still have all my teeth even though I’m basically drinking sugar with a little bit of tea in it”

So I’m still a little odd with my iced tea. With hot tea, usually enjoy it black, and I rarely add anything to any of them. But when it comes to iced tea I have to force myself to drink it without any sweeteners. What’s that about? I figured if there was a way to get me to enjoy iced teas without the added sweeteners 52teas would be the perfect option to get me started. So far, it’s not bad but I think it’s going to take some time to kick the sugar habit. It’s that first sip that makes me think…something is missing. But it’s better for me to miss the sugar now than for me to miss my teeth later :D

Oh look at that, now the sun’s coming out!

I’m finishing off the last of this honeybush today. It’s tasty, but personally I like it best when I brew it a little on the strong side – heap the leaves in there and leave it steeping. I have to keep this tealog short so I can get back to researching mattresses. I had no idea there were so many options!

The weather was a little cooler this morning than it has been over the past little while, so I figured I’d go through my Fall try me box to see what tea delights were to be found. And delighted I was! This tastes exactly how an Apple pie tea should taste. The spices are present and complementary, with the apple taste more at the forefront with the black tea base right behind. I think this is going to knock David’s Tea “Big Apple” from my favorite apple tea spot (although that tea has been slowly slipping down my rankings with the more tea I try – there are just so many tasty options out there that seem to be a better value). I think I need to explore Apple teas a little more, it seems that there may be plenty of gems out there that I have yet to discover.

I used my typical black tea method, of heating the water until it is hot, not boiling (I was able to blow on it and sip it slowly right after it had brewed). The tea may have come out a little lighter than I intended because I may have poured it right at the 3 minute mark…o.k. I’ll admit it! The tea smelled so darn good and I was thirsty so I had a classic case of tea impatience…impateaence, if you will.

The resteep was also lovely. I did notice a touch of bitterness as the tea cooled, but it was still good. The bitterness was almost like the taste I associate with accidentally biting into an apple seed when eating an apple…a little distracting, but it still doesn’t ruin the experience for me as a whole. I have a bit of leaf remaining, so I hope I’ll be able to consistently get such good results from this tea. So far it looks like it’s a candidate for my reorder list.

Slowly but surely I’m rediscovering my love for genmaicha, but it still has a long way to go until I would compare it with a good black tea (for me at least). I enjoy the cherry aspect in this, it goes nicely with the genmaicha base. I drank this while doing some return to work wardrobe shopping. I finally found what I hope will be my perfect work shoes…and they were on sale!

The smell of this seemed a bit oversweet, so I was cringing as I took my first sip of this tea. But I quickly found out that it tastes pretty good– it really was like vanilla birthday cake. You know, those sheet cakes with about a half inch of icing that usually has things like icing balloons or icing rosettes across the front. Don’t get me wrong this is a sweet rooibos, but I think it’s one of the better ones I’ve had from David’s Tea. I wouldn’t keep in stocked in my cupboard, but I’d probably repurchase it on occasion.

I must say, the greasy film this tea leaves on my mug is a bit of a turn off, but it’s not a huge deal for me.

On the flip-side, when I read that the ingredients include freeze dried ice cream bits, I said “cool! Astronaut food” I was instantly 12 years old again.

I can’t say the word Astronaut without thinking “Astronaut Mike Dexter”

Whoa! Random thoughts…I think I’m overtired…off too bed

Hmmm…so this is one of those weird teas that I really have to be in the mood for. If I’m feelin’ a lemon dessert tea then this would be an obvious choice, but the reality is, lemon dessert is never my first choice of flavors. In a previous tealog I said that I’d reorder this one, but I’ve since found other caffeine free options that I prefer for my flavor preferences. If you enjoy the taste and smell of lemon cake, lemon essence, or lemon extract, then you will likely enjoy this tea much more than I did.

I had a hard time getting the room to a comfortable temperature last night, so I didn’t get the best sleep. I decided a good black tea was just what I needed when the alarm clock went off this morning. It’s a bold black tea with a nicely balanced strawberries and cream flavor. I’m using it less and less because I don’t want to run out of it – The horror! I have my fingers crossed that there will be a reblend before my package is empty. (What do you say Frank? Reblend? Do it! Do it! Do it! But you know…no pressure)

Today was my second day at work, and my coworkers organized a little meeting to officially introduce me to the team. It was nice to learn about everyone’s background and they even brought pie and ice cream to share. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more welcome at a new job :)

This is good as a hot tea, but even better iced, the flavors just pop with the freshness of the pineapple and the creaminess of coconut. This has become an absolute spring and summer staple for my tea cupboard. This is quite impressive considering I’m a little picky about both pineapple and coconut as tea/tisane ingredients.

It’s sweet and satisfying, I already finished at least one pouch of this and I just opened this new pouch, but I’m glad I threw another pouch into my latest order. I should be set for the upcoming warm summer nights (assuming Frank will continue to keep coming up with more honeybush options to supplement my cupboard as I drink it down). Thank goodness for honeybush –I love that I can drink them anytime. They top my list of most consumed type of tea/tisane, although if it weren’t for the caffeine issue, I’d probably say black tea would be able to beat it on the basis of preferred taste. It’s funny that when I started on Steepster a mere 10-11ish months ago, my favorites were greens and whites.

The tea:
I made this with a slightly cooler temperature of water than I usually use, but by time I finished my morning tasks and got around to making tea it was starting to get a little late. I wanted to make sure I’d have time to get a few steeps out of it before my caffeine cut off time.

The smell of it is a little too much like dry baking coconut, which I’m not particularly fond of. If you’re a coconut lover, I’d say this is worth trying. The flavors of the pineapple, the coconut and the tea are all there. It’s not a bad tea, the flavor is just not for me.

The life:
It’s been a long day, my hubby is out of town for the next few weeks on business, and I miss him. I also dealt with a family issue that has been going on for far too long. It was quite a monumental blow-up, but I think that it will finally be put to rest…fingers crossed.

Now I’m really looking forward to going to work tomorrow – it will be a good distraction of the home stress. I know it’s unrealistic, but I hope I’ll always be this excited to go to work. Hopefully, I’ll also get the chance to drop by our house on the way home from work tomorrow, to see how the reno is going. The reno team we hired has done a phenomenal job of the project so far, and I’m always excited to see the progress. Tomorrow will be a better day, I’m sure of it.

Today was my first day back at work/at the new job. Everyone was super nice and I ran into so many people that I worked with in years past, which made it an even easier transition. I took a travel mug full of this tea to work with me along with a thermos full which I stashed in my purse for refills. It’s a lovely balance of tea and cotton candy flavor. It’s yummy, but like many black teas I don’t always find them thirst quenching when the weather heats up (I suppose it’s the caffeine?). Nonetheless, drinking this today, I just couldn’t help but smile all day. I think I’m going to have to get another thermos and travel mug though. My mug is starting to feel like its giving way, and I need another thermos to fill with tea and to keep me smiling even longer.

I feel a little nervous. Tomorrow is my first day in my new work position, so I decided to stop drinking caffeine a little earlier to help me get a good night sleep.

I’ve been hoarding some bits of my various honeybush blends for the past few months because it’s just too difficult to say goodbye…so I won’t. Instead I’ll just say “until we meet again”. I feel certain that this will be made again (right 52teas?); it’s just far too good to be permanently archived. I enjoyed this one hot, cold and even when I was really ill I still enjoyed this one mixed with club soda. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Honeybush, you’ve been with me through the good, the bad and the ugly…until we meet again…

Finishing this sample off this morning from my taste of Fall try me pack. It’s a yummy spicy pumpkin pie filled cup of goodness. Not an absolute top favorite for me, but it’s still quite high up there, so I’d get it again if it were on sale or in a sample pack, which is saying something considering all the new teas that are constantly coming out. (A sidenote to new Steepsters – I recommend trying to keep down the number of full size teas in favor of samples unless you really really love the tea – I guarantee that with all the tea companies out there, there’s a constant flow of new teas that you will want to try.)

I’m not sure if I’m remembering wrong, but I could have sworn Della Terra was one of the few companies that used to offer free shipping to Canada if you purchase a certain dollar’s worth of tea? It seems shipping costs are going up everywhere, which is just plain sad for small companies everywhere. I’m glad I had the chance to try Della Terra while they could offer the free shipping. Now I know their teas are worth the extra shipping bucks, otherwise I could have missed out on a good thing.

I’ve had this one for a while, but I’m just getting around to logging it now. I never realized how picky I am with flavors until I started here on Steepster. I frequently find myself typing “I don’t really care for (insert flavor), but I ordered this anyway”. The thing is, in the past I’ve been pleasantly surprised (particularly with 52teas) for making teas I enjoy in flavors that I don’t typically enjoy.

Coconut is yet another flavor that I don’t care for, but since it is a honeybush I decided to give it a try – I’m always looking for new bedtime teas. Sadly, this one is truly not for me. Considering I don’t care for coconut flavors it’s still pretty good, it’s just not one that I’d reorder, there are just too many more suitable options available to me. If you like coconut, then this would be a nice honeybush for you. The flavor of the honeybush and coconut are nicely balanced, particularly when it cools, there’s a creaminess to the aftertaste that lends itself to the cheesecake flavor, or even coconut cream pie.

I used almost twice the amount of leaf I usually use with rooibos/honeybush blends – I was finishing off the remainder of this sample from my Fall Try me pack. It seems less flavourful than I remember. Maybe it’s because it’s springtime, but there’s a faint part of the sip that reminds me of the smell of freshly cut grass, but sweeter. I’m glad I got to sample this, but it’s not one I’d likely repurchase.

My stash of honeybush was starting to look a little thinner than usual, so I decided to try this one when 52teas had their last sale. This flavour isn’t something I normally would select, but I figured a sale was a good time for me to branch out and try new things. The smell of the dry blend reminds me of artificial lime flavoring, which is not usually something that I go for. I tried it hot last and was still unsure of it, if I think about it, I could kind of taste kiwi, but if I didn’t know that was the flavor, I wouldn’t guess it. I decided to wait until this morning and try it cold before I formulate my opinion, because let’s face it, both kiwis and cucumbers are better when they’re cool, otherwise the saying would be “as warm as a cucumber” :P

Fast forward to this morning:
Now that it’s had the time to cool, the kiwi and cucumber flavors are truer to my expectations: bright and cooling. For some reason I’m still getting that artificial lime scent that I don’t love, but there’s no lime listed in the ingredients. It’s probably just my imagination?

Update
Drinking this again tonight and I still smell and taste lime when it’s hot, but now it seemed to have mellowed down to taste more like kiwi now that it’s cooler…hmmm…it’s growing on me

I was distracted when I drank this in the morning, so I will delay rating this until the next time I brew it up. I do remember hints of baked notes which reminded me slightly of vanilla pound cake (I’ve never had butter brandy cake, but it sure sounds good). I’m sure this tea is delicious, and the next time I drink it, I will have to give it more of my attention…I’m sure it’s worth it.

The distraction:
I was going through the pictures of the renovation/addition project of our home so far. The weather hasn’t been the best this past week, although I know it could always be worse, so I’m not going to complain. I just feel sorry for those poor guys working up there to remove those slippery shingles. The weatherman promises that it should be warming up soon – I hope he’s right. Here’s a link to a picture of the house without the roof, and our hard working construction guys http://canadianadia.tumblr.com/image/51820541942