canadianadia

I finished the last bit of this today. I haven’t changed my mind too much about it. It’s still chocolaty, and although I do detect a slight kick, it leaves much to be desired for a tea with chili and chai in the name. I made it a touch stronger today, and I like it better this way. But I was still disappointed with how poorly it did on the resteep.

Now that I’ve tried a few other chocolate teas, this one wouldn’t necessarily top my list in that genre. Mostly because of the sheer amount of leaves I need to use to get the flavor I really like. I’d probably still pick this up in a sample size, if it’s still available next Winter/Fall season.

I don’t know what this tea’s namesake cake tastes like, nor have I ever tried brandy, but I’m definitely getting apricots. As a hot tea the honeybush itself is the strongest flavor, with a hint of apricot mixed in. As it cools the apricot really starts to shine, particularly in the aftertaste.

This oolong is something special.

I used to be a little uncertain about oolong teas. I tried a few bagged ones at first, which were not very good at all, and that tainted my overall perception of oolongs.

When I ventured over to trying more loose leaf teas, I enjoyed oolongs a lot more. I love watching the leaves unfurl, but I still didn’t find a flavor that I loved. When I stumbled upon this little gem, I was sold. I love the little bite of freshness, and the vanilla taste reminds me so much of vanilla yogurt. mmm…..This is probably my favorite flavored oolong…that I’ve tried so far…I think…it’s so hard to choose!

This still tastes like orange campino candies. I’m not a lover of those otherwise I’d probably rate this a little higher. The first steeping is stronger than the second, but the second is still decent.

What a lovely combination of flavors. Chocolate, pumpkin, and spices – all balanced nicely over a black tea base. mmmm….A nice Fall or Winter treat. It doesn’t shine the same as a cold tea, so I will reserve this one to drink on chilly days.

I usually love candy apple teas, so I had high hopes for this one.

I’m so disappointed with the taste. I’m not getting caramel or apples at all. The smell of it when it’s brewed is a bit odd. To me it faintly smells like cleaning supplies and fake butter? Thankfully it doesn’t taste like that, but the taste isn’t great either. Not quite bad enough to dump down the drain (yet) but definitely one that I keep wondering how to fix with every sip.

I must be doing something wrong? :(

I’m not sure if the pouch I’m using is from a different batch than the 12 days of tea Christmas sample, but it tastes different to me: a touch more subtle. Don’t get me wrong, this batch also has plenty of flavor (as I’ve come to know and love of 52teas blends), it’s just doesn’t taste quite as bold as my Christmas sample. This pouch isn’t much older than the Christmas sample either, maybe just a couple of months older. Hmmm…Maybe I’m imagining it?

Oh well, whether I’m imagining it or not, both are delicious, and make me want to buy more, More MORE! mwahahaha! (That’s my evil villain laugh, in case you were wondering)

I have less than half of my pouch remaining, but I can’t honestly justify buying more tea because I got so much tea for Christmas (not to mention the last 52teas order I still have on the way). Even so, I can’t seem to stop myself from regularly perusing the 52teas site.

I’m finishing off my sample of this rooibos. The mango flavor has a lovely freshness that other mango teas I’ve tried of late seem to lack. Still, I’m sure there are better ones out there (Alphakitty mentioned one in a the comments of one of my recent tealogs that I’ll need to try – once I finish some of the tea I already have).

I drank this tea hot last night, and I’m having it cold this morning and it’s good both ways, although I think I prefer it as a cold tea. It’s a tea that I’d pick up again in a sample size, especially for the summer.

I finished this sample today. I was drinking this black and it was alright so I decided to try it with a touch of milk and a teaspoon of brown sugar. The milk made the creaminess shine through a bit more. As for the addition of brown sugar it tasted like it could have used either more or none at all. I usually drink my tea black, but don’t get me wrong, I do occasionally enjoy those super sweet drinks like hot chocolate, or other sweet beverages prepared for me by someone else (the occasional ignorance of sugar content is bliss).

After I drank my first cup I had the rest of the pot black, and it somehow tasted better than that initial sip. Perhaps I let it steep a tad longer? Oh! and I used much more tea leaves than I did the last time I logged this, and there is a definite improvement in the taste.

I could taste the banana both ways (black or with milk & sugar), and it was a real banana taste, rather than a candy/imitation runt flavor. The banana taste was a tad subdued, which might be a good thing, as banana is a flavor that can get to be a bit much for me.

Overall this tea is decent. It’s not something I’ll need to keep in my pantry year round, but it’s certainly one I’d try again in a sample size.

It’s been a couple months since I’ve had this tea. I haven’t changed my mind – I still think it’s light and delicious.

I drank most of my cup but then I got distracted with some schoolwork and the remainder in my cup became cold. It looked murky and very unappetizing so I sadly dumped those last few sips down the drain. It felt tragic enough to make cookie monster shed a tear.

I love fresh mangoes and fresh peaches, but I have yet to find a Mango and/or peach tea that I love. For some reason these flavors keep coming up as alright but not great for me, regardless of the tea base or the brand.

There’s a pattern for most of these mango/peach teas that the overall Steepster grade tends to be higher than mine. Maybe I have an over expectation of these teas. I want the taste of a fresh fruit blended with the tea, but to me the flavor mimics more the taste of the dried fruit with a slight I don’t know…maybe hay? undertone. I can see how others would say this tea is good, there’s a nice balance between the tea base and the flavors. I just think it’s not a taste that I personally go for. I’m glad I got to sample this in my Fruit try me pack, but it won’t be making my reorder list.

This was part of my chocolate try me pack. I enjoy mint (funny how “enjoy mint” looks like “enjoyment”), I love chocolate, but when it comes to mint chocolate, I could take it or leave it depending on my mood. How strange is that?

This tea strikes a balance between the chocolate, the mint, and the black tea base. It’s quite lovely, but it’s still something I’d have to be in the mood for.

My classes start today at noon, and my textbooks arrived today at around 11 from Amazon, What great luck! I decided to grab this black tea today, as I got up a little earlier and I’m sure I will drink a full pot of it before my caffeine cut off time.

I love the caramel taste in this tea, but I’m not sure if I can taste the saltiness. The finish on the sip isn’t that typical sweetness that I associate with caramel, but more of a dryness that might be associated with salt. So maybe that’s where the salt comes in for me? That might be a stretch. Overall this is a nice tea, not something I would need stocked year round, but certainly one that I would pick up in a sample size in Fall and Winter, for when I am craving these types of dessert teas the most.

Off to school for me…well, online school that is.

I’ m in a chocolate mood this morning. I eyed up the cavernous Costco container of hot chocolate mix my hubby brought home a few weeks ago, but decided against cracking it open. Instead I reached for my Della Terra Chocolate sampler and grabbed this one. The balance between the black tea and the chocolate are sublime. I’m drinking it black, but I imagine milk and sugar would also be delicious. Best of all, it’s satisfying my chocolate craving without sugar overload. This one is topping my Della Terra Teas reorder list.

When it’s brewing, this tea really smells like warm strawberry pie. I made a big pot of this last night and drank some hot, then fell asleep and drank the rest of it cold this morning. I accidentally left the leaves steeping overnight, and yet it didn’t taste too strong. Is it possible to get an over steeped taste from honeybush? I’m constantly over steeping my various honeybush blends, and in my opinion, I haven’t once ruined the taste. Maybe I’ve just been lucky though.

I really want to like Matcha, but I’m thinking making it myself is not the best place to start? It just doesn’t taste right. Too…I don’t know how to describe it? Grassy? Maybe I’m getting the ratio of water to tea wrong? I know it’s good for me, so I’m determined not to give up on it quite yet.

Had a cup of this with my Dad as my last black tea of the year. Creamy and tasty ~we both love it. Have a great New Year everyone!

Tropical fruit deliciousness, I can’t wait till summer to try this one iced

Tastes like a lemon dessert, which really isn’t my favorite flavor, but this tea somehow still impresses me. It’s not something I’d drink regularly, but it’s a nice treat on occasion.

I rarely drink alcohol, but my Dad made Irish Cream, so I had to try some last night. I asked for a teeny tiny taste and he obliged by putting a bit in the smallest glass he had. The cup was probably only big enough to contain a few mouthfuls. Apparently it was still too much for me. By time I reached the bottom of the glass, I was tipsy. My hubby got me home with minimal incident other than me laughing non-stop at nothing in particular. When I got home I grabbed this tea to help ease the inevitable stomach ickiness I get from alcohol. Unfortunately I didn’t escape without any discomfort, but thankfully it didn’t last too long. I’m not sure if this tea actually did anything to help the situation, but I’m sure it didn’t make things any worse. It’s minty and soothing with a natural sweetness and unlike my Dad’s delicious Irish Cream, it doesn’t make me tipsy.

I selected this as the first tea to try out of my chocolate try me pack. It’s smooth and lovely with no bitterness, but to me the S’mores taste is really taking a back seat to the black tea. That’s not a bad thing; it’s just not what I was hoping for.

Now that I look at my dry mix, I’m starting to think I should have shaken the packet a bit more before scooping out my tea, because it looks like there’s still some obvious settling. Maybe my next attempt with this tea will be more up to my expectations. I must admit that when it comes to flavored teas, I’m partial to ones that are in-your-face. I’m sure my preferences will eventually grow beyond this, but for now I still taunt my flavored teas with: “C’mon, hit me, I dare you” “Is that all you’ve got?!”

Hmmm…perhaps talking smack to my tea is a hint that I should lay off watching ultimate fighting for a while?…nah…

This tea totally tastes like maple syrup, but for some reason it also reminds me of those Halloween toffees. The ones with the orange wrappers with the black and yellow images, I think those candies are supposed to taste like molasses though, so I might be alone with this comparison?

I’m quite picky when it comes to rooibos, so I thought I wasn’t going to like this one. I was pleasantly surprised. It’s quite tasty and the woodiness somehow works with the flavor. I have some left, but so far it looks like this one might be going onto my reorder list.

Hmmm…Tastes a little weaker than I remembered (and I didn’t skimp on the the tea leaf). The luck of the scoop I suppose?
Lowering my rating a smidgen, but it’s still good.

I finished the last bit of this from my 12days of tea packet this morning. Thankfully I have more of it from a previous order. I love the caramel scent that emanates from this tea, both dry and brewed. This is one of the few black teas that made it on my full size order list despite my caffeine sensitivity. SLURP! Mmm…Good stuff!