Culinary Teas

So after trying The Tea Table’s version of this tea, I had to try this version that we found in a little shop in Kensington Market to see if it was as good! It’s nearly there, though it doesn’t have quite the body as the other. Still, it’s a very close second, close enough that I won’t have to try and find a way to get the other tea shipped to me, I can just stock up on this one! Very yummy, I love the vanilla and the earthiness of the rooibos and mmmmmm.

This tea is interesting. At first I thought that it had that gross liquor smell that a lot of these rooibos blends have, but then I realized that it was almost a bit minty! This is a smooth cup with a very nice sweetness. I’m not very fond of mint which is what ruins it for me, but I think this would be a great cup for someone who likes chocolate/mint together. I’m not even sure if it contains mint, but that’s what my tongue is tasting in tonight’s steep. Many thanks to Brandy for a sample!

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this delightful Darjeeling.

A very deep flavor to it, a stronger flavor than I’m used to with a Darjeeling, but I like it! A nice muscatel in the background, a bit of astringency at the tail. Very nice Darjeeling!

nice and light. i mixed in some honey for my sore throat and it is really sweet and good! nectar like!

This tasted really artificial Like an air freshener! I am going to have to retry this iced or some other way. I added a bit of honey this first time, but it was bitter and strong. I didn’t taste anything resembling chocolate, as the strawberry flavoring was really overpowering. Maybe I brewed it too strong? (I may have oversteeped it) Maybe it needed milk too? Something went wrong obviously! I was really looking forward to this one and am a bit disappointed. Will try again.

From the journal:
With a name like Chocolate Caramel turtle, you would think this tea would be wonderful. Unfortunately, I think the flavors are trying too hard. The tea itself seems weaker than others. I can taste all of the flavors, but it is just too much going on. This one was sent to a better home.

Thanks Ashley!

Tastes like a papaya flavored green with the slightest hint of flowers! Pretty tasty!

The last few weeks have been crazy for me (flooding, evacuating my home, moving back into my home, and now possibly having to re-evacuate my home). So today I decided I will drink only “Happy Teas” to make me feel better. This was the first one I reached for. It’s just as good as I remembered.

This is the best chocolate tea I’ve had! Very, very chocolatey. I’m also tasting just a hint of nut and caramel. I wouldn’t really call this Chocolate Caramel Turtle tea, I would just call it CHOCOLATE tea. Will be repurchasing this once my sample runs out. Prepared with almond milk and stevia.

I’m finishing up the sampling that TeaEqualsBliss sent me, and quite enjoying it. A delicious take on Earl Grey… although I know that Earl Grey purists probably wouldn’t consider it to be an Earl Grey because it is quite different. But I like it anyway.

Very nice – and quite a surprise. I had expected a smoky tea (It’s the “russian” in the name that made me think that this would be a smoky tea), but it isn’t. It is smooth, rich and delicious. Pleasant citrus tones – the bergamot mingling with the orange and lemongrass creates a softer, smoother tasting bergamot. LOVELY!

Think more buttery apple tea. Not much brandy to speak of. Overall, tasty. However, the AWOL brandy is a little disappointing.

This is a lovely green tea that is rich and pungent, but with a sweet floral aroma. This is on top of the richness and makes a lovely cuppa

This is kind of an experiment for me, to see how my taste buds are doing. I wanted a more delicate tasting tea than the tea I’ve been drinking (mostly black teas with a lot of ginger and cinnamon and other spices) to see if I could detect some of the lighter flavors. And they seem to be in check! Woot!

The pear flavor is quite lovely, as is the flavor of the green tea. Fresh, slightly vegetative, and the fruit flavor is light yet sweet and delicious.

As for TeaEqualsBliss’s challenge, Um… well… here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbm6GXllBiw … Pear-adise City!

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea!

This has a really good flavor. The pear essence is abundant in both the aroma and taste, and the Sencha tastes fresh and smooth. A nice light-bodied tea with a whole lot of flavor.

Geoffrey sent me some of this to try…can’t believe I’m just now getting to it. This is a great Earl blend! It’s lighter on the bergamot than I expected, which is great because it really lets the lemongrass and citrus come through. The base tea still shines in this as well. Everything blends together very well; no one flavor comes to the fore. I think I’ll try it at 5 minutes next time, though, to see if the bergamot gets stronger.

Thanks, Geoffrey! It’s yummy!

some vanilla pudding and buttery notes, but overall weaker texture and aftertaste. Walker Tea Review #289. Score= 84

where is the muscatel? Walker Tea Review #283. Score=81

Finishing up this delightful sample from Laura R. I really enjoy the smooth sweet strawberry and the buttery sencha. I find this blend to be much more flavorful and the sencha more tasty than other strawberry greens I’ve tried. I would love to have more of this on hand in the near future.

I’ve really been falling in love with strawberry teas lately. And most recently flavored sencha’s have been in my top teas as well. This tea makes the list. Such a sweet succulent berry flavor. I will definitely be checking out more teas from Culinary teas…as soon as I make room in my cupboard. A friend at work purchased 8-10 different teas for me for my birthday, plus the recent Teavana and Harney’s orders, plus hubby took me to Teavana for more teas….I’ve got some time before I can decupboard anything. Glad I got a chance to try this tea, thanks again to LauraR and her wonderful sample package!

I love, love, love nutty teas and this one is indeed nutty tasting with a somewhat dry black tea base. That dryness kind of adds authenticity to the nuttiness. I found that a little sweetener brings out some caramel nuances that I really enjoyed. I think this one would be fun to play with by adding some steamed milk, maple syrup, and so on.