SerendipiTea

A cup of this to take away from the normally infallible Hopetoun Tea rooms in Melbourne. Unfortunately, a little under-strength. I didn’t mind the characteristics it had, but it didn’t have anything to back up the foretaste, no middle and certainly no aftertaste. Not much aroma either.
Will tray again today and see if it does better

I am home today because the tree doctor had to come, and I am sad to say it is bad news. Maple is very sick and rotted. It’s time for her to go. Between her and Wild Cherry that is growing crookedly over the house and could fall and wreak havoc – it’s a terrible, terrible day for old trees and a horrible, horrible day for our bank account (I love trees and there is no way I would ever get one cut down unless it was dire. We had our landscaper alert us to the problem and tell us do it NOW rather then later, and the tree expert echoed his opinion). I don’t think I’l be buying tea for quite awhile after this out of the blue expense!

I needed a surefire pick me up this afternoon, and realized that I have not tried this one yet! Vanilla – my comfort. Ooooooh and this one is gooooooood. So rich and a bit like a liqueur! I used some half and half and sugar and you would think I went and got one of those $10 hot toddy things with whipped cream on it and everything. I feel like I had a very decadent and heavy dessert. I actually feel FULL from this tea!

Thank you, Colonille! You really picked me up this afternoon :)

I was very happy with this tea. This was the first Chai that I owned and made myself, and I find that about 1:3 ratio for Milk to Water with a spoon of Creamed Honey put straight into the pot makes this tea amazing.

I very much enjoyed my Blood Orange Italian Soda tea last night! Sweet/tart perfection with a scant teaspoon of honey.

Wonderful late night cuppa. Refreshingly sweet/tart and flavorful. I thought it would be tough going back to evening herbals after my caffeine-fueled vacation, but this beauty softened the blow.

Love this one! I now can’t help but think of it as “Blood Orange Italian Soda Tea” :) I used a teaspoon of some new raw organic honey I just got at Whole Foods, and WOW – if this isn’t a synergistic blending, I don’t know what is. Sweet/tart perfection.

Very delicious tisane! I realized why I like it so much – it tastes like the blood orange Italian sodas I adore! I think I am going to hot brew some this weekend, sweeten it lightly with organic cane sugar, cool it, and add it to sparkling mineral water for a healthier-than-store-bought (and less expensive!) refreshment!

My most beautiful herbal tisane! Ruby red as all get-out! Blood orange and cranberry – tart in a good way. Not overpowering. So nice before bed. Excellent with a snack of pistachios!

One more late night cup. Very satisfying and unique blood orange and cranberry combination! Such a beautiful color. It manages to be both pleasantly tart/bitter and thirst quenching at the same time, like an Italian soda or Campari.

What a delicious herbal tisane! I think it tastes like blood orange and cranberry. It’s quite tart but I find it very refreshing! Perfect when you are in the mood for something fruity and don’t want caffeine.

It’s so nice that I would serve this to guests that want an herbal. It’s an absolutely gorgeous color! I do like popping an herbal tea bag in a mug, but this loose herbal is very much worth the extra trouble :) I also think it would be delicious iced, and delicious added to a black tea iced as well.

Quite yummy, but somehow Once Upon a Tea (basically this one with the addition of mint) tasted more chocolaty. Hmmm! I never thought I’d say this, but I prefer it with the touch of mint!

Enjoyed this as our dessert tonight, made in the Divine Decadence fashion (squirt of agave, squirt of chocolate syrup, splash of milk). Sooooo yummy and rich. I love the hint of mint with the chocolate.

I am very close to being finished this tisane, but luckily my local tea shop has a version of it (it could be the same with the way I’ve learned many tea companies do their business!). I will definitely pick some up because this is an absolute fave when I don’t want caffeine, but want something special.

Made this last night with chocolate syrup/agave nectar/half and half and it was such a treat! The mint adds a special something that I really enjoy. Perfect weeknight dessert! Amazingly satisfying.

I decided to use my Concoction of Divine Decadence on this tisane last night:

Squeeze of agave, squeeze of chocolate syrup in a cup, prepare and pour tisane into cup, top with splash of half and half…

I was a little nervous because of the mint, but there was nothing to be worried about. Think of chocolate chip mint ice cream! Think of thin mint girl scout cookies! and you will get the gist of this treat.

I love discovering new ways to enjoy things in my cupboard!

This one is particularly delicious tonight – lots of vanilla flavor. The chocolate and mint are playing backup. Relaxing…mmmmmmm.

It was deja vu all over again! More Hershey’s chocolate and this tea last night. The tea was just as rich and enjoyable.

Last night’s chocolate bar was the very elegant Hershey’s Golden Almond. My first instinct was to pair it with one of my vanilla teas, but I didn’t want caffeine. I then thought of this tisane! I was unsure about the mint component with almonds, but it worked really well. The mint doesn’t hit you over the head in this one. Very nice chocolate and vanilla notes too, and a great richness. I have to keep this one in mind for future chocolate eating!!! I loved the combo!

I was in the mood for something sweet, and my husband was nursing a stomach ache. I thought this tea would fit both of our needs and then some! Rooibos and mint for the tum, chocolate and fruit chunks for the sweet. We both enjoyed it very much!

YUM! I had this with a little agave nectar and it was so good. I have a theory that honey overwhelms chocolate notes in teas, and was very curious to try this one a little sweetened but not with honey. Yep – it had more chocolate flavor with an alternative sweetener. Now I want to try all of my chocolatey tisanes with it!

Drank a big mug of this late last night. Mmmmmmm. The flavors of mint, chocolate and rooibos combine for a very satisfying cup. They were blended nicely and not a single one screamed out or stole the show. Vanilla is listed as one of the ingredients, but I didn’t identify it as a taste. I imagine it contributed to the overall richness. There were also bits of what looked like dried fruit, but I don’t know what kind. They were not a prominent part of the flavor but again, I think they added a certain something to the tisane because it was very rich and satisfying.

This is a great tea to have when you are in the mood for a dessert tea, but don’t want caffeine. Even though it seems like it is Fellini’s Folly with chocolate added, it really isn’t. The proportions of mint are totally different and the extra additions change that invigorating and digestive tisane into a lovely treat.

I am a big baby who likes her green teas (well, this is a pouchong, but I think it’s a very green one because it tastes much nicer at 175 vs a higher temperature) with flavorings! A bit of orange peel along with a soft jasmine. Enjoyable every now and again, but this is not the finest jasminey tea I have tasted. I wouldn’t repurchase, but then again, when I thought about giving this one away, I couldn’t! I’ll have to remember this one for the occasional afternoon when I want something warm and light.

I’ve lightened up my tea drawer at work for the Spring and Summer! All of the heavy black teas have gone home, and I have a bunch of oolongs, greens, and whites for the warm months. I thought this one – organic jasmine, organic orange peel, and organic Pouchong – sounded like the embodiment of the warmer weather!

First a sniff – heaven!!! The three ingredients combine for a slightly sweet and flowery aroma. Now a taste – mmmmmm! The smell pretty much describes the taste. I am surprised what a subtle, delightful detail the orange peel is. It gives a touch of sweetness and flavoring that I am loving.

Second infusion: (4 min) Light. Still jasminey and a little orange peel on the end of the sip. A bit disappointed that it was so light.

Third infusion: (5 min, and I upped the water temp to 195 since the second infusion was light) Sigh. Hot water with a jasmine taste. Drinkable but..

A question! It was a delicious first infusion at 185 but when I looked up Pouchongs, some people used 195, some 205 – does anyone have any temperature opinions about this type of tea? Maybe 185 for the first infusion then 195 for the subsequent infusion? I don’t think this one can do three. Do people change temps from infusion to infusion? Halp! Tea may get a bump if I can figure out how to make it more multiple steep friendly.

I also have to say that I was very happy with my serendipiTea ordering experience. My order arrived quickly and well packed in tons of colorful shredded magazine pages! I’m thrilled with their packaging. The teas come in a recyclable box and then a “plastic” bag which is actually a vegetable material and fully able to compost. The artwork is beautiful, and the tea names are whimsical and thoughtful. They use many organic ingredients. A real pleasure to order from them :)

Soothing and minty. I’m not sure what kind of rooibos is in here but oh it’s so rich! This tisane brews to such a dark and flavorful cuppa. It takes milk and a little sugar so well just like a “real” cup of tea :) Wonderful choice for the evening.

Made a nice cup of this after coming in from class late and chilled last night. I had it with a little milk and sugar, and I find it a great caffeine free tea substitute – this one almost tastes like regular tea to me, maybe because the mint gives it so much flavor. I did read that when it was hard and very expensive to get tea, Australians used to prepare rooibos just like black tea. I think I will be an honorary old time Australian some evenings, and take my rooibos like they did!