Invader Zim

I went to a local cafe today with a friend that has a decent selection of Rishi teas and decided I wanted to try something different. They said this one was a real crowd pleaser but I was wary because I had Teavana’s Blueberry Bliss and couldn’t stand it. But I gave it a try and boy am I glad! I didn’t get the chance to smell this rooibos dry but wet and in the cup the smell of blueberries wafted up and it was pleasant, not overpowering and I could still smell the red rooibos through it. When it cooled enough for me to sip it I was even more pleased, the blueberry and rooibos are blended so well together, so perfectly balanced and the blueberry wasn’t tart either. This is one of the best flavored rooibos I have had and I intend on trekking out sometime soon and adding it to my stash.

The smell of this tea dry is absolutely wonderful, it’s like taking a walk in the woods, I can smell what I guess is the pine nuts, I don’t know what pine nuts smell like though, but it smells very chestnut-like and there’s definitely the wildflowers in there. The wet leaves have a stronger chestnut smell than wildflowers but the taste is just yummy, it taste like it smells dry. It’s a nice crisp green tea that I haven’t found vegetal. I’d say it’s good for those of us who like floral teas as that is one of the two dominant flavors, but the chestnut mellows it out and makes it just so good. The only problem I’m having with it is that is makes only one more steeping, and it’s not nearly as good as the first, even at that this is one that I will be buying again and again.

I bought this because I fell in love with the Bangkok Green Tea that H&S has and I’ve been looking for a good rooibos. Unfortunately it doesn’t quite live up to my expectations. When I first opened the tin I was immediately blasted by the scent of cinnamon. I like cinnamon but I know that it can quickly overtake anything else it is paired with. That is more or less the case with this. I can taste the red rooibos, cinnamon, a decent kick of the ginger but barely even a hint of the coconut. The cinnamon definitely takes the show in this one and I tried adding some peppermint to help cool down the cinnamon, and it did help a little. As much as I want to love this I do not think I will be buying more when I run out, there are better flavored rooibos out there.

First opening it and smelling it, it smells like fresh air on a nice spring day. I can’t get over it, I love the way it smells dry. After brewing it the smell changes and becomes more earthy, not grassy, there is a little bit of the cooked greens smell, but not a lot, still very light. It doesn’t taste like a traditional green tea, and I like that. It taste like it smells: fresh, clean, and slightly earthy. Definitely making a few more cups out of this today.

Another one I had received in a gift set, but I had enjoyed it so much that I keep buying it. It probably helps that jasmine pearls is my favorite tea, At first sniff (dry) it is predominantly oolong and jasmine, I can’t say I can smell the white tea in it at all, same with after having brewed it. Although when drinking it I can get a hint of the white tea, not much. The oolong and jasmine dominate this one in every aspect, but they blend well together. I usually get 3-4 steepings out of this one and it is a staple in my cupboard.

I received 2oz of this in a gift package. I am not a huge raspberry fan as I often find it too tart, but his is a good oolong, and the berries don’t overwhelm it at all. There are berry fillers in with the oolong and not just added flavoring, I’d say a 60/40 ratio in favor of the oolong. The first cup has a stronger berry taste and it fades with each cup and the oolong getting stronger in turn. So even if the first cup has too much berry in it, I find that a rinse will help mellow it out. I do enjoy this tea, and I probably will buy it again in the future but it’s not going to be a staple in my stash either.