gmathis

Strawberry is fast becoming one of my favorite fruit additives. This tastes and smells like pastry in a cup. Heat wave continues, so one cup warm is about all I’ll be able to enjoy before sweating myself into a puddle, but the rest of the pot is cooling for iced-down purposes later this afternoon.

Of late, I haven’t bothered with ratings because I tend to be inconsistent and moody, but this one definitely needs the little green licky-lip smiley face!

This is so tasty, it’s really calling for a turnover or a cream horn to accompany it. Wonder if I have time for a bakery pit stop before church…

I oopsed and attributed this to the wrong company yesterday, will try to retire the wrong note. Previous comments still stand, though; to me, this isn’t nearly as dry and grape-y as many better Darjeelings, but I like the light-and-smooth consistency that doesn’t pucker my tongue.

Full review posted here now:

http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2299/tea-review-sacred-rose-clearing-tea/

This one was interesting, for sure!

Without additional flavoring or blending, I don’t think there’s anything anybody can do to plain ol’ rooibos to improve or degrade it … it is what it is. Pleasant and rooty.

First whiff of this was—-wow! cotton candy! Fruity and sweet with the emphasis on sweet.

I should, however, not fuss with delicate teas first thing in the morning on a workday while two family members are talking to me simultaneously. Water was too hot and I didn’t time it, so the green tea base bittered out on me.

Even so, this is exceptionally good. It really does have that fruity, sticky, creamy carnival treat feel, and I could have sworn I detected a little banana. I am confident that when I actually pay attention, this one is going to be toe-curlingly good.

Whew! To use an Ozark-ism, “this’ll take the hair offa yer tongue.” Heat wave continues, so this went straight into the sun tea jar, then to the fridge. Even chilled, it made my lips so dry I felt like I’d been licking drywall. Citrusy lime taste is present, but it also has a masonry lime chaser that’s too dry and tart for me. Lemon-lime lovers may find it lip-lickingly luscious, though…

Of the very few Golden Moon teas I’ve tried, this is the first one I’ve tried that I’m truly enthusiastic about. I’m definitely getting the molasses undertone referred to in the product description, especially after it cooled. This one, I think, will be versatile enough to ice down when it’s hot outside and coddle with a little milk when it’s cold outside.

JacquelineM shared some of this with me; it smelled so good, I went straight for the sun tea jar. My first taste sensation was berries-and-cream, and iced, it was that much better. Then, after reading the description of how this good stuff was concocted, I had flashbacks to church camp when we’d buy “suicides” (one shot of every kind of pop from the fountain) at the canteen. I believe this is better.

It’s peppy. Sweet-ish with a little flavor that dances on your tongue, but is stout enough to be a great morning tea. JacquelineM, thinking about you and smiling as I sip…thanks. Happy Sunday.

Quintessential breakfast tea. It’s got the Assam malty thing happening with a little bit of the leathery-tobacco thing happening in the background. Mary Russell would drink this at the table with Sherlock, if you’re a fan of the Laurie King mystery series.

I made it a tad bit stronger than recommended to allow for plans to chill the pot later - heat wave is forecast to last several more days, so one good warm cuppa in the morning is about all my constitution will stand at the moment.

Very nice. The fruity tones hit you first; doesn’t lose its quality when it cools.

No notes yet.

New review (this one was quite nice):

http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2278/tea-review-lochan-tea-thurbo-ftgfop-1-cl-ex-5-2/

This is smooth and excellent; nice and thick and hefty. I prefer breakfast teas minus milk and sugar, and, straight up, Mincing Lane needs none. I’m not sure if it’s the Yunnan that keeps the Assam from biting too much or the other way around, but in any case, it’s a wonderful morning tea.

Made a full gallon of this and it’s been in the fridge for the better part of a week. This morning, it was so oppressively humid when we woke up (air conditioning at Shabby House leaves a lot to be desired) I ran straight for the jug. For a cheapie tea, it has stayed pretty fresh, doesn’t have that astringent/detergent taste that a lot of grocery store teas do. No, it’s not high quality, but when you need to guzzle in large quantities, it’s suitable.

It’s been fun to read everyone’s prior tasting notes on this one—Thomas seems to bring out the mischieviously poetic in all of ya. And I can’t top any of them in descriptors. Stiff and stout, a good gumptious breakfast tea, yes.

l like the “hints of apple skin” in the product description … this is light, lip-licking tart, and dry. Not enough left in the cup to ice down, but I bet it’s good cold.

Smells wonderful; tastes…not as much. Unless you really like the tree-branch taste of ginseng. That’s hard to mask with any other flavoring.

Review from an earlier tasting session this spring:

http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2263/tea-review-blue-q-todays-special-oolong-plum/

This one just gets better and better with its multiple personalities. Yeah, I’m getting cocoa, but I’m getting a little bit of crisp fruity. Now specifically digging it in the morning instead of blearily grabbing whatever I can find in the tea drawer.

No notes yet.

I said recently I wonder how long it’ll be before I quit tensing up when the sky gets cloudy. Prayer answered: thunderstorms in area last night, and we slept through them. Very restorative physically and mentally.

The hot/humid/hazy that preceded the rain has lifted and the morning is clear and cool, so I’m taking a few minutes for myself before I go teach my church kids, and enjoying this gift from Doulton. Notes I’m reading refer to smoky, which I’m not getting much of, but it has a nice dark cocoa powder sweetness that, on an even cooler day, I can see myself having with half-and-half, maybe honey. Excellent.

Despite my love of the good stuff, I have always kept a pack of grocery store brand bags on hand for the sun tea jar — days like today, COLD trumps flavor. Tagless variety also makes for a good sunburn or eye compress. Headed to the farm to power wash muddy household goods, so this may come in handy for both purposes.

Nice and delicate, and even when I didn’t take great care with it, didn’t go bitter. Even better was the encouraging note that came with it. (Thanks, ashmanra … encouraging words are keeping me propped up these days!)