gmathis

More detailed review is up at http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/ (with some other really enjoyable tea & product reviews - I’m enjoying reading them.)

Nice to find a local Bob Evans that serves a selection of Twinings instead of food-service-grade stuff. This was nice, even though the metal carafe couldn’t keep the water hot as I would have liked. Nice balance between the black and the “juicy fruit filling.”

Tried this one chilled without having a cup hot first, but it makes a good plain summer cooler… poured into glass bottles, cooled, straight into the fridge. I’m never very precise with my water temps, but I must have accidentally hit the butter zone on this one—no bitterness or strong veggie taste at all.

(Sorry, wombatgirl … this does deserve a limerick, but a have a post-lousy-night’s-sleep headache that’s even making full sentences a stretch. Maybe next steep.)

Wow! I kept looking for honey and flavorings in the ingredients … there’s just a gentle oolong flavor up front and an afterglow when you swallow that would make Pooh Bear giggle. Nothing but really, really, really good tea!

Firstly, thanks, Jillian!
Secondly, I should know better than to do light, delicate little tisanes with break room tap water.
Thirdly, this is nice and pleasant and summery, but I’m not getting any cucumber—just the lemongrass. A very hot, humid weekends looms; I think this will be great iced.

Addendum: VERY tasty iced.

Did a cup double-strength, twice the leaves, and iced it down. Now I’m getting the orange peel I missed the first time around. Still not a hunt-it-down-and-club-it-on-the-head-and-bring-it-home tea, but a nice-to-have-tasted-on-a-hot-afternoon one.

A nice bagged alternative for the times when you just don’t want to fuss. The white tea erases a little of the green-veggie aftertaste you get in a lot of teabag greens. I’m thinking it will ice down well.

Another apology to donors because of my disorganization…swaps and samples have gotten a little jumbled in my messy kitchen, but I think this was a treat from Lori.

At any rate, this is the closest approximation to homemade baked goods I’ve ever tasted in a tea. Makes me think of sugar cookies more than snickerdoodles, but now I have a severe craving for both. Splashed in just a little skim milk and yummy-doodle!

I put my sample straight on ice.
Not very strong. Just mild and nice.

(With apologies to Ogden Nash and wombatgirl…I just didn’t have a whole limerick in me.)

Minty to the point of mentholatum, so I added a bag of Twinings plain green tea to tone it down a little. It’ll do.

This brew, my dear tea-drinking neighbors,
Reminds me of cherry Life Savers.
I left it too long,
So it came out quite strong,
But I don’t look on it with full disfavor.

(Will give it another whirl iced. Sometimes the strong fruity stuff just does better cold.)

I definitely felt like I was getting my daily allotment of green vegetables on this one. A little overcooked-tasting, maybe, but if you like strong greens, this one’s for you.

I am not a banana fan, so I approached this sample from Doulton a little suspiciously, but
…wow! The chamomile, banana, and coconut work really nicely together—you can’t really taste where one ends and the other begins. Furthermore, chilled, this is a nice smooth summer cooler. I can see myself tossing in some orange or pineapple juice to make this more punch-y.

Wombatgirl procured some corn tea
And sent a small sample to me.
You don’t have to be brainy
To perceive it tastes “grainy”
But it’s popcorny pleasant, you see.

(I dunno … I may drain this limerick thing dry!)

Yep, liquid popcorn. Going to ice some down for a yard work tea and see how it goes.

Really nice—a nice round fruity taste, not tart and none of that nasty hibiscus hiding behind the good stuff :o)

But I’m wondering … do you consider black currants to be more grape-ity or more blackberry-ish? I am having to re-think my opinion.

I don’t know what it is about sourdough toast and honey that makes this tea peachier, but a really nice breakfast combo!

Credit and thanks to Doulton for the opportunity to try this one: nice strong sugar-cookie vanilla. Very sweet, but not sticky-sweet. I’ll give it …. an Ernie on a zero to Kermit scale. (Just seems like the day for all things friendly and Sesame.)

A limerick tea:

Oh, my! What an interesting green.
Unlike many others I’ve seen.
You can’t taste much rice,
But ooh, it’s still nice!
Sweet and malty—-it’s fit for a queen.

(More succinctly—like drinking the inside of a Whoppers malted milk ball. Yum!!!!)

This smelled so strong in the pouch, I was afraid I was going to have to push the slider clear down to Mr. Yuk. Don’t have to go that far, but I’m not gettin’ much o’nothin’ … Maybe a little piney or cedary hint in the background, which would be more appropriate if I were in the porch swing of an Ozarks cabin on this soggy day, instead of stuck at a desk. Bottom line—diluted Mr. Clean.

A longer review of this is now up at www.itsallabouttheleaf.com. This is a nice, tangy Keemun for no-frills, no-flavors, non-adulterated black tea lovers.

Aesthetically speaking, it’s lovely in the little sheer bag. Flavorfully speaking, it’s OK, but nothing to write poetry about. Maybe Will Scarlet on a scale of zero to Robin Hood. Just one sample bag available, but I’m thinking it might be better iced.

I like the nice little acidic bite—almost lemony.

This is WONDERFUL (thanks Lori!)—-you can taste each individual flavor distinctly…got the almonds, got the vanilla, got, the rooibos, got the other goodies. Very, very sweet, without needing additional sugar. Spending a lazy Mother’s Day sipping, rocking and listening to Pushing Daisies soundtrack (gift from teenage son) and getting the leaky toilet fixed (gift from husband).

I used more like a teaspoon and a half to a 12-oz mug, which means this smells heavenly, but after I actually paid attention to the directions, discovered that’s a little too strong. Which may be why I’m getting quite a bit of pear bite and not much truffleness in the flavor. But did I say this smells heavenly? I keep sticking my cold morning nose in the cup like a caramel pear truffle pig.

(Addendum): Adjustments made … less leaf, little less steep time … yum!!!