Ian

Second sample from my big box of samples from LiberTEAS

I knew I was gonna need some caffeine today, so I decided to brew up some mate. When I saw this one in there I decided to brew it up.

It’s very good! I haven’t had a LOT of mates, so I don’t really have a whole lot to compare it to, but this is pretty tasty! The toasty-ness of the mate really pairs nice with the richness of the chocolate and the sweetness of the coconut. I can get a little hint of cinnamon, but it’s kind of hidden in there. Overall, a very nice mate!

EDIT: I was able to get two EQUALLY TASTY steeps from this batch of leaves, so I’m upping the rating! (second steep used boiling water for 10 minutes)

Third sample from Bonnie

I brewed this and then put it in the freezer to cool (I figured it would be better cold, but I didn’t cold brew it). I added a little bit of stevia and some lemon juice to perk the flavor a little.

This is very good! Sweet and tart, and very juicy. This is more of a summer tea, but I am still enjoying it right now!

After my first pu-erh, I decided to try a somewhat different aspect of the tea.

This is the second sample I’ve tried out of the ones sent to me by Bonnie. The dry leaf smells somewhat earthy with a nice pop of sweetness.

I took a few sips and decided to add a little bit of stevia to sweeten it up a bit. Very good! I can taste more orange and the chocolate adds sort of a creaminess that makes the tea nice and rich! The earthiness of the pu-erh adds a nice contrast to the sweetness.

Very good, thank you again Bonnie! I heard that this tea was being added to the permanent collection but I can’t find it anywhere…. If anyone has any info, please tell me, because I would LOVE to have this tea in my cupboard!

MOMENTOUS OCCASION!
This is my first ever pu-erh! EVER! I’m excited, needless to say. This is also my first sample out of the box that LiberTEAS sent me. I was feeling daring, so I decided to make this now that I have time to make more than one infusion!

So, I decided that it would be fairly easy for me to make this in my mug (I need a gaiwan so bad!), so that is what I did. However, I messed up my rinses. First of all, I didn’t boil enough water to make a cup after the rinses. Second of all, I didn’t do the rinses for NEARLY long enough. Third of all, I went to actually brew it and after a minute or so decided that that infusion wasn’t right……… I’m new to this, okay!

Anyways, on to the first (second?) infusion. This definitely smells very earthy, but in kind of a good way… The taste, surprisingly, isn’t very earthy. It’s kind of got a unique flavor to it that I can’t really pinpoint… It’s very smooth and interesting…..

Second infusion-This one smells and tastes bit earthier. It is a bit lighter than the first infusion (even though I brewed for four minutes….). I’m still looking for that sweetness that others have talked about….

Third infusion-I think this is it for this tea. The sweetness has come out a lot! It still smells earthy but the sweetness in the taste has come out a lot. It’s still running a little underneath the base earthiness, but it is way more present. This is my favorite steep!

For my first pu-erh, this is pretty good! I’m looking forward to exploring more kinds (including some of the flavored ones Bonnie sent me) and learning more about them!

Today has been very good to me for these reasons:
1.) It marks the end of one of the most stressful weeks in my whole schooling career
2.) My winter vacation is now officially starting
3.) I got home from [another] very long day and I checked my mailbox to find that my samples from the wonderful Bonnie and my big box o’ samples from LiberTEAS were in there! Hooray! I now have enough tea to last me a lifetime (I counted and I received 65 samples!)

I was at a loss for which tea to try and I’ve been eyeing this tea for quite a while (Bonnie so graciously included it), so I decided to dig in and make myself a cup.

Side note, not only is this my first taste of THIS tea, it’s also my first tea EVER from 52teas…. Needless to say I’m excited!

The dry leaf smells a lot like (who would have guessed) maple syrup….. That is nice, but I’m hoping that I can tell that this is a pancake tea, not a maple tea. Anywho, I steeped with boiling water for 5 minutes and 30 seconds. The liquor/wet leaf smell is (again) maple syrup-y, and the liquor itself looks like (wait for it)…… maple syrup.

I read some reviews, and after trying the first few sips plain (more black tea than flavored black tea), I decided to add some brown sugar.

HOLY HUNK OF BURNING HEAVEN THIS IS GOOD! It does taste more like pancakes than maple syrup! Like when you have the perfect ratio of pancake to syrup and the pancake absorbs some! There’s a somewhat grainy note and a slight astringency towards the swallow that makes it taste like a pancake! It also has a nice little shock of sweetness that cuts through.

Yes yes yes yes yes. I definitely have to try more teas from Frank (there’s some in my other samples!) and this is going on my “Buy ASAP Or I Might Die” list (unfortunately it’s a pretty big list…..). Thank GOODNESS this is in the permanent collection now, because next time I order my cupboard will never be without some of this!

This is the tea I drank this morning… Sorry I’m a little late!

Let me start off by saying I’m always hesitant to drink flavored oolongs-they’re so complex and can change so much and so many of them are beautiful on their own, so I’m always a little careful when drinking flavored ones.

That said, this is done very well. This was another sample my friend Bella gave me (bless her soul), and I can see why she loves it! The plum isn’t really too tart or present. It provides a bright sweetness that sort of stirs in the background behind the tea and the other ingredients. The flowers add such a nice light and floral taste, and I LOVE it!

My one complaint (it’s my fault)-I made it in my Noble mug and drank it for a while with the cap off. However, once I got in the car to go to school, I put the cap on and it was left on for little while-this did not do too many wonders for the tea. After a little while with the cap on, the tea started to develop that plastic-y taste that happens with low quality jasmines. That, however, was my fault, and I won’t make the mistake again!

Many thanks to my wonderful friend Isabella for giving me a sample of this tea! If you read this, Bella, you’re amazing!

I understand that this will be quite awkward as I am only 15 and writing a review on a champagne flavored tea…. Regardless, I have had a sip of my parent’s here and there and I know what it tastes like (trust me, I’m not a drinker!).

Anywho, on to the tea. The dry leaf smells like champagne and there is a subtle sweetness in the background… Steeped for 3 minutes with boiling water in my mug. The tea smells kind of bland. Sort of a champagne-y scent (if that makes sense….) but I can tell there’s a sweetness in the tea. The smell isn’t as strong as the dry leaf but the sweetness comes through more, if that makes sense.

For the first sips I’m getting kind of a chocolate-y taste, which is weird because there’s no chocolate. The aftertaste in my mouth is slightly sweet with a champagne-esque flavor.

As it cools the sweetness of the strawberry and the sort of slash (that’s the only word I can think of) of the champagne comes out, and it makes for a nice brew. Overall pretty tasty, though I don’t think I would purchase a full size version of this.

Thanks again Bella!

PS: I’ve realized my ratings don’t make sense (at least to me) so I will be going through and fixing them…. If anyone was wondering :P

Last sample that I got with my DAVIDsTEA order.

First off, let me say that I’m not a huge fan of Darjeelings. I do really enjoy some, but a lot are really gross to me.

I won’t say this is gross, but it certainly isn’t one I enjoy. It has a very stereotypical Darjeeling taste and aroma. Very musty and woody. The word that this tea invokes in my mind is “damp.” That’s really all I can think of when I taste it…. I have a bad habit of adding milk and sugar (or Truvia/Stevia) to my unflavored black teas when I have them in the morning, and I did that here. If anything, I think the milk and stevia makes me like it even less. Right now, it’s like a liquid form of must and that is really unappealing to me.

Bottom line, I don’t think I’ll ever try this one again.

Final sample from TeaVivre!

Dry, this tisane is LOVELY and smells just as good. It’s bright red and has a pop of green from the verbena, and the lemon is definitely the strong suit in the aroma. I brewed it with my Noble mug from DAVIDsTEA for 8 and half minutes with boiling water.

I added a little bit of sugar to avoid excessive tartness. This tisane is lovely! The apple ISN’T the forte, which I like. It has a very distinct apple aftertaste, however, and I LOVE it. The roselle adds a nice tartness that’s not too strong, and the verbena adds a nice zing to it. So very very nice, I love this tisane so much, and I thank TeaVivre again so much for this sample and all the others. The quality was amazing throughout, and I thank you for being so gracious!

I am thoroughly impressed with all of these samples!

This one’s my favorite so far. The pearls are so exciting to watch unravel! The smell is very strong and perfumy, but the actual tea is light and not heavily flavored like a lot of Jasmines are. Very nice!

Another sample that came with my order from DAVIDsTEA. The dry leaves smell kind of spicy and have light chocolate smell.

Noble Mug with boiling water for 5 minutes. I added a little sugar to try and lighten the spice.

A very nice tea! The chai spices don’t come out as much as I would like, but the chocolate is nice and smooth and not too harsh like it often can be. The spice lightly pierces through and creates for a wonderful blend!

Second review for TeaVivre’s samples.

I guess I should share how I brew my tea. Most of the time I brew it in my Noble travel mug from DAVIDsTEA (http://www.davidstea.com/accessories/travel-mugs-2/noble-glass-travel-thermos) and sometimes I brew a teapot using just a regular mesh tea ball (I don’t have a tea pot with a built in infuser, unfortunately). Anywhoo, on to the tea.

This was another sample I got from TeaVivre. After drinking the Pi Lo Chun I was in the mood for something a little sweeter, so I decided to have a cup of this. The dry "leaves"smell very sweet, almost like fake blueberry bubblegum that you get for a dollar at the store. The leaves are BEAUTIFUL, a vibrant pop of blue and maroon-y purple.

The brewed tisane is a lovely deep purple and has retained its scent. I added a little bit of sugar to avoid any tartness.

I LOVE THIS TISANE! It’s tart (but not overly tart to the point of puckering) with a little tang and a small punch of sweetness. It tastes EXACTLY like the description, and none of the pure fruit flavor is sacrificed like it is in so many fruit blends.

Very nice, this will be a cupboard staple from now on.

I used about 4 tsp. for about 12 oz. of water and steeped for 8 minutes and 30 seconds with boiling water.

Many thanks to TeaVivre, my samples arrived today!

I was at a lost for which to try first so I flash-quized my dad and he chose this one. As many have raved before me, the packaging is genius-TWO DIFFERENT BAGS! Ingenious! I’ve made a mental note that if I ever start my own tea company, that’s how I’ll package everything.

The dry leaves are a mint-green color. They smell very savory, kind of like seaweed.

First steep- ~175 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 1 minute and 15 seconds. It’s VERY light, and when it’s in direct sunlight, it almost looks clear. The brewed tea smells the same as the leaves but not as strong. It’s very light, and has a savory taste. It has a slightly salty taste, and it’s very vegetal. Not really what I look for in a tea, but good for what it is. I’m not going to resteep these, but I will enjoy drinking this cup while it lasts.

I’m not too too big on savory teas, but I did enjoy the vegetal saltiness of this one, and I thank TeaVivre again for graciously sending me some samples! I’m excited to try the rest!

Upping the rating a teensy bit.

This time I brewed it at 205 for 5 minutes (with the cap on my mug brewer system) and I broke down and added a spoonful of pure cane sugar.

It’s so much better like this! I might have actually changed my mind about this tea….. My cup yesterday just made me go “Eh, this is boring” but today I’m really enjoying it!

Eh, just eh.

I got this as a sample with my order and I decided to make it as this was an early morning and I figured that a mate would do me well. I’m kind of unimpressed with this-I’m pretty sure that I oversteeped the leaves.

The tea is woody and the kind of bitterness of the coffee is there in the background.

Based on this steep I won’t repurchase, but if I ever come by another sample I will be sure to prepare it differently.

MY ORDER FROM DAVIDsTEA CAME!!!!!!!!!!

I got this tea full size and I also received three samples (Darjeeling, Chocolate Chili Chai, and Jumpy Monkey) as they do with any online order.

I immediately opened it and smelled the dry leaves-not too keen on the smell. It’s overwhelmingly chocolate-y and I really hope that this will disappear when the leaves are steeped.

The aroma of the steeping leaves is much more pleasant-not as chocolate-y and a lot more fruity. The color is semi-dark.

First sip-I only got a little because it’s still EXTREMELY HOT. Tastes a little water-y, I might have to put the leaves back in for a little while…..

It’s cooled down a little and it’s more enjoyable. It’s kind of tangy and the black tea is definitely the forte. The chocolate is kind of there in the background and I can kind of taste the sweetness of the strawberry. There’s no rose, however, and I LOVE rose teas, so that’s kind of disappointing. It smells DIVINE! Like the way that chocolate covered strawberries taste, if that makes sense. It’s still kind of weak… A little disappointing. My cup is almost empty so I’m going to resteep and use some more leaves and perhaps steep longer……

Second steep: ~205 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 6 minutes. I didn’t actually end up adding extra leaves, I thought the amount I had was plenty. The first steep has left a lovely sweet aftertaste in my mouth, and it is actually kind of floral. This steep is much more enjoyable. The flavors are a bit stronger and the flavor has really evolved. I really like this steep! The chocolate is sweet and a nice foreground for the tang of the strawberry. Still no rose flavor really, so I will make sure to get some rose in there next time….

Overall a nice tea. I probably won’t repurchase this but is a nice treat and I’ll enjoy it while it lasts!

Unfortunately until my samples from Teavivre and Teasta and my order from DAVIDsTEA arrive, I’m stuck to coffee and my parent’s somewhat limited and poor tea collection :/

I picked this out of a large sampler pack thingy that they got around Christmastime and I thought that this tea sounded kind of interesting. I haven’t ever had a lime flavored tea before, and I thought that the choice to mix it with black tea instead of green (which makes more sense to me, at least) was kind of interesting.

Another pleasant surprise from my parent’s tea cupboard (I should probably start having more faith in them, lol). The lime wasn’t actually a forefront, though you can definitely smell it. The black tea was just a regular old bagged Orange Peoke flavor, and the lime kind of added a nice acidity to it that I found enjoyable. I won’t be purchasing a larger size of this, but it was a nice treat.

I’m actually quite pleased with this tea.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a thermometer or a kettle that lets me brew to exact temperatures-I simply boiled water in my electric kettle and let it sit for 4-5 minutes to cool down. I then steeped the sachet (unfortunately I don’t have pure loose leaves) for 9 minutes (I usually steep my white teas for a long time, plus these particular sachets were rather old) and added about 1/4 of a spoonful of cane sugar (about 1/2 a teaspoon) to avoid bitterness.

The tea is wonderful! The aroma is rather peachy, though the flavor is not too fruity, which I really like. The tea manages to have body while remaining light. There isn’t an overwhelming peach flavor when you’re drinking it, but rather no peach flavor at all. I find that the fruit is more of an essence in the tea than a direct flavor. There is only a hint while you’re physically ingesting the tea, but it leaves a wonderful tangy aftertaste in your mouth that you eventually realize tastes like peach, though it’s not so strong that you think you just bit into a peach.

A wonderful tea (again) from Harney & Sons. I don’t think it will become a staple, but I will definitely purchase it again to make iced tea (and hot tea) in the summer.

I know that I shouldn’t like this tea, but I actually do…

It’s affordable, and I like the taste of it. It can be a little overpowering sometimes, but overall I think it’s a nice tea that’s easily available at my local quick mart, and our school cafeteria.

For a rather low-quality and cheap tea, this is surprisingly very delicious!

The mango flavor is prevalent but not overpowering as fruity teas sometimes are. I find the flavor to be somewhat sweet but not to the point of gagging.

The actual tea itself is rather low quality, but it is surprisingly acceptable. It’s not too bitter as I often find that discount type teas like this are. It’s somewhat vegetal, but very mildly so.

Overall a very nice discount find and surprisingly tasty.

No notes yet.

VERY STRONG! If you are looking for a more mild cinnamon flavored tea, this is not for you! It has a very nice, full cinnamon flavor, but it can be a little overpowering. Overall, a pretty good tea.

Just okay. It does have a somewhat nice flavor plain, but I’ve found that a teaspoon of sugar really amplifies it. I will always prefer the lemonade version of this at an actual Starbucks, however