Indigobloom

It’s Christmas in June! Aw yeah. I am in love. Queue the bells. Thank you Rachel, for playing matchmaker! (yes I am mixing holidays here lol)
Of course, at first sip, when this was hot, I hated it.
Wayyyy to heavy on the vanilla, as that was practically all I could taste. Now, I don’t mind vanilla in some cases, and I haven’t quite put my finger what it is that makes me cringe but this seemed to be hitting that mark. I could swear there was some coconut in there too.
Then I added some milk, and let it cool down some and… oh man, soooooo good! A little more mint would have been nice, but I’m not complaining too much as it was still very tasty. It reminded me of a yuletide latte, with just a little somethin extra thrown in if ya know what I mean ;)
Brainwave! This would be ahhhmazing with some peppermint schnapps. It isn’t something I carry in the house, but I’d go out and grab some just to try it, I am that convinced it’d be incredible. Mmmmmm.
Also, this is kinda similar to the pumpkin latte version you make Rachel. I definitely prefer the pumpkin one, though I’d really have to try them side by side to see how wide that disparity is.
Oh and the other thing that this reminded me of, towards the end of my cup… well, it’s more of a mouthfeel, accumulated by the many consecutive sips I suppose, but, melted mint icecream. Mint chocolate chip is my fave! Chocolate, well I love the crunchy texture and there is no way that can be achieved in a tea so I guess you could say this is the tea equivalent heh.
I think there is cinnamon in here as well, and I do get a shadow of it, but it’s not very strong so if you don’t like cinnamon, I wouldn’t worry much about it.
Anyhow, I don’t think I’ll try it as a true latte, since this was pretty great with just a splash of milk and I loved it just fine like that. However, I am hoping I check this note before making another cup, down the road, because I’d love to try it with that Schnapps! and also almond milk as well.
Happy Friday everyone!!

I am so glad I indulged in this tea purchase! it’s delightful. Truly. Smooth almond marzipan paste covered in dark chocolate? Yes please!!
I’ve had it a few times now and it seems to be a but finicky, getting bitter very quickly but in that case, pairing well with a dash of milk.
The trick is, as far as I can tell, is if you want to have it bare, stick with a two minute infusion, whereas if you want it with milk, you need to play around with the timings and see what works. Odd, because I didn’t like it at all with milk and a 2.5m infusion, but it was great at 3m! and also very bitter without the milk.
At two minutes, and sans milk, I really enjoy it as well, though it’s not a heavy tea when prepared like that.
Something tells me it wouldn’t do well in a travel mug. Normally I’d give this a higher rating, as I do very much enjoy it! So does Dad for that matter. but for all it’s diva like properties, I’ll hold back on that for now.
Not that 82 is bad!! pretty darn good :)

I’m on a really odd kick lately. Mixing my Assam (and Ceylon if I must, or for a change) with a bit of Darjeeling!
Since my Darj is old now and needs to be used up, I thought I’d give it a shot and ended up loving it!! Now that was certainly unexpected.
I’ve had breakfast blends that combine the two before… so perhaps it’s just this particular first flush Darj from eons ago that makes it so incredibly tasty!
The way the teas blend together just works better somehow. And it doesn’t seem to matter which black tea I use, so far, out of four, every cup has been great! yum :P

On a side note, my job hunt is ongoing. It sucks having to not be here!! Popping in now and again just isn’t the same. Sighs.

bleh. I forgot that this didn’t do so well with a dash of milk and tried it as a cold latte, in my blender with some ice.
It was purty nasty, so I added some strawberry and now it’s drinkable. Should have added real strawberries as well…
Funny thing is, I’m almost out of this one, and will probably end up buying more to have as a hot latte mixed with other flavours… and of course in my smoothies. I looooove the cheesecakiness in my liquid fruit. Mmmmm.

First time ever I did this one up with only milk, ice and matcha. Mostly because, well, finally, I have access to some fresh ice… which is not a good thing because now my fibre fruit intake is in danger! oh dear. Yes, this is really REALLY good folks. and now I’m gonna hafta go through every one of my matchas and try them this way! which means I can’t open up the new ones I have waiting in my cupboard. le sighs.
As for why I chose this one today… well I had an irresistible craving after trying that matchaccino yesterday. I’m not sure which one I prefer. The caramel didn’t have the depth I wanted, but the ‘cino didn’t have the caramel intensity. Hmmm!! something to think about :)
(bumping the rating a few points!)

Oh, also! I had the last of a darjeeling from Tea Emporium but it was an unlabeled gift and I’m not sure which one specifically, to review it under. So… I’ll just say here that it was pretty ok, even though it’s kinda old! a really nice honey note emerged on the finish, with a hint of bitterness that I didn’t mind so much, because of the honey. Go figure. It went really well “iced” (ie, cooled down with a few ice cubes!!)

On another, non tea related event… Happy Victoria Day Weekend to any Canadian’s out there!! I have some fun stuff planned, after all the craziness of my neighbour’s flood! phew. Anyhow… fireworks anyone???

This was yummy!! but not quite what I was expecting. Almost, though. I need to try it as a hot latte. This time, I used milk, ice, and matcha in a blender. And then, because I’m not used to my “smoothies” have such a thin consistency, I threw in half a banana.
Not sure whether I added too much milk or not enough ice. Next time I’ll have to be more careful in measuring, as I was distracted by company. My neighbour’s sump pump burst and flooded their basement and part of the main level (talk about stinky), which means she’s been spending a lot of time at our place today/last night. Which is great, I love her! but it also means I’ve got next to no work done haha
and also why I haven’t gotten to my samples yet! well, I did try one but need to do them all side by side after having them individually.
Bah. I gotta go. Amazing weather out there!!

I miss being a regular here!! sighs. But I do try to read reviews when I can. Not all of them, cuz I’d have to unfollow some people if I had any hope in that, and I’d really rather not do that…
anyhow, I made myself a smoothie today, and it was ahhhmazing! Fresh banana, strawberry, milk, and matcha… well that = a big glass of YUM!! I really like the contrast of strawberry to coffee flavour. So good. I’m kinda glad this doesn’t go over very well as a hot brew now :P

Happy Mothers day!!
I had this with pancakes and chocolate milk. A mocha tea chino! (no dashes because of formatting complications)
I prefer the coffee version I made Mum, to be honest, but I would rather not push the allergy factor!
Anyhow… it was a good day overall. Much better than yesterday, for reasons I don’t wanna get into. Let’s just say it was depressing.
Whatevs. Night all :)

Strawberry?! Nooooooo, I taste apple! Tart, juicy, delicious apple.
I suppose it could be tart strawberry??? It has some similarities to a few other strawberry black teas I’ve tried, though I can’t pinpoint what they are exactly. and it still doesn’t carry the essence of “berry”. Definitely apple. No question about that. The aroma, the taste, everything about it was apple. I’m a little confused.
Either way, it was yummy. I’d buy more! My cuppa was very flavourful and smooth. A little astringent. Great with or without milk.
Thanks Nina’s Tea for the sample.

Okay so there is a certain orange flavouring in teas that I really dislike (when not paired with a black base, apparently). It’s kindof a spicy orange rind note, which I often find in teas that are a less than entirely fresh, but sometimes as an intentional addition.
This was the aroma/taste that hit me when I first tasted my tea. So not my thing!
But then, as I got through the cup, it kinda grew on me. I think that the blend of Ceylon and Chinese black teas must be a good match for that particular flavouring.
My cuppa had a smooth creaminess to it, and went down surprisingly easy without any milk or sugar, which I fully expected would be necessary given my flavouring bias!
It isn’t entirely orange, or orange rind though, and I’ve yet to put my finger on what that extra something is. Anyone have any thoughts?
Back when I was a tea newbie, I bought 100g of an orange flavoured mate without trying any first… and oh boy did I ever hate it. So gross, in my opinion that is. I did manage to find it a good home! Perhaps it was the combo of orange and mate I dislike. and orange and white tea! (yes I mean you…Tangerine somethingorother from Kally. Blech)
Anyhow, I’d definitely try this again, and could actually see myself keeping a stock in my cupboard. Not as my house “orange black” of course, as this one seems to stand on it’s own.
Thanks to my Mentor (in HR) for buying me a cuppa at Avenue Bistro Cafe :)

Thank you to Rachel from iHeartTeas for a lovely sample packet of this tea!!
It’s wonderful, truly! The spices mix superbly with the pumpkin, and the vanilla is just fine! (yes, this tea drinker was worried about that part upon reading the ingredients)
The black base is a little soft, but has that certain mallow note which works well in a chai. I wish the base was a touch stronger.
No matter, this is very much like pumpkin pie filling. Very decadent, making me feel as if I’ve had a dessert when really it was a pinch of sugar and some milk! Hmmmm, you know I think it is closer to pumpkin icecream than pie, atleast in the aftertaste.
And something else, other pumpkin teas I’ve tried had a certain “uncooked” feel to them, and to be honest, that is why I stopped looking for a version I enjoyed. Well, this was in the sampler I got, so I didn’t really look for it… but oh yeah am I ever glad it was in there.
Btw, I tried this with milk, but also greatly enjoyed the sip I took when it was sans dairy.
Sighs Ya know you are in love with a tea when you are pouting because the cup is empty! THAT hasn’t happened to me for ages.
When my buying ban is over, I’ll be getting more of this for sure!!!!

Sadness!! I was so excited to try this, after sniffing the dry tea. Berry goodness oh my!
But then I steeped it up and got mostly caramel and vanilla, with a barely a hint of berry. Sighs.
I’m not a big vanilla tea fan, but the caramel seemed to balance it out somewhat. It was more the aroma that I found offputting, when I think about it. Oh well, it was a smooth cuppa, I have to give it that! Perhaps a little biting towards the bottom of my mug. It was a rather large mug because I wanted to use up the entire sample.
Don’t go by my rating though, since I’m not a vanilla champion heh. And hey, I’d never turn down another free sample of it…

I didn’t have any tea today!!
It’s been such a stressful week that I just withdrew from everything except for work, and now I really want a cuppa! I’m craving so badly… but then I’d never get to sleep and herbal won’t do(last day is tomorrow. Both good and bad I say!)
Anyhow, I’m off to bed. So exhausted and not looking forward to a repeat of today heh

I totally did not expect this one to go over well in a travel mug… but strangely, it does?!
Now that could be because I got my water from Starbucks, piping hot, and had to wait a few min before dunking the sachet… and probably burnt the leaves (ie. also any chlorine/alcohol residue)
Just sayin, that was totally unexpected and a delightful surprise. The marshmallow and toasted rice really came out nicely. A little too burnt in the aroma and taste for my liking. I’ll always prefer my standard Shmallow version of course :)

On a side note, I am so frustrated… just got some test results back. Looks like my thyroid is outta whack again. No wonder I’ve gained a bunch of weight lately. sighs.

I dunno what possessed me to cold brew the last of my sample. But it was interesting to say the least.
Chilled, the vanilla flavouring really comes out. Ick. Not my thing!
but then as it warmed up to room temp, a strange thing happened… the ‘nilla mellowed out, and an odd tart note emerged on the finish. Whaaaaat?! Was it cherry? Perhaps.
Curious indeed. I’d have to try it again to really know more. Still, it was a fun experiment and I’m glad I did it! :)
Thanks again Kittenna.

Cold brewing this in the fridge. Will see how it turns out!

EDIT:
Not bad. The black base really takes a backseat here. Coconut dominates with a bit of pineapple thrown in. I think this is how I’ll use up the rest, when (if) I ever feel like having iced tea!! though I much prefer coconut oolong iced, overall.

I know I wrote a review on this. WHERE did it go!??!
In fact, I remember comparing it to the same tea type from Teaopia. Odd.
Anyhow… holy shmallow! oh, yesssss it really comes out here. No graham cracker, sadly.
Unfortunately, it reminds me of an artificial Assam, as I find Assams often have similar, natural notes.
That said, it was a lovely tea! Requiring milk and sugar of course :)

Fruity non hibiscus green tea! something I’ve been craving for ages. So I was supa’ glad I got this in the sampler pack from ihearteas.
Peach is definitely more present than raspberry, though I kinda wish it was. Either way, it hits the spot so yay :)

Mucho gracias to Sil for this sample!
I am really liking this blend. Uber yummy!! Reminds me of the Strawberry tea I bought from Pippins last summer, and still have a smidge left of, but it’s lost all it’s flavour since I didn’t have a tin for it and so ended up storing it in it’s gold foil baggie.
Anyhow, I digress.
This tea tastes just like a strawberry campino candy! Creamy and sweet. Yum. I love that it was amazing without any additives, but just a touch of sugar, as in 1/3 tsp, made it into a truly decadent dessert. I should have waited til later in the day haha.
The black base is nice as well, standing up to the flavouring. In some ways I think it is very similar to the 52Teas black base, only smoother and not so abrasive.

sipdown!
Made with dairy milk, and it was not nearly as amazing as with the almond. Still def getting the cookie note though. Oh well, c’est la vie!

So I’ve been on a cold brew kick, because I am trying to sip down a bunch of teas but want to save a few for hot summer days and I need to know what works. So I’m trying some out now, or else I’ll end up saving them all until summer! and that is a month or two away still…
Anyhow. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that apply jolly rancher is hidden in the cold brew! mind you, that fake chocolate note is there as well but I can manage. Yep, this one will be a cold brew tea from now on. Or perhaps sun tea!
Bumping the rating one or two points, from 73 :P

Pineapple? Oh yes it’s there. The coconut is stronger! and yet not in a sunscreen way, more of a maple syrup feel. Interesting.
I need to try it again to be sure. I’ll write more next time! For now, I’m content but not thrilled.
The black base is ok, I suppose. Everything about this blend is just ok… nothing pops. I want my pop factor :)

Thanks to Kittenna for this sample!!
It was definitely cerealish. I could taste honey, nuts, and errrr, rooibos? Hard to say, it was blended together quite expertly so that could have been the “cereal” bit.
After it cooled down, I got alot more honey thickness along with that throat catching nutty note. Actually, when hot, this was downright watery and almost tasteless! but then I added a bit of sugar and let it sit for awhile. Oh yeah, not bad at all. In some ways, it was airy, and others it was thick! Hmmmm. Figure that one out…
A little on the standard side, in my books, but unique enough to catch my attention and garner some curiosity. If I ever run out of complex herbals to sample (yeah not in this lifetime), I’d def repurchase.
Also, I think this would go very nicely as an iced summer refresher. I’m not a big iced tea fan but I do go through phases, and right now, I am all about cold brews!

I bought a sample sachet of this at Pacific Mall of all places, and saved it til today when I really needed it.
And guess what, it is super tasty. Intense on the sweet berry, which I LOVE!! Definitely some strawberry, and maybe cherry. Not sure about the currant.
Without any sugar or milk, I enjoyed every single sip even though I got an extra large cup, for maybe a regular sized serving of leaves. Oh yeah, so worth it. No idea what temp it was at either so I’m going to surmise that this blend can take a lot of abuse and still end up amazing.
I’d keep it in my cupboard if I could.
In some ways, it reminds me very much of Marco Polo. They are pretty much the same tea, only one has a whole lot more vanilla. Ok so that makes them pretty different in one very big way lol
Still, I doubt I’d carry both in my cupboard if I had an opp, since I’m not a huge vanilla fan and thus much prefer this version!
Also, Sil, did you give me a sample of this?? I can’t recall!!