Indigobloom

Big thanks to Jenn for sharing this with me!!
This one, it’s interesting. When I first opened the package I thought it smelled a bit chemically. Like artificial flavouring? (but then I get that alot- that’s how I find fresh papaya as well!)
Steeped, it retained the same scent, and to a degree… the flavour as well.
I added some sugar to bring it out, and that certainly did help.
As the cup cooled, the flavour definitely improved. I’m not sure I tasted strawberry though? Who knows, I’m still a little off with the buds!
Either way, it was very comforting. Sweet and just a touch sour- in a good way.

When I saw this in the store, I could not resist!! I’m a sucker for amaretto… every time. and wow is it good! I only wish that it wasn’t herbal.
The sweet amaretto really pops(too much I think!), and the almonds peek out a bit too. Not much mind you, I do wish they were more present.
It made me sad that the earthy Lapacho taste was so hidden. I was so looking forward to that part. Oh well.
I think I under-leafed the cup. Next time, this just might blow my socks off! :)
—I wonder, can you do milk with Lapacho?

This should really be called caramel pu’erh! with just a little bit of milk in here, my first few sips of this were… heaven. Liquid heaven!!
Smooth, caramelly, just the right amount of sweet with no added sugar at all… mmmmm.
However, as the cup cooled, I began to enjoy it less and less. I started to get vanilla, which I really don’t enjoy all that much in tea. I was able to finish the first cup, but grudgingly so. I also got a little bit of fish, as I do with all the other DT Pu’erhs.
The second steep was ok. Surprisingly, the first one was better.
This infusion was much fishier, and less on the smooth. *shrugs
Anyhow, I’d have it again though I’m not sure I’d be willing to pay for it!

Well, after my terrible experience earlier today, I needed something to replace the terrible taste in my mouth!! and this seemed to do the trick.
It’s nice, I did quite enjoy the brew, however there was nothing particularly memorable about the flavour. A little lemon, a little fruit, maybe a teeny bit of floral something-or-other… but not enough to “wow” me. Then again, this IS a calming tea, it’s not supposed to get me excited!

Bleh!!
This was terrible. Even with honey added, it was more like juice than tea. Never again…
That is all.

Ever since I got most of my ‘buds back, I’ve been revisiting old favourites… and I thought I had finished the last of this one, but surprise, I still have a few tbsp’s left! Yipeeee!!!
I tried a different strategy this time, going with shorter steeps. The green oolong is really coming out, and despite that I am still in love! (I prefer darker oolongs)
It’s very fresh tasting, and bursting with coconut flavour.
On another note- it seems that I react badly only when there are coconut shavings? this has only the essence and I only have a sense of heaven to report on my end!! x sighs x

Meh
This tastes like more of a “chai” than it does a chocolate tea. The gingery fennel taste overpowers the chocolate by so much that I would never name it as such!! I’ve always disliked fennel. It’s so pungent and what a bully!
Anyhow, when the cup is lukewarm, the chocolate comes out a bit more, but only for about five minutes.
I resteeped it three times, and took out the fennel on the last one… which seemed to make it a bit easier to bear, but not really enough to purchase any for the house. I mean, it was ok… but nothing special in my books. shrugs
Oh well. Watching the fennel puff up like a balloon was fun!

Sooooo many things going on with this tea!
First of all, the ginger is edging on too harsh for me. I don’t mind it too much, but really, I think it could do with less.
Second, the pu’erh adds a slightly fishy taste that is ok but not great… again with the goldilocks effect. I don’t remember my sample having so much pu’erh. Every batch is different, apparently!
and third, it doesn’t resteep well!!!! an oolong that doesn’t resteep? the horror!
and thus, as a regular ol’ tea I would give it an 82, but the mediocre aspects bring it down for me… so I’ll settle at 78.
Now, I was full but not overly at the time. Perhaps this would be tastier when I really need the digestive aid?

Ack! Second cup changed their blend. It’s not as tasty as it once was… bleh.
Or maybe my tastes are more refined now? ha, I wish. I’m lowering the rating a tad here.

Holy Shamoley!!
I finally tried this at home… added some sugar, and steeped it with regular non-coffee infected water and it was so very yummy!! I want more now.
I’m raising the score way up… this was seriously done wrong the last time I made a cuppa.
The strawberry is much stronger, and the rooibos perfectly balances it out. Mmmmm. I will definitely be buying more when I run out! xx

What a treat!! Thankyou QuiltGuppy for so generously sharing this sample with me. I quite like it.
The Oolong comes through very nicely, but also takes on the accent of tangerine quite well. I’m on my second steep now, and noticing the orange flavour more and more. It’s very delicate and reminds me of a white tea in some ways.
The sweetness is also very round, lasting until long after I’ve taken a sip.
I wouldn’t want this one all the time but when in the mood for a fruity oolong tea, this will definitely be on my “to crave” list.
I think I’m most impressed by the fact that it’s a fruit oolong. Most that I have tried are overpowered by the added ingredients.
Oh and it’s very smooooooth. The consistency (not the taste) of butter!!!

agh why does vanilla do me wrong?! I want to like vanilla… and I don’t mind other vanilla flavoured tasty things, but somehow in tea it just turns me off every time pouts
The second steep was better, I have to admit… I didn’t mind it too much. The fact that it was so very smooth made me forget the vanilla hanging in the back after every darn sip. I also felt like the vanilla did something to the black tea base that made it taste “green” to me, which made me wrinkle ma nose even more… gah.
I didn’t mind the sample in the store, and I got mine with milk, but it’s not worth paying for a whole cup just to find out if that makes enough of a difference for me.
shrugs

INTENSE Is how I would describe this golden brew. and refreshing!! but certainly not oolongy. Not even on the third steep! At that point, I got bored of searching for the “tea” in my cup. Oh and when it cooled, the minty lemon somehow started tasting like ginger. Ick! which was worse since it was unexpected :/
I’m getting over that cold still, and despite that I still find this overpowering-again, on the third steep!
If this were billed as an herbal tea, I might go for it… but the darn stuff is caffeinated xSighsx
Maybe if they dial down the pep on this one, I could learn to love it…
Oh and besides all of that, they used a “green”-er oolong than I prefer, which is usually kinda meh in my books.

Tonight, I put down my cat after a 2 yr struggle with Thyroid disease and pancreatic cancer. She was 21.5 yrs old. She fought for life valiantly, coming back time after time even after the vet said she had only weeks left on this world.
Born into a life of extreme poverty and abuse, she was lucky to eventually land in our home. No, actually, we were the lucky ones. That cat stayed with us when we were sick, entertained us to no end, and warmed our hearts when we were sad.
I miss her already. No wonder, since I have known her for just over two thirds of my life.
Somehow, I find it fitting that I am laden with a head cold on this day- a gentle reminder that my mild suffering is a fraction of the pain she put aside for the sake of keeping a brave face. Funny, that my being sick has helped me cope with the guilt of ending another creature’s life.
That is why I find this tea oddly appropriate… soothing of my soul as well as the bug that ails me. A half spoon of honey rounds it off, coating my sore throat caused not by sickness but by crying my eyes out earlier today.
RIP my dear Midnight. I’ll miss you forever.

P.S. If only cats could enjoy tea…

Big thanks to QuiltGuppy for sending me this lovely tea!! I’d been saving it for a special occasion and I don’t know why but today felt right.
It’s very light and refreshing. I think I can taste some of the melon but I’d never be able to pinpoint that on my own. It’s a solid white tea that I look forward to having again.
One thing that puzzles me is that at one point it tasted a tad bleachy, but that quickly disappeared as the cup cooled. I know melon can give me a chemical-ish impression, as does papaya (even more so)…. so perhaps that was why? Hmm.
Anyhow, I really enjoyed this one- esp when it was hot!!

EDIT: Ohhhh my goodness, the second steep was a totally different experience!!!! not so great when hot, but deeeeelicious and delicate and round and fruity and oh oh so good when warm but not yet cool. I am bumping the rating! I wonder what the third steep holds? :)

Teas like this make me think my senses are back to norm and then I end up dissappointed later… haha. This was pretty decent!! for an oolong. I’ve had better milky type tea before but I like this one more than the standard DT Milky Oolong. The banana is present in the first steep but barely so. It’s a little “malty” or rather as close as I’ve gotten in weeks, so I imagine it will be loads better in time! my standards are a little low these days… but getting higher by the sip! :)
Not sure I’d purchase this. In my memory, the Tea Emporium milky oolong is the best local variety I’ve tried.
I think the third steep was the best btw!

OK my buds are seriously messed!! I quite enjoyed this (for a sencha. I hate sencha) but I tasted MINT! fresh, springy, mint! There is no mint in the ingredients… so how is this possible hmm?? Some of the fruitiness came out as well though I can’t be sure what exactly I was tasting. and there was no nuttiness whatsoever :(
agh. Anyhow, I went for a second steeping and the sencha came out more. I was not a fan.
I can’t remember enjoying a green tea more, except dragonwell. No nausea… I guess the “fruit” masked it for me

So with my buds being absent has an upside… I can tolerate pu’erhs now! yay :)
This was amaaaazing when hot, not so much as it cools. The chocolate and orange work really well though. Next time I’ll try it with a splash of milk!
It smelled and tasted a tad fishy, which made me a little sad. It could have been so perfect!
and it was why I didn’t bother with a resteep. So… big points for the flavour when hot… but less so when cooled down. Ah well! I’d definitely have this again. In fact I may buy a small sample once I get through the other newbie teas

So… looks away shamefully
I’ve done something that I never imagined doing, something that six months ago, I would have decried with all of my tea might.
But… well, it’s made me happy, it’s brought me those fleeting sips of heaven that I crave so desperately!!
Yup, I added sugar, and plenty of it, to my oolong. AND milk. Yup, and I stand by it! it’s brought the standard of my tea experiences up to a tolerable level of badness.
It seems to work here because well, since I can’t taste the natural sweetness in teas, adding sugar just brings it back to how it normally tastes, for me anyhow. and the milk, ehhh that was simply an inspired decision. It tastes just like a simple red rose tea this way. Hey, I’ll take what I can get! pretty darn great when compared to nothing at all…
Not so much as the cup cools, it kinda gets gross then… but when hot, holy yummm :)
Anyhow, I hope everyone here is well. Miss you all xx

Wow, I kinda like this one!! with my ‘buds existing in half-life zone(yeah they slipped back a little but I don’t mind because I know it isn’t perm!)… I didn’t expect much of anything from this or any other tea. Moreover, there wasn’t much leaf in the sample – I wonder, is that normal for this one? or did I just get a randomly overly fruit-filled bag?
Anyhow, the pear brings out some natural sweetness, and the cranberry is really nice, not too bitter or sour- kinda mellow (compared to what I expected).
I can taste the tea, which is nice. So many teas that go heavy on the fruit just drown out any camellia! I’m tempted to buy some- it seems to work with my condition :)
There is NO maltiness whatsoever(my curse I suppose), just that something extra that sings of “tea” but the fruityness rounds it out for me and thus for the first time ever since this whole mess started, I don’t mind!
I mean, I’ve enjoyed teas a whole lot more in the past… just not this much since I took my hiatus.
I’m cautiously excited here. Sorta toe-dancing happy. Still, I’m in a great mood!!! xx
P.S. I’ve tried catching up on everyone’s reviews. They really pile up when I don’t come around so often…

So a friend gave me this sample… and the cran-pear! but I was pretty sure this wouldn’t do much to wow me, and I was right. Now, I don’t really like white chocolate (which this reminds me of) and coconut shavings are bad for me so this review is a bit biased!
Still, it was just ok. I could kinda taste the white, but not enough to make me swoon. I prefer the tea-ness to come out just a bit more. I gave the rest of the sample away to another friend…

So I walked past the store today and saw that they have a $1 straight tea sale, and couldn’t resist! and I’d also forgotten that I have a sample in my cupboard! I could have had the yummy assam bandaspaty instead*sighs*
Anyhow, I’m glad I gave this a go. It’s very fishy at first, but then less so as it cools. Very earthy to. I steeped it for too long, so it’s a little biting.
There is a natural sweetness here to, which I don’t find in all pu’erhs.
Funny, the sample I have at home isn’t fishy like that… I wonder if it varies per batch?
Oh well. I’ve raised the rating a tad. ugh and I’m feeling a bit queasy. I find that comes with the fishy note in pu’erhs. Well, can’t have everything right? C’est la vie!

ok this is one I was sure I’d hate. SO sure. but then I tried it… and well the raspberry leaf really tones down the mint, and the juniper berries add that something extra. This could easily become a fave but I’m holding back because I don’t want to use a medicinal tea for funsies and end up immune to it’s wonderful healing ways!
Hmmmm. What to do…

So for the last little while I’ve been relying heavily on my herbals. They really aren’t the same as my camellia sinensis teas but this one, well this one is special! It doesn’t give me that good tea glow afterwards but I do have a few moments of pure tea bliss when first sipping it and then some very satisfying ones after!
The nutty, spicy, coconutty flavours gel so well together I can hardly tell where one ends and the other begins.
Ok, well except for the nut part, I can definitely see that, but otherwise it’s seamless!
I think I may even buy some more once my caffeine free days are over.
Oh, one other thing- I’ve been having trouble finding the right time to have this one regularly. If you drink certain teas at certain times… this is a tricky one.
I feel odd drinking a savoury tea like this before bed, or with dinner and it’s just as wrong somehow as a morning tea. Right after lunch is the worst- when I’ve just eaten so I’m full but the tea makes me think of thai food so… yeah that doesn’t work! There is a midmorning period where I find it’s ok. shrugs