Indigobloom

This has easily become one of my favourite teas. I really hope they bring it back, because it won’t be long before it needs replacing! this is a functional tea for me… it tastes amazing, but that is beside the main point! There are days when I really feel low, and with a little bit of milk, a dash of agave… this really does the trick. Funny though, it doesn’t taste ahhhmazing for me unless I truly am in a bad mood, which makes me wonder if there is something in here my body craves during those times? something to do with my messed up thyroid perhaps. shrugs.
G’night y’all!

Meh. For a milky oolong anyhow. Not that it was bad, much better than the first time I tried the DT version!! I think it was oversteeped then and in fact may have been scorched this time to boot. The sweetness tasted a tad artificial, almost as if the lactose was infused into the leaves- which I know some tea houses do.
Nonetheless, I will not be purchasing any because I know how much better it can be! once you go high quality, it’s hard to go back! my commitment to loose-leaf in general is proof of that :)
I will concede however, that this is a very good starter Milky Oolong, and pure tea for those who are new. If I hadn’t sampled other versions, this would be it for me!

Hmmm
There are things about this tea that quite enjoy, and others I dislike more than I expected to. A contradiction I daresay!
The rooibos part had me worried, but I think it works terrifically here… and the spices are lovely, except for the pepper! It’s biting and sharp. I dislike it in general so I’m not surprised that the trend extends into my tea preferences.
I taste coconut here, but not much ginger (thankfully).

Overall, an interesting chai. Pleasing, and yet frustrating all at once… Not one I would have been happy to pay money for but then again not too shabby for my only tea of the day!

Wow, this is some tasty tea!! esp given that I don’t typically go for fruity teas, maybe rasp/strawberry…
I tried it with and without milk, both are fabulous. The black tea is firmly present yet the true mango essence comes out. Mind you, I did add a dash of sugar, but I’ve come to expect that as a necessity from most flavoured teas.
It reminds me of these mango candies I get from the Asian supermarket near me, or rather, dried mango… quite nice. I suspect that iced, this tea would go really well and I may actually be inclined to find out someday soon. Hmmm.
Oh and my aunt loved it. I knew she would! however mum had no interest whatsoever. She seemed to reach a turning point last night when I accidentally spilled a drop on her blanket… like it put her off the smell or something! (I’ll never understand her. Mothers!!)
Quiltguppy, you have many thanks coming for this tea! I’ve got so many more to try…

Did I use enough leaf?? There is hardly any non “tea” flavour here. I get some caramel, but only a hint of pecan.
Either way, it was a nice tea… just not what I expected. Pretty standard… and a little maple syrupy. Fingers crossed that I get more out of a second steeping!!
Big thankyou to JENN for the sample!

I have that good tea glow going on at moment and dayum does it feel GOOD! Mmmmmm hmmmm.
I brought this home from the office so I could play with the steep parameters, and wow! I’m glad I did that, just in time for tea with my Aunt. She is staying the night at our place tonight, and being on of the few people(outside of steepster) who will indulge my tea-life, I took advantage =D
I really wanted to try one of the new samples from my very generous friends here but I knew they would never go for that, and I knew that Mum is a sucker for floral tea… so out came this rosey tea!
I made a big pot of it in the glass teapot Mum loves and everyone swooned. It made me HAPPY!
Mum doesn’t like her tea very strong, so I made it on the (very) light side. 6-7 tsp, in what the kettle said was 8 cups of water. Steeped for three minutes.
Overall, I am quite satisfied with the results. It came out exceptionally rosy, but with very little chocolate. In this scenario, that was a good thing. I doubt Mum would have liked a chocolate tea, as she wasn’t a big fan of another that I showed her awhile back.
So… I suppose it follows that I should use more leaf, and/or a longer steep to bring out the chocolate? Interesting.
Oh and I steeped it a second time, with only 6 cups of water. That was lovely as well! not as abrasive as the last time I double steeped. Perhaps I need to forgo that cocoa note in lieu of any sharpness. I mean, I drink it for the rose. A small sacrifice to make, considering I do have a few other choco-note teas to love!
Anyhow, I’m rambling now.

Ahhh what is it about roses that makes me feel so in love?! I recently bought a rose perfume as well. I suppose it’s my latest phase *happy sigh

After reading everyone’s reviews, I could not resist grabbing a sample of this tea!! and I’ve been looking forward to it every day since then :)
So I brewed it up this morning, all excited to try it, expecting to love love love it! but I’m sad to say, I only like it… and barely at that *sighs
The spices are underwhelming and I do taste pumpkin, albeit uncooked pumpkin- not a nice flavour!
Perhaps I’m biased, since I tried the 52 Teas version first? I much prefer that one over the DT chai. There is still enough left for another cup, so perhaps I’ll try it again tomorrow. and I still need to try a second steep.
I feel guilty for being so hard on this one. It definitely deserves a second chance. Besides, as a standalone chai it IS quite lovely!! only when compared to the other version of this tea am I left wanting more.

Odd, that’s two bad tea Friday’s in a row! but I have good news. I emailed Teaopia and the Director of Comm got back to me. She’s issuing orders that if I request a tea bag instead of the tea master, they are obligated to do so! :)
This makes me SO happy. dances a jig
Anyhow, this tea… well it was really weak, with just a mild flower note. and scratchy on the throat! not smooth at all. The oolong part was ok. I prefer my Formosa Oolong but this would do in a pinch.
Oh well. It was a free sample! anybody interested in trying this out?

Well, I gave this one another chance! and I think I’ve finally met a white tea I don’t like. I was afraid this day would come…
Unless it’s simply that the leaves were scorched (quite possible), then this tea really is not great at all. In fact, this is how I imagine a no name, grade C, or even D, BAGGED white tea would taste
Boring. Rough. Bitter. None of these are words I associate with good tea!

Vanilla?? is that what threw me off here… or was it bergs of past teas in the tea master?
It started out OK, a little oversteeeped maybe. Once it cooled off though, I really tasted the vanilla. Since when am I allergic to vanilla?! I mean, I’ve never liked tea with vanilla in it. My association must be stronger now. *sighs
No matter, I wasn’t thrilled with the “baked apple” aspect anyhow. I just don’t get it! I suppose it’s the texture of apple pie that I love so without that same sensation in the tea my affection for the flavour is gone. That, and there wasn’t enough cinnamon.
This is Meh on so many levels!

I had this plan to buy a bunch of Chocolate Rocket… since I really do need a mate at work but for some reason “Jumpy Monkey” came out of my mouth instead!! I wish I knew how that happened. Still, I’m glad it did… as I hadn’t tried this one yet. After my Matechino nightmare from Tea Emporium, this one scared me a little. The ingredients and smell are rather similar…
Thankfully, this tea is milder and smoother. It may even go well with milk!
Next week I can actually afford to keep some milk around in the office fridge since I’ll be around more- what a relief that will be! Maybe I’ll buy a frother to make lattes.
A Jumpy Latte??? Ah yes, I suspect this one will grow on me :)

Impressive!! I’ve never seen such a musty tea, let alone a Darjeeling. I added milk and agave but I think I’ll actually buy some of this and experimnent with/without the additions.
Something tells me this rating will be bumped up shortly! I’ll write a better review then, as there was too much going on for me to pay adequate attention. Overall, this gets a big YUM!!

Hmmm, yes this was great!
Not the tea I had intended to order, in fact I had planned to make one from my own stock, but I was passing by while running an errand and figured I had to get a cup! I’m stressed out from studying for an exam I have coming up and that usually leads to me making poor financial decisions (not that I’m making excuses! just sayin)
Oh yah the tea…
At first sip I couldn’t taste the chocolate much, so I added a swirl of agave and it brought up the notes quite nicely. I don’t like that the agave was needed but atleast I’ve found a chocolate tea I enjoy! most of them either have mint or taste like a chemical brew. Somehow, its almost creamy. Maybe from the chocolate? Funny, I’ve never seen that before. Most of the time, any choco chips don’t melt, or so I’ve noticed. The second infusion was less creamy but had less agave and was just overall lighter. Still great!
In both infusions, the roses, chocolate and strawberries blend well together. It reminds me of my Rose Congou Emperor, only sans the cocoa. I wonder, what would happen if I added a few chips to my congou??? :P
Too bad they are so similar… I can’t justify buying any of this one til my congou is gone.

So I splurged and bought me some of this. I have SO many samples, and more on the way… but I’ve been thinking about this one for ages. I couldn’t help myself. I am weak!
This tea however, was not weak at all. It’s pretty much a simple white peony that’s been laced with rose petals. Unfortunately… The floral part is disappointingly mild, but adds a fascinating complexity. Of course, I do enjoy it more than the white peony I currently have in stock, but not the one I had before this current batch (too much roasting I think). I can only imagine how amazing it might be with a fresher leaf! mmmmm
Maybe next time I’ll let it cool more… as that tends to tease out the subtle notes.

Agh!! I just wrote a review of this and it disappeared. Grrrrrr.
ok well here’s the quick version: this was rather plain and boring, but pleasant enough. Mildly malty and astringent, and very light (I had the bag in for ten min). It’s crisper and smoother than a Tim’s tea but somehow I think I’d prefer TH if it was done right (often it is not!)
Overall, I will not buy this again unless it’s my last option however I can see how someone may enjoy it.
My rating: 80
The Organic EB had a 72. Just for my reference in case I look back on this!

Ok so today is turning out to be a VERY good tea day. Wowsa!!
I chose this, reaching into the sample bag hoping for a black and this was what I pulled out… which left me a tad disappointed given that I generally dislike blueberry sweets. Thus, when I brewed this up I expected a decent tea, yet yearned for something that would hit that dessert black tea craving, but had little hope that it would be just what I wanted. Well, surprise!! It’s exceeded my expectations by a lightyear!!!
It really tastes like blueberries, and cheese! without any of the nasty texture I dislike (duh). I added some milk n sugar, which brings it way over the top to a place I can only describe as paradise. That means I’ve been to tea paradise and heaven in one day >sighs<
Big BIG BIG love to Jenn for sending me this sample. I can’t wait for my second steep! and then it’s off to meet a fellow steepsterite. Again, what an amazing tea day… I credit it partly to all the positive tea vibes I got from y’all yesterday so muchos gracias for those as well!

Much love to QuiltGuppy for sending me this generous sample!!
Upon opening the package I was hit with a wave of sweet fruity goodness that took me back to my vacation in Mexico many moons ago. Heaven!
Brewed, I quite enjoyed it (for a green anyhow!) but had a feeling that Mum would looooove it. I made her sample a sip and yuppers! Funny, the fruity teas that I don’t fall in love with, she does… I guess I’m beginning to know her tastes.
Anyhow, she asked if she could take the rest of the sample to work!! My MOM asked if she could take some looseleaf tea to work! I was floored. Of course, given that I like this tea, and really do recognize the exceptional quality… I agreed. Anything to support a fellow tea addict right? esp one who’s fought it so vehemently ;)
Oh yah the tea… The pear and pineapple are definitely in there. Pear stands in the forefront while the pineapple lends a stronger, distinct sweetness that lingers in the aftertaste- esp in the second steep. Kinda like what you’d find in an oolong tea yet not as round.
I’ll be kinda sad to let this one go but its for a good cause! thanks again QG!

agh when will I ever learn? :(
—am I the only one who tastes remnants of past teas in their tea masters? I tasted hardly any almond here, and then when the cup cooled, I swear I got their Monks Blend.
Maybe I’ll give this another try. maybe not.
that’s twice in one day I struck out! arg.

well, three if you count the fact that I was reaching for a new tea from my sample pile and got my white peony instead, without realizing it til after it was made. I never thought the day would come when I’d regret my white peony!!
this was a bad bad tea day. hmph.

This started off ok hot. Just ok. but then as it cooled, I got notes of yunnan(I really don’t like yunnan) so I figure the girl gave me the organic and not regular EB
Well… I won’t be doing that again!! all the agave, milk and luck couldn’t save this baby for me.
That said, it was very drinkable for the first five minutes.
EDIT: Now that I’ve tried the regular EB, 80 is the score I gave that one. This one had a 72…

Paired with a sun dried tomatoe/cream cheese bagel, this would have been an awesome combination! but the girl must have put Splenda in the cup because it tasted really off. I remember seeing her reach for a package, and thinking that better not be for me! well it was *sighs
I guess she heard me wrong. Too bad, it’s been awhile since I looked forward to the simplicity of a Tims tea!

Curious! I’m sure I burnt the leaves, but maybe I like my whites that way? the first steep anyhow. It had a very toasted feel to it. and it was sweeter than it normally is.
The second steep was ok, nothing special but more or less the same as the other cups from this bag. Oh well…

I’m so excited! and I just can’t hide it! I’m about to lose control and I think I like it :P
So… GUESS WHAT??!? The new David’s opened up near my work! I’ve been waiting for them to open shop for weeks. Weeks I tell ya!!
Anyhow, I got a cuppa this, even though I didn’t really expect to like it. (I’m not a sencha fan, which is the base here but the sales girl assured me that it was mostly hidden by the strong chocolate notes)
Well, holy chocolate, she was right! I couldn’t taste much green at all in the first steep. Even the second steep was almost just as intense, maybe a tad less, but the third definitely brought out the green. That was where I started to finally tire of the flavour, and the green kinda aggravated me with it’s harshness. Still, if I happened to enjoy sencha, I’m sure this one could go for seven steeps. I’m much more impressed than I intended to be :)
—I was expecting to pan this one!

I tried this in the shop this morning. It was interesting.
The dreaded Berg, as always, threw me off so I won’t rate it… that wouldn’t be fair to those who enjoy it the way I so dearly wish I could :)
Kinda reminds me of Monks blend, only less intense and perfumey and without any grenadine, more vanilla.
It was surprisingly smooth for a tea I dislike!

I only have a min to post…. but this is amazing!!!! it smells like heaven, and tastes just like buttered banana bread in the most realistic fashion I could never fathom… not chemically at all!-which I had feared.
I know I shouldn’t but I’m very tempted to see how this is with milk.
Anyhow, will write more later. A high rating here, partially for the sheer novelty :)