Indigobloom

So I tried an experiment this time… I made this one by the book, mostly. Measured out exactly one cup of boiling water, and ya know it certainly made for an impressive cup! but I left the teaspoon heaping a tad, next time I think I’ll level it off or add more water.
The astringency really comes out as the cup cools though. For that reason, I will not be buying this again.
For those who enjoy that astringency, this is definitely a keeper. Heavy on the malt of course, always a bonus!

I GOT QUILTGUPPYS PACKAGE IN THE MAIL!!!!
So excited, can ya tell? :P
QG is so generous… so many different teas and ones that I’m giddy just thinking about trying. I cannot say enough thankyous, and I hope I can return the favour one day! (at this point I can try but would likely fall short by a mile!)
Anyhow, I was quite excited to see this one in the stash so of course I reached for it first!
A milky(silky) GREEN tea?! I’d never heard of such a thing!
Now that it’s brewed and I’m sipping away, I can definitely taste the lactose. It’s buttery sweetness makes me swoon *sighs
However, the milk part stops abruptly upon the swallow, which makes me crave more, so I take another sip and then crave more and… well you get the idea.
The first steep was odd, a little too vegetally green for my liking, but now that I am on the second steep, it tastes more oolongy. At first, it really did taste like a “green” tea, and I couldn’t see what anyone meant about this being more oolongish.
It’s definitely more on the green side, but then oolongs can lean towards black or green so that makes sense I suppose.
Overall, I prefer the darker oolongs, so I doubt there is any surprise that I prefer the true “milk oolong” but there are days where I crave a good green so you can be sure that I’ll be reaching for this until my sample runs out! I don’t make many pots of tea, it’s usually just one cup at a time in my tea master, so it’s sure to last me awhile :)
Well, I’m off to brew my third cup! anyone care to take bets on how far I’ll make it this time?
P.S. Overall I would rate this an 86, given my dislike for green in general, contrasted with the excellent quality and flavour and the fact that within the “green” world it ranks pretty high, (I’d say a 96) so I’ll leave it in the middle at 91. That’s fair I think!

So many thankyous to Jenn!
I didn’t expect to like this one at all, since I’m not a neapolitan fan (esp with those little candies in it!) but this was surprisingly accurate, and overall tasty!!
My friend who was over enjoyed it as well.
However, I do feel that it was too similar to some of my other rooibos teas for me to go out and buy a tin. Rooibos in general, I find, has a hard time picking up flavours so I somewhat expected this to be mild, but pleasant.
I’d like to try it next time with milk but I think that may kill the flavour. Sugar definitely helped of course!

Ok so before you read this review, it’s disclaimer time!!
1: I don’t think I used enough leaf and
2: I want to try this with milk or some sort of dairy/soy concoction before passing any final judgement.
That said, the cocoa didn’t really hit me as hard as I expected. Nor did it keep me awake lol. I had a girlfriend over for girls night and she felt the same way.
but it WAS tasty. Even the second steep was great! Mild, but I like it that way. And knowing now that I should use more and steep longer… well I am SO looking forward to that :)
As it stands for the moment though, I do prefer my Chocolate Rocket. Let’s see what happens in the second round shall we?
Big big thanks to Jenn for sending me this one!!

another tea that hits the target!! I think “wow” is going to become that word I associate with 52Teas. The Wayne’s World throwback. Hey, do ya think they “drank” alota tea? ;P
This is a reallllllly good tea. It’s pumpkin pie in a cup!!! and just the way I love my chai teas— I’m very particular in chai, and don’t indulge often… but when I do, this is what I want. I never would have associated pumpkin (ok I know this is not an official chai but it certainly fits my bill for one!) with a traditional chai tea but it makes sense… I mean, the pie and chai borrow from the same spice rack. (hehe, I’m a poet)
I love how it lends that smooth pumpkin flavour, but balances it out so perfectly with the kick of nutmeg n friends.
With some sugar (really brings out the flavour) and milk, this could seriously stave me away from the oh-so tasty real thing.
Thank you Jenn for sharing!!!

Thanks again to the fan-tea-astic Jenn for sending me all these samples!! My gratitude is endless after having tried this one.
I made this to consume whilst cleaning house, and boy was it deeeeeelicious! Like tea and hot chocolate rolled into one, this tea is made for cocoa lovers.
With milk and a tad bit o sugar, this made my afternoon duties bearable. When will they come up with self cleaning kitchens and bathrooms???
It wasn’t as rich as I had hoped but then I somewhat expected that when the dry leaves wafted a light yet distinctly choco-note at me.
Also, I don’t know why but it tastes a hair chemically to me, but then I’ve seen that before in other chocolate scented/flavoured products. (ever tried chocolate gum? it was interesting to say the least)— not that it detracted in any way from my worshipping this cup.
I think it happened to just hit the spot, matching my tea craving so precisely that I was floored by it. Not to mention that the previous cuppa that I’d made (of an assam I got awhile back) tasted stale. Ugh!
From ugh to WOW in five min… yeah that will put anyone in shock :P

This seems to be my go to tea lately. Funny, when I found the Rose Congou, I thought it was destined to be my tea “home” but for some reason I always end up reaching for this oolong. Lord knows what would happen if I ever found my elusive roasty toasty heaven in a cup! :P
One day, I WILL make it to 7 steeps, it’s a goal of mine.
Oh, something I really love about this one is that even in the second and third steep, it never loses the sweetness. I think maybe in the third it gets a tad weak, but not if I do short steeps. What does the fourth steep door hide hmm? Ahhh, like I said… one day!
Now, off to watch some more mindless television while I take my mind off this incredibly long and awkward week!

I expected to love this tea!! but no, I did not :(
The creamy butter taste hides the “white” (I can’t stand that about many DT brews!! many points lost for that in my rating here) part and mixes oddly with the caramel note, almost reminding me of rooibos in an odd way that I can’t quite identify.
The second steep was better, less overwhelming, as expected! More delicate and bright. I could have gone for a third steep but didn’t really care to. Atleast I didn’t need to add any sugar.
Overall, I did enjoy it, marginally… and of course it was nice to have tried it- esp since I was in a rush and had no time for trying one of the many lovely samples I recieved from Jenn!
Anyhow, I really miss posting here as often as I once did. Hopefully Rogers will get off their lazy a$$es and hook me up!

Another backlog! from Friday
I forgot that I tried this in store already, but it was so good that I don’t mind. With a tiny pump of agave, it was liquid perfection! none of the harsh rooibos flavour tickled my throat… and the banana really came out. yummm. I’m tempted to buy some up before they get rid of it in store…
P.S. I apologize for not looking at everyone’s reviews! I’ll get to it sometime this week, promise! :)

Backlog…
Oh. My. Goodness!!!! I had an itch to give this one another go, and for some reason really liked it this time!!
I had some beef jerky with it (the ONLY thing that can make me happier than tea, though I don’t have it often. This stuff was freshly made, and organic! bestill my carnivore ways :P)
Anyhow, I swear it tasted as if I added lemon to the brew, even after I added milk. It was quite yummy, but then for the second steep I thought to myself… what I added honey? and no milk. Well, I don’t normally have black tea without milk, but that is most definitely how I will be having it henceforward!! It blew me away. Just wow. Now I regret having wasted so much of it with milk.
Not a very versatile tea, but then most of mine aren’t! raising the score on this…

Big thankyou to Jenn for sending me this sample!! You rock my tea world!!! :)
Wow, this was certainly an interesting, and entertaining experience. I accidentally oversteeped this one at 8 minutes (look, she did it again!).
I definitely taste raisin! and toast! and butter!! Go 52 Teas for hitting the target!!! It was tasty.
But… well, there is a medicinal aspect there that I’m not sure about. The second steep is better, not as overwhelming.
I suspect the “raisin” part, and the way it blends with everything else is what throws me off. shrugs
Lesson learned! I have enough left for one more cup. Maybe some milk will tamp down the medicinal impression I get? and less leaf! I never know how much to use with this ceramic mug/filter… even with my scoop. but it’s so convenient! and purty!! le sigh

SO. I’ve had this extreme craving for a deep, roasty, mildly nutty OOLONG TEA for weeks!!!
and this was my latest attempt at quelching it. Was I successful? not quite. However I don’t regret this purchase. I needed an oolong for the office anyhow.
The taste is indeed bakey, and fruity just as the description indicates. No sugar required, it’s very sweet all on it’s own, even into the third steep! I wish I’d had time for more :)
I do wish it had more oomph though. It was a little weak on the oolong part and too heavy on the fruit.
The shop didn’t have the “roasty” oolong I waaaaaaant sooooo badly so I had to settle for this, but really it’s not such a bad deal!
They had an oolong/black blend that piqued my interest but I’m wary. That’s a big committment to make! I was 80% sure I would like this one, and if I didn’t well a friend of mine offered to take it off my hands.
Oh, and something else- the leaves had twigs living amongt them! and they were crunchy. Dried out as if they’d been left out of the tin in the sun! Meh. It makes a decent cuppa so it can’t be that badly dried out. (right??)
I think I need to hit up Tea Dynasty. Oi, Zeus help me… please don’t let me buy more tea!
(says the girl who can’t stop thinking about sampling the new David’s tea, or that roasty oolong. or malty assams or… oh dear, I could go on forever)

So my kettle at the other office is STILL not up to snuff, and this is what I’ve been drinking out of it despite that. I’m gonna start having bad associations with that tea, eeek, can’t let that happen!! Oh well, the kettle got a bit better after I boiled some vinegar in it. Time will work it’s magic, I hope! :)
Anyhow, my ’net at home is still down. I miss this place!!!

This was lovely!! bravo Harney, bravo!
Thank you to QuiltGuppy for sending me a sample (ages ago, but I’ve been neglectful of my sample pile)
I was worried that the cinnamon would be too much but it isn’t at all. Just right in fact! The orange and spice mix easily together, creating such a seamless transition that I can’t find where the citrus part begins.
If I didn’t already have cinnamon heart, I’d be pining for this one to be sure! but practicality has me by the neck _{little sigh} (If I use the star, it will bold half my msg because I used that feature above!)
The second steep brought out the plastic again, so I won’t comment on that. Argh!
Now I wish I’d saved it to try with milk. Mmmm…

Well, I made tea with my kettle again today! it was better this time. Plastic is still present in the taste but no more than in bottled water. I hope I don’t get cancer from drinking it! ha.
Now on to the actual tea: [with a few swirls of “light” agave]
Well, I didn’t get to drink any til it was mostly cold so I can’t really give a full review. What I did have was pretty tasty, and perked me right up. A bit thick, fruity and sweet but that’s what I get for eyeballing the parameters!
So I’ll leave the rating as is for now. This one gets extra points for all that extra caffeine. Mmmm.
Oh and I just found out… one of my jobs is taking me on 5 days per week!! still through a temp agency, but it brings me closer to my goal! :)
the only bad part is that I have no access to Steepster lol

Backlog!
So I got a sampler package of teas from the VERY generous Steepsterite, Jenn and oh my goodness! this one was tasty.
It was typically sweet the way most dessert teas are… sort of caramely, with a background note of cashew. I overdid the first steep a tad so ended up with a slightly bitter brew, but it stood up without any sugar (barely, I do wish I had added a sprinkle or two). The second steep was the best, being that I did not oversteep! and the third was a touch weak but I didn’t even expect to get that much out of it so I was quite pleased! I could drink this alllll day.
I doubt I would order this one again specifically, since it isn’t all that different from other dessert teas and I would have to pay shipping. I wish they had a shop in Toronto! I loved trying it. and if I ever put in an order for Pancake tea (which I love!! but I can’t recall the precise name) then I may throw this in.
Anyhow, I’m at work… but this is the only internet time I will have for awhile, since we are switching providers at home and the tech won’t be in til later this week pouts
(My other job, where I am tomorrow blocks this site. Smart ones, they are!)

I bought a can of this the other day and finally tried it after lunch! Does it count as a different tea because the vessel is not a bottle? Hmmm.
Anyhow, the tea itself was ho-hum. It would have done much better with my tastebuds if it’d been just slightly sweet. I don’t mean Nestea sweet… maybe a third of that!
This was a little bitter, and roasted which I didn’t mind. The part that really threw me off though, was the eggy flavour!! So odd. I’ve never come across “egg” in a tea. Cooked, sweet egg- the kind one sees in sushi etc (Tamago)
I doubt I’ll purchase this again, but if someone offered it to me no charge… I’d drink up no problem!
It was refreshing and satisfying, if nothing else. I’m still curious to try the other flavours they have, but rarely do I see any of them at our local Asian grocery

This was just what I wanted. I love hitting that craving with a tea! It’s such an awkward feeling for me to be wanting a tea that I haven’t got at the moment… and trying to settle for something else.
Anyhow, I think I’ll hold this at 85. It was good, quite… but I do believe that there is a better smoother version of it out there, for all that people rave about it.
Funny, when I looked in the bag this morning there was less there than I remember leaving. It makes me wonder if my colleague at work sampled it, and forgot to mention to me… I’d be thrilled if that were the case! I could use a de-cupboarding and now I’m just a little closer to it! :)
Oh and the second steep was good as well. I think the trick is to use less leaf.

Yeah… so I caved! Bought some of this the other day. I figured, if it can replace my expensive and unwanted coffee habit (I neeeed the caffeine, just not the jitters!) then it’s techically saving me monies, right?
Anyhow, I’m also breaking in a new kettle!!! SO excited :)
—though not as much as I thought I would be. The whole “purchasing a kettle then finding out it couldn’t be used at the office” debacle kinda stole that esctacy from me…
SO, the tea? well, I shant rate it any differently this time. I think some of the chemicals are leftover in the kettle, as this tastes a little off. I boiled it twice, and washed it out, what more do I need to do!?
This is my second time getting foiled having this tea. Oh well. I’m still happy about my kettle :)
—Next time, I will write a proper note!! promise

Tasty!!
and guess what? I finally scratched some of that toasty oolong itch :)
Now, it was a little fruity to really rub out the craving, but a nice start! I love that the tea was sweet and tart all at once. I definitely got a “tropical fruit” flavour in there, and I think I can pinpoint the mango, and maybe even the pineapple but I’m probably just imagining that.
Anyhow, I found this quite enjoyable. Oh and bonus! I managed to keep the bag for a second steep even though this was an in store cuppa purchase :P
—the second steep was just as fruity, roasty, and flavourful as the first though maybe a tad lighter in a way that detracted nothing from the taste at all. In fact, I think I rather enjoyed the second steep more, since the first was a touch thick.
If I didn’t know for a fact that there are other oolongs for me to love out there, I would consider buying me a supply of this for the house.
One other thing: in a strange way, this almost reminds me of Forbidden Fruit. Am I the only tea-freak getting that???

Seriously!!! this tea was so good at one point. What happened? you poor little assam, did some horse trample your delicate leaves and trail it’s waste all through your fields??
I gave this one last chance… loaded it up with agave and milk… and even then it was just “ok”.
Lowering the rating here pains me, but it must be done. So… Why do I feel like a parent scolding her children? and why do I feel so guilty for it?
Because I’m so dissapointed by the lack of depth, maltiness, and general dusty flavour, when I know it has such potential? or maybe because the DT version is loads better?
Gah! I’m done with you Assam Banaspaty. You may be drinkable, but not in comparison to so many other teas.

I hit the sweet spot with this one baby!! oh it was just what I needed… so good!
Somehow, it made my evening turn into something not so bad, even though my day started out all gloomy and depressing.
It makes me want to find a real chocolate rooibos. I haven’t had any luck with that just yet but perhaps I’ll start looking again now. I’ll need something to replace this one soon enough!
—Well, maybe. I am seriously considering replacing it.

I tried this again today. Yep, still not impressed.
Next time, maybe an add of mint will break up the cloudiness in the brew. (I’m not kidding, it comes out a dusty brown colour)
The description names mint as an ingredient but it doesn’t make an appearance in the flavour, maybe a hint but not enough!
If more spearmint fails to save the day, this goes on my share list! Lemongrass and and chamomile together just aren’t doing it for me. Separately? heck yeah!
*sighs…. makes me sad that they don’t play well :(

So I really needed a tin, something we were doing at work, a silly project- don’t ask… and I figured, well I may as well fill it with something, it will cost less that way!
So I bought some of this. I needed a non-chocolatey tea. Only now, I am almost regretting it. Assam banaspaty is good to… maybe I need them both *sighs
Or I could just start using up the stuff I have at home. Big trouble that would be, to bring it into the office! ha.
Anyhow, on to the tea. It was just ok this AM. I’m not sure what the difference was… but the toastiness was just not there. Oh well… it got me through the morning!