Indigobloom

Spicy? Oh yes definitely getting that here! and butter… yep, can really taste that. Actually, I really like the buttery part. I just feel that it doesn’t mix well with the pepper very well. Something about the two of them together doesn’t sit right for me, atleast not in a tea. However I can see how other people would swoon.
Ah well!I knew this would be a love or… well, not love tea.
Thank you so much Alphakitty for this sample! I was SO curious about this one.

This is such a treat for me that I’ve been holding back on indulging… not wanting to let it become less special. Maybe I need to set up a rotation schedule, so that I give all my matchas equal love.
Also, I really like that there are no resteeps with matcha. No guilt! I mean, it’s one of those things that I really enjoy about tea, but sometimes it’s nice not to, ya know?

Sipdown!! I could really use more of those. This one does not age well. I got hardly any flavour considering that I used nearly double what I normally do.
Also, I know I logged this one in my cupboard because it was during a steepster outage and I had to come back for that, and I nearly spilled my tea when the page finally refreshed. I remember that because Dad commented that I didn’t want yogurt on my keyboard (he thought that was so funny!).
Anyhow, how is it that it isn’t inventoried? hmmm?!

Thanks to Mark B for this sample!!
Pretty sure I underleafed the cup as I had a hard time getting much flavour.
There were some honeyed sweet tones, some mild brothy notes, and an even milder vegetal aspect that was very hidden underneath. Next time, I’ll try more leaf in the infuser!

Green tea, very deep, vegetal green tea! That is all I could really pick out, except for a side note of artichoke.
Thanks to whomever sent me the sample. I had it noted down but the tape was pulled off when sorting.

Slight bitter note at the beginning of my sip. Milk and sugar fixed that right up though. Good as ever.
Without additives, never go beyond 3 min.

Funny story…
Dad asked me to make him a cup of tea. I chose this! as I had a feeling he’d like it. Turns out he did but that’s all I could get out of him in terms of description. I usually get: it was “not my thing” “ok”, “good” or “pretty good”.
Anyhow, here’s how our conversation went.
Dad: We’re having sweet potato fries with dinner. Hope that’s ok! I know you like them… (As he is about to take his first sip)
Me: You know that tea is…
Dad: Flavoured like sweet potatoes?
Me: Yeah. How did you know…
Dad: Lucky guess

I’ve been shaking my head about it all day! In between resteeps that is.

Aha! shorter infusions work so much better here. 2-2.5 min. Yup, makes all the difference in th “pop” factor. Bumping my rating a few points.

Backlog!!

Fannings? More like ctc! phew, that is what I was hoping for.
My cup was nice and dark. Inky black. And full of depth! Wouldn’t wanna go swimming in that… (what dark creatures lie beneath?!)
It tasted very earthy, mossy, and a little like soil… err, in a good way. Trust me, it was pleasant even if it doesn’t sound as if it was! Next time, I’ll do a fast rinse. I didn’t this time because I was worried about losing the tiny little particles but there was a teeny tiny bit of fishiness so I’ll see if there is a big difference in quality between my rinse vs non-rinse experiences.
Second steep was more like a light coffee. Oh how I miss coffee. Could this be a suitable alternative? I think so.
Third steep edged more into the bready/vanilla zone. I didn’t have time for more but I can see where it was going anyhow.

Once again it was lacking a little on the third steep but not as much as the last time I had a cup. Next time… more leaf, shorter infusions!

I’m a little puzzled, this was a great tea but I’m not getting much of what anybody else is noticing.
It’s a bit claylike, with that drying sensation I get with wines sometimes. Reminds me of grapes in some ways! but certainly not of an oolong.
There is also a hard hitting bitter note towards the end of the sip, and a mild honey sweetness. All of this is overshadowed by the essence of something smokey, though I don’t actually taste any smoke, its more of a texture thing.
The second infusion really picks up on the honey aspect and balances out the clay. Light Pu-erh meets Dragonwell. Yum :)
Many thanks to Raritea for this sample, I quite enjoyed my cup!

Mum is leaving for Florida today. Without me. So I needed something that reminded me that there are warmer days ahead!
I’m shocked to discover that this is really hitting the spot. At first sip, I noticed an icky plastic taste… So I added a 3/4 tsp of sugar and pow! deeeelicious. Resteep will be iced.
That said, I’ll leave the rating as is, because a) I don’t crave this type of flavour often (err given my love n hate thing I have going on with coconut) and b)in this first infusion I’m not getting any white tea flavour at all. Bah. I’m loving the cup right now, and that is all that really matters right! slurrrrrrrp

Supa Lemon! Dang I feel like this tisane could be a superhero, it’s that vibrant in flavour. Whew.
I went with a four/five minute steep but based on the sip I took at 90 seconds, a two minute steep would have been fabulous. Sparkling! Whereas my cup was too strong and full on lemon. Drinkable but not something I’d buy again. I’d leave it around 68 with a potential for much higher!
So I think I’ll save my rating for next time.
Also, thank the time maker that weekend is over. I thought the torture would go on forever. (so many odd social moments went on… I wouldn’t know where to begin! though for the most part it was pleasant, I’m just being dramatic haha. It was really just Saturday that I’d rather forget ever happened)

I’ve had this with short and long steeps and I love it both ways. Short is great when I know I’ll be around all day, but it’s so very satisfying when I can indulge in a longer one. The depth of the mango and cilantro flavour really gets me! and I’m truly looking forward to making a big batch of this iced, to drink while I read a book on the balcony. Hurry up summer!
Also… Stacy rocks. Very very much!

I’m kinda over it. This was ok, but I didn’t really care for it over the other cup I was drinking. It was so plain, and a hair plastic like. Caramel? sure I got that to, just not enough. Ah well, time to move on!
Lowering the rating a bunch of points.

Thanks Kittenna for the sample!
Wowwwww cherry. Dude. I love cherry. Love it! Not so much on the kiwi, though it does balance things out. Coconut, well I’m ok with it here. Not too scratchy on the throat or overly sweet either.
Overall, a nice blend that I think would do well iced. Perfect for my midafternoon caffeine break (err, that is… break from caffeinated teas!)

Backlog! Will this tea never end! I love how robust and satisfying this is, but I also don’t want it to go stale and I’ve had it for ages now…
Ctc goes a long way. Hmph.

Backlog!
I’ll be sad when this is gone. I have a ton of other rooibos in my cupboard and yet I keep reaching for my Berry Chocolate!

So I had some fannings of this left over, which I’ve been saving for eons now… for what I don’t know… but after all the talk recently about which is the best Coconut Oolong, and my recent lack of appreciation for said tea genre, I decided to use up the dust and see if memory serves me.
Turns out, that despite this being two years old, and 90% dust, this is still the best coconut oolong I’ve ever had.
The coconut is very sweet, in a natural and unassuming yet upfront way that seduces me like no other while the green roasted oolong note is blended so perfectly that it took three infusions to find where they separate. In fact, for awhile I compared coconut milk to this and thought “my coconut tea is so much better!”
Oh man, this brought me back to my tea “newbie” days when everything was incredible and fresh to my palate. How I miss those days sometimes!
So yep, I’m quite pleased to know that it still tastes like home, and I look forward to the day when I’m reacquainted with this delightful blend.
Next time I go to John’s Pass(Florida), you can be sure I’ll be scooping some up. And that’s coming from a newfound coconut disliker!
Anyhow, based on this experience alone, I’d rate the cup around 87, but considering the circumstances I’ll leaving the rating as is for now.

P.S. Sipdown! a sad one, but still a sipdown. 244 left to go!

Peaches! oh yes this is peach. Almost like peach juice!! The first steep was anyhow. Very sweet. WAY too sugary on the first steep but the second one was great, balanced and flavourful! The white tea peeked out in just the right way, showing the parts of white peony that I love :)
Third steep was more of the same, but less intense.
So first steep: 72 Second steep: 84 Third steep: 79
Thanks K for sharing the pot!

1000th note right here!
So I thought I’d do something special with it and chose to make gingered peach potato pancakes with my Aunt. I love cooking with her.
And the pancakes… oh my! It was quite yummy. The ginger really shines through, while the peach added that sweet zing that really made the pancakes pop. Sour cream and sugar (traditional way to serve it) made it almost like a peaches and cream dessert. Yum!!
My Aunt quite enjoyed the tea as well, so I gave her the rest of my packet (seeing as I don’t like it at all!)
Spending the day with my aunt was fun. We had a great time!
Oh and we also made Strawberry Pu-erh pancakes but those came first and we made a few errors when prepping so they were less flavourful. I wish we hadn’t used up the last of my sample on that. Oh well, I can always grab more.

Oh coconut. What happened to us, we used to be such great friends. There was a time where I loved you to bits(coconut bits!) and I looked forward to trying any tea blend you were in. and now? You’ve become cloying and overwhelming and sometimes far too sweet for my tastes. This makes me sad. I miss the days when we’d sit together, you in a nice big mug, me on the couch or at the table. Sadly, those days are no longer. So… Either coconut has entirely changed it’s profile entirely in the last few years, or my palate has done a 180. (yes I am playing naive. It must be possible that nobody else has noticed the coconut profile change bahahaha)
Anyhow, other than coconut I did get a slight marzipan note and it did balance things out a tad, and it was more sugary than I’d have liked, which is odd for me in a tea that I haven’t added anything to.
Overall, the tea was super light and I wish I’d used less water. Not that it matters given my tirade above. So… I won’t rate this because I don’t think it’d be fair. But… If someone asked me to rate it just for fun, I’d likely say 70.
Thanks Kittenna for this sample!

Agh! I have a bunch of other reviews to write, but I’m realizing now that none of them are worth my 1000th note. I want to save it for something incredible. AND I won’t be home all day tomorrow. Bah!!

Stellar! Quite enjoyable. Definitely getting the toast reference, though I first interpreted it as soft leather.
Since this was my first taste, I sipped both with and without milk. Without, it’s refreshing and earthy with a rather floral and delicately fresh note similar to something I experienced last week in another tea. Only this time it’s much milder. It’s quite lovely.
There is also a slight honey note in there that stands out on odd sips. Not really getting any cocoa like the description says, sadly. I had really hoped for that. Oh well, it’s still great!
With milk, that floral freshness really pops. Now I wish I had more than a sample.

Wow, totally forgot I still have this in my cupboard!!! No idea where it came from. Unfortunately, my previous rating of 83 does not stand at all.
It is FAR too sickly sweet, because of the anise. Ugh.
That said, it really does calm me down. I’m feeling a little zen! I’m not sure it’s worth the nasty anise though. Bleh.
If anyone wants the rest of my packet… maybe 30g worth, let me know. It’s really really old, but quite flavourful…