Indigobloom

OMG! I think I found a way to use up my peppermint!! I got a big bag of it awhile back and have been adding it to some of my teas as a pick-me-up but 50g of peppermint goes a long way….
I hadn’t tried it with Rooibos because I disliked the mint chocolate rooibos, and of course I’d never considered that it was the chocolate part I disliked! ha!
This was an actual “peppermint rooibos” sample so I will have to see if my homemade version works just as well.
Peppermint on it’s own is too much for me, so this is a great way to cut it. and the rooibos adds it’s own sweetness to.
I wonder if the organic part makes that much of a difference? we shall see…
This is a mood tea so no doubt this rating is inflated a bit.
I can’t help it! This is so very soothing, and smooth. Maybe I’ll try it before bed next time instead of my chamomile.
I need to pick up some regular (roasted?) rooibos as well.

Hmmmm, I think I like it! alot!!!
this one reminds me of the coconut oolong I bought over Christmas, but more “green” (obviously) than oolong. There is a definite essence of walnut, with that same walnut taste in the back of the throat. Then there’s the coconut, which lends the sweetness to this brew. No sugar needed here! :-)
There is something else there, but I’m not sure if it’s the pineapple- most likely. It doesn’t taste unlike pineapple, but not especially so either.
If it wasn’t for the coconut oolong, this would get a 95 but because that other tea is SO similar, and I love that one, well I give this one a slightly lower score.
EDIT: The walnut, while good, has gotten a bit tiresome now that I am at the bottom of the cup. Down another few notches…
Second EDIT: The second cup is realllllllly smooth, as usual with a green or oolong, but it still takes me by surprise every time! It’s significantly more mellow now, but some of the walnut is lost. Hiking the rating back up! Like a rollercoaster this one…

ahhhhh now THIS is what I remember! my terrible marco polo experience from last time has now been banished from memory and replaced by this delicious tea sensation.
Fruity, floral, black tea. Mmmmm.
My only regret is that I played with the steep time and cut it down to 4 min. In contradiction to my tea-loving past, I like the flavours to come out strong. I like it best just before it starts to get bitter which can be a little difficult to time.
There was a day when I loved “weak” tea. Funny, I never thought I would see the day where I would evolve to enjoy it so!

Thanks for sending me this one PoliticalMachine! It was a learning experience to be sure.
The leaves are typical, nice and rolled, and smell like a mild spring flower. Once steeped, it leans more toward the green side of Oolong. It has some of those irritants that make my throat all itchy but nothing like jasmine tea!
There is also a vegetal aspect when I first sip, followed by a fresh water note. It finishes with a nice nutty aftertaste.
I added no sugar, but there is a slight sweetness to it that comes out in the finish as well. There is the tiniest hint of milkiness, but I think that is more an extension of the nutty note.
The first infusion was a bit strong for my liking, but the second was much more balanced. I’ll try and do a third now!

Not that great. The tea bag was off somehow. Maybe it was the water? Hard to describe why…
The first two bags I had awhile back were amazing! I hope this is the only one like this. I’m leaving the rating as is…. for now.

now here we have a novelty tea! but I love it.
The first infusion was heavy on the whisky, not letting much else come through. It was strong, and generally what I had hoped for, except that the peach was far too mild. The second infusion was even better! I could really taste the peach here and it became super smooth, almost creamy. The third infusion was more or less the same but weaker… enough so that I doubt it could have done a fourth.
Next time, I’ll try shorter infusions and see if I can get more out of it.
Either way, this one is naturally sweet, complex, drastically different between infusions, and overwhelmingly tasty!! nothing but good things to say about this one.
Oh ya, and eating the nuts/fruit afterwards is fun to! :P

so apparently this was a 2nd grade tea, where teaopia normally sells 3rd or ungraded…
I could most definitely tell that it was higher quality, maybe even some tips in there. Overall, the tea was good, great even, but not what I wanted. That fresh, first flush aroma/flavour was popping out at me and I was hoping for more of a malty tea (as always). Also, there wasn’t much complexity here. I get the nutty part, but it simply wasn’t enough.
Oh well, this is the second last pure black tea of theirs I have to try! apparently the other one is a first flush so that should be interesting.
Oh and I added milk (I know, bad bad tea drinker I am!)

oh yeah, this is good stuff. A regular black tea with extremely subtle complexities. I’m not adept enough at identifying flavours but I can taste the spice note mentioned by Daniil and now that it’s pointed out I can tell that it is indeed cardamom or something similar. The maltiness is very nice as well, very mild yet lasting throughout the entire sip.
The astringency is a tad too much for me but then the girl made my tea extra strong so it could be a function of too many leaves.
Now that I’ve had most of the cup, the spice note is building in the aftertaste the way spicy foods do as you get into the meal. Very nice! I’m impressed.
The floral note is the most subtle of them all. I would not have noticed if it wasn’t in the description.
Ok so DT’s just made up for some of their failings with this one, in my books. The only issue I have that everything is so mild, as I prefer more bold teas.
I wonder, why am I the only one to find this one so very satisfying??

Hrm, I’m not sure about this. The black currant sings through, but I added some agave to help it along. I think it’s kindof like peach teas where even if it’s great, I would still prefer something else in that vein, only a different flavour.
Blueberry is not a flavour I really love, and this reminds me very much of blueberry.
Otherwise, the tea itself is good. A little sour, but not astringent really… I think it comes from the currant.
There is also a very fresh note, and a lively refreshing aftertaste that I actually like. If this tea had strawberry flavouring instead, it would have gotten top marks! so 85on the tea, and 75 on currant flavour (lower because I had to add sweetener)… which brings it to a nice middle ground of 80. I’m glad to have tried it, as always! :)

wow, peaches!!! the essence was quite strong here. More so than in yesterdays white tea, by volumes.
The oolong base was nice as well… I feel that this is a MUCH nicer base than they used in the plum tea. It’s more crisp and defined, and really allows the peach to dance around, making it a bit more complex. Oh and the cream part… I can find that to. Very nice! mild, hiding in the back, but perfect for the blend.
Now, despite all of this, I’ve decided that I am not a big fan of peach tea. I can see how someone might fall in love with it… it has all the qualities necessary for that! it’s just is not “the one” for me. Still, I’m thrilled to have tried it! and that I’m beginning to learn my tea tastes a bit better now.

Ah I finally found a true “chocolate” note in tea!!! well, in a pure tea without any adds that is. I was getting a bit sad that it hadn’t happened yet… but there is a definite chocolate essence here. It’s a little sweet and malty all at once—no sugar added. Of course, I tried some with milk and it only enhanced the creamy chocolate note. There is also a very fresh tasting note, that I think comes from the early flush.
The colour is a gorgeous red amber. Shame I was at work, I could have stared at that cup for an hour (take from that what you will…)
And it held up under two steeps! I wasn’t up for a third but I am sure it would have done well there to.
Overall, it is not my perfect tea. It’s missing something but I’m not quite sure what! Maybe the depth isn’t enough??
Oh well, I still love it! definitely a mood tea though

This was good!! crisp, defined flavours in the peach and white tea… grassy and fresh tasting, and not too heavy. Naturally sweet on it’s own, coming out of the peach essence, but not in a tart way at all.
Still, nothing beats DTs strawberry white!!!

hot berry cider. Not bad, but also my default when I hit a starbucks with friends and it’s too late for caffeine. It makes me want more tea… other, better tea! but overall, it’s tasty and keeps me warm :)

this blew me away!!!! wow. amazing. love it!!
Another one on my “to purchase” list :)
It’s naturally sweet with smoky and floral notes… sortof like a smoky milk oolong without the milk essence, just the sweetness that comes with it. Sugar or honey could never achieve that subtle pure taste! and it’s complex all on it’s own! I love that part :)
mmmmm soooo good! Well, outta time. I’ll write more next time!

This was… boring! and a bit earthy? made me wonder if there was any bergamot in it…
So, I think I may have found another black tea that I dislike. There is no character, no sass… or identifying features whatsoever, unless you consider plain-ness a feature!
even with milk it was barely drinkable, but I did finish the cup. Oh well. Fingers crossed for the black currant and orange pekoe! the only other teas in the pack that I look forward to tasting.

I don’t know WHAT got into me but something compulsed (did I just make up a word?) me to have this tea. I bargained with myself, I proposed other, better teas… I looked at the ingredients and saw cinnamon and vanilla “flavouring” and even still, nothing could persuade my fool craving away from indulging an unworthy tea!
This was my last bagged tea purchase(and love) before I went all looseleaf so it holds a special place in my cupboard but I’m not sure if that’s one of disdain or fond memories!
And ya know what? it has got to be my sentimentality kicking in but this is pretty darn good for a bagged tea. Smooth and chocolatey… caffeine free… maybe I won’t throw it out after all. The only part that really niggles at me is the “flavour” part in the ingredients. Ya just know that means it’s fake! *sighs

ehhhh. So I’m nearing the end of my package (I only had a 25g sample) and I think most of the chickory slid to the bottom. This was not nearly as good as my last brew but I’m gonna leave the rating as is.
It kept me going through the afternoon so that is what matters! what a shame though… does that mean the rest of the bag is going to be worse with every cup???

a little bitter yet overly sweet. Not my fave, since my black tea obsession really kicked in. Oh well, no time for filling/steeping a bag at work so this will have to do! milk and sugar help :)

is anyone else going to the Art of Tea festival in Toronto on the 18th? there is a half price coupon at buytopia: http://onespout.com/deal/view/182108

I can’t believe I haven’t rated this one yet! I could have sworn that I had… hmm.
Anyhow, this was at one point a fave of mine, but not as much now that I am here in TO. See, I bought this in Florida, and the water must be different there because this tea in particular is not what I remember! The coconut oolong, which I also bought at the same shop, tastes better here, but not the rainforest mate. Odd huh?
Here, I taste more of the licorice, and the mate, whereas in Florida, it was all about the fruitiness. Can hard/soft water make that much of a difference?
Who knows. Oh and I am definitely getting the mint here, where I never noticed it prior. That said, it’s still very smooth, and I quite enjoy my yerbas.
So, my rating is based on these factors then:
1. This tea is useful, keeping me energized for the moment but it won’t cause me trouble later in the evening when I try to get some sleep. I also enjoy the yerba taste, as mentioned above. and again, it’s super smooth, also a good thing
2. I’m not a huge licorice or mint fan except in very particular circumstances (icecream for instance. I love mint chocolate chip!)
3. The fruity part, which initially drew me in is gone.
Thus, this tea would have previous received a score of 90, but is now relegated to 84. Oh well. C’est la vie!

ugh, so I made the fatal error of eating an apple just prior to having this tea! Note to self: Apple and tea do NOT go well together. I really should have known better. What was I thinking?!?
This was an interesting experience, but not one I’d like to repeat, and not by any fault of the tea!
The apple was somewhat sour, but it must have been sweeter than I had considered because the tea was just off. I think I didn’t make it strong enough either, because it tasted a bit watery. and flowery! The first time I had this one, it was more fruity and sweet, but this time it was all floral with a slight minty spice in the finish. The thing is, I had to add sugar, and more than I prefer under regular circumstances so it muddled the taste.
Dang, this one is all my fault to. I’m not changing the rating, I’d like to remember this tea the way it was the first time i tried it.
QuiltGuppy it looks like we’ve both had some puzzling tea-scapades today! thanks again for sending me this one :)

Mmmmmmmm this was just what I wanted. Ya know when you crave something very particular, and then manage to fill that want with the perfect thing? well, this was one of those times. The brewing circumstances turned out to be ideal as well. I will have to remember: 1.5-1.7 tsp(extra large mug), 5 min steep, boiling water. Perfection!!
I think my beloved Lover’s Leap could have done a better job… the only thing missing was that extra complexity I search for. No matter, I so badly wanted a bold, malty tea with milk! The last few days it’s been missing from my diet so it was becoming an issue. It was all I could think about! haha.
Anyhow, this rating is artificially high(previously an 86), but I’m ok with that. I feel that tomorrow will be a Marco Polo day though, if I’m home that is :)
Sidenote: does it annoy anyone else that when you create a second tea review and change your initial rating, it does the same to your earlier review as well? I know I am!! (annoyed)

Hmmm, this is an odd, but good tea. It’s comforting, very smooth, VERY refreshing and the flavours mesh together nicely. At first I wasn’t sure, about the cucumber part, but I think it comes out more as it cools. Also, I tried a few teaspoons in a separate cup with a few drops of milk, which really brought the cucumber out- almost like it activated my taste sensors. Now that I am back to drinking it plain(I did add half a teaspoon of sugar though) I am getting a strong “cucumber” essence. In fact, it’s so refreshing that it leaves a hint of burning freshness as an aftertaste. Not quite spicy but somewhere between spicy and thirst-quenched.
This would be interesting iced I think… more than most(I’m not a huge fan of iced tea, but this one piques my interest). I think I’ll try it that way next- one more serving left!
Thankyou for the experience PoliticalMachine!! This was most satisfying! :)

This is loads better than the Osmanthus Oolong I bought from TR!!! wow, I had no idea it could be this amazing. I could swear it tastes kindof milky, with an added moment of spicy floral tea in the swallow. This was had at work, in the office, so not much time was allowed for noticing the details but I will, next time!!
thankyou so much QuiltGuppy!! this tea really made up for my terrible tea choice this am :)

I’ve resigned myself to disliking Earl Grey permanently now… except the rooibos variety which tastes less earthy somehow. I wonder how it would taste with another base? I’ve only ever tried it with black and rooibos. Hmmmm.
This one has such rave reviews, I figured that it would atleast be tolerable for me, but that was apparently not in my cards. Luckily, they let me return the tin after sampling a bag, so atleast I didn’t lose any money on it! :)
I don’t mind the lemon so much… though I am very picky about citrus in my tea, but that combined with the bergamot is just too much. I can’t taste any vanilla at all in there either and I didn’t feel that any of the flavours gelled together at all.
Oh well, I can’t adore every type of tea right?? I just wish I could understand why this one has such appeal! and why nobody else ever mentions the earthy note that bothers me.