Indigobloom

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.

This is the one I walked away with a cup of over lunch hour. Not bad… but I imagine this would make for a better base to go with other ingredients.
The shop offers a “make your own tea” option so I’m thinking about trying this with strawberry and attempting to replicate my DT experience only with Silver Needle instead of White Peony.
One day I will go in there and just chat with the sales guy for a few hours… he doesn’t mind letting customers sample and he seems to enjoy educating us as well so I am in heaven there! :)
The tea itself was a pretty standard “white” for me, albeit a quality one. I do wonder how it would have presented using a gaiwan though. and I think I need to try their version of White Peony before jumping to any conclusions.
Overall, I still prefer the White Peony from Tea Emporium… I mean, if I had to pick just one straight up white to go with. It’s less fuzzy tasting and more aromatic.
(though we chatted awhile. I think it may have been oversteeped. that’s twice in one day! arg)

Disclaimer: I cannot recall the exact name of this tea. If you know what it is, please correct it! they only have one Keemum variety so it should be a no-brainer for someone with a decent memory. Sorry to fail on all you Steepsterites!
Anyhow, on to the tea. The guy in the shop gave me a sample… using a gaiwan!! apparently the store plans to sell them for a reasonable price in the near future! so exciting :)
and the flavour?
It was interesting! I quite enjoyed it, but I’m not sure about how to rate it. My brain has yet to decide precisely how much I like this one. The floral/smoky note was mild but pleasant, and the black tea was also mild, but the liquid itself was a touch thick in the first few steeps. By the third round, the smokiness was gone, replaced by a mild spicy note that hid in the background all the way to the finish. There was a slight floral aspect as well, more pronounced once the smokiness faded.
I don’t think I would buy any, moreso because there is a minimum purchase of 50g and there are so many other teas I’d like to try before lapping myself in tastings.
Also, this is my first Keemum, and so I really have no idea how it compares. In time I will!

Ick. I think this one may have been brewed incorrectly. Perhaps to long. It was bitter!!
I haven’t had much luck with English Breakfast in general, but it never seems to be the fault of the leaf… but the circumstances. It must be a cursed tea.
Even when I added sugar, and agave, it was still not so tasty. More boring than anything else. Sure there was maltiness, but also a dusty part to it that muted everything and made me think of Twinnings EB.
Don’t let this rating throw you off though, there is a good chance that the guy serving me was distracted and missed the timer. It was quite busy in the shop this AM.

Oh boo, I only bought one bag of this! It was delicious!!! I tried making it iced, but ran out of cubes… and time! so ended up with lukewarm tea.
Nonetheless, it was delicious, but vague. I’m sure the agave helped :P
Neither the blueberry nor pomegranate were distinct though I could definitely taste the “white”. The lack of crispness was no bother, not while it was cold(ish).
Anyhow, if I could find a real version of this tea in looseleaf… you can be sure I would buy it :)

what whaaaaaaat!!
this tastes like pancakes!!!!!!! so good. I was worried it would be buttery in the way that buttered rum from DTs is, but no this is buttery in just the right way! It’s like liquid pancake, with butter on top (and not butter with a dab of pancake like I had feared!)
And the “pancake” flavour, well there is no way to describe it other than that… how they managed to get the flavour into a tea is beyond me, especially since it isn’t super sweet, but just right.
The bit of astringency in the finish is nice to, reminding me that this is a tea and not some delicious breakfast in a cup!
This is my first 52teas cuppa, so I’m kinda in novelty shock here :)
Any other day this might get a lower rating, but I am in just he right mood for it today, and since it’s the first time I am trying it, well it’s just perfect in this moment!
Thanks a million to PoliticalMachine for sending me this sample! I’m very impressed.

Ehhhhh, I can see why this tea is soon to be discontinued.
The rooibos was so strong in this that I could hardly taste anything else. I think she added too much. The chocolate was a background note, and I could smell, but not taste the citrus.
There was a point where I almost threw it out, but then it got a little better as the flavours mellowed some.
It might not be so bad with milk, but I doubt the chocolate or citrus would come through.
This wasn’t terrible, but not great either… oh and I’m being harsh on this cause my Kalahari does so much better. It still deserves a decent rating overall!

I can’t remember all the details of what went into this tea, they haven’t got it listed on the website… but I know there was pineapple and coconut, and rose-hips, but what else, I cannot recall. Not that it matters, I love it!!!! Pina Colada is an all time favourite of mine. Well, no coconut is, and therefore so is Pina by default :)
The balance of flavours is perfect. Strong, but not overly. The rosehips add that little bit of “tea” that would otherwise be missing.
The only part I disliked was the tartness as it cooled, but my cup was almost empty by then anyhow!
I so wish I could buy this tea to take home.

One of the last black teas I have yet to try at this shop… except the ginger one, no no I won’t go there, unless I am down with sniffles!
Anyhow, this was nice. The caramel was very subtle, but firmly present. It reminded me of teas that have caramel notes to them, only more pronounced and it was more natural than the other caramel teas I’ve tried.
In astringency and boldness it was rather light. I wish the boldness of the tea had been stronger, but that is just my preference.
Overall, I quite liked it! but it wasn’t far off from my Creme Brulee and that is a rooibos. The caffeine punch was certainly missing from this black tea!! Oh well, it is what it is.

This is quite an intense tea! and a mood tea as well. This is not something that I would have often, but when I reach for it, I will savour it.
Anyhow, in this minute, I’m really enjoying it. Yum!!!
I oversteeped it a tad so the flavours are stronger than I’d like, but that is my bad.
It’s spicy, to be sure, and sweet… and relaxing. Hmmm, I think maybe I will actually catch up on some sleep tonight :)
The cinnamon is strong, but leaves room for the orange and something flowery that I assume is the rose-hips. I’m getting a lingering hint of chamomile/orange in the finish as well.
There is a frog croaking outside my window, rather loudly… but I think it’s kindof soothing, the chatter lends a fitting ambiance for my tea moment :)
Thanks again QuiltGuppy for this tea experience, this is lovely!

At work… work work work!
This is a nice and light Early Grey. I cannot stand the bagged variety… and that’s pretty much all I’ve tried except the rooibos version I have… so this was a pleasant surprise :)
I haven’t had a chance to truly savour it, and I added milk just to see what it was like that way, and well it isn’t good! I liked it much better without. It’s almost pu’erh like, which makes me think that maybe the milk is turning. I need to try it again without, and a touch of agave.
So…. it isn’t fair for me to rate this one just yet.
Thankyou QuiltGuppy for the new tea experience!!

wowsa, was this ever smooth!! I got a tad of the normal tea/wearing sensation, but nothing like the crude abrasiveness I experienced with the T&T variety awhile back. YUMMM!!!
The barley flavour was just strong enough that I craved more, and the roasted flavour was not overdone either. This is rich in calcium, and tasty… AND great iced. The aroma is intoxicating to.
This is love… well, as much love as I could have for an iced tea. There is something about holding a hot beverage that will always have a special place in my heart. err, stomach. err hands! yes, that’s it… :P

Hmmm, I’m not sure which version of this tea they served… so I’ll pick one of the three listed at random.
The tapioca was a tad mushy, but the tea was fabulous!!! and with the milk (after my previous dairy free experience) it was better than I had dared to hope :)
There was a distinct floral aspect, almost jasmine-ish in my opinion, but I didn’t mind because of the milk.
I think I enjoy the osmanthus more though, I wonder if they would serve that with milk as well?? oh and I found out that the osmanthus I purchased not long ago from their store is not the same as what they use for the bubble tea! She showed me the tin it comes out of, and the price tag said $38, which is double what I paid! and my bag had double the content… sheesh, that is some expensive tea.

yet another tea I’m glad to have tried, but will never purchase again. It was oddly enchanting yet dissatisfying all at once. Some sips were overbearing in bitterness and lemon, whereas others were lemony perfection. The difference, I think, was that at times it was rind-like, and others, lemon-juice like… with my preference for the latter.
Moreover, I would have surely enjoyed this more with a dash of sugar, but it was far too hot for a sample sip before leaving the store.
Oh and this doesn’t go well with milk, right? well, I enjoy my tea with milk! points taken off for that…
bah! This was followed up with a Ten Rens tea so it was not a total tea failure!

This is a solid black tea, but for me, has to be taken with milk. It’s bold, but I’m having trouble finding the floral part. Maybe a hint, but I think it may also be my imagination placing it there??
There is no astringency though, or very little, if any- I really like that part. and… well, It’s loads better than Tim’s tea, which is what counts in my books :)

Second steep:
this one might just be better than the first!! wow. I’m so impressed… I don’t even know where to begin. I love how the woodsiness blends right into the hint of maltiness. If only the taste was stronger, then I would dump all my other teas and mainline this one!
I’ve decided that I really do enjoy this better with the milk. Without, it has a noticeable pepper aspect to it, and since I don’t really love pepper… the milk really cuts down on it, and I enjoy the milkiness anyhow!

Oh my goodness!!! so light, so different, so delicate… so tasty…
I think I may have used a little too much leaf or perhaps not enough water as it’s a little bitter, but otherwise, this goes so far beyond my expectations, I’m not sure where it lands!
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of the “woodsy” flavour, but I find that with foods I generally dislike, the cream of the crop will still be amazing for me. Licorice candy, for instance. I always disliked it, but then had some gourmet version of it, and wow, it blew me away.
That is how I feel about this tea.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I “enjoy” woodsy teas, but there you have it.
Oh, and I know it’s terrible of me, but I tried half a cup with milk and I daresay I loved that even more! the fine, light and meadowy characteristics still come out, only it’s also milky.
I could drink this all day. No tea has ever given me such pleasure!
If it was a tad maltier, that would push it up to 100 for me… that, and perhaps more controlled water temperature.
ya can’t have everything right? There has to be something left to dream for…

This was a tea making disaster! I had no whisk but desperately wanted to try some of this… as I LOVE green matcha but can’t handle the jitters that come with it, so had hoped to find an alternate.
This rating will likely get bumped up when I try it proper- or rather, I really hope it does.
I used nearly a whole teaspoon in one mug, and as expected it came out rather lumpy. and bitter!!! nearly two teaspoons of agave later, it was just barely palatable.
However, very satisfying! I had a few “ahhhh” moments here. Once it settled down into the bottom of course, it wasn’t so tasty anymore. I added more water to keep mixing it up (the fork failed at whisking) but eventually there was no helping it and I poured half a mug down the drain :(
I feel bad for having wasted so much of the precious powder. I know much better now… lesson learned.

Iced this time!!
Not bad, not bad at all. Almost better, I daresay, than it was hot… which surprises me because I am not usually one for taking my teas iced. We were on our way to dinner so I wanted something that would keep in case I didn’t finish in time to sit down, or else I would have gone with a hot one, of something else.
Anyhow, the sales lady added some agave. Between that, and the iced factor, it almost eliminated that wearing sensation from the mate I often notice and mellowed out the flavour. Interesting, because I would have assumed that agave would aggravate that feature. I’m glad I listened to her suggestion!
Oh, and I tried some Exotica iced. SO GOOD! I need to pick me up some of that— when I pare down my existing supply that is. (yeah right, good luck with that!)

I tried this in the store this morning… and while I’m glad to have tried it, I wish I had ordered something else.
See, Chai is a tricky tea for me. I will love it or hate it, and this one definitely landed in the dislike category. It was still drinkable, but certainly not something I would ever choose for myself again.
The spices were ok, I could definitely taste the cinnamon but the cardamom and cloves were bullies and took over, which left me with an odd, minty aftertaste. I don’t see anything mint-like in the description, but I think that’s a product of the tea base and cardamom teaming up on my taste buds. It makes me wonder if they used an asian base, as there was also something oddly watery about it.
Also, I couldn’t really taste much of the tea part, unless I am right and they did use a Chinese black. My favourite chais have at the very least, a moment of “ahh there’s the tea!” and this one missed that mark.
Ah well! It smells great… and it was naturally sweet so points are given for that.
I just bought a first flush darjeeling from DT’s… so breakfast will be extra special tomorrow :)

This is great!! so very smooth and just the right amount of bold. There is something (that I like) hanging in the background, like Gmathis said… buttered toast sounds about right! I was going to say toasted leaves, but toast is more apt.
It reminds me, in a way, of the note in pu’erhs that I keep hanging on to, that makes me think that I will find one I actually enjoy one day (besides cinnamon heart). I think it’s that toasted finishing note that brings me there.
The first half of the sip is rather subtle though. Watery, with just a hint of boldness. So contrary to the second half… It’s as if I took two different sips and cut them in half/switched ’em.
Either way, I am highly impressed!! :)

This was… well, it was different!
The bamboo was very nutty and left an odd vegetal aftertaste in my mouth… it reminded me of asparagus or some other vegetable I can’t quite place.
Also, this tea was very thick. I found that it caught in my throat as I swallowed, right before the vegetal taste kicks in. It was almost as if my body was protesting the suggestion of liquid vegetable. ha!
I’m glad I tried it, but will definitely not be buying any of this one. I entirely missed out on the pomegranate to :(

So, I tried this again and added some agave in hopes that it would drown/balance out that fake taste that bothers me in this tea. I know it’s the honeydew that gets me…
and it was definitely better. Maybe next time I’ll try this iced. I forgot this time. Oops! :/

I had a cuppa omw to work this morning. It was remarkably similar to Lover’s Leap, but simply LESS in most every way. It was less bold, less fruity, less complex, less… everything! in fact, I found it to be rather plain and unmemorable. Maybe I didn’t leave the tea bag in for long enough, but it was in there for a good five minutes, probably longer. I added sugar as well, thank goodness or else it would have been more plain than red rose.
Maybe my expectations were too high. or maybe not, considering I would have traded this for a Tim’s tea if I’d had the opportunity. (not that I would have thrown out a serviceable brew!)