Jason

This is quite the interesting experience. There’s an awesomely powerful nose on the loose leaf itself, dominating any other possible notes, and on the brewed tea as well. Both reek (in a good way) of the sweet and nutty hazelnut flavor.

The loose leaf is pretty small, lots of little pieces with great brownish and red colors. It yields a light golden liquor that is quite nice. I’ve never actually had honeybush before, just it’s cousin rooibos, but this had none of the bitterness or crushing earthiness of the rooibos. I’m not sure if it’s because of the honeybush or if the hazelnut is masking those tastes.

When it comes down to it, the flavor of the tea is so-so. I’d place it generously on the bland, flavorless side. However, that doesn’t fully dampen my feelings as I still enjoy the punch offered by the aroma. Since I’m not a fan of coffee but have always enjoyed the idea, the smell kinda reminds me of the fancy coffee treats they serve at Starbucks. So I feel all mature like I’m drinking a coffee drink. Is that a legit reason to enjoy a tea?

I like the aroma a lot. The almond mixes interestingly well with the sweet vanilla smell…but at the end I can’t help but feel disappointed. There’s a little flavor from each of the elements in there; a little black tea, a little vanilla, a little almond – but nothing powerful enough to make a compelling mouthful. It just comes off as a little on the bland side. Maybe more tea, 2 bags instead of one? Maybe a longer steep time? I’m not sure, I’ll have to keep working with this one.

I really like the “bird’s nest” shape and it makes me feel extra special to unwrap each individual nest, like each one is it’s own little package made just for me. The liquor is a nice deep brown and the nose on it is nice too. Similar in taste to a black tea but with a deeper earthy sense, an almost root-like taste (in a good way). This seems like a good tea for classic tea drinkers, no bells and whistles…just straight tea flavor.

A good black tea. Nothing too amazing but good nonetheless. Lots of earthy tones and a nice soothing nose. Who doesn’t like popping a couple of these finely rolled balls into your pot and watching them unfurl into all their steeping glory? Has enough strength to hold up to the morning grogginess without a harsh bite. Cocoa notes are too subtle for my untrained palate to pick up on. Grab a cup, i’m sure you’ll like it.

Light and sweet. First you get the sweetness of the apple and a hint of the raspberry. Then as the pink liquor travels back on your tongue you get more of the sour/bitter flavors of the cranberry and the hibiscus. This seems like a tea I would really like, except I can’t quite seem to get the preparation down. My first cup was too light, not enough flavor, so maybe I needed to add more tea and steep for longer. The second cup (that I had left steeping) had a much more powerful flavor but a little on the bitter side. It would probably help if I had a proper kettle so I knew what temp my water is.

Back at Caribou for free internets! All of their teas are decent, nothing special. For a green tea (not my favorite), this was actually rather enjoyable. Little to no bitterness – probably from all the sweetener they add.

I’m still stuck at Caribou because I don’t get internet at my place until Thursday, so I grabbed another cup. This one is decent for a mint tea, which I usually don’t drink – I just don’t think there is that much delicacy to them. It’s fine for what it is, very minty. There’s maybe a hint of cinnamon, but it’s all but hidden by the mint.

Nothing special. Rich and dark, with a little bit of maltyness. Pretty standard as far as blacks come. It’s not very strong, especially considering the water was so hot it still burned me after sitting 15 mins. Decent with a pack of sugar and a splash of milk. It helps keep me warm in this icebox of a coffee shop.

The nose on the loose leaf is great, a soft sweetness emanates and eliminates the harsh smell of the rooibos loose leaf. It’s mostly red but there’s great variety in it too, even some interesting little buds (probably the corn flowers). There’s a ton of tea in my actual cup (finely ground leaves + bad infuser).

The liquor is a deep reddish brown, not the best color. A little muddy looking. Add the water and you get that familiar rooibos smell I’m not too fond of.

The tea is good if not a little weak. Sweet with nothing of the bitterness I sometimes find in other rooibos. I can’t quite distinguish the different fruits but if anything maybe a just a hint of the sweetness of the banana. Very pleasant with a lingering sweetness. Not the best I’ve had, but definitely enjoyable.

Really faint with just the slightest sweet tone. I can get a bit of raspberry on the nose, but I tea doesn’t taste anything of raspberries. It works for me, but it’s nothing special and it’s not what I was expecting/hoping for. Maybe I could have steeped it a little longer…and I gotta get away from all the tea bags I have.

I had the Raspberry flavored Jasmine Green Iced Tea. A super fruity and sweet taste if you’re into strong tasting fruit teas. However, I have to say it’s not really tea. There is little to no hint of the green tea, maybe just a bit of the bitterness. If you like real tea, don’t go for any of the flavored teas…or bubble tea for that matter. I had the tapioca pearls in mine too, and after trying them for the second time, I don’t think they are that great. Interesting texture, but a little too slimy with a weird flavor. I prefer the flavored jellies. Either way, if you like super strong fruit flavored drinks, come try a flavored bubble tea. If you’re a tea purist, I’d stay away from it. I can do both, so it works for me.

The leaves are ground very finely and the nose has almond and lots of vanilla, so much so that I can almost taste how sweet it is. Nice golden brown liquor (before a splash of milk). The tea however, is mostly dominated by almond flavor with just some sugary vanilla tones peeking their way into the sip. It comes on strong with the almond but finishes with the touch of vanilla. Probably could have steeped longer, it’s a little weak in the knees right now and could use more power behind it. Could also be because it comes in tea bags (unfortunately I didn’t realize this when i bought it). Maybe multiple tea bags in one cup would do the trick?

The leaves are fairly small and twisted. Mostly bits of leaves, but some larger leaves as well. I’m getting the astringency on the nose and in the liquor. Added a splash of milk but still has a slightly chemical tone hidden beneath. Not the greatest standard black for my tastes.

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Pretty smoky and kinda bitter. I only steeped it for about 2 1/2 minutes, so I think it should have been okay. It works as a nice break during the day, but its not something I would buy. But since I have a tin of it, it will serve it’s purpose for the time being. You’ll probably like this if you’re more of a tea purist…I usually take mine with a bit more fruity flavoring.

The leaves are small and are mostly formed into small bundled balls wrapped around themselves. You put your nose in the bag and are hit with a deep earthy, grassy scent. The liquor is a very light golden color and smells smoky with a hint of nuttiness. Its got a little bit of a bite, but pretty tame and enjoyable. Finishes off with the smoky tones that linger keeping the nice taste in your mouth. If you’re looking to get this tea…ask Jack :)

Really interesting combination. The kiwi provides a nice fruity sweet taste, but the sourness of the lemon comes in and cuts it in half, keeping it from being overwhelmingly sweet. Ordered it with strawberry jellies too, great sugary sweet addition to the bottom of the cup. The different flavors create a visually stimulating color contrast, the lighter green liquor on the top with the pinkish red jellies swirling at the bottom. Pleasant cold drink on a sunny day, just tropical enough but not too strong with the fruit. If you like fruity drinks, give this combo a shot.

Awesome!

This was a recommended combo and it is great. Its an iced jasmine green tea with guava and grapefruit flavors. Also included are tapioca pearls and lychee jellies. Super fruity with a great amount of sweet and sour mixed. The Guava lays a solid foundation and the grapefruit keeps it energizing.
I’m a virgin to the whole bubble tea thing but I think its kinda nice. The tapioca balls are larger than anything I’ve seen before. I’m not sure how I feel about them, but the lychee jellies have an appealing consistency with just a little bit of tangyness to them. I can’t say I fully understand how the bubble tea thing supplements the actual flavor of the tea, they are a nice change of pace and keep the texture unique. Definitely give it a try if you haven’t tried it before.

First tea latte I’ve had and I must say…they are tasty! Not the purest form of enjoying tea, but a great refreshing drink for a nice summer day. What’s most intriguing about this is that the milk offers a perfect balance to the black tea taste, cutting the sharpness and making it an overall smoother experience. I’m not sure if this is specific to Tea Garden’s tea lattes or just tea lattes in general, but this one seems to be doing it’s “thang” just as it’s meant to. If you’re in the neighborhood grab one for a nice treat.

Had this in a tea bag which was not ideal, but the SpecialTeas pyramid tea bags are actually very nice. They’re nice and roomy for the leaves to float and they’re strong enough to hold their shape when in the water so they don’t suffocate the leaves. The leaves smell like those chocolate mints you get from restaurants, really interesting and tasty. None of the tones are very strong, just subtle and delicate. The mint is persistent and offers a refreshing splash with each sip. Following that is a light and faintly sweet malty chocolate flavor that balances the sharpness of the mint. Nice tea, especailly because I am not necessarily the biggest fan of rooibos teas.

I really like the taste of the pure black tea in this but only because it is balanced so well with the lemonade. I would say this is more of a lemon flavored black iced tea (not too much lemonade in it) but it works great. I added a packet of sugar to cut the tartness a little, but it is not so sugary as to overwhelm my palate and detract from the flavor or to dominate the tea flavors either. I don’t think Starbucks specializes in iced teas or anything, so this seems like a beautiful accident. Plus, I’ll generally reach for a cold drink before a hot drink, so this worked out well for me.

Got caught up with work and forgot about the tea. Ended up steeping it for about 25 minutes…a little on the bitter side, oops.

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