Kittenna

Not going to lie, I’ve been dying to try this one for a while, so when I found out Awkward Soul had some to swap…. !! So glad I managed to nab some! :D

This one smells pretty delicious both dry and steeped. Creamy and delicious. Steeped, it gets a peachy sort of aroma as well.

Ohhhhh goodness. This is super delicious. Tastes just. Like. Buttercream. But less cloying! Sweet, coconutty, creamy is what I’m getting, plus a flavour that reminds me of Dulce & Banana and must be the chamomile(?) Delicious creamy/caramelly/butterscotchy aftertaste. Ahhhhh, I wish this was still available!! Anyone have any spare Buttercream they want to be rid of???? :D

Thank you so incredibly much, Awkward Soul! At the very least, my curiousity has been satisfied and I can understand the hype about this blend! On the downside, I only get about 2 more cups of it, but I will live :) I feel like I should also compare this to Whisky White before it’s all gone… I have a strange feeling they may have similar flavours.

ETA: Re-steep is really yummy too. I do quite like this one, why is it gone :(

I’m glad the description for this one says ‘perfumey’, because I definitely got that when sniffing this tea dry, and even now as it is brewed, and thought it was perhaps contaminated. I now doubt it :) Anyhow, thanks to Awkward Soul for this tea! I haven’t tried any dancongs aside from one or two from Verdant, and was interested to taste one that required less care and attention.

Even at 5 minutes, this tea is pretty mild. I can taste the “woodiness” that I get from darker oolongs (enjoyable), and also some perfumey, peachy notes that I wouldn’t have expected. Not bad, but not as flavourful as I would like, and I have doubts that it could hold up to a second infusion. There’s a lingering peachy aftertaste though that is quite appealing :) I’ll have to brew my next cup a bit stronger to see if it’s better that way.

Thanks again, Awkward Soul!

Received my swap package from Awkward Soul today! (And feel terrible because I haven’t sent mine out yet :/)

Brewed up a few teas a while ago, although they’ve since gone cold. Still going to review them! I couldn’t believe that the instructions for this one said 203-212F water – this certainly looks like a green tea to me?! So I went with ~82C.

The aroma is kind of fruity-floral. Or juicy floral. Although it tastes a touch rosy to me, the juiciness is making it quite delicious, actually! There’s an interesting hint of smokiness hiding in here as well. I… actually rather like this one, although I’m suspicious that it’s not actually the tea it’s supposed to be. I’m not sure if I infused this for 2 or 3 minutes, but there is a bit of bitterness showing up. Not sure if it’s an oversteeping or overleafing problem though, could be the latter. I’m only tasting the green tea a little bit here, but it’s better than in some blends!

Anyhow, thanks for a sample of whatever this tea may be, Awkward Soul! It’s pretty delicious! (Looking more closely, I’m pretty sure this is not the right tea. I saw a Strawberry/Lychee one by ESP pop up on the sidebar; that one would make far more sense. I have to go check my packets to see if I messed up or something!)

Re-steep (2.5 min) was a bit bitter but alright. Should have stuck to 2 min. I don’t think a third infusion would be worthwhile.

Another tasty sample from Amanda! (I think I may have also received some of this from Jillian, but will drink that up later :) )

This one’s tasty :D Smells lemony, tastes lemon-limey. I’m not getting cheesecake (I rarely/never do), but the lemon-limeyness makes me pretty happy. I love finding a new flavoured honeybush for the evenings! I have been drinking a lot of honeybush lately, in trying to avoid late-night caffeine, so this is especially awesome. The only part I’m not a big fan of with this blend is that I am getting a sort of plasticky taste with it sometimes. It’s a little bothersome, but at its current level, not too difficult to overlook, so I can deal with it. I wish that flavour wasn’t there though :( Perhaps an age thing?

Another sample from Amanda! And another 52teas offering checked off the list! Excellent :D

Strangely, this one smells and tastes fairly nondescript. Just like honeybush, flavoured with a vaguely familiar, 52teas-esque flavouring. I can see the likening that Alphakitty makes to Cotton Candy, as it’s a characteristic flavour present in that tea as well, however I really can’t taste melon or blackberry. That said, I’m still really enjoying this tea. Ok – after gulping down a few sips, I can almost imagine tasting some blackberry, but it’s very hard to pick out.

So it seems I am no longer so sad that I missed out on the last packet of this, since to me it’s nothing spectacular, just a good honeybush blend as usual.

Delicious cold-brewed. And very similar/the same as Mahamosa’s Cherry Kiwi Coconut Fruit.

Also, it’s funny how the ingredients listed don’t match up to what’s in the tea, because there are definitely cranberry pieces and apple in here… in fact, they’re obvious in the tea that’s pictured here! So why only cherries, kiwi, and coconut are listed, I have no idea.

Anyways, it’s good :D

One thing I’ve been noticing about Caraway’s teas though, is that I swear there’s extra sediment at the bottom of my cup when I’m drinking them. It could be fruit pieces or something, but it looks like sand, and I’m really worried that that’s what it is. I don’t remember seeing it in teas prior, but have experienced in more than once in the teas from Caraway (particularly the fruity ones). Anyone else?

Cold-brewed overnight. Ahhh-mazing! Thanks so much Amanda for picking me up more of this!

Also…. a side-by-side cold-brew of this and Caraway’s Two Fruits & a Nut reveals that they are extremely similar, if not the exact same tea. So an alternate source has been found!!

Another sample from Amanda (thanks!), chosen mostly because it was near the top of my giant swap box when I was brewing things up this evening.

I can’t recall what temperature I brewed it at… maybe 188F?

Anyways, the aroma of this one is pretty weak, although I felt like I used a lot of tea. It is also rather difficult to distinguish – it smells a bit like a nondescript fruit-flavoured green, a bit genmaicha-y. The flavour is not at all what I would have expected – it’s rather cardboardy and maybe a slight bit fruity, although I am getting hints of oolong in the aftertaste. Very faint hints. I’d be hard-pressed to guess what this tea was by tasting it. I think I’m also getting a bit more peach in the aftertaste… but it’s showing up so late it’s nearly the after-aftertaste. I can understand why this one is so poorly rated, although I’m not finding it to be bad, just really, really lacking in flavour. And this is with ample leaf (at least 2 tsp if not more, in about 10 oz.) and a 4-minute infusion.

I think this was my first Teavana experience… didn’t leave a good impression! However, thanks for satisfying my curiousity, Amanda!

I think this is what I brewed up tonight, courtesy of Amanda (but the box is downstairs…).

This is pretty good! The tea is creamy and a bit sweet, and tastes melony and a touch limey. Nothing like 52teas’ Lime Jello, but still lime. I’d probably give it a longer infusion next time for more flavour (it’s kind of watery), and because there isn’t any astringency or bitterness at this point. Promising flavour, though!

Thanks Amanda!

Since my huge package of tea from Amanda arrived today, I decided to try a bunch of things from this latest box (to kind of get a head start on it before taking it upstairs…!)

Picked this to try iced today. Brewed up in 2 cups of water and chilled it in the fridge. I’m drinking about a 1:1 mixture of it right now. I don’t think the teabags brew up quite as strong as I would like them to. Anyhow, it’s definitely limey, and I can taste a bit of the black base, but I’m almost getting a strange chloriney flavour with it. It’s a bit disconcerting. Kind of like smelling pool water. So this one’s definitely not my favourite, although for a lime lover who doesn’t smell chlorine, this is probably pretty tasty! Glad I only had Amanda pick up one of these for me though :)

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

Today, I learned that it is possible to screw up this tea (although even screwed up, it would still get a 90s rating). I really need to get my water thermometer working again, as I suspect that and a bit of overleafing were my problems. Ah well. Still tasty, just not magical :)

Unsurprisingly, this is much like Strawberry White. Definitely sweeter and more jam-like though, and along with the tasty white tea flavour I’m almost getting an odd smokiness. Not unpleasant, but quite unexpected! Not really sure where it’s coming from. This is good, though. I’m not sure whether I like the old or new version better; may have to give it a try later today, after I’ve slept…

Sooooo my trusty meat thermometer that I use for measuring water temperature requires a new battery. Sigh. It was only a matter of time. Of course, as I type this, it occurs to me that I have a second thermometer somewhere, that was also working recently… Either way, this one was steeped at some temperature below boiling, but I haven’t the faintest idea what it might have been. Kept the infusion time low to hopefully counteract a possible temperature misjudgment.

I was kind of excited to get this tea in my grab bag, as it’s something I was interested in trying, but wouldn’t have purchased myself. The smell of the dry tea is vaguely fruity, and I think I saw a piece of marshmallow root??

I’m happy to say that I’m experiencing zero bitterness, and zero astringency, so I didn’t mess up the infusion! Initially, I’m not tasting too much beyond the green tea (a bit seaweedy, yum) and a vague fruitiness, but I swear there’s an aftertaste of what seems to initially be peach, then more strongly apricot. Yup, this is confirmed with sip #2. Definitely apricot. In fact, the most strong apricot I have ever tasted in a tea blend! Frank – make another apricot blend, because this flavouring is seriously yummy! I will admit that it’s only in the aftertaste, and not particularly strong, but it tastes like yummy dried apricot (I don’t remember seeing a chunk in my infuser, but there could be one). I will cherish my one delicious apricotty cup, since I know the rest are unlikely to be the same. SIGH.

Also, I used a generous 1.5tsp of tea for an 8oz. cup, as I usually find 1 tsp not to be enough.

Anyways, this kitchen sink thing is a super cool idea. I’d be down for trying a kitchen sink black or white too… Giving this a high rating because a) it’s good (one of the better flavoured greens I’ve tried!), and b) it’s a novel idea!

Finished off my sample of this from Mercuryhime and topped it off with some from Jillian! Thanks, guys!

I love the smell of this one dry. It’s just bang-on chocolate ice cream, with intermittent whiffs of vanilla and strawberry. And the flavour is pretty awesome. I’m not getting the strawberry-vanilla-chocolate flavours quite as separated as last time, but it’s a very tasty honeybush blend that really satisfies a sweet tooth in the evening. I’d buy this if my stash ever decreases to something manageable…

So, not only did I order this from 52teas, I also received it in my grab bag, so I’m really hoping to like it since I have 4 whole ounces to finish off.

Dry, it smells much like Malted ChocoMate to me, but with the kick of cayenne which, like it did to Alphakitty, burnt my nostrils when I stupidly sniffed the tea. Which I did despite reading her tasting note. Sigh.

Steeped, it still smells very much like MCM. Clearly the roasted mate, the flavour of which I do enjoy. Unfortunately, it tasted much like plain roasted mate plus some spiciness to me, which resulted in the addition of a bunch of maple syrup (that’s just what I had right there) in order to make it drinkable. The second infusion is pretty similar; although I think I could get through it without sweetener, I’m not sure I will or want to.

I’m not sure whether I’m missing the chocolate here for some reason, or if it’s just blending in too much, but I’m kind of disappointed with this blend. I liked Malted ChocoMate much better, and since I have something like 8 oz. of it, I really can’t see myself picking this one to drink over it. I wouldn’t even be likely to drink this one just for the spicy kick, because Mayan Chocolate Chai is my tea of choice for that situation, because it is utterly amazing. Bleh. I guess sometimes there are just tea misses.

Another sipdown! Finishing off the last of this today. I’m really starting to question the consistency of DavidsTea’s blends, especially after hearing about the fiasco with Sandy/Missy/Dylan and Oh Canada! This seems to be another along the same lines, because as I’m pretty sure I said before, I cannot fathom how someone would find what I’m drinking to be so objectionable. Not a favourite? Sure. But absolutely terrible? What can be so bad about a tea that tastes kind of like a bready version of carrot cake, with a low level of spicing? If anything, it’s simply a bit bland. I actually like it though, and am bumping my rating because I’d definitely drink this one again, although if it’s so hit or miss, I don’t want to risk purchasing it again. I’m still getting used to the flavour of dark oolongs, and I think that flavour does feature here, but it fits in so well I’m having a difficult time distinguishing it.

The second infusion (5 min) is predictably less flavourful, but still pretty satisfying.

A tasty oolong, for sure. It’s not really coming off as a milky-style oolong to me, but it’s pretty good. The first infusion was floral and fruity, reminiscent of Fong Mong’s Fruity Sijichun oolong, but I’m finding the second infusion to be comparatively better. It’s coming off smoother and less “green”, with a delicious round, fruity flavour. For the money, I’d go for this over the Fruity Sijichun simply because it re-steeps better. Wish I had compared the two side-by-side, but I haven’t been in the mood for that sort of thing lately!

Thanks again for the sample, Fong Mong Tea!

Hot-brewed and chilled this one to use up the last of it. Still not working for me though. It’s not bad, just really meh. It does taste pomegranate-y, but there’s really no white tea at all, and the hibiscus scares me. Another tea I’m not sad to be finished with!

This was sent to me unexpectedly by Jillian. Thanks!

The dry tea smells deliciously chocolatey; I’m not getting much banana. A chocolate rooibos sounds just fantastic though, so that’s hardly a problem!

The tea is quite strong, because I used 2 tsp since I figured this was an old blend. Initially, I do taste a wave of chocolatey-banana flavour. Kind of a banana chip sort of taste, to me. This fades into a light sort of cocoa-y flavour, and then the rooibos takes over, which I don’t like. I think this would be much better with a honeybush base, but oh well. I don’t think it will be all that difficult for me to finish, although I have acquired a huge number of rooibos/honeybush blends lately, which is somewhat unexpected (but not really). Oh well!

Thanks for the sample, Jillian :)

Eh, yuck. Last time I tried this, it was a cold-brew that was absolutely awful due to the hibiscus and oversteeping. So I tried a regular hot brew to taste both hot and chill this time. Sadly, although the tea smells deliciously of grapefruit, I really don’t like it. I suppose it’s not terrible, but I’m getting a citrus peel sort of taste (I dislike citrus peel of any variety), and although the hibiscus isn’t overwhelming, I’m finding time and time again that it ruins my enjoyment of a tea even in small quantities. I’ll drink the rest of this cold tomorrow (or try to, anyhow), but I doubt that’s going to change my opinion of it. This tea is probably just fine for citrus lovers, but for whatever reason, such flavours just don’t work for me in tea.

ETA: Chilled version is no better. Bleh. I guess part of the reason I disliked it the first time was because I think it’s gross period.

Second and final cup of this one, part of a sample from Fong Mong Tea. I’m trying to drink down a few things to feel like I have things under control, which is totally not true…

I still think the first infusion of this oolong is really amazing, just lightly floral and fruity and oolongy. I’m not even sure I want to have a second infusion tonight because it was so unimpressive last time, and I have a host of other teas down here that I could have instead. Ah well. This one is serving my desire for a tasty oolong tonight, and that’s all that matters :)

ETA: Second cup is just generic, like I remember. Sad.

Having a small cup of this before letting my roommate take it. I have too much tea. It’s horrible, so horrible.

Smells strongly of marzipan, as before, and the flavour is like almond extract, only less sweet. Not a bad tea, but not something I really want to drink.

Farewell, little pouch of tea!