Lindsay

Almost out!!! Egads, I must run to DavidsTea tomorrow!

This is downright awesome in a gaiwan. I am loving it. The “veggy” taste is more prominent, vanilla isn’t there too much, but I still need more of this tea in my life.

I can’t get this stuff to work for me, regardless of brewing method, temp, duration, etc. I must say this tea tasted slightly better in a gaiwan, but not enough for me to want to keep it. Very very faint blueberry taste, no pom flavour that I can find, and it just tastes like plain fuzzy white tea. I find it even worse iced! WTH is wrong with me?!??! I’m starting to get the hang of other whites in my cupboard, but this one escapes me every time.

Gifting to the sister-in-law cause she gave me a whole tin of the skinny (tastes like fish to her…tea is so weird).

My gaiwan is finally here. EXCITEMENT! Since I have the day off to laze around, drink tea and play video games, I want to try all the teas I currently have, gongfu style. Wild Black Yunnan come on down! You’re the next contestant on “watch Lindsay pour hot water all over the floor!”

1st infusion (post rinse):2 rounded tsp per 250 ml gaiwan, 95C water, 1 min.
This thing is tricky. I did spill about half of the first infusion, but that was to be expected. This tastes more smooth and mellow, even a bit sweet, compared to how I brew tea normally (western). I’m also not getting as many wine notes as usually, which is great because I hate wine. I’ll update this as I progress through more steeps.

2nd round, 90 sec: Just as good as the first! I like this tea much more with this brewing method.

Unfortunately, with my poor rinsing skills this tea only got to three steeps.

This was the better of two purchases from Teaopia (the other being peaches and cream oolong…blech). The jasmine and green tea round each other out quite nicely. If overbrewed, it takes on a slight soapy taste, but nothing that I found too offensive. I’m almost done 50g of this tea, and I can’t wait to try another variation!

This is quite sweet right off the bat. You would have to be a walking cavity to add anything to it (however, to each their own.) And maybe the mango just isn’t my thing. This just doens’t ‘wow’ me like I thought it would. I’m too lazy to try this iced in the fall/winter, so I’ll quietly sip on this tea when I pick it out at random from the overflowing tea cupboard.

Don’t get me wrong, Buttercream tasty and all. It’s just more light and fruity than the title suggests.

Extra strong, extra leaf, no additives. I like how this is still delicious despite the abuse today. While steeping, this smells exactly like pumpkin pie. It could use a bit more spice, personally.

I bet this is great with rum!

No notes yet.

This tea is a punch of bergamot to the face. This was in my first order from Davids, and like a silly n00b I ordered 100g. I seriously have enough of this stuff to last until I am 75, at the rate I drink earl grey. It’s just too perfumy for my tastes. This would fare really well in a latte, if I had any means of steaming milk at home.

I went on a rampage and ordered a bunch of samples from Adagio awhile ago. Most of them were straight/flavoured black teas, which I decided to try because I wanted to “develop” my palate. Sadly, I am finding that black teas don’t excite my life like oolongs do, so I have a LOT of black samples to tear through whether I like it or not.

This peach flavoured black tea is decent, and smells identical to fuzzy peaches candy. Definitely an artifical peach flavour and scent, but it doesn’t taste like it’s been sprayed with chemicals, so I’ll happily drink this with few complaints. It’s a little bland without sweetner, and I’m not sure how this is going to re-steep. I imagine this would be great iced.

No notes yet.

Long story short, I’ve been seeking refuge at the in-laws because the bf and I found fleas at home. Not a huge infestation, but enough to send me into a cleaning and panic frenzy for the past few days (probably more to come). And since I don’t have my tea gadgets here, I wanted something simple and bagged.

This will do! Nice and strong, half a teaspoon of sugar, and I can calm down for a little while.

Holy lemongrass batman! What a potent and delicious mix of cinnamon, ginger and grass of the lemon. I can’t taste the black base too much, but I blame that on my limited palate. The coconut is pretty to look at but I don’t taste it at all either. But honestly, if you love lemongrass as much as I do I don’t think it will matter. Too bad this is a sample size, and a co-worker spilled about a teaspoons worth on the floor.

Also, I’m scared to add milk to this chai. Terrified, actually. It’s so damn tasty without it anyway.

No notes yet.

The scent of this tea is candy-like, but it doesn’t quite taste as good as it smells. I got a huge waft of chocolate in the dry smell, but it doesn’t reflect at all in the brewed tea. It’s quite bland actually. Milk and agave take away a slight bitterness that I found apparent while sipping this tea black. This is just a sample though, and I have enough for another cup if I ever feel inclined to drink this again. It’s ok, not much to write home about though.

It’s September and summer is finally here. I am drinking strawberry white at the moment, luke warm and kind of refreshing. I reduced the water temp a bit and that gives this tea more flavour, fo sho.

I waaaant to love this tea so much. It’s not bad, it’s quite good iced, but it’s not ZOMG awesome. I’ve tried steep times from 30 sec to 5 min, and all I taste is white tea. The strawberry is definitely more noticeable iced.

Regardless, I don’t regret purchasing 50g of this. It looks quite pretty, but unfortunately has yet to wow me.

I loved the smell of Honeybee when I first tried it, but now it makes my nose tickle and my stomach turn, for whatever reason. I can’t find it enjoyable iced either. If it’s PIPING hot, I can manage to drink a cup if I’m fast enough to not let it cool. Maybe I just can’t dig the honeybush?

Now to figure out what to do with the last 1/4 of a tin!

Down to the last two cups! I’m definitely going to miss this when I run out (soon!) I’m tempted to stock up, but I have about 10 to 15 samples from Adagio in the mail, so perhaps I’ll wait to swim in 100g of Buttered Rum.

So creamy!

1st steep: 1.5 tsp for however much liquid this mug takes, 3 mins. I love staring down my mug watching this tea steep. It’s so pretty and carefree. I find the vanilla to be the most prominent in the first cup, and it’s not a fake vanilla. It’s warm and fuzzy, although I have yet to steep it long enough to get a really buttery taste. I can taste a slight veggieness as well, the more I drink this.

2nd steep: 4 mins-ish. Smells like lemongrass! I always huff the steam like a cracked out tea nut. Vanilla may be almost lost now, but it’s still got that lovelyness (very descriptive, I know) of the first steep. LIttle astringency, the veggieness is still hanging out in the backround. This is my first oolong, and a flavoured one at that so please forgive my lack of ability to properly describe this. It’s just GOOD! I just wish I had more time to eek out another steep.

An enjoyable chai with a nice mild ginger burn on the tongue. I definitely need to try this simmered in milk fo sho.

Most of my life I convinced myself that I hated peppermint tea. Bagged, yes. THIS? So much better! I find it so refreshing every time, and it’s not overpowering, which I’m always afraid of in peppermint tea. And for an herbal, it has an awakening effect, almost like a “whoooosh” in your face. I need that right now, considering I have 5 hours left of darkness to sit through. It’s also soothing my Wendy’s-coated stomach. I’m so glad I learned to like this, since 50g completely filled my tin.

Ok, last entry about this tea! I can’t help it, this is FABULOUS cold-steeped. I left it in the fridge for about 11 hours and it’s not at all bitter or astringent! So light, so tasty…this is part of my arsenal to get me through this night shift on no sleep (peppermint amour and vanilla oolong are my backups). Om nom nom. Upping the rating due to iced excellence!

Finally finished this sample, and it’s been a good yet brief run. I have the last 2 tsp cold steeping in my fancy new double-walled glass mug (when I found a tea shop in Bellis Fair mall I inexplicably gravitated towards it). I wish the blueberry were more sweet, but I need to tone down my obsession for sweet teas. Goodbye Blueberry white, hello White Tiger?

This is a generous sample! And it has such a nice aroma in the bag and in the cup. Very mild flavour, but that seems to be the case with the flavoured whites I have tried. The water temp at work is also probably too hot, so that could have an effect on what I’m tasting now. Brewed at home, 2 mins brings out just enough flavour, whereas anything less seems too weak. I haven’t tried re-steeping yet, but I am doubtful it will be as nice as the first infusion. Overall I quite like it!