mrawlins2

Everyone has been drinking Jasmine tea today so I decided to hop on that floral bandwagon too. This is a great, mild jasmine pearl tea. It is good without additives and with a bit of honey. Yum, yum, yum! I think this would also make an excellent cold brewed tea.

Nice, toasty oolong – but not as flavorful as the special grade version. Still good though!

I made a large pot of this last night and put a cup in the fridge for this morning. While this tea is really good hot, I love it cold. The caramel really seems more prominent this way and it is a refreshing way to start a hot day.

I reached for this today because I am definitely feeling a bit low on the energy scale. I really HAVE to finish up my many piles of laundry today so I’m hoping this will give me the kick that I need to be productive. This is a nicely balanced tea that isn’t astringent even though I’m certain I oversteeped this – I totally forgot to set a timer. I am drinking it with a tiny bit of sugar and cream and it is pretty awesome this way.

Enjoying this roasty toasty oolong tonight “grandpa” style in a decently sized mug. I’ve refilled my mug once now and the flavor is still smooth and going strong. I think I’m finally ready to rate this tea. I don’t always feel like a dark oolong, but when the mood hits – this is awesome.

Many thanks to the Teavivre team for a nicely sized sample of this beauty. I’ve tried this tea several times now and I have to say that this is a pretty good tea. It is light yet rich, smooth yet bold. There is little to no astringency, but there is a pretty decent caffeine kick from this. This is one of the few black teas that is great for multiple infusions. The cocoa notes seem to come out more during the 2nd.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my round of samples from Teavivre and I will be putting the company on my “To Buy From” list.

Starting my day with this rich, malty tea! It is pretty pleasant, but I’m craving something a bit fruity right now so it isn’t really satisfying. I am liking the caffeine kick though.

I’m finishing up the last of this tea tonight. I have enjoyed having this tea in my cupboard, but I don’t think I would repurchase – there are too many other teas to try! This tea is a bit more astringent than I remember – probably due to being a bit tea dusty at the bottom of the tin. It is still pretty good though and doesn’t need any additions to be a comforting cup of tea.

Tea of the morning! I probably should have picked something with a bit more heft though – oh well, I guess my next cup will be one with a big caffeine kick.

I’ve been thinking about this tea for hours, but wanted to finish up my pu-erh first. This tea is definitely worth waiting for. I love the spicy, rich chocolate taste and that it is caffeine-free so I can have it this late at night without worrying about sleep.

Many thanks to the Teavivre team for this lovely sample! The first infusion after a short rinse yielded a very dark, almost thick tea. It was a little bit earthy for my taste, but this was easily remedied with the addition of a small amount of sugar and a splash of milk. The second infusion was just as dark, but not as thick as the first. The floral aspect of the chrysanthemum is more noticeable this time around and adds a nice, light sweetness. The third infusion was significantly lighter with the floral sweetness even more noticeable than before.

Overall, I really enjoyed this pu-erh. I would love to try the other varieties from Teavivre – specifically the rose pu-erh. I am loving my samples from Teavivre so far. Thanks again for the chance to sample some of your tea!

Since JacquelineM is always raving about Zhena’s red chais, I picked this one up when I came across it. This is surprisingly decadent and it actually tastes like a rich cup of hot chocolate with a few spices. I’m really glad that the licorice root isn’t super noticeable and the ginger is just right to add to the warmth of the cup. I am super happy with this purchase – in fact, I’m on my second cup of it right now! Thanks to JacquelineM for the good, as always, recommendation!

Each time I reach for this tea, I fully expect to find that soapy aftertaste that I used to notice. However, I think time has been very gracious to this tea and that soapy aftertaste is long gone. I am pleasantly surprised each time that I brew up a pot of this tea. It has a great smooth base that nicely complements the fruit. Harney does a really good job of balancing flavor and tea bases, and this one is no exception.

I’m trying out my first milk oolong thanks to the most generous staff at Teavivre. Thanks! I have actually had this a couple of times now and I keep coming back to it – there is just something special about it. I feel very lucky to be able to play with the steeping times with this tea – thanks to the generous sized samples that were sent. I have to say that Teavivre has great customer service in my experience.

On to the tea! The dry leaf is tightly rolled and smells both sweet, floral, and just a tiny bit vegetal.
1st infusion (1.5 minutes)- The tea is a medium golden color and smells lightly floral. The taste is also light and slightly sweet. There is just a hint of vegetation, but to me it isn’t actual vegetables – more like a lush plant. The taste is very smooth and the tea itself feels as thick as a broth. There is a heavy feeling on the tongue – almost like the feeling of drinking something creamy but without the flavor. The aftertaste is clean and neutral.
2nd infusion (2.5 minutes) – The tea is still light, slightly more on the vegetation side of things, but it isn’t off-putting. The tea still feels very smooth and the texture of a creamy drink is a bit more prominent. I’m still not actually tasting a creamy flavor, but that may be because this is the first unflavored green oolong I’ve had and my mouth is a bit overwhelmed at the novelty.

I’m looking forward to trying more infusions with this tea! I’ll be updating this later. Thanks again to the very generous staff at Teavivre! I’m so looking forward to trying the other samples that I received.

I had almost forgot that this caffeine-filled beauty was still in my cupboard. This doesn’t disappoint! Very malty with a hint of caramel – I think I prefer it with a hint of honey and a splash of milk rather than plain. I’m desperately hoping this tea gives me the kick I need to not only get my house in order but to get some homework done before my long weekend comes to an end.

This may not be a fancy, super high quality tea – but it is nice enough as a soothing cup with a bit of honey. I don’t think I would purchase this, however, I wouldn’t turn it down if offered.

I now have this lovely tea in my cupboard thanks to threewhales.

I was a bit stingy on the steeping time because the CTC leaves concerned me a bit. However, I think 3 minutes is too little. What I have now is a very mild chai and I’m not getting the caramel or vanilla as I expected. I think this tea would really shine with a traditional stovetop preparation so perhaps I’ll try that tomorrow morning.

Craving a dark, rich tea so here I am drinking some Golden Snail. This tea is rich, slightly malty and has a good kick of cocoa goodness. I’m really loving this today – I wonder why I haven’t drank this tea in so many months?

I WAY, WAY oversteeped this tea. However, after adding a tiny bit of sugar and a small splash of cream I have the most delicious, rich cup of Cherry Cheesecake goodness sitting beside me! No bitter tastes to be found, just a tea that seriously feels like it should be a million, zillion calories (but its not!)

This is a decent bagged Earl Grey. The flavor is quite strong – but not bitter – and I love it as a tea latte. Not the best Earl I’ve ever had, but definitely not the worst.

Mmm…nothing beats Earl Grey while watching a Star Trek marathon! This is a nice, if not very simple, Earl Grey. The bergamot is quite strong and the base tea can become bitter if you aren’t careful. However, this is a nice tea with a familiar and comforting flavor.

This tea makes a great base for homemade hot chocolate! It creates a rich, multidimensional taste that is a nice change of pace from ordinary hot chocolate.

I love how this tea is mostly vanilla with just enough mint to make it refreshing! I have been craving this tea almost constantly for the past few days – I think this pouch is going to go quickly!

I was a bit afraid that this would remind me of toothpaste, but thankfully it doesn’t. This is such a richly satisfying vanilla tea with just a bit of mint in the aftertaste. The earthiness of the mate really helps this to not be overwhelmingly one note. I’m also loving the caffeine kick!