momo

I’m using a number randomizer to pick teas to drink out of the ones I haven’t tried yet. Of course it picked one I just got but I’m not going to argue with it, I will drink. Strawberry lemonade naturally makes sense cold, and I had just enough ice cubes to make myself a glass. I steeped 2 tsp in 4 oz of water until it was as red as a strawberry.

First impression: WAY tart. I added some agave to it, and it was still somewhat tart but bearable. Then I watered it down just a little bit more, and now it’s like drinking a juicy strawberry. I cannot believe how much it tastes like a strawberry. It has a lemon aftertaste too, staying true to its name, but I am loving the strawberry flavor.

I’m so glad that the hibiscus was brought under control for my taste buds that easily. I wish the same could be said for other teas! Not getting much rooibos flavor at all, so it seems kind of like it would take away from the flavors if it was here.

Thanks, Kittenna!

I’ve always been curious about these tea/coffee blends I see. I drink coffee sometimes; I am most definitely not a coffee or tea person. Obviously, I prefer tea but I won’t turn my nose up at coffee.

I have a friend who works for a coffee roastery and it bothers me when he tries to polarize it because I’m here like give me either as long as they taste good to me!

This one I am not sure about. I want to love this but the caramel flavor is reminding me of coffee out of a rest area vending machine. There is just something weird about the way it smells. Fake fake fake and cheap. I added milk and agave hoping it might make it taste better, but it hardly helped…so I dumped it.

If it wasn’t for that, this would be so good.

Thanks, Will Work For Tea!

I made this sort of like a soda. I steeped a tablespoon of tea in what I guess was 6 oz of water (of course, I came up with this idea after putting my measuring cup in the dishwasher and turning it on), steeped it for 4 1/2 minutes, then poured it over ice. Added agave and seltzer water, and it’s pretty spot on for a root beer float, minus the texture of having ice cream melted in it.

The vanilla and white chocolate definitely give it that float taste, but it’s not super creamy. I guess if you really were looking for that, you could add a little ice cream. I like it the way it is though.

It could use a bit more spices to me for a root beer, because to me the only flat taste to it is that it’s just cinnamon and then some vague flavors that might be root beer. The only root beer I will drink is made by Abita. If you haven’t tried it, you MUST. It’s just so sugary I try not to drink it but hey, at least it’s made of natural sugar that isn’t from corn so that’s a plus.

It’s pretty good, but honestly I’d rather just drink that one. I’ll definitely finish this bag though. If there was less cinnamon and more of the other spices and herbs that go into root beer, it’d be soooo much better.

This is pretty good, a nice tropical flavored oolong. But I think the kombucha powder is making my throat itch. I’ve never had this happen before with anything, and given that’s the only ingredient in here I’ve never had before, it could be it.

Oh well, it’s not that horrible (so far at least, if you don’t hear from me again I was wrong) so I will definitely drink up all I have. I definitely want to try it iced.

I was expecting it to be a bit more tart given what I know about kombucha, but it’s not. Still, it has a nice flavor.

Thank you, Kittenna!

This is so tasty, wow! I am now intrigued about trying it steeped for only half a minute. It’s really good after four though.

It smells exactly as it should, fruity, tart, and like cinnamony baked goods. And then it tastes like this too! The hibiscus makes it a bit too tart for my liking, but I’m also too tired to get up and get myself sugar. And F1 qualifying is about to start and I have to watch it on my laptop. Poor boyfriend’s TV got fried in one of the many storms last week.

As usual with flavored whites from DavidsTea, the tea is hardly detectable underneath all the fruit. As much as I’d love to get more of this in the future, the price is just too much. But ugh it really tastes like a crumble in a cup.

Thanks, Kittenna!

I love iced mint green tea. While this one isn’t a Moroccan mint, the typical one I’d go for, it’s really good. I wouldn’t have thought jasmine and mint would work together.

This is nice and refreshing, really cooling. The mint isn’t overbearing and you can taste the gunpowder. There’s a slightly smoky, green tea behind the mint. The jasmine brings out some floral flavors too. There’s white tea in here also but I don’t taste it at all. The leaves are pretty chopped and it’d be hard to taste them over a gunpowder green anyway.

This makes a nice, quick iced tea. Thanks, TeaEqualsBliss!

yay, received a box of a big swap with Kittenna where we use our amazing US-Canada trading partnership on a smaller scale for small victories..like all this DavidsTea minus an exchange rate. It was hard to choose where to begin.

Since I’ve never had a bamboo tea, and I was really thirsty for a cool drink, I figured I’d start here. This stuff smells interesting!

Lots of fruit chunks lead to an awesome fruity flavor. I definitely get lots of peach with a hint of pineapple, but I did get like 3 peach slices in the t-sac. Then there’s the weird aftertaste of bamboo with its nice cooling effect too. Kind of herbaceous and a little like basil. Makes for something tasty with the fruit.

I’m going to give it another steep too, probably just leave it steeping until it’s cool. Good stuff. Although I don’t really need to cool down today since it’s pretty nice out, this is still delicious.

Thank you so so so much again to Will Work For Tea for this wonderful surprise!

What I really wanted to do this morning was go swimming, but of course it started raining around 7am and not this afternoon as advertised. Even if it wasn’t raining I’m not exactly in a good mood given the whole movie theatre shooting and the dumb things people have to say. (Like seriously you can cool it on worrying you’re going to see a spoiler somewhere on the internet, people.)

So oolong time it is.
On the first steep alone this tea tastes worth its price. And the first steep isn’t even the best one when it comes to milk oolongs. Woooow. Condensed milk candy, that is the only way to describe it. Creamy, buttery, just a slight touch of the green taste of the oolong. Wow. It even leaves that feeling on your tongue that cream generally leaves. Normally I HATE that feeling but with this tea, oooh yes, do like.

Second steep is butter butter butter. Smooth and creamy and buttery.

I oolong’d myself out after the third steep, which had a bit of a spice to it compared to the others. I’d keep going with these leaves but man this tea is so rich and intoxicating, I don’t want to take another 90 minute nap.

This is going on my “if you love me and want to buy me a present” list. It’ll just be this tea on the list. I have enough to steep it again using my gaiwan and I will be holding off on that for another rainy day. This stuff is ridiculous. When I get my first real job next year, I’m buying myself 2 ounces as a self congratulatory gift.

I wanted iced tea, but something low on caffeine. Since I had moved this to the kitchen…it was the winner.

I’m not a big fan of grape flavored things. It’s like cherry, where there’s a fine line between tasting like the fruit and tasting like medicine syrups. This isn’t bad though. Since I have no plans to ever take iced bai mu dan and add just a bit of some fresh concord grape juice to it, this works for me. That’s how I imagine this would be. It’s just enough grape for you to know that’s the flavor, and then you can taste the white tea.

I’d like to see how it fares cold brewed, see if that makes it any more grape tasting.

I wanted to use up some Amazon credit so I got a Takeya iced tea pitcher and a set of 2 Finum filters. I’m wondering how I have been living without these filters, wow. It’s like a serious eye opening experience.

I also realized why I’m usually not a fan of chai. They remind me too much of the smells when I worked at a craft store in high school…sometimes they remind me a lot of those horrible cinnamon brooms that always were left in the vestibule so people walk in one door and they’re just attacked by cinnamon, that’s how I feel with chai.

And that’s what this one feels like. I am drinking the brooms and the seasonal wax melts in a tea. Ugh I want to like chai so much. (shakes fist at craft store)

Once it’s cooled it’s a bit more drinkable for me, but it’s still hard to drink without thinking of the craft store. Shudder. You know what I had to do in July there? Start setting up Christmas merchandise…those horrid picks covered in glitter. I loved getting covered in glitter though, not gonna lie.

On the other hand, I can give the rest to my mom since she does like it. Thank you nonetheless, TeaEqualsBliss!

Took a bottle of this down to the pool. May have added coconut rum to it…not sure if that was “against the rules” there or anything but I thought it only applied to glass sooo I had a most excellent poolside drink.

I’ve lived here for like 11 months and that’s the first time I went to the pool, oops.

I steeped 5 tsp in 12 oz of water and then poured it onto ice cubes (and rum). It was perfect. Now I want more but I kind of wore myself out from swimming and want a nap.

I thought it was funny on Facebook, DavidsTea actually asked what combinations people make right after I did the oolong one last night. So I had to try this after seeing multiple people mention it.

DT Organic Banana Oolong + Love Tea #7

I guess it sort of works? The Banana oolong is not banana enough for me. I used enough of it for a whole cup while I used about 3/4 tsp of Love Tea, and Love Tea is still the stronger flavor in here. I let it cool for a long time since it was definitely all Love Tea at first. Now that it’s cooler there is a bit of the banana in the aftertaste but not enough to make me think, “this is a banana split!” I hadn’t had Love Tea in a good bit though so it was nice to have it again, although maybe too rich for breakfast but who cares.

I don’t have anymore of the banana oolong but I think I will try this again with 52teas’ Bananas Foster. Drunken banana split!

3/4 tsp DavidsTea Vanilla Oolong + 3/4 tsp DavidsTea Quangzhou Milk Oolong

noordelijk was going to mix these two but didn’t like the milk oolong, so I found my little bag of the Vanilla Oolong tonight and decided to try it. Since this milk oolong reminds me of frosting, I thought it could be pretty good. And I didn’t particularly care for the Vanilla by itself.

I think maybe the ratio might need to be tweaked because all I get is milk oolong. Maybe there’s a hint of vanilla at the end. So if anything, it’s a way to make the milk oolong last a really long time. It does taste just a little bit different, but not enough to really make a difference steeped western style.

As it cools there’s a bit more vanilla but for me it’s far more tolerable than the Vanilla Oolong on its own. It tastes like oolong frosting after all.

I am not having a good day. Somehow despite all of it, I was only 3 minutes late to class but I’m weird and being any bit late bothers me. Now I’m considering going out later and getting a growler of a lychee ale beer. Seriously. Lychee. Beer. I should maybe not apply my tastes in tea to my tastes in beer but…you know what… I’m drinking this one to decide if I should go get it or not (it’s $14.99 for 64oz which is actually a steal given this beer’s cost in a bottle). Here’s a description of it, beyond the yeast, it sounds like it would be tea! http://www.totalwine.com/eng/product/new-belgium-lips-of-faith-tart-lychee/118855226 This also reminds me, a couple weeks ago I was at a local brewery and the smell of hops is SO much like Darjeeling. We’re waiting to get in and the smell was so strong. My boyfriend says “mmmm hops” and I’m just like “….Darjeeling….need Darjeeling.”

I’m surprised I even remembered I have this tea. I haven’t had it in forever, given I have never logged it on Steepster, and I know for a fact I have definitely not made any since moving. But it’s been hidden away in a jar in a drawer so it still smells wonderful.

From the smell alone, I can say I definitely like lychee. I’ve never had them on their own, just as flavors…this, frozen yogurt, maybe a few other things. A bit floral, a bit tart, a bit sweet.

I wish I wasn’t out of cream because I definitely like the flavor of lychee with a creamy background to it. The base tea is just rather boring compared to the flavor. It’s just there and I kind of wish it brought more. The lychee flavoring is good though. Like I said, haven’t had a real one (going to change that next time I go to one of the big Asian supermarkets now I think) but there’s nothing artificial about the flavor. Given last night’s teas, I can definitely tell, haha.

Now that I’m drinking it and my memory has been jogged a bit, I remember drinking this a lot as an iced tea. It’s not bad but I think the flavor is a lot better hot. I may give it another shot though with maybe like a tablespoon of leaf to 8 oz of water, because I’d really like to use this one up now.

After I get that growler.

Optimism or insanity – you decide.

Thankfully this one is a bit better so we can go with optimism that something I picked out works (somewhat). So glad still at this point I didn’t get anything larger than a sample size. The base is a bit harsh which is no surprise given the looks of everything: lots of dust in the bottom of my cup, lots of little pieces in the basket for a sencha.

The flavor isn’t cloyingly fake like mean green tangerine but it’s still clearly artificial. Actually now after a bit more I can feel it on my tongue. Gross.

Bummer. I was looking forward to these teas and so far that’s two misses. Or one miss and one near miss. I hope the one straight tea I got isn’t horrible, but I was in the mood for something citrusy and new.

oh dear god it really is Pledge in tea form.

I guess I’ll add something else despite the fact I tried two sips, dumped it, and am contemplating just throwing away the bag because I find it hard to believe I’ll be able to find it a home. It seems like it might be good if you love citrus. And then the wave of artificial flavoring rolls over your tongue and triggers your gag reflex.

So yeah.
If in the end it turns out I got just the teapot for $25, that would be fine with me. I’m now scared to try the other teas I bought.

The first tea to go into my yixing pot! I’d been saving my samples from Fong Mong Tea until I got one. Here it is! https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/315454_3587175127038_22846941_n.jpg It’s not even the one I ordered but that’s okay, I like this one better than that one!

I put the entire sample in, aiming for 1g of tea to 1 oz of water. Steeped it for about 40 seconds. This first steep is light but so sweet. It almost reminds me of a milk oolong. Very creamy, and just really really sweet.

Second steep! Now that the leaves are opening up a lot the volume is right where I want it. I’m pouring into a 6 oz cup and now it’s perfect. The liquor looks like I’m steeping a green tea rather than an oolong.

The second steep is very floral and also very green. I’m getting pepper, really reminiscent of pink peppercorns. The third steep is very similar, with a bit less of the pepper. It makes for a really intriguing combination with the floral flavors, that’s for sure.

More to come, it’s time to stop procrastinating on a paper for at least 20 minutes!

Using my gaiwan on this and the usual drinking method. Two infusions per cup I drink.

For the first two, I’m glad I did because this is so light. It has this sparkling, effervescent taste to it. I also am getting flowers and grass. Lots of minerals, though for sure. Kind of not a fan of that.

Onwards to the third and fourth! This cup is a bit darker in color, more green. Lots of grass, reminds me of Gyokuro but lighter. I ended up on the phone with my mom so that’s about all that I remember from those.

Cup 3, fifth and sixth steepings. Steeped these while still on the phone so I got to hear, “are you making iced tea?” Haha, that will be the next thing I try with this tea, perhaps a cold steep! This one is even more flavorful, almost reminds me of an oolong now rather than a green. Tastes like fresh peas cooked in butter. It has a very cool mouthfeel that I don’t even know how to describe. Maybe like it suddenly has bubbles that are dancing around in there? Sounds good.

There will definitely be more to come!

Thanks for this, TeaEqualsBliss!

Well. I just learned something completely disappointing. One of my favorite hockey players, whose jersey I own while the team was here in Atlanta, got a DUI in his native Czech Republic. He had a .20% BAC level while driving a BMW M6, which kind of says, “I have a lot of money and you know, I probably have it for a cab fare.” I am so angry I can’t even think.

So I need something happy. Chocolate! I’ve been meaning to try this sample from Alphakitty and now is the time.

This is really good. I think the flower petals even add a little something to it. It has a good chocolate flavor, enhanced by the base. As usual it’s not chocolatey enough but I could probably go swim in chocolate right now and not think it wasn’t chocolatey enough. I’m loving the coconut in here too. It lingers after each sip and adds a nice creaminess to the tea without having to add any milk.

I definitely want to get a tin of this!

And now maybe my internet will stay connected so I can post this.

Made a pitcher of this iced while waiting for my yixing pot to season. Still lots of time to go. I forgot I had added jellybeans in here so that was a surprise when I opened my tin.

It’s very orange. I had added like the red/pink Starburst beans and for some reason it really smelled like grapefruit when I poured it into my pitcher. That’s definitely not present in here, but I think it may have been the strawberry smell combining with the rooibos. Weird!

Now that the fun has really worn off this really is just your usual red rooibos with fruit flavoring. I had a lot of jellybeans in there but unlike before, they just don’t taste like they’re adding anything beyond color. It’s still enjoyable, it’s just not worth the novelty. And for iced tea, I prefer green rooibos.

I decided I’d give this a try iced just for something different. I think I very much prefer it hot. The sencha is so good but for some reason it being cold really makes the strawberry come off more like chapstick. So much like chapstick I wish I had that kind to put on right now. Definitely better at a warm temperature.

Cold pancake flavoring is very interesting though, makes me want to try pancake breakfast this way too.

Going down to Orlando for one day is horrible, but fun. Definitely a longer trip next time. This morning I felt like the child who was screaming bloody murder about leaving Epcot last night.

So no shop really had what I wanted, except Japan. Actually I didn’t intend on buying any tea at all but it was either this or every plate and bowl with an owl on it. My boyfriend’s brother’s friend works for Disney so he got us in free, and he got a 35% discount on shopping purchases. So this 50g pouch with a little Lucky Owl (to bring me patience) was not even $10.

Normally it’s $11. It’s in a gold foil bag that doesn’t reseal. But it’s sure immediate to tell it’s higher quality than the super cheap Gyokuro I bought in bulk. It’s obviously not as good as an even more expensive gyokuro considering the amount of dust, which I’m not sure is normal or the result of having to be carried around for like 9 hours. The leaves turned such a bright green as they steeped. Bright as grass that’s been perfectly manicured and watered.

I didn’t bother to follow the instructions since it called for boiling water and I think a 3 minute steep. I probably steeped it for half that. The liquor is the light neon color I’ve noticed in my genmaicha with matcha added. I don’t believe the cheap gyokuro did this! And it smells so good, like spring.

This is intoxicating. It seems so light, but it’s sweet and just perfectly grassy. It’s easy to sip and it’s so enjoyable. I’m glad my water temperature didn’t turn it bitter. I realized too late I probably wanted it a little cooler, but perhaps it really could stand up to boiling. I don’t think I’ll try though. It almost tastes effervescent upon taking a sip too.

I’d say I’m surprised to have gotten this at Disney but it was a Mitsukoshi store after all, I just wish I had bought one of the owl teapots there too! They were so cute and they’re so expensive on eBay!

Last tasting note until Sunday or Monday, I’m so excited to go to Florida even if it’s for not even 48 hours, ahhh! Of course, a couple orders arrive tomorrow. I hope they get put in a locker and not taken to the front office so I can’t have them till Monday, that would be sad.

This note is for the second steep of the teabag. If you want to resteep one of these, but don’t want a gallon of tea in your fridge at once because you can’t drink it all up in a couple days, it works really well to freeze the concentrated 2 cups for a couple days until you’re ready to drink more! If I had space for extra ice cube trays that would be perfect. You could just throw them in some water and be set to go pretty quickly.

But in my case I created a giant ice cube, let it melt a bit so I could just pop it into the pitcher, filled it up with water, and let it melt down to mostly all liquid for already cold tea! I’ve got one bottle to take with me on the road tomorrow and I’ve nearly had the rest to drink already today, wow.

I sweetened it before I froze it, but I think this steep actually tastes better than the first anyway. The banana is more subtle and sweetening doesn’t bring it to the point of candy. I think it makes it taste even more like real banana this time around. I will definitely get this one again!

Another day, another storm. This one sounds less intense so that’s good.

I decided to try to make this cold. I’m still not much of a fan of the taste of honeybush iced. It has a strange aftertaste to me. But since it is chocolate malt, it has to be cold! I did this a bit different. Steeped it double strength, then added coconut milk creamer to it, and a little chocolate syrup.

Honeybush when it’s cold just reminds me of wet wood. I’m hoping if I keep drinking it especially in such tasty ways, I’ll get used to it. Beyond the woody taste, this is so good. It’s like having a chocolate shake minus the heaviness of drinking one!