Tabby

Made this iced last night, but I set the timer on my phone and promptly sat on it. So I didn’t hear the alarm at all. You could say my butt is to blame for this tea failure. It steeped for at least 15 or 20 minutes before I noticed. Maybe more. Oops.

I decided I was thirsty enough to just go with it, so I added sugar and half a glass of ice anyway. It was QUITE tart, and the hibiscus taste had basically taken over. I drank about half of it before I was driven away…

I’ve been on an iced tea kick since the weather has turned warm, and last night I got curious about this. I’ve never had caramel tea cold before, so I went for it. It’s actually a lot more refreshing than I expected! It’s delicious iced! The temperature reduces the caramel flavor a little, but in a pleasant way that keeps it from being too much like an icy dessert. Will definitely do this again.

Also, I should note that I made a tall mug of this for work the other day as well. I used one teaspoon Sweet Caramel O’ Mine, and one teaspoon of India Vanilla Tea from the farmer’s market. The vanilla was still a bit overwhelming, so next time I’ll use less of it. I’ve also decided that caramel + vanilla is one of the better things in life.

I have been meaning to try this iced for months and have finally gotten around to it.

It’s great. I love spearmint in green tea. This reminds me a lot of Sobe’s bottled green tea, but with a stronger, more authentic sencha taste. Sweet, minty, and a little lemony. A perfect spring evening tea.

I got the last tin ever from LiberTEAS in the mail yesterday! Eeee, thank you!!

Another last affair with this tea before it becomes extinct. I made two almost-too-strong mugs of it last night; one for me and one for my brother. We sweetened it with plain sugar, but now I’m considering what honey would be like mixed in. Hmmm.

And then this morning, I took a cup of it with me to work. Felt nice sipping it in my car, surrounded by skyscrapers on a cold, damp day.

Taking my last cup of this to work this morning… Last review, I suppose, since there isn’t any more. This unique and tasteful blend of rose, cinnamon, and vanilla will certainly be missed.

Second review. Finishing up my sample. And this is definitely going on my shopping list.

I used the last of it to make a tall glass of iced tea. After a teaspoon or two of sugar, this is delightful. Very refreshing. I can tell that this would make a good summer staple. I dunno if I’d make it in large batches like regular sweet tea, since it’s kinda special, but I will definitely revisit it. Another winner from 52teas.

I have been intrigued by reports of this tea and finally get to try it thanks to RachanaC (A.K.A. Rachel) via TeaTra.de’s Marketplace.

The leaves themselves look very pretty, dark green and glossy, with bright pink bits of dried watermelon and raspberry mixed in. It smells very strongly of watermelon, which I’ve found rare in the flavored tea world.

The taste is wonderful, like candy. Watermelon is the first and strongest flavor, followed by the summery sencha itself, then raspberry. This feels really appropriate for a cool spring day here. I think I’ll take it out onto my balcony garden and sit in the sun for a while…

Wow, my Dashboard just does not want to load today. Took me like 15 minutes to get here. D:

Anyway, second review. I have to say that Adagio got it right with the tea leaf to spice ratio, even if the spices aren’t as strong as I had hoped. I’ve had blends before that didn’t have much of a black tea flavor, but this one is better. I mixed in a little sugar plus two International Delight French Vanilla creams, which has done wonders. This is a combination I must revisit.

Second review. I went with my chai idea this morning and was pleased with the result. Nothing about it clashed, and the vanilla managed to stay strong against the chai spices. I added sugar and a splash of milk. Will do it again, I’m sure.

I also want to mention that while I was at a convention with Kaliska, who will be joining us shortly on Steepster, we brewed this double-strong in the hotel room. I poured it over ice with just a little sugar and Stoli Vanil vodka. The result toned down the vodka’s bite and added black tea’s pleasant bitterness, all the while being almost overwhelmingly vanilla. While I liked it more than I should have, haha, I think I would adjust the tea/vodka ratio just a little.

I had such high hopes for this tea. But now I feel like I shouldn’t have even wasted the sugar on it. It’s awful. There’s no way around it. It reminds me of some kind of terrible floral and orange scented floor wax. Also, my tea does not match the tea in the picture. There are no petals or bits of dried fruit to be found. I’m glad I only paid $1.75 for this.

I couldn’t help picking this up on my last trip to the Farmer’s Market. I had my eye on it the last time I visited and my curiosity hadn’t left me alone.

The first thing I noticed about this tea is how black the leaves are. I believe this is an Assam, as it is very bold and strong. (And I think I read that on its shelf label, but I was distracted.) The vanilla scent hits me as soon as I open the container. It’s like a slightly fruity cupcake. The flavor does not go lightly with the vanilla, either. It reminds me a lot of Adagio’s vanilla black, but I also taste notes of cocoa, coconut, and figs.

I recommend against brewing this any longer than five minutes, as I said before, it’s very strong and could become exceedingly bitter. Also, I can tell this is going to be a fun tea to experiment with. A scoop mixed into my chai would probably be decadent.

Making this quick because I need to leave for work in three minutes.

This chai is exactly what I expected to be, but unfortunately a little on the mild side. While it’s better than the DeKalb Farmer’s Market blend I have been drinking, it isn’t the best. Arbor Teas still has my heart when it comes to chai. Still, I’m going to enjoy it on this gross, cold day while I drive into the city.

Last cup of my sample. I let it steep a little longer to bring out the caramel flavor, which worked. I’m savoring it now before I have to leave for work. I see that LiberTeas has a few more tins of it up for sale, and while I would love to buy one, I’m going to a convention next week and need every dollar I can get. If it’s still there when I get back, though, it will be mine!

Yessss, I got a little more of this tea from RachanaC (A.K.A. Rachel). (So glad she was willing to give a bit of it up. I don’t know if I would have, myself, haha.) I get the urge to cling to the baggie forever, as this tea is extinct. Extinct and wonderful.

But no, it shouldn’t be that way. Someone here once said “tea is meant to be enjoyed and not hoarded”, and that stuck with me. So this is my first cup of the day. I’ve already reviewed this tea once and my love for it has not changed. I still love the realistic caramel taste, like it’s been toasted. It manages to be toasty without getting nutty, if you know what I mean. I’m going to be drinking this very, very slowly…

Next time, it gets a longer steep time.

Another oolong from RachanaC (A.K.A. Rachel)!

This tea looks particularly cool… the leaves are long and rolled up like stems.

This tastes very toasted. I agree with what others have said about this tasting like toasted pumpkin seeds. It reminds me of that very much. I’m starting to get a feel for what oolongs taste like, thanks to this. Warm, nutty, and pleasant. Would be good with breakfast as a mellow alternative to a kick-in-the-face black tea.

Trying this tea thanks to RachanaC (A.K.A. Rachel)! (If you’re on TeaTra.de, be sure to check out her samplers!) This is only my third oolong, so I am feeling very newbish as I sip this tea. I was thrilled by the way the leaves are rolled up into glossy dark green pebbles.

It brewed up to a pleasant, springlike yellow that makes me think of green teas. (And kinda makes me worry that I used water that was too hot.) The flavor is very nutty, like the description described, with faint hints of caramel. Something sort of reminds me of cocoa in the aftertaste.

All around, this is an interesting and complex oolong. But I think I’m going to have to compare my preparation with everyone else’s before I make another cup, so I can sip and review with confidence.

It’s been cold the past few nights, so this tea feels appropriate. Still loving it as much as before. Bright, robust, and slightly tart.

Ugh, I still think this tastes like the original flavor of Chapstick, even with a big blob of honey. Though the honey goes well with the mint, and it protects me from that mouth-drying tingle from the stevia. (I hate stevia.) Plus, I wish they had used ginger instead of chamomile.

But I’ve discovered that if I drink it as fast as I can, I get some good effects from the valerian. It makes me start to feel very comfortable wherever I am, which is nice when I’m ready for some sleep.

Nooo, why did it have to get cold again? I thought we were done with that!

I was going to have this iced as soon as I got up, but I changed my mind after stepping outside for a moment. Anyway, I’ve got a tall glass and am sipping away. I’ve reviewed this at least 5 times now, and should probably stop.

Last bag from the box. Seems I’ve been clearing out space in the tea cupboard. I think I’ve reviewed Awake at least three times before this, so I’ll make it short. This is a good, strong black tea, but it gets bitter easily under five minutes. I don’t mind, however. It’s what I go to when I’m short on time but need my caffeine before work.

Finishing the last of my sample up. This was a very good dessert tea that also made a good breakfast treat instead of coffee.

This was my choice for the Monday morning to-go cup. I’ve reviewed this tea before, and all I can add to my previous thoughts was that this tea is very… buttery. Yes, it tastes like sweet cream butter. And almonds. But in a good way, if that makes sense.

I had the water nearly boiling before I realized that all my infusers were in the running dishwasher. So it’s bagged tea for me, then.

I found this in my box of random tea bags and went for it. I remembered to brew it for a shorter amount of time this time, but still went over what was recommended. I added one teaspoon of sugar to mellow out the bitterness, and now I’m enjoying it. It’s a good standard bagged black. Nothing spectacular, but functional.

So many tea fails lately. Today I learned that my glass infuser cannot handle chai spices. It gets clogged.

While I didn’t realize that the infuser was mostly just holding the liquid instead of letting it also flow into the cup, I ended up with extra milk in my saucepan. And I thought it was because the infuser and chai itself took up space in the cup, so naturally there would be some left over that wouldn’t fit. That’s a lot of explanation to say that I ended up with half a cup of INCREDIBLY SPICY chai and no milk to water it down with because I poured it out.

I’m still gonna drink it, though. It buuuuurns, but I think I like it.