Tawny Kira

My husband got me this for our 2yr wedding anniversary (a little early as it’s not for another week) and I love it. I didn’t want anything super fancy as I mostly drink black teas, but I was tired of constantly guessing temperatures when I made my green/oolong teas.

This heats the water ridiculously quickly & it’s kind of spoiled me. I was boiling water for pasta yesterday and thought “Why is this taking so long to boil?!” I realized that I had already gotten used to the quickness of this kettle and laughed at myself.

The only criticisms I have are:

1. There is no specific temp settings- there are color markings for 180 and 212 and I know that if you set it between or below those color markings you get more varied temps, but it’d be nice to have some indication of other temps. I don’t need it so much but it’d be nice. If you need more specific temps and can afford to splurge on a higher end electric kettle, go for it. But this is more than enough for me :)

2. It could use some sort of indicator as to it being done. Like a ding or something since it doesn’t whistle. That’s not a big deal to me as it heats the water so fast, I don’t even bother to leave the kitchen. But it’d be handy.

Thank you Sandy Stith for this wonderful sample!

I’ve been sticking to my comfort teas for a while. Maybe out of laziness, I don’t know.

Today however seemed fitting for something different. The cool crisp air that we’ve had the past few days just seemed like a perfect match for this. We’ve had the a/c off and all of our oversized windows wide open, letting in the most beautiful breeze. Oh how I love fall.

This tea was the perfect compliment to the changing weather. It was warm and spicy (not heat spicy of course, but spices spicy lol). The cloves were so fragrant and filled my kitchen with smells of the holidays. I didn’t get a lot of the clementine, but I could taste it underneath the other flavors so it wasn’t completely absent. Over all a very delicious flavor. I can picture myself enjoying a nice big mug full on Christmas morning while the kids open their gifts…. In fact, I’m going to go buy myself some because of that very image !

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And more thanks to Sandy Stith for this one as well! :D

I was a little hesitant at first because I haven’t really had a chocolate tea that I’ve loved (yet!), but I honestly needn’t have been worried at all. Slightly malty, it was like drinking the product of a union between EG and hot chocolate. Surprisingly good, though I’d have liked to taste the bergamot just a little bit more. That being said my husband is in love with this tea and has decreed that I buy a tin the next time I order from Upton! :)

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More thanks to Sandy Stith for this sample! :)

There is a very clear bergamot aroma in the leaves both wet and dry. The blue flowers make the leaves quite pretty to look at as well as sniff :) It’s not an overly strong EG but definitely not weak by any means. I think it would make a good staple EG to have in the cupboard. I like that it’s not all that sweet on its own like some EG’s that I’ve had. It better allows me to choose how sweet I want my tea. I might have a big sweet tooth one day but not want any sweetening another day. I like that I have that choice.

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Another thanks goes out to Sandy Stith for this (I’ll be thanking her in many posts!)

First off, I’d like to say that I LOVE the individually wrapped sachets. Perfect for a busy day- just toss it in your bag and go! :)

The aroma when I opened the little wrapper was very strongly citrusy, but that aroma mellowed out once the tea had steeped. Still quite fragrant though. I tasted more than just bergamot… maybe some orange in there? I added a little bit of orange infused sugar to accentuate the citrusy qualities and it was definitely not a mistake to do so! MMM! Overall a pleasing Earl Grey

I’m going to have to order some of this specifically for those days when we’re out and about!

I’ve been wanting to try this one for a while- it just seemed interesting, so with my last order I grabbed a 10cup sample of it.

The leaves (both dry & wet) smell like an orchard. Brisk and fruity and warm. My first thought was “this smells like September.”

My first sip was horrendous. It was bitter bitter bitter. So much so that I couldn’t find any other flavors in it (because I couldn’t keep it in my mouth!). AAH! Since it’s described as having a peachy flavor, I added a generous dollop of honey to it and… wow… Suddenly it was fruity and juicy. There was a nuttiness to it. Maybe not nut so much as that distinctive peach pit kind of taste. Underneath there was a little hay to it? Not quite sure, but hay was my first impression.

It reminds me a little bit of chamomile, but with a pit fruit flavor as opposed to the more appley flavor of chamomile. A nice herbal that I think would be great as a compliment to other teas.

I’m upping the rating of this one because it’s SO MUCH BETTER cold brewed. I saw that Michelle had cold brewed this one & said it made a world of difference & decided to give this tea one more chance.

Holy cow is it so different.

I put about 12oz of water into a plastic bottle with the tea leaves just swimming around in there. I had only meant to let it sit for about an hour, but forgot about it so it sat in the fridge for 2.5 hours or so I think? I strained it out into a big glass whenever I remembered it.

The flavor was much lighter, but you got more tea and less ‘medicine’ flavor. It was tart (so I added just a little simple syrup to temper that) and fruity. Definitely something I’d drink again. I’m glad too because Adagio’s samples are pretty big & now mine won’t go to waste!

Running on very little sleep & looking at a stack of tasting notes that I seem to have only imagined typing up previously, so I apologize if this tasting note is less eloquent and more of me just spewing words :P
And before I forget- a big thanks to Sandy Stith from whom this tea sample came :)

As soon as the water hit the tea the aroma of caramel hit my nose & I could hardly wait for the 4min to be up.

Very rich tea, well suited to a dash of sweetening & splash of milk.

Creamy mouthfeel with a hint of dryness at the end which helps it not to be TOO rich. A hint of toasty notes as well, though quite subtle. More of a toasted sugar flavor more than what I’d normally think of as ‘toasty’

I can tell however that some artificial flavoring was used, which detracted from the caramel flavor for me. I’d have loved if there were just more caramel pieces and the artificial flavoring left out. I mean, why do you need artificial flavoring if you’re putting caramel in it?

We’re under a tornado/flood warning here this evening. I know it sounds strange, but I’ve always found that storms are very calming for me. As a teenager, I used to open my windows, lay a towel down & sit in the window to read as the rain and winds raged just inches away. I find I am more relaxed during storms and sleep the best when there’s a storm.

That being said, my tea choice during this beautifully blustery day was simple. A big thanks to Sandy Stith for this sample because it was just the tea for such a lovely evening!

The tea itself is absolutely beautiful… white tea with pink petals and lavender buds intermixed. The lavender in this tea is so vibrant, which I loved since it’s one of my favorite flavors. Very floral and delicate. I did feel that the white base got a little lost in this however & I’d have liked for that to be more present (hence the slightly lower rating). Over all this was a good floral tea however, a nice relaxing choice for a lavender lover like myself :)

Thank you to Sandy Stith for this sample (and all of the other samples that you sent as well- I look forward to trying them all!)

This is a very light breakfast blend- soft, sweet, honeyed flavor. There’s a brightness to it as well. I wouldn’t say that it’s enough to call it astringent, but bright. I’m also picking up a fruitiness. Figs perhaps? It’s making me think of fig newtons, so figs it is.

It isn’t a very robust tea, so I think it’d be one I’d drink in the afternoon rather than as a breakfast choice. It is quite lovely and something I would definitely drink a lot of :)

This is only the second honeybush tea I’ve had and I loved the idea of it. Unfortunately I did not love this tea. And I’m thinking that I’m just not a fan of honeybush.

The smell of this dry smelled of sweet baked goods… Like sugar cookies. The tea as it steeped & the wet leaves smelled of warm cookie dough. So mouthwatering!

But as I drank the tea I found a note to it that I just did not like. I don’t know how to describe it or even where to begin to try. I just know I didn’t enjoy it. I detected this quality in the previous honeybush I’d tried (Honeybush Chocolate from Adagio) but the chocolate masked it so well that I didn’t even really realize it was there. It just flickered across my tongue briefly at the end of the sip & then it was gone from my mind. I wish that had been so with this tea!

I really hate that I didn’t like this tea but what can I say? I just don’t.

Upping the rating of this one, because though the tea does get a little bit lost in this tea, I have found myself growing quite fond of this tea. I love bergamot ever so much & this tea is great for those days when I am craving more bergamot in my earl grey. I’ve even mixed it with a little bit of standard EG and EG lavender with pleasing results. I actually went an ordered an entire tin because with my husband loving this one, my sample bag went rather quickly!

I ordered one of these little cuties a little while back & I’m definitely going to order a few more!

My tasting note for this isn’t going to be a very detailed one, sadly. I stayed up all night with my daughter Kira Monday night (literally all night- no sleeping for this lady :| ) because she was feverish (turns out she has an ear infection) :( Her fever finally broke around 4:30am and as soon as she went to sleep it seemed, Danny (my eldest) woke up for the day. I don’t often make a big pot of tea, usually opting for a mug at a time, because when I make a lot it tends to get forgotten in the shuffle of the morning. But Tuesday morning, I knew I wouldn’t forget it.

So I pulled this little nugget out of my cupboard.

The smell of the dry tuo cha wasn’t all that strong, but smelled of fish. I rinsed it for 30 seconds & as I poured off the liquid it smelled of hot muddy fish. Very earthy.

The finished pot of tea was very smooth. A good puerh for someone new to them I’d think. The aroma was lightly fishy, but reminded me more of horses after steeping than fish as it had after the brief rinse. Unfortunately I was too tired to remember to write down my notes on this tea so the more subtle observations I made have been lost, but I greatly enjoyed this tea. I will definitely be purchasing more to have on hand for those days when I have the time to sit down and enjoy a full pot (my teapot is small :P) of tea.

**backlogging from last night

I am so glad that I purchased this from Butiki. It was really purchased on a whim as I’d never tried it before. But I love lavender & I’ve grown to love chamomile lately. So it seemed like a tea worth trying out!

At first I was concerned that because lavender & chamomile are both very strong flavors that they would compete with one another, but I learned quickly that I was very incorrect in that.

The liquor of this tea was a lovely golden color and the aroma was absolutely mouthwatering. I added just a touch of honey since it pairs so well with chamomile & sunk into my cup. The lavender and chamomile pair perfectly, complimenting one another beautifully. Neither overpowered the other, they just danced in sync across my tastebuds. It was a very soft tea & I think I might like this even more than chamomile on its own!

In the photo for this ‘tea’ the cookies I made are in this order from L to R- Loki, Honeybush Chocolate, Luna Lovegood, Earl Grey Lavender

LUNA LOVEGOOD- earl grey lavender, rooibos jasmine, guanabana
These cookies are delicately floral with a sweet fruitiness that sneaks in towards the back of your mouth as you eat them. Delicious!

LOKI – gunpowder, spearmint, rooibos jasmine
The Loki shortbread is by far my favorite. Delightfully minty with a hint of sweet smoke and lingering floral undertone. Seriously everyone should make cookies with Loki.

HONEYBUSH CHOCOLATE-
Very bright cocoa-y flavor. The natural sweetness of the honeybush is perfect for baking with. However I wish I’d have crushed the tea a little finer (I don’t have a food processor or blender so I put all the teas between coffee filters and used a heavy jar to crush them) because this tea is particularly firm & the pieces can get kind of stuck in your teeth which is kind of offputting. The flavor is great though, so I’ll risk it! :D

EARL GREY LAVENDER –
These cookies didn’t turn out quite right. I actually had to toss out all but a few because they spread out weird and got brown & too crunchy & kind of icky. Not sure if it was a lack of butter or too much butter… No idea. I made the mistake of deciding once I’d already creamed all the suger/butter for a big batch of shortbread that I wanted to do multiple flavors & these cookies clearly didn’t get the same amount of butter as the other flavors…

That being said though, the few cookies that didn’t turn out as weirdly were good. The flavor was really subtle (maybe the errors in the recipe contributed) but you could detect a gentle floral & ever so light bergamot taste. I’ll try making these again another time & correct my mistakes & see if it helps the flavors :)

**backlogging from a couple days ago (I’m terrible about remembering to type things up sometimes!)

I am a huge fan of breakfast teas. I like coffee every once in a blue moon, but it’s really not my thing. I’ve always preferred tea & when I had my first ever breakfast blend I was hooked. Since then I’ve loved trying out different breakfast blends from different companies & seeing what the world has to offer me for my morning cuppa.

And this particular breakfast blend is something that I absolutely adored. The Yunnan brings a malty smoothness & and adds a whole new dimension to the Assam and Ceylon. It’s hearty and had a kind of softness to it that was lovely. I added just a touch of sugar/milk as it seemed fitting and it mellowed the strong tea and made it quite ‘breakfasty’ if that makes sense (I’m sure it probably doesn’t, but it’s the only word I could think of right now lol). I did not feel the need to make something to eat after my cup as I was very satisfied after drinking this :)

The leaves were rather small- something I’ve noticed with all of my Upton teas that I recently purchased. It allowed for a slightly stronger cup of tea, but if you were to over steep it I think that the tea (not just this tea in particular) would quickly become bitter. I haven’t even considered trying for a second infusion with any of my Upton teas for this very reason.

**backlogging from a couple days ago

I like Lapsang on it’s own, but it is a very strong flavor and can be overpowering when blended with other teas if there’s too much of it. The Lapsang in this tea was perfectly balanced & gives just the right touch of smoke to the Keemun and Darjeeling. The Keemun flavors come through nicely & the Darjeeling brings a lightness to this blend.

I found it reminded me of smelling my grandfather’s pipe tobacco as a child. It was like drifting back in time as I sipped. Any tea that gives me such a sense of nostalgia along with great flavors automatically gets high marks in my book!

First off thank you to Stacy for this sample :)

I’ve never had tamarind anything before, so I thought a tamarind tea might be pretty interesting. It definitely was! The aroma in my little sample bag was sweet… vanilla… cookies… but with an interesting sharper note beneath it. It smelled intriguing.

After pulling my teaball out of my cup, the resulting cup was surprisingly sour! I know that that is a characteristic of tamarind and I recalled Stacy’s note saying to add some sugar to it. I ended up sweetening it more than I would normally have done in order to remove the sourness, but once I did it was a completely different tea. The caramel, vanilla and cacao notes described came forward & while it was still a very unusual tea, the sugar really made it shine for me. The more I sip on my cup, the more I like this tea. At first I thought “well it’s good, but probably not something I would drink often” but as I’m nearing the end of my cup I think that I could see myself drinking it more often than I imagined :)

This is my first gen-mai cha (how does one spell this tea? I’ve seen it all sorts of ways!) so I’m not really sure what makes a good one, but I’ll give my opinion nonetheless :)

The tea in the bag was kind of cute. I don’t mean that in a condescending way at all- it just seemed so perky and bright. Yes tea leaves can look perky and bright and cute. Just go with me here :P

As the tea steeped the smell reminded me of sugar smacks cereal (it’s honey smacks now I think?). Once I poured myself a cup, the flavor was a very sharp grass flavor with an undertone of toasty rice. I added just a teeny touch of honey because I thought it would compliment this tea & the flavors transformed. It was grassy and vegetal (I can’t decide- okra… no asparagus… I can’t put my finger on it) but with the addition of the honey it brought out the sweet toasty puffed rice.

It’s very different from other green teas I’ve had, so I think it will take a little getting used to, but I like it a lot and I think it makes a nice uplifting cup to enjoy in the afternoon like I did today (or anytime really!)

It’s been a long day thus far (I didn’t even realize it was Saturday until about an hour ago, that’s how distracted I’ve been!) and I was looking for something warm & comforting. This sample bag from my recent Butiki order jumped out at me immediately. I love anything pumpkin related, so I knew off the bat that I would love this tea.

My assumption was definitely not wrong! In the bag it smelled like pumpkin pie (my favorite kind of pie, so I was pretty excited!). As it steeped, the spices took the forefront of the aroma & I found myself staring at my timer trying to will it to go off.

The flavor of this is exactly as I imagined it. It tasted like autumny dreams. Spicy & creamy, pumpkiny and utterly delightful. Maybe an odd choice for a hot summer’s day, but not a bad choice because I loved it. I will definitely be purchasing this in large quantities once autumn draws near because you can’t have fall without pumpkins and what’s better than tea and pumpkins together as one! :)

I love the deliciously floral fragrance in the bag which translates beautifully into the flavor of the tea once steeped. The guanabana slips in smoothly on the back of your tongue towards the end of the sip creating a magical flavor with the lavender earl grey & jasmine rooibos. Perfect representation of whimsical Luna Lovegood.

When you open the bag you get a huge whiff of spearmint above all else, but as the tea steeps the jasmine and gunpowder come forward. The gunpowder is noticeable though subtle in the resulting tea, but gives a beautiful smoky undertone to the spearmint & jasmine. Definitely something I will drink a LOT of :)

I bought this for the mention of “bourbon vanilla”. How can you go wrong?! :)

While this tea did have a delightful vanilla aroma in the bag, I felt the flavor of vanilla wasn’t as present as I’d have liked. My 15g sample bag didn’t seem to have the large pieces of vanilla that they show in the photos of the tea, but rather very thin little slivers of vanilla.I think that with the boldness of an Assam base they could have been more liberal with the vanilla. It was good & vanilla-y but nothing that blew me away.

When I opened this bag, the aroma that hit me was intense lavender. It was very perfume-like which might concern some, but I wasn’t all that bothered by it. Perfume-y is better than medicinal haha.

The tea once it steeped was a deep amber color & the overly perfume-y aroma had lightened to a nice black tea aroma with whisps of lavender and bergamot. For the intense lavender smell in the bag, this tea was really not heavy on the lavender at all. It came across as a lightly bergamot scented black tea with a delicate lavender flavor, rather than the uber lavender tea you’d expect after sniffing the bag. Not bad at all. I am getting some (slightly unpleasant) bitterness towards the end of each sip, I think next time I make this tea I will brew it for a shorter time than recommended on the bag.

Though I tend to prefer my Lavender EG teas to be a little heavier on the lavender, I enjoy this one quite a bit :)