KeenTeaThyme

Whoops, let this steep too long. I got wrapped up in character development and lost track of steeping. So this cuppa is kinda bitter. This is a stand-in for my holiday fave, Sugar Plum Spice from Celestial Seasonings, but it’s not nearly as wonderful.

IMO, the flavors in this are too bland, and there isn’t enough spice. It’s more plum-y than spicy. Of course I’m comparing it to the aforementioned Sugar Plum Spice, which isn’t entirely fair, but my tastebuds are in a picky mood today.

This is drinkable, and is nice in the PM, as an after-dinner tea. But I still think it needs more spice. I think I added my own spices to it once, and maybe I should do that again… There is hope, hang on!

This chai is…interesting. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I don’t know if it’s really a chai, that’s my hang-up. It’s spicy, yes, with cinnamon, ginger, anise, and cloves against a backdrop of bold, strong black tea. But I don’t immediately think “chai,” when sipping.

I still like it, don’t get me wrong. It’s bold and spicy. The aroma is spicy too – so you know what you’re getting into when you brew it up.

A decent tea, but I’m not sure I’ll reorder…

NOTE: halfway into the cup I realized why I don’t consider this a chai. There is too much of a rootbeer flavor! Not sure where that comes from, if the medley of flavors just makes it happen or what.

This is the first tea I’ve tried from this company, which graciously sent me a number of yummy samples. Boy, am I impressed! A couple of items to note as I wait for the tea to cool off a bit: the packaging of this tea was superb. Individual bags inside a larger bag (which were then inside a box)… and each individual bag looks like it will yield at least two cups, more if you resteep.

The aroma of this tea is so nice. There’s a hint of caramel and lots of hearty warmth.

Now on to the taste: toasty caramel, strong and bold. Now this is an awakening cup of black tea! Lately I’ve been trying to drink my tea straight up with no sweeteners, but honestly, even a sweet-tooth sugar queen like me doesn’t need anything to enhance this tea’s flavor. It’s robust and sweet at the same time.

This is a new cupboard essential. And a new addition to my morning wake-up call.

Heaven!

This is a wonderfully refreshing cuppa! This tastes pretty close to that elusive, expensive Aveda tea…but better! I steeped for over 6 mins, which means I can’t resteep, but that’s OK. This cuppa is delish! I taste hearty flavors of the following: licorice, cinnamon, fennel, ginger, cardamom. For all you anti-licorice fans, don’t worry – the licorice root adds a touch of sweetness in the after taste. The aroma is to-die-for as well. This is truly a relaxing, calming tea. A new cupboard staple…and a must-have for anyone who encounters daily stress. I feel relaxed already.

This is an interesting cup. I taste both sweet strawberry and a slight tartness, which I’m guessing is the lichee. There’s also a floral taste, more in the after taste. There’s a pale liquor, and a light overall taste. It’s not bad but not all that wonderful either. I definitely prefer Enchanted Forest over this one.

Just started my morning off with a cup of this. No rating as it’s my blend. I do love the medley of strawberry, peach, citrus and a hint of jasmine…and the pink pearl sprinkles give it that extra luxe touch. (If I do say so myself. And I do!) :) I also enjoy that you can steep for the length of the cup; no bitterness, just a brighter flavor.

Rounded out my afternoon with a cuppa – this is such a fun tea! It still reminds me of sun tea and I do love this iced. Although it’s November outside, and a cool 60 degrees inside today, so I am in need of hot tea. One item to note: do not let this steep for too long or else you will really taste the carrot flavor!
Please see other notes – this is a cupboard essential.

No rating as this is my own.

This is a great tasting chai with all the flavors you love about autumn: apple, spice, caramel. You can almost taste the brisk air and cooler temperatures.

Happy Autumn!

Backlogging: drank a cuppa this yesterday to combat my sickness (a terrible Migraine). I love, love, love this blend of sugary spices and pleasant plum – I kick off the holiday season with this one. Now it’s time to load up for the rest of the year! I’ve tried other cinnamon and plum blends and none of them are as good. …

Now I’m at work without a bag on hand and am wishing I brought one! I’ll brew when I get home, to kick off the weekend. Yums!

This is very delightful – and aptly named as well. Many berry-flavored brews are heavy on the hibiscus, but this one stays tamely tart. I enjoy hot or iced, but with a pinch of sweetener if it’s hot. I got this when I exchanged a bag of peppermint from the recall, ended up paying only $2 for 4 ounces. I’m also in love with the green rooibos as it’s low in caffeine but high in flavor. Overall: definitely decent.

OK, folks, if you need some balance in your life, you need to try this tisane! I’m normally not too fond of herbal tisanes, due to the high potential of that yucky bitter hibiscus taste. But I grabbed this one on a whim and love it! The flavor is fruity and herbally – a perfect medley of both. There is a tartness, but not bitterness because the licorice root balances out any tart taste. Brews up a lovely hot pink color too. I had this after a very stressful day of work and Feng Shui did help me wind down, bringing a balance of happiness to my state of mind. (Or maybe that’s because it’s Friday.) If you want to try a sample, PM me – I’d love to share, in the spirit of Wellness! :)

I can’t say this enough, I love, love, love this tea! (Even though I hate, hate, hate the price.)

This tea is perfect for the fall. I always have it on hand, and whenever I drink it, I’m reminded of all the wonder things associated with autumn: leaves, brisk air, cardis & cords, pumpkin, spices.

In fact, I once wrote a poem about autumn – and I won an award for it! :)

This tea would be award-winning, imo. I do dislike the high price tag, but since you can resteep the leaves at least once, I’ll try not to complain too much…

I won’t rate this one, as it’s my own blend from Adagio. But I needed something to rid my mouth of that horrid Cinnamon Raisin Toast one. I always have plenty of this one on hand so my Vampire Lemonade righted all that was wrong (almost).

Hey, if you have a signature blend from Adagio and want to swap with me, lemme know!

Tried this one again this morning. BLECH! I don’t know if the tea went back or something… but this cuppa was just short of awful. I guess even geniuses like Frank can have a dud sometime. Or maybe it was sitting around too long before Little Mew Brew sold it to me? Buyer beware if that’s the case! I hate to waste tea but I don’t even think I’d want to swap this one. BLECH! Wish I could get a refund!

I’m enjoying a cuppa this to wind down today. No number rating as it is my blend. I do love this one iced; it’s a great medley of mint and blackberry. Yum! Refreshing!

I won’t rate this as Peachy Keen is one of my blends…but I do really enjoy the harmony of peach and vanilla goodness in this one. I taste an equal amount of both, so much that it reminds me of peach cobbler with ice cream, or peachy ice cream (which I can’t eat anyway). Wonderful!

I’m enjoying the bagged variety of this and I’m impressed. It’s not the best chai blend out there, but it’s spicy and warm, perfect for approaching fall. I upped my rating, as I can enjoy this through the length of the cup. I added some sugar to it, but mainly because I’m craving sugar right now. This cuppa is good plain too.

This smells so delicious, just like a bellini (peach & champagne). Even though I normally don’t care for hibiscus, I gave this a try. (I love the Coconut Chai tea from this company so I winged it.) It brews up a rosy pink cup, and smells as delicious as it does in the container.

But the taste! Egads! I had to add three Splendas in order to balance the sour and bitter notes. I taste just flowers, there’s nothing berry or bellini about this! I’ll try experimenting with other teas and this to see if I can blend out the bad… I gave a couple bags to my grandmother and mother on Saturday and now I’m wishing I didn’t! If I don’t like it, I doubt they will! (Sorry Oma and Mom.)

Another goodie from QuiltGuppy! Jasmine is one of my favorite flavors and scents, and dragon pearl is one of my favorite varieTeas. ;) This one delivers! This is the bagged tea version but with the nylon bags the tea smells and tastes like the fresh, loose version! As it brews the fragrance of jasmine is so strong, which is nice. A coworker stopped by my office to see my new “jasmine candle” and left with a bag of the tea herself.

Thanks again, QG!

I kept wolfing this down so I set it aside for a while… just brewed another cuppa and I’ve rediscovered its awesomeness! I love the taste of plump, juicy blueberries in this tea. This really is a treat!

Thanks to the wonderfully awesome QuiltGuppy for sending some of this my way (along with many other samples). I’ve been dealing with allergies lately, and my throat is really sore. I can take benadryl, but then I pass out so it’s not a work-friendly solution.

This, on the other hand, is great! No, it’s not really medicinal, but it has a great placebo effect goin’ – I felt better after drinking it. :)

I love the eucalyptus smell (one of my faves) of the dry leaves. The peppermint is very strong as well. One sip later and I taste peppermint, menthol, a ginger-y/citrusy flavor, and a bit of the eucalyptus as well. The brewed tea smells as good as the dry version; my headache is starting to feel better too.

Thanks again, QG! :)

Wowser! Crazy aroma, perfect any way! It’s unbelievable – surprise, it’s a bagged tea!

Check out my full review here:
http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/2011/07/from-wegmans-frederick-to-home-blood.html

The wonderful Little Mew Brew sent this to me ages ago, but I need it this morning as my tummy has been killing me. As I’ve said before it’s not something I could drink everyday, but I love how it soothes tummy trouble without tasting (too) much like medicine.

I’m really starting to dig these David’s Teas…

It’s that kind of morning! I need a bold, hearty and expressive tea – but one I don’t have to taste a risk in enjoying. This fits the bill and is waking me up. YAY!

A side note, this tastes great with beef jerky. (Sorry to all you vegans/vegetarians out there…but it’s true.)