KeenTeaThyme

Eh. I’ve had better. I’ve had worse. This tastes too grassy, too flat for me. The reviewer who mentioned a sewage smell, YES, I get you! It does resemble sewage, lightly. I got a couple samples and planned on giving one to a friend, but I’m adding it to my tea swap collection. Maybe blended with something it would work. I ended up dumping it out and reaching for the Pancake Breakfast blend. Ahh.

I bought this without realizing it has the dreaded red rooibos. But I tried it anyway – I live on the edge! :P This is basically just strawberries in a cup. Strawberries are my #1 fruit (we had a strawberry patch in CA and I ate them almost everyday). Finding a tea that doesn’t have that horrid artificial strawberry flavor is always a tough quest, but it ends here. I love that this is caffeine free too, so I can enjoy before bed. So far, no headache. (YAY!) Absolutely delish!

EDIT: there is a twinge of spice to the cup as well. I didn’t notice it because I was too busy gulping the cup! I noticed on the last sip. Must. Brew. More. :)

I bought this tea on a whim – I was ordering from 52teas and needed an even number of bags purchased. But I’m glad I did. This is one mellow tea! It’s citrus-y and apple-y, with a touch of spice. I can’t say it tastes like a certain spice, just spicy. It smells as good as it tastes. It’s refreshing and bright, like sunshine after a rainy day. I also like the green tea base – which is grassy and crisp. All around a good tea.

This is a weird one for me. I don’t care for how it smells; it reminds me of something that gives me a headache, so it’s kinda like the power-of-suggestion. But the taste. My GOD. It’s phenomenal! It redefines Chai. It brings other chais (minus my beloved Teavana blend) to a whole new level. I added just one Splenda packet…maybe this would be good with milk? I honestly don’t know. I bet it would be good with eggnog silk, though. Anyhoo, I was getting ready to snub this tea for its smell, but one sip and I’m hooked.

It’s rare I drink the same tea twice in a row (other than when I am resteeping leaves) but I required a second cup of this tea. Such a gem!

YAY! I returned to work this morning to find my 52teas order awaiting my arrival. I tore into this tea first and I gotta say, this is a new favorite! I was careful about steeping time, after reading the other reviews. I steeped no more than 3 minutes (work be damned!). I taste maple syrup (the good kind, not the table syrup), butter and buttermilk pancakes! So unique, so Frank. This is SO good! I added one packet of Splenda, which enhanced the goodness of flavors, I think. I’m reminded of my Oma’s pancakes – without the calories. Wonderful, delicious, savory. I’m in heaven! This should be a permanent part of the 52teas collection!

I’m an EG newbie, so I don’t feel right rating these just yet. This one from Metro Tea smelled delicious – citrusy and bright – but the taste! Lots of fruit loopy and manly. This next sentence will make me sound like a weirdo, I know, but the EG Cream smelled like a man – like cologne. And very much not in a good way. I don’t like heavy cologne on men; I call it “Pimp Diesel.” So while this one is tasty and hearty, it has a certain Pimp Diesel quality to it.

Maybe I oversteeped. Maybe I’m completely ignorant about EG. OK, actually I am. But I need to conquer this taste. Help me out, teasters!

Follow my EG adventures:
http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/2011/04/earl-grey-part-deux.html

Honestly, each time I have this it gets spicier and better! I love this version of chai, with plenty of cinnamon, cardamom and spunk; no sip is plain. Please see other notes for my chronological joy for this bagged heaven!

I’m a huge fan of jasmine teas – but I understand that floral teas aren’t for everybody! (Just like red rooibos isn’t for me.) I love the deep floral taste of this tea: jasmine with a touch of honeysuckle. Actually, you know the honeysuckle nectar that’s so much fun to pluck off? That’s the hint of flavor that is in this tea.

This is an essential for me, although if I drank it all the time I would get sick of it. I have to keep the variety going! With the exception of the phoenix pearls, this tea is the best jasmine I’ve tasted. Also, since it’s newer, it tastes fresher.

I just love the hint of honeysuckle nectar in the aftertaste. Reminds me of summer!

Backlogging – had this before bed last night. I really enjoyed this cup, however I had to make a couple changes. I used two tea bags and left both of them in for the remainder of the cup. I enjoy drinking herbal teas at night while watching TV, and this is a great selection. I tasted chamomile (but mild), pepper- and spearmints, and a hint of licorice, mainly for a sweet tinge at the cup’s end. This is decent, not a bad purchase. But it’s not a tea I’ll go through quickly.

I let this steep for a good eight minutes. Why? Why not?! And the flavor is definitely stronger – each taste can be ID’ed in each sip. I love this combo. It’s very unique. I did add sweetener which I think enhanced the chocolate taste. Please see other note. Also, no rating as this is my creation from Adagio.

2nd steep – I actually just poured it over ice. The liquor is a bright orange too! I hadn’t noticed that as my tea mug is chocolate brown (my beloved Fiestaware). So refreshing over ice. This is my new summer tea.

I wonder how it would taste with strawberry pieces? Or PEACH!

Holy heck, new project for me!

Thank you ColumbiaKate for the sample! This is a fabulous tasting tea! I first thought, Carrot Tea? Really? But from the first sip I’ve been hooked. A new cupboard essential!

This one tastes and smells like Sun Tea – you know, letting tea bags sit in the sun through the day and serving the tea over ice in the evening. When I lived in SoCal, that’s all we drank. And when we moved to Maryland, we brought along the custom. I remember one of my childhood friends being completely befuddled about leaving a beverage outside and then drinking it, but that was my childhood summertime thirst quencher!

OK, enough blabbing on Memory Lane. (Actually that’s what this tea should be called!) It tastes like a sip of sunshine. There is a definite “this is tea” quality about it. While it tastes like sun tea, there’s a twist – a fruit-and-veggie medley.

I could talk about this tea for hours. I am in LOVE! Move over, CHAI!

I’m back to basics this (rough) Thursday morning. I can tell this will be a long day so this is the first of many caffeinated cuppas!

One difference – this cup was originally steeped with boiling hot water, and I mean HOT to the extreme! I was boiling water and was called away from my desk. Luckily my heater has an automatic shut-off point. (A coworker thought it would whistle like a kettle. Too bad! That would be cool.) This cup is much spicier and tastier than I can remember before, and I love the change in flavor. I can taste the nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and others individually, all adding up to one of the best versions I’ve had. This is a great way to get going this morning!

Since I can’t drink red rooibos – headache inducer – I was hesitant to even smell a green rooibos tea. But now I’m trying samples of green rooibos and finding that it is actually a sweet, caffeine free alternative.

This one delivers a punch of orange, peach and mango. The medley of flavors creates a tropical infusion for your senses. Even though this is in tea bag format, I can still taste fresh leaves and this crisp cup.

I have to try the other flavors, but this one is a cupboard must for any rooibos fan – green or otherwise. It’s sweet and sensory. YUM!

I just ordered this from the Tea District, using up a groupon, and based on recommendations from Earl Grey fans. Lavender has always been a favorite of mine – usually as a fragrance but more recently as a tea!

This pairing seems to be popular – lavender with bergamot/Earl Grey – and with good reason. I’m not usually an EG fan, but this is the gateway tea that is easing me into EG waters.

Enough babbling, let’s talk tea. This is one of the more tastier versions of this pairing, but that could be due to steeping. I was at work, called away from my desk, you know how it goes. (I won’t rate it this time; I’ll pay better attention and put tea before my work (ha!) next time. There is something very warming and comforting about pairing lavender and citrus, almost like relaxing on a summer’s evening.

I am currently in a Quest to Find a Tasty Earl Grey: http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/2011/04/quest-for-earl-grey.html

Got any other suggestions?

The more I try this tea, the more I like it! The tip for my flavor preferences – which are strong & spicy – seems to be using almost boiling water and steeping for at least six minutes (or the length of the cup). I add a little bit of Splenda to balance the flavors, but this one gets better each day.

Thanks, Clare, for sending me this sample. This became an instant essential within one sip! Talk about a tropical vacay in your teacup, this is the winner! I’m a nut for anything pineapple (even on pizza, I’m from SoCal) and the flavor in this tea is outstanding. I taste a hint of papaya, too, which pairs well with one of my fave fruits. The green tea base is light and refreshing, so the tea flavor doesn’t crowd the fruit flavors. Overall, this is just a refreshing tea!

I can’t remember who sent me this sample with other assorted teas – Meghann M? JoeCool (Nichole)? Sorry guys – too many tea packages! But thanks to whomever shared this from her stash! UPDATE: Thanks, QuiltGuppy!

For something called “extreme” this didn’t really seem so… sure, it tasted like vanilla, but I wasn’t that impressed with the taste. It does taste like vanilla & green tea, and the vanilla is of the regular soft-serve ice-cream variety, not so much in flavor…

I don’t know. But this was just a sample to try, so it’s not like I would never order from American Tea Room again…

OK, I’m upping my rating on this one. When I arrived at work today I reached for my usual chai wake-up blend, but my tastebuds wanted this one! I steeped it for the length of the cup – as usual – and the aroma of the chai is amazing! (I had to give out a couple bags to coworkers, but I’m slowly converting them to the cult that is tea… lol)

This is such a wake-up, pick-me-up, great-way-to-start-the-day blend. I do prefer the green tea chai version that Tea District also offers, but I do tend to prefer green tea over black teas.

I’m actually brewing a second cup – not using the same tea bag; resteepability isn’t very evident here, but then again I “soak” to the end of the cup anyway. I love more flavors and a spicy aftertaste, so I would need a new bag anyway.

This is quickly becoming a favorite!

The WOW factor is strong here, folks! You know I’m picky about my chai, but this green tea version is out-of-this-world! I absolutely love the green tea variety. The tea tastes spicy and minty, but also light and airy. This is the spring complement to the autumn chai I love. I’m going to let the tea steep for the remainder of the cup, which is my MO when it comes to chais.

Smell: it’s light, subtle. Spicy but vague.

Taste: Spicy and delicious. I taste peppermint (what keeps it airy, I guess), nutmeg, a pinch of pepper and that delicious cardamom.

This green tea version is a definite contender in the Great Chai War of 2011 – may even beat the Teavana chai I love, because this version is so light. Bet it would be cool and refreshing iced.

Thanks to ColumbiaKate for the sample! I think I found the right tea… if not, lemme know and I’ll move things around.

I’m not normally a big earl grey fan. The term “watery fruit loops” is often a description I use. But I love lavender tea so I thought I’d take a risk on this.

When I sip, I only taste a subtle hint of lavender and plenty of bergamot (normally I am not a fan) and citrus. But somehow the medley works. This reminds me of the Lady Earl Grey from Twinings. It’s light on the Earl Grey (good riddance!) but still tastes bright and citrusy. The lavender complements the citrus just fine.

I may actually gasp purchase this one. It’s bold and strong, but the EG isn’t all in your face. Great for this morning – Monday morning, getting back into the work mode…

First off, I’m very picky about my chais (see previous notes re: the crazy Teavana blend I adore). Secondly, I purchased this in the tea bag form which could account for flavor issues. However I did leave the bag in the cup for the remainder of the cup.

Taste: cardamon & cinnamon, a little bit of clove and is that allspice I taste as well? Still spicy on the tongue. Guess that’s the black pepper popping up. Yums!

Smell: spicy and warm, almost smells like autumn.

I do like the convenience of the bag, especially since you can steep it for the length of the cup. Gets spicier as you finish.

I’d buy this again; it’s a decent contender to the Great Chai War of 2011. :)

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