KeenTeaThyme

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. :)

No notes yet.

I let this steep longer than I should have, out of curiosity, and I think the marshmallow flavor was even more pronounced. I do just love this blend – even if it wasn’t “mine.” :) I needed the extra kick in the pants this afternoon and this worked perfectly!

One of the best Moroccan Mints on the market. LOVE it! :) (See other note – I’m not feeling very descriptive today and this note doesn’t do the tea justice.)

Thanks, JoeCool (Nichole) for sharing! This is a delicate, delicious tea. It didn’t smell like much in the bag, nor as it brewed, but it packs a tasty punch for your taste palate. I taste sweet melon and a hint of jasmine. This is a great find, but I honestly don’t know if I would go out of my way to purchase it. Overall, a delight but not a must for me.

I just love how tasty this berry green tea is – I can taste the pomegranates and raspberries so well. The green tea base is decent too. (Please see other notes.)

Two cups of this started my morning off just right.

I mean, for Tuesday, that is. :)

(Please see other notes; this is a fave.)

Thanks JoeCool (Nichole) for sharing some of this. I’m not normally an Earl Grey fan so I’m not rating it (my palate is too inexperienced). But this smells nice and tastes like your typical Earl Grey. Heavy on the bergamot. Watery fruit loops every time. (taste)

They say this is the perfect afternoon tea…and I have to agree at this point. It’s after noon (12:34 to be exact) and I need an extra kick in the butt to get through today. This is hearty and bold, just doesn’t have much of a taste to it. It’s not bad, but tastes more like a base tea. I don’t think this can hold its own. However, it’s strong and I need the caffeine. Let’s roll.

LOVE this one! :) Sweet, then tart (in a good way), each sip tastes like summer. YUMS!

Thanks silvermage2000 for sharing! Jasmine is one of my all-time favorite scents and favorite teas, so this was a great fit for me. Sweet, floral, fragrant – this tea is a dream. The white tea was a bit bland, but the jasmine brought it into focus. A fine jasmine tea.

EDIT: I’m dropping the rating. After it cools there is a funny aftertaste…not sure what that’s all the about.

BEST PEACH TEA EVER! This is a new cupboard essential for me. The peach flavor is superb – I picture juicy, plump peaches when I sip this. It’s a dream! I love peach tea; I used to live on the Diet Peach powder tea (I know, I know) when I was growing up. So this reminds me of summertime, sunshine, and happiness. Sigh. Wonderful! Thanks to Stacy for sending a sample!

I am annoyed that when I type “Vampire” for this tea in a search, “Edward” pops up. The Twilight Mary Sues are not vampires!

OK. I’m over it.

I love this tea. It’s so refreshing, citrus-y and even revitalizing in a way. Probably helped me get over that Twilight outburst there. :)

Please see other notes. I’m normally not this psychotic.

I added this tea, but I wonder if it’s a duplicate… anyway, thanks to the wonderful Stacy for this sample. I’m a chai fiend and very picky, so she took a risk sending this to me. ;) However, it paid off. I let it steep for over 10 mins (work meeting) and the spicy concoction I was awarded with was worth it. In this delicious medley, I taste cinnamon, clove, ginger, allspice and even pepper. I won’t say it’s as good as my fave blend, but it’s a close second. More like 1a. ;) I love the spicy flavoring, plus the black tea base is bold and hearty. YUMS!