Ok… so I’m attempting some sip downs of some samples I got early on in my loose leaf tea discovery since Nov last year. I ordered a sample bag from Janelle and this has been sitting in my sample box since it arrived. I have to admit that I have picked it up a few times and smelled it, only to be reminded of a sorry ice cream treat I had one time many years ago… and toothpaste.
When I was a kid it was a real treat to go get ice cream anywhere. While I was on vacation with my family one time, I think I was 6 or 7, we went to Dairy Queen and we were allowed to pick a small sundae. Curiosity got me and I tried the Creme de Menthe … I don’t know what I thought it would be, but it looked like they squirted gel toothpaste all over my ice cream treat and tasted much like it to me too.
I have to say I was a bit surprised when I steeped this one up by the color. For some reason I had in mind that this was a green tea blend, but I hadn’t looked here for a description yet either.
I was pleasantly surprised that this didn’t carry the same flavor for me as the smell had evoked… it wasn’t toothpaste, but mint & spice. I did see the cinnamon pieces when I measured it out for my cup so was expecting that. Now that I’ve read the description, I do get a bit of licorice and maybe the vanilla if I try. But being that I thought this was a green and steeped it at 180, the flavors may react differently than if steeped correctly.. blush.
There is a bit of an oil slick on the top of my cup that I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t notice a a fishy odor or taste that many mentioned, but might be due to my lower temp steep. I do get a dryness in my mouth now that I’ve finished w/the cup.
I do like the idea of the blend. I enjoy most mint teas, but the smell of this one dry leaf just reminds me too much of toothpaste. Vanilla, licorice, cinnamon.. I do like those too and think if I could get past the smell of the dry leaf I would enjoy this one more than I do.
I think I have enough for one more cup to see what comes of this when steeped correctly. I’m wondering after having read some of the other reviews if I didn’t do myself a favor by making the mistake that it did :)
Flavors: Cinnamon, Licorice, Mint, Vanilla