The DJBooth

I’m at the end of my sampling from Amy O and I have realized that I have not written about this one yet. For shame on me. I have said in many of my tasting notes that I love jasmine. It’s comforting, invigorating, and is just one of those aromas and tastes that seems to put me at ease. However I have never had it combined with a black tea. This however is quite delicious. The jasmine has a good presence but not overwhelming and the black tea is quite exceptional. Which is a little disappointing since this is one that Teavana has discontinued….seems to be a trend with me. I find ones that I really like from Teavana and they discontinue them. Bummer. Usually the black blend teas that I have tried from Teavana are okay in quality. This one seems really good though. Alas I will miss this one and miss the opportunity to add it to my cupboard to enjoy.

This one that came to me from oOteaOo. Really a nice smooth dark oolong. A little roasty, nutty exactly what you would expect from a darker oolong. I wouldn’t not call it astoundingly awesome, but still a good afternoon delight.

Thank you to BTVSGal for this one. The dry leaf has a pleasant aroma almost like Russian tea that you make at Christmas. For there being so much in this I’m a little disappointing in the flavor. I can make out a little of the apple and lemongrass. There claims to be cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger, which should provide for a nice chai like taste but I’m not getting that. To be honest it kinda tastes like a cheap Celestial seasonings herbal blend. It’s pleasant but not invigorating and energizing to my senses. This one is just alright.

Hmmmm so I have Florence left from my swap with Amy O and Cocoa Mint black from Teavana. Muhahahaha! It’s almost like that moment in Cast Away when Tom Hanks exclaims “Look I have made fire”. The beauty of this combo is that Florence in my opinion doesn’t have enough flavor and sometimes the Cocoa Mint black has this tongue numbing flavor to it. With their powers combined offers a great mix where you can enjoy the chocolate and the mint. It’s almost like a thin mint in a cup. Outstanding!

Thank you Dinosara for this. The Chrysanthemum seem to rule supreme on this one. It is my first Verdant Tea to boot. The aroma of the dry leaf is like walking into a green house or through a spring field. This is my third tasting before reviewing it. Every time the actual tea has been pretty weak in compared to rest of the brew. I definitely like it. It’s very vegetal. I have tried another tea like this before and like the combination of Pu-Erh and Chrysanthemum, however the other that I tried was a fishy pu-erh. I didn’t notice the orange peel till I made this pot. I will say that the pu-erh is more prevalent in this tea. The flavor almost reminds me of dandelions like when you took one as a kid and rubbed the yellow on your arm. The only bummer about this tea is the pu-erh is very weak. I like a good strong dark pu-erh. Overall though a good tea.

Thanks to Amanda for sending this one to me. I brewed it up at work for my co-worker and I who daily enjoy tea. Then my GM passes me in the hall and gets a whiff, and said whoa that smells awesome. So I shared a cup with him as well. Another one coming to to the dark side (pinky finger to my mouth like Dr. Evil). It’s pretty good. I have to agree with Liberteas. It’s chai. There’s not really an extra bit of “hotness” but it’s a good cinnamon chai. It reminds me a lot of the French Spice Quartet from Teavana, but instead of oolong and Pu-Erh, just black tea. It is a good warm up and a nice little retreat. If you’ve been following the news then you know that being a newscaster in Cleveland right now kinda sucks! So getting towards the end of the cup I have this crazy idea add a little vanilla latte creamer that was in the fridge here at work. Yeah buddy that is a combo.

Again another moment of silence for a company that is missed by the tea loving community. Every tea that I have from SpecialTeas is always fabulous. Thank you Mercuryhime for this one. I have a high liking for dark oolongs they definitely have their own unique characteristics. The dry leaf has a woodsy aroma to it. When I was putting the water in with the dry leaf I noticed a sweet cranberry honey like aroma. That lovely aroma transfers into the cup. Hints of honey, cranberry, bing cherry, maybe even a little bit of grapefruit hits the palette. However I what I find odd about this tea is it’s ninja like camouflage skills. The dry leaf is a dark brown but add hot water and you the green. A great oolong though. Ahhh SpecialTeas if only I had found you sooner(sigh).

I received this one from Infusin_Susan. So there is almost a full tin here. I opened it and whoa! There is a very strong aroma here. Maybe a little perfume like. So I tried it the first time and I thought okay. Interesting(thinking oh boy I have a whole tin of this to drink). I tried it again this morning. I have to say it’s not a bad tea at all. I wouldn’t call it a daily drinker, but I’m more of a straight tea drinker. It reminds me somewhat of lychee tea(and according to wikipedia it is a cousin of the lychee) that I have had. There is almost a grapefruit like flavor that abounds from this tea. It’s not knock my socks off amazing or terrible either.

Thanks to lizeepea for sending me this one. I returned home from Guatemala to find this one in my mailbox. I am a fan of Guayusa that I have tried and this one is good too. I didn’t pick up much chocolate in it but the fruit is good and doe not overpower the tea. Mmmmm I’m thinking I might have to order from Davids on the next tea order.

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

So on my flight schedule yesterday was Guatemala City to Houston. Houston to Chicago. Chicago back to Akron/Canton. Two hour layover at O’Hare and I need something to eat. Before I settled on the golden arches I found Argo. I love the concept of this place and wish there were more places like it in Ohio. So I order the English Breakfast and the Mate poached turkey sandwich. The tea is not bad your basic English Breakfast tea. Malty and a little bit of that Keemun kick. The sandwich though fabulous! I liked it better than the tea.

So much to get done today. Tomorrow I’m leaving on a mission trip to Guatemala for a few days. Thank you Janefan for this one. I always try a tea once before I review it to allow my palette to adjust to the tea. So the first cup was lighter. I didn’t get any smokiness really. It was like an Assam. Then when it cooled there were some honey notes like a Darjeeling maybe. This morning though when I brewed it was all Yunnan. A strong Yunnan black aroma, and on the drive to work. Good morning smokey. Yeah this is a really good blend. I’m bummed I waited to pull the trigger on it before it sold out.

“Giuchie, Giuchie, ya ya dada
Giuchie, Giuchie, ya ya here
Mocha Chocalata ya ya
Creole lady Marmalade”
Mostly the Mocha Chocalata ya ya. This tea has been taunting me for months. Thanks to Amy Oh I am getting to try the legend that is Florence. Flo your dry leaf smells amazing that’s for sure. Mais, Je ne vais pas dormir avec toi ce soir. The chocolate/hazelnut aroma is there but it doesn’t shine through in the taste. It’s very similar to Stash’s chocolate hazelnut decaf. It is still a really good tea I just don’t find it to be a mind blowing tea experience.

Thanks again to Brandy3392 So I like chocolate. I like black tea. I love pu-erh. However I’m not sure why this is called Bolder Breakfast. I think the pu-erh actually smooths it out. The chocolate is not very prevalent but that’s okay. I’m really digging this one. I think it reminds me more of one of my favorite teas from Dr. Tea. Scrooge’s blend the flavor is almost and exact mimic. When Mr. Scrooge gets low I’m glad there is a tea to replace it for me.

This was offered at a baby shower my wife and I went to over the weekend. I’ve never had if before so…why not. I should of stayed with not. I like the effort but the whatever else they ad to the mate and black tea just doesn’t work. It’s like drinking a medicated balm. I know not to put this one in the cupboard.

A little extra from my swap with Mercuryhime. I opened the swap package and whoa something smells good. So yesterday we were cleaning up the kitchen and I was getting teas into a box. I smelled that one again and thought hmmmm cotton candy!. My wife took a whiff and said I should let my daughter smell. She thought it smelled like cotton candy too. Then she skipped into the kitchen and asked if we could try some. So I decided to make it iced in my Bodum ceylon. Added a scoop of sugar to it cause I’m sure that’s why the kiddo didn’t like the previous iced offering that I spent 20 dollars on at Teavana and the kid said she didn’t like it afterwards. This is definitely candy like. Pretty good and not terribly sweet with the sugar and the kiddo like it. Win!

Chicken breast in a baking dish with a mixture of lapsang, basil, and rosemary(steeped). It was fabulous. My wife and daughter loved it.

“I was tired of my lady, we’d been together too long.
Like a worn-out recording, of a favorite song.
So while she lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed.
And in the personals column, there was this letter I read:

“If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
If you’re not into yoga, if you have half-a-brain.
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.
I’m the lady you’ve looked for, write to me, and escape.

Tee Hee hee thanks to Amy Oh for sending me this sample. I was writing a letter for the station’s digital edition of CCM Magazine. Unfortunately not listening to Rupert Holmes but to the David Crowder Band-Give Us Rest. So I have not tried to many varieties of honeybush. I like the pineapple flavor that comes through. I didn’t get much coconut this time around. I’m writing and not really paying attention to the brew, but then I get a whiff of something. Holy crap rum! That is spot on! The only thing that this is missing is the creaminess of a real Pina Colada. For your enjoyment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsZ5a5UQvrs

So Janefan is awesome since she sent this in a swap because she saw it was on my shopping list. So when I got this I was incredibly excited because I’ve been wanting to try it. I was a little worried when I saw it was green Pu-Erh. Only because the last time I had green pu-erh I thought it was nasty and tasted like drinking latex. I’ve come to the conclusion however that may have been operator error since when you over steep greens they turn orange. I like the aroma of the dry tuocha it’s nice. I’ve never had sticky rice but it does remind me of cooked brown rice. Started off with a 30 second rinse and progressive one minute steeps. I’m on my tenth round and I have to say I am enjoying this a lot. Each steep brings out a different character. Some reminded me of steamed rice, but as it has progressed I’m getting more of a cornish flavor. One buttered corn. Another creamed corn or corn caserole. That still happens to be one of my favorite holiday side dishes. I’m impressed with how well this is holding up. These last steeps have reminded me of a corn sock. Either a sock or like I have fabric that is filled with corn and thrown in the microwave for sore muscles. I like to heat it up when I have sinus pressure that could take down a water buffalo. I’m definitely finding this one very comforting especially when everyone else around me is dropping like flies due to sickness. I would buy this and enjoy again.

Thanks to Taite for allowing me to try this one. I made this up bolting out the door for another edition of morning news. Today it turns out I am the lone newscaster on the grassy knoll since I am the only newscaster in the building not sick. So I take my first sip. Mmmm this is tasty. A little malty and grainy. That flavor I’ve come to enjoy from Yunnan black that reminds or potatoes. More so like natural fair french fries. Maybe I’m wrong on this but it kinda seems like a Yunnan hybrid to me. The characteristics remind both of a Keemun and that of a Bai Lin Gonfu. I poured into my Gryffindor travel mug that reminds my of our family moon that we took to Florida. In lieu of a honeymoon my wife’s aunt gifted us a trip to Florida so my wife, daughter and I got to take a trip after we were married. So we got to go to Universal and take the kiddo to Disney. So I finished it half way through the drive to work and was wishing there was more. I’m glad there’s more at home….I’ll just have to brew and entire pot.

Ugg I forgot that when I fill in on the mornings that day 1 is not bad. Day 2 you drag like you are pulling 2 small children around your legs. I woke up at 2 and then at 3 this morning before my alarm went off. I think it was one of those situations where I should have just stayed up, since I woke up naturally before my alarm. C’est La Vie. These morning I know that I need a little boost. Mate is the answer. Don’t really need a question here. Still one of my favorites and I actually think it’s because the aroma reminds me of a black and mild. I added a little English breakfast. However I think I put a little too much in there. Just a tinge bitter. That might be because of the double Assam factor between the two teas as well. When I got to the station diluted a little bit and it mellowed out. I might be a long day.

Shift switch! So I had to be at the station by 5am so what do I reach for on these days? Definitely a mate and I was given a chance to try this one from brandy3392 So I’ve been quite impressed so far with what I have tried from DAVIDs and this is not dissapointing me either. Especially with Mates I think that sometimes companies try to cover the flavor of the mate. I have also noticed that raspberry teas I have tried don’t seem to cut it either. However the chocolate flavor and the raspberry flavors don’t taste synthetic. The accompany the roasted mate nicely. It’s really smooth and reminds me of a good chocolate raspberry coffee blend that a coffee shop I worked for served. The hint of the almond flavor is nice too. It’s seriously like drinking a chocolate raspberry truffle. It stands up to a second steeping. The empty cup aroma on this one is flippin fantastic. I will probably order this when my swap runs out. This would be a great valentine tea.

It’s rare to say that a tea is out of my cupboard but alas this one was finished this morning for breakfast. When you have to say goodbye to good tea it’s like marrying off one of your kids. You are sad to see it go…but will be back in your house for periodic visits. Adieu till I order again.