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Since I was re-visiting the Bailin black, I figured I might as well try this one out again using the gongfu method. Teavivre black teas gongfu experiment day!

I did four steepings: rinse,15,25,40, and 60 seconds.

The gongfu method really brings out the sweetness in the tea. I am getting more caramel notes than I did with the western method. I am still getting that slight sweet potatoe note as well. Or maybe my tastes have developed more and my palate is becoming more refined. Either way, I am increasing my rating a bit!

I wanted to steep this tea with my gongfu pot to see if I could bring out a little more of the chocolate notes and less of the grainy feeling to the tea.

Using my little gongfu pot. One note here: the leaves don’t get very large so make sure you use a straining device or else there will be leaves in your cup.

Quick rinse

I did four steepings at 30seconds, 40seconds, 60seconds, and 75seconds

I found with the gongfu steeping, there was a milder grainy aspect, which I enjoyed. It still wasn’t as sweet as I was hoping it would be. However, the chocolate did seem to come out a little more. I am pleased with this method and will continue to steep using this method with this tea.

Or if I continue to western brew this tea, I will take the first steeping as a rinse because I enjoyed the second and third steepings much more.

So, I was supposed to go with my friend on a DT date. I was waiting for that to go and get the fall teas. But, with all the reviews up on here, I couldn’t wait any longer. I finally got my fall teas yesterday! Fall teas are probably my favourite flavours and it is my fav season as well. I am rambling….

This is what I have been waiting for!! Sweet and a little spicy. Cute little marshmallows that dissolve quickly. They do make the brew a little bit cloudy though.

As for “toasted marshmallow,” I would agree with DaisyChubb that it is probably closer to eggnog. Either way, it is delicious.

Oh, and did someone say latte?…….this would be amazing as one…..be right back!

I had 1/4 of my cup left, but then I warmed up 1/4 cup of milk in the microwave and poured my remaining tea into it……….WHAT? Who put that eggnog in my cup? This is honestly delicious! What a sinful treat (but not as sinful as eggnog….lol).

I steeped this for 10 minutes based on other reviews here. I did test it at 5 minutes and it was fairly weak.

The brew is a nice light yellow. I noticed that there is some oil on the surface that I am guessing is from the oil in the nuts (or I hope so anyway). That is kinda weird.

So, anyway, I don’t usually go nuts for a banana flavoured tea. There have only been 2 that I liked so far. This ok, but it does taste a little artificial.

Not sure if I will stock this once my 20g sample is gone or not.

EDIT: I can also see why some people have said to use a t-sac for this one. It does leave a pretty gross mess in the infuser.

I went to get the fall teas FINALLY today! This one sounds kinda weird. So the SA whipped me up a small sample to try.

I must say, it is better than I thought it would be. Kinda like fruit punch. But there is just too much going on here. I am mostly getting the cherry flavour but everything else makes it a mish-mash (haha). The hibiscus makes it too tart as well.

Too bad, because me and white tea are really good buddies :(

Whoohoo, 300 notes!

I figured I had better make my 300th note something a little special. I am loving jasmine teas more and more. And this one is super expensive and it is rolled into pretty butterflies. I used my little gongfu pot just so that I could watch them uncurl. I steeped western brewing though.

This is silky, smooth, and sweet. Not bitter or overwhelming. Better than their Silk Dragon Jasmine. But…..not as good as Teavivre’s Jamsine pearls, and it is nearly 4 times the price.

I will save this tea when I have time to watch it uncurl. And when I need a special treat!

Thanks to Batrachoid for this sample.

This is really good. It is similar to DAVIDsTEA mint chocolate rooibos. But, this one has white chocolate with a honeybush base. It is nice and smooth with sweet chocolate. The mint isn’t overpowering.

I think I might even like this one better than the DT version. The rooibos base gives it more of an earthy base, whereas the honeybush in this blend makes is sweeter and smoother.

The dry leaf and the brewed tea smells very vegetal. Not really floral like I expected from a white tea. The leaves are really cute looking, curly and bright green when steeped.

First steep, 20seconds. I am getting boiled spinach with slightly salted butter. No hint of floral, but it is creamy.

Second steep for 25seconds. Maybe a little bit sweeter with a little bit less vegetal taste. More creamy in a way.

Third steeping for 25seconds. The aroma and taste of snap peas with a silky smooth finish enters my senses at this point.

Fourth steeping for 35seconds. This is probably my favourite steeping, it is lightly vegetal with creamy notes. I am not sure if I am getting soymilk, almond, or vanilla but there are maybe hints of each one.

Fifth steeping for 35seconds. Much the same as the fourth

To be honest, this is a lot more vegetal than I was expecting for a white tea. However, it is a tea of exceptional quality and flavour.

I tried this cold brewed. It doesn’t work as well that way because the little candies don’t dissolve. It isn’t as sweet as when it is hot. There is still some strawberry flavour there though. Next time, I will hot brew it then put it in the fridge to chill I think

Thank you to Nicole and Batrachoid for these samples!

This seems like a fall tea with cranberry and almonds. And since it is almost fall, time to try this!

Upon first sip, I get a bit of tart cranberry with almond and the black tea base coming through. The cranberry isn’t too tart though, just enough for it to be like real cranberries. I feel like I would want the almond to be just a little bit more prevalant here.

This is a great blend!

Thank you to Will Work For Tea for this sample!

First, I taste the black base which is a smooth black with good almond flavour. Then the cinnamon at the end of the sip. It is a little bit astrigent but not overwhelmingly.

I brewed this according to Butiki’s website at boiling for 4 minutes. Now that I am writing this note, I noticed the steepster description says to steep for 2 minutes. Maybe that is why it is a bit astringent. And by my previous Butiki experience with tea, they are not usually astingent. So……next time I will only brew for 2 minutes.

I would rate it at maybe 84 right now but I will not rate it for now because I will try again later on and review.

Sipdown: I cold brewed the rest of my package of this.

This is a nice light blueberry white tea. Nice and refreshing. I don’t see any blueberries in here so that is a little disappointing. This is good, but I think DT’s White Tiger is similar but superior to this blend. I am lowering the rating a bit.

Quick rinse

Wow, the fresh smell of the dried leaves is just dreamy. They look so beautiful, green and rolled. They look and taste of supreme quality.

5 seconds
Steepings 1-4: Creamy, sweet, floral. So smooth with a slight vegetal note. This takes me back to when I was a kid, drinking hot milk when I couldn’t sleep. This tea (same as the hot milk) gives you the feeling of comfort and safety.

5 seconds
Steepings 5-8: Less vegetal with a creamy, buttery, vanilla sweetness. I do notice some tingling on the tongue as well. For sure, my favourite group of steepings.

8 seconds
Steepings 9-12: Still sweet, but less buttery and creamy. I am picking up some fruity notes now.

The leaves are now almost filling my entire gongfu pot. They are so pretty. This tea could probably handle more steepings but I have some errands to run , then I want to try the Laoshan White.

I got this in my grab bag way back in July. But, I have swapped and received so many samples in my swaps that I am getting so far behind!

As the name says, it is buttery, with sweet orange, and hints of cranberry. I like it with the honeybush base because it is nice and mellow. And it isn’t too tart.

It almost feels like I am having a baked good for a bedtime snack.

Quick rinse

I am really starting to love my little gongfu mini teapot and tiny double walled cups.

2-4 seconds
Steepings 1-4: Roasted honey notes with a thick mouthfeel. The aftertaste is woodsy.

5 seconds
Steepings 5-8: Now I am getting the waffle cone notes. It is sweet and smooth, but not too strong. Some vanilla is peeking through as well. This group of steepings is my favourite.

8 seconds
Steepings 9-12: These steepings are not as sweet as the previous ones. The vanilla is still present. I am getting a slight cinnamon hint, but no banana like the website suggests.

The first steepings of this tea are almost a little bit too strong for my taste. The later steepings shine though!

Thanks to Nicole for this sample

This is the first Darjeeling I have tried. I am not sure what notes I am supposed to pick up on, but this tea is smooth with a little bit of astingency. I am not picking up the typical black tea base, but that is likely because it is a decaf.

As Nicole mentioned in her note, I am sure this would make a great iced tea!

Dry leaves smell incredibly chocolately.
Wet leaves smell like dark chocolate and malty.

Using my little gongfu mini-teapot and clear double walled cups!

2seconds for each steep:
Steeps 1-4: Rich, creamy dark chocolate fills my mouth with a little hint of baked honey nut bread. The aftertaste is sweet and malty but not “too thick” on my palate. The mouthfeel is full and fantastic.

Increasing by 3 seconds for each infusion;
Steepings 5-8: Now, the tea has transformed from chocolate to nutty caramel with honey notes coming on a little bit stronger

Steepings 9-12: These steeps aren’t quite as steep. But still smooth and delicious. My palate isn’t really sure what notes are present, something lightly cinnamon maybe?

Overall: this tea is fantastic, chocolatey but so naturally sweet, with not bitterness. This is a great tea to enjoy on my day off!! Who knew straight tea could be so complex? I have certainly really learned to enjoy straight teas!

Thanks to Will Work For Tea for this sample

Wow, this is smooth! This is sweet, creamy, and with great vanilla flavour (vanilla is one of my fav flavours). This is a truly great blend. The black tea base doesn’t come through too much…….

Wait a minute……reading other reviews and I realize: this is a DECAF? WHAT? No wonder I couldn’t taste the black base too much…lol. This is way too good to be a decaf. This is the best decaf I have ever tasted. I might have to make a Harneys order one day and this tea will certainly be on it!

Backlogging from Monday.

This is very refreshing like orange juice but with a sweet tropical aftertaste. I am definitely getting hints of pineapple and papaya. Still a bit earthy from the mate base. I like that there are no artificial ingredients in this blend.

I put some in the fridge to cool, and it is good chilled too. The same notes shine through as I mentioned.

Backlogging from yesterday.

I finally got this tea. It was sold out of my local DT for quite awhile. Then, the last 3 times that I went, I got distracted by other new teas and forgot to try this one!

This is better than I was expecting. It is earthy but not as earthy as a mate base. I like this guayusa base, it is earthy but remains sweet. To me, this and the new main squeeze are very similar which I tried the day before this one.

The papaya and peach come through very nicely. Too bad there is flavourings in this one.

I put the last part of this cup in the fridge to cool and tried it this morning. It was very good chilled. Very peachy and refreshing.

I like chocolate………I like mint……..I like vanilla…..

Really, what is there not to like in this blend. Great for dessert! Nice and smooth, and all 3 flavours make an appearance.

mmmm…bedtime!

Thanks so much to Stacy for this lovely sample

These leaves are suprisingly really long and beautiful looking.

This black tea is great quality. Natural tasting black tea first with smooth notes of honey. In the aftertaste and at the end of the sip, I am picking up those lovely fruity peachy notes.

I am really enjoying this without any additions!

Thank you Stacy for this sample

Hmm, I have no idea what tamarind is. This tea was really good. I was eating some leftover cake with it, and the sweetness of the cake really made the flavour pop. It is nice and creamy, but I am really not sure how to describe it.

Good suggestion Alphakitty!

EDIT: Upon Stacy’s suggestion to add sugar, I added sugar to my resteep for 5 minutes. It turned out really good. Cuts the bitterness of the first steep without sugar. This does taste a little bit more familiar now, I have probably have had tamarind like Alphakitty suggested.

Summer is almost over :( I am almost done my tin of tropicalia and I wanted to compare it to 52teas Pina Colada Honeybush before I decide which one to stock up on. So here it goes:

Tropicalia
Colour: yellow
Smell: sweet, tropical
Price/50g: $6.75
Taste like a pina colada? Not really
Artifical flavour: Yes
Prominent flavour: Pineapple
Rating: 94

Pina Colada Honeybush
Colour: orange
Smell: pina colada
Price/50g: $8.99 +shipping
Taste like a pina colada? pretty close
Artifical flavour: Not that I know of
Prominent flavour: Coconut
Rating: 97

These teas are similar and I really like them both but I would have to say Pina Colada Honeybush wins. Even though it is a little more expensive, I like the sweetness that the honeybush brings out. It tastes more natural. And I like that it is more coconutty!

Has anyone else done a comparison on these 2 teas? What are your opinions?