Bird & Blend Tea Co.

Sipdown 185/397

I could have sworn I’d written a tasting note on this already. This tea was an early favourite of mine, zingy lime and refreshing mint which really did remind me of a mojito – and I’m a bartender, so I’ve made and drank plenty. Sadly, as this tea has aged, the lime has dissipated to the point where this just tastes like a mint green tea to me. NOT the tea’s fault, I hasten to add, since I’ve had this so long it’s still in Bluebird packaging with ‘I was packed by teabird Mike’ written across the front. I’ve been holding onto the tiniest bit because I loved it so much and I was loathe to throw out original Bluebird packaging (I might be a bit of a hoarder). I’m trying to rethink that outlook and remind myself that tea is a perishable item which can’t be kept indefinitely, so finally saying goodbye for now. I won’t make any promises that I won’t pick up more in the future, though.

I drank this with the last of my cream, and it was heavenly. Smooth, thick, creamy chocolate like the best hot chocolate in the world. A real chilli kick behind it too, along with the spices, especially the ginger, to remind you that it’s a chai and not just a common hot chocolate. This was truly decadent, and the best way to drink this tea so far. The spices play around and seem to change up a bit, tasting slightly different in each mouthful. The chocolate taste is somehow more ‘real’ and present than in a lot of chocolate teas I’ve tried, and the chilli kick is also a lot more powerful than I was expecting. I did have one bad mouthful – somewhere around the half-way point of my mug, I got a mouthful which was very strongly cardamom, a flavour I don’t really like. This was a shock, as although it is present in a lot of chais, it usually just complement the other flavours. This was like a full on cardamom whack to the face, and took me a minute or two to steel myself enough to drink any more (which thankfully did not have the same strong cardamom punch). My favourite way to drink this chai so far, although I’m now thinking I should do it as a latte.

Apologies for the probably incoherent and definitely rambling tasting note – I wrote the first couple of lines hours ago, and it’s now almost 3AM and I’m super tired but can’t sleep. I hate it when my brain does that.

A side note – my mystery box from MissB arrived today! I didn’t expect to see it yet so was happily surprised, and then even more so when I saw the contents (which basically consisted of all wishlist items). Bonny has put so much thought into it I was really touched, and seriously felt like a kid at Christmas opening all my new teas and inspecting and sniffing each one. I’ve already tried a few of the teas I received, and will review some tomorrow hopefully. I was planning to today, but I’m too tired to do it justice.

095/365

Sticking with the valentine’s theme. The first thing that strikes me is that it’s a lot more artificial in terms of scent than I remember it being, although granted that was four years ago at least. This one used to be part of Bluebird’s main range, but it’s now a limited edition seasonal. I picked it up this year for old time’s sake, and because I like to revisit things from time to time…

I made this one up as a latte, using 2 tsp of tea in 200ml water, 200ml milk, 1 tsp of honey and 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence. Brewed, it’s less artificial and more syrupy, although it still doesn’t resemble anything in nature.

The main flavour is artificial strawberry, and it’s pretty strong and overpowering. There’s an undertone of cocoa, which adds a light bitterness and slightly drying quality. It’s not really chocolate which is how it was billed, but it’s cocoa shells contributing the flavour so that’s hardly a surprise. The rose is pretty much non-existent, but in fairness that’s okay with me. It probably would have been a step too far in flavour terms.

I’m finding this one rich and fairly cloying, even as a latte. I imagine it’s more palatable than it would have been straight, purely because it’s not as concentrated, but it’s still fairly borderline. I don’t mind it, but it’s not my favourite Bluebird.

Scheherazade’s Super Sipdown Week! #16

Sparkly, hot chocolate awesomeness. I’ve really come to appreciate this one as my last black tea of the evening. With a splash of milk, this one develops a creamy milk chocolate flavour, with a faint touch of turkish delight. I know Enchanted Narnia is Bluebird’s proper turkish delight tea, but this one is so much better in my opinion.

I’ve been drinking a lot of this in the evenings lately, partly in an attempt to move it nearer to sip down, and also because it’s a genuinely lovely treat. It’s like hot chocolate with a splash of strawberry flavoured cream. The little heart candies and the sprinkling of glitter make it a pretty cup, too, which never hurts. Perfect with milk on a chilly summer evening!

I can’t remember whether I’ve ever logged this one properly. Something tells me not. Brewing, it smells wonderfully of warm, melted chocolate. The dry mix is really pretty, and well suited to a tea called love potion — rose petals, heart candies, a touch of sparkle…

The first sip of this one reminds me of Adagio’s Ripe for Romance. The chocolate is better here, though – less artificial tasting, and more silky and natural. It actually gives this tea a slightly thick, luxurious mouthfeel, although without being oily. The strawberry is subtle, but adds a fruity, fresh, summery sweetness to the middle of the sip. The strawberry is another very natural flavour.

I tried this one with milk first off, but I imagine it would be equally palatable without. That’s probably something I’ll move towards as spring develops. I’m impressed with this one, and I can see myself drinking it happily this spring/summer.

AAAAAAAAAAA STRESS

Back up in Manchester and packing up a ton of stuff to move down in anticipation of having proper new digs in 2 weeks. Moving is the most stressful thing ever.

BUT. Today is the 40th anniversary of Tom Baker first gracing our television screens as Doctor Who, and some friends of mine and I have some things to say about it (and I painted a thing):

http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/40-years-of-tom-baker.html

Oh yeah, and this tea! Okay, so this wasn’t my absolute favourite the last time I tried it. But you know something? It definitely improves when you cold-brew it overnight in the fridge instead of serving hot. Yes, definitely. It’s meant to be refreshing and sweet-tart, with citrus and jammy sweet. This is good.

I made this to go with my early evening meal of strawberries (impulse clearance purchase at Tesco, and they are GORGEOUS) and rhubarb yoghurt (which I overbought because it was on multibuy special and I don’t mind at all because it’s my favourite, and turns out it’s Gentleman’s too – good Gosh, we’re nauseatingly cute) and it seemed fitting that my tea should be strawberry lemonade with such a meal.

This is also the last of my new Bluebird teas, so it’ll be a while before I get to try another Bluebird flavour for the first time.

And I have to say that this is probably my least favourite of the teas I’ve had from them. That’s not to say it isn’t good by any means, but just a bit less exciting, I suppose. There’s something in the flavour that almost reminds me of tart apples, and the more I think of it in that way and the less I look for full-on fresh strawberry flavour, the more I like it, actually. I’m bumping the rating up a bit before I post this because of that, come to think of it.

It’s got a bit of a jammyness and a tart finish that befits a tea with lemonade in the name; indeed, it’s tart enough that I feel the need to offset it with a bit of sugar, though that’s not unusual for me and my ravenous sweet tooth anyway. There’s definitely a presence of hibiscus, which is something I dig. I’m like 2/3 of the way through this cup of tea and I’ve decided I like it. Yep.

Well.

I am definitely not feeling skinny today, as I ate two plates of pancakes yesterday for dinner and another plate of pancakes today for brunch and I’m having lady troubles. So a tea full of things that are supposed to be really good for your tummy seems like a damn good idea.

And was I excited for a tea which combines pu’erh (which I love) and oolong (which I love) and ginger (which I love)? Heck yeah! The first thing I smell is ginger. And then some more ginger. And even more ginger. I lost count brewing it, so I’m guessing it was 3 minutes, but I could be estimating wrong because my stove heats really unevenly and I was trying not to burn my pancakes. I’m still getting mostly a big hit of sharp ginger in the cup, so I added a little milk, which tends to bring forward the pu’erh in blends. And it does! Now there’s a lovely earthy note beneath the ginger. I’m noticing sweet fennel notes as the tea cools as well, but it blends well with the other flavours. It tastes like it’s good for you, but in a really delicious way. Mmm, gingery.

Oh man. Had this the other night when I was feeling oddly groggy and blergh after a long day and WAY too much pasta for dinner (I really should have known better!) and it elevated wonderfully. Somehow, the spearmint and jasmine combo makes the whole thing into a sort of sweet, juicy floral. I’m wary of florals tasting a bit cloying if they’re strong, bu somehow this manages masses of jasmine while being incredibly light and soft and sweet, while still being packed full of flavour. This, plus a big fluffy blanket, plus watching James May attempt to build things on telly, plus someone to cuddle up to, is basically my ideal quiet night in.

I have yet to find a Bluebird tea that I don’t love, dammit! YOU GUYS, I CAN’T AFFORD TO KEEP BUYING TEA BUT THEY KEEP BEING SO GOOD AND I WANT THEM ALL

Seriously, this is gorgeous. The scent starts with refreshing spearmint, but stick with it for a few moments and the florals float in like a diaphanous blanket of joy. The slightly sweet, fruit-floral flavours dominate in the cup, with a light finish of mint. It’s amazing how much jasmine there is in here without it tasting cloying or like perfume. It’s light and lovely, and the white tea is delicate and beautiful. This is a nice Sunday morning.

Okay, I just looked at the clock and it’s afternoon, and I’m not dressed yet. Let’s call it morfternoon. This is a nice tea for a Sunday morfternoon.

Know where I was this afternoon? A cake expo. It’s pretty much my wonderland. And I got in for free, and there were free samples everywhere of all the things (salted caramel marshmallow, oh you sexy beast!) and enough free samples of booze that I admittedly had a bit of a buzz on by the time we left the building. Whoop.

And I emerged with only one purchase: a very sensible giant doughnut with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Its name is the Pink Princess. I can see why.

So I’m kind of down with a somewhat cleansing tea, though the name of this suggests more toxins rather than less, admittedly. I can tell you exactly why I love this even though the thought of an actual mojito turns my stomach a bit, and it’s basically because this isn’t ruined with icky booze. I’m not a big drinker at the best of times, but if it tastes of rum or tequila, I will be making embarrassing yuck faces long after it’s passed my taste buds. This, however, is just a lovely festival of mint and lime that I like with a squizzle of honey or a packet of organic sugar for balance, and feels really cleansing after an afternoon of various bits of frosting and cake and fudge and marshmallows and jams and sloe gin.

(Gosh I do love a good sloe gin. If I weren’t virtually teetotal I could easily ruin myself on that stuff.)

I admit I was wary of this tea because I don’t actually like mojitos at all.

Turns out it must be the booze in them I’m not fond of! This tea, by contrast is delightful. The mint is refreshing and lovely alongside the perfumed citrus of the lime and lemongrass, with some little background notes of soft honey.

And it turns out that dried limes look really cool. This is a good start to the day. At 3 in the afternoon. Whoops.

I love the large rose buds in this blend, they are whole and look so beautiful. I could smell their sweetness as soon as I opened the packet. There is also a hint of cinnamon behind the sweet rose which is unusual but still pleasant.

Flavour wise this is stronger than I thought it would be, I can taste the licorice rather strongly with the sweet rose misting over the top and through to the after taste but the cinnamon has gotten lost in translation. The rose may be subtle but I’m happy it’s still present, and that it’s enough to cover over the licorice as I’m not a huge fan.

This is just a strange blend if I’m honest, or at least strange for me, but it is nice and I’m drinking it with ease. My husband said it’s nice too. Not sure if it’s a tea that I would re-stock but it would be nice on a warm day.

GOOD GOSH it gets stupidly humid around these parts! I had the most ridiculous headache this afternoon before it finally broke and started raining for a while. Such a blessed relief when it did.

Wednesday I’m having a chat with the university about doing some admin work soon, so fingers crossed. I’m fine with the baking (though MAN, if I can escape the politics of that place sooner rather than later, good) but it’s hot as balls in the bakery and it’s doing bad things for my eczema! Ho hum.

This is another tea it turns out I much prefer when it’s cold. It’s got a nice balance between earthiness from the beet and sweetness from the fruit. I dig it.

Another entry from the exciting Bluebird tea roulette collection, and MAN, it’s definitely a beet tea.

I felt like I needed something both calming and fortifying this morning, since I’m preparing for a job interview. The earthiness of beetroot seemed a good choice. The concept of a beet tea is new to me, and I was admittedly skeptical. The dry mix smells just like beets, and as it brews, I get the aroma of, well, cooked beets. And it brews up a vibrant shade of deep beetroot pink. This isn’t selling it well, but man, it’s actually really good! The flavour is strongly beet as well, but bolstered by subtle notes of sweet apple and a tart finish from the citrus and hibiscus. But mostly, it’s beet. And that’s actually making me feel really good about the morning. Thank you, beet!

So I’ve been prescribed an iron supplement for about a month now, and it’s seriously cramping my style inasmuch as I have to be really careful eating and drinking around it – for some stupid reason, tea inhibits its effectiveness, and so does dairy. TEA AND DAIRY ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT FOOD GROUPS TO ME, WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

So as a result of this I’m trying to find herbals and rooibos teas I can drink early and late in the day that won’t interfere with my attempt to see whether the iron tablets will be enough to make me not a complete wreck. This one’s a no-brainer because a) it’s rhubarb, which is one of my favourite tastes; and b) it’s Bluebird, and their teas are reliably delicious. So this one went down a treat as always last night, all creamy rhubarby goodness in harmony with the taste I like about rooibos, and none of the sickly medicinal-ness that I don’t. Win!

(Also, feel free to recommend me your favourite rooibos/herbals, as I’mma have to increase my arsenal of them if this iron thing ends up being long-term. Help me, Steepster hive mind, you’re my only hope!)

Yes, rhubarb good. The past two days I’ve been off work (because apparently “we can give you full-time hours” actually means “we’ll text you at 4:30 in the afternoon to let you know whether or not to bother coming in the next day, and then wait another day to tell you if you’re coming in at all this week”) and MAN have I apparently needed mountains of rest. Left bed proper at, umm, 3 today? The good news is I can sort of lift my right arm but my ankles are a bit wobbly. Doesn’t bode well, nope.

But rhubarb and custard is always a welcome treat. I pretty much love rhubarb anything, and since this tastes joyously of sweet, cooked rhubarb, it comforts my beleaguered soul quite well indeed.

Bluebird delivers another hit!

I was simultaneously excited and nervous about this one because a) I looooooooove anything to do with rhubarb; and b) I’m not a huge fan of rooibos-heavy teas. But this one strikes the balance perfectly. The aroma straight out of the bag is pure, gorgeous rhubarb, the rooibos coming out to play a little as it brews. There’s a lovely rhubarb tartness in the cup, and the creamy custard element is brought forward with a little milk and sugar. The flavour starts with sweet rhubarb, surrounded by just enough of the rooibos shining through, and a mildly tart finish. Maybe I’m just having a lot of emotions because Gentleman is on an aeroplane to Australia as we speak, but this tea is so beautiful that I could weep.

I’m getting masses of chocolate mid-sip with this today, and a creamy rosy finish. It’s just what I need to forget about what a bouncy lardbutt I’ve become and how Christmas at the in-laws and the relentless stream of English food really isn’t helping.

My kingdom for, like, nothing but miso soup and wilted kale!

I love this tea so much that it inspired me to bake a cake that tastes like it.

And oh daaaaaaaaaamn, it was GOOD.

In spite of all the crazy badness that ought to be getting me down today, I’m in good spirits. This tea is magical. Even the leaves are so pretty! Soft greens and petals and perfect little pink rosebuds! Magnificent!

I’m sometimes wary of floral teas, lest they be too intense and perfumey, but this strikes a lovely balance. I mean, the dry tea genuinely smells like Turkish delight, sweet and rosey. Brewing, a bit of a lemony fragrance emerges alongside, which lends a little tartness to the finished tea. I added a bit of organic sugar to soften the tartness, which lent a creamy fluffiness to the lemon undertones. The predominant flavours, however, are soft, sweet rose, flanked by just a little creamy chocolate, which leaves a lightly lingering finish.

If you’re a little bit crazy, like me, you can even draw out that softness with just a drop of nonfat milk.

Because wow. It’s just making me so happy. I think this might be one of my favourite herbal blends ever.

Note to self: maybe I was just destined to gain 2 stone in the last year and I’m just going to have to scrape together the money to replace my badass wardrobe, because I’m on the first of my 2 fast days this week and just, ugh. I’m not even normally hungry in the mornings, and today I woke up bloody famished. This is mean.

Drinking a nice chilled bottle of this is some little solace. It’s refreshing and has enough of a natural sweetness I don’t mind not being able to add anything to it (because I can’t spare the calories and SWEETENER IS THE GROSSEST THING EVER) so yeah, this is just right and good and kind of making me have less of a headache, so that’s nice.

This had better be worth it. stares pointedly downward at wobbly tub of guts

Cold-brewed a big ol’ bottle of this to sip on in my second-last day on this contract (FROWNY FACE). So far today, I’ve done about 20 minutes total of work, and otherwise started knitting a new piece for etsy, edited a page of a short story for which the deadline is looming, and investigated how the heck to stay in the UK after my 2-year visa’s up.

(It’s not eligible for renewal and a trained monkey could do the kind of administrative work they seem to think is all I’m good for here DON’T YOU PEOPLE KNOW I’VE GOT A STUPIDLY HIGH IQ AND BAGS OF EXPERIENCE FERCHRISSAKES so there’s no chance in getting the uni to be able to sponsor me, when it’d be so much easier for them to just hire somebody else to do my job, if I even have one in 9 months time, so guess who’s probably going to get married next spring so Gentleman and I can continue living in the same place? Not as romantic a proposal as I’d have liked, but there you have it.)

This tea is still lovely. I expect I’ll crave it less as the weather gets colder and I want cozier things, but for now, it’s magnificent, sharp and melony. I can’t believe I’m the only person who’s reviewed it on here!