CitizenTea

Really, really sweet and juicy/jammy cranberry top notes and body in this mug of tea but then the finish was thinner and vegetal leaning with that crisp bamboo finishing that feels so hydrating and pleasant on the palate. A really solid cup of tea.

Hot cuppa that I drank during one of my group interviews earlier in the week.

I definitely don’t think the water was cool enough when I steeped this one up, because it had a sort of medicinal flavour to it – the same way that currants can sort of venture into medicinal territory if steeped too long. Not bad but not ideal. Apart from that, flavour was very subdued cranberry or cranberry jam, and lots of grassy elements from the bamboo in the blend.

Still a good cup, though.

So sweet and smooth; light refreshing notes of cucumber, bamboo, and fresh Springtime grass accented with hints of cranberry. No tartness though; just sweet cranberry notes. ALMOST had a candied cranberry taste to it. Almost.

Last tea from my themed day of all White Teas; I managed to miss this review when I was doing all of the others. Unfortunately a fair bit of time has passed and I don’t overly remember what the experience was liking steeping this one up/drinking it on that day apart from the fact I know I enjoyed the cup overall and I thought it was pretty mild/delicate tasting. Note to myself to pay more attention next time/be more diligent in getting my thoughts jotted down in a more timely way.

Placed my very first Citizen tea order a little while ago because they were doing a free shipping promo! Now that is how you get my business – free shipping is the fucking BEST because it lets me order whatever I want without feeling guilt. Tons of little baby samples? Can do! Only one tea, but a decent amount of it? Yup! Both of those approaches have some major pros – both in terms of introducing yourself to a company and just in regard to restocking favourites.

In this circumstance, I went for two medium-ish quantities of teas I’d been really curious about for a while with the knowledge that I’d also get three free samples which would help with the whole sampling/introducing myself to this companies offerings thing. This was one of the teas I was specifically interested in though; I’m very into fruity whites and I’ve liked A LOT of the bamboo teas I’ve tried in the past so I was intrigued by the presence of both those things – plus cranberry is a flavour you can enjoy year round but that feels particularly appropriate around winter.

My first tasting of this was as an iced tea, and I have to say I was very impressed by it! It was very soft and light bodied, but with a great crispness and really light, delicate vegetal/grassy notes from the bamboo! Like, that tastes comes through really clearly and it just works very well as an iced tea. It’s like the best parts of white tea and green tea converged into one, with a very clear/defined finish that makes it feel all the more refreshing/hydrating.

What made it better was the cranberry though. It wasn’t a bold or rich flavour, but it was really present in the top of the sip as this really lively burst of both distinct cranberry sweetness and just a fleck or too of tartness, which transitioned really nicely into that bamboo heavy body flavour. I think it’s a really well executed balance that really, really represents all of the things in the blend! Colour me impressed!

Song Pairing: https://youtu.be/BKLVpDTZOPQ

Thanks for the sample CitizenTea!
This was tasty. I Definitely peachy, and rather tart in some sips and super sweet in others. A little fake tasting. I’d buy a cup to go maybe or keep a sampler around

Hmmm definitely a white tea. and there is something reminiscent of cranberry, though more like the dried fruit, not the juice or fresh fruit. The bamboo is hanging around as well and offers a nice body to the blend, however I would have preferred it without, so that I could taste the crispness of the white.
Once the cup cools, a fresh sweetness emerges, almost like honeysuckle. It lingers for a long time in the aftertaste!!
High marks given for a much deeper level of complexity than I anticipated

I swear I’ve reviewed this one before.
Funny, I looooove this tea, and yet a rather similar tea, albeit from a different company, is one I find overly cloying and thick tasting. Main differences are that the other one is an herbal and has artificial ingredients. Now, I’m not generally a huge white tea person (lately, that can change!). But I’m wondering what would happen if I added white or green to the other one. I’ve got tons in my cupboard so need to use it all up. Hmmm!
Or blended these two together.
Anyhow. I really love how this one is so reminiscent of tart strawberries, and pairs so perfectly with the white base. It isn’t the first time I’ve fallen in love with a white strawberry tea, though the first time was organic, and had a much more delicate feel to it. Oh how I miss that tea!!

Sipdown that was sitting in my cupboard for probably a year. I didn’t care for this at all. I find it sour instead of desserty. Also coffee and apples? Not sure how those two things can be expected to combine to mimic tiramisu.

I’m glad it’s gone now.

Sipdown (344)!

Thank you VariaTEA for the sample!

There wasn’t quite enough here to Gong Fu so I opted for a large Western style mug of it instead. I was very quickly taken aback by it though; this is so incredibly smokey for a Golden Monkey tea! I mean, that’s not to say it’s incredibly smokey in general – it’s just that I’ve never experienced smoke notes like this from a Golden Monkey. I’m glad to see, skimming the other reviews on Steepster, that I’m not the only one to get that flavour from the liquor though. So basically; this is smokey in the top and trailing into the body, with notes of malt and cocoa. The finish is a little more like what I’d expect from a Golden Monkey though – sweeter with jammy stonefruit notes and a honey sweetness.

I mean, I did enjoy it but it was so weird and out of character that I just don’t know what exactly to make of it from this taste alone…

I finally figured out what puts me off. While I don’t think this is a bad tea… the addition of apple seems to ruin the balance. It really doesn’t do much for me without milk, not unless I’m especcially in the mood for it, which is rare, but with milk, the apple bits just don’t seem to fit.
Once I get through the first few sips it kinda grows on me a teeny bit. Slightly remnicent of what I’d imagine an apple pie latte would taste like?
Also, the base tea is highly astringent in the sour ish way. So between those two factors, I’ll easily finish the sample…. but I won’t be replacing it in my cupboard!

I’ve been hesitant to open my sample. This was one of my first tea loves, but doesn’t age well so the last time I had it in my cupboard, years ago, my last few cups were seriously meh. Not exactly the greatest last memory.
Anyhow. It was super smooth and perfectly nutty, with none of the scratchy blandness I was stuck with towards the end of my bag (no tins yet, at that time). Super noms.
Also? three infusions with some mineral notes peeking out on the third!

Meant to review this one there other day, so this is going off of memory. I made this as a latte with my hazelnut agave and it was pretty good. It was a bit strong and a bit too sweet as I went a bit nuts on the sweetener, but whatever. I did enjoy it. I’m not sure if I Would get this one again or not…

I quite enjoyed this one! I like the mix of chocolate and hazelnut. I have a hazelnut agave here at home, so I would probably add it to the tea and make the nuttiness come out more. Also, I’m planning on trying this one as a latte next ’cause I know it would be delicious! Yummmm!

Very nice strawberry flavour to this, but it does have a slight hint of floral and a bit of tartness from the hibiscus. If it weren’t for the hibiscus I think I would have been a bit more in love with this one. Oh well… It’s not for me, but so be it…

Wow does this ever taste like the Teaopia blend! I use to drink this one hot, but today I thought I’d do it cold.

It’s pretty good. I probably could have let it steep a bit longer than the 5 minutes I did, but that’s okay. This one has a nice fruitiness to it, but it also has some floral from the rosehips. Because of that floral, I’m not sure if I’d get this one again. But it was nice to try this blend.

2tsp for 250mL water @90C, steeped 9 minutes. The packet recommends 2tsp for 1 cup of water, which seems like a lot to me, but with tisanes, things can get tricky. So I’ll follow the instructions. Packet also recommends a steep time of six to eight minutes. I got distracted and left it for 9.

Dry leaf: gorgeous dark roasted mate. I was delighted to see that, because the packet lists only “mate” as an ingredient. I was worried that green mate, so fresh and vibrant, couldn’t stand up to chai spices. Roasted can, I have no doubt. I love roasted mate, and it can be hard to find. Strong scent of ginger and cloves, which I love. Clove is an ingredient I don’t often encounter in chai blends. Stash uses it, and Stash was the first chai blend I ever tried, so now for me cloves need to be there. And ginger. I adore cloves and ginger. Cinnamon I can take or leave in a chai blend. This probably tells you I am an unsophisticated brute who knows nothing of chai.

Wet leaf: glossy dark roasted mate, but of clove and ginger showing.

Liquor: quite dark, though not as dark as a pu-ehr. Dark golden brown, as a Nigiri might give. Translucent: light passes through without interruption from down or fragments. Fragrant still with clove and ginger — and a bit of cardamom, which I also adore but can only take in small doses. Too much cardamom gives tisanes, teas and coffee a soapy mouthfeel. I also find too much cardamom hard on the stomach. Given how long I’ve steeped this, I’m a bit nervous.

Just on the edge of soap with the cardamom, and I blame myself. A shorter steep would solve that.

A very balanced blend. The roasted mate is all toasty and a bit earthy, a subtle touch of bitterness — which really works here. I don’t think it needs any sweetening, because the ginger and cinnamon sweeten things nicely at the end. The cloves add depth, and the pepper leaves a lingering bite that builds with each sip.

The mate lift kicks in fast, as it should. Not a smack to the head, but a definite boost. Very pleasant.

I really like it. Citizen Tea seem to have a good handle on blends. Watch the water temp and steep times on this beauty, and enjoy.

Ohhhhh my. So perfect today.
I added a few splashes of coffee and it really brings the whole cup together. With milk and without. and half a teaspoon of sugar.
Ugh. This headache is on day two now. Four extra strength tylenol did nothing yesterday. No time to hit up the pharmacy for investigation of other options… boyfriend has a vending event tonight and we’re busy getting ready today. Bah.

So much yum. Just the way I remember. Perfectly cherry!! and almond. Indugent and comforting. Oh yes. I do wish it was a tad stronger in the flavour. It wouldn’t stand up to a latte. Still gonna try it one of these days.
I’m on staycation with the boy, so added a few drops of triple sec, inspired by the “blueberry tea” recipe… amarreto, grand marnier, and tea. The true alcohol version actually does taste like the berry, despite a lack of anything blue in the ingredients. My concoction today is quite delish, but not blueberry though. Still, I am a happy girl.
Nostalgia lives here :)

2.5 tsp for 500mL water @ 95C, steeped five minutes.

Yeah. I know. Water’s probably too cool. I made the tea in a double-walled glass beaker that can’t take water over 93C, so I;m pushing my luck as it is.

Still, this tisane shuodl have a little more flavour and aroma. Very little scent, and what I do get is of rooibos, not strawberry. I’m glad this blend has no hibiscus, but it does lack something. The rooibos is not woody, but it is flat and nearly tasteless. The flavouring — artificial? natural? fruit0based? the label only says “flavouring” — doesn’t add much.

I don’t enjoy giving poor reviews. This is two in a row for Citizen Tea. Jeez, now I’ve got tea guilt.

2.5 tsp for 500mL water @95C, steeped four minutes thirty seconds.

I often steep China black teas in water just off the boil to avoid bitterness, especially in lower-end Yunnans and Keemuns.

It didn’t help. This Golden Monkey disappointed me: bitter and woody. Something like … earth, I think, sort of a dank smoke. I know, that sounds terrible, and I really don’t want to slam this tea. other Yunnan Golden Moneys I’ve tried are lighter, sweeter, and give an enticing scent. This one didn’t have much scent, either. Dang.

I will try this one again with 100C water, but I expect what I object to now will only be stronger with hotter water.

So I’ve come around to this tea. Still finishing my sampler… but it goes down SO easy that sometimes it’s just what I need. Also, I feel as if it would be great for introducing newbs to puerh, and also for mixing tea mock or cocktails. I have a few xmas parties coming up, so I may experiment with a few things. From the blend they had awhile back at the tea festival, I know puerh goes great with lemonade, and orange juice so I may start there. Or cranberry.
Oh yah, and I ordered a whole tin during the black friday sale. Rating bump.

Not a bad tea. Fruity in a familiar way, but well done. Very well blended.
I enjoy the mix of light and dark flavours: bold puerh, light fruit… kinda like a complex wine. Heck, throw in some spice and I could be fooled into thinking it was mulled wine. Well, not really, but it could be a great alternative for those who don’t drink :D
After finishing my mug, I’m now noticing a slight sharp aftertaste, followed by a bitterness that I’ve never experienced before. Similar to tonic (soda)water. For that reason alone, I’m dropping the rating a few points.
It isn’t something I want a lot of in my cupboard, but I found it extremely easy to drink, and quickly. Perhaps I should keep it around for those days I feel dehydrated