Dryad Tea

My last Dryad sample, woohoo!

To me, this is just okay. It doesn’t really have enough black tea in it, I get a touch of smokiness but no real black tea flavor. Mostly it’s very strong, earthy ginger with some other spices in there as well. Tastes like a very potent herbal ginger chai with a hint of smokiness. I was hoping for more balance.

This one is nice enough – a rooibos and honeybush blend with cinnamon and hints of fruit. Happily, I taste more of the honeybush than the rooibos, and it has a mellow woody flavor. The cinnamon is strong but not overly so, and seems to be entirely from the cinnamon pieces, as there is no flavoring listed in the ingredients. I only get hints of the strawberry and orange, which doesn’t surprise me since there are only a few pieces, and freeze-dried fruit requires quite a lot to get a strong flavor.

Overall, it’s enjoyable. Mostly a cinnamon honeybush, and somewhat sweet and comforting.

Another lingering Dryad sample.

This one is… not good. The lemon is extremely cleaner-like, it reminds me of the smell of orange oil or Goo-Gone lol! Not exactly appealing… I don’t notice blueberry, and the base is a painfully generic Chinese sencha with too many rough edges.

Nope!

Trying to clear out some of the lingering samples on my tea counter! I got through most of the ones from Dryad shortly after I ordered them, but there are a few stragglers still hanging around…

This tea is described as having roasted chestnut and caramel with a hint of star anise. It has all the bases ha ha – black, green, rooibos, and maté. I steeped it at a green tea temperature, but am wondering if the green tea here is hojicha as I didn’t notice any conventional green tea-looking leaves. So probably should have steeped it hotter, but oh well!

Anyway… It’s a pleasant enough tea. I definitely get the star anise, it’s a bit more than a hint but not overpowering. Otherwise, it’s vaguely caramel or cream-like. I don’t really notice chestnut, or a distinct nuttiness in general. So really, the anise ends up being the main flavor for me, which I don’t mind. It’s almost like a creamy black licorice tea? But overall quite mildly flavored. As for the base, I mostly taste rooibos and black tea, though they are also very soft. It’s a bit muddled, which isn’t surprising as it seems to be quite a few different teas mixed together.

Now I want to try making some kind of black licorice pudding, because that sounds interesting. I think I saw Nigella make one once, I’ll have to go find that recipe… :)

I wasn’t sure I would like this one since it has almond, but the combination sounded too interesting to pass up. It has chocolate, smoke, almond, and cinnamon.

It smelled very almondy in the pouch, but honestly all of the added flavors are quite mild in the cup. I mostly taste the lapsang, which is mellow since it’s blended with other teas. Then there’s a bit of almond/marzipan and a touch of chocolate, along with a very subtle sprinkling of cinnamon.

Overall, it’s perfectly pleasant, but I feel like it needs a little more oomph from at least one of the flavors, as it’s a bit too subtle to me. There’s a bit of a whiskey barrel character to it that could be interesting if it were a little more balanced.

More Dryad. This one is pleasant but overall a bit too light on flavor. I do enjoy the hazelnut and cream together, it reminds me a bit of chestnut cream in a fluffy French pastry. The cinnamon is nice enough. I just feel like it needs more of everything.

Another spiced tea from Dryad this morning.

This is supposed to be cranberry, orange, and cinnamon, but sadly I’m not getting much in the way of fruity notes. Even the cinnamon isn’t all that strong. It’s not bland per se, but definitely very restrained in the amount of added flavor. I get a little hint of dried cranberry, no orange at all, and then a dusting of cinnamon on top. It’s not unpleasant, but certainly not what I was hoping for – more of a mild cinnamon toast type tea.

Need to get back to trying some samples. Been having some stomach troubles, which has seriously cut into my tea drinking for the past few weeks!

This is okay. It doesn’t really say pumpkin spice to me, mostly it’s a cinnamon black tea with a little bit of a creamy/buttery note to it. The base is fine, not bland but not too brisk. Overall something about the cinnamon reminds me of a scented candle, which isn’t my favorite. Still very drinkable though.

I approached this tea with a bit of trepidation after what happened with the last Dryad sample… XD

Thankfully, this one is actually quite nice. It’s very soft and light but has a nice realistic and crisp apple/pear flavor to it, accented by subtle warming spices. Apparently it also has pomegranate, I’m not sure I’m tasting that, but maybe it’s rounding out the bottom end of the apple. There is a slight winey thing going on, maybe that’s from the pomegranate.

Regardless, it’s nice and perfect for fall. I’m not sure whether I would order more of it, but it does seem different from other apple spice teas I’ve had. It leans more on the apple side and has that aromatic wine note going for it. Almost reminds me of Momijigari? Which, obviously, is a good sign! There’s almost a bit of a potpourri note, but somehow not in a bad way?

I swear that several years back I tried some teas from Dryad, but I don’t seem to have written any notes about them here, so maybe I’m crazy… So I ended up ordering quite a few samples (15, to be exact) since I was curious and couldn’t remember any previous opinion I may have had.

This one sounded intriguing, with dark berry, vanilla, and anise. I actually created a blend in last year’s herbal advent that combined elderberry and anise, along with cacao and hojicha, and I quite liked it.

Anyway, this has an insane amount of anise seed, so unsurprisingly that is mostly what I taste. Unfortunately, there is also a weird soapy/perfume note, which is very strange since this doesn’t even have any florals in it. It’s very perplexing, and I made my husband try it to make sure I wasn’t crazy lol – he said it tastes like potpourri. XD They do mention “painting the roses red” in description, so maybe there is some kind of floral flavoring that they don’t list outright? (shrugs)

I’m upping my rating from 83 to 86; I find that the less of this leaf I use, the more I like it. I usually steep a bunch of dried lemongrass and drink it a few times a week—daily, if I remember. Yesterday, I added a bit of this blend to the lemongrass, and it was super lovely.

Take two.

Being the scientific type and a huge advocate of precision, I … changed every variable at once. :D Less tea (maybe .75 tsp instead of 1, but Steepster won’t let me submit .75), more water, lower temperature, shorter steep. And yay, so much better! This time, the violet candy fragrance I detected in the dry leaf was absent. Nothing in the leaf’s changed since yesterday, so I’m going to chalk it up to wishful thinking on my part. The best thing is that the brew tasted floral, not soapy. As it cooled, I could swear a bit of the violet candy vibe came back. After yesterday’s experience, though, I didn’t let it cool much, and successfully avoided the bitterness and the astringency.

Oof, the bouquet is very strong in this one. The flavour even lingers quite a bit, which is also something I’m not used to with greens. Another thing I noticed is that the vegetal greenness I noticed yesterday was absent today; instead, the base served to brighten the other flavours.

This isn’t an everyday cup for me, but I reckon it’d be really nice to have on occasion. I’ve still got some left—maybe cold, next time? I feel comfortable rating it this time, and the more I nyum-nyum, the more I appreciate that it’s trying something different.

I’d still call it the Lavender Duke, though.

This blend has me at such a loss. I didn’t know that Earl Grey without bergamot was a thing. I thought bergamot is what made Earl Grey, Earl Grey. TIL.

Let’s start with the dry leaf fragrance. A few weeks ago, I was staying at a place that had hand soap whose fragrance reminded me of those violet candies that were popular when I was a kid. And it’s funny, because at that time, I had the thought that it would be interesting to try a tea that reminded me of that candy.

Now I’m not so sure.

The fragrance of the dry leaf is bold, which I love. And it’s—pow!—floral, which I … think I like? It was definitely interesting. And it absolutely reminded me of those violet candies! The steeped brew had a much milder fragrance, which started to regain its intensity as the brew cooled. I did get a vegetal whiff of green tea from the brew, which I didn’t from the dry leaf.

When I took my first sip, my first thought was, oh no, it’s the soap gene all over again. You know how some folks think cilantro tastes like soap? This tea tasted kind of soapy to me, and that wasn’t great. I let it cool a bit, just to see what would happen, and it got really bitter and … what’s that thing where it dries out your mouth? astringent? That. Finally, I added some sugar to it, and that made it more palatable.

Lessons learned:
- The packet says to steep for two to three minutes. I did closer to three, and should probably try closer to two next time.
- I used a tsp of leaf and could probably use less. I appreciate that it’s a strong brew and a little goes a long way. (Kind of surprising for a green tea blend, which I tend to think of as mild, subtle things.)
- Drink it hot! Don’t let it cool.
- Maybe sweeten it a bit right from the start.

It’s definitely interesting. But Earl Grey is pretty much my favourite, and this is not that. Given my druthers, I’d call this one The Lavender Duke. {snerk} Leaving off the rating this time because I honestly don’t know what to make of it.

I found a box of tea from Dryad. Checking their website, it looks like I placed my order nearly two years ago.

Oops?

I’ll try to be less critical, since it could be that it’d be better if it were fresh.

Then again, maybe it’ll work in a blend’s favour! The only other tasting note for Skylark says that it’s minty + fruity and medicinal. I didn’t get any mint at all (thank goodness). It just tasted like mulled cider to me, or maybe mulled … fruit punch? Maybe not quite, but it definitely had more nuance to it than just apple. It’s not my favourite thing (I lean more towards spicy or floral than fruity), but it’s quite nice. I think I’ll have the second cup of this sample cold and see what happens.

Only a hint of cinnamon and vanilla in this blend, it may have a lot of caffeine, but it also has a mate bite that’s throwing my tastebuds off. If there were a bit more assam taste here I’d say it was well blended, but it’s too lopsided to me.

I’ve been nurturing this cup for far too long because I don’t want it to end. This has all the bold spice I want in a chai on a smooth black base, and the rich smoky aftertaste makes me feel like I’m drinking the scent of a campfire – it even lingers like that campfire smell. Something about this brand and their smoky teas just keep winning me over.

Dove back into my giant Dryad sample box today and pulled one out at random. This tea is wild and I’m enjoying it.

I’m a skeptic when you give me cucumber and mint. I love a good mojito, but it’s one of those flavors that often isn’t good at all. Add melon and make it a hot tea and I just don’t know.

The scent is definitely throwing me back to early 2000s girls locker room, when every other person seemed to have a lotion or body spray in cucumber melon. I’m surprised that the cucumber shines in the flavor, followed with a subtle mint and slightly grassy finish. The aftertaste is where I notice a bit of green melon.

I am very curious about this as a cold brew and will be adding it to my list for a purchase.

Another Dryad sample from the huge and gorgeous box! Lemon is definitely the dominant flavor here, and “bright” is an appropriate descriptor of the tea. It is reminiscent of many black tea/lemon combos that go heavy on the lemon; unfortunately, most of the other flavors are lost here in the blend. It’s fine hot; if I tried it again I’d definitely go the iced route.

Sitting here listening to Assassins Creed music and having some very serious contemplations…. This is a decent blend. Notes of blackberry and vanilla Bits of varnish and deep woods. Fruit jam. The citrus hits first and then changes to sweet fruit. It is a good blend but it doesn’t make me sigh or say wow.

Imagine a steampunk lady walking down a cobblestone road. It is misting and starting to rain. The nearest shop is her favorite, a tea shop. They have a special blend there, named after her. It is a citrusy blend that smells of rose gardens on a bright summer day. The flavors are light. You musn’t add anything to it lest you miss the fruitfulness as it dances past your palate. The black base gives it a bit of body to keep the citrus and fruit from floating you away. The raspberry comes out quite a bit more than expected, especially as the tea begins to cool.

Hint of chai with a strong earl grey presence. I love that this says bergamot and not natural flavors. Many companies will just add natural flavors to enhance it instead of relying on the bergamot because, like many food-related things, it can only be found in a specific area. It is a smooth blend along with the cardamom. I was worried the cardamom would overwhelm or just plain not sit well with the bergamot but the blend works perfectly. The mouthfeel is smooth and it leaves a pleasant, clean, citrusy aftertaste in your mouth.

Xavier appears to be a RPG character. Based solely on what I read below it seems this blend matches him though I kinda of feel that he would enjoy a China congou as well.

https://www.kalijor.com/encyclopedia/people-future/xavier_quinn/

In our world Ravens in the library would be absolute chaos. But in the world of Houite Ravens frequent the library and good tea is always provided. Ravens are companions to those lucky enough to have been accepted. They share an affinity and a certain pair loves Earl Grey. He is the master of the library. Takes his tea every morning at 160 F. No milk or sugar. Though if it’s a humid day he will spot chill it using frost glare. A spell he must be careful not to use on the teen crows. He loves the blend a bit over steeped. With a bit of puckering astringency. The creaminess takes him away to his younger years and that white Raven he hopes to find again one day.

They must have used a Tie Guan Yin as the base. You are hiding with the cinnamon like an angsty teenager but like any good mom (of tea) I know you’re there. If you focus on the minerality from the oolong the rice pudding notes get a little weird but overall this is a relaxing blend. I could see drinking this at an Inn sitting on a pillow near the fireplace while my little dragon lounges next to me.

This smells like an Inn. More specifically it smells of an Amish inn located in Indiana. It was a lifetime ago but the nose knows. Sweet and fruity. I feel that this blend would probably be better cold brewed. It could also be that it just doesn’t mesh well with my lox bagel with cucumber on top. As it begins to cool the fruity flavors come out more. Kind of reminds me of Fruit Stripe gum. It’s very light but I can also taste the beet, however, it mixes well with the rest of the flavors so it’s not off-putting.