Silk Road

Cuppa from earlier in the day!

I picked a tin of this up while in BC based on smell alone and because I’m just drowning in tea samples I’m only just now getting around to trying it. On one hand it’s very much like what I’d imagined it to be: strong notes of cinnamon and clove (especially the clove), just a touch brisk and astringent, and very deeply warming and cozy. On the other hand, I thought the mandarin might be stronger as it’s fairly aromatic in the dry leaf.

Still very enjoyable though – albeit somewhat Christmas-y feeling.

I steeped it for 10 minutes so it looks like a dark red ruby fruit juice. I definitely get hints of minty freshness from it as well as a more sour berry juice flavour which would probably be the hibiscus mixed with lemon. Makes almost for a heavy ruby lemonade tea feel but not quite enough lemon for that. It definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste and I probably wouldn’t order it for myself but it is tasty.

Sipdown (1665)!

Just a simple last cup of this sample to say goodbye. Brisk and full bodied black tea with a floral undertone and that lovely light kiss of peach. Wouldn’t seek this out again because it is so simple and easy to find comparable from other companies, but I’ve definitely enjoyed my time with it!

Cold Brew!

Very simple and direct flavour of peach on a neutral black tea base. Like, there’s no frills to this tea at all – but as a very sippable cold brew to drink during a day of working it’s inoffensive and approachable while still conveying the taste of peach.

One of the teas that I steeped for myself today while working from home. I was craving a little bit of flavour, but something pretty simple/stripped and with a solid foundation black tea that wouldn’t be lost under the flavours. This was perfect – just a mellow and not too bright or sweet peach, with a nice floral and malty full bodied black tea to go with.

Pretty simple and pretty classic feeling.

Good, clean black tea with a nice amount of body but not a ton of contributing flavour otherwise. A little floral, but muted – which made it the perfect canvas for this simple peach flavour. Sweet, floral and not really overly juicy/syrupy or tart. More of a “natural peach” if you will. Makes this seem appropriate as a daily or routine based tea, and the stripped down but well executed nature of the flavour also provides the perfect canvas for people to tailor to their individual tastes. Add sugar or don’t. Milk or not. This felt like it could really be whatever the drinker wanted it to be.

Gongfu!

I have had this tea for waaayyyy too long without trying it, but I woke up in a green tea mood yesterday and so it seemed like the perfect time to steep it up. This is a pretty nutty/chestnut forward tea, with some cornsilk notes as well. However, after the first steep it also gets some very distinct and vegetal green bean notes, which are maybe a little less up my alley. It was an alright little mini session overall, but not something I’d be likely to steep up again all that soon.

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqtXNWB1il/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTo4D3r6cek

A good chai but I prefer their herbal chai blend.

Sipdown (355)

Thank you Roswell Strange for sharing this tea! It’s astringent and floral but no black currant. It’s nice enough but not my favourite. Tbh I was hoping for a jammy quality that I’m just not getting.

I have not been on here in quite some time, but thought I’d put up a quick review for this one, seeing as I have had a lot of it lately as I have had a chest infection. It’s pretty much the only tea that I’ve been having for the past few weeks, though I have begun branching back out a bit more now that I am recovering.

I first had this tea when I was at my friends’ restaurant for Christmas dinner (it’s closed to the public Christmas Day and only friends, family, and staff are there). I received Alchemist Brew as a white elephant exchange present, but as it has hibiscus, and I am sensitive to it, they let me pick up a different one with a discount as I couldn’t exchange, even though it was fully sealed. Whatever. I opted for this one, in one of the larger tins, and I am glad I got so much.

While I am not a huge fan of rooibos tea, I can handle it here because it’s muted by the ginger, lemongrass, and green tea. Ultimately, this is a lemony ginger tea, but I really enjoy the way it is blended. I was able to get a second and sometimes third steep from it.

It’s not a remarkable tea in terms of flavour and combination, but it is done well and does the job well when you are not feeling well. I am halfway through the tin and I expect to refill it when I’m done.

A black tea with a very subtle vanilla to it (like vanilla bean), and something else. A bit of citrus? But much subtler than the vanilla. It’s a smooth black tea, and not overly flavoured. I’d describe it as elegant.

Drinking this Grandpa style currently, but I’m about ready to be done with it.

The smell of this one was quite nice out of the package; green but also very floral and sweet. Now that I’m drinking it, though, I think it’s leaning much more heavy towards those greener, grassier notes with the florals taking a bit more of a backseat. It’s a little astringent, and there’s something sharp and harsh about the finish to me. It’s not bad, but I remember heavily debating adding this into my last Silk Road order and ultimately I’m happy that I chose not to – I definitely wasn’t missing out on anything remarkable.

Another lemony blend. This time though there is a bit of ginger playing in the background. It makes for a great after supper tea because of that.

A very nice lemony~ tea.

I really like this tea. I can definitely taste lemon but that’s okay with me! It was sent from a friend of mine as a gift. Lemon is definitely the dominant taste, so if you don’t like lemon avoid this. If you love lemon, this is right up your alley.

I’m enjoying this cup brewed strong with a splash of unsweetened vanilla Ripple (plant-based) milk. Vanilla ripple tastes like a milkshake, so together with a tea called “Vanilla Plantation” you can imagine how great this is.

Thick, sweet, lots of vanilla and creaminess. Some malt from the black tea base but also a touch of spiciness. A bit of tannicity in the base.

I got a little mini tin for Christmas from a friend and really wanted to try it.

This makes for a lovely latte. Malty, sweet, vanilla scented black tea with a nice thick mouthfeel. It is really good with milk because that brings out the sweetness and creaminess of the vanilla. I happen to have some vanilla soy milk in the fridge right now and have to recommend that combination.

Silk Earl Grey
The smell of the leaves was strong. When brewed the smell carried over. The tea is not bad but it is really strong. My best guess would say that it smells like pinesol.

Sipdown!

I’m going to leave this at about 70 because the tea base’s conception of vegetal isn’t entirely working for me. It more often than not turns into a dark bitter green (kale, collards, asparagus, bancha), as opposed to a nutty, mineral, or sweet grassy green which I tend to lean towards. The jasmine is pretty mild and lovely though.

Dropped by Silk Road on a ridiculously short cruise ship pit stop in Victoria, BC. I wasn’t planning on buying tea but once I started walking up Government Street my feet just led me to that Fisgard Intersection on autopilot. And then there I was.

When I used to go to school here a few years ago I’d blow all my money in this store; it’s not that their teas are amazingballs but the shop has this Atmosphere, you know? The kind that makes you feel relaxed, clean, and ready to empty your wallet on jasmine teas you don’t need.

The use of Dai Bai (green) leaf means this tea is incredibly light and subtle, and probably not the best tea to try after eating a Donair. I’m having a hard time picking up notes besides the lovely jasmine, which isn’t sickeningly strong to begin with like in some jasmine blends. I want to say the tea base has a cucumber note? Possibly melon? Maybe some subtle notes of savoury-sweet pandan..

I’ll have to revisit it when my mouth isn’t a big garlic hummus bulb!

I’ve had this a few times over the years, and remember when Silk Road first started selling but apparently I never made a tea note? Huh. This is what happens when you only drink your tisanes and rooibos right before bed!

I generally don’t like cocoa or chocolate in my teas; I find it adds a powdery/chalky texture that I associate with stale candy bars. While that vibe doesn’t go away here I find the mint and anise clean it up a bit, preventing the Chocolate Panda from becoming the Muddy Trash Panda. The vanilla swings the mint into peppermint or chocolate mint territory.

I think when I first bought this years ago I thought it would be a creamy chocolate rooibos, but it’s more of a herbal palate cleanser, which isn’t a bad thing! I’m appreciating it more this time around.