Tazo

This is my default tea and consider this classic. It is comforting and familiar enough that if made “incorrectly,” it is still most enjoyable. I add about a teaspoon of sugar and enough milk to make it beige.

This is what my ex-mother-in-law always has in her cupboard when I visit her so this is what I always drink when I’m there and I’m not sad about it. It could be far more dire! Haha
It’s a smooth white tea with a light blueberry flavour and I personally find it quite comforting and relaxing to sip on. It’s a simple “what you see is what you get” tea that I do enjoy.
When I made my tea yesterday, there was only 1 tea bag left in the box so I let her know. She said “oh that box is so old, I wonder if they still make it?” I had to chuckle. She wrote it on her grocery list so we’ll see what’s in her tea cupboard next time I go over.

I was craving some fruit tea but I found out that my box of fruit teas is almost empty. The teas which are in, aren’t what I have been looking for. I would like some citrusy, light tea, not filled with hibiscus. So, I went to my herbal box and found there this tea bag. It sounded quite refreshing, contains a spearmint, peppermint but also lemongrass, so it will be refreshing right?

Ehh. No. Actually I don’t even know how to describe the flavour after recommended 5 minutes steep. It’s quite heavy floral and yes, I would guess the chamomile. But then, some stingy note appears on my tongue which is probably mint. Lemongrass? Where? Cardboard aftertaste.

And so many other ingredients there. Sarsaparilla, I just remember it is favourite by some, but again I forgot, how it should be like?!

Ehm, I am glad to finishing the mug. I believe I have received it last summer from Amy, from postcrossing; so thank you! but it’s not my jam. Afterall, as most of chamomile and its blends.

I’ve finally tried this bagged grail that everyone seems to adore, and I feel a certain sense of accomplishment. The nose is absolutely insane on this… how do they manage that without adding flavoring?! It made me want to check my fingers for crusty little bits of white icing. The entire scent profile is spot-on without holes or extras.

The mouthfeel and taste certainly, certainly don’t keep up with the nose, but that cakey waft sorta makes up for everything else. A bit thin and empty in the middle. I think this is why I tend to not ever really dig herbal teas — there is something so special in what camellia sinensis does in the mouth, in myriad iterations, that herbs and fruits and spices and most other concocted brews just can’t. It’s not their fault.

This was my first experience with green rooibos, recommended by ashmanra. I can’t say I have big opinions about it, as I think its job here was to blend in and support everything else (which it does admirably).

May Sipdown Challenge Prompt – a tea available almost anywhere

Why does this last bag have to taste so good that I want to go straight to Publix and buy a new box? Green rooibos makes an awesome base for these lemon and vanilla flavors. I didn’t know I had any left, but found this while rootling around in the no caf box. Perfect tea for relief drinking tonight. A friend asked what makes it taste like cake but I have no idea how they accomplish it.mit can’t be just the vanilla. This is redolent of the lemon, vanilla, and cake, and is very satisfying with no milk and sugar. For me, it needs no additions. It might be really extra- desserty with them, though.

February Sipdown Prompt – a grocery store tea

No note from me? And I am about to finish our second box of this tea.

We normally drink this hot. We drink it without sweetener, but I needed a caffeine free evening beverage and since it was around 80F today, I decided to get wild and make this sweet and iced. It has a really strong vanilla aroma, so very very cake-like which is what they were aiming for, so BINGO!

I think as a sweet iced tisane, the vanilla comes much more forward and maybe even steps on the lemon a bit, but it is still quite good. I think I do prefer it hot. Next time we drink it will probably be a sipdown, although I may repurchase in the future after the cupboard gets a bit smaller. (I still haven’t added my puerh teas to the cupboard, partly because there is no hurry to drink them down.)

Plastic in these tea bags so I avoid Tazo. Try Stash chai tea, has great flavor notes!

I don’t really like the base tea here. The cream flavor is fake, but nice. I also don’t like the apricot flavor. It’s a bit too artificial for me. Thanks for sharing anyway getanzt! I wouldn’t mind seeing them use this creme flavor in some other blends.

This was in my Advent calendar from Devon today and good flavoured black tea was something I have been looking to.

And today morning, which was gloomy and rainy, it was great fit to boost the mood and enjoy something sweet.

I am very surprised that my long 5 minutes steep didn’t turned this cookie-flavoured tea bitter. It was so pleasant, however I have no experience with butterscotch nor blondie again. It was toffee, it was cookie dough, brown sugar, vanilla and a little bit much of chicory root steeped — a little bitter and burnt like. But as that happens to the sweets sometimes too, I really don’t mind that.

It was so creamy. I finished it within seconds once it was drinkable.

My beloved Twinings of London “Buttermint” was not at the store the last time I went, so I grabbed this instead. It didn’t really hold a candle to “Buttermint” (obviously, no creamy vanilla flavor) but just as a warm mint tea… meh. I can drink it (it’s mint!) but I wouldn’t call it a favorite… it was a bit muddled when I was hoping to taste more distinct spearmint notes… the peppermint was a bit dominant and also just a bit dish-raggy compared to bright Pacific Northwest peppermint.

But I have been going gangbusters on this as a coldbrew. I decided to bust out some New Year’s cleaning on my place this morning, and have been gulping this as ice cold refreshment to keep me hydrated. Somehow it has a more fresh and menthol crisp taste as a coldbrew, and I also taste the spearmint notes better that way, too.

So while it just doesn’t hit that “evening cup of peppermint curled up on the couch” appeal I was hoping for, I will definitely quickly go through this box making iced tea.

I love this blend! It was recommended by a friend on Instagram and it took me a while to track down. While I have had it in m stash for a little while, I forgot to add it to my cupboard but it’s too late now because I have two bags left. It’s sweet, citrusy, and buttery with a hint of creamy glaze. A new favorite herbal blend for sure!

I was a little cautious about trying this tea because I’m not a big fan of rooibos and this has a green rooibos base. After tasting it, I have to conclude that it’s red rooibus that I don’t like because this tea was delicious!

I didn’t bring the water to a full boil, but probably about 205°. And I steeped it for around 3 minutes. Then I added a little bit of sweetener and let it cool before taking a sip. It really does taste like a glazed lemon pound cake. I’m addicted! What makes it even more appealing is that it’s caffeine free, so this is a great way to have a warm, sweet treat that won’t keep me up just before bedtime.

It seems my love of gourmand perfumes is not replicated in a great many dessert teas. This is no exception. Kind of “funky” or off, it’s drinkable and “ok” but I will not repurchase. Something about the strong black tea with the sweetness gives a “stale” vibe. I tried it black and with cream/sweet, but either way a “meh” experience.

Really great, bright flavor. Blended well. Even brighter with the addition of some sweetener. Joyful, bright color. Tried at a friend’s house, then had to go get some for myself. Would probably be enjoyed by kids as well as adults.

Missed the mark. I love gin, but didn’t get much juniper flavor from this. It’s not undrinkable, but something about it was just off. Not much flavor, what flavor there is was “clashy.” Somewhat synthetic feel.
Oddly, I liked throwing a few bags in the bathtub for aroma more than drinking this tea.

Sipdown! (22 | 425)

Another gifted sample, two teabags of this tisane from Instagram friend Tiana. I actually have a box of this one in my cupboard, but each “package” (in this case, not an actual package, but in general) of tea gets its own entry in my cupboard spreadsheet, and therefore counts as a separate sipdown. And there’s nothing you can do about it, nyah! XD

This is a nice tisane, especially for a grocery store teabag. But it doesn’t quite live up to the hype for me. It has a good candylike, desserty lemon flavor to it, and there’s a butteriness, but instead of reminding me of cake, it reminds me a bit of artificial butter-flavored popcorn. With some kind of lemon glaze on top, ha ha. Honestly, that sounds delicious…

It’s a tasty blend, but it won’t be a reorder for me. If I want something lemony in the evening, I’d rather just have lemongrass.

I just went to an in-person conference for the first time since the pandemic hit, which was more than a little stressful. (I had to staff a one-day conference for work a few months ago, but I didn’t have to leave town for it and I was not even there for the whole day. This was a full-on, multi-day, out-of-town affair.) Thankfully they had this tea. Since Kelmishka had included this in my Steepster homemade advent calendar, I already knew that it is absolutely delicious. Plus they had almond milk out a couple of times, which gave it added creaminess and strengthened the vanilla flavor. I even cold brewed a bag in a water bottle, and honestly it turned out better than I expected. I was concerned that the soft, cozy vibe of this blend wouldn’t translate as a cold brew. But the core flavor notes – vanilla, lemon, and glaze – actually translated really well into something still soft but maybe more spring-like than cozy. Basically I was downing variations of this every time I was alone or outside. I may have also liberated a couple of bags to take home.

Day 25 of my advent calendar from Kelmishka! After 26 hours of intense family holiday drama, I am so happy to be curled up on the couch with this sweet, cozy cuppa. It’s like a glazed lemon cookie. The sweetness is very particular, not just sweet or sugary but specifically the kind of sugary that a basic glaze is. There’s no tartness or edge to the lemon at all. I think there might be a bit of vanilla at the tail end of the sip. Sometimes I taste apple in here, which doesn’t make it taste worse but does break the illusion when it comes through. Erring on the shorter side with steeping time would probably correct for that.

If it wasn’t for the TTB I probably would never have tried this. The aroma is bright and refreshing with berry notes and juniper in the background. The delicate taste of juniper mixes well with the soothingness of the honey and the mint comes in last but is almost tasteless unless the after taste. I’m surprised at how tame the mint is in this considering how it usually likes to hustle its way into your mouth in everything else it’s in.

I love macaron’s but the almonds in them do not like me. At some point, I want to find someone who makes them without almonds. Anyway, I can see why they name this after a vanilla bean macaron. The flavor intertwines like a mad toddler while playing with the other flavors. But mostly what I taste is chickory root. The vanilla bean flavor is not nearly as strong as I was expecting. It’s decent when there is nothing else available but not one I would willingly choose if something else was available.

Day 13 of my Steepster homemade advent calendar from Kelmishka! There’s tarragon in here, which is intriguing. Or it would be, if I could make it out. But even without that, it’s a nice solid mint blend that I’d happily have again.

Just not my cup of…well, you know! I like juniper and woodsy flavours in general, but this one is kind of flimsy. The other flavors don’t balance it out properly, and the lingering note is more like like sawdust than the majestic juniper advertised.