Tealish

I tried this tea while I was out shopping yesterday, and I have to say I wasn’t terribly impressed.

However, I’m not sure if it was the tea itself or how the particular employee serving me prepared it. She said it would take four minutes for the tea to steep, and told me to just have a look around the shop or take a seat while I waited. I waited, and then she handed it over to me when it was done.

I left Tealish to continue shopping and immediately burned my mouth upon taking a drink. One would think that it would have cooled down enough to drink after four minutes, but it was still FAR too hot to enjoy or even taste anything.

I waited several more minutes for the tea to cool down, and when I tried it again, it was hopelessly bland. There was none of that rich, warm, soothing flavour that normally comes with rooibos, no fruity taste, no nothing. It just tasted like slightly sweet hot water. Disappointing.

Now, it might not be the tea itself that’s the problem. It may have been how long it steeped, how much the of the tea the Tealish employee actually used, or it may have just been my damaged tastebuds being unable to comprehend a potentially awesome tea.

Either way, I’m not sure I’d want to pay for another cup just to find out.

Meh. Just…meh. It’s good enough, but it doesn’t wow me, but I don’t have the same tastes as my wife, De. This is right up her alley, so I’m glad she likes it. But the spices are a bit strong for me, and I don’t care for the cardamom.

Oh wow, this was SOOOO GOOOOD!!!
I stopped in at my docs today, and since I was in the area (for once, when they are open!) I dropped in to exchange some tea and grab a cuppa.
Going through all the options, I was in one of those super indecisive moods where I hrmm and huhhh through virtually every option and then torture the staff while I do it all over again. This, after I’d done virtually the same whilst purchasing a pair of spring boots… errnoooo I did not buy another pair of brown boots, said the girl with two pairs already in her closet… heh. Hey to be fair, I really need a pair to get me through the spring, since my other ones are either insanely high heeled or ultra warm for the winter. and I hate wearing nylon socks, they never look right with “work shoes”… so boots are really my only alternative until it gets warm enough to wear sandals.
Anyhow, onto the tea. The girl at the shop was so patient, pulling down all the teas I wanted to try. Of course my mind was made up when saw their only pu’erh, and I asked her if they can add ginger to the cup. Thankfully, she said yes! yay! It was amaaaazing. No fishiness at all. The texture was a little thick, and creamy like… chocolate milk, except without any of the graininess. In fact, it reminded me of cocoa in some ways, or even a mild chicory sans the abrasive factor.
However, it wasn’t as potent as the DT version, which I didn’t mind because it’s not like I was at work, nor am I deathly ill…
Oh and did I mention that the girl who served me (I’d mention her name but that would be an invasion of her privacy, I think) gave me the cup on the house?!? for my troubles with the tea I came to exchange. AND some free samples. Now THAT is customer service folks :)
does a little jig in her brown boots

This was a nice cup tonight before bed. Hints of mint mixed with natural raspberry notes! It was nice and mellow and relaxing, which after a weekend of work and tea party sleepover, was exactly what I was looking for in a mug. As I drank I debated if I was going to try this one iced but ultimately I decided that it might get a little scary if I cold steeped it. The mint is nice and an undernote when brewed hot, but I suspect a cold steep would bring it out in focus, contrasting against the fruit. Still though, a lovely tea overall!

Not bad not bad!! Like Jessie mentioned, a decent alternative for the STE version. Only less intense. and kinda Jasmin-like after the third steep… which I wasn’t thrilled about.
I’m not sure if I’d restock though, I think I’ve overdone it with the coco oolongs lately. We need a break… I’m sure CO and I will get back together again soon :P

Someone from the Toronto Tea Party shared a sample of this with me (Tina? Adrienne? I don’t even know any more.) and I finally got around to trying it. First thing I got hit with was the orange, a very sweet and creamy orange, but with the heavy aftertaste I get from most rooibos teas. Tasty experiment, but I don’t think I’ll reach for it again.

yup, I finally got around to this one!
After reading all the reviews already posted I was not looking forward to it so much. However, it’s better than I expected. Berries dominate the cup, but I also get a sort of creamy texture in it.
The second steep was harder to get down. I added agave and milk just to see… and it was nice that way to.
Overall though, it was pleasant enough for me to drink up… but certainly nothing that stands out in the tea crowd. I think there is just too much going on with it!
Also, I am oh so very very tired. Too tired to write the other ten reviews I have backlogged. Oi!!

Today was supposed to be strictly productive, but instead a friend coaxed me outside with promises of enjoying the weather on the patio at Red Tea Box. Unfortunately we were too late for their lunch. Fair enough, but so disappointing! Instead, we hit up Fresh and Tealish and took it to the park for a picnic, and then followed it up with Dufflet. This was a fair substitute. Man, I can’t believe how amazing the weather is in mid-March!

So, I got this iced to-go from Tealish, having heard good things from De and aisling. The girl preparing it also said it was her favourite iced tea. I can see why! It was really flavourful and incredibly refreshing. The mint was just enough to be cooling, and not enough to be overbearing. I was surprised by how nice a raspberry flavour this yielded. I can’t say I really noticed the chamomile, which is probably for the best.

I don’t drink black teas very often, but when I need a bit of a caffeine kick this is one of my go-to teas. I like that it has a little bit of a ginger kick, and a slight fruity finish. It is very aromatic, and it does remind me a bit of mulled cider but you don’t really taste the cinnamin. I don’t need to add sweetener to it and it can be re-steeped a second time.

SIPDOWN!!!
A big achievement for me, since this was a 50g purchase. Woohoo!!
and despite there being a bunch of fannings/broken pieces/dust, it was really tasty. What a great way to see off a tea. Thanks for the good times Doomur. You shall be missed. Kicking up the rating a few notches. Rose coloured lenses and all…

My breakfast tea. Good enough to wake me up! light and floral. A little malty. Only about five cups left…

What a LONG day. but a good one. I’m now the Member Services coordinator (director? still finalizing things) for the Tea Guild! So excited!!!! happy dance
We are having an event on Feb 2, The Toronto Tea Festival, so everyone who is local to the area, please mark it in your calendars!
Oh and I won the door prize at our meeting, a collection of yummy looking jams. Sweeeeet!
Anyhow, this was my breakfast tea. I always forget to steep it a bit longer, but this time I remembered, and it was good! oh yes it was.
Later on, I stepped into Herbal Infusions, and bought a cuppa Jackfrui Tea but used almond milk, and it was very tasty, but I think I need to try it sans anything before submitting a review.
Welps, I have another big one ahead of me tomorrow so should grab some sleep. EEeeeeeeee! How am I gonna sleep when I’m still buzzed from my appointment to the BOD?!
I’m on TWO boards now. Oh dear. What have I done?! errrrr…

Odd, the honey note came out more in my second steep here. Hmmm.
So I’ve decided… this is a lovely Assam, but not my fave for the moment. I’ll drink down what I have, easily, but will be glad to move on when the time comes!

I don’t quite know what to think of this. It was good, but how good? I can’t decide!
Malty? check. Bold? check. Sweet? check! Astringent… no too much!
Wait a sec… sweet?! I added no sugar. How can that be? It tasted as if I added sugar! Honey even. and more than I’d normally take. In fact, my second cup was sans dairy and it was still rich in flavour. (well, if you consider the little bit of left over milk from my first infusion mixed in as naked that is)
I need to try this again. I’m a little perplexed!!

Yum!
This tisane… tastes like PINK!!! Which is odd because there’s very little colour in the brew. Maybe a hint of pastel.
At first when I sipped, it was pretty bland and sour… but then I added a teeny bit of agave and voila! berry cotton candy in a cup.
This is one I’d seriously consider buying more of, if only I didn’t have so many in my cupboard already. I’d reach for it often though, so I may end up caving next time I wander by the shop.
Oh and the best part? eating the fruit afterwards. I had nothing to wash out of my strainer!

I adore how this tea smells dry. It’s so light and fruity and just utterly makes me long for spring. Once brewed there were definite scent notes of strawberries and fruit as I pulled out the infuser, but when I sniffed the leaves and the pot, I couldn’t figure out exactly where they were coming from since neither seemed to hold them.

The tea itself is a beautiful light yellow-green when brewed, and is a delicate flavour on first sips. As I continued through the cup I started to get the feeling in my mouth that I sometimes get with extremely perfumed teas, or ones with a lot of artificial flavourings. Overall a nice tea, but I’m not sure if I’ll restock.

First steep of this, I was not impressed. It was WAY to gingery for me and lacking in the fizz. but… the second steep, was pretty darn great!!! Just the right amount of ginger, not too much agave, and a little pop for the fizziness. Wow. If I can get the first steep like that, I might actually buy more of this one. Which surprises me given that I generally dislike ginger. and greens.
Next time, I must remember to give this a little wash before the real infusion and see if that helps. and iced, I need to do this baby iced!!
So… I’m grading this based on my second cup here. It feels a little wasteful but then I have so much tea I can’t really judge!!

This is good!!
But startlingly similar to my Almond Rooibos. Not so much on the “marzipan”, unless it typically has degrees of almond in it? I really don’t know, but the stuff I’ve had was more cakey than pure almond candy. Anyhow, piping hot, I do get some of the orange but then I just burnt my tongue a little- not really worth the oh so fast burst of citrus… (though my mind immediately went to: nice! this is Kalahari meets marzipan! if only that had lasted!!! It was a brief moment of heaven) and besides, this is one of those flavours I’ve had trouble grasping lately. Even with orange lifesaver candies, all I get is sugary goodness.
Oh well.
Between this and my other almond tea I’m not sure which one is better. I’d have to try a side by side! I will say this though, the Orange Marzipan smells incredible steeped. Mmmmm.
Oh oh wait!! now that it’s cooled a little more now, I do believe there is a hint of orange in the aftertaste. I don’t normally get backhints with my rooibos, but I swear, sumthin is there :P
Note to self: next time, try this with a dash of milk!

Okay, call me crazy but I was craving koolaid and tea at the same time. So I decided to kill both cravings with one cup, and it worked! I brewed this one up normally (80C for 2.5 min) and made up my lime koolaid at full sweetness. Then I mixed both 50/50 in my cup. And wow is it delightful!

The base taste is the koolaid, but there is a tea note to it, and the afternote is pure sparkle. Yes reader, the sparkle remains! Definitely going to be enjoying the rest of this “pot” I made!

AHA! I knew this one dry reminded me of something and now that I’ve brewed it I know what! This is a very close dupe for Lime Fizz by the Tea Haus, which is one of my all time favourites. The ginger makes the tea have a fizzy sensation here in this one too, and the citrus notes are lovely. Big thanks to De for pointing me to a local version of this very big fav of mine!

Sipdown partayyy! wahoo! I’m excited because it means I get one of my tins back. Only half of my cupboard is tinned because so much of it is in sample size. Which one shall I fill it with!? Ohhhh the possibilities.
This one has been really hit and miss. Today it’s a HIT. Oh man is it ever tasty. I think I found the sweet spot a little too late heh.
In fact, it’s been months since I last had any of this… because I’d had a string of ho hum cuppas and at that point I usually ditch it for awhile. Anyhow! I used 1.5-2tsp (whatever was left!) A 2 min infusion seems to bring out the best qualities. The sweet orange rind and tangerine flavour really comes out, with a slight ginger note as well. Can’t say I’m tasting any currant though. Oh and there is the coconut in the very middle of the swallow! wow.
Ya know, I think I might purchase this again one day. Not anytime soon mind you, but it’s certainly on my list!
The only issue I have here is that all the nasty little bits went into my steeper and it’s not as flavourful as it once was. I don’t care, it was a fantastic way to go out. What a bittersweet goodbye…

Yummy!! this was SO tasty. and quite a pleasant surprise to.
It smells divine, but I snuck a sip from someone the other day and was not too impressed… which worried me because I bought a small bag of it based on the heavenly scent! and then I saw one of the other reviews that said it wasn’t so great… and I got more worried.
Well, I really shouldn’t have been because De is right, this is mindblowing!
It reminds me of the Tess Orange tea I have and love, only brighter and a little spicier.
Mind you, I didn’t see many ginger pieces so it’s possible that I will need to pick those out later on if there are too many.
Also, I accidentally steeped this for 7 minutes! but it turned out just fine. A little thick, but not bitter at all. Very orangey and round. Now that it’s been 12 hours since my cup… I seem to remember a slight creaminess about it but I may be supplementing my memory with made up details here! ha.

This tea was really surprising.

I did a terrible job of brewing it. I put in closer to 2 tsp of the tea, and mindlessly left it sitting for 10 minutes, instead of the 6 I was aiming for. I was worried I was going to have a bitter, undrinkable mess.
But it was good. Really good. Despite the fact that the bag smells strong, the taste was pretty light, comparatively. A delicious berry flavour, noticeable dragonfruit, and only a hint of tartness. But I guess that’s because it’s (mercifully) hibiscus-free.
Pink Dragonfruit is probably going to become one of my go-to berry teas.

Issues: Next time I brew it, I’ll still probably use the same amount of tea; I’ll just be sure to keep an eye on the timer. This bag isn’t very economical. Lots of tea for a light (but good!) taste. Also, if we’re getting into semantics, this is really more of an infusion than an actual tea. I kept finding massive chunks of the dried fruit!

Had this one tonight after a long long weekend of family and stress and a lack of good tea. I was hoping it would relax me and it definitely did that. Something I’ve noticed with the toasted/roasted teas though is that if my tummy is even remotely not happy, this seems to highlight it and make it worse until my stomach churns, and then suddenly I feel amazing, but don’t want to finish my tea. Does this happen to anyone else?