Tearunners

perfect tea for yesterdays thunderstorms. Cool air, smell of rain and this tea.

Gongfu!

There were a couple white teas in the box this month but the description of cotton candy in the packaging was very intriguing to me, so I’m steeping this one first. It’s certainly a very light and airy white tea with such gentle sweetness that hangs on the tip of the tongue after each steep. I don’t think that cotton candy is the tasting note that would have come to my mind were I not being influenced by the packaging descriptions, but I certainly understand the thought process behind it! I get more of a white Springtime flower and veeerrrrry subtle green grape, personally. That really fluffy delicate sweet profile truly does evoke the feeling of pillowy white clouds though, and makes me miss Spring and Summer weather even more than I already was…

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaaMRwjuBax/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhyk9rchC2c&ab_channel=MunaVEVO

Iced Latte Sipdown (204)

This was much better iced than hot. Also better with added caramel syrup. Was it special? No. I’d probably take pumpkin chai for pumpkin/caramel over this but it hit the spot well enough as an iced latte when I wanted a tasty treat.

Strange VariaTEA TTB: Tea 14

I made this as a latte and I see a lot of potential but I don’t think I steeped it strong enough. I’m taking this out of the box though because I want to test it out more.

Another tea from this month’s Tea Runners subscription box!

I’ll be honest in admitting I don’t really get the pumpkin in this blend but I will say that I also really enjoyed it. It has that particular kind of ‘sweet brown’ taste that is so hard to nail down any more clearly than that, but’s it’s really delicious and works well with the hint of salt and the deeper more molasses-like flavours as well. I guess the “brown” in sweet brown in like this weird merger or amalgamation of brown sugar, caramel, maple, golden syrup, and cake!? Like, if you took a sliver of all of those things and then blended them ‘em into one ’super brown’ delicious taste.

The other thing I really appreciated about this tea was that it was simple/straight forward in that taste direction and that a lot of the maltier and full bodied black tea comes through distinctly too.

Next time I steep it I might add milk and I definitely want to spend a bit more effort “looking” for the pumpkin but surface level and snap impression is that I enjoyed this more than expected!

I last had this one cold brewed, and it was nice but not spectacular. This morning I had it on my morning break. I very rarely work Sundays but this weekend is cut over for the new computer system at work. I know NOTHING about computers but somehow I earned the ‘honor’ of being on the test team. Ugh. Started yesterday at 9:00 am and went to 6:15 pm. Nothing worked well, so back today at 10:00 and it ain’t done yet.

Sigh.

As a hot cup this is nice. Again, not spectacular. A little bitter at the end of the sip. If I were ordering teas, this would not be included in an order. I won’t have any problem finishing it., Maybe I will add a touch of honey to the next cup and see if I like it better that way. I very rarely add anything to my tea. A little sweetener now and then, but never milk. Funny, because I cannot stand coffee without creamer. :)

Looks like the warm weather isn’t letting go yet. :( So I cold brewed quart of this one. I must have under leafed it because it tastes quite weak and is only a pale brown.

The flavor is quite nice, if weak. Sometimes I add sugar to my iced tea but I didn’t need it with this one. It had a bit of malt, and a distinctly sweet finish. It was nothing spectacular, but I won’t have any trouble finishing this one.

Cold Brew!

Happy to report that my second time around tasting this tea I found it just as pleasant. It’s a nice juicy floral peach backed by a pleasant and full bodied black tea and the faintest bit of sweeter and more berry leaning tart hibiscus that kind of makes that peach note a plumper and more ‘full’ tasting. Yummy yummy!

Sipping on this iced a couple days ago. I was worried that with the hibiscus it might be a little too tart or that the peach flavour could be masked, but I found this iced tea really flavourful and well balanced. I really liked the body from the black tea base and the slight floral undertones alongside the juicy peach! Thank you to Tea Runners for gifting this subscription box for me to try out; I got the Original Box but thanks to the great customization options I was really able to tailor my selection to remove teas I’d tried before or was confident I’d not enjoy – very impressed!!

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

Cold Brew

I may have over leafed this. I added some to a jug with another tea, and since this was open, I decided to make a jug of it on its own.

Kind of underwhelming. I mean, it was a bit bitter, and I didn’t really savor the flavor, because I didn’t get much flavor. Maybe this is a tea that does better hot. I did add a bit of sugar, which helped, but I generally prefer to not add sweetener to my iced teas. I know, all y’all from the south just shuddered. LOL But that is just me. Just the right tea can stand on its own.

Sipdown (204)

This is good but middle of the road as far as black teas are concerned. I can take it or leave it. It’s malty. Some cocoa notes. A floral finish. Thank you for sharing Sil!

Sipdown (229)

S is for…Sichuan Black

Thank you Sil for the share!

This tea is an interesting one. Sil found it flavorless but at 4 mins, I am definitely getting a fair bit of flavor. It is smooth and has a fair bit of date notes. Dates, raisins, and a touch of smoke which seems like it shouldn’t be a thing but is.

Latte Sipdown (317)

Thank you for sharing this one with me, Sil! I am a gingerbread tea fan and this is no exception. This is a clove heavy gingerbread flavor but that works for me. Ginger is also strong, as it should be. It also had a touch of molasses sweetness. A standard gingerbread black tea, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Sipdown (325)

I was talking to Roswell Strange and asked her to pick a tea for me. Completely randomly, she happened to pick a tea she gave me. So thank you Roswell Strange for both sharing this with me and selecting it for me to drink today!

I started taking sips when it was very hot and the flavor was all plum. However, I am worried that as this cools, it will get a metallic twang at the end of the sip. Something gave me that impression as I drank. As such, I am trying to drink this while very hot. My brother distracted me with talks of Wandavision though so now I am drinking it warm.

As it cools, its more floral, as opposed to more metallic, which is nice. However, the plum flavor faded slightly and that’s less appealing. Good, but not a favorite. Happy to have tried it though.

Sipdown (321)

This is one of two Tearunner samples that I grabbed from Roswell Strange before sending her along her teas. I was interested in trying it but don’t drink straight oolongs enough to justify purchasing a bag for myself. With that said, thank you Roswell Strange for giving me the chance to try this one!

Drinking it now, I am glad I didn’t buy it. It’s not bad but its not to my tastes. The website claims there are peach notes here and while I maybe get that a little, I get more a metallic floral. It’s a classic oolong profile but not the oolong I personally enjoy. Its been fun to try though and now I know for sure that I was fine with the one-cup sample and nothing more.

I’ve had this tea before and thought it was okay, but recently I got some more as part of my November Subscription box. I’m actually liking it a little bit more than I remembered enjoying it in the past, so we’ll see if that holds through! It’s a deliciously warming black tea to sip on this drizzly autumnal afternoon with perfect notes of malty fresh baked breads, cocoa husk and red fruits. Smooth and accessible for almost all moods!

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWbr8IHr0G-/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiWa4pK-zew

Sipdown (1320)!

Feels good to have finished off another smaller straight black tea sample! I think I actually liked this even more with the second cup – it’s still not really an exception Golden Monkey, but it’s very classic and the mix of golden honey, red fruit and cocoa notes in this cup were just so comforting and spot on for my mood! Also really full bodied and brisk, with just enough astringency to not feel flat without really being “an astringent tea”.

Thank you VariaTEA for the share!

This was really pleasant – it’s a very good representation of a classic tasting Golden Monkey. Notes of malt, cocoa, and bread rule the cup with undertones of red fruit. Very full bodied and smooth, with a deepness to the flavour notes that commands attention. Highly enjoyable, and one of those teas where you don’t sip but you slurp and then feel sad when you finished it so fast.

Sipdown 53-2021
Goodbye black tea. I will not repurchase you.

Focusing on sipping through this. It’s rich and chocolatey, but I much prefer Verdant’s Laoshan Black, which I find a bit more smooth.

I’ve been toying with the idea of trying out Tearunners and finally went for it. My tea subscriptions are now up to 5: Bird and Blend, Mansa, 52Teas, SipsBy, and Tearunners. I’m trying to get my cupboard under control, but I also live trying new teas…the conundrum of a tea lover.
I actually have very few straight black teas in my cupboard right now, which is what I’ve been drinking the most of.
I was so excited to see a Laoshan black in the first box. Verdant’s Autumn Laoshan black is one of my favorite black teas.
This has the delicious, rich dark chocolate flavor that I love in a Laoshan black. So easy to drink and cozy. But, I prefer Verdant’s offering over this one. The dark chocolate isn’t pronounced enough compared to Verdant’s.