TeaTaxi

I ordered this as a sample and ended up getting an additional one as a freebie, so I had two chances to try this. The first time I tried it with milk and the banana flavour was nearly cancelled out entirely by the dairy. No banana ice cream, sadly.

This time around, I’m having it as is and while the banana is present, it’s still nearly unnoticeable, this time being overshadowed by the base, which is quite strong. It’s a little bold, like a breakfast blend. I agree with VariaTEA that it has an earthy tone going on.

Overall, disappointing for a banana tea.

The dry leaf smells like a thousand tons of strawberry candy. It’s a little bit like Lupicia’s strawberry flavouring, if memory serves me correctly. They were quite generous with the rice, and this also smells quite roasty, so I’m anticipating a super roasty genmaicha.

I’m not entirely sure why, despite letting the water cool substantially, the liquor is quite a dark, nearly mossy green, and as a result, it’s on the bitter side. Must be the base. I didn’t overleaf either considering I used the sample packet for a gigantic two-cup mug. I also only steeped it for under two minutes. Huh.

The strawberry flavouring is lovely but is buried by the bitter green base. The roastiness doesn’t translate as well in the flavouring, either. I wouldn’t buy more but hats off to them for offering a flavoured genmaicha. Those are always fun to try!

I had both this and a cup of coffee (with some Fry’s cocoa mixed in, because why not?) so needless to say, I’m in a coffee/cocoa mood. The scent of the dry leaf is pleasantly creamy and coffee-ish, much like an iced coffee or cappuccino. Let’s do this!

It’s a little disappointing, to be honest. The coffee flavour is mild but hats off to TeaTaxi for not offering something that is overly sweet. Despite the brittle pieces, this managed to stay sweet at a sane level. The most profound observation about this tea, however, is the phantom orange note that I get in this. You know how so many Christmas blends have that quintessential, similar orange spice combination? This had a pinch of that in there, underneath the coffee note. What’s that all about?

Let me tell you what I think it’s about. Apparently, this has added citric acid. Bingo! It just has to be that and not the dehydrated yogurt bits. No yogurt tang but that citrus surely sneaks up on you.

Would I get more? Nah. But I’m glad I tried it. Bayswater’s Chocolate Macchiato remains my favourite coffee blend.

No milk in the apartment means having something else other than coffee or a flavoured black tea for breakfast. Let’s try this, shall we.

First off, there is a freaking snow blizzard going on right now. What what what? I swear my area just skipped over from summer to winter. Autumn maybe lasted like two weeks, if that. So my toes are freezing and I’m in need of a nice hot beverage.

Also, I woke up the other day with a stiff and sore neck meaning I haven’t been able to keep up with the gym/my activity goals according to my Polar Loop, so I’m feeling all the lazier being cooped up inside.

With that said, I’m enjoying this cup of tea before heading out to the mall to see who’s hiring. So sad. Desperate times call for desperate measures or something like that.

When I ripped open the packet, I was a little confused. What does this even smell like? Maybe my nose was fried from my perfume but I couldn’t recognize this as an EG. So yeah, this is an EG essentially. Totally forgot that’s what the game plan was. Not too many sprinkles which I’m actually happy about, so this isn’t too sweet. The base is smooth and buttery. Not too vegetal at all. And then there’s the bergamot. This is supposed to also have a chocolate flair but I have yet to taste an iota of that and I’m almost finished my cup. I would say it’s sooner vanilla than chocolate, kind of like an EGC. This is a nice green-based EG but I wouldn’t buy more. I wish they made this Irish Cream-flavoured instead, to be perfectly honest!

Sipdown (152)!

Thanks VariaTEA for the sample.

I didn’t look at the ingredients prior to trying this one so I kind of got to challenge my tasting abilities in that regard. The chocolate in this, for me, was really evident and I thought it presented itself in a smooth, straightforward way that was natural and not too cloying. I got creamy, custardy components as well which led me to believe that either this was milk chocolate or it incorporated vanilla, if not both. I think, maybe, the former is the case? The description of this one doesn’t do much in the way of elaboration.

Once I did look up the ingredients I was very surprised to see that I missed a key one: pineapple. Pineapple is one of my personal favourite flavors so the fact it completely passed by me was disappointing. I’m not sure whether to chock that up to a weak flavour in the blend or bad observational skills. But even if I had noticed it I have to say I’m not totally sure what place it would have had alongside the chocolate. I mean, far be it from me to say that pineapple isn’t part of the recipe for happiness ’cause man do I love me some pineapple. But pineapple and chocolate? It seems like a weird mash up.

Overall – just going by my blind impression I thought this was about average. Drinkable, but not exceptional or restock worthy. Knowing the ingredients? I’m more critical because I don’t think the flavour was properly balanced or clear. So I think overall this is maybe just a little less than acceptable/average?

This is a queued tasting note.

Sipdown (153)!

This was one of the teas I got to enjoy over my Thanksgiving break thanks to the sample from the lovely VariaTEA.

Personally, I still think Lychee is a flavour for more better suited for sweet, floral green oolongs or black teas that can provide contrasting richness but this wasn’t unpleasant at all. The rose in the blend definitely got swallowed up by the naturally floral notes of the fruit and the strawberry was subtle and supportive in its role. Really the only complaint is just that the vegetal green tea base didn’t seem appropriate alongside such a sweet, lively fruit.

Whoa, I see this hasn’t received the most favourable reviews, and here I’m sipping this thinking, “Hmm, this is pretty good.”

But to be fair, I dumped the entire sample packet into my infuser full aware that I was going to overleaf. It’s one of those awkward amount moments again (good for two regular cups but too much or too little if you use a larger one). So maybe I’m not getting as much of that artificial strawberry because the base is quite strong.

The strawberry is candy-like but I’ve had worse in terms of artificial flavour. I wouldn’t get more but I would imagine that this could make a decent iced tea. I’m at least grateful that the base didn’t go bitter. I made sure to generously cool the water, and I’m left with floral, slightly vegetal oolong dunked in melted strawberry candy. This is a good example of how parameters can affect the outcome. I’m sure if I didn’t use as much leaf, I wouldn’t be too happy either. Who knows!

Sipped this down yesterday evening. So totally like DAVIDsTEA’s Movie Night minus the green base. Granted, that green base is nearly undetectable, anyway. I wouldn’t get more but it was an easy one to finish off.

This brings me down to 35 teas. Thirty-freaking-five. What!

Since I mentioned this yesterday, I might as well write a tasting note already. I only have like 10-15g left too so as usual, classic me has been drinking something without actually writing about it.

This is a heavy tea mostly comprising apples with some nuts thrown into there to keep things slightly interesting. It’s generously speckled with marshmallows too.

In terms of flavour, there is a caramel note that pops out alongside the apple, making this oh so appropriate for the fall. But wait, how is it fall? It just snowed the other day.

I’m sure people are sick of my DAVIDsTEA comparisons but I just can’t help it, especially when it comes to this company. This smells and tastes a lot like Movie Night without the green base. In some sips, I get a touch of chemical undertone but I’ve had much worse.

Ok, unrelated, but I have the worst luck with job applications, it seems. I had an interview for a position with Estée Lauder the other day and they really liked me and can tell they want to hire me, except I first had to complete a screening/suitability-type test yesterday. My gut is I’m going to get it especially since the manager said that if they really like someone in person but they “fail” the test, they’ve hired him/her anyway and they end up being awesome. Great, right? Except, the job location is on the other side of the city, and in a sketchy area at that. It makes me nervous thinking about having to commute (by public transportation) on such a long route every day and having to hang out in those areas, especially late at night and really early in the morning. So I’m not sure what I’d do if they were to hire me.

1500th tasting note! I had a feeling that this one would be good but opted for the sample only because I thought it would be similar to Twice the Pleasure which is a nutty fruit blend with marshmallows. When I ordered, this was the only one available as a sample size between the two, so there you have it. They’re very different, however. This is so chocolatey and the fruity tisane base is barely noticeable. The marshmallow is more noticeable in this, too. Just for comparison, Twice the Pleasure is more along the lines of DAVIDsTEA’s Movie Night.

This is a repurchase for sure. Wish I got 50g of both the first time around!

Quick tasting note before I head to my appointment with the optometrist (ugh, still trying to figure out how I’m going to politely ask for my contact lens prescription since I always get mine online. Awwwwkward.) I split my sample packet with my mom, eyeballing half into my strainer and the other half into hers. The interesting part is hers got more hibiscus (wait, there must have been hibiscus in here despite it not being listed). I didn’t really look at the dry leaf.

But the liquor in her mug was pinker and tarter, so that’s telling. Mine had more of an obvious green tea base, however, for the most part, the green tea was ultra subtle. This smelled like cranberry crumble on the top of a muffin! Tasted like it too. Almost, maybe not quite as desserty.

Definitely wish I had more but on the other hand, not sure if I would want 50g. 25g would have been perfect. Oh well!

Cold Brew Sipdown (142)!

Thanks VariaTEA for the sample, but I couldn’t get into this one. Surprisingly, I actually wanted MORE licorice flavour out of this. The fennel notes were the best part of the brew, but they were mild/light and weirdly drowned out by the tarter, fruity notes which just felt painfully out of place. Licorice is such a hit or miss flavour to begin with that if you’re going to embrace it then really embrace it.

This oolong tastes the way a Strawberry Shortcake doll smells. It’s . . . off-putting? But slightly tasty? Not a bad oolong, but the artificial strawberry has just taken over.

Sipdown (378)!

Finished off as a hot tea; very smooth, calm profile overall. I’ve had this one before, and I was pretty sure I enjoyed it but wasn’t 100% sure just how much which is why I went for a sample amount in my most recent order and not a 50g amount. Now I’m kind of regretting not going for the 50g…

I find I tend to crave cranberry a lot in the winter months; it’s kind of perfectly appropriate in terms of fruit flavours. The cranberry in this is quite lovely; very clear with sweeter top notes and a very soft, delicate tartness following the fall of the top sweetness. It feels plump, and ripe. In addition, there are hints of fresh apple and floral/grassy elements from the green tea base. Nothing is too strong in terms of flavour, even the green tea, and nothing is too light.

I definitely appreciate this one.

Sipdown (144)!

Another one that I get to thank the lovely VariaTEA for!

I imagine she sent this my way ‘cause I absolutely love cranberry in tea. Honestly, even though this had a rather strong, vegetal and grassy tasting green base it’s still not an exception to that rule. Basically, I got to sip on a really lovely, realistic tasting cranberry tea with just the right balance of dry tartness to the sweet fruity notes. Sure, I could’ve lost the grassy finishing notes and been happy, but they didn’t hinder the cup either.

Very pleasant afternoon cuppa!

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJLa5dNGBcY&index=5&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ

I love the soft, romantic tone of her voice. And the slower, melodic pace paired with the medium body of the cup and natural flavours just kind of made this a natural pairing for a slower paced, lazy afternoon cup of tea.

Sipdown (145)!

Thanks to my awesome tea twin VariaTEA for the sample!

I finished off a cold brewed version of this last night; it was definitely decent but not really mind blowing. For the size of the sample I used though, and the water ratio I will say that I was surprised by the intensity of the flavour. Really rich, well defined mango notes with orange undertones. I think it was maybe just a bit too sweet for me though? I’d even go so far as to say it tasted a little syrupy/cloying.

I think we all know exactly which ‘big brand’ tisane this is meant to replicate though. I mea the similarities are too obvious for it to be a coincidence, in my opinion. And so I have to say that I think there’s probably a better “flavour value” for leaf to water ratio for this one. So fans of the other version might like this one equally if not more – and since this is available year round…

Just tea for thought.

This is basically DT’s Red Velvet Cake in honeybush form. So then, kind of like Birthday Cake too, but slightly more like the former. I initially loved that stuff when it came out, but a massive LE tin made me sick of it. The upside is this isn’t as sludgy as DAVIDsTEA’s. I’m glad I only got a sample of it.

For anyone who hasn’t tried those other teas, this is an eggy, slightly chocolatey cake tea with a hint of shredded coconut on top. The liquor smells more like icing than the flavour. The honeybush doesn’t compete and really allows the desserty notes to shine. I can see desserty tea lovers really liking this, but in moderation!

Sipdown (146)!

So, I got a whole bunch of tea mail from VariaTEA today which included tons of samples from TeaTaxi – a company she’s been quite into recently but that is new to me. I definitely knew that the first thing I was gonna try out of the samples she sent was something from the company, and this is what I settled on.

I should probably mention, that my all time favourite blend from DAVIDsTEA is Blueberry Jam despite the stevia in it, and that Blueberry Jam is my most logged tea here on Steepster (and possibly my most consumed overall, as well) so this tea had a lot to compete with…

However, that said, it was a real contender and definitely gives Blueberry Jam a run for its money. It was just the perfect level of sweet with a really, really well rounded flavour. The blueberry notes were SUPER enjoyable with this absolutely bright, fresh sweetness that perfectly sat on the line of realistic/natural and delicious candy goodness. The chocolate was creamy, and a very nice complimenting flavour although light enough overall that I really did get the feeling like the blueberry was the star of the cup.

If I’m being completely honest, I think the blueberry flavour in this tea is totally better than the blueberry in Blueberry Jam. It just delivered the same qualities I love in that blend but better/smoother. Is the blend better overall? Eh, it’s kind of iffy? It mostly boils down to the fact that I’m really not the world’s biggest fan of chocolate or chocolate teas. Don’t get me wrong, I like chocolate but it’s something I’m usually more neutral towards and don’t typically crave too much. So I’d probably opt for the blend without chocolate over the one that does have it.

I can’t think of a better first taste of this company though! If the rest of their blends are able to touch the same level of tastiness this one did, even if it’s only barely, I’m sure I’ll be very happy drinking them.

Sipdown (159)

This tastes like a floral cookie. The raspberry is really coming through but as a raspberry flavoring. I am not getting any pineapple. There is also a slight astringency from the base. I wish I could be sure that this is how the tea actually tastes and not the cold messing with how it tastes. Oh well. At least I can actually taste something.

ETA: The cookie quality I am getting is because there is a butteryness to this tea that comes off rich and similar to baked goods.

Sipdown (160)

This was one of the teas that came in the monthly subscription envelope from Tea Taxi. It is a plain green so not one I was particularly excited about. That’s actually the reason I picked it. Seeing as I have a cold, I figured I could drink the teas I didn’t much care for since I wouldn’t really taste them but I would still get to stay hydrated.

I think that might be the case with this tea since I am not getting much flavor from it at all. At the start of the sip, I pick up the bitter/smoke gunpowder teas tend to have but that fades to nothing as I continue to drink. My guess is it is the cold that is making this so weak tasting but since I have not tried the tea before, it could be the tea as well. Oh well.

Unfortunately forgettable. Literally. I was so sure that I hadn’t tried this yet that I spent a good ten minutes hunting through my work tea cupboard looking for an unopened sample pack when it was sitting right in front of me, half-empty and neatly binder-clipped closed. It tastes like black tea and not a whole lot else – at least the black tea isn’t bad.

This is the other tea I forgot about and…blegh. It smells overwhelmingly rooibos and tastes the same. It’s ROOIBOS with a hint of berry. Not my style.

I made two cups of tea, forgot about them, and stuck them in the fridge to take a nap. SO I had this cold and it was delicious! I didn’t seem to get any hibiscus in my cup and it was fruity and light and juicy. Very, very good!

Sipdown! Glad this is now out of the way because I was getting tired of it rather quickly, especially since it isn’t incredibly unique. The spices in here can get bitter rather quickly so I added a couple teaspoons of sugar to my 2-cup mug, along with some milk, but I’m still not enjoying it. Doesn’t seem worth the calories, you know? Now it’s just sweeter with a load of black pepper, followed by some cinnamon and a pinch of clove.