Thesaurus Tea

This was a very sweet and thoughtful gift from Marika from just before the holiday break which I’m sort of just getting around to trying it. I didn’t take great notes but thankfully I’ve got a large bag of it so I’ll get to experiment and retaste plenty. I remember the strawberry note being mild and natural though, with a sort of honeyed sort of toasty bread flavour as well. “Honey Nut Cheerio Strawberries” is the phrase coming to mind right now.

My first review of my little sample packet earlier in the year mentioned that the flavors in this rooibos-pear blend were pleasant, but never really nestled together—two separate profiles competing for attention.

I accidentally found the glue that brought it all together—fresh comb honey! There was barely a teaspoon left in my sample, and I was afraid it would barely flavor the water. I gave the rooibos a five minute plus steep, then sliced off a thumb sized bit of honeycomb, and then (the comb residue was a little off-putting) strained it a second time. Bippity boppity boo; almost like a caramelized pear dessert now. If I weren’t so lazy, I’d go find a nice slice of cheese to accompany the last half cup.

Tried a sample of this courtesy of Nichole on the first springy afternoon of the season…t-shirts and bare feet were the order of the day Saturday.

The pear was sweet and authentic and not a bit artificial. The rooibos was, well, rooibos-y. But, to my warped flavor interpretation circuits, the flavors never blended. They hit you separately, like oil and water. With that said, it was not a bad tea, drinking it outdoors made it just plain lovely, and your experience may vary.

On a run to the store today, I spotted all kinds of flying stock out for a sail on this (finally) sunny afternoon—Canada geese on the farm pond and two turkey buzzards that had I wanted to get close, would have reached past my knees. So in their honor, duck stuff.

This is an amazingly sweet and floral oolong; looks like honey in the cup and has some honey heft to it as well. My original review tagged the scent as honeysuckle, which is probably most accurate, but today’s cup reminds me a little of lilacs as well. Far too fancy for an afternoon of de-skankifying floors and fixtures, but I’m enjoying it anyway!

Courtesy of Nichole, I sampled a cup of this while watching the live action Mulan (which doesn’t top the cartoon). It does not look like its namesake at all, and yes, I Googled for pictures to be sure. Instead, it was what gets called “fancy-pants oolong” at our house: very light gold and satiny. Her review mentioned peaches and rose; I’d go peaches and honeysuckle.

#tiffanys2021sipdown Tea #52 overall / Tea #19 for February

Sunday 2/14 — Another cold-brew pitcher, this one was one of the 4 teas in my January Amoda subscription box. This one is simply Pai Mu Tan white tea, peppermint, chamomile, rose petals, lavender. Most of the ingredients I’m not fond of (well mainly the chamomile and rose petals)..I wouldn’t be purchasing this tea again but it was a pleasant refreshing floral/herbal blend during the chaos that was a weekend at work. :)

#tiffanydrinkstea #tiffanys2021 #tiffanysfaves #tiffanyinthe614 #tiffanysteasipdown #sipdownchallenge

I really enjoy this tea. It’s a great morning drink. There is an earthy/nuttiness with the black tea. The peppercorns add a zesty pop and the allspice brings almost a clove flavor. It all works really well together and it’s great pick me up.

It’s sure to put your morning power level over 9000.

I will be 100% transparent. . . I bought this tea for the name (yes, I’m that mature). Brewed up a huge serving of this one to enjoy while working and wow, so good. This tea tastes delicate (if that makes sense). All of the flavors are light but 100% there. I’m picking up sweet honey and floral notes like rose. Also picking up hints of peach. As the tea cools, the floral notes intensify, which I’m happy about. This might be a tea to enjoy over the holidays with the fancy desserts I ordered.

My monthly sub showed up today and this delight was among the three for this month. I was super excited to try this blend since I’ve been eyeing it on her site. And while I am really enjoying this blend, I’m getting no maple notes at all. What I am getting is this really nice and warming roasted seaweed note. Which takes you by surprise when you are expecting maple. Not a reorder, but a nice cup to enjoy on this cold eve.

This is a favorite in our household. It has a nice earthy taste along with a maple flavor accompanied by hints cocoa. It’s a Hojicha, which means the green tea is roasted. The earthiness/nuttiness of the roasted leaves matches great with the slight sweetness. It’s very delicious and flavorful without being overwhelming.

I definitely recommend this one.

An excellent light, crisp oolong. Needs no additions!