Vintage TeaWorks

Sweet with a little bite. I think I prefer this over the Oolong, where the Oolong can be overly sweet sometimes I find this one a little more even-tempered.

Sweet, smooth. You get a little traditional Oolong flavor but the inclusion of papaya is so unique that it’s like trying it for the first time.

SIPDOWN! Thanks to the Amoda tea box I was finally able to try one of the vintage teaworks teas and i’ve been hording it ever since. SINCE i need to reduce my expanding cupboard, i figured tonight would be a good night to have the last of this. It’s a rainy miserable evening outside, but the house is filled with delicious, delicious sausage smells and i can sit here, sipping my “wine,” in my comfy clothes while outside the world is grey and dark and cold.

mmmm had this over lunch and DID get a chance to try this with chocolate. Really delicious! I’m quite enjoying the full body of this tea and the grape/winey flavour.

This was in my December AMODA Tea box and it pretty much made me delightfully happy because I’ve been wanting to try these out but there’s a hefty price to them that just hasn’t left me inclined to order something that i don’t know if i’ll love. wow that sentence just hurt my head. punctuation much? yeaaaah…

so anyway, first off, this is a really pretty tea. I love the purple flowers in it. And man did this smell like wine! Now i prefer white wine over red, but I have been known to enjoy a good red wine from time to time. This tea smelled exactly like the last little bit that’s always left in the bottle no matter how long you hold it upside down heh.

How does it taste? Like grapes…but with a hint of…spice? hmm not sure if that makes sense.i can taste the currants and the brew is smooth. This tea makes me want to try some of the others to see how they compare. I don’t think i’d drink this everyday but I’d absolutely drink this from time to time.

Got this tea for Christmas along with the Merlot and Green Tea one.

I was quite surprised by this tea – it’s very complex. I have to say the smell kinda put me off as it has alot of cherry to it. The flavor still has the cherry but it’s more of a smooth taste. I didn’t get any cinnamon coming out for this steep so maybe this cup just had more cherry in it. I really like cinnamon so hope next time will reveal it.

I can’t wait to try it again and resteep (didn’t think to save my leaves the first time). I’m not quite sure if it’ll make my repurchase list but it was definitely worth getting.

I’d definitely recommend this if you like darker complex teas that are smooth.

I really wanted a glass of wine tonight. But then looked at the time…so wine tea it is! This one smelled amazing when I opened the container. There were also HUGE chunks of papaya and I may have eaten one (delish!). This one smelled and even tastes fruity to me and I don’t really recall ever getting that from a Chardonnay.

The papaya really brings a great flavor to this tea, but not too sweet as to mask the taste of the oolong. Which I think is equally good. The vanilla bean, cinnamon, and other flavors come in to play for me on the finishing. I think all together the flavors make for a nice smooth cup and I’m really enjoying every last sip of it!

Not typically a green tea fan so I figured I’d bite the bullet and try this one out next. The dry leaf smells a lot like grapefruit which is interesting and made me even a little more nervous to see how that flavor might translate into the taste of the tea. However, as the tea steeps it smells more and more like apple! I’m getting excited. I am a white wine fan…I prefer the sweeter whites. So far this smells pretty sweet…

The taste is crisp and tart with a hint of sweet. I’m really getting the grapefruit flavor again and it isn’t bad at all. I also get a little bit of grape too. It isn’t bad, but I don’t think this one is for me. I think I should stick to straight green teas.

Now I’ve never been a huge red wine fan. My tastes run to the sweeter side of things. So I wasn’t super sure how I would feel about this one. But I got up very late this morning (after being out super late last night). I figured this would be a bit of a hair of the dog after all the wines last night. I was correct.

My first reaction after opening the container this tea arrived in was holy grapes! Yet I saw no grapes. What I did see were beautiful blue malva petals and some lovely black tea. So I set the kettle and waited and enjoyed the grape smell as I waited. This scent amplified as I poured the water over the leaves. It really began to smell like Merlot! While I let it steep I tossed a chocolate muffin top in the toaster oven because a) I was hungry and b) hello red wine + chocolate tends to = awesome. I was not mistaken!

This tea was smooth, yet slightly tart and full of flavor. I must admit the currant and licorice (not a licorice fan usually) played very well together. Everything worked well together…so well that my muffin top is gone and I need a refill on my tea!

This came from Azzrian – thanks so much!

It’s been awhile since I’ve written, since honestly I haven’t been drinking much tea. But I’m back, baby, I’m back.

I’ve been wanting to try Vintage TeaWorks ever since I heard about them, and I was delighted to find a sample of this in the package from Azzrian. Being 19, I can’t really comment on the accurateness of the Chardonnay, but I feel fancy.

I’m always really a little skeptical of flavored teas, because I want to be able to taste the tea itself. Fortunately, I can here. The oolong is rich and kind of dark, and the fruits compliment it incredibly well. It’s definitely a blend of flavors, with the oolong primarily but with a strong supporting cast.

Delicious!

Many thanks to Brandon of Vintage TeaWorks for the sample. We had an amazing chili tonight (using a lot of the leftover turkey – thankfully) and I was well, stuffed. I didn’t realize it was pushing 8pm until my husband asked why I was making a black tea so late. He has been taught well. So I opted to try this one out instead.

The dry leaf smells a bit like wine and of course rooibos. But with a hint of something more. So I waited for the water to boil and the tea to steep and as it did boy did the Pinot Noir flavors come out to play! I’m not normally a fan of reds…but if all reds tasted like this…well I might be sold. There is a hint of sweet to this (which I think is the rooibos, but I also taste fruity notes too), with undertones of tart with a little bite! I like it.

I think this would make a great Sangria! A really nice sipping tea. Look for more on the blog by Tuesday…I’ve got more to try!

When I opened the canister, I could note the Riesling notes right away. It smelled very much like fruity, vibrant wine. It has that taste too. It’s very light and crisp, but I can taste the Riesling inspiration behind the tea too. Very nice.

I taste the honeysuckle notes and I’m loving that, and I taste the notes of apricot as well as a hint of citrus. I taste the floral tones of jasmine.

A really lovely, wine-inspired tea.

Thanks LiberTEAS for this amazing sample!

I opened up my sample box this afternoon and there it was – Oolong Chardonnay. I’ve been saving my oolongs until my gaiwan arrives, but I just couldn’t wait on this one. I had to brew it up at once. I’m a big wine lover and I also adore oolong, so what’s not to like right?

The aroma of this dry tea is spot on chardonnay with a little spice. Brewed it smells a bit fruity and less chardonnay. This tea is really good. Even though it smells fruity, it doesn’t taste like a fruity tea. Very chardonnay. The cinnamon is not overpowering, but it gives it a nice warm aspect. The rose gives a faint floral note that adds balance to the cup and the vanilla bean rounds everything out for a nice smooth sip. This is actually a little earthy to me – faintly earthy in a way that reminds me a little of tree bark. But that’s really in the background the chardonnay and warm cinnamon are more apparent and the earthiness is more of an afterthought.

I’m really enjoying this so far. I wonder how it will hold up to additional steeping. I may have to order some of this…

Oh goodness this is delightful! Thank you LiberTeas for sending me a sample of this! I was so happy to find it today in the box you sent me!
You know I was wanting to try this and this is one I did not order. I think you may have said this was your favorite … anyway – it is delicious!
Its very sweet, fruity, yet grassy and even a little buttery at that!
It has a lovely palate cleansing note to it as well!
Full review on SororiTea Sisters on the 12th!
I did get three of the Vintage Tea Works teas ordered but this one will be ordered next month! YUMMY!

When I was measuring this tea out into my Breville basket (yes, I normally do brew Oolong teas in my gaiwan, however, this is no ordinary Oolong and I thought that it would be better prepared in my Breville because of the other ingredients), a HUGE chunk of papaya accompanied the other ingredients in my scoop. Papaya is not a flavor that I would normally associate with Chardonnay … but hey, what do I know? In the last 6 months I’ve consumed about four sips of wine … and that was a Merlot. I know less about wine than a wine novice would.

But with all the big chunks of fruit, I will say that my interest was definitely piqued. And once I poured the tea into my mug, I could definitely SMELL the chardonnay.

It has a very warm and luscious kind of smell, and as I sip it … it is like being wrapped in a warm, soft, thick-pile blanket. So soft and luxurious! The cinnamon gives it a warm taste while the vanilla gives it a very soft, luscious kind of feel and taste. I do taste the tropical notes of citrus and papaya, although these flavors are less apparent than some of the flavors that are mentioned by Vintage TeaWorks: pear, butter, melon, and butterscotch. It is silky smooth and sweet and absolutely YUM!

Backlogging a few cups…see other notes….

Backlogging a lovely cuppa!

This is pretty freaking amazing…on several levels! Let me start off by saying I’m on my 4th cup of the day! The first I did 2 infusions of the same leaves and they were both tasty!

Starting with a ‘fresh’ batch for reviewing purposes…

The aroma…is REALLY comparable to Cabernet! It’s pretty freaky yet cool!
This is considered their Dark and Decadent of their flavor choices and I would agree with that.

This is an amazingly-flavored Pu-Erh! It’s well rounded – from start to finish – but the flavors mixed in – are RIGHT ON! The Cinnamon is potent but totally makes sense and contributes to the overall Cabernet-feel…drier wine type ‘happy juice’ if you will.

The cherry and vanilla combo are lovely…very well done and combine nicely with each other. There is a bit of a floral aspect to it, too, which is pleasant and true. This is really yummy and special!

Wow! OK… so this is AWESOME!

Normally, when I brew a pu-erh, I’m kind of … hesitant. I’m usually hesitant to even brew it. And after it’s brewed, I’m hesitant to taste it. I’m getting much better, because I’ve found so many wonderful pu-erh teas that I’ve not only enjoyed but even loved. But, those first few experiences when all I tasted was dirt and fish and just… yeah… all that still comes back to me when I smell that earthiness of the pu-erh.

Here, I do smell the pu-erh, so, yeah, I was hesitant… until I took that tentative first sip. and WOW! This tastes nothing at all like those first few experiences with pu-erh way back when. There is some earthiness to the flavor, but it sort of melds with the other flavors in such a way that it is not in the least bit off-putting.

What I’m trying to say here is that if you’ve tried pu-erh and did not like it because of the earthy/peaty/fishy kind of taste … TRY THIS. You’ll be amazed!

I taste a full-flavored tea, with notes of sweet cherry, warm cinnamon and clove, hints of soft vanilla, and even the faintest note of cocoa in the distance. This is where that earthiness sort of melds … into the cocoa, tasting more like a deep, rich chocolate note than anything. Amazing. So VERY amazing, at that.

I have been SO impressed with everything that I’ve tried thus far from Vintage TeaWorks. I LOVE this company!

I said to myself…self, I said…I’m in the mood for a Rooibos…this one called to me.

This is Vintage Tea Works Fruity and Fun Mix and it is just that. It’s Fruity – more notably the grape/currant type flavors. It’s sort of reminiscent of Sangria – and that is a welcomed comparison – in my book.

This is a well-done flavored rooibos. The Mango and Blueberry work with the Rooibos nicely. The rose gives it that little bit of floral without it being too perfumy. The Mango seems to linger with the Rooibos and Hibiscus a bit more than the rest of the flavors. The Hibiscus is at an acceptable and appreciated level of tartiness and not overdone.

This is well thought of and to the point but still fruity and fun.

A very nice and unexpected tea.
I have tried many wine flavored teas but this one somehow rises above the others.
Unlike those other wine flavored teas I have had – this one is not artificially flavored and you sure can taste the difference!
Thank you LiberTEAS for sending me a sample of this!
There is a deep base that is quite excellent, the mixture of the black currant and licorice are perfection and combine to create something quite unique and tasty! Note, I dislike licorice with a passion yet the licorice tastes nothing as you would expect in this masterful blend!
This is my first tea ever from Vintage TeaWorks and I do hope to try more in the near future!
ETA: Only downside to this one is that it did not re-steep very well for me.

I like this a lot. It’s really quite good. The fermented grape flavor comes through but tastes a bit more like currants than strong wine, and there is a sweet/tart flavor from the blueberries and raspberries, and a delicious, smooth sweetness from the mango. And might I add … next to NOTHING from the hibiscus. I steeped this for 10 full minutes, and I do not feel the syrupy texture from the hibiscus. I barely taste the tartness from the hibiscus, and what little there is, it is there to accentuate the flavor of the berry and currant, rather than detract from the flavors.

I don’t taste much rooibos either… only hints of rustic woody notes and nutty tones, none of that funky, sour wood or weird sweetness or aftertaste.

I’m very pleased with how this one turned out. Very nice.

Even though it’s 2:41 pm here, it’s still very morning-ish to me, because we were up late and I still feel sluggish. I need black tea!

I don’t know if this will do the trick, but, it’s black tea, and it’s what I had sitting on my tea counter waiting for me to try. So, I grabbed it and am hopeful that it will help bring me to a better state of wakefulness.

The aroma is amazing from the moment I first open the canister. It smells very much like wine. Very grape-y, but with a distinct note of fermentation. Brewed, the tea smells very nice also, like black tea with a hint of fermented grape. Hints of floral seem to dance across the surface as well.

Wow! This is nice. It is certainly “velvety and robust” … it has a lovely black tea base that is strong and deliciously smooth. The merlot flavoring is sweet and has a very intriguing depth of “dark fruits”: grape, currant, and plum. It also has a hint of licorice in this, not a strong flavor (for those of you who do not like licorice, I don’t think that the flavor here would disturb your enjoyment of this tea), instead, it is more like a distant flavor that seems to enhance the overall wine-like experience.

Very enjoyable, indeed, and I do feel a bit more alert than I did when I started this tasting note!

I’m not often compelled to write about my tea drinking experiences, but I tried Vintage TeaWorks Riesling white tea for the first time tonight and it is uniquely amazing! I like lighter green and white teas and sweet wines and this was the perfect nod to both. I sweetened it with agave and though I try not to play favorites, this may have been the best cup of tea EVER! Love it!