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Got this as a TTG after work, as I was on my way to a girl’s night “spa night” so I thought I would give this one a go. It was pretty good. Smelled pretty peachy, but it was pretty mild. While there was no hibiscus, there was rose hips which are still tart, but not as much. So I like this tea, for an herbal. It was fine hot and once it cooled, so it is a versatile one. I might get some for summer, but I dunno. I like it but i don’t love it. It would be a nice one for evenings at home though. So maybe…

Don’t like it hot very much. It is not bad but there’s something weird about it, but it has cooled now, and it is MUCH better. Interesting that the tea seems to be a mix of Vanilla Orchid and Coconut Oolong, only with a white base. Also, the coconut seems different in this blend than other teas like Checkmate, but it is like the coconut in Coconut Oolong. I don’t know if this is an ongoing trend or not.

This in an interesting blend for sure. It sort of tastes like a heartier version of Cocomint Cream. This is definitely something that works better cold, or iced, rather than hot, but it is ok lukewarm too.

It is juicy, minty, light, and refreshing. I think that I will enjoy the rest of my small sample, and I might restock this.

Giving this sample a go today, as I am out of milk right now. Thanks to Angel at Teavivre for sending me this one to try…she knows I like oolongs.

My first attempt, I think I let the water cool too much, and possibly under-leafed this as well. I got a much lighter and thinner liquor than I was expecting. I’m tasting something though, but I am unable to put my finger on it. It seems possibly fruity or buttery or brothy but maybe a little of it all?

Although I have a second steep coming, with hotter water and more leaf, so I can compare then if it was my steeping parameters or not. Water had cooled a few minutes (maybe 5?) and I did a 3 minute steep. this current steep I am using just boiled water and a 2 minute steep. We will see.

I am very intrigued by this tea though. The leaves are long, thin, and spindly…and the colour is a dark green with a slight purple tinge to them, I think. Someone said seaweed, and I think that is a good descriptor.

http://campl.us/gyF5P8XSsKq

What do you think?

EDIT FOR RE-STEEP:

So I used more leaf, hotter water, and less steeping time and I got a stronger brew. I’m not sure if that was for the better or not. I feel like I have gone in the opposite direction now and it is too strong a steep. I feel like I need something in between. I’m not getting sweet potato, but I am getting a saliva inducing feeling in my mouth. I am still tasting something fruity, but I am not sure. It doesn’t seem peachy to me, but someone mentioned grape, and I think maybe I am getting a raisin note, or plum or tart cherry, because I am getting a little bit of astringency with the juicy mouthfeel. There is a little smokiness too, I think, along with a mild floral note.

I think that I need to play around with the steeping parameters on this one still, to get the optimal balance of flavours I am looking for.

Yum! Full details later.

EDIT: So it is quite some time later. I feel like rather than backlog and try to get in the mindset I was in this morning when I had this tea, I better just have another cuppa in the morning and write my tasting then, so it is more accurately described. But I can say I really enjoyed this one today.

I’m gonna pull a shmiracles with this post, but first let me thank Angel at Teavivre for letting me try this tea.

First of all, as it has been said in other reviews, this tea comes in a vacuum sealed bag inside another vacuum sealed bag. Upon opening the inner bag, the tea immediately makes way into your senses. The smell is fresh, clean, buttery and floral, and the colour is an amazing vibrant green. Like all TGY teas, the leaves of this one are tightly rolled and they open up once they hit the hot water.

Is this not gorgeous?? Assuming it is visible outside the realms of Facebook.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/946045_10151409451372374_318358809_n.jpg

Drinking this tea, I thought of a song called “Shimmering, Warm, and Bright” by Bel Canto (a Norwegian band).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugnDTJXpSw0

I’m drinking this infusion plain, no sugar or anything. I do tend to drink my lighter oolongs plain, or with a very small amount of sweetener. I can pick up a smooth buttery feeling, slightly drying, and a light and somewhat sweet floral note. There is also a slight savoury taste, like roasted nuts or something. Whatever it is, it is all very good! I hope to get more steeps. Next time I think I may start with a shorter steep time, and build up as I re-steep.

Thanks again for letting me try this tea!

OMG NOM NOM NOM!!!

I only have one serving left of this tea, after today’s steeping, but….I have a whole ounce on order with our group order! w00t w00t!! Because the order is nearly in, I decided to have this one again, and oh, I am soooo happy! I even took a picture of the loos dry leaves on my bamboo spoon and posted to Facebook, because, guys, it seriously is one gorgeous tea.

I am having dinner on my own tonight, so that’s really an excuse to eat what I want, and since DH doesn’t like a lot of stuff I do (especially if it is healthy) so he’d never eat what I got. His loss really, as it is very good (yes, I’m still eating it). Anyway, I have some of this tea left over from when I made it before going to the store, so it has cooled off a bit, but it is perfect to go with my meal.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/942904_10151403702307374_933811281_n.jpg

Three specialty salads from the deli (roasted yam with spinach, feta, and almonds and a dijon dressing; legume salad with lemon basil dressing; and santa fe couscous salad), seared fresh wild salmon, blackberries and a tangerine, plus a small cup of butternut squash soup. It makes me wish for more dinners on my own! It is yummy and healthy!

So yeah, the freshness of the cantaloupe and the lightness of the white base, really balance out this meal.

Decided to have this one today, since our weather has been very pleasant for the last week, and strawberry and lemon sounded nice. It was a toss up between this one and Long Island Strawberry from Steam, but in the end, I didn’t want to fuss with the temperament of a green today, and I also wanted a bit of a caffeine jolt to help my head feel better since I am still sick (but on the mend).

This one comes from OMGsrsly from our tea swap and meetup a few months ago now. I have been saving it for nice weather, so today was the day. It was slightly floral and fruity, and I definitely got a strong black base. I initially started it without milk, but with a spoon of sugar, but later added milk.

I can’t say it is my favourite since I picked up more of the black than the fruit, but it could be my weakened senses from being sick. I’m keen to try this blend again, when I am not sick, and maybe from another vendor too.

Having this one iced! I do feel it is better iced than hot, but it will probably not be replaced regularly. There are plenty of other teas, green or otherwise, that I prefer iced, but there’s always that chance I will have a hunkering for it one day, and it will be the perfect thing.

SIPDOWN…this is the last of the sample from OMGsrsly from the swap, and again, chose this one more for comfort and medicinal qualities. Normally, this is something I would reserve for fall or winter, but since I am awake, and unable to nap, I opted for this one to follow Hot Toboggan. Again, this one was chosen for it’s spices to help warm me up and help me feel better. It’s hard to tell, since I am so congested, but this one does taste sightly more pumpkin pie-like, rather than pumpkin pie spice-like, like Pumpkin Chai from the other DT. I’m not sure the subtle taste in them is enough to warrant me getting this one again, unless DAVIDs doesn’t return Pumpkin Chai this fall, or bring out something similar. Being sick makes me wish I had some Saigon Chai from DAVIDs though…