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Sipdown!! (183)

Yet another from Nattie (thank you!!). This is a great blend from the Harry Potter potions collection. It has a nice blueberry vanilla flavor while the coconut lends a nice creaminess to the mix. The black base is thick and provides a sturdy stage on which the flavors shine. Really quite good though I don’t think I need 3 oz if this. That doesn’t mean I would turn down another cup though.

Sipdown!! (184)

The smell of cardamom in this was strong and immediately off putting for my tastes so I wasn’t surprised when I took a sip and was overwhelmed by the cardamom flavor. No chocolate, no vanilla, just cardamom. With some milk, subtle notes of chocolate and vanilla emerge but the cardamom is still the most present and thus it is just not for me, though others who enjoy chai teas might be a fan. Nonetheless I want to say thank you to the awesome Nattie for being so generous and giving me the opportunity to try all the Harry Potter potions!

Sipdown!! (185)

Try all the genmaichas!! This one isn’t bad. The rice is toasty and flavorful which makes for a nice cup. Right at the end, the green base, which is sorta vegetal slips in to remind you it is there. Definitely a nice take genmaicha. Thank you Nattie for the chance to try this tea!

Sipdown!! (186)

I had a cup of this last night and meant to log it but then ended up playing Munchkins so that didn’t happen. So now I am having it today and after two cups I can officially say I am not loving this. I had high hopes for this one too given the flavors sounded awesome and it was caffeine-free so I wanted it to be great. It is nutty with a hint of sweetness but honeybush and rooibos is present and a bit overwhelming. Well, now I know and I am grateful to Nattie for the chance to try it out. Thank you!!

Sipdown!! (187)

This is another from the amazing Nattie (thank you!!!). It reminds me a lot off DAVIDs Creme Caramel rooibos which I did not love so much. The rooibos is just too strong and medicinal for my tastes and I find I am always searching for the caramel. So far Teapigs have failed to impress but that’s alright since you can’t love everything and if you have to not like something, best it be something you can’t get easily anyways :). I am grateful for the chance to try it though.

Sipdown!! (188)

Thank you Nattie for the chance to try my very first Teapigs tea. Unfortunately I am not loving this one. It seems artificial and thin. I am grateful for getting to try it but I am not sad to see it go.

Sipdown!! (189)

So my brother has his friends over and they drank the Maple Bacon SBT (thank god!) but when they finished that, they also polished off my sangria tea which made me sad. This is life though. Maybe I could use this to my advantage and just brew up all the teas I don’t want anymore and make them drink it :P

Luckily they didn’t get into my swap packages so I have this tasty tea, courtesy of the awesome jump62359 (thank you!!), all to myself. It has a delicious honey flavor that gives way to amazing fresh berries. There is even a touch of creaminess that makes this tea reminiscent of a yummy dessert comprised of fresh berries, drizzled with honey, and topped with just a bit of whipped cream. Mmmmm…

SSTTB

I had this back in December and remember not loving it but I was hoping this sample might bring out more flavors. Ultimately, I am getting more coconut flavor and a nice creaminess but the cheesecake is still no where to be found. Nonetheless, I raised my rating because this is better than I remembered but still not amazing.

SSTTB

Don’t google “Kenyan Black” when searching for brewing instructions as you will just get a bunch of pictures of people from Kenya. It will not help. However, adding “Justea” didn’t really help either since I didn’t notice a website and I was too lazy to search through the results on my iphone. I ended up just following the recommendations on the steepster page.

The result? A pretty good straight black. Malty and rich and with the slightest hint of bitterness that calls to mind dark chocolate. Pretty tasty.

I read this somewhere, I believe the DAVIDs website, that this is a tropical tea and that is an incredibly apt description. Cold brewed for 8 hours, the result is a sweet and refreshing drink. It tastes more like fruit juice than flavored water as the base, which is present but not overwhelming, provides a fullness that really rounds out the fruity flavors. Another success from DAVIDs Summer Collection – and to think none of the teas excited me at all.