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I put off trying this toffee scented tea for the longest time. It smelled yummy, it just wasn’t something I particularly wanted to drink- especially in the context of all my other teas.

I finally got around to trying it today, along with sending out the majority of my parcels. In both cases (tea trying and parcels) I don’t know why I put it off for so long! Parcel sending is easy and this tea is tasty.

This teas has an imbedded natural sweetness that reminds me of Glitter & Gold and makes me feel reluctant to add anything else to it. It ends on a reminiscently salty note with a tad bit of astringency. It tastes exactly like salted caramel and is truly only missing the texture.Now I want some plain toffee. I really noticed the black tea on the first few sips when it was still hot.

The only downside is the flavour and scent are somewhat strong for me at times and makes me slightly lightheaded but I can overlook that.

Now, on to my last fifteen page essay of the semester. Maybe that will be easier than I thought too. Fingers crossed!

I’ve wanted to try this one since people began to post notes about it here on Steepster; the coconut, chocolate and star anise pairing had me intrigued. The last teas I tried with anise was Merry Cranberry and, while I wasn’t a huge fan of it initially, I’ve been craving to try it or something similar again since I ran out. Today I bought a 50 gram bag of this on impulse so I guess I better like it a little..

Wet leaves are 90% anise but the liquor has a pleasant cocoa scent. The flavour seems to be a compromise between the two with a dash of creamy coconut. The coconut and the chocolate components add a natural creamy sweetness while the anise gives it a soft licorice-like nip. I added some milk to my second cup and I’m picking up some discrete chocolate orange notes. There’s no orange in the tea so I don’t know where that comes from- probably the Ceylon?

From the remnants of a can that I should probably throw out, I added some pure warm coconut milk to my remaining glass which really just acts to strengthen the already present coconut, as well as to ascent the astringency and spiciness. Not noticing the chocolate orange bit anymore.

Despite my animosity to all things licorice I really enjoyed the pot of this with my kimchi soup. I don’t think I’d drink this regularly because of the anise but I definitely wouldn’t pass it by if it was offered.

This tea exemplifies the impact of steep time, temperature, and pre-existing biases to the tasting experience. It reminds me that my first impression (also, second and third) may be wrong.

Every time I drink this tea I feel differently about it. Today it wasn’t bad: citrus-y but drinkable with milk. It’s a very vigorous, bergamot-driven earl grey that may be appealing to some :)

It’s like the Coco Chai Rooibos except without the light rooibos and the creamy coconut. The latter of the two is the deal breaker. Also, no cloves.

The main spice is cinnamon, and good cinnamon at that. Ginger is the second main flavour I detect. Those two items create a nice spicy sweet profile. I’ve never had Assam so I cannot pick it out too well in this blend.

All in all, not bad. Although, I’m not sure if this will ever be my go to chai. Cinnamon isn’t usually my favourite spice and I’d rather it share center stage with something else.

It’s delicious when steeped partially in hot milk (as are all good chais).

I was hopelessly in love with this on my first tin. It has this thick “bready”, malty warmth that seems to be at odds, yet nonetheless, works so beautifully with the tropical fruity wave of sunshine.

I had my first cup of this while beginning BBC’s Sherlock with my older sister on a cold January evening. It was so wet and damp outside and nothing seemed more comforting or soothing than this tea. I steeped that first cup for all it was worth and drank as much as I could in the span of two episodes of Sherlock. I even got a giant mango piece. I love mangoes most of all.I was so enamored that, when I finally ran out,I bought it a fancy blue tin. Bliss was the world.

Now it’s almost a whole year later. I’m on my second tin of this and the mangoes are all gone. Sherlock’s gone too. Nothing is as good as it used to be and I don’t even want to re-steep the cup I have in front of me. I’m typing up a fifteen page essay. I should want to procrastinate! but I don’t. Maybe it’s the lack of mangoes, maybe the lack of Sherlock, but this just tastes like malty fake fruit fuzz now.

Oh, happiness, where did you go? Is it just me or can I blame another one on university papers? Why don’t I desire to repurchase you anymore? The world is cruel.

Self-pity, off. Please make a third season of Sherlock. Also, mangoes.

Since I just made a note on Vanilla Orchid I felt it was only fair to pay homage to its predecessor: The original Vanilla Oolong. I made both of these together so I could get the full effect of their differences.

Instead of the beautiful green balls of the updated version this oolong has long black wiry leaves that unravel green during steep. They’re also accompanied by a marigold and lemon myrtle tag team. It has more of a boozy bottle kind of vanilla aroma than the milky kind observed in Orchid during dry stage.

Steeped: I can barely smell any vanilla compared to Orchid cup. The taste is also not as smooth- the creamy vegetal Pouchong carrying most of the flavour profile. It’s nowhere as milky sweet as the newer model and the finish has an odd lemon-y flavour too it that makes it a tad sour and more astringent. There’s something a tad artificial about it too.

This is not a bad cup at all but it is in need of some creaminess and cohesion. Vanilla Orchid almost has too much floral cream in comparison- it’s so rich and buttery! The more I drink the Orchid the more the Vanilla ‘O’ tastes weak and watery. I don’t even want to re-steep it (I always feel like a criminal when I don’t re-steep my oolong).

I think taking out some of the additives and changing the type of oolong was a good move. I like flowers and vanilla bean ice cream, and I’m for this upgrade.

Oh, no! I started steeping this around 15 minutes ago and totally forgot about it! I’m so angry with myself- I only have a 8 gram sample of this so I’m going to be drinking this cup even if it’s horrible.

Surprisingly, it’s not too bad. It’s not bitter in the traditional sense and astringency remains minimal. The flavour becomes more akin to banana flavoured dark chocolate than banana pie. Steeped this long, the malty smooth black tea is actually noticeable and I think it pairs well with the dairy notes. I ran out of milk but otherwise I think it would make a nice hot chocolate tea. All in all, not a complete mess up.

So many noms! What an improvement from the bitter Vanilla Oolong; I’m so glad David’s Tea is replacing it with this creamy beauty. It’s like if Quangzhou Milk Oolong decided to frolic in a flower field that had been dosed in vanilla extract. Imagine the oolong balls running along,so carefree, so happy, slowly being covered with vanilla- creamy, milky, floral, and sweet vanilla. I’m glad I left half a pot of this sitting out over night and am gross enough to drink it. It tastes like the soft vanilla in ice cream, and I personally like it cooled or iced.

The vanilla could be overpowering first steep but that’s why oolong is jolly for a second (third, or fourth) steep. You can wash your liberated oolong after that field frolic and feel good about making it clean again(temporarily).

This tea nails velvet cake on the head; it has the smell, the taste, and even the oily and creamy soft texture. It’s a bombardment of dripping buttery icing and sugared chocolate chips.

I can taste the semi-sweet and white chocolate chips distinctly-they remind me of the chocolate chips my mom used to put into her baking. They’re bad straight but are amazing when melted into baked desserts. The black tea is mostly buried beneath layers of cake and chocolate but, despite the oily qualities of the liquid, this tea is leaving my mouth somewhat dry. Maybe that could be attributed to the tea leaves?

I do like this a lot but the richness, coupled with the artificial tone from the sprinkles make it something that, like red velvet cake itself, I cannot eat drink all the time.

Cupcake flavoured tea, tea flavoured cupcakes….this tea would make Pinkie Pie proud!

I couldn’t stand the thought of having to drink another cup of this cinnamon hibiscus symphony to chaoskampf again. I guess I disliked it a lot more than previously thought. I only had a mug’s worth left of it so I ate it, instead. You know what? I think I like it better this way! Tart hibiscus, spicy cinnamon, buttery popcorn, nutty nuts, fruity fruit… Yes, not bad like this.

Maybe this is not so much a tea tasting note…