Haveteawilltravel select Send Message

I have finally decided to brew this little snack up. I’m going to start off by saying that this is Shou, this is not Sheng! I bought this under the pretense that is was a Sheng Pu-erh. I was just about to pop this in my Yixing pot when my tea senses began tingling. I later discovered that this was Shou. Now I will begin the review.

I was given this as a gift a while back. I had one last tea sac (another gift) to use and decided to throw this in there. I stepped this while waiting for one of my classes to start with some Keurig hot water. The aroma is a smooth chai mix. I can hint at strong cinnamon tones with cardamom and sugar. The taste itself is very thick and silky. This is a very soft chai. The spice notes are overcomed by the mate, sugar, and sweeteners. It tastes sweet and thick. The only chia taste is the undertone of spice. If you are unfamiliar with chai’s and like something that doesn’t kick hard, this would be your best bet. It did the job in keeping me awake, but i would not spend money on it. I am not the largest Teavana fan, so I am a little biased. It is a smooth and balanced chai though.

What a wonderful tea! I built my first successful snowman today and I needed something toasty to warm me up. I recently just received this and was waiting for the right moment to try it. The leaves are long curled roasted fingers. They smell beautiful and of a floral charcoal. I put these tasty branches into my gaiwan and brewed gong fu. I washed once to arise the aroma. The aroma begun as a smoky floral enticement. It reminded me of a deep dark TGY. I could smell honey, nectar, and a sweet undertone. I steeped in increments of 5 seconds to avoid astringency and bitterness. Once I reached 90 seconds I began increasing by 15 and 30 increments. The initial flavor was bold and smoked. It tasted as a smooth coal. I love a good roasted flavor that isn’t too “dusty.” The amazing thing about this particular tea is that the smokiness slowly changed. I noticed undertones of sugar cane and honey suckle. These undertones began to become more dominant as the brew went on. Upon reaching the last steep, the brew was mostly a light and fruity taste. The liquor begun as a deep dark crimson and finished as an amber light. I was able to get 14 steepings out my gaiwan. I could have possible been granted more, but I didn’t want to heat anymore water. This tea is a perfect oolong for winding down. I am also very happy about it since I got it at a great price. As a note for anyone, watch your water temperture. I noticed if the water was just off the stove boiling, it would cause for a bitter roast flavor. I let mine cool for a few seconds before pouring over.

This is the last one of the TTB, and I was saving the best for last. This tea is fantastic! These leaves inside the package do not seem to decadent, but once I brought them out and gave them time to breathe, they’re one of beauty. The dry leaves are made up of little twisted knots ranging from a dark reddish brown to a brilliant gold. They carry an almost non-existent scent of smoke and cacao. I placed this gorgeous twigs in my gaiwan and brewed eastern (finally). I washed the leaves to bring out the aroma. This brew begins with a roasted red potato scent. This hearty essence filled my tea room. The scent then begins to sweeten and become more of a light rum. The taste is delicious. It begins bold and malty with a dark cacao rush. I steeped in increments of 5 seconds so as not to become bitter. This malty robust brew then sweetens and becomes a succulent syrup. It is placed as a dark grape and mahogany flavor. This tea is known as a “high end Lapsang Souchong.” Once I entered the third or fourth steep I could see how this was apparent. The smokiness blends with sweetened twigs forming a tasteful brew. This tea has distinct undertones of earth and sugarcane. This was truly a perfect way to end my experience with this TTB, and I am glad I saved this for last. I highly recommend this for anyone wanting a treat.

This brew has such a smooth earth flavor. The rooibos brings it a dusty field taste. The vanilla smooths this out and enlightens the taste. I brewed this western styled with a generous amount. The aroma is mostly of a robust vanilla. I had only one complaint with this tea. As I began drinking down my steep, the vanilla become more and more subtle. This caused the brew to become more dry. This wont be a tea for me.

There is candy in my tea…. This gave me quite a surprise haha. I had the expectation that this was going to be hot, spicy, and very bold. To the contrary, it is quite the opposite. The cinnamon adds a soothing effect. This is followed by a smooth black woodsy flavor. The last ingredient blankets the drink in an enticing sweetness. The little candies add a sugared coating. This is a very calm sweet drink. The only spice that lays in this brew is only brief, and in the aftertaste. I like this and it did the job in warming me up.

I needed something a little bit lighter than my usual palette. This seemed to do the job. The steeped leaves have a fresh and citrus scent. It reminds me of a cold can of Fresca in the summer time. The aroma of the liquor smells very minty. The flavor tastes of juice. It has a delicious and soothing quality. The rooibos adds a heavy base for the flavors to lie on. You can taste a smooth mixture of mint, grapefruit, and juicy vanilla. I like it and this would be a perfect cold brew in the spring time.

HOLY CINNAMON BATMAN!! This tea has some powerful kick behind it. I tried my way around the cinnamon and finally arrived at a smooth black sweetness. The orange flavoring lies at the very bottom aftertaste. It’s a slight candied citrus flavor. This most certainly is not a tea for me.

Good morning, I usually have orange juice and tea so I decided to “kill two birds with one stone.” The initial sip is very sweet. It has an almost candy flavor. The blood orange comes off as delicate and smooth. The black tea offers a nice dark base. The aftertaste offers a very silky citrus. The aroma of this brew is sweet as well; its not that tangy. The color of the liquor is a dark brown with slight red. Its very clear and smooth. This was a decent tea, not all fantastic though. The orange flavoring seems a little to subtle and sweet for me.

This is going to sound idiotic, but this brew tastes only like overly sweetened milk. I know its called milky fruit, and I should have seen this coming. I do not taste any fruit only the milky part. Others may enjoy this tea but I do not. This is a beautiful tisane though, it looks like trail mix. I thought of maybe just brewing some of my trail mix to see if it would taste similar.