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Oh this is nummy. Nummynummynummmmmeeeeee! I got this as a free sample from Teas Etc. I thought that it sounded interesting and I’m always looking for a good tisane for nighttime. Oh, there will be a larger purchase of this.

The color of this dry tisane is quite vibrant, kinda anti-relaxing. As I’m scooping the tea into my teapot I see some dreaded chamomile. I used to not dread chamomile, but ever since trying Adagio’s straight-up cham and their Foxtrot I’ve been kinda a non-fan. Like it really grosses me out. I brace myself.

Oh yes. This is how chamomile should be done for me. It’s floraly-sweet. I’m getting small moments of “Fruit Loops” – I don’t know what in teas gives me that scent/taste. All the components really blend well and I am delighted for the first time with chamomile. I must try this iced after I order more! TG

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 7

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Sonnet 116

Oh the smell of the sampler when I opened it: a fruity ever-so-lightly smoky fragrance. I actually thought that this would make an excellent perfume. I have yet to throw out the bag: I keep sniffing it.

I was a bit concerned with Samovar’s instructions. I tend to make larger cups of tea using about the same amount of tea (if not a little more). What if I destroy my first experience with Samovar? And I was still concerned after I went for it and had my first few sips. I felt like it really wasn’t that remarkable of a tea. Then the magic happened.

I’ve never had lychee before (I now suspect that there’s some in the Nil Noir that I had yesterday), but I think it’s absolutely delightful. As I sipped my first steep I began my now almost ritualistic pondering of where this tea would fit in Shakespeare’s works. I got a lot more sweetness than smokiness out of this tea. It’s as if the tea blender just happened to be in a room where a fireplace was in use. Just the subtlest hints of smoke.

During my musings I kept coming back to Hamlet, but Hamlet the character or the play? It just wasn’t sitting well with me. This tea is elegant in its simplicity, but I think that my Hamlet tea will be complex as all get out and still be one of the best cups of tea in my life. It may be years before I stumble upon my Hamlet. Then I tried to think of sweet/masculine characters: Romeo? No. That’s not right either. And then the glimmer of an idea came. I should look at sonnets. I realized that if I felt like writing a poem to the tea that I’m drinking, then I should peruse the sonnets and see if one fits. And one did for this tea.

Sonnet 116. It’s got it all: the declarations of love, beauty, and most importantly it is very masculine. I didn’t study much of Shakespeare’s sonnets in school, but I thought that I recalled that these are written from one man to another. So I did some research and found a great site that helps put the sonnets in context. Here’s the link to Sonnet 116 in its entirety as well as its commentary for those who are curious: http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/116comm.htm You’ll need to scroll down a bit to get the sonnet and its commentary. This tea truly is a beautifully sweet masculine sonnet. TG

I’m having trouble deciding what I think about this tea. I’m thinkin’ that the base oolong here has got to be a wuyi. It’s just got that “earthy” taste to it. I didn’t think to put the leaves through an initial rinse, and I feel like that might have helped with the first cup’s “dirty” taste. It was sort of Meh. With the second infusion the dirt taste definitely backed off, but I could still tell that it’s an earthy oolong with just a hint of orange. The orange truly is a background taste in this tea which really makes it pleasant. I’ve fluctuated my rating quite a few times: I just can’t make up my mind on this tea. I am indeedy-doodle curious about cold brewing this and will try it in the near future. NE

To use a TeaEqualsBliss phrase: these leaves are flew-fee! Flooo-feeee! (Oh yes, that is fun) :D I also have to add that I generally don’t care to see the leaves as they steep. But this one? It was amazing to stick them in the fridge the night before and then look in the morning. Very leafy leaves! It must be said: LEAF JUICE!!!!!

With this tea I’ve come to the realization that I really enjoy uber-subtle iced teas. I’ve had some aggressive iced teas lately and having one yesterday and now this one today I know that for me gentle is the way to go. This is fantastic iced. Just a hint of nectary sweetness – almost melon-ey. I’ve never really had a white tea like this before. NOM! TG

A HUGE thank you to Kristin for sending this to me! I’d avoided 52teas and other limited edition type teas because of their limited editioness. I’ve finally come around and am willing to enjoy teas while they last. :)

Oh. My. Lordy. I open the packet and it’s like Maraschinopalooza. I become worried. I smell hints of upside-downness, but to me it’s all about the cherry.

I was surprised that the instructions were to get the water to boiling. I’ve only ever done around 180 for other honeybushes. But I think, “what they hey” and go for it boiling. I’ll definitely try some at a lesser temp out of curiosity and make a note of what the differences are.

Oh yes. Me likey. The first few sips were “this is sort of like a pineapple/cherry chapstick.” But honeybush is like that for me: it always is reminiscent of the old school flavored chapsticks of my youth. However, that sensation faded. This is probably more like my imaginary Pineapple Upside-Down Cake would taste like (it’s been years and years since I’ve had the real thing). I kept drinking and drinking and drinking and now my first cup is gone! Must make more. I did start to get the Pez-like quality that Kristin mentioned, but I drank it all before it cooled too much, and for me Pez is a good thing :)

This is so intense that I won’t be able to do it every day, but if I want something bakey-sweet after dinner then this’ll fit the bill perfectly. TG

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 6

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough briar,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon’s sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats, spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In their freckles live our savours.
I must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act II scene 1

I awoke this morning with the thought of Carpe Tea-um! Cheesy, but true. I’d been holding off on this and a few other teas and realized that I should just go for it. Why wait? There’s so much tea and so little time.

I have found my A Midsummer NIght’s Dream. I swear that fairies must have made this tea! I sniffed it and couldn’t tell what was in this tea. I still can’t tell you after reading the description. The description is all about fruits, and my tastebuds don’t see it that way. Is Puck tricking me? Perhaps the most apt description I can come up with is that this tastes like the flowers of a fruit before the fruit is born. It’s this beautiful, subtle, nectarish tea that I adore. I’m on its third and obviously final steep. It’s turned almost completely to a nectar sweetness. For me, this tea is the definition of lovely. TG

I’m getting angry this evening and this poor cold brewed iced tea’s gonna take the brunt of that anger. This is gingery-hibiscus hell. I had a few other zingers that I’d typed and then erased since I think that they went too far. I’ll just say that this is definitely not the tea for me. I’ll never repurchase it and am glad that it’s a small packet.

I poured myself a big glass and it was very intense. So I added more cold water to the pitcher hoping that it’ll calm things down a bit. I’ll find out later tonight. I guess that there’s more stuff in this tea than ginger and hibiscus, but that’s all I’m getting atm. Ick. GA

ETA: Tossed my first cup 1/3 of the way through. I’m getting the feeling that Rishi doesn’t go for subtle when it comes to their herbals. Drank the entire “somewhat mellowed” cup but then tossed the rest of the pitcher. What a sad waste of good water.

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 5

“Thus we play the fools with the time; and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds, and mock us.”
Henry IV, Part 2, Act II scene 2

I’m really struggling today. Last night I found out that a friend in New Orleans was murdered. So I find myself wallowing in this tea today. I picked this tea because rum is reminiscent of Hurricanes and I don’t have real alcohol on hand (that’d be a bad thing right now). Please keep in mind that a subjective tea review from me today is nearly impossible. And know that Falstaff came to mind because Jeremy had been a wonderful comedian and to me he died offstage. That’s where the similarities between Falstaff and my friend end. Jeremy was a wonderful father, husband, and friend.

Enter Falstaff stage right. I opened the packet and was hit by a truly heady mix of rum, coconut, and even strawberries. I thought it might be too arrogant of a tea, but the steeping calmed it down a bit. It lived up to its boasting.

The scent of the tea is decadent. The “cream flavors” come out (to me it seems like vanilla soy milk) and all the flavors really dance around in my mouth. I can’t tell what black tea it is, but my guess would be Ceylon because I catch that light sweetness on my tongue that I associate with that particular tea. I did two successful steeps and then added another teaspoon and steeped it again. Right now the cup smells like a light strawberry cake frosting. Bizarre, but true. The aftertaste is really pleasant and I find myself taking fewer sips so that I can appreciate it more. I plan on steeping the hell outta this one today and I do believe that it shall become a permanent tea in my cabinet. NE

To everyone who suggested I try this cold brewed: thank you!!!!!

The maltiness receded and there’s a new sweetness to it. I wish that the maltiness was even further in the background, but this is a yummy black iced tea. I’m bumping up the rating (the original being a 65). Still NE.