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ugh…what’s the deal!?

I’m not sure what it is, but there’s something in this tea that makes me feel a little…off. It’s a queasy kind of feeling. I feel like I chugged a litre of peach flavored water, spun around till I got dizzy, then did a mile-long sprint…on a rocky ship. O.k. maybe I’m being a drama queen, but this tea simply does not agree with my tummy.

I’ve been on the fence with this tea since I got it, and now that’ I’m finishing it off, I can see that there is a pattern for this tea simply not agreeing with my stomach. Fortunately, looking at the tealogs on this one, I seem to be in the minority for disliking it, so I’m glad it’s just me experiencing this queasy chug-spin-sprint-on-a-rocky-ship feeling.

Oh well, I just received a new package of teas in the mail from 52teas –hooray!!!

There’s nothing like new tea-euphoria to distract from a queasy tummy.

My Dad bought this for me for Christmas as part of Teavivre’s Black tea sampler, and we tried it for the first time yesterday afternoon. It was the first time I’ve tried any Lapsang Souchong…ever. Wow is it ever smoky! I shared it with my Dad who had also never tried it before, and he said it reminded him of smoked salmon. He enjoyed it more with a touch of milk and sugar, whereas I liked it without anything added.

As I mentioned in my last tealog, I’ve been drinking nothing but honeybush for the last week or so. I’m not sure how much caffeine is in this tea, but it definitely kept me awake last night. Perhaps I’m not used to caffeine anymore. At the best of times I’m quite caffeine sensitive, so maybe it won’t affect others the way that it affected me. In the future I’ll have to be sure to only drink this one before 2pm. thankfully, today is a fairly low-key day. I’m just filling out a few forms for work, doing laundry, and a little later I’ll be going over to my Dad’s house for my step-sister’s bon voyage dinner. Her visits always seem too short :(

I do enjoy this tea, and I can see it becoming a “once in a blue moon” kind of treat that I would get in sample sizes and get really excited whenever I make it. If you’ve never tried Lapsang Souchong and you enjoy the taste of smoked foods I suggest checking it out. It strikes me as a tea that I would enjoy cooking with. hmmmm…perhaps I will peruse other tealogs…I always find great ideas from fellow Steepsterites

Good heavens, it’s been far too long. I mentioned in my last tealog that I might have to post a little less frequently in the next little while, but it ended up being for reasons entirely different than I originally anticipated. I thought I was going to be busy with school, but unfortunately I ended up getting sick. I thing it was the stomach flu, or some kind of stomach bug – it took me out for a few days. My stomach is feeling quite a bit better although I still find myself feeling tired very quickly. This past week I’ve been living primarily on soda crackers and club soda with a splash of honeybush tea mixed in. Choosing from my variety of 52teas honeybushes was the highlight of these past few days.

I’m finally able to drink plain tea again. But my club soda and honeybush teas have been such a blessing these past few days, that I thought I should write at least one tealog for one of them.

This pina colada honeybush is refreshing and sweet. The pineapple taste hits first and the coconut lingers in the aftertaste, but not in an overbearing fashion. I’m picky with coconut in teas, but this one is a winner for my taste buds. I find with a lot of these honeybush teas, that many of their flavors ring through more clearly as a cold tea. I’m not sure if that’s just something to do with my taste, but if anyone is finding that they are not getting the flavors that they were hoping for, give it a try as a cold tea and let me know if it works for you. I also find that 52teas honeybushes tend to taste better as I get further into the pack. I’m not sure if that’s because
1. the flavor cures as time passes?
2. when I scoop deeper in the pack I get a better blend of ingredients than my initial scoops?
3. I’m just plain coo-coo and I’m imagining it?

Whatever the reason, I find myself enjoying my 52teas honeybushes increasingly as time passes.

While I was sick I pretty much stayed in bed. I got my husband to send out a few emails on my behalf, but I must say that I’m happy to be back on Steepster. It was one of the first sites I checked in on when I started feeling better, well, other than placing another order with 52teas :D

(raises a mug) Cheers to good health!

I’m finishing this sample off today. It’s decent, but it’s not something that I would buy on a regular basis. If I saw it as part of that 2 for $5 special by the cash register that David’s regularly has, they I’d give it another go. In all honesty, I’ve had much better caramel flavored teas, and I’m not really getting any saltiness either, so it really isn’t offering anything new to me. The more dessert teas I try, the less impressed I become with this one. It’s not bad, it’s just forgettable.

Sorry for my absence these past few days I had quite a bit going on(and this week may be another with sporadic tealogs). My step-sister’s baby shower went amazingly well on Sunday. All the planning that we did was so worthwhile -she looked so happy. Pure joy

Yesterday I went to a celebration of life for my friend’s dad who recently passed away. The family is very close to my heart and I have been friends with the daughter since high school-age. They are like family to us, and watching them go through the grieving process makes me feel so helpless in providing them with the support they need. It’s one of those things where the sadness just takes your words and your breath away. Heart-wrenching sadness

I’m finishing off this sample today. I can see myself maybe picking up another simple size of this in the distant future, but it certainly won’t be a cupboard staple for me. The flavor is unmistakably lavender with a complimentary coconut taste. Not bad, it’s certainly different than anything else that’s currently in my cupboard.

My step-sister is visiting from China and I’m helping to throw her a baby shower this weekend, so my reviews may be a tad on the sporadic until all the hustle and bustle of the event is over. I’m elbow deep in making party favors, banners, and planning games. Surrounded by mess but armed with my mug of tea…all is well.

I was planning on saving the remainders of my Chocolate try me pack until I tried some of the other sampler packs I got for Christmas. But when I woke up this morning, this box was just calling my name. Oh, how the persuasion from a good chocolate tea can be irresistible!

This is one of those teas that whenever I take that initial sip I feel a smidgen of disappointment with the taste, but as I keep drinking, it just gets better and better until it’s done and I want to brew another pot. Sadly, I’m finishing off my little sample of this right now, and I will need to drink some of the other teas I already have in my cupboard before I can place another order. :( Le sigh…

It probably goes without saying that this tea is in bold font on my Della Terra reorder list.

The chocolate taste and smell are there, but seem more hidden than what I usually expect from 52teas. Don’t get me wrong, I loved getting to try this one in my 12 days of tea pack. But I try to keep my full size orders of caffeinated teas to a select few favorites, and there are others (here’s lookin’ at you Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake!) that I much prefer over this tea.

Now that I’ve tried a few more chocolate teas from various companies, I must say that there are options out there that I favor over this pick (Della Terra has some yummy chocolate options). Sadly (or fortunately – for my wallet), this tea won’t be making my never-ending 52teas order/re-order list. That’s alright there’s plenty on there already. I just received a package from them last week, and I placed a new order with them a couple of nights ago, and somehow my list is longer than when I started?…Teamath

Yummers!

I never really cared for the dryness and texture of an actual oatmeal raisin cookie, so this tea is a great alternative. I shared a cup of this tea with my Dad, he thought it was “alright”, but he clearly wasn’t crazy about it. I suppose it’s not for everyone. In my opinion, the cookie flavors mix in such a lovely way over the black tea base. I imagine it would taste amazing with a touch of brown sugar, and maybe some milk, but I really enjoyed it as is and didn’t want to mess with good thing. Best of all, I got a solid 2 steeps out of the leaves. I’m glad I bought an oz of this rather than just a sample.

I finished the last bit of this today. I haven’t changed my mind too much about it. It’s still chocolaty, and although I do detect a slight kick, it leaves much to be desired for a tea with chili and chai in the name. I made it a touch stronger today, and I like it better this way. But I was still disappointed with how poorly it did on the resteep.

Now that I’ve tried a few other chocolate teas, this one wouldn’t necessarily top my list in that genre. Mostly because of the sheer amount of leaves I need to use to get the flavor I really like. I’d probably still pick this up in a sample size, if it’s still available next Winter/Fall season.

I don’t know what this tea’s namesake cake tastes like, nor have I ever tried brandy, but I’m definitely getting apricots. As a hot tea the honeybush itself is the strongest flavor, with a hint of apricot mixed in. As it cools the apricot really starts to shine, particularly in the aftertaste.