Teas Etc

I really don’t like strawberries. Have y’all figured out that I’m a bit of a picky eater? Sad, but true. I must admit that I fell for the story that’s attached to this tea and that’s why I selected it as one of my free samples from Teas Etc. Yes, I am a sucker for such things.

This is a rather lovely blend. It’s nice to look at and it smells all strawberryish. It tastes like a white tea with strawberries and some other unidentifiable stuff that sort of rounds it out. How’s that for a description? I’m just not feelin’ it. I was struggling to drink it at first. There was that musty taste that I sometimes get with white teas. But as the cup cooled I started to drink it faster and faster. I think that if I were to have this again (there’s only enough of the sample left for a small cup), then I’d drop the temp to between 175 and 180. If I loved strawberries, then I think that I’d buy more of this tea. As it is it’s NE.

No Rooibos will ever live up to my expectations after that Coconut Custard Rooibos. Sigh. This tea is just ok for me. The smell of the dry leaves is a little cough syrupy which made me afraid to try it. The smell brewed is more like a cherry sucker from the bank. Taste-wise, I get a lot of Rooibos flavor. The cherry is a background flavor and the vanilla is subtle and just rounds out the tea. It is ‘creamy’ but I kind of want more cherry and vanilla.

As it cools, I am getting more of the cherry sucker from the bank flavor.

Ahh, Golden Monkey. Peppery Yunnan goodness. Cute little leaves. Earthy yet sweet. The total package tea. You’re just what I needed. Time to place an order.

What a weekend! As some of you might have seen on the news, a good portion of Tennessee is underwater. Tennessee received more rain this last weekend than the TOTAL COMBINED precipitation for the months of May, June, and July (on average). Crazy stuff. Luckily, we did not have too much damage at our house. One bedroom window began to leak on the second day of nonstop rain…and my flowers received a thorough beating. Nothing major though, thank goodness. My office even closed its doors yesterday due to the roads being flooded…or gone. It was a nice little break filled with repairs, cleaning, TV and tea. Speaking of which…

On to the tea. I received this generous sample from SoccerMom. The leaves are quite stunning and fuzzy. The liquor is silky and finishes on a sweet note. I distinctly taste the spicy/peppery note but the malty flavor is absent. There is a slight earthy quality to the tea that I am enjoying immensely. My first cup was finished rather quickly, but the second steep cooled to room temperature. Both steeps were unique and pleasurable. I’m sure I could squeeze out a third steep, but it’s almost time to head home from the office. Yay! I might have to pick up where I left off today. This is a great tea to have on constant standby.

I like Teas Etc. rating system - zero to coffee. This one is a little more than halfway up their scale. Nice, dark and strong, but I made my first test cup at work - minus anything but tap water, in probably not the most clean/pristine mug in the world, minus my favorite “One Perfect Cup” measuring spoon, and in the microwave - so I don’t have anything very exact to say about it. Taking the rest of the sample home to a friendlier environment. I think I’ll like it.

Where the hell did my yummy cup of num-num go?!?!? I ordered a larger bag (she says hoping that no one notices that her tea-buying ban for May fell through, ahem. Hey, it was for a good cause with the giveaway and all. Uh, yeah. The giveaway: that’s the ticket! Riiiiight.) and was all excited to try another cup last night. Last night didn’t go well. It was nowhere as sweet as my sample had been and as the cup cooled I was getting what denisend referred to as “wet sock.” And I don’t think it was the power of suggestion.

I bravely tried another cup tonight adjusting the temp to 180 and upping the steep time by a minute. (I can’t recall what temp I had it at last night). I also tried to pick around the dreaded chamomile so only a few flowers made it into the cup. What the hell?!?! Oh this tea is ticking me off. It started off “wet sockish” but as I’m typing and the cup is cooling I’m starting to get glimmers of the tea I had fallen in love with. I’m removing my rating (originally 90) until I figure this fickle tea out. Next time I’ll try boiling and 4 minutes again. Or maybe I should drop the temp and steep it longer? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa::gasp::aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I can’t figure this tea out soon, then the rating’s gonna drop drastically. This tea’s goin’ from TG to M on this steep. Grrr.

ETA: I actually found the sample packet with a bit of this tea left in it that I threw into the second steep. Before tossing it in I smelled the packet. Okay, so there’s something different between this sample and the larger bag. The packet has almost none of the “musty” smell that the larger bag has. I wonder if this is a result of the qty of chamomile or something else in the mix. I dropped the temp to 175 and kept the time at 5 minutes. It’s a lot more palatable, but I’m still somewhat disappointed.

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

A combination of noisy construction taking place right outside of my office and difficult graphics has led me to require tea at an earlier time than usual. I’ve been thinking about this not-lapsang some the past day or two and just the thought of it makes me happy. So this is the perfect time to have some of this happy-making tea and attempt to destress.

This is such a mild smoky tea but it is still a smoky tea. Perhaps it is because the smoke is so smooth that it just makes it taste rich. Today this is very chocolaty to me, with a hint of almost sharp smoke in the last bit of the sip then a delightfully sweet and smoky aftertaste fills my mouth and I can’t help but smile. Ah yes, perfect happy tea. I feel much better now (though I do have to give Marvin Gaye the assist).

Giving this a bit of a bump because really? How can I not when it makes me feel like this?

It’s a smoky tea – yay! I’ve become so addicted to smoky teas so of course I wanted to try the “original Lapsong tea.” The smell is a little sweeter than my normal lapsang but it’s still pretty smoky. The taste is milder though. It reminds me of Andrews & Dunham’s Caravan – smooth and silky and rich and heavy and smoky (but not too smoky). There’s a dark, rich, almost cocoa-like feeling to it that makes it feel decadent. Not quite a taste, but a feel. (Can a smoky tea be a dessert tea? Probably not but this one give it a good try with the richness.) It is decently mellow as far as smokiness – the smoke is there but it blends so well that it’s not like inhaling a campfire with each sip of tea. It’s heavy and rich (and silky – did I say that already?) without being overpowering or tarry. There’s a very sweet little upswing at the end – maybe sugar or honey or something floral or fruity. I don’t know and honestly, I’m not trying too hard to figure it out because I’m just so busy enjoying it. This is seriously tasty stuff and I think it needs to have a home in my pantry.

SIPDOWN!

This one will be missed. Black tea – AWESOME, Mint – TOTALLY AWESOME, Lemongrass – NICE TOUCH, but just a touch! YUM regardless!

The lovely people at Teas, Etc sent me a sample and I am very grateful! How DID they know I LOVE mint!? Lucky guess, I suppose…lol…

I can smell a strong mint and lemon aroma. It’s on the verge of medium brown in color.

Would it be wrong of me to just snort this for the rest of the day!? By snort – I don’t mean that literally. I am sure some of your are just TRYING to picture that…especially YOU Rabs! :) (I’m soooo glad I can joke with most of you!)

A nice light black tea taste with much mint and lemon. This is perfectly done…or at least darned near. Everything/One seems to be JIVE TALKIN’ and I like it!!!! The ingredients are not only playing nice with eachother they are all dressed up in their disco shoes and ready to do the shuffle together!

Good Morning or Good Night? Mint tea always feel like something I am supposed to drink before I go to bed. This one is supposed to be ‘invigorating’. Maybe by the end of the cup I’ll feel invigorated. That being said, it’s tasty. It is much milder than the Mint Fusion that I logged yesterday. I’ve always liked linden in my tea so I am not surprised that I like this one. I, thankfully, don’t taste the rosemary at all.

I could see this being great when I don’t feel well. I also think it might be really good as iced tea. I might try that with some of the rest of this sample.

I might just not be in the mood for this tea right now. I really want that Coconut Custard, but 11 am seems too early to be pulling out the dessert teas. I definitely like it though.

This is my last cup of this one. This tea is kind of funny to me. I loved it the first time I tried it, but liked it a little less with each cup. I can’t quite tell you why the love has dissipated but perhaps it is not all that interesting overall. It is very single-note. Coconut and that’s it. I love the Golden Moon Coconut Pouchong still and I think it is the complexity of the Pouchong that is keeping me entertained with that one. Anyway, this has been a good tea, but I don’t want to order it again. Dropping my rating based on love lost.

I drank a cup of this last night after dinner. Is this the best rooibos ever? It might be. This is so yummy. And, I only ordered 1 oz of this! :(

I was worried I wouldn’t like this because everytime I see coconut with tea, I think it is going to be like a pina colada. The thought of that makes my stomach turn. But, since I liked the Golden Moon Coconut Pouchong and everyone was giving this such good reviews, I had to try it.

This smells amazing. In the dry leaves, I smell coconut and some kind of liquor. When brewed, I taste coconut, vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon. It made me immediately think it was like a cookie in a cup. Then as I drank more, I started to get the ‘custard’. Sooo yummy. I was planning on making a cookie after tea (I have some frozen cookie dough balls in the freezer for emergencies), but after drinking the tea, I no longer even wanted the cookie. Great side effect.

If you are a rooibos drinker, run and order this.

~1.5 tsp to ~11 oz. I added the worlds smallest drop of agave nectar to this.

Could be thicker or a little chewier but has a nice WAKE-UP flavor to it. Not the end all be all of IB but not bad by any means.

I’m still on my breakfast blend kick so I picked up an ounce of this when I made my Teas Etc order. It has a nice bakey flavor to it that reminds me of Thomas Sampson but just a hint. It has a nice sweet malty flavor at the end. There’s a good weight to it but the texture is nicely smooth. It’s not the most distinctive Irish Breakfast but it is pretty tasty. Today I had it with a little sugar and half & half (because that’s how I roll) so I still need to try it straight to see how that turns out. But right now, while this wouldn’t be my IB of perfection, I could definitely see myself rebuying it.

Oh yes, this is fantastic cold brewed. The “dirt” taste of this oolong is still there but much more subdued. And please know that “dirt” isn’t a bad thing — I just don’t know how else to describe it. I feel that “earthy” is more complex than what I’m tasting here. Anywho, the orange is just ever-so-delicately there. This is quite delightful iced. And it’s how I plan to finish this sample tin. Bumping up the rating a bit, but it’s still NE.

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

Like other flavored rooibos, it picks up tons of the smell but not as much of the flavor. The flavor is much more subtle where the smell reaches out and grabs you and says “COCONUT!” The tea is smooth and actually very good for a rooibos but i am disappointed the flavor didn’t show up like the smell did. The more i think about it though – this is the best rooibos i have had and the flavor is really staying with me.

So yeah, I totally caved on the Steepster Select the other day. And hello fast shipping – my order got here today! Honestly, it was non-rooibos-loving Doulton’s review of this not-tea that made it first catch my eye, then Steepster Select and the forces of boredom shopping pushed me over the edge.

I’m so glad it did. Look, I wasn’t expecting much. It’s a rooibos. My greatest rooibos-related hope is that I can drink it without making an “eew, icky” face. But this stuff? This is good. Well, as long as you like coconut, which I totally do. The rooibos flavor is barely a hint and even that hint backs off to a mere wisp of wood as the tea cools a tad. Instead, this tea tastes of delightful coconut, lightly toasted to give it a bit of a crisp texture. In fact, it reminds me of the bestest coconut tea in ever and ever, SerendipiTEA’s Burroughs’ Brew. I taste no custard but the coconut is so yummy I just don’t care.

I’m so glad I caved on the Steepster Select and followed Doulton’s example like a little sheep. Because this is good stuff. Totally will be buying this again.

I ♥ strawberries. But I haven’t had the best luck with whites – or at least not consistent luck. So I thought I’d try this as my free sample from my Teas Etc order because then I get to try something that sounds like it could be tasty but, based on my past luck, might not work out so well. In fact, I was kind of anticipating it not working out so well.

But no, I like it. The flavoring is light and blends well with the tea, creating a clean and refreshing taste. I get hints of fresh strawberries more than any of the other flavorings but the tea is stronger or at least equal to the strawberry summerness. It’s surprisingly nice. I could see myself picking up some of this. Though I doubt that it would be something I’d drink daily, I like it.
4.9g/10oz