Wegmans

Saturday Sipdown #3!

The first time I tried this, the flavour was a bit of a surprise. I’m still not sure whether I think of this tea as citrusy, but there’s definitely something interesting about it… I think it’s what I imagine pickled plum would taste like – that sort of acrid yet somehow fruity flavour.

I’m sure I’d love it if I could just find something to compare it to.

Thanks for the swap, Jude!

I got this in a swap from Jude a few weeks back.

I’ve never had yuzu before, so I don’t know what to make of it in this blend. Yuzu is a citrus, but I really don’t taste or smell any citrus. Instead, I smell something kind of musty and smoky – kind of like fruit, but not quite. Also, it’s slightly salty.

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t even finish a single cup of this. I don’t think it’s for me. I like sencha, and fruit flavoured kinds, but this is hard for me to get a grip on.

It is a very light black tea, mellow in flavor, but at the same time it has an oddly earthy flavor. Its different.

Its also cheap. Why not give it a try? I normally have it with 1 teaspoon of sugar, or just plain.

The first tea I tried that I absolutely hated – even rinsing the leaves and discarding the first infusion.

The flavor is terrible and will make you wince. I got exited about Pu Erh, but this has totally turned me off of it. Trust me, this Wegmans “Bold Leaf” Pu Erh will make you go
Puuuu ERRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH

This Masala Chai is not too strong or spicy – it does have plenty of cardamom in it. Great with a little bit of milk.

I am yet to be exposed to proper Indian Masala Chai though…so take that as it is. My only other experience would be bagged “Masala Chai”

Mmmmm, nice and smokey! This has such a rich smokey scent! It tastes really smokey and deep too, but doesn’t have any bitterness at all, really quite smooth! I am not familiar with the nuances of lapsang, but this one is really enjoyable!

Super strong jasmine scent coming from this bag! Once steeped I get a fairly strong, clean, crisp and light jasmine taste. It isn’t a mind blowing level of jasmine, but it is really good! I’m not getting any of that soapy taste that some jasmine teas have. I like this one!

So I went to Wegmans today again for soup supplies, and couldn’t resist going down the tea aisle (also, have I mentioned that they sell Republic of Tea cheaper than World Market AND their own online shop – most of the cans are $7.99 or $8.99 – awesome). Sorry, side note.

This is basically Davidstea Forever Nuts which is pretty awesome. BUT it’s only marginally cheaper than the Davidstea version. Davidstea FN is $3.835/ounce for lower quantities and then $3.451/ounce for the larger quantities (plus you get the free tin) and the Wegmans version is $3.125/ounce. Still cheaper, but not as significant as some of their whites or green teas, for example.

Either way, I heard this was seasonal, but the tin at my store didn’t have the seasonal label so that makes me think it’s going to be part of the regular collection which is awesome, and it won’t make me feel guilty about drinking my Tiesta Tea version (and also won’t be nearly as frustrating if they don’t have that sale again this year, though I hope they do!).

Anyway, rambling aside (nm there’s more). I’m about to have 3 free Starbucks rewards and I want to pick expensive good Teavana tea for my rewards. Any recommendations?

Oh right, 3tsp+ sweetener

I have so far managed to not be pranked by anyone, which is good, I doubt my delicate constitution could handle it! Well, that is not entirely true, I was pretty viciously pranked while playing Minecraft today. Minding my own business in a fenced in garden in the middle of the day, I was visited by everyone’s favorite green explosive. Of course I assumed I was safe so I took this moment to sip some tea, from behind me came a Sssss BOOM and I died, spilling the contents of my inventory all over the nice new hole in the middle of my garden, and of course the contents of my teacup all over myself. Who knew Creepers were such vicious landscape critics?

Today’s tea is Chocolate Chai by Wegman’s Grocer, a delightful grocery store that has a self serve tea counter that, when I lived in Pennsylvania, I visited quite often. Sadly they do not have an ‘order online’ option so the only way to get their tea is to pester my friends who live back home to send me some. This blend is a mix of chocolate chai and tropical chai, with Black Tea, Coconut, Chocolate Chunks, Vanilla Bean, Cardamon, and Cinnamon. The aroma is a happy dance of sweet chocolate, rich spices, and nutty coconut. It reminds me a bit of xocolatl but with coconut and the earthiness of black tea. This tea smells delicious.

Giving the chocolaty tea a steeping (goodbye really huge chunks of chocolate) the aroma of the leaves is as expected, intensely chocolaty. There is also rich malty notes and nutty coconut, it is very sweet and the spices make my nose tingle. The liquid without the leaves is very sweet chocolate with a hint of coconut and a finish of spices. The chocolate is sweet and creamy, like sniffing hot chocolate rather than dark chocolate.

Tasting the tea is going to be a treat, I can just tell as I am adding the customary cream and sugar to the chai. The taste is malty and chocolaty with a gentle kick of cinnamon. It moves on from the initial malt and chocolate to rich buttery coconut, it also gives the mouthfeel an oily quality. The spices do not overwhelm, it feels more like a cardamon caress and a cinnamon whisper, I can swear that there is pepper and a hint of ginger though it is not listed in the ingredients. This is a great balanced chai that has a really interesting flair, coconut and chocolate really go well together and in chai.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/04/wegmans-food-market-chocolate-chai-tea.html

Lovely liquor, scent, taste—this tea is perfect. I can drink it with or without milk, with or without sweetener—I prefer actually plain. It’s that good. Followed the recommended steeping time—perfection.

I tried it once, and it’s the smell that puts me off. It smells exactly like swampwater. I did a little research and tried to give it another shot—I rinsed the leaves as instructed, even discarded my first infusion and infused it once again—to no avail. This tea, while it may be good for you, smells awful. I simply cannot enjoy it.

Very nice, short steep time. Flavor is very mild and with a touch of the Yuzu citrus.

I enjoyed this tea very much. Infused for the recommended time of 3-4 min. Nice depth and taste.

This is another tea I picked up in my recent Wegmans haul. It’s very reasonably priced ($39.99 per pound) and the tin that was at my local store had extra large leaves; not broken up dusty leaves. One of the things I like about the bulk tea is that you can be extra certain that your leaves are in peak condition!

Anyway, it’s super light so even filling up a good third of the bag, only resulted in just under an ounce which cost… $1 – pretty awesome!

This is a nice slightly buttery white tea with hints of peach. You definitely get peach in the aroma and a little in the taste, a hint of sweetener brought it out a bit more. It’s not bitter though I did err on the side of caution and only used 175 degree water. Really really nice and I can see myself repurchasing when I finish the sample I have.

It works to about the same price as the Adagio version but you don’t have to buy boatloads of tea to get free shipping, a major plus!

So in a moment of procrastination, I stepped foot in the closest Wegmans to my house (about 30 miles). I haven’t been to Wegmans since college and now I have an appreciation for the vast tea display and I have some disposable income. This is a dangerous combination.

I love that it’s kind of like do your own Davidstea. There are tins on a wall, a little shelf with a scale, scoops and brown resealable bags and you can buy as little or as much as you’d like.

This immediately caught my eye and when I opened up the tin, it looked a lot like Davidstea Stormy Night. It smelled a lot like Davidstea Stormy Night, the ingredients looked a lot like Davidstea Stormy Night. Could it be a replacement for my discontinued tea?!

It’s definitely not the same tea as the chocolate chunks are different, but it does taste almost exactly the same, if not spot on. They sell it for $39.99 per pound, about $2.50 per ounce. Not as cheap as the price I paid for Stormy Night ($14.50 when Davidstea was running that crazy sale last summer for 8.8oz/250 grams) but the fact that it’s not discontinued and doesn’t have to be shipped from Canada (if it ever came back) is certainly a plus. Also, I somehow doubt I’d manage to get it for $14.50 again.

So if you liked Stormy Night and you have a Wegmans nearby or someone that is willing to ship it (raises hand), I highly recommend Wegmans Chocolate Chai.

edit
After coming home, I realized there is another location a mere 8 miles away, doof!

First loose leaf tea (and therefore first Sencha) that I’ve tried. Pleasant, light taste with nice hints of grass. Very inexpensive

This White Tea is a great bargain! It steeps a bit darker and has a bit more flavor than silver needle tea. The quality seems very good and is also organic. It’s a great choice when your running low on the top shelf silver needle teas but still want a white tea

Thank you to whoever sent me this! I gave up trying to keep track of who sent me what because they just get mixed together D:
The aroma is soft with light coconut notes. Mmm.. The white tea is surprisingly the dominate flavor. Sweet and slightly fruity. The coconut is in the aftertaste and kind of lingers on the tongue. It’s a very light tasting tea but it reminds me of relaxing on a beach with the hot sun and a small tropical breeze. This tea is what the breeze would smell like.

Thanks to RogersCK for including this in my Secret Pumpkin package. I love that supermarket brand loose leaf exists, but I don’t enjoy this particular loose leaf. The jasmine flavor is just very chemical and fake. It tastes about the same cold as hot. So, meh.

(Review of the decaffeinated variety) I can barely taste the tea, and I usually prepare this tea with reasonably hot water. Normally, decaffeinated varieties pale in great comparison with the caffeinated versions of the teas-known for being much more robust in taste.
Anyways, I think all the Wegman’s Just Teas are fairly good, as long as you’re not buying the decaffeinated versions.

Today has been a chill day, and I do not just mean it is freezing cold and we are under a Winter Storm Warning (oh please, please let us get snow!!) Today I have spent mostly relaxing before the inevitable onslaught of holiday cheer. I spent the day working on a massive castle in Minecraft, so far I have the outer walls and part of the turrets complete, it will be my biggest build yet. Plus my shoulders and wrists needed a break before I get back to finishing all the crafty gifts I need to make. All this holiday business puts me in the mood for Spring, so it is time for a Springtime tea from the annals of my notebook.

Sakura Sencha from Wegman’s Food Market (originally by Ito En) is a Japanese treat evoking the delicate blossoms of spring, blending Kagoshima Sencha and Sakura blossoms. The aroma is tart and sweet with an undertone of fairly mild vegetal and a touch of grass. The sakura blossoms add a gentle floral tone with a touch of citrusy fruit that reminds me a bit of dragonfruit. The aroma is very much so reminiscent of springtime blending new growth and flower blossoms, overall the aroma is very delicate.

Once brewed the aroma, while still being fairly delicate, increases the intensity. Not only is there the floral aroma but now I notice notes of cherries and freshly mown hay and it blends wonderfully with the aroma of the sakura blossoms. The liquid has a sweet, fruity aroma with undertones of freshly mown hay and a hint of almonds. The aroma is still delicate and fairly enticing.

The flavor is sweet and floral with notes of almond and cherries. The mouthfeel is smooth and the aftertaste is that of fresh grass. This is probably one of the few times I will offer advice like this, but do not follow the directions on the website/tin. I found that if I brewed the tea at 175 degrees it turned out a bit bitter, very much so the flavor of a tea brewed at the wrong temperature. I brewed the tea again at a lower temperature (150 degrees) and all the bitterness was gone and I was left with a smooth and pleasant tea. As the tea cools the sakura flavor becomes stronger and the tea becomes sweeter, it is a wonderful reminder of springtime and perfect for a relaxing sipping experience.

I should note there is a slight chance that I might miss a few days posting a blog in the upcoming week. There are a lot of very social events I am supposed to attend and being an introvert these things kinda wear me out. Hopefully I will have a blog out everyday but if not, now you know why. Happy Holidays!

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/wegmans-food-market-sakura-sencha-tea.html