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Backlogging. Drank this a couple of days ago. I made it much stronger – about 3.5 oz to an 11 oz mug. That is a lot of tea. I could still only taste the white tea. There is a hint of strawberry in the smell.

I contacted Teas Etc via twitter, and I got better instructions for brewing this tea (than what was on the package). Beth told me to brew this with 3 to 3.5 g per 8 oz cup. So, trying this again today. Turns out 3.5 g of tea was about exactly what I had left in my sample. That amount of tea wound up being at least 3 heaping tsp.

This is a completely different tea from the underbrewed batch I did on Monday. This one is a dark yellow and is full of a floral fruity flavor. A lot of people describe the fruitiness of this tea as plum, but I think it is peachy. I’d almost swear that I am drinking a peach oolong tea. There aren’t any flavorings added to this tea though… this is all coming from the leaves. It’s really lovely. I’d almost describe it as dense and fruity at the same time. I’d order more if I could afford it. Maybe it’ll have to go on my xmas wish list for next year.

I can’t wait to see what the second steeping is like. Other reviewers have said that the second steeping is even better.

I am thinking I didn’t use enough tea when brewing this one. The package suggested 1 tsp to 8 oz. I have a 12 oz mug so I used 1.5 tsp. But I am not getting much flavor out of this at all. It is very light. I am not getting fruity as others tasted – maybe there is the plum flavor way way back in the aftertaste. But on a good note, there is no bitterness at all and it’s very mellow. The smell is amazing. Nice mellow oolong smell.

I’m going to reserve judgment on this one for now. I think I have enough of this sample to brew it again with 2 tsp. I’d love to know how much tea others used.

Would it be weird to add another 1/2 tsp to the second brewing?

Prepared in my Bodum Double Wall Glass mug and YoYo Stainless Steel Infuser.

BTW – I think this might be the most expensive tea I’ve ever tried. I would like to thank Teas Etc for generously sending me a sample.

Update – I can definitely taste more flavor as it cools and am realizing how happy this tea is making me while I drink it.

This tea, while probably tasting exactly like it says it does, isn’t one of my favorites. It’s meh. In the package, the dry leaves smell nutty and have a hint of vanilla, rum, and chocolate. Brewed, I am tasting a nuttiness, but the rooibos flavor is strong in this tea and it is getting that mocha flavor that I don’t particularly like. Someone else may love this tea, but it’s just not my thing.

This was a free sample that Teas Etc kindly included in my order.

2 tsp to 11 oz.

This tea is fantastic iced. Needs no sweetener (coming from someone who sweetens almost all teas).

Cold brewed. 1 Tbsp for each 16 oz water.

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.

I am still loving this tea. It is SO strong and bold. Better be prepared for this one when it hits you. And, there is none of that earthy/peaty/manure smell in this tea. Thank god.

I added lots of sugar and some soy creamer to it this morning.

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.

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.

Oh man! I might love this. It tastes a lot like Sleepytime, but better. Much, much, better. The mint is standing tall in the front and the black tea is just a balancing component. I expected this to taste like black tea with some mint flavor, but instead it tastes like mint tea with a smidgen of black tea. I think I am going to be wishing for more than a sample of this one, especially once my husband finds it (he is the sleepytime tea drinker in our house).

Update – this has no bitterness or astringency. Also seems to be a nice pick-me-up rather than the calming effect of a night tea.

1.5 tsp to about 11 oz.