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Today was both a good and a bad day for tea.

Bad because I learned I am not the only one who enjoys tea in my house – my dogs like tea so much that they somehow managed to unzip my backpack, tear through a box, and then proceed to eat multiple different teas. They demolished the bag of Cookie Dough tea I brought home specifically for a friend and then started working on some Laoshan Black and Vicky’s Sponge Cake that Cavocorax sent me. Luckily, the other teas were unharmed and the Laoshan Black and Vicky’s Sponge Cake could be sort of repackaged and salvaged (I am debating about drinking these because the dogs really ripped through the packages to the tea but I figure it is made in boiling water so any germs should be destroyed, right?!?).

However, I can get passed all of this because I now own 100 g of PISTACHIO CREAM!! I decided I was going to get a friend of mine a perfect mug and some teas for Christmas because she does not usually drink teas at home but she is always very interested in what teas I am drinking each day and when we are together she likes to have tea with me (I am still not sure if she does this for my benefit or hers). I planned on getting her only about 50 g of tea but then I got to DAVIDs and my excitement set in and I just could not decide which teas she should have. I ended up getting her about 30 g of Glitter & Gold (we call it Sparkly Tea and it is one I know she enjoyed and one she is quite entertained by), and then smaller amounts of Gold Rush, Movie Night, Lime Gelato, Vanilla Orchid, Jessie’s Tea, Vanilla Orchid, Creme Caramel Rooibos, and Cocoa Canela. I also got very excited while talking to the salesgirl and ended up having to write down a few different websites for her to check out because she said all the teas I was mentioning sounded amazing. Anyways, in the midst of my gift buying I thought I might as well ask if they had any Pistachio Cream lying around even though I didn’t see any anywhere in the store. The salesgirl ended up telling me she had some as part of the 2/$5 deal and that is when I told her that we would forever be best friends. When she pulled out the 4 bags they had left I told her that I loved her because now I am reunited with my beloved Pistachio Cream. As a bonus, they also had Cocoa Canela in stock too so I was able to pick up some more of that as well.

Anyways, after returning home from to DAVIDs to have to clean up the mess my dogs made, I headed over a friend to share my teas. She ended up trying a few different ones, included Pistachio Cream since she listened to my rave about it for so long, and as a bonus she let me try this tea that she had from Teavana. Usually I am not a huge fan of Teavana but this smelled pretty good and I am always excited to try something new. In the end, I was happy I tried it out because this is not a bad cup of tea. I have never had a Singapore Sling so I don’t know how this compares to that but I do know it tasted like a Cherry hard candy but without being medicinal. It was sweet and all around pleasant so not a bad way to end the night. Would I buy this tea? Probably not but I would not say no to another cup either.

Having this for the second time, I think I realize why so many are not a fan. It is a pleasant enough cup but nothing truly amazing. There is hints of both chocolate and cocoa but I also got a bit of astringency that was really not working in this cup. Also, like so many other DAVIDs teas, it was on the oily side which really detracted from the flavor. I think this might be good as a latte so I will have to try that next time. I don’t think I will have trouble finishing what I have but I also doubt I will be too heartbroken once it is gone. Thank you Aimee Popovacki for the sample.

I had this today mixed in a glass of cold milk. Though I think it was better than when I made it hot, it is still not my favorite. The flavor does not really come through that much and I get more of a vegetal taste from the matcha itself. I think in future I will be mixing this with other matchas rather than drinking it by itself. Thank you Sil for this sample. This is definitely one I would have bought and now I know it is just not for me.

After tasting the Cookies & Cream matcha, one of my friends was very interested in trying other flavors. I showed her all the ones I had and she selected this out of the bunch. So I got to work on making her a cup. As I made it, my other friends became more and more curious about it. I guess my one friends love for it made them realize I was not drinking weird diet powder. They all started asking me questions about what matcha was and what I was mixing it in and it was really fun to introduce them to something I love so much.

Anyways, this cup ended up being passed around the table because everyone wanted a taste. One friend, who dislikes chocolate, thought this was quite pleasant. Another told me it tasted like whiskey with plants and mint. The friend who this cup was made for loved it and as for me, I am still in awe how simply changing the method can bring out flavors I never found when I made this in hot water. Something about mixing it in a cold cup of milk makes this creamy and deliciously chocolate tasting. A wonderful cup to share with my friends.

Something tells me there will be a lot more tea shared this weekend and I can’t wait. I love introducing my friends to so many new teas. Especially when so many of them only ever drink Orange Pekoe and are hesitant to drink my “weird, fancy” teas but always end up falling in love. Until then I get to tuck in to my mom’s king size bed (my mom is in Florida and a friend, who needs to wake up early, is sleeping over in my bed so I took the opportunity to roll around in the giant comfy bed) cuddled up with my little puppy. Sometimes it is just good to be home!

Thank you Cavocorax for sharing this with me!

While playing poker with some friends, I got up to make some tea. When I asked if anyone wanted, one friend started to ask if I had some normal Tetley’s Orange Pekoe but then decided he would branch out and asked to try some TARDIS tea (being a Doctor Who fan it was obviously the standout choice for him). So I decided once I was making a cup for him, I would try it myself.

My friend ended up quite enjoying his cup – he said it was different from what he was used to drinking (Orange Pekoe) but really good. As for me, I found that this tea was a delicious Cream Earl Grey type tea. I did not taste blackberry. What I did taste was a really yummy Earl Grey with a hint of creaminess. Not what I was expecting but still very delicious. It makes me want to try the earl grey bravo on its own to see how that compares to a cup with additional flavors. Perhaps something to look into. Anyways, thank you Cavocorax for sharing with me.

So I am now back in Markham until the end of the weekend and it is definitely nice to be home. I love Montreal but sometimes it is nice to return to the suburbs and be in a busy household with dogs running under foot and siblings yelling at each other. I actually came back as a surprise for my brother as his Hannukah gift. As an added bonus, I actually ended up getting to surprise a few friends too who were at my house visiting my sister. So it was nice to be back with people I love, sitting around and playing games. And of course, I immediately broke out my tea stash to share with everyone.

The first thing I grabbed was the pack of this matcha and when I offered it to others no one seemed interested so I made myself a cup in cold milk. One of the friends visiting actually asks me about my teas each day so anytime I make a cup she is always excited to try it. She ended up loving it and told me she would definitely buy more, even after I told her how pricy it could be she was still interested. Everyone else called it my weird green milk and told me they avoid healthy drinks. Oh well, more for me!

This was so creamy with a hint of the chocolatey goodness associated with an oreo cookie. I always love this tea and tonight was no exception. I can not thank Cavocorax enough for sharing this with me!!

Today was the day I took my graduation photos which means that after showering I actually had to be slightly proactive in making myself look somewhat presentable (as in I had to do something to tame my wild hair that I usually just throw up into a ponytail and then put on some makeup). So, I dealt with my hair, put on the makeup, and got dressed in my nice, clean white collared shirt. Then I checked the time and realized I was ready 3 hours too early. That meant three hours of trying to make sure I didn’t flatten my hair, smudge my makeup, or get my clothes dirty (and I realize I could have changed but I am stubborn and for some reason was against doing that at the time). Basically that translates into me sitting in the middle of my bed stressing and avoiding leaning on anything, touching my face, moving too much, and no food or worse yet NO TEA :( Luckily that is done now.

As soon as the photos were done, I threw my hair up and headed straight home to pack up for my trip home for the weekend (My sister paid for me to go to Toronto to surprise my brother – I am his Hanukkah/ birthday gift). And if I didn’t know I was addicted to tea before, it became very clear I was when I spent more time trying to decide which teas to take back with me than I spent packing close. In fact, I think my tea takes up and equal, if not more, amount of space in my bag than my clothes. It was especially hard because I was trying to think of what teas I would want but also what teas I wanted to share with my family so in the bag is a little something for everyone.

In the midst of all my rushing to pack, I did manage to find some time to brew some of this tea as it was already waiting in my infuser to be resteeped. I did not get around to drinking any until I got onto the train though. So now I am sitting on the train super bored but enjoying having the time to sip away at 16 oz of Cinnamon Swirl Bread goodness. Honestly, I think I like the resteep better than my first cup. In the previous cup, though delicious, the pu’erh was a little too prominent for my tastes but in this cup it is just sweet cinnamon and baked goods with an awesome bread-y mouth feel. Very, very nice treat for the long train ride home. Thank you QueenOfTarts!

I was thinking about having this tomorrow morning because once again I thought it would be too late to have it. Then I realized I probably won’t get a chance tomorrow since I have a fairly busy day. And that is when I decided I was having this and nothing could stop me. So that is how I wound up drinking Pu’erh tea at 12:15.

In the package, it smelled amazing – like fresh baked cinnamon buns. However, when I rinsed the tea I got a huge whiff of pu’erh and the alarms went off. I began to worry that this would not taste like the delicious cinnamon bun I had been made to believe it tasted like. Luckily, that fear subsided as soon as the tea touched my lips. Immediately I got that sweet cinnamon bread-y goodness that I expected this tea to be. It is amazing! Now I know why everyone loves this. It is a cinnamon bun in a cup, with just a hint of frosting goodness.

Thank you QueenOfTarts for sharing this sample with me!!

Well Mardi Gras Vanilla, I don’t know if it is me or you but tonight you are just not hitting the spot. I am tasting the fruity rooibos but missing the creamy vanilla I know is hidden somewhere in the cup. Come back to me vanilla, you are greatly missed!

So the first time I had this, I was not a huge fan but mixed with a cold glass of milk, this is pure caramel-y goodness. It is rich and creamy and tastes like a cup of liquid caramel. I was worried when I got a whiff of the powder because it smelled sort of chemically but there is no chemical taste here. Definitely raising the rating on this one. Thank you Sil for sharing!