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I had a craving for a simple, roasted oolong to go with dinner. My stomach is still a bit off, and making a pot to drink grandpa style just sounded soothing.

I tossed the rest of my Metropolitan Tea Co Formosa Oolong into my pot, but I barely got a teaspoon out of it after shaking out some of the dust, so I topped it up with two teaspoons of Sea Dyke China Fujian Oolong.

This made for a pretty tasty pot – roasty, nutty, simple and soothing. I’m not sure if the Formosa Oolong improved the Sea Dyke oolong, or if I’m just developing more of a taste for roasted oolongs, but I really enjoyed this.

I think this sample is from Lindsay, though I’ve rebagged and labelled just about everything I’ve been sent, so I’m loosing track, since everything is in my handwriting now.

This oolong is very true to its name. There are sugary, syrupy notes, and a buttery quality that really makes this feel like it is sipping up the essence of pancakes.

A very nice dessert tea, though the flavourings are strong and sweet enough that they border on cloying. The syrup note reminds me more of maple-flavoured pancake syrup than real maple.

A backlog – I remember drinking this, expecting it to be a straight tea with basil notes, but NOPE, it’s black tea with basil, lots and lots. It’s a little overpowering.

I’ve been trying to stick with a consistent theme for my tea ware – minimalist, plain and in stainless steel, glass or white porcelain. In my unsuccessful hunt for a tea tray that met these criteria, I came across this tea boat, and ordered it.

It’s made from thin, durable porcelain, with a creamy white glaze. The centre portion is attached with glue (there are very small traces visible at the join) which worried me initially, but there as been no weakening of the connection over several months of use.

The platform nicely holds my gaiwan or cha hai, and when not in use, my little 1oz teacups fit perfectly in the bowl part.

I don’t use it as often as I’d like, but it was a solid purchase that I’m very happy with. The packaging when it shipped was also excellent.

I think I’m finally feeling motivated to try new teas and write tasting notes again. It was hard to find the energy or desire in the midst of dealing with moving, but I have all day today to just relax, drink tea and do self care.

As with many Darjeeling black teas, the dry leaf is quite green, with a sprinkling of silver and dark browns. The leaf is various shapes and sizes, including flat leaf pieces, small curls and twists nearly an inch long. The dry leaf has a somewhat dusty “tea” smell to it, with a note of ripe melon in the background.

As soon as the hot water hits the leaf, a pungent, vegetal smell, reminiscent of cannabis fills the air. This carries through to the smell of the clear, amber coloured tea soup, with a brown sugar and pumpkin note to mellow out the pungency.

On the palate, there’s a really nice balance of floral, fruity, spicy and cannabis notes. A slightly soapy quality that is not unpleasant, pops up at the end of the sip. I’m reminded of citrus rind – faintly bitter but better because it is so. I get a slight tingling sensation from this tea, similar to some puers, which makes me glad this is certified organic, or I might be a touch concerned about why.

The finish is long, but the flavours don’t develop or change into the finish.

A really nice, easy to drink FF Darjeeling.

I am back from my vacation to Mexico, where there was an excess of delicious food, gorgeous beaches, great shows, a whole lot of relaxation and tonnes (maybe a touch too much) sun. But not a decent cup of tea to be found.

So I’m tucking into this old favourite as my first proper cup of the week. This is a perfect every day dian hong – rich, malty, sweet potatoes. Exactly what I needed after a week of Twinnings bagged tea.

My sweetie and I went to the same resort this year as we did last – Bahia Principe, which I think is one of, if not the largest resort complexes in North America. We left in -30 and stepped out into 30C and high humidity and I could just feel my skin drinking up the moisture. The resort was excellent, as before, with amazing buffets & restaurants and perfectly kept grounds. We spent a good amount of time in the cool jacuzzi (adults only) and splashing in the waves in the ocean. It was pretty windy all week, so not ideal snorkelling weather. I got a bit of a sunburn on my shoulders and collarbone but otherwise ended up with a really nice tan. After even a mild winter, there’s something absolutely magical about laying out in the sun on the beach.

I stopped drinking alcohol recently because the unpleasantness of my allergy symptoms were starting to ruin any of the enjoyment that I was getting from drinking, but I didn’t really miss it this trip. I drank a lot of alcohol-free mojitos and ate my money’s worth in churros, chilaquilaes, seafood and cake. I think I had at least 15 different types of meat and seafood, and I also got to try some interesting things, like huitlacoche, which consistently makes it onto lists of the world’s most disgusting foods but was actually very pleasant and didn’t stand out in the dish it was in.

I pretty well skipped shopping and excursions this trip, in favour of lots of lazy lounging and reading. My sweetie sent me for a massage on our first day and it was lovely – I dozed off and slept through most of it (I was relaxed!).

I caught a show on our last night which was really impressive – very Cirque du Soleil-esque, with some impressive surface juggling, acrobatic dance, fire spinning, and awesome light effects, including a performer with a hula hoop that created patterns in the air.

My travel day was pretty difficult. I woke up with a lot of neck pain that made it very difficult to move, and ended up being sick on the flight (I haven’t had a problem with motion sickness since I was a kid) and having lots of panic attacks. I’m still not 100% today, but loads better than yesterday.

So today I’m going to do laundry and drink tea and rest my neck. It’s been a hell of a few weeks, with moving and then immediately going on vacation, and I’m looking forward to a bit of nesting and being at home.

I think I’ve updated my address with everyone who was planning to send me stuff, but if you need my new mailing address drop me a PM.

This is a tasty but pretty run of the mill Earl Grey creme. There’s a good balance of bergamot and creamy vanilla on a decent black base. Easy to drink, but nothing to write home about.

Thank you Lindsay for the sample!

I wasn’t expecting much from this tea, particularly with a description that starts with “slightly bitter”, but actually, I’m really loving it. I drank it once yesterday, attempted to drink it a second time (but it picked up travel mug taste and wasn’t so great), and I’m starting off with it again this morning.

The dry leaf is small, dark curls with a smattering of golden tips. It has a faintly malty smell, but nothing too distinctive.

Steeped, the leaf smells rich and malty. The tea soup is a lovely, clear mahogany, and smells of rich fruits and malt.

The flavour is excellent. If there’s any bitterness it only a hint, and there’s notes of malt, strawberries, raspberries and stone fruits. This has a medium body and just a touch of astringency, which lends a pleasant depth. A sweet potato note develops on the finish, with a whisper of cinnamon.

I’m not entirely sure why this tea stands out to me, but it does. It’s a really great morning cup, and I could see myself drinking it often. I’m going to be through my sample pretty quick and I think I will reorder.

Happy lunar new year!

This cup has been a long time in the making. I prepped it in my travel mug to take with me for apartment cleaning, and then forgot it in my car. It froze solid and stayed in my car for a few days, then I finally remembered to bring it in. Once it thawed enough to dump out of the travel mug, I put the whole thing in some more water in the fridge to continue cold steeping.

Surprisingly, this is still pretty excellent. The buttery flavour is much stronger than previous cups I’ve had, and the complexity isn’t as apparent, but it’s still flavourful, thick and smooth, with floral and grassy notes backing up the butter.