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Drum-roll please…. I’m back! I had a wonderful vacation in Europe. I even got to try delicious new teas from new places! Reviews coming soon! :) When I got back I found a nice big bag of samples from Teavivre waiting for me! What a great way to end your vacation! Admitedly I am swamped with work but I will make time for tea and Steepster. I missed you all while I was away!

This is the first tea from the samples that I have decided to try. I chose it randomly, and I have to admit that I am a pretty good random chooser (if I may say so myself!)!! hahaha… This tea is delicious! 

The leaves are long and elegant. The dark brown and golden yellow make the leaves a pleasure to look at. The smell is incredible… It is a combination of extreme maltiness a hint of chocolate and a dash of honey. It is a party in your nose! My mouth couldn’t wait to join in!

The scent while brewing is spectacular, an extension of the deliciousness of the dry leaves. Once brewed the used leaves turn true golden and the golden brow liquor that they produce smells of fresh baked chocolate bread! I am in love… Unsweetened I get a tiny bit of welcome bitterness followed by the taste of fresh baked bread with just the right amount of maltiness and a hint of honey to finish of the sip. Wow… Sweetened a chocolate note becomes apparent and it is pleasure in a tea cup. 

The second steep is just as delicious, but not quite as bold in flavor. I find it, surprisingly, a tad bit more astringent than the first, but still delightful.  

This tea makes you double check if it is flavored… I really felt like I was eating freshly baked chocolate bread with honey! 

A great welcome back tea! :)

Hi everyone! I’m enjoying my last few days of vacation in Mallorca! I went through Rome and Vienna and now in Mallorca my travels are about to come to an end. I have manages to find a tea shop in Rome and Vienna, not yet in Mallorca… But all in all, tea regardless, I have had wonderful food and experiences!

Here in Mallorca they have a neat buffet breakfast with loose-leaf tea included!! This is one of the options, so I have had it for the past two days.

It is a mix of leaves, both dark and lighter brown that results from the different types of teas in the blend. They are nicely sized. The scent is both spicey and smokey. It initially reminded me of a really light lapsang s., which worried me since I don’t like smokey teas.

The brew is a greenish brown and smells like a forrest with a hint of campfire smoke. Surprisingly appropriate for the surroundings. It tasted crisp, a tad bit peppery and a swift slightly smokey aftertaste. It barely has any astringency and once sweetened I really started enjoying it. It is like a walk through a forrest with campfires on a crisp winters day.

On a quick side note, I am reading Game of Thrones and it works really well with this tea! Great literature-tea combination!

Also, missed you all! Will be home soon and back to regular steepstering! : )

I made a huge David’s Tea order a looong time ago. It was pretty large and I have done a terrible job at trying them. I am leaving to Europe on vacation Tuesday, so I decided that I would go ahead and try a few more of them. This is one I have been looking forward to. Bananas are everywhere here in Ecuador. There are a bunch of varieties (from normal yellow ones, red ones, green ones, small super sweet ones…) and they are eaten in every way imaginable, both salty and sweet. Oolong and banana? Sounds delicious.

The dry leaves were a beautiful emerald green with small cubes of banana mixed in. The scent was surprisingly smooth oolong with a hint of natural banana! I was expecting artificial candy type banana. This was a pleasant surprise! I brewed 2 teaspoons to my 12oz tea cup. The scent while brewing was almost entirely oolong, but a sweet creamy oolong. Exactly the kind I like!

Once brewed the scent was oolong with a hint of banana. It smelled sort of like what a fresh head of bananas smells right after it has been picked: a mix of sweetness, grass, fruity banana, and cream. So inviting… I could barely wait for it to cool down enough to sip.

The first brew was smooth and creamy oolong with a hint of banana at the end of every sip. There was a nice hint of banana to the scent that was delightful. The second brew was a tiny bit stronger on the banana flavor and the oonlong was sweeter. I always find second oolong steeps to be my favorite! Both brews were really sweet and no sweetener was necessary to enhance the flavor. If you like oolong, especially milk oolongs, you should give this a try!

My boyfriend sniffed it and asked to try it. He says it tastes like a sweet large banana we have that we usually bake or fry that we call Maqueño in Ecuador. It is delicious baked with mozzarella cheese melted on top…

Staying at work until really late at night has made me a bit of a grouch lately… Thankfully I have delicious tea at home to get me smiling again! Today was particularly exciting because my Red Leaf Tea order made it all the way to Ecuador! Yep, the entire box (I made a decently large order) made it! I am finally at home sipping my first cup of matcha and smiling as I type. What a great way to end a stressful day on a positive note!

I have always had a soft spot for vanilla, so this was an evident first choice. When placing my order, this went into my cart automatically. Admittedly it took me a few days to decide everything else I wanted to get, but this was where it all started! Each of the flavors comes in a little golden pouch and a pamphlet is included that explains how to make matcha (just in case you are new to it).

I did a bit of research to find out what the difference between Madagascar Vanilla and French Vanilla is. Apparently Madagascar Vanilla originates from Madagascar and is also known as Bourbon Vanilla and is supposed to be the creamiest of the vanilla beans. French Vanilla refers to a preparation of cream, egg, and vanilla rather than an actual type of vanilla bean. Also, on a side note, I read that vanilla is supposedly proved to increase production of catecholamines (which are naturally produced in your body, for example adrenaline!). It is thought that it may be mildly addictive because of this effect. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone addicted to vanilla… But I must admit that vanilla is my chocolate! I love it!

I opened the little package carefully. I was really curious to find out what exactly Madagascar Vanilla would smell like. It was creamy and smooth. The scent was stronger than I expected. I liked that it was prominent. The color of the powder was a pastel green. I quickly got some into my teacup. I was so afraid to spill something that smelled so delicious!
I added a bit of hot water to froth it up. It was fluffy in seconds after whisking! I added a bit more water to it and took a sip. The first thing I noticed was that it was super smooth. Next I was hit with delicious green tea flavor and rounded off with creamy vanilla. The texture and flavor worked so well together that it felt like drinking a vanilla milk shake with matcha in it! I love it!! I am afraid it will need to be re-ordered very soon…

You can read more about Madacascar Vanilla Matcha and purchase it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html

I love tea! Just thought I should say that… Now on with the tasting note!

I had this for a second time today. I must say that it is better this time around. I no longer got a weird plastic aftertaste that really bothered me the first time I tried it. The smell of the leaves also smelled more like cotton candy all the way through steeping.

The tea itself smelled almost like the real thing. With a it of sweetener it was pretty delicious. I will have to try it with milk to see how that works out. I have high hopes.

I am rating this time around. I do really like it, but don’t think I will repurchase. Still waiting to try it iced before I make that call.

Ok, on that note, goodnight my fellow tea lovers! :)

I love life. It may be hard once in a while, but once in a while small details make me warm and fuzzy inside. This weekend I was made godmother to one of my friends kids. I am not much of a kid person, but I am thrilled to be Rafita’s godmother. He is a great kid. My boyfriend and I spent all day yesterday at the ceremony and lunch in his honor. I feel happy and light today. It is a warm fuzzy feeling that deserves to be celebrated by trying a new tea that I have been looking forward to for a while.

This tea I order along with my bluberry creamcheese danish tea. It sounded delicious. Butterscotch is super yummy. Butterscotch tea? Yes please!

The dry leaves have a bunch of yellow petals making the long dark leaves look like they are mixed in with little golden pieces (OK… you might need a tiny bit of imagination to get the golden effect going… :)). It smells sweet and rich. The butterscotch smells great!

Once steeped the butterscotch scent is less evident, but still smells delicious. Plain it tastes smooth and buttery. With a bit of sweetener the butterscotch pops up. There is a caramelly aftertaste with every sip. It is tasty and perfect to go with my happy mood. I drank two cups of it in a row. Each delicious.

Happy Sunday everyone! Only 5 days left until next weekend! :)

I really wanted to love this tea. In fact I was sure I was going to. I have always had a special place in my heart for cotton candy. It is so delicious and brings back so many memories from being a kid. I had to order it… Taking advantage of the fact that I was ordering a pound of Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish, I added this on to my order.

The scent was initially a shock of cotton candy. A shock as in it hit me hard and almost had me wondering where the real cotton candy was hiding, it smelled so much like the real thing! The black leaves were dotted with yellow and blue flowers that made it fun to sniff and stare at.

Once brewed, I lost the scent of the cotton candy. Instead I found some generic sweet smell and a hint of something plastic (the smell almost reminded me of the smell of a brand new toy when you just open the box… wow… all childhood memories with this tea!) It wasn’t quite what I was expecting.
Unsweetened it tasted surprisingly smooth and a tad bit (only very slightly) sweet. Sweetened I found a problem. The upfront cotton candy flavor was there, but there was a plastic aftertaste that lingered on my tongue after each sip. Once I finished my cup, I had to drink some water because the taste was so strong. I drank the cup, but I don’t think I want another for a while.

I am going to hold off and try it iced before I actually rate it. The dry leaves smell so good that I am beginning to think that I might have messed up my brew somehow… Will try again in the near future and have my fingers crossed and my hopes high!

As for the new tea base, which I believe is also the same one I received with my pound of blueberry danish tea, I like it but I feel that the flavor is a bit harsher. It is definitely less bitter than the previous, but it has a tiny hint of smokiness that makes it a bit rougher in taste (if that makes any sense). It has grown on me. Initially it was a shock, but the more I drink it, the more I like it. I am ready to give the new tea base a thumbs up Frank! I think it is an improvement (not that an improvement was really needed, your teas were already marvelous!) :)

I had an incredibly hectic week. I haven’t been able to write about it because part of it was planning a surprise birthday party for my boyfriend and I was paranoid that he might stumble upon my note and find out about it. Thankfully, it all worked out amazingly well. Yesterday I had an Avengers themed party for my now 29 year old boyfriend! We played musical chairs and even had a piñata. We had an amazing time, ate tasty paella, and enjoyed the company of our closest friends.

Also on a positive note, another small (super tiny) tea shop opened in Ecuador! I stopped by and picked this tea. I am really happy with my choice! I love rose tea, and this one is particularly delicious. I have only had it for a few days and I have almost finished my 100g of it.

The dry leaves are beautiful. The contrast of the black and pink is amazing. the petals are so dainty looking in the dark background. The scent is heavily floral and delicious. If you like rose you will love this. A super strong scent that somehow doesn’t mask the black tea.

Once brewed the liquor is a light brown leaning towards pink. The scent becomes even more inviting and the flavor is just as amazing. I think that this could possibly be my favorite rose tea I have had so far. Up front you taste the black tea that slowly transitions to rose as you swallow. The resulting delicate rose aftertaste is spectacular.

Also, the Ecuador vs. Colombia soccer game just ended… Ecuador won! Yay!!!

What an amazing weekend! I wish every weekend could be like this… Boyfriends birthday, delicious tea, and Ecuador winning and getting one step closer to the world cup. :)

For those of you who are interested in the Soccer World Cup (I am not really, but the boyfriend is a soccer fanatic, which means that I get an Ecuador Jersey and watch all the games with him…), yesterday Ecuador played against Argentina. Argentina has Messi playing for them. Ecuador has Valencia playing for us. Ecuador sorta got devoured by Argentina… 4 to 0. Yeah, we were terrible on the field yesterday. Soccer is the most popular sport here, so, in other words, today we have an entire country depressed. On a positive note, I decided to start my day with something delicious. This!

I love, love, adore Pumpkin Pie. It is on my top 5 list of desserts… So, after loveing the Pumpkin Cheesecake blend I had to try this. It isn’t quite as delicious as that one, but still very, very good.

The dry leaves actually do smell like pumpkin and the spices are just right, I even get some creaminess. The dark leaves with yellow petals are perfectly appropriate for the fall motif. I sniffed and sniffed… Why isn’t it November? I could use some real pumpkin pie right now…

Brewed it smells like cinnamon and nutmeg with a hint of clove. Pumpkin and condensed milk hanging out in the background. Mouth watering…

It tastes pretty good, it is just a tiny bit lacking in the creaminess. I get the pumpkin and the spices, but I get no creamy deliciousness. It is a tiny bit astringent. Of course all of this can be fixed by adding latte mix or milk, but I rather have it plain.

All in all I really enjoy it, but it doesn’t live up to Pumpkin Cheesecake which actually is creamy and delicious. I am surprised a lot of people don’t really like it. I really enjoyed it! : )

I love popcorn. I love tea. I love popcorn flavored Jelly Beans. Yet, somehow, popcorn flavored tea is a no go for me. I should have figured this out after trying 52teas popcorn tea. But, reading reviews made me want to try it. Oh how stubborn am I…

The dry tea smells strangely fruity and has a suspiciously large amount of apple and tiny amount of green tea leaves. It also has a few large “popcorns” in the mix. I have to admit that the lingering smell does somehow remind me of candied popcorn.

Brewed, it is a beautiful pale yellow… that smell just like popcorn. I kid you not. Popcorn all the way. I am still at awe at how apples, scarce tea leaves, and a piece of popcorn produce this popcorn brew. The taste is exactly like caramel popcorn. Sadly, I didn’t like it. I couldn’t even bring myself to go past a few sips. Popcorn should not be in tea form. That is my conclusion. Though, some people seem to really enjoy this concoction. Good for you liquid popcorn enjoyers!!

I honestly wish I enjoyed this, the flavor is really well obtained. I am not going to rate it because it is well made, I will acknowledge this, but I did not like it all…

Needless to say, I have a nearly full 50g pouch if anyone is interested in swapping. : )