Java Momma

TTB sample! This seems to be chocolate cherry flavored, which I didn’t expect from the name. The cherry flavoring is one I see frequently and don’t really enjoy. The same is true of this particular chocolate flavoring. Together, it tastes a little fake and like alcohol. It does also sort of remind me of the chocolate covered cherries my family would have around the holidays, but I never liked those.

Sipdown of a convenient tea for ashmanra’s sipdown challenge. Ugh, I took this from the Strange VariaTea TTB months ago and was sure that I’d written a note, but Steepster didn’t even have an entry for the tea! I love this little corner of the internet but sometimes it really does make me feel like I’m losing it (those times primarily being when tasting notes disappear and then I’m not sure whether they ever even existed in the first place). Anyway, I really enjoy this as an iced tea! It’s like very thin peach juice. I like peach juice, so that’s a mark in its favor. This isn’t watery in an unpleasant way, just not thick and sugary the way juice is. And it’s convenient because it comes in those iced tea pitcher sachets.

TTB sample! This black tea is quite hearty. Below that, I taste a fake sort of fruity flavor. I could see it being a candylike strawberry. It’s not fresh like the name implies. It’s just a straightforward fruity black tea.

TTB tea! This tastes heavily like coconut plus some black tea. I shared this with a family member who really enjoyed it, but it was a little straightforward for my tastes. The coconut is decently fresh and clear, so if you’re into this flavor profile, this could be a nice choice!

Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | December 2023 | A flavored black tea

I snagged this one from the Strange VariaTea TTB a few months back and I’ve really enjoyed it. It has such a delightful candy apple flavor! Not super sophisticated or nuanced, just… fun.

2023 sipdown count: 56

TTB tea! When I got to my office, I realized I’d left this in the car, half a mile away. So suffice it to say I drank this cold on my way home. The flavor is a bit generic. I’d describe it as orange spice maybe? The black tea is a decent supporting flavor. I’ve had a million teas like this, and this one is fine sweetened with milk.

TTB tea! This EG is much too mild. It’s inoffensive, but just so light and uninspiring. You can barely tell what flavor it’s supposed to be.

TTB tea! Hmm the mixture of green tea and orange peel comes out a little sour. I also don’t love this green base. I wouldn’t call this a chai. The flavoring is much too mild. I feel bad, but I don’t think I like this enough to even finish the cup. It’s just so thin.

Mmmm, vanilla. Love me a vanilla tea, glad this was in the Strange VariaTea TTB. The vanilla in this is soft and sweet and almost marshmallow-y. Would have preferred more info about the base, but I think I’m more forgiving of that when it’s a flavored tea/blend than when it’s a straight tea. I like the base just fine – it’s grassy and works well with the vanilla. I might keep this one, not sure yet.

Strange VariaTEA TTB #32

This was a very straightforward vanilla green tea with no other flavors going on that I noticed. It was pretty well-balanced from what I could tell and with a touch of honey I found it very soothing for a sore throat this morning.

Strange VariaTEA TTB #30

This blend had a strong cherry aroma when I opened the bag (almost like cough syrup), which made me a bit nervous. But I’m glad I gave it a try, because it’s actually quite delicious! Cherry is definitely the predominate flavor here, but there’s a nice rich dark chocolate note that comes in at the end of the sip and lingers in the aftertaste. I drank it straight today, but I’m guessing this would be absolutely decadent as a latte!

Strange VariaTEA TTB #12

It’s over 80 degrees Fahrenheit here, which is crazy hot for October in Wisconsin! So after trying just a sip of this one hot, I let it cool down a bit and poured the rest of it over ice. Both hot and iced, I found it…fine. Despite being a CTC, the black tea base is fairly smooth and not bitter or astringent. And the strawberry flavor (what little there is of it) seems nice and natural rather than an artificial strawberry candy flavor. But honestly, I had to concentrate pretty hard to taste it at all! It mostly came across as a pleasant but generic black tea with just a ghost of strawberry. Totally drinkable, but not something I’d bother to try again.

The TTB has arrived! So big, so many teas… no chance to try them all!
Tea #16

First true dismal from the TTB.
Like Shae it’s pretty much generic fruity tea. Bases are clashing each other. And in the end the aftertaste was just plain awful. Can’t name what it was like, but it made me almost to throw up. Yuck!

Sampled from the Strange VariaTea Traveling Tea Box

A classic blended black tea base with a very light strawberry flavor on top. It actually smells like a very natural strawberry flavor, and what I can taste is pretty natural too. It’s just quite faint. A pleasant, unassuming morning cuppa, but nothing to write home about.

Sampled from the Strange VariaTea Traveling Tea Box

I always want to like vanilla-y green teas more than I do! I just find vanilla + black tea to be a more natural and enjoyable pairing. I liked the grassy sencha base on its own just fine, but it didn’t really fit with the vanilla layered on top.

#SVTTB Round Two – Tea 20/???

Cold Brew!

One of the last teas I pulled from the TTB to try! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this hot or cold, but in the end the weather ended up deciding for me. I think it’s my favourite of the mix of Java Momma blends i tried. I don’t get much cinnamon at all, but the sweet candied red apple note is very pleasant and well balanced with the brisk black base. It reminded me a lot of the candy apple/red apple flavour that Adagio uses in some of their blends like Kentucky Bourbon and the Candied Apple seasonal Halloween one. Not sure if it’s the same or just very similar, but regardless I’m a fan of it in Adagio’s teas so I’m a fan of it here too.

#SVTTB Round Two – Tea 8/???

Cold Brew!

I’m so inundated with tea samples right now from the TTB, tea orders, and my vacation so it’s going to be an interesting balance of what to drink the next few weeks. I do want to get the box ready to ship out fairly soon though, so I’m trying to make sure I’m getting in the teas I earmarked to try.

I though this one was pretty disappointing, especially compared to the perfectly solid orange flavoured black tea I tried from this same company. It was very, very lightly flavoured with just a hint of strawberry alongside a really neutral standard black tea blending base. Smooth and easy enough to sip on (and better than just cold water), but certainly lacking anything distinct to the taste. Never would have been able to blindly identify this as strawberry – it was just that light.

#SVTTB Round Two – Tea 4/???

There’s a couple teas from Java Momma in the box and since it’s a new (to me) company I figured I’d try at least a few. This one was respectable. Pretty standard black tea blending base; not a lot of distinct notes but good body to it. The orange note was really well defined with an almost Grand Mariner type quality to it. I don’t know the last time I had a black tea with just orange flavouring in it that didn’t also feature cream/vanilla flavouring or some type of acidified ingredient like apple or hibiscus and it was kind of strange to be tasting orange without anything to “balance it out” but not in a bad way…

I don’t think this is something I’d buy for myself though as it’s just a little too plain.

TeaTiff Traveling Tea Box | No. 10

I was so excited about this one, but the flavors didn’t come through for me. It’s a mix of black tea, puerh, oolong, strawberry, and pineapple (I think that’s right). It just tasted generic honestly, that’s the best word I can think of to describe it. I didn’t really taste any of the individual flavors, just “flavored” black tea. Of course it could have been the way I steeped it or the specific mix of ingredients in my teaspoon. I may try it once more before sending it on, but hopefully others will find a way to enjoy it where I couldn’t

Pulled this out of the SVTTB and made it as a latte. I wanted to like it but if I’m being honest, it just tasted like vanilla grass.

Pulled this from the SVTTB and it was an okay orange black tea, albeit not particularly interesting in any way.

Sipdown! (23 | 23)

Another gifted tea from Gabby! I believe this is the same as Adagio’s White Blueberry iced tea pouches. I don’t actually drink cold brew or iced tea, so I cut open the pouches and sipped it hot.

It’s a nice sweet and mellow blueberry white tea. The tea itself has some gentle hay and grass notes, the blueberry is fairy mild but mostly tastes authentic. Perhaps more like a dried blueberry than a fresh one, but definitely not like candy.

Not something I would repurchase, but I enjoyed it as a relaxing afternoon cuppa. And the name is very cute. :)

Sipdown! (17 | 17)

This was a gift from Gabby, thank you!

So I think this is a repackage of Adagio’s White Chai, as this company seems to mostly resell Adagio from what I’ve seen. It’s a nice enough light chai, although I do question the purpose of including the white tea at all when it’s as the fifth ingredient and I can’t taste it anyway. So this mostly tastes like an herbal chai mixed with lemongrass and a hint of coconut. It’s a pleasant cuppa but heavier on the clove than I would prefer, I’m not tasting a lot of the other spices.

I like the concept, but it’s not one I would order for myself.