Teapigs

I received this bag as a sample with my recent Teapigs order. It’s been a long time since I tried these – apparently my last order with them before this one was in 2012! How time flies. I’m not the greatest fan of jasmine tea, which is why I don’t really bother with it these days. It’s always good to challenge preconceptions, though, so I’m giving this another go anyway.

I actually don’t mind this one as much as I used to. It’s not too strong or too heavily floral, and there’s a pleasant sweetness from the green tea base. It’s perfumey, and it’s unmistakably jasmine, but it’s not horrible. I can drink it, even though it still wouldn’t be my first choice. This one wouldn’t be a re-purchase for me, but the occasional cup is fine.

Sipdown! Another one from the selection box done and dusted. I’ve reviewed this before, and I don’t really have anything earth shattering to add this time. It’s a nice, fragrant, delicate tea, perfect for afternoon sipping and frazzled nerves. Not one I’d keep around all the time, but nice to come back to every now and then.

Final discovery from the depths of my cupboard. This one was actually rattling around loose, so I’m guessing it probably escaped from the packet at some point. Thank goodness it’s a tea bag!

I purposely under brew this one, as it’s very heavily floral when left. I gave it a scant two minutes in pretty cool water, and now have a cup of light, delicate jasmine tea. I’m happy I found this one, as it suits my mood perfectly this morning! I’ve been appreciating green tea more than is usual for me lately, so maybe my tastes are changing a little. It used to be something I couldn’t tolerate at all, and now I can name more than a few that I really like. Jasmine anything used to be a no for me, because it’s not normal to drink flowers, but in certain guises I don’t mind it now. I think I’ll always be a black tea person on the whole, but there’s space in my life for some of these. Brewed sympathetically, anyway :)

Sipdown! Thankfully, as this one isn’t a favourite. Jasmine just doesn’t really do it for me, I’m afraid. I can see this being pleasant occasionally, in the right kind of weather, but it’s never going to be a staple in my cupboard. Still, I had to try it to know!

Drank one of these with lunch today, in my eco-mug. I didn’t leave the bag in long, as I’m not over fond of strongly floral tea, but I can still appreciate the delicate scent of jasmine and the light, refreshing green tea base. I’d probably find most things relaxing after a fraught morning on the dreaded reception desk, but this is definetly one of them. Delicate and pleasing — just the thing!

I’m drinking this as I type. Thankfully, it’s one I’ve tried before, because I know I’m getting a cold at the moment and my sense of taste is starting to diminish. Anyway, it’s safe to say that I’m not the biggest fan of jasmine tea. I haven’t tried all that many as yet, but something about the perfumeyness of it just doesn’t seem to agree with me. I got a box of this for christmas, though, and it’s not so terrible that I’m not willing to drink it at all. It’ll just never be my favourite.

I may not like the taste of jasmine, but these kind of teas always fascinate me. I love the pearl shape, the colours of the leaves, and the way they unfurl and end up looking like seaweed. This tea is no exception on that front. The pearls are quite dark, brownish-black on the whole, with paler white and green leaves running through them. They’re also slightly fuzzy-looking. I’m feeling patient today, so I let the water cool before adding the bag, and leave it for just about three minutes. As the pearls unfurl, it’s easier to see the leaves are actually predominantly green. The liquor is a light yellow-green, and the scent at this point is strongly floral, very much like fresh jasmine flowers.

To taste, I’m pleased to find that the floral aspect has faded into the background a little. It’s still there, but it’s more a flavour that you taste at the back of your mouth after swallowing than one that hits you in the tastebuds as soon as you take a sip. The green tea itself is very subtle and delicate. There are no strong green flavours here, just a refreshing lightness and then the slight floral. I can imagine this being a really wonderful tea for drinking on a hot summer afternoon, simply because it’s so delicately sweet and light in flavour.

It’s actually more pleasant than I remember finding it initially, but my tastes are changing as time passes and I try more and better teas. I don’t think I’ll ever completely warm up to jasmine, but this was definetly a very pleasant surprise!

Tea #15 from the ’Here’s Hoping’ teabox.

This is a decent chai. All of the spices are there, and the base tea is ok. Given all of the amazing chais that are out there I doubt that I would order this one, but I certainly wouldn’t turn down a cup of it were offered to me.

Thanks KittyLovesTea for sending this one! Somehow steeping at boiling for ten minutes, the flavor somehow still isn’t chai enough for me. It seems like there is a spice missing or something. The cinnamon definitely should have been more present, as I was seeing large pieces in the tea bag. I like the mix of black tea and spices, I just wish the flavor had been a bit sweeter or something. Not bad chai. just not the best.

What with a somewhat negative association with liquorice sweets and having my cheek pinched by various elderly relatives as a child, I was somewhat reticent about trying this tisane. Since it was a gift, and I dislike rudeness even more than facial molestation by the over 75s, I brewed some up this afternoon, fingers poised over the keyboard and thesaurus open at “unpleasant”.

And yet, I can’t actually say I hated this. The mint was a little too astringent, which is unavoidable in a teabag, and the liquorice leant it a strange sweetness which was almost overpowering (and certainly would have become so had I brewed it for any longer than the suggested three minutes), but overall it was a generally pleasant experience.

Sipdown! Finished off the last of these, so there are officially no more in my stash. It’s a shame in one way, as this is a pretty tasty earl grey. I’m ready to try some different teas now, though, so it’s not too distressing for the moment. I’ll probably come back to these in the future, but I’ve had my fill for now!

Opened my final box of this today. Once it’s finished, I won’t be buying any more for a while. Not because it’s not a nice earl gray, because it is. Just because I’ve had far too much of it recently. 14 more cups to go…

I’ve got one more cup of the loose-leaf version of this left, but it’s not a sipdown because I’ve got a box of the bagged version still to go. No worries, though, because it’s one I almost always enjoy. I say almost always because I managed to oversteep this today (I only went back to my desk to get a spoon, and ended up being buttonholed by a visitor…). Anyway, for some reason, I got a foody kind of note from it, which wasn’t 100% pleasant. That’s not my usual experience with this tea, though.

In a way, I wish this was a sipdown. I’m heartily tempted to buy more tea, and I have too much already (and more in the post…) The trials of life :)

Back to this today. Still a favourite, which is a good thing as there’s plenty more to go. Sipdown might be a while off yet!

I’m slowly learning to appreciate bergamot in Earl Grey. There was a time in my tea drinking history when I wouldn’t have been able to drink this one, because the bergamot is pretty pronounced and it was a flavour that always made me feel slightly nauseous. Neither would I have been able to drink it without milk. Now, I can do both, and happily.

This one strikes a perfect balance for me. It’s not too bitterly citrus, but I can definetly taste the bergamot. It’s just right for my current tastes, but I am going to branch out and try some more varieties now it’s a flavour I’m coming to appreciate.

Okay, so I am “archiving” at work. This basically means putting stuff in boxes, and is possibly the most boring job known to man. I’ve just made myself a cup of this in a vain attempt to try and make it more bearable.For some reason, this is one of the more pleantiful teas among my stash. I have it both loose and bagged — today’s version is loose.

On opening the packet, I’m greeted with the strong smell of bergamot, and a floral undertone from the cornflowers. It instantly transports me, in mind, to a sunnier place. Just one reason why this was such a good choice of tea for a rainy day while tasked with a mind-numbing job.

Anyhow, I brewed this for three minutes in boiling water. The leaves are so pretty at this stage — darker brown, red-brown, and pale green, with the blue of the cornflowers scattered amongst. The scent is a much more delicate version of the packet — lightly floral and citrussy, with the classic notes of darjeeling just detectable. I don’t think I’ve ever come across another earl grey made with a darjeeling base, actually — which is probabky why, when I first tried this tea a couple of years back, I really didn’t like it. Those days are gone, thankfully, and this is now one of my favourite earl grey varieties.

I usually drink this with milk, but I have none, so today it’s as it comes. I’d brew it a little stronger usually, too, but I’m not one for a really overpowering bergamot flavour, so I’ve been careful. The liquor is a medium red-brown. To taste, this is just as you’d expect. Light, refreshing, delicately floral, with a sweetness from the darjeeling that just comes out in the aftertaste. It’s not at all drying on the palate, as I’ve found some darjeelings, just beautifully smooth and fragrant. It belongs in a sunnier place, and I can’t help but be cheered by its optimistic vibe. I really love to drink this iced in the summer, but it’s also great as a warming, mood-lifting drink in the winter. Maybe sunnier climes aren’t that far away, after all.

Sipdown! I’m sad to see this go, because it’s so gorgeous and I’ve had a genuinely nice time drinking it. I’ve got so many other teas vying for my attention, though, so I won’t be allowed to grieve for too long.

I drank four cups today, and enjoyed every single drop. A great end to a great tea.

Drank more of this at work today, and worked out in the quiet hour between 5 and 6 that I’ve probably only got about 12 cups worth left to go. I’ll be sad, because I’ve really enjoyed this tea. It’s everything I ever wanted a darjeeling to be, and none of the things I’ve disliked about them in the past. I rsteeped the leaves a couple of times today to try and prolong the amount of time I’ve got left with this tea, and was pleased to find the flavour pretty much unchanged until after the 4th use. Even then, it was eminently drinkable, just lacking a little of the depth of flavour it had previously. A favourite, for sure.

This is still my tea of choice at work at the moment. So light and fresh tasting. I’ve done a detailed tasting note for this previously, but, needless to day, this is still ticking a lot of boxes for me. Morning or afternoon — it’s just perfect. I didn’t really like darjeeling over much before I tried first flush. I’ll definetly be seeking out some of 2013s in the coming months. Absolutely divine!

After my initial cup of “normal” tea (i.e. Twinings Everyday), I thought I’d enjoy my last morning off work by starting it with a cup of this. The dry leaves smell amazingly fresh, and very floral. For some reason, the scent reminds me of spring — cool mornings and a bright sky, sun, and the budding beginnings of flowers. There’s something maybe a little fruity in the depths, too. I’m thinking pear at the moment, but there’s something dry and grape-like about the aroma too. The leaves, as I was expecting, are a variety of shades, ranging from dark to pale green, with creamy tips, and the occasional brown.

As per the recommendations, I brewed this tea for three minutes, after having let the boiling water stand for a minute or so. The liquor is a clear medium yellow-brown. The smell, though, is something else. It’s just like the smell of the dry leaves, perhaps slightly milder, with a developing hint of grass. The taste is phenomenal. It’s sweet, slightly grassy, with a wine-like depth to the aftertaste. It’s honestly like drinking spring. There’s also none of the metallic astringency that has put me off darjeelings before. Some of the characteristics are there, but they’re smoother, less harsh, and so a pleasant part of the complex taste.

I could go on drinking and discussing this for hours, and I imagine it’s going to take more than this one note to really extract and document all of the nuances of this tea. This is quite sufficient for first impressions, though. I’m going to sit and enjoy the rest of the cup now!

Thanks to kittylovestea for this lovely chai sample! First of all, LOVE the bags! Not your typical papery type, more mesh-y. They are very nice. And they’re clear, so you can see the ingredients quite nicely. Second, this tea smells so nice in the bag! I brewed this one a little on the strong side, then added milk and sugar for a more traditional chai, and I really enjoy it! It’s spicy, lots of ginger, but not so much that it’s overwhelming. It’s very nicely blended.

Found three bags of this lurking at the back of my cupboard, so I figured I’d bring them to work and finish them off. I had two yesterday afternoon. I have a really sore mouth at the moment – so bad that eating is starting to become a problem. Drinks don’t make me suffer too much, so I’m still having plenty of tea, and this one didn’t seem to bother me as much as some others have.

This one will never be my favourite fruit tea, I don’t think. It smells great, but it’s just a little too sour and tart from the hibiscus for my tastes. I like that I can sometimes taste blueberry in this one, but it’s pretty fleeting and not enough of a reason for me to keep it around. Pleasant enough, though.

Sipdown! Finished off the two sample bags I got in my Teapigs pick n’ mix box at work today. Not bad flavour at first, but by the end all I could really taste was screamingly tart hibiscus. This is much better with a spoonful of honey.

I usually really enjoy this one, but this morning it just tastes wrong to me. I think it’s the hibiscus, but something is contributing a metallic tang and it’s making me think of blood. The colour isn’t helping, either. I have a feeling it might be an age thing — this is another remnant from the bottom of my stash, and it could well me a year old, possibly a little more. I’ve not had a problem with fresher bags of this tea, so that’s all I can put it down to. Or maybe I’m just not in the mood for it today.

As a second-thought rescue attempt, I’ve added a spoonful of honey. This has toned the flavour down a bit, and I’m getting more berry than before. It’s still not quite right, though.

Ah well, can’t win them all. I’m going to leave my rating as it is, because this isn’t how I remember this tea. I’m sure it’s better than this normally.