Two mugs of this today. Two words…happy mouth! I can’t say if I like this better or the same as the Golden Monkey, but both are similar, only this one is lighter somehow. This is the type of black tea I find most comforting, straight. It is just warming and it wraps it’s golden leafy arms around you and says it is alright. Partially drunk straight, but I caved and added milk and sugar to the second half of the first cup and second cup.
Many thanks to Angel at Teavivre for the generous sample.
I generally like a lot of tea. I do find I have a preference for flavored over unflavoured, but I do love a good straight tea as well.
Likes are too hard, since there are a lot. Dislikes are easier, so here they are…
Hibiscus. Blech. I can tolerate a little, depending on the brew, like Berry Good from Davids and Ruby Pie from Butiki…but in general, it’s too tart and too strong for me.
Licorice. Anything that remotely resembles licorice is out too, so that includes fennel and anise. Yuck, yuck, yuck.
Florals. I’m cool with petals in the tea to make them look pretty (except rose), and I’m cool with teas like oolongs having a floral note, but strong florals can give me migraines. Rose and jasmine are the biggest offenders. This is one where it can vary on the blend, as I can handle Teavivre’s Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea because there is very little jasmine actually detectable in it.
Rooibos is hit or miss. I can do some, but not others. I handle green better than red, and honeybush better than rooibos.
My ratings don’t have a particular scale or method, and may on occasion contradict themselves, but I’m honestly not fussed about that. Sometimes I don’t even rate at all.
Um, I have an extensive wishlist. It is both a list of things I want to get again, and things I want to try. If you are sending me something, and you want to know which is which, I’ll tell you via PM.
Yes, I do trades…usually on request though. See something you want to try in my cupboard? Just shoot me a message and I’ll see what I can do!
Uh, guess that’s it.
Victoria, BC
