513 Tasting Notes
I tried a cup of this tea this afternoon (after the mediocre Pineapple Oolong experience). I wasn’t sure about this one going in, but I really liked it!! It was nutty, not too sweet (though it did take well to just a bit of sugar), and a nice light tea! It was super enjoyable and definitely a tea I can see myself drinking more of as the season cools off!
This one was just okay for me. I tried a cup of it hot and unsweetened. Honestly, I could definitely taste the pineapple, but I was not the world’s biggest fan of the oolong base. However, I am fully open to the notion that my opinion may reflect how I feel about oolong, as opposed to anything being wrong with the actual tea. I will need to try this again and maybe try more oolongs to see what is bothering me with this tea.
Okay, I was not expecting this tea to taste as candy like as it smelled. However, given that I am the eternal child when it comes to flavour preferences, this works just fine for me! Goji Pop was not on my initial round of tasting because I don’t like hibiscus or rose hips very much. I changed my mind though after reading the Steepster reviews and chatting with a David’s Tea sales associate about it. I ordered fifty grams and swore this would not make my regular rotation, oops… I find that the goji berries give it a really unique taste compared to my other berry heavy teas. As far as I could tell, neither the rose hips, nor the hibiscus make huge appearances in the taste. The strong goji berry notes made for an excellent glass of iced tea this morning. I am definitely going to have to think about stocking more of this in my cupboard.
I was really leery when I smelled this tea as I was storing it in a tin. The leaves looked really plain, with just the occasional caramel piece floating about here or there and the rooibos was readily apparent in the scent of the tea. Brewed up, I was pleasantly surprised. It is honestly a simple tea, rooibos notes followed by a hit of caramel at the end. I thought a bit of sugar enhanced the tea nicely. It is definitely a sweeter tea and one that I find more comforting than the refreshing, but crisp, notes of my summer teas. I think this tea will help take me into the cooler days of fall quite nicely!
Working my way through my first glass of this. First sip was a definite no, but (with the help of a little sugar), it is rapidly turning into a yes. The mint is nowhere near as clean as in Read My Lips, as there is a definite rooibos note in every sip. However, I am working on learning to love rooibos, so that is not a horrible thing in my world. This is, in my opinion, a more muddled version of Read My Lips, but I do like the fact that it is caffeine free and I am certainly willing to give it a spot in my morning tea lineup!
Had this going iced in my Timolino at work today and it just continues to impress! Mellow, berry goodness in a glass? I find the flavour not especially tart, though it does have a bit of a bite. Compared to other berry blends (like Bear Trap) I find the flavour to be really soft. Honestly though, I think I like it a bit better than my other berry heavy blends. Highly recommended!
Preparation
Tried this one again for my morning tea today. I find it definitely gets stronger and better the longer it steeps (though I also might try starting with a bit more leaf). It does need a bit of sweetener to bring out the maple notes. I find it a comforting morning cup of tea, but not something I reach for all the time.
I got to try this thanks to a generous friend of mine. Once I got home, I immediately hot steeped it double strong then chilled it over ice (which I never do, but I was crazy impatient to try it). I am super impressed! The liquor is a cheery bright red and the taste is light, fruity, and crisp. I get the medicinal note that people are experiencing, but I don’t really find it at all offensive. I barreled through my chilled glass and I have a Timolino cold steeping overnight to try it again tomorrow. (I have not tried it warm and, honestly, I think this really will be best as a cold brew.) This one is a definite winner in my books (good thing there may be some making its way to me via Canada Post Expedited Parcel)!
The fates are really not favouring me this week. Not only am I back to work, but we are under a ridiculous cold snap, colour me not impressed. All that is left for me to do is take what time I have and retreat to the couch with a hot cup of tea. I loved this tea the first time I tried it, bought a lot on sale, and really began to second guess myself. However, I think I have the knack of it now, a good strong steep, a tiny bit of sugar to help the chocolate, and I am back to a cup of magic. The mint is enhanced by the smooth chocolate undertone and becomes very comforting. As the tea cools, the chocolate begins to shine through more and more. This is my current choice tea for a cold morning!
