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I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Day yesterday :) I didn’t have time for much tea yesterday, so I didn’t log any notes. But today, after a disastrously messy opening of my tea drawer with company there, I decided I am cleaning house today, and hopefully before the new year. I am trying as many untried teas I have, and making decisions on whether I like them or not. Also purged the final few cups of some that I just couldn’t get down or finish the bag, no matter how I tried. Time for a cleaner cupboard in the new year!

The first teas under fire are all my untried teas in the blends club. As I have mentioned previously, I really dislike the scent of sarsaparilla, and as this tea has it in it, I put off having it. Also, to me the dry smell is strongly of pickles haha! There is a sharp, salty, and slightly sour scent to this one haha. Definitely some spice in there too, as my nose gets a bit tingly. It’s also a good day to try new teas, as I have an allergy pill in my system from yesterday so I shouldn’t react to any haha :)

So yes, finally I brewed up a cup of this after the offputting pickle scent. The steeped tea, after about 2 mins with 195 degree water, thankfully does not smell like pickles :D it is quite nice now, an oolong scent with a toasty, spicy smell. I think it is the schisandra and tulsi contributing. Not much in the way of sarsaparilla either, thank goodness. No idea what Blue Lotus contributes or tastes like, so I cannot comment on that.

As for the flavor, this is kind of a weird one to me. It’s like a very herbal chai. I get the green flavor from the laoshan oolong, which has some of the attributes of Laoshan green to me, a bit beany and vegetal ( I haven’t tried Laoshan Oolong by itself, so just guessing from the flavor). The tulsi is present, which I enjoy, it adds a nice spiciness. There is a faint woodiness from the sarsaparilla, but this is one blend I can tolerate better as it’s muted by the tulsi.

Overall, this is an interesting tea, once I get past the dry scent. It is very savoury, and not one I would drink every day, but it would be good for a salt craving. I am unsure if I will keep this one or re-home it, will have to think it over. Happy I finally got over the smell and tried it though, as it’s not nearly as scary as it smells!

Oh, and I will henceforth refer to my new tastings/cleaning cupboard as The Great Tea Purge/Sampling of 2014. Lol.

Flavors: Herbaceous, Spices, Tulsi, Vegetal

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Bio

Hello all, I am an electrical engineer (read:NERD :D), who is a bit obsessed with tea! I discovered loose tea in 2011, DAVIDsTEA in 2012 and it took off from there. I really started drinking/enjoying tea because it was excellent to take to class in the morning and because I can’t handle coffee! (unless it’s a really good cappuccino or latte, or decent decaf haha)

I enjoy a variety of teas – current favorites being ripe and raw pu’erhs, chinese black teas and herbal/green rooibos blends. I also enjoy white, green, and oolong teas, although I tend to drink them more in the warmer months. I have also tried matcha and guayusa, but I don’t drink them too often as I am a bit sensitive to caffeine. As a result I don’t drink black teas as often as I used to, but in moderation I can still enjoy a wide variety of teas.

Oh, and I have a severe peanut allergy and try to avoid most other nuts, just to be safe. Limits my tea choices a bit, but that’s ok. However I have tried almonds and found out I can eat them, so I have been trying a few teas with them in them.

mrs.stenhouse12’s rating system
(as of 04/19/13)

95+: Absolute favorite, will try to always have it in stock, and when I don’t I pine over it!
90-94: Awesome teas, will probably purchase again a few times
80-89: Very good tea, may restock at some point
70-79: happy to have tried and will gladly finish, but not restock
60-69: not horrible, but not the best, will finish if I have some though
50-59: not a favorite, probably will have a tough time finishing the bag
-50: yuck. I don’t want to have it ever again.

Location

Canada

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