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One more cup and it’s a sipdown…

This mug in particular was really good; probably the best I’ve steeped so far. The anise was really present, as was the chocolate and the spices were cooperating by toning themselves the fuck down. Also, it somehow has an especially cakey mouthfeel tonight. Mmm!

And, our water is finally back (which is why I was able to make more tea) – so I got to take a shower! Yay! I’m getting all prepped for my first day of work tomorrow. Anyway, BB has been a little boring today – though the War Room/Isolated guests were amusing for a while when they had to match the house guests to their jobs/personalities. They couldn’t, for the life of them, figure out the bearded guy was the model.

Also, they made their final pleas for votes today! Soon… Very soon…

Part of my birthday present from my mom/little sister. I didn’t ask for this one, but I was still pretty happy to receive it because it’s yet another blend for me to try cold brewing! It smells pretty good; like fuzzy peach candy without the sour sugar (so just the chewy peach part) and apples. It also has the same “stony”/pitt and overripe smell/quality that I thought RiverTea’s Sweet Helen pear blend had. How interesting.

The leaf cold brewed for nine hours, and I can’t figure out whether or not it needed more of less time sitting, because as far as the taste goes it’s a little… funky?

Like, there’s a sweetness to the tea and I am reminded of overripe peaches and faintly of pineapple – but there’s also this background flavoured that reminds me of unsweetened apple juice or applesauce, and I think that’s the flavour that really lingers the longest. It’s not all that lovely. Maybe it’s the chamomile doing weird things, or maybe it’s just my general fickleness towards peach.

My theory, anyway, is that less steep time would maybe make this softer with less of the weird underlying taste or that more steep time would make this juicier and cover up the ickyness. The fear? That either way the ick will be more noticeable (either because there’s less peach in the case of less steep time or because it’s gotten stronger from more steep time). There’s room for experimentation, though! And – I can always still try this one hot too!

Cold Brewed: In total, thirteen hours.

This is pretty good; the oolong is strong and the raspberry very sharp. Overall it’s super refreshing (and helping the fact I can’t take a shower right now a lot more tolerable) though I’ll admit to being a little bit disappointed overall.

If I had never had this hot, I’d probably be really impressed – except I have had this hot, many times, and so I know that this cold brew is missing the incredibly buttery, flaky pastry taste this usually had and the trade off of using so much leaf to make a cold brew simply isn’t worth it because this tea is amazing and spectacular with the pastry quality.

So, down the road, I’m 100% sticking to the hot version of this one.

Holy shit!

I have achieved morning tea nirvana! I woke up really wanting to shower – but I can’t since the water is off (I’m praying it’s on tomorrow because I need to shower before my first day of work) again – so I was desperately looking for a rich drink I could have to make me not feel greasy and icky.

In the end, I decided I wanted hot chocolate instead of tea so I made a very rich cup of hot chocolate – but last minute I realized I could infuse it with a tea, so I grabbed the first tea bag I could find which was this one! Fruit infused into hot chocolate? I was kinda skeptical. Apparently I had not right to be, though – this is melt in your mouth, gulp it down without breathing delicious.

Basically it’s like drinking a liquefied dark chocolate – but one of the ones with that gooey, creamy filling. In this case, obviously, a Saskatoon Berry filling. Umph.

Yup – I’m gonna be hard pressed to find a tea today that can top how tasty this is.

Pulled this one out tonight so I can try to work through the rather full tin I have of it and get some of my older teas cleared out. As far as my tisanes go, only the fruity ones have been getting lots of love lately (because of cold brewing), which is maybe a bit of a shame…

I have to say, this is pairing with my midnight supper in an awfully weird way and that could be why this isn’t quite holding its own. It tastes a little off; and a little weak. But overall, not too bad I suppose. I guess I’m just not in the mood for this one all too often. Especially when I have lots of Choconut Oolong too, which is also strongly licorice flavoured.

EDIT: This got significantly better as it cooled.

Sipdown (194/196)!

I didn’t really make an effort to partake in Sipdown Saturday today, but I will take comfort in the fact I squeaked in one sipdown before the clock passed midnight tonight (six minutes before midnight; go me!). And, it’s a sipdown that I’m pretty happy about; I don’t have any qualms with seeing this one go.

Overall, I just couldn’t buy into the cinnamon/strawberry pairing; it’s just too weird for me and it makes me uncomfortable. So I think in the long run this is a tea that’s going to be pretty forgettable to me. You know, in and out. I definitely appreciate the sample from VariaTEA though – when you have an oppertunity to try a 52Teas blend you take it; afterall who knows how long they’ll be around for.

The cup this is going out on? Surprisingly more strawberry than cinnamon but also fairly watery. Oh well.

Looks like the houseguests cleared challenge #2, and now they’re onto challenge #3 and have to tether themselves together. Should be interesting…

I really wish I had the ingredients list for this blend because it’s fascinating in flavour but very hard to describe. I love it though. I can see this as an instant favourite and something I’d need to always have stocked. I just don’t own anything like it.

Pretty much, I get a very light black base with no bitterness or astringency, and then sweet notes of vanilla (this flavour is strong), some kind of mint (I want to say wintergreen), melon, and some very light (and not “rind” or “Pledge like”) lemon. But no clue how accurate that ingredients list/summary is. I don’t even have a product description for this one – which is a little frustrating. Maybe I’ll email Jule (the owner) and ask for the ingredients list. I know it’s there in store, but this blend isn’t up on the site. She was really helpful when I wanted the list of ingredients for the Pumpkin Pie Fruit Tea she sells.

But yes – I adore this one already, and fear that it’s going to be quickly consumed. If you’re up in Regina and can stop at the store, I highly recommend picking this one up! It’s enchanting.

I’m nearing sipdown level with this one! Ooh!

BBCan feeds are back, and the house guests just finished cleaning the house in pairs – with one in the pair blind folded. I guess it’s part of some three task challenge where the prize is booze or something like that? They’re waiting right now for challenge #2, so I took the time to make more tea, and am sipping at it while watching them.

I must say; Jon has grown on me as a person (not just a player). He has such pretty eyes, and seems really fun. Plus, his nails are painted black. Umph. I want Scott to make it out of isolation and get him all dragged up!

OH! Second task! They have to stand on a sheet (all 13 of them), and completely turn it over without anyone stepping off or being lifted up. And they have one shot…

But anyway – the tea. Something sweet and spicy (this one; and man do I mean spicy), paired with something “cool” and icy (Cuppa’T Specialty Tea’s Ice Princess). Gotta love “themes” and shit, right? I thought it was witty, anyway.

Oh. OH. OH! Hey, the houseguests just finished the task! That took ’em no time at all. And of course feeds promptly shut off while they await the verdict…

There’s a very special place in my heart for Butiki’s oolongs. Definitely my favourite oolongs in general. This one? Heavenly. There’s not much else for me to say about it.