I finally started my Christmas baking!!!
That’s really good, especially since it has to be done by tomorrow evening (family gets here Sunday morning). So, I did two out of five recipes, and when I get off work I’ll be doing either the big one (carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing) or the two smaller cookie recipes (pistachio pudding sugar cookies and butterscotch pudding sugar cookies)! And then whatever is left will be done tomorrow before work! This is super exciting because I was worried I’d procrastinated too long and wouldn’t have time to do everything I wanted.
Anyway, in the middle of baking my brownies, my tea samples from Keychange arrived (this being one of them). I finished my baking, logged everything on my spreadsheet and on Steepster, and then set out to make myself a mug of this one. I chose this one in particular because I’m realizing that I have a TON of smaller sample amounts from DAVIDsTEA and I’d really like to work through some of them – especially the ones that are part of the permanent collection and, ergo, don’t need to be hoarded.
(On that note, I used up all of my sample of DAVIDsTEA’s Kanpe tea sent to me from VariaTEA today by setting it up to cold brew – although I’m not counting it as a sipdown yet since it hasn’t actually been consumed)
I was also excited to try this one because I’ve seen lots of reviews on it lately (ok, maybe not lots – but at least two). So, I guess my curiosity was especially peeked.
I steeped 1 tsp. in 10 oz. of water, at about 80 degrees Celsius for four minutes. I had sort of just assumed this one needed a lower water temperature, but after looking it up I guess the recommended temperature is 92 degrees Celsius. I was all ready to try this hot, but then I took a look at the clock and saw that I only had 30 minutes until I started work – so in a frenzied panic I dumped it into my water bottle and rushed to get ready and to work on time (made it with five minutes to spare!).
So now I’m drinking this cold – although keychange was very generous in the amount she gave me, so I have more than enough to try this hot as well. Taste wise, the first thing I notice is the very floral aspects of this tea: definitely orchid, and some other things as well though I can’t exactly put my finger on them. I’m finding them borderline ‘perfumey’, but not quite there. Next thing is the very creamy vanilla taste. Because of the very thick mouthfeel this has, it sort of results in a “vanilla pudding” type of taste. I actually normally hate vanilla pudding (except, oddly enough I like tapioca which is just vanilla pudding with little gelatin bead type things) – but this is working pretty well with me. The fact this is cold is also probably only accentuating the vanilla pudding thing, as well.
I’m really enjoying this though – and I don’t think I’m gonna have any issues getting through it. That said, I can also see this as something I would get very sick of if I was having it frequently, and for that reason I doubt it’s something I’d ever keep regularly stocked or stocked in large quantity. I think it’d be awesome for an occasional treat, though!
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I definitely agree. Every now and then I think it is a nice treat but it is not something I would want often. One of those teas that when you want it, nothing will suffice, but you have to want it.
Yup, I’m with you there. I loved on it for a while, and now am a bit sick of it. When it’s good, it’s really good, though. Weird how tea can be like that.
I definitely agree. Every now and then I think it is a nice treat but it is not something I would want often. One of those teas that when you want it, nothing will suffice, but you have to want it.
Yup, I’m with you there. I loved on it for a while, and now am a bit sick of it. When it’s good, it’s really good, though. Weird how tea can be like that.