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Evening cuppa.

Thanks to my unintended guest this evening (groan…) I didn’t get to do the session I’d originally intended for the evening – so instead I’m just drinking a Western cup of something from the regional buy.

This is so much nicer than the Bitaco Green. It obviously has an advantage to it, being that it’s a black tea which is my preferred type of the two, though. Still; anise is SUCH a good descriptor for this blend. When I cracked open the sample bag, I could immediately smell the anise just from the dry leaf. Very nice, very nice indeed.

Steeped, this is really smooth too! First flavour note I picked up on wasn’t actually the anise – though that was there too as sort of a body note/note in the finish. No, that first flavour note was a thick, malty quality! Almost sort of Assam like? But without quite the same caramel/honey sweetness. I mean, this is sweet in its own right – but I’d say that the sweetness comes from a combination of anise and cocoa notes.

It’s a nice sort of “curl up in bed with a mug of tea and lament about what a dick your roommate is” sort of tea. Thick, rich, and comforting enough to overrule an unkind gesture/thought…

Bought a new matcha bowl/Chawan today!

So, when I got home I HAD to test it out. I was just in the process of whisking this up into some creamy eggnog for an iced eggnog latte when one of my roommate’s came home…

…With my ex boyfriend.

Steepster, correct me if I’m wrong, but is it not an unspoken rule that you don’t invite your roommate’s ex boyfriend over without at the very least giving said roommate a head’s up first so they can either plan accordingly to hide in their room or just get the hell out of dodge if they’d prefer; because I DEFINITELY would have said that would be the bare fucking minimum of acceptable behavior. Apparently I’d be wrong though because I was completely fucking blindsided…

So, now I’m hiding in my room with my matcha eggnog. The plus is that the new chawan is the perfect size for a small portion of matcha; and this tastes really good paired with the eggnog! The downside, of course, is that I feel trapped in my room right now and I’m absolutely FUMING. This is the first time I’ve seen the ex outside of work ’cause of fucking course we work together since we broke up, and I was NOT ready. I feel like my feelings weren’t taken into consideration by either of them; and I’m not willing to go out into the living room where they’re gaming and just pretend that everything is fine when it definitely isn’t.

I feel on the verge of crying, to be honest. Because of why we broke up, it’s just easier for me to have as little of him in my life as humanly possible; work is already like my own version of hell. I shouldn’t feel this uncomfortable in my own home…

It’s not fun being teased with/by someone you can’t have as much as you would like to.

Just got home from a day of Christmas shopping/errand running with my mother;

We hit up Cuppa’T Specialty Teas, Traditional Ceramics & Clayware, Paper Umbrella, Petsmart, Dessart, and finally Bushwakers (for supper). So I’m feeling mighty broke; although I got a great haul.

Most of the shopping at Cuppa’T was, surprisingly, not for me and I actually managed to walk away with only two purchases for myself. The first was a compressed green tea with rose; very cute little mini bricks similar in size/shape to the Jingmai Mini Bricks I have from Camellia Sinensis. I’m sure they’ll be fascinating! And, I also got some Matcha Honey! Not totally sure what I’ll use it with – but fascinated by the idea of it. And it’s a gorgeous colour, as well.

Traditional Ceramics & Clayware is actually a new store in the Cathedral area that took over for a Chinese Herbal Tea & Medicines store. This was my first time going, and the place was PACKED with people, and tons upon tons of unique one of a kind pieces of hand thrown, beautifully glazed clay pieces: plates, mugs, teacups, teapots, bowls, you name it. It was kind of a teaware addicts wet dream if I’m being honest; each piece was stunning and the selection was hand curated by the owners and featured (primarily) local artists. Although, a few of the featured artists were Chinese/Japanese from when the owners had traveled there.

While all of the teapots there were just giant and obviously Western styled, they actually had a massive range of clay bowls that were the PERFECT size for chawans. After I explained to one of the associates what a chawan was and that I was really interested in purchasing one of the bowls to be used as one the three associates working all took the time to help me find things of the appropriate size/shape and then feel the insides of every bowl to make sure it didn’t have any bubbling, rough patches, or snags in the glaze that could possibly damage a bamboo whisk. I ended up walking away with a GORGEOUS bowl that has a perfectly smooth interior and really interesting outer glaze style/pattern to add to my collection. Only $14! That’s a lot more affordable than my last chawan. I need to remember to take pictures…

Paper Umbrella is a really cool stationary/writing type of store, so it’s where I wanted to shop to pick up a present for James – our new roommate who is an aspiring writer. I ended up getting him a goose quill pen (for calligraphy), and some really chocolate-y looking ink, so he can do fancy people writing. Also, some Christmas cards for people.

Petsmart was guinea pig supplies/treats…

Dessart is a really fancy candy and dessert store we stopped at so my mom could find stocking stuffers for my brother; ended up getting Tabasco jelly beans. I also got stuff for myself though; some Red Apple & Blackberry jellybeans and a Horchata flavoured chocolate bar. This was also the store where I drank the majority of my tea, because it had cooled down enough to be consumed at this point. It was a little tart from the hibiscus, but in this blend it doesn’t bother me because it accompanies the berry notes so well; and there are many berry notes. In this mug, I really picked up on the raspberry and blackberry though. It was SUPER satisfying; as it should be because I had been craving it for literal days.

This is also the store where my song pairing comes into play! I didn’t really expect to have a song pairing since I was drinking this for an outing/day of shopping – but at Dessart they were actually playing the Killers’ Christmas album and this song came on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cglLJJ0Czo8

And it’s the fucking Killers – you HAVE to sing along. So I was singing to Don’t Shoot Me Santa in the store, and the cashier started singing along with me. It was like one of those movie moments, or posts you see on Tumblr where you’re like “that never happened”. But it did! Of course, she knew the song ’cause she picked the album they were listening to – but she said I was the first person to outwardly display that they recognized the music too! It was a nice little unexpected moment.

And finally bushwakers! Which is a nice little pub type place. Quickly scarfed down an Athenian Pizza sans olives, and had a few pints of blackberry mead which was really nice! And now I’m home – hopefully gonna enjoy some tea soon. It was a nice little day of shopping, though.

Friendly reminder that I’m not currently numerically rating DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently seasonally employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

Advent Calendar Day Seventeen

Yes, Fig and Strawberry! A pairing I know very well.

So, there are two fig/strawberry things that I buy grocery wise that I absolutely NEED in my life because I will consume them on just about everything. The first is a Fig/Strawberry balsamic reduction which is my go to sauce/dressing and the other is a fig/strawberry balsamic chevre. So obviously I like fig and strawberry things; though it’ll be interesting to see how this fairs given it’s missing the balsamic component which is present in both my fig/strawberry foods…

Fig? Check!

Actually, the fig in this one is really familiar but unlike the frustrating Apple Ale white tea I had earlier today from Q2T I actually know why this is familiar. It’s familiar because it tastes exactly like the fig notes in Dammann Freres’ Fig Fraiche blend. So no surprises here: it’s smooth and well defined, as it should be.

Strawberry? Also check!

This one is bright and fruity, and it tastes a lot like the kind of strawberries you’d eat out of your grandmother’s garden – which is to say there’s an unrefined quality, and a bit of extra tartness/zippyness to them.

The pairing is, of course, delicious. As I expected it to be. But wait, there’s more folks…

Creamed Honey!? Extra check!

So, I definitely knew this flavour was supposed to be in the blend – but I was so caught up on the strawberry and fig that I really wasn’t looking for it. As well, honey is a flavour in tea which often merges with fruit notes/the other ingredients and then just comes off as extra sweetness. However, this is REALLY pronounced and well defined. It tastes like honey, and a lot of it at that. To me that doesn’t mean it’s cloying or over the top; it’s just super clearly there. More than the fig, if I’m being honest.

I REALLY loved and enjoyed this one! Definitely one I’d pick up for myself in future orders.

Cold Brew!

Can you experience “double deja vu?” ‘Cause if that’s possible then I’m definitely experiencing it…

Thing is, every part of this tea feels like something I’ve experienced before. However, not in a bad or boring/repetitive way but in the way where it’s super pleasant and nostalgic. I just can’t place any of it, and that’s killing me. And I mean killing me.

So, the apple/white tea combo is VERY familiar and I know that I’ve tried something else with the same rich, juicy, fresh/ripe apple notes as this before. The way it rolls off my tongue and is so full of life/character with vanilla undertones for extra sweetness on top of the natural sweetness of the apple makes me painfully nostalgic. I don’t know if it was another tea I experienced this with or a food/dessert or what, but I have DEFINITELY tasted this sort of flavour combo and ratio before. Aaagh!

Also – the apple notes…

Perfect balance of Red Delicious, Gala, and Fuji. You know, all the sweet red ones that are just bursting from the seams except for the fact apples don’t have seams with sweetness and juice.

The other part that’s giving me Deja Vu is the hops/ale element of the tea. At the same time as I know I’ve tasted the apple/white tea I also know that I have 100% had some sort of drink/cocktail or something that used this kind of hops before because it’s really, really familiar. In fact, I feel like I can even narrow down the bar in which I consumed said alcoholic drink: Slow’s Pub/Distillery here in Regina. That said, I’ve been there so often, and tried so many drinks that I can’t put a finger or even a finger nail on what the drink was…

So yeah: this is an AMAZING white tea with red apple, vanilla, oak, hops, honey, and floral notes that just bursts in your mouth, rolls off your tongue down your throat as you drink it, and melts in your mouth. Not only is this my favourite Q2T blend from this order, but I think it’s just flat out my favourite Q2T blend in general. I can’t rave enough.

But also; I’m HATING it right now because I can’t place any of the familiarity.

Gotta wrap up these tasting notes quickly, ‘cause my room is fucking freezing and I’m slowly losing some of the feeling in my fingers which is making typing very challenging right now…

Anyway, it’s latte season! Even better than that though, it’s eggnog latte season! So when I got home yesterday afternoon from work, I made Rummy Pu Eggnog Lattes for myself and for Trey. I knew I could easily lure him into trying them with the promise of rum infused tea…

They were DELICIOUS, by the way. I mean, everyone knows that rum works well with eggnog; that’s essentially what spiked Eggnog is. I don’t know about you guys, but aside from tea, spiked eggnog is my go to holiday drink. So this was really the best of both worlds. Aside from the obviously rich, sweet rum/eggnog pairing, the strong earthy notes from the pu’erh also came through well and complimented the drink. This felt very indulgent/decadent and PERFECT for the holiday season.

Classy and adult, but also still fun and innovative.

#ProjectTeaWall

From my last shift; needed something caffeine free.

This wasn’t bad, but I definitely knew right away that it would never be a favourite of mine either. The rooibos base is simply just way, way too strong and woody in comparison to the fruit notes. That’s sad too, ‘cause I definitely was really feeling the papaya and mango flavours. The peach? Not nearly so much, but that was ok. Also, as it cooled, it did pick up a very faintly medicinal fruit sort of flavour that wasn’t wildly unlike the way black currant can taste medicinal. Not sure which of the fruits that was coming from, though…

Friendly reminder that I’m not currently numerically rating DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently seasonally employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

Last shift I was doing tin refills and trying to pick a tea to drink…

When I got to this one I knew I had to make this one for myself; the aroma was so rich and buttery, with thick apple notes. However, I was a little disappointed by my brewed up cup. I even, for once, followed our steeping guide that prints out on the tea labels to the letter/number. However, my tea still came out very weak/watery. Not exactly what I was hoping for…

Oh well; next time I’ll just do things my way.

Friendly reminder that I’m not currently numerically rating DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently seasonally employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

EDIT: Apparently this is the first time I’ve ever logged this tea on Steepster. However, this was definitely not my first time drinking it. So, it doesn’t count for Project Tea Wall. Also, since I’ve apparently not logged it before I feel I should note that the fact it was weak is an abnormality; usually it’s not nearly so bland…

#ProjectTeaWall

You know, when I started Project Tea Wall I was doubtful that I’d finish all of the teas on the list before my seasonal employment ended, but at this pace I think it’s definitely doable…

To be perfectly frank, DT’s Strawberry Matcha just doesn’t compare to the one offered by Red Lead Tea/Matcha Outlet – however, it is a hell of a lot more attainable, and so that’s definitely worth a lot. Plus, it doesn’t taste bad – the flavour is just a bit more muddled and it’s a lot sweeter because of the added sweetener in the leaf. Both have strawberry milkshake like vibes to them, though. Especially when you latte them – which is exactly how I drank this one the other night on shift…

Friendly reminder that I’m not currently numerically rating DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently seasonally employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

#ProjectTeaWall

Can you believe I started Project Tea Wall with 20+ different green teas I needed to drink, and now I’m only at eight!? Me either – it feels like a big personal accomplishment, though.

I’m pleased to say that in this cold brew I was really able to identify the goji notes in the tea. Goji is a flavour I’ve been struggling with for over a year now; for whatever reason I have a particularly hard time isolating the flavour of this specific fruit from others. However, the brightness and very slight tart quality of it very clearly came through. It does taste a little “generic red fruit” though, doesn’t it? Apart from the semi tartness which I don’t think necessarily accompanies all red fruits. So that sets it apart, a bit.

Oveall; this tasted nice but I think it’s sort of average(ish) for me flavour wise. Like, it’s not bad or good – right in the middle of ‘the pack’, so to speak. It was a good learning opportunity, though.

Friendly reminder that I’m not currently numerically rating DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently seasonally employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.