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This came in my October Tea Sparrow box. It’s a pretty simple rose flavoured white tea, nice enough but not my favourite rose-y tea by any stretch. I just got a little gram scale for weighing tea, and was amazed that 3 generous teaspoons of this only amounted to 2.8g – so I’m beginning to see why Tea Sparrow recommends 1 tbsp per cup!

I’m doing a head to head tasting of this with the “Ceylon Pekoe” from the same company. It is also a smooth, woodsy tea but not quite as rich as the Pekoe and there is a really distinctly different flavour that I’m having trouble identifying. It’s kind of floral, and kind of grassy or grainy? Anyway, it’s very nice but again, I don’t think I love it enough to want to buy more of it. Luckily the sample packages have enough that I can give it a couple more tries before making a final decision. :)

I’m doing a head to head tasting with this and the “Ceylon FFEXSP” from the same company. It’s a smooth, enjoyable Pekoe with a woodsy/earthy flavour. Compared to the other, this had a richer aroma while steeping and a bit of a darker flavour. I like it, but probably not enough to buy more of it? I think I’m going to try brewing it darker next time and adding some milk +/- sugar to see what that’s like.

My first Whispering Pines tea! I chose this in part because I wanted to try the roasted cedar and vanilla bean (and several of the blends with those ingredients were out of stock when I placed my order). This is a really interesting and unique tea. When I first smelled it dry, I couldn’t place any of the flavours, it was just this mysterious earthy boozy deliciousness. Going back after reading the ingredients, I can smell the vanilla and cedar. I’m not sure what saffron smells like, so I can’t tell if it’s there. :)

Brewed, the black tea base takes centre stage, with the various other ingredients adding richness and complexity. It totally does remind me of being out on canoe camping trips: waking up in the morning and stepping out of my tent to breathe the fresh morning air and gaze out over the water.

Tried the black, now for the green. I love how this tea comes so tightly clumped up (as others have said, it looks like an oolong!) and then it expands into these lovely large leaves. The scent is mild and green, and the taste is also mild and green with a smooth, slightly buttery mouthfeel. I’m not sure what to say about this tea – it’s completely pleasant to drink, but I’m not getting much from it besides “green tea”. If the black is like being in a forest, the green is like sitting on top of a mountain, breathing the clean air.

Man, I need to train my palate if I’m going to start reviewing unflavoured teas. I keep wanting to say things like: “It tastes like tea. Yummy tea!”. So, um. Trying for something a bit better than that. I brewed this with 1.5tsp (actually, started with 1tsp and then went back and added 0.5tsp when I read the brewing instructions on this page) in 8oz, and for 5min (the package actually suggested 5-8min, which seemed long to me). Anyway, it brews up into a lovely reddish-brown colour. I find it to be medium-bodied, very smooth and easy to drink – I have absolutely no desire to add milk or sugar, you know? It reminds me a bit of a Darjeeling I have in my cupboard. Ok, I’ve been sipping this while staring at a tea wheel and here’s what I think I can taste: malt, wood/forest, and maybe a slightly grassy fresh hay note? As I finish the cup I’m starting to get a bit of astringency, but I didn’t really notice it that much earlier. I also feel calm, and a little bit sleepy, so I don’t think I’d drink this as a morning pick-me-up. I like it. Off to re-steep now. :)

Mmm, I got this as a sample in my recent shipment fram David’s Tea and I quite like it. The coconut flavour brings a sweetness that blends nicely with the spicy chai. I can definitely taste coconut, and cinnamon, and a bunch of other flavours that are all blending together into “chai spice”. I think it’s the ginger and peppercorn giving it a little bit of extra zip. I’m sure this would be delicious with milk and sugar, but I’m pretty happy right now drinking it plain. I might have to do a head-to-head comparison between this and David’s cinnamon chai rooibos next. :)

I got some of this in my Tea Sparrow box under the old name: Coconut Milky Oolong. The dry tea smells amazing: rich, creamy coconut. Yum. Brewed, the scent mellows down a bit but it still smells delicious. I also enjoyed watching the oolong unfurl as it steeped. :) I was a bit surprised that this was a relatively less-oxidized oolong – there’s definitely a greenish flavour to it that doesn’t quite blend with the coconut. But the coconut flavour itself is light and delicious – not at all artificial – and the overall impression is of creamy, coconutty, yumminess. I have steeped it 3 times so far, and this third steeping has less of the creamy coconut, and is more of a mild greenish tea. It’s still pleasant enough to drink. I think next time I brew this I’ll be more careful about water temperature and aim for a lower steeping temp, to see if that lessens the slight greenish astringency and tips the balance in favour of the coconut.