Raven Send Message

Might as well go ahead and rate this guy, since I’ve been drinking/using it the past few nights.

It’s peppermint! I’ve been so sick with allergies the past few days, so I finally broke out my peppermint sample. I’ve been putting a bit more than the two teaspoons recommended in, to make it extra stuffyness-fighting. And it works! Very minty taste, kind of unappealing when it cools down but excellent and affecting when hot. I don’t know how often I’d drink it without needing the menthol bits for health (without maybe mixing more things into it), but it’s delicious for what it is.

Before anything, I have to admit that I actually really dislike watermelon-flavored things. I have a truce with the fruit itself, but watermelon-flavored things always make me gag. But this is made with real watermelon pieces, so – I go into it with only moderate hope of liking it, but I go into it anyway! (and thank you so much for this sample, Meowkattack!)

Seeing carrots in the ingredients also admittedly made me a bit wary, as “luscious” calls to my mind things very sweet and fruity. The smell of the brewed tea, however, was much more mellow – I think I began smelling more of the strawberry leaves, maybe. But this isn’t too bad! It’s definitely more than just watermelon, though I can tell it’s at the forefront. This one doesn’t have the tart aftertaste that most of the other fruit teas I’ve drank had.

Added a bit of honey in and iced half the cup – a bit better that way, though still probably not something I’d buy on my own.

Very pleasant pineapple scent on the dry bits!

Brewed, the smell is more like a muskier pineapple. Not getting as much tart out of it as I expected from the other notes – mine’s fairly fruity, though I am noticing more of the apple and roselle (I think) as it cools. It feels a bit like drinking a pineapple-apple cobbler in tea form!

The only tamarind-flavored thing I’ve had before was ice cream (which was delicious), so I was excited about this sample. Through association, the first sip immediately reminded me of all the Mexican grocery stores I’ve visited. The spiciness especially.

I added a bit of sugar to it when I’d had half the glass already (still very warm), but I think I prefer it unsweetened. The spiciness of it isn’t so noticeable when sweetened, but I preferred having it there.

Much more tart than the other blood orange-type herbal I had! But I am liking it.

This one had a lot more bite than I was expecting (the smell from the dry tea I had wasn’t terribly strong), but as I’m a fan of oranges and citrus flavor, I do enjoy it. I tried it hot + unsweetened, hot + sweetened and then iced + sweetened. I think in the end, I prefer it much more as a tangy hot drink than a sweeter iced one. The sharp taste was almost comforting when warm.

My second taste of a rooibos blend (first being Adagio’s Foxtrot) and I think I am probably going to be a fan of it!

From the leaves I got almost entirely a caramel smell, but on the brewed tea I noticed a medicinal smell as well. The combo of the rooibos’ earthy flavor and caramel made each mouthful seem almost /filling/. Like a mouthful of something other than liquid (maybe sort of yoghurt-y?), which was quite good.

Wow, the leaves for this one had a /very/ strong smell of sweet melons.

I wanted to have a go at this sample after having Butiki’s lovely Cantaloupe & Cream earlier – definitely in a melon mood! Compared to the powerful smell of the leaves, the brewed cup smelled far less strong (though still does have that wine-y scent) – but the sweetness of the melon was rather gentle. Overall, it is fairly refreshing!

I haven’t yet actually tasted any chamomile on its own, so I’m not sure if I can discern it from the other tastes in this. But wow is this a calming drink! I’m drinking it before bed in order to wind down, and it seems entirely perfect for that.

The smell on both the loose tea and the brewed liquid never seemed terribly citrus-like to me, but on tasting it I can pick out more of the apple and lemon. This one seems to sometimes have that same delicious creaminess to it that I love in Butiki’s Cataloupe & Cream too.

Unlike a lot of people, it seems, I really adore licorice! I think I was probably expecting more of that anise flavor with this one, especially because it has such a strong, pleasant smell in the package.

I’m hitting it with all the allowed re-steepings though. On the subsequent ones, I found the liquorice smell was more noticeable, but the taste of it still isn’t so strong. What I am tasting is nicely sweet on it’s own, and mildly grassy like the other white teas I’ve tasted. Overall, it’s a very light and comforting tea, but the smell does leave me wanting something stronger.

Had the most excellent smell when I first opened it up!

Think I may have added a bit too much of the tea into it, because wow was it strong at first taste. I did two “heaping” teaspoons to account for the two cups I was making, but maybe I heaped a little much. I also let it steep near the max time suggested – 9 minutes. The color is a very deep red. The taste is slightly bitter, and I feel like I can taste more of the apple than the strawberry. But when I added a spoonful of sugar it offset the bitter taste perfectly! Entirely enjoyable that way.