Just a Taste of Spring

Grab bag sample from MissB! Almost nearing the end of these, and have been so excited about them.

I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be the biggest fan of this because of the classic clashing ingredients in here, namely cinnamon and hibiscus. You see, I normally always cold steep hibiscus-based blends, and they turn out better that way because the dry tartness of the hibiscus is kept at bay this way, plus the fruits that usually accompany the hibiscus make these types of blends refreshing. But then this cinnamon throws a monkey wrench into things. It doesn’t translate the best into a cold brew. Seems out of place.

So, trying this hot, yes, the cinnamon is warming, the berries are like jam, but that hibiscus gets so syrupy and tart when steeped hot, consequently taking over the entire show. Can’t win with such a combination, I’m afraid.

I’m down to 57 freaking teas! But. My American Tea Room Black Friday order just came in so looks like that super sweet, low number didn’t last so long.

Hm. Weird tea. Got it as a sample in their Kickstarter campaign, and it’s…. better cold. A bit floral, juicy berry (can’t tell what exactly), and definitely hibiscus. There’s something in here though that’s giving me an allergic reaction, even though the ingredient list seems solid. I’ll pass off the last cup to someone else who might enjoy it more.

Sample sipdown!

I was saving this sample from their Kickstarter campaign last year, and I finally decided to drink it last night. I overleafed it, but it was still quite nice. it had a really nice juicy flavour to it, and the presence of the hibiscus wasn’t as overwhelming as I worried it would be. The interplay between the cinnamon and the blueberry was also quite nice, and the liquor was this beautiful juicy red colour.

I… I kinda wish I had known I would like this blend – if I had, I would have chosen it over some of the blends I did ask for. Ah well, one less tea in the cupboard!

Disclosure: I’ve been putting off trying this for the better part of six months. Hibiscus and I have a strange, uncomfortable relationship that mostly involves me not liking it.

The blend is beautiful! The bright blue of the corn flowers is so striking and really pops. There are big dried blueberries and it smells of autumnal spices with cinnamon leading the way.

It’s definitely very very much hibiscus, though. It lacks the metallic quality that it can sometimes carry, but is still sharp/tart and a bit bitter. There’s an undercurrent of sweet cinnamon flavor, but it’s just not enough to redeem this for me.

My Just Organic Teas Kickstarter arrived in the mail!
Well, it arrived in the mail about a week ago, but I got it sent to my aunt’s house because I’m moving this weekend.

This smells like a lovely spiced apple cider! Just all the warmth and ALL THE FALL. THE BEST SEASON OF THE YEAR. I was definitely expecting a brighter, rooibos/blueberry tea, rather than the cinnamonny tea that I got, but hey, it’s tea and tea is lovely :)
Definitely a dark red cuppa with the hibiscus. I could have done with a bit less hibiscus, but I’m sure a bit of sweetner would do the trick!

Backlog:

Of the different teas that I’ve tried from Just.Organic.Tea. this one probably stood out as my least favorite. I’m just not a big fan of hibiscus and there is a bit too much hibiscus in this for my liking.

I do like the green rooibos in this … it adds a bright, fruity note to it. (I generally prefer green rooibos to red rooibos because I like that light, fruity flavor of it.) I also like the juicy blueberry taste to this. I would like to taste more rose, and I feel like the hibiscus was sort of overwhelming the delicate rose notes.

It’s sweet and tart and not a bad blend, just not my favorite from this company. On the other hand, my daughter LOVED this. So it was a winner with someone in this family!

This smells nicely like cinnamon and blueberries. There is too much hibiscus flavour though. Might be better cold.

My son loved this so much that he mentioned wanting it again a few times. He had a hard time understanding why he couldn’t with all the tea I have even my samples are more than a cups worth. Of course I had to make sure and include this in the Kickstarter order.
I cold brewed this sample and it was a good choice. I was surprised how nice the cinnamon complemented the blueberry. The hibiscus was not overpowering but added a nice amount of tartness that my son loves.

I saw hibiscus as the second ingredient and was not particularly stoked about trying this sample. And for good reason. Hibiscus, why do you ruin everything?! This tea smells like apple cider… or Christmas. It does not taste like apple cider, at all. Sad day. I wish it tasted the way that it smells because I would be in heaven. But as it is… its definitely not for me. Too much hibiscus not enough everything else. The cinnamon does shine through nicely, but its just not enough to win me over.

You know, Peony flowers are incredibly beautiful. The bushes in the front and back yard have exploded into full bloom and I took it upon myself to bring one of the flowers inside for my desk. The blossom is huge and just keeps getting bigger, and the smell is intoxicating! Apparently the petals are edible too, though I need to do more research before I dig in and start munching on them, because I think the Ents would come and take away my Naturalist license if I poisoned myself on a garden flower. Speaking of spring and flowers, I think I should have a spring cleaning sale in my shop to prepare it for the inevitable onslaught of origami, especially Kusudama flower balls.

Keeping on theme with flowers and spring, today’s tea from Just Organic Tea is Just a Taste of Spring, a blend of Green Rooibos, Calendula Flowers, Hibiscus Flowers, Cinnamon, Cornflowers, and Blueberries. This tea just screams ‘going to be a tart tea’ which has me more than a little worried. I have a real aversion to anything tart…sour I love, but tart and I have a track history of not getting along. The aroma is pretty tart, but there are also strong floral notes and hay notes. Of course there is a blend of sweet and tart from the blueberries, a delicate balance with those berries as to whether or not they will be sweet or tart. The finish is warm spicy cinnamon, reminding me of a patch of warm sunlight on a cool spring day.

The steeped leaves have a much more tart aroma and the cinnamon is much stronger. There are more subtle notes of blueberry and green wood with a touch of hay. The liquid without the collection of spring time things is a really bright blend of tart, floral, and fruity. There is cinnamon warmth that sneaks in around mid-sniff and stays until the finish, building in intensity.

Time for tasting, and I will admit I am a bit apprehensive. The taste is initially quite tart, not mind numbingly convulsion inducing tart, but still I made the pucker face. There are metallic notes from the hibiscus (it always tastes very metallic to me) and a strong blueberry presence that starts tart and fades to sweetness. Around the time the blueberry becomes sweet I notice woody notes from the rooibos and tingly warmth from the cinnamon, the finish is mildly floral. I am not sure how to approach this tea, I cannot recommend it because I am baffled by anyone liking tart things. But luckily the world is vast and everyone’s taste differs, even though I am hardly qualified to talk about a tart tea, I can certainly say this one was different than others I have attempted to try. The spicy notes from the cinnamon took the edge off and added a level of tolerance to a tea usually I would be unable to tolerate.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/just-organic-tea-just-taste-of-spring.html