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teataku drank French Spice Quartet by Teavana

226 tasting notes

I think I have found that magic blend. Teavana is always promoting blending teas, because supposedly some teas were “meant to go together”… whatever. I just like that I can tailor the taste of my tea to my moods, and sometimes I’m in the mood for something familiar, yet new. Anyway, I’ve been trying several blends (mostly just with Teavana teas, as the others that I possess are generally too precious to risk blending, because I have to wait until the next blue moon, when I generally order more tea, to get more), and I think that I’ve found the perfect blend. I’m almost always in the mood for this one.

The two teas in this blend are French Spice Quartet and Cha Yen Thai, both from Teavana. Both are spicy-sweet teas, but one is a rooibos/black mix and the other is an oolong, which works to my advantage. I like that there isn’t too much rooibos, because it can kinda take over the flavor, and I like that there’s some oolong in there, because, well, oolong is fantastic. The coconut flavor of the Cha Yen Thai smooths over the jagged edges of all those spices—peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and a few others—creating a refreshing palate that isn’t quite as heavy as chai. Basically, if you’re like me and you LOVE LOVE LOVE chai, but sometimes you’re just not in the mood for something that rich, then this is a good happy alternative. :)

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 45 sec

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I very clearly remember my first experience with tea. It was in a Target near my house, and my best friend handed me a cup of chai from the Starbucks inside the store and said, “Try this.” I believe I was about 12 at the time, and from then on, I was completely hooked.

Anyway, as my increasingly weirded out family will tell you, my obsession with tea has (almost) steadily escalated since then. I discovered the world of tea slowly, first with just chai, and then with bagged teas I could get from supermarkets and specialty stores, and then with loose leaf teas. I mostly shop for tea at Teavana, but I also patronize other local shops that I’ve discovered within the last couple of years. I’ve ordered a smattering of teas from a few online places, but I’m always leery of buying tea online, since most of how I select teas in person is by smell… unless I’m at The English Tea Room.

My favorite types of tea are blacks and flavored blacks. And oolongs. Right underneath that are rooiboses and whites, and then greens and herbals, and then mates. I’m always looking for a new favorite, but I appreciate rediscovering old favorites. I like to blend teas, but I never store them that way, mostly because I like to leave myself options.

I prefer nutty/sweet/rich teas to fruity/light-flavored teas or bold/full-bodied teas, but I do try to drink some of everything to widen my palate. I’m always willing to try any tea at least once (except this one tea that Teavana mercifully discontinued… the loose leaf smelled like cheese, I swear). I do perhaps rate teas a little leniently… because I’m not very picky. I will try a tea at least three times before I pronounce that I hate it, and I will always focus on the good aspects of a tea rather than the bad. That’s just how I roll. :3

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Colorado, USA

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