Autumn Hearth Send Message

I didn’t expect to like this and thus was not disappointed when I didn’t. No harm done. Also didn’t really see much of the fruit in this, though I did taste it. Good prep for Love Potion #7 though me thinks. Must get the timing right to have it brewed right as the husband comes homes, otherwise I’ll never get him to commit… to the trying the tea that is. Thanks Amanda

Okay this is the only tea from The Traveling Tea Box I am using all the leaves up on. It really was only enough for one serving, but ironically it is the one I would be the most likely to keep if there was more. I love Big Red Robe, namely Verdant’s but this measures up pretty well and it is much better than Adagio’s. It’s got the nice mineral sweetness, roastyness and woodsyness with a hint of cassia, caramel and cocoa. I have steeped this around 5 times today, but I really need to move on to another tea so I can get the box on its way tomorrow. Yum!

Last cup from last night. This one smelled quite lovely, I should have known those were jasmine petals. It smelled of peaches, but the flavor was lighter but still naturally sweet with a soft fruitiness, it reminded me a bit of honeysuckle as well. I steeped this for under a minute and I think I had better result than those below, but toward the end of the cup the green notes tasted a bit off. shrug Ah well, thank you Amanada

I have been wanting to try some teas from Whispering Pines and while this one wouldn’t necessarily be at the top of my list, I’m glad for the chance to try it thanks to The Traveling Tea Box and Amanda I drank this one last night after dinner and it made a very relaxing evening cup. It reminded me of some other jasmine blends I’ve had namely Teavana’s ToLife (Jasmine Pearls and Rooibos Tropica) only much better and a bit of Verdant’s Eight Treasures Yabao only not quite as good. It did not resteep well, in fact the husband commented on the face I was making when I sipped it. I think this company’s smokier teas would suit me better.

I feel like this tea has seen better days. It has this weird taste that I’ve experienced in two or three other teas, one of which was an oolong, another was black. It’s hard to describe, but its a kinda fishy metallic quality. Tis stale me thinks. Plus the leaf quality isnt that great, lots of stems, small broken leaves :( Me thinks I shall take the liberty to dispose of this and replace it with another oolong. For the good of the box. Glad to not be rating these.

Orange Blossom Oolong after lunch? Don’t mind if I do! In fact make this one a heaping tea spoon, I’m in the mood for multiple infusions. Many thanks to Amanda for this. In searching for this is seems this is a very popular combination. I knew peach oolong was, but orange? Who knew? Looking forward to this woodsy base.

So the scent of this actually reminds a bit of rooibos, though I might not being saying that if I hadn’t had a couple earlier today. It’s quite light, I do think it needs a longer steep, but it is otherwise pleasant, I get citrus and pine notes with a bit of pepper and spice toward the bottom of the cup, but I’m looking for leather ;)

Steeped for a minute and we have achieved orange liquor! Much more woody oolong in this yes I am getting the leather, but it’s just not the kind I’m looking for. There is no natural sweetness in this, no, mineral notes, just dry as my other two TeaGschwender oolong have been. Ho hum.

Yay another obscure tea from the Traveling Tea Box. Thanks to Sare for this one, though I would be very curious to know what she thought of it when I’m done. So this has everything and the kitchen sink in it. The base is white, black and red (rooibos) when every flower imaginable in it (okay not really, just four of them, though I swear I saw cornflower petals in there, I guess it could have been the lavender, nope nope double checked definitely cornflowers and lavender) plus black currant, raspberry and peach!

This smells fruit and floral, like a garden, in a fantasy, or like a Venus Gillette commercial, picture the flowers popping up and the trees fully blossoming, colors swirling and an incredibly smooth legged woman draped in periwinkle silk gliding through it all, you know you can. That is this tea.

It has a good amount of flavor going on, but it is very difficult to dissect. It’s a bit lemony and I’m definitely getting chamomile, but beyond that just generically fruit and floral. It also brews up beautiful tangerine color that turns peach as you sip on it on it.

I can imagine young girls in floral dresses and maybe even gloves, out to tea with their mothers or grandmothers like this. There’s nothing offensive about it and it naturally sweet. Quite nice for what it is though it turns out the smooth legged goddess decided to put on some stockings, a frock and a hat and showed up at high tea and sat down between two ten year old girls and told them stories that make them giggle.

Holy roses! This smells just like a Victorian gift shop! Not like a gift shop in Victorian London but a gift shop selling Victorian inspired things, perfumes, powders, lotions, lace and tea cups! Bit overwhelming actually…

This brews up golden orange and has little tiny white particles floating on the surface, must be the white chocolate, though the tea I got looks nothing like the picture, no white shavings or full rose petals, just a choppy blend. Again smell is much the same, the first sip is quite nice actually, its sweet and a little salty too, it tastes like cookies! Delicious black tea and rose infused snickerdoodles!

However as I swallow, in fact each and every time I swallow this, I want to cough, it’s irritating my throat. Yes it has a nice lingering aftertaste, but not worth it. Nope not for me, nice try, moving on, mine as well tackle another floral tea, coughs up perfume Hope someone likes this, it’s at least worth sniffing.

Thanks to Amanda and the Traveling Tea Box for this obscure blend. This melange is certainly pretty, lots of hibiscus, ruby indeed though the liquor is like hot pink wine! Yep that’s hibiscus alright, relying much to heavily on it. I kinda get the blood oranges but really there is supposed to be pear in here? It reminds me a bit of Raspberry Zinger, minus the raspberry. So this is all zing and no fruit. Alright my tea cups are being stained pink, cannot have! Rowan has taken this tea and made a pink concoction with his raspberry lemonade and was about to add peanut butter. Oh three year olds. The lemonade blend is good though!

Thanks to the Traveling Tea Box I finally get to try a 52tea blend! Unfortunately this one doesn’t seem to have much love on Steepster and may be meant to be drank cold. Not setting my hopes high. So level teaspoon with this one, steeped for 5 mins, boiling water, in a tiny 3-4oz tasting cup.

The dry leaf does smell berry like and can you even smell tart? It seems I can. It reminds me of something, some kind of bath product or candle. The liquor smells very sweet and reminds me a bit of a fruit wine or mead. As I pull the basket out it looks like its almost going to be wine colored, but there is definitely rooibos orange here. Hmm such a familiar smell.

Now the taste, oh! This is familiar in a different way, this is like blackberry frozen yogurt! No mistake! And I’m drinking this hot! I’m guessing Frank is known for stronger flavors and perhaps his followers come to expect that, but this is really quite nice to me! Again bar set low so pleasant surprise! I do get a bit of cranberry but this is mostly blackberry yogurt to me, frozen and not. Fun!

I don’t drink many fun tea. Incredibly amazing complex teas yes that can be joyful to drink, but not straightforward fun. Then again may be part of the Traveling Tea Box experience! Toddler says quote “Mmmm, that was very good!” after remarking that it too is orange. He’s taking a second helping and requesting a third, Rowan approved!