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I thought I’d reviewed this tea ages ago. Ah well better late than never.

When I make iced tea I tend to do it as a hot brew and then add a bunch of ice and a bit of agave nectar. This method seems to really bring out the basil flavour. It’s more of a tulsi basil than a sweet basil (the kind you use to make pesto) flavour but it definitely dominates each mouthful. Following on the heels of the basil is a mildly sweet strawberry flavour and the grassy green tea base finishes it off. It’s not a bad tea but I wished the strawberry flavour was a bit stronger (Roswell had the opposite problem when it was cold brewed).

Unfortunately the boyfriend turns his nose up at most green teas this tea being no exception – so this isn’t really very good for filling the communal iced tea jug that I have going in the fridge all summer long.

There was a sample of this sitting in my cupboard that I finally got around to trying. I love matcha but it takes a bit more work than you average cup of tea. It smells and tastes very strongly of almond extract which I’m pretty sure was what was used to flavour this tea. Not that I mind I love almond extract – it makes me think of baking. But if you’re not a fan of almond extract this probably isn’t a matcha for you.

I prepared this matcha by sifting in 3/4 tsp of matcha powder then I added a few tablespoons of hot water just enough to help break up the clumps and then I added about a 3/4 cup of hot skim milk, and together with a drizzle of honey I whisked everything together in my mug and topped it with a few spoonfuls of frothed milk.

It’s a yummy treat on a rainy day like today. It’s absolutely pouring outside and my patio looks like a lake. I’m so glad it held off for my grad though, the actual ceremony was inside, but afterwards we all went over to one of a my prof’s houses for a BBQ

Sipdown. A robust tea like this was a perfect way to start off the day of my university convocation (whyyyyy did they schedule the ceremonies so early?)

Sipdown. I made the last of this into a latte for my boyfriend and I. Except my milk frother didn’t want to work. :/ Even without the frothed milk it was still delish, I simmered 3 tsp in a pot on the stove in 1 cup water and 1 cup milk for about 20min. This tea is already sweet so I didn’t need to add any sugar.

Nothing beats a good chai in my opinion and while you’d think it was just a matter of throwing a bunch of spices in black tea you’d be wrong. Shaktea is a great little tea shop in Vancouver’s south Main St, an area that’s seen a lot of revival lately and is home to a lot of great independent shops and cafes that haven’t been overtaken by the big businesses (yet).

This chai is one of Shaktea’s most popular blends and it’s easy to see why, it’s a great, full-flavoured tea with just the right mix of spices. I can taste the coconut as well though I wish it were a touch more prominent. Great with milk (like most chais), I’m going to try this one as a latte next time.

Hmm, not really sure why it’s called ‘Caribbean" Crush as I’m not really getting that much in the way of tropical flavours from this tea. Well I get some pineapple, but mostly I just taste sweet cranberry and hibiscus. It’s not bad – certainly it’s appreciated on a hot afternoon – but it isn’t really anything new or special either.

I love all the new blends LiberTeas is creating under the 52Teas brand and if I could I’d buy everyone one of them. Sadly my wallet and the fact that I’ve have too much tea already has prevented me from doing so. This came my way via the Great Canadian Travelling Teabox so of course I pounced right on it. ;)

It smells deliciously spicy and eggnog-y in the pouch and while it was brewing. Unfortunately much of the flavours get lost in the black tea base which comes across a little bit astringent here. I could taste the eggnog but it’s mostly an aftertaste. I was drinking it plain so I added a splash of skim milk and that really improved matters, bringing out a sweet, creamy flavour with a hint of nutmeg. So I suppose the moral of the story is that like most chais this one is much better with milk.

GCTTB
The label on the tea says ‘Spa Oolong’ but here it’s called ‘Oolong Spa’ so I’m not sure which is the right one. Not that it really matters in the face of good tea. ;)

Lavender and oolong sound like an odd combination but somehow they manage to work here. It’s the creamy vanilla flavours that help meld everything together, I think. The tea is floral without being too overpowering (no lavender soap tea here!) and the mild woodsy flavour of the dark oolong base compliments the lavender quite well.

GCTTB
This tea tastes like toasted coconut with added creamy sweetness, like the coconut milk was added to the blend along with the meat. There’s a tropical fruit undertone that’s mostly pineapple and all tastiness. Excellent both hot and iced, this would make an excellent mixer for some kind of summer cocktail.

GCTTB
This is a very stemy oolong, making it a bit hard to measure with the twigs hanging over the side of the spoon like little spider legs, lol. The smell of the tea is beautifully floral, like fresh lilacs. The floral notes are also in the flavour but they’re mixed with a light blueberry flavour, and the tea finishes with a slight tanginess.

The second steep @ 4 min didn’t have much in the way of berry flavour though the oolong base itself was still full and flavourful. Those tangy ends note were more developped into something that might be pineapple or maybe citrus.