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Tonight just me, “Doctor Sleep” and chamomile tea… oh and my cat Hercules curled up on the blanket next to me… Got to love dark, cold winter nights with a good book and tea. There is something very magical about it… :)

Tonight was a peach and pineapple kind of evening so out came Bamboozled… I haven’t drank it in a while and I remember it was quite delicious.

My memory was right.

The tisane smells deliciously of peach in both dry and steeped forms. I also detect some pineapple notes and something else… I think that must be bamboo leaves because it’s unlike anything else that I own.

Overall it’s tasty and a great choice for this evening. :)

Another tea adventure… thanks Verdant!

This tea just arrived with the order this week and was going to be my
first sheng ever.

I really didn’t know what to expect. I smelled the dry leaf… and smelled it again… It smelled nice but I wasn’t sure what it reminded me of. It was like one of those times when you have a word on the tip of your tongue but your mouth is unable to say it. I knew this smell… I knew I knew it… but I couldn’t spell it out!

I got it! Spicy vegetal… with some sweetness.

Off to the boiling kettle I went. Let’s rinse the leaves. Based on the rinse water I determined the tea will be of a light color… Kind of like
oolong.

I steeped it at almost boiling water for 1 min. Didn’t know how much leaf
to put in but I wanted to put enough. Turned out I put too much. The
resulting brew was oh so strong… but… quite delicious. Based on the
strength I think I should have steeped it for 30 seconds. I added a bit of water to dilute and that was just right.

Oh man, this stuff is good!

It’s astringent… yes it is, but I’m one of the people that love it. I
detect floral notes…and forest floor… come to think of it, it’s more like a forest floor where a lot of flowers and vegetation live.

Steep #2

I steep it with the same amount of water as previously but for 40 seconds
now. I’m thinking it might not be long enough…

I’m wrong. It’s perfect!

Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever had a tea where second steep worth 40 seconds would give me something so full of taste!

It’s more complex now. I still get the floral forest floor and now my mouth is tingling with every sip. There is still strong astringency, more balanced now but surprisingly growing as the tea sits in the teapot and definitely stronger as the tea cools. I detect spiciness.

This tea is so complex, it’s a real mystery. Some people mention plantains and holy basil.. Well, I’ve never had plantains or holy basil so I can’t verify that. I should probably have a plantain one of these days…

I have to leave now but this tea stays put on the counter for when I
return… I can’t wait to see what steep #3 will bring. Like I said.. it’s an adventure! :D

Ah yeah… When in doubt drink forever nuts!

I swear it’s a treat in itself to just sit with the bag and inhale the aroma of the dry tea. It’s intoxicating.

I steep it… and surprise, surprise… this is yummy as always… :D

This was my morning adventure today.

I was waiting for this one impatiently and it finally arrived yesterday afternoon… I love chrysanthemum flowers but I never had a tea infused with them… What would it be like?

When I opened the package, the aroma was beautiful… I immediately picked up chrysanthemum scent. It was delicate and right away it transported me into chrysanthemum fields on a warm sunny day in the summer with the sun shining brightly….. aaaand… prick that bubble..

Looking at the dry tea, it was so pretty… there were many flowers, juniper berries and coriander.. just gorgeous… I almost didn’t want to pour water over it.

I first steeped it for 1 minute over the boiling water and the result was beautiful reddish brown liquid with woody scent of forest after the rain and a delicate chrysanthemum note.

It tasted almost like it smelled… the wet, woody, earthy flavour of pu’erh infused with chrysanthemum flowers and some berries thrown in for good measure.. there was a bit of sweetness to it, not a tiny bit bitter… very, very smooth taste.

My second steep was 2 minutes long. Now the liquid got darker, more pu’erh in the aroma, less chrysanthemum but floral scent definitely still present. The flavour had all the previous qualities plus ever so slight astringency towards the end of the sip, just enough to remind me I’m drinking a tea. Lovely, very lovely. As the tea cooled I detected a slight spiciness.. coriander?

I didn’t pick up any holy basil but that could be because I’m not sure what holy basil would be like in a tea… Is it similar to the regular basil?

I will continue steeping this and see how far I can get. So far I am very impressed with this blend. It has risen to my expectations and went beyond. Definitely something I would love to reorder and keep in my cupboard forever.

This afternoon’s lunch tea. I’ve steeped it with a little bit of lavender and coconut (less lavender, more coconut) and it’s just like it suppose to be… fragrant and yummy.

I haven’t had this one in a while so it was a nice treat to steep it this morning.

At first something went wrong… The tea brewed to a yellow color (it should brew green) and was much too bitter. My first thought was the temperature, but I thought I had the right one. Did my thermometer lie to me? Or maybe I put too much tea in?

I decided to re-steep and see what happens…

Upon re-steep at a slightly lower temperature it regained its green color and the delicious taste I remember so well… so was it the temperature or too much tea? Yellow color would signal to me the temperature was too high, but the re-steeped tea is still quite strong so maybe both?

Anyhow, the re-steeped tea is delicious, vegetal and buttery. It’s got the pleasant astringency rolling about my tongue throughout the sip. Based on the strength of the re-steep, I’m sure there will be more coming…

I’m a little shaken by my experience (not good when that happens with the first morning tea) but satisfied in the end. :P

Sipdown!

I’m having one of those evenings… Fireplace is on, candles are lit, good book in hand… curled on the couch. Ahhhh… paradise!

I picked up this tea during my first and so far only visit to DT shop. I had an amazing experience there, staff was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. I got several samples and Pink Flamingo was one of them.

The dry tea smells lovely, the aroma definitely induced me to give it a try. I steeped it for 5 min over boiling water and the result was strong pinkish red tea with enticing citrus scent (I definitely pick up an orange peel). Taste wise it is quite tart but with an inkling of sweetness lingering at the back of the tongue. The hibiscus is definitely present but I also detect orange notes and something else I can’t put my finger on….

I would be interested to see what this is like iced… I suspect it would be lovely. I’ll take a note for possible reorder in the future…

Mmmm… this is good oolong!

I’m sad because it’s a sipdown and I’ve enjoyed this one a lot. On the other hand, I can’t be sad for a long time because I have more oolong coming… Milk oolong from DT and organic iron goddess from Teavivre. There will be more oolong sipping in the near future! :D

This tea is delicious and full of flavour. It’s got a bold taste and fragrant, flowery aroma that I love so much. As I continue my sip, a delicate well balanced astringency signals it’s presence.

I wish I had more…. darn.

Sipdown!

This morning I wanted oolong… I searched through my sample box and found enough of The Skinny for one cup. I didn’t read the ingredients properly and didn’t realize there was pu’erh in it… Which is not a bad thing, I love pu’erh, but this morning I wanted an oolong.

The tea smells refreshing, a little woody with citrus notes. I take a sip and something is missing… I know what’s missing.. Oolong is missing. I taste the lovely pu’erh, I taste some ginger but oolong is lost in there somewhere.

Overall, not a bad tea but I think it should go under the pu’erh category because pu’erh definitely has a stronger presence here.