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This tastes like a strawberry. Actually, more like a sweet strawberry-flavored gummy. Not bad although I have quite a bit thanks to Lovelylotus so I am happy to share :) Thank you Lovelylotus for sending this my way!

In keeping with the theme of trying new teas, I pulled this out from the first package MissB sent me and decided to give it a try. This is a very strange cup. It smells strongly of almond. Tastewise, I am trying rooibos, almond, and pepper. I really don’t know if I am a fan or not. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily) Miss B was very generous with the sample she sent and I have a few more cups to work out my feelings on the matter. Thank you MissB!!

Decided to have this in a cold glass of milk. I am actually enjoying it quite a bit today. The raspberry is really shining through and the milk helps to enhance the creaminess. Yum!! Sil, I really can’t thank you enough for your generosity. I wonder how the strawberries and cream compares = perhaps I will have to pick that up in a future order.

Yet another green shared by JennyFur. This one is better than the Cherry Marzipan as it is not bitter. Mostly it tastes of Genmaicha which is obviously a good start. Also, I am aware of another flavor on top of the Genmaicha but had I not known it was chocolate, I am not sure I would have guessed. I don’t think I will struggle to finish off the sample I have but I also don’t think this will be something I order. I would much rather spend my money on Frank’s super delicious Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha. Nonetheless, thank you JennyFur for giving me the chance to sample this tea.

So yesterday was about sipdowns but today I am trying some teas I have gotten from swaps within the past month or so that I have yet to try. That also seems to have translated into a fair bit of green tea today.

Anyways, up next in my swap tasting is Cherry Marzipan, sent to me by JennyFur. The smell of the brewed cup is pretty spot on to the name. Alas, the taste is not quite as accurate. I am getting some bitterness from the base combined with an almost medicinal cherry. It is a strange combination of sweet and bitter. Thank you JennyFur for sharing but it seems as though me and TeaForte teas are really not that compatible. I am glad I got to try it though.

ETA: After the tea cooling a bit, the cherry has taken on more of a hard candied flavor and their is a slight marzipan taste however it is still coupled with the bitterness of the green base.

Courtney shared some of this tea with me and it definitely makes for a pleasant cup. I don’t think this is anything overly special so I don’t think it is something I would go out of my way to buy. There is not much tart flavor nor is there any vegetal taste from the green base. Nonetheless, it is sweet and mildly flavored and I will enjoy the rest of the sample while it lasts. Thank you Courtney!!

Sipdown!! (165)

Just finished off the sample JustJames sent over. This tea will be missed but I don’t think I will be restocking. I find that though this is always tasty, the flavor changes each time I make it. You never quite know which flavor will shine through in each cup. Personally, I enjoy the combination of vanilla and mate but this one is leaning more to the mate side. Not bad, just different than the last cup I had that was perfectly balanced. Still this is one delicious blend and it will be missed. Thank you JustJames :)

I have said many times that floral teas are not for me. However, occasionally a floral tea comes along that is simply an exception to that rule. This is one of those tasty exceptions. This is a beautiful cup of tea. Vanilla, blackberry, flower – all swirling together to make a tasty cup. This is sweet but in a delicate sort of way that is often associated with wonderful French treats (think macaroons or Paris Brest). It is a tea like this that invokes visions of sitting outside a Paris cafe in the moonlight sipping on a delicious cup of tea while the Eiffel Tower sparkles in the background. Thank you JustJames for sharing such a great tea with me :)

Cavocorax sent me a sample of this and I think that perhaps floral teas are just not for me. The combination of sweetness and floral in this cup is just not working for me. Thank you for sharing with me though :)

Sipdown!! (166)

Another matcha gone. Sadly, I am quickly running out of my matcha. I plan on restocking but I am waiting to see if my review qualifies for a reviewers discount. Does anyone know how long it usually takes for Red Leaf to get back to you?

Anyways, having this in a cold glass of milk. It is a sweet, tasty, matcha version of chocolate milk. Though it may not be as richly chocolate as chocolate milk, it also doesn’t have the calories so that is nice. For all intents and purposes, it does the trick of satisfying my cravings. Belgium chocolate matcha, you will be missed! Thank you Cavocorax for so generously sharing with me :)