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M is for… Mango Fruit Tea.

This has never been one of my favorites, so I tried Martin’s steeping parameters to see if that might make a difference. It really is a beautiful blend to look at, but it’s always been far too citrusy for my tastes. I also never taste any mango. This cup is lighter in flavor than others I’ve had before, and I do think I like it better this way, but it still isn’t as enjoyable as I’d like it to be. Maybe a cold steep? I think I’ve tried it cold before, but I can’t remember for sure. I’ll give it another go iced and see if that might boost the rating for me.

L is for… Lapsang Souchong Imperial.

Another gift from Michelle. I asked Michelle if she could send a bit of this one since I’ve had it on my wishlist to try, no doubt due to a fantastic note I read here on Steepster some time ago. I really enjoy smoked Lapsang Souchong, ever since I tried my very first one. I think it was a bagged Twinings. It tasted like bacon and I loved it.

This one smells very smoky right out of the bag – definitely campfire smoke. After steeping, I get more dirt/earth scent coming from the steeper. The flavor is lighter than I expected, but I followed the online instructions and used less leaf than I would have normally. Next time, I’ll try steeping with more. There is plenty left for me to play around with. Thanks, Michelle!

K is for… Kunlun Mountain Snow Chrysanthemum Flower.

These are beautiful. A gift from Michelle. I used five buds in a clear mug and steeped for four minutes. The water turned dark as soon as it hit the dried flowers. They opened fully and swirled around the top of my cup as they steeped. I thought I smelled dark chocolate covered cherries in the dry flowers, also lemon, but both the aroma while steeping and the taste after hints at dill (just as Michelle said). There’s something else I can’t place, like the feeling you get when you walk into an antique store full of leather furniture and old books. It’s not a musty smell, not at all, but it seems very familiar. Each drink feels as though I’m about to take a sip of pickle juice as I’m leaning in, but the flavor isn’t so strong as the scent. The description said that honey would increase the flavor, but I’m not really finding that to be the case. If anything, the honey is overpowering the taste. It also says that rock sugar is often added, so I may try that next time instead. Michelle mentioned that she frequently adds this to chamomile or Assam. I feel like this herbal has a lot to offer, both on its own and as an add-in to other teas. I’m intrigued by it and really glad I’m having an opportunity to try it. Thanks, Michelle!

J is for… Just Peachy.

Hot, this tea reminds me of something I would use for an iced tea. It has that Lipton-esque flavor (and I don’t mean that in a bad way – I like Lipton). So I put it in the fridge, thinking it might mellow as it cools and I would be able to taste the peach. Now that it’s cold, it’s even more bitter and astringent than it was when it was hot. I still don’t taste the peach either. This is an old sample, and this cup finishes it off. Perhaps it’s just gone off with age, and it was better fresh.

I is for… Ice Cream Matcha.

Unlikely green and
Cream and warmth, contradictions
Abound! Swirl, sip, soothe.

For National Haiku Day.

Another sample from my Mix ‘n’ Matcha set, and I’m loving it! It tastes similar to the Mermaid matcha (going from memory here), so I think I’d like to try them side by side to see how they differ. James says he likes this one better, so it looks like I’m going to be getting a full size later on. Interestingly, he thought it tasted like coconut and vanilla and said it reminded him of the beach. I guess they do sell ice cream at the beach, so it works!

For National Peach Cobbler Day.

Not peach cobbler but (supposedly) peach-flavored. It’s not fresh, juicy peach and barely even reminds me of peach flavoring. It tastes more like peach gummy candy and chamomile. Maybe apple too? Hot or cold, I don’t ever seem to like this. My husband finished off the rest of my cup. Dropping my rating from 56 to 45.

A sad sipdown. :(

This is my late (again) entry for National Unicorn Day. This blend not only has a magical name, it also tastes pretty magical (to me, at least). It may be my favorite herbal to date. A gift from amandastory516 for Advent 2019, I have hoarded the last little teaspoon and a half since then. There’s just something about it I can’t place. It’s definitely minty. Spearmint, I think? But there is something else that makes it a little extra. Maybe some of the fruit pieces? There were definitely some little cubes in the dry blend, but I don’t have a clue what they are. It’s just really unique but also familiar at the same time.

I’ll be repurchasing when this comes available again, though I don’t know when that might be. The Grimoire Tea website only has gift cards available at the moment, no teas, so I’ll have to keep an eye out for a restock.

H is for… Herbal Citrus.

My husband says this is cheating, using Herbal for my ‘H’ with this blend, but it’s the actual name of the tea so I say it goes! I’ve honestly been avoiding this one because it has several ingredients I don’t really like in tea – hibiscus, lemongrass, citrus/lemon. It’s one that he picked out from a local tea company at the market a few months ago, so I know he’ll love it at least. It’s one I haven’t tried yet though, so I feel like I should at least give it a shot. What better time to do that than with this month’s sipdown theme, even though it won’t be a sipdown.

I really was not looking forward to this, so I just kept avoiding eye contact with the cup until the brew got cold. Which is probably (almost certainly!) for the better. I finally took my first sip and (surprise!) I like it. I do like hibiscus when it’s cold, so it probably shouldn’t be all that surprising. I really expected to hate this one though. I’m on a mission to try all of our teas at least once, even the ones James has picked out for himself, so I can now mark this one from my list. I would even say I’d try it again, but most definitely cold. The cinnamon and lemon came through most when steeping, reminding me of a dish my dad makes with lemon, cinnamon, and rice. Now that I’m drinking it, there’s mostly the hibiscus with a hint of lemon. Of course, I added honey to tame the tartness from the hib so it’s very sweet. A good choice for a warm spring day, so I’d say it would be a really nice summery iced tea as well. It does have a bit of dryness that lingers after the sip, but I’m okay with it. Overall, I’d say this one was a success (based entirely on my anticipated loathing).