Tea at Sea Samples II

I'm excited for this post.

I've been waiting to try the samples until it (their samples are fantastic and you get a lot, so I COULD have tried them before, but I DIDN'T).

Tea at Sea tea just...oooo I'm always excited for it! BECAUSE IT IS GOOD.

First to go is Mountain Organic Indonesian Black Tea

oops, it's upside down. 

Reading the description makes me excited. So I steeped it to the directions.

For a black tea, it is not such an opaque-ish sort of black.The color is dark, but more like how...Crown Royal looks.

So for the flavor...I do get that cedar. It has a nice, mellow (not harsh or bitter), sweet-ish, cedar-y flavor. And I quite like it. Honestly, it seems like one that may be nice to use to make a chai-style tea.

Would buy again! 

Secondly is Ceylon Pekoe. I'm a bit biased, because really Pekoe is one of my least favorite black teas. So...take none of what I say to heart, unless positive.

It's a little darker than the previous tea, and definitely more of that pekoe scent.

It tastes very similar to a regular pekoe.  So...I'm gonna leave it there. If you like Pekoe, you'll really, really, like this tea. If not, then you won't.

It's not a bad tea by any means, just not for me.

Again, Tea at Sea does not disappoint.

-L

Pom Springs

Ingredients: Apple, apple pomace, beet root, rosehip shells, green tea, hibiscus, sweet blackberry leaves, rhubarb, pomegranate pits, natural flavouring.


On my brother's advice, I decided to try this iced, as he informed me that it is way better this way. And that I should make it pretty strong. So I have done both.

I used two spoons in 20 oz of water and steeped for about 4 minutes. It has same incredible colour, and kind of looks like Koolaid.

I am not sure what I was expecting to taste, but I was pretty confused on my first few gulps. I couldn't put my finger on what it was supposed to taste like... Then I got it. Bubblegum. No joke, it tastes like Chiclets! Those little colourful Halloween gums in packs of two that you chew for two minutes before all the flavour is gone? Yeah, this is the tea form of that amazing childhood flavour.
If you really sit on it, you can really taste the pomegranate and apple, but my mind always falls back on Chiclets

Kids would go NUTS over this one! And you very well could, too! I think I would prefer it mixed with gingerale to make it a tea-pop, but it is still pretty interesting.


I definitely recommend giving this a try, even if you just order one iced from a DavidsTea store. It is an incredibly interesting flavour.


Happy Steeping,

~K

Kanpe

Kanpe! A tea by DavidsTea that was a limited edition, and is no longer out on their website at least. 

And, is one of the reasons why I am not buying any Sweet Apple Cider! Kanpe basically tastes like apple cider, and is this beautiful, blood orange color! The other reason is this.

It's a gross, wet, dreary day. Perfect for hot apple cider Kanpe! 

I used two scoops, because I like it fairly strong. I wish there was more cinnamon in it, but that is an easy remedy if I put my mind to it. I steeped it for about 5 minutes.

It's a little light, but sweet, kinda creamy, apple-y, and yummy.

I pity those who never got to try it's apple cider-y flavor, and it makes me understand why people are getting the apple cider tea (although the apple cider I put in the clicky up top is amazing and I say go with that)

-Much love

L

No Post This Week

I have been severely under the weather.
And I already posted the tea I use when I'm sick last week...

Sorry that I didn't have anything saved up to post.

Regular posting will resume next week.

~K

Sugar and Spice: Revisted

I'm typing this at work. Because I have no laptop and want to schedule this just in case I don't get it back (today's date is September 3rd).

So I made it in the double boiler, with some vanilla agave.

Using two scoops of Sugar and Spice (more rationing! It isn't back this year!), in have a teapot of milk (so about 2ish cups) and about a tablespoon of agave, I steeped in on the stove, in the double boiler.

And let me tell you, it was a good idea. It was less like a cookie though, and more like a Autumn-in-a-mug-latte. It warmed me through and through. Which is perfect because, just like last year, it's gross and raining and cold out today.

If they had more Sugar and Spice for sale this year, I'd make this even STRONGER, but they don't. Maybe I'll revisit Pumpkin Chai if my laptop isn't back by the day this posts...and if it isn't back BY THE NEXT WEEK, then I guess I'll have to carry on without my laptop and just post from work, and add pictures in other ways. (Turns out, adding pictures on my phone app doesn't work too well. Read: AT ALL)

I'm quite irritated about my laptop, because I made a beautiful schedule of which teas I wanted to do each month. I planned all the way up to January, even some of February (with some tentative spots for any seasonal tea)!

-Laura

Detox (organic)

 [picture of tea to go here, when the damn thing decides to load]

Ingredients: certified Fair Trade rooibos, sencha, lemongrass, ginger, juniper berries, ginko, natural lemon flavouring.


I was going to leave a review until tomorrow to write because my stomach feels really gross right now. Then I thought, hey! I can tell everyone about the tea I use whenever I feel like crap! So, I'm going to do just that.
Now, I usually modify this with honey, nettle leaf, and chamomile -you know, for a real punch to my illness- but I will just add honey, after an initial taste description.

Steeped for five minutes, sometimes a little longer -again, that punch.

Tons of rooibos-y goodness. Only slight undertones of ginger and lemongrass, which I find fantastic because I can't stand either flavours. It really doesn't taste like your typical "wellness" type tea, it just tastes like a delicious and hearty rooibos .

Honey really isn't necessary at all with this tea, but I add it for extra flavour and because honey is pretty awesome. It also makes everything go down just a little more smoothly.

I think that this is a tea that everyone should have in their house. Upset stomachs are common, and you can definitely be prepared with this delicious tummy-soother.


Happy steeping,

~K

Organic Peppermint Amour

I honestly am pessimistic about this tea. Not because I think it will be bad, but because it is peppermint tea. And, I mean Peppermint Amour, really? Let's see if this peppermint tea makes me say "Oh mon cher, Je t'aime!"
Much wow. Very excite.

There really isn't anything that needs perfecting about peppermint tea.



I used half of the little sample container, which is about one full Perfect Spoonful. Keep in mind, that's about double that is in one regular tea bag. And still a little more than would be in two regular tea bags. So it better be fucking strong. I steeped it for like 5-7 minutes, because I like my peppermint to be strong like Xena. I was so obsessed with her as a kid I still don't know how I got away with watching her at like 8. Please come take me away on your horse I love you

AND NOW TO START DRINKING.

Well, it smells like run of the mill organic bagged peppermint tea. Aaaaaaand it's nothing special. It is basic peppermint tea. No love here, because it's almost 6 dollars for a 50g bag. And you can get easily pre-packaged bagged peppermint tea at the grocery store for cheaper.



The flavor is good, but it's just peppermint tea. No better than Tetley or Tazo. Save your money and time and space and get the bagged stuff.

 Much love mon cher!

-L

Sweet Apple Cider

Sweet Apple Cider from DT

Ingredients: Apple, apple pomace, sweet blackberry leaves, apple flavouring, artificial vanilla and cream flavouring.


My awesome brother bought this for me and brought it over because I was having a super shitty day. He insisted that I try it, so I am trying it. Even though it smells amazing, I was still apprehensive. 

Expecting something water-y that tastes mildly of dehydrated apples, was I surprised.

This stuff has some full-bodied flavour. Sweet, tangy, a hit of spice... It tastes like cider! And my favourite part about it is that it tastes like cider that isn't murdered with spice, like they usually are. The spice is so mild that I may just be making up the flavour in my head!
Thick apple base with lots of sweet creaminess.

I am so impressed.
This is a MUST for the autumn. Wow!!!
This blew my mind way more than the all-time DT crowd favourite, Pumpkin Chai.

Everyone who has any kind of spot in their heart for cider, or just apples! You must try this!


 A word of caution... Do not steep this longer than four minutes or it will taste like a candle.



Happy Steepping,

~K
 

The Sweetheart Collection: Movie Night

Movie Night, by DavidsTea~!

So today I had some time alone (and it's dreary and raining and chilly out), so I decided to run myself a nice hot bath (with bubbles and essential oils, hair and face masks. And a mini-pedicure). I hella pampered myself.
With such pampering, means tea MUST be involved. It's basically a law.

Now, why did I pick Movie Night? Because I'm watching Five Nights at Freddy's by Markiplier. While in the bath. What can I say, I enjoy multitasking!


When I first opened my sampler (from the Sweetheart Collection), I smelled a mix of coconut oil, popcorn, and caramel. It made me think of a movie theater minus the stale sweat smell they get in the summer. Which is what I'm hoping was the reaction they wanted!

I steeped it for about 3-5 minutes while I got my bath all ready. I used the entire sampler for one pot (my 4 cup pot).

The downside was this tea doesn't taste like there is any tea. It tastes like plain popcorn water. On one hand, I'm happy it didn't taste exactly how it smelled because that would have been kinda gross, but on the other, at least that would have had more depth than if I had made some plain popcorn and steeped that.
Where was the sencha flavor?! WHERE????

It wasn't horrible or disgusting, I had two cups. It was just boring with a really overpowering scent. And I had peppermint oil in the bath water; so the pure fact that this scent cut through that is impressive.

Buy it, you may like it. But I really didn't.

-L


I've discovered that doing these blog posts does help with my mental health a fair bit. It's actually pretty awesome. So that means that I'll keep doing them as long as I have tea.