Cinnamon Heart

Cinnamon Heart, oh how amazing you smell...
Until you get steeped.

I love Autumn. I love the spices that get the most attention in Autumn. Spices like cinnamon.
But oh how did this Pu'erh let me down. It let me down so hard it hurt.

Let me state, I steeped this to HOW YOU'RE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO STEEP PU'ERH, not how DT says to. Sorry bro, but you give shitty directions.




It smelled weird and tasted bitter and bland and NOTHING like those addictive and disgusting (yet great!) candy cinnamon hearts. Seriously though, I really would rather just put those in boiling water and strain it.

Like I have nothing else to say except that I really wanted to have a nice heartwarming tea, but NOPE it had to turn out like shit. I even added milk at one point, just to give them the benefit of the doubt. It still tasted like crap.

What a bummer

-L

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

Sugar and Spice

Sugar and Spice

Just like with Mom's, this is a play by play review for at least the first part.

It's another gross day, it started off raining, so it's damp and chilly. The perfect day to be trying a new tea! My second tasting of the Fall collection; Sugar and Spice.

Opening the bag was heavenly. It smelled like I was baking a steamed carrot pudding. I just wanted to smell it over and over! Or eat it! Damn, now I want pudding. 

I put 1 tbsp leaf to a 4 cup pot and steeped it for about 5 minutes. To be honest, I was listening to Started with a Song By Brett Kissel, and then took out the leaves when it finished playing. He's basically a big cutie from Alberta. And, the song is perfect steeping length.

The other rooms were being
used or had horrible light.

It tastes almost exactly how it smells, just not as sweet. And, thus far, it is the ONLY tea I have enjoyed MORE with a splash of milk and some Sugar in the Raw. I swear it tastes like a cookie if you put in some milk and sugar (or whichever sweetener you like the best).

The milk tones back the flavor of the black tea, which allows the carrot, apple, cinnamon, cloves, and marigold to poke through. Happily, the sugar compliments it with it's sweetness, as opposed to overpowering it. 

Drinking this tea is a good experience, but only one I'd do with sugar and milk. It may have medium caffeine, but I'm finding it quite soothing. 

Oh look! I drank the entire pot!

I think I'll be buying this before fall has run away!

Skål and stay cozy!
-Laura

IF YOU HAVE ANY TEA YOU WOULD LIKE REVIEWED, LEAVE A COMMENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

Mom's Apple Pie

Mom's Apple Pie by DavidsTea

Ooo the first of my Fall tea reviews!

How exciting! You're getting a review as I drink it for the first time! You lucky ducklings. Mom's Apple Pie...

When you open the bag, it literally smells exactly like an apple pie cooking in the oven. As it steeps, you get an entire room lightly smelling of baking apple pie!
Ingredients wise, it's very simple. green tea, apple pieces, cinnamon, natural and artificial flavoring.


It's a very gentle tea, I put 1 tbsp to a pot, and steeped it for the 3-4 minutes, next time I'll add more leaves, but keep the steeping time the same.

It tastes quite nice. Bright, warm. It tastes a little like apple pie...
Picture you had a bite of apple pie, swallowed, then washed it down with a gulp of green tea. That after flavor of apple pie is essentially what it tastes like.
Letting it cool a bit helped bring out some of the flavors, so I really recommend NOT drinking it piping hot. You end up losing a lot of the flavor that way.
The cooler mine got, the better it tasted. Just above warm was the best. So it was still hot, but just barely. I doubt that makes much sense but...fuck it.

It's dark out, I had to take a picture inside

It is ranked medium caffeine by DavidsTea, so probably not the best to have before bed, especially if you're sensitive to caffeine, but I don't have to wake up early tomorrow, so screw it. In fact, I think I'll make myself some more in the morning!

UPDATE:
I made a stronger pot in the morning, with 2 tbsp of Mom's Apple Pie, and it was not as good as the 1 tbsp. I steeped it for exactly 3 minutes, and it still turned a kinda bitter. It was the right strength just...bitter. Maybe 1.5 tbsp would work?

I'm not really sure if I would restock this one come end of Autumn. It being very finicky makes it less apPEELing. (Get it, a-PEEL-ing, like when peel and apple? >_> shhhh my pun isn't lame at all... ) No, but in all seriousness (tea is srs business), I decided not to restock this tea. It just doesn't do enough for me

Overall I rank it as good when it's quite mild, but when it gets stronger, it isn't so good. Even when steeped for the minimum time it says on the pouch.
If you like teas that are milder, you'll love this one. It shines when it is brewed to be mild; the balance of apple and green tea is great. But, as a person who loves a much stronger tea, it just isn't for me.
Or, if you like teas on the more tart or bitter side AND strong teas, you may like this tea. Still, no guarantees.

I gave the rest of my pouch to my green tea loving co-worker, and her and her husband absolutely love it!

Skål, and happy steeping everyone!

-L

IF YOU HAVE ANY TEA YOU WOULD LIKE REVIEWED, LEAVE A COMMENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.