Popular Tasting Notes
Brewed up a very pale yellow green, smells of yummy roasted coconut and oolong, with a faint overtone of dustiness (not sure where I’m getting that from, but I’m super sensitive to the smell of dust, so it may just be me?)
First infusion:
Fore flavors: Vegetable, slightly nutty and sweet. In the aftertaste the roasted coconut comes out. The oolong is delicious and isn’t bitter at all (an issue I had with Spice and Tea Exchange’s coconut oolong). That dust thing I mentioned initially isn’t coming out at all in the taste, which is excellent.
I’m going to try more infusions of the tea, and will update this with those :)
Preparation
Bought at au bon pain to accompany a snack. Unimpressive overall. Could be a tad sweeter and there’s a bit of bitterness to it. That said, the peach and black tea flavors do blend well once you get past the bitter. I hope I just got a meh bottle, as it seems promising. VERY important to shake first and possibly a bit during drinking too.
I used to love this tea, and I still really like it, but I don’t go through a box as quickly now when there are so many other teas just waiting for me to give them a try. I agree with Auggy that there is somethingy cinnamon-y about it, but it seems to only get bothersome if I over-steep it.
Very cozy and comforting and the spice is well balanced. It is a good tea that won’t distract from your book (or whatever else you need to be focused on). Great for people who want something enjoyable that doesn’t require conscious attention to enjoy fully/properly. Excellent for reading/studying.
Flavors: Spices
Preparation
I searched everywhere, both locally and online, before choosing this model. I wanted an infuser pitcher that:
1) allows me to brew a large amount of tea at one time
2) has an infuser that doesn’t permit even the smallest particles to escape
3) is easy to clean
4) is made of glass, not plastic, and has no plastic components
5) has clean lines and an elegant design (i.e simple shape and no primary or brightly coloured parts, etc.)
This model from Teavana fits the bill. In fact, it’s the ONLY one I could find that meets all of the above criteria. It’s a tad on the expensive side but the design is beautiful and it functions well.
The borosilicate glass is very strong even though it’s thin, and the removable silicone base and lid protect the vulnerable areas from accidental bumps. The infuser is large enough to hold the tea in addition to chunks of fresh fruit or whole flowers or herbs/spices, and the mesh is fine enough to prevent small particles from infiltrating the brew. I like being able to steep and chill a good-sized batch of tea without having to use any other container or filter, and being able to just pop the whole thing into the fridge to cool down. It’s easy to clean and fits in the fridge door or on the shelf.
The one drawback is that the lid leaks when pouring the tea quickly. The issue can be circumvented by pouring slowly or by not “locking” down the lid. I drink a lot of unsweetened iced tea and intend to purchase a second one so that I can have a couple of iced tea flavours going at the same time. It’s also great for storing and/or serving fruit juice, or water with sliced cucumbers or citrus fruits. Plus, it looks really really good while doing all of the above and has no plastic parts to come into contact with heat or to discolour after many washings.
Never had Darjeeling before and thought I’d buy a couple of ounces from my local grocer to try it. Great introduction to this variety of tea, just not what I look for in a morning cup of black tea. This tea is very pleasant, has a mild body, it’s a little dryer that most black teas, and has a subtle smoky flavor. Very pleasant and enjoyable, but I like the maltiness, sweetness and fullness of Assam in the morning.
