This tea has tea has two ingredients I’ve never heard of and didn’t bother to look up before placing my order. These are Maca (Peruvian ginseng) and Pau D’Arco (South American tree bark).

I’m combining two different drinking sessions in one note.

First Attempt: 8 minutes, two teaspoons = oversteeped

The aroma of both the blend and steeped cup is 99.9% cinnamon and apple, with a hint of sweet nutty earth. Cup flavour profile is vibing on baked cinnamon apple. There is an initial strong liquid maple syrup drip, that tones down a bit over time, as well as a dry woody and tangy lingering quality, not dissimilar to green apple. This builds.

I don’t “the dry” but do think this would make a particularly lovely cup on a wet fall evening. I’m going to try and play with the steeping parameters (meaning I will obey them this time, lol) to see if I can mitigate “the dry”.

Second Attempt: 6 minutes, 1 1/2 teaspoons

I forgot about this one so drank it lukewarm to cool. Cinnamon Apple is still No.1 with a hint of beet, honeybush, ginseng, and thin maple. I still think the broth is on the thin side, not dissimilar to how thin maple syrup is, but the dry is much more manageable. Huzzah!

Flavors: Apple, Apple Skins, Bark, Cinnamon, Drying, Earth, Maple Syrup, Roasted, Wood

Preparation
Boiling

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Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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