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Overboard TTB #15

I was so excited when I saw the sample of this in the TTB! I haven’t tried a lot from Whispering Pines yet, but I love Golden Snail and a chai with that base definitely sounded like a winner to me. And it is! Smooth and malty with the perfect balance of spicy and sweet and just a hint of vanilla in the aftertaste. I enjoyed it both plain and with milk this morning and will be savoring the remainder of the sample (and probably re-ordering at some point once it’s gone.)

Overboard TTB #14

To me, this tea comes across more as blueberry jam than as fresh blueberries. Not complaining, though…I love blueberry jam! The base is quite nice too: smooth and sweet and lightly vegetal. I would definitely drink this one again!

Overboard TTB #13

I unintentionally ended up sampling two glittery holiday teas from Della Terra today! Of the two, I think I prefer Eight Candles. Don’t get me wrong…this one is good! The vanilla and mint are nicely balanced, yielding a smooth, soothing cup. And I’m glad they did something different from the orange spice blends that most companies seem to do for Christmas. But in the end, this is pretty much just another vanilla mint tea (with the unexpected addition of gold glitter)…good, but nothing super special.

Overboard TTB #12

I must admit, I’ve never actually tasted buttered rum. But I have tried the Buttered Rum blend from David’s Tea and I was expecting this one to taste similar. But it’s completely different! This one has a vaguely fruity flavor (strawberry, maybe?), a bit of creaminess, and a strong, malty black base. It certainly wasn’t a bad tea, but it wasn’t at all what I was expecting.

Oveboard TTB #11

What a fun, unique blend! I could see this making a fantastic Hanukkah gift (the little sprinkles are so cute!) or a great party beverage served in a glass teapot (it’s full of little gold sparkles!) The flavor isn’t super special, but it’s delicious: very smooth and creamy with a lot of marshmallow sweetness and a hint of burnt caramel that mostly comes out in the aftertaste.

This came in my Lupicia Happy Bag and I’ve been afraid to try it…I’ve never had a barley tea before and the strong roasted aroma had me convinced it was going to be way too strong and bitter for me. But I finally tried it and it’s actually quite tasty! The flavor reminds me of whole-grain toast…very comforting and not bitter at all. A nice surprise!

Thank you to beelicious for this sample! I’ve been really impressed with the Mariage Freres teas I’ve tried so far and this one was no exception: smooth and creamy with a fantastic rich caramel flavor and a hint of dark chocolate in the aftertaste. I noticed no bitterness and just the slightest bit of astringency after a 5-minute steep. And as a bonus, the teabags are adorable: little cheesecloth sacks that look to be hand-tied with very elegant black and gold tags. I will definitely be ordering from this company at some point in the future!

Overboard TTB #10

This tea doesn’t taste like fresh strawberries…but it DOES taste remarkably like melted strawberry ice cream! Not quite sure how they did it, but it’s all there: the creaminess and the sweet, slightly artificial strawberry flavor. It’s great on its own and I’m guessing it would be even better with a splash of milk!

Overboard TTB #9

I love yerba mate, but I’m not a big fan of red rooibos. Wish I had realized this was a blend of the two before sampling it. The dry leaf has a nice banana scent, but the woody rooibos flavor completely took over my cup, with just a hint of artificial banana lingering in the background. Not a fan!

Overboard TTB #8

This was the rare cup of tea that I ended up dumping out after just a few sips. Cinnamon and hibiscus fighting each other in my mouth is not my idea of a cheery holiday sleigh ride!