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This one surprised me. I had been wanting to try it (Hello – kiwi?!?!) but was hesitant as it’s a green tea. We grabbed it to go as the iced tea of the day yesterday and I must say it was good. It was quite weak, which was only hampered by the additional ice they added (anyone else notice how little tea volume you get with the TotD?) but I really enjoyed it. The green tea was not present at all, but there was the taste of something definitely kiwi. Worth playing around with to try to increase the strength but I managed to resist the urge. For now. : )

Booze! This smells and tastes of booze. The beau and I got one as iced tea of the day then went right back in to pick some up to add gin to on occasion. How can this be so boozy? Aside from that, it was quite refreshing. Not too tart, not at all sweet. A lovely mix – almost like a kick-butt lemonade.

This was very nice! I can no longer recall if I received this is in my box of teas from LiberTeas or if a friend game it to me for my birthday, but the beau and I finally did this up today. Unfortunately, our electric kettle which heats the water to your desired temp chose to die today, so we had to wing it in terms of temp. The bloom opened really beautifully, I had a grand time trying to photograph it through the teapot. The tea itself is really unassuming, lovely flavour with no bitterness at all. I found it really refreshing hot and also after it had cooled off a bit. We intend to do another steep of it later on – blooming teas really have a lot to offer!

This wasn’t the most attractive bloom I’ve ever seen (there were 2 or 3 smallish white flowers – I presume jasmine flowers?), but all blooming teas are a treat to behold, and I am very impressed with the way the flavour held up (as I find that can be a bit of a disappointment on occasion). Loved it!

Bought some of this today after trying an iced sample – I was really impressed with the sample, it was distinctly pineapple (of the dried variety) but the oolong was very present at well. Excellent balance!

I got a sample of this back n March and am finally giving it a go. I am steeping it up in my perfect tea mug for around 3/4 minutes-ish. I love citrus teas BUT find they are usually not done well, so I am eternally on the search for a good one. I am not a fan of green teas in general but find they do work well for citrus, so I hope I don’t regret this decision.

The dry aroma is very sharp, like the zest of a clementine, tangerine or other sweet orange-like fruit. The steeped liquor is much more muted, with more of a green tea aroma than anything else. by that, i mean sweet hay or grass. Fields after the rain, that sort of thing. : )

In terms of taste, the citrus is not very forward. It is nicely disguised in the background of the green tea and is actually really pleasant. I would like a bit more citrus, but this really works. Especially to the idea of a tangerine tea, since there is the sweetness from the green. Definitely suitable but not a re-buy.

PS – The beau is now the fiancee. After eight years, we’re now “official.” I’m so excited! Now to plan and pay for (what we hope to be) a small intimate country wedding. We shall see..

This is the second of the samples I received from Peony Tea S while they were testing shipping to Canada – Thank you! I have never had a yellow tea before, so this is a very new experience for me. The dry aroma put me in mind of delicate teas such as whites and greens, but the “leaves” were quite unusual. They were covered in a downy fuzz and looked almost like really thin pussy willows. They unfurled a bit during the inital steep and have more of a leaf shape now but they are clearly still buds.

Since I am at work I steeped this western style in my perfect tea mug. I gave it approximately 3 minutes to steep, which yields a lightly peachy coloured liquor. The aroma is reminiscent of sweet hay but it is a very light aroma, I had to hover over the cup to pick it up. First sips are mild but very tasty. It is very fresh tasting, and has a cumulative effect, with the flavour seeming more bold with every sip. There is no bitterness (which I like, even if I may have been a bit light on leaf) but a very light sweetness that is unassuming but refreshing.

This does remind me in some ways of greens (but lighter) and whites (but stronger) but not quite the same as either. There is a light, natural sweetness here, it reminds me a bit of fruit but without any bold flavour assocaitons. Maybe like the rind of watermelon, but not bitter? This is a weird thing for me, but I think this would be excellent iced. I don’t enjoy iced tea typically but this is so refreshing, it would be excellent on a hot summer day.

I didn’t really anticipate enjoying this one as much as I do, but it is lovely to have a new flavour in my tea cupboard, especially one that surprises as well as this. I really look forward to trying this at home with my gaiwan. Thanks again, Peony Tea!

This is another one that my Auntei got me a year or so ago. This seems to be a genmaicha, though it has a lightly floral aroma. I am not much of a green tea fan so it has sat untouched, but today I decided to give it a go. The slight fruity flavour carried over into the tea, but mostly I got a shockingly sweet green tea. It wasn’t that bad, for a green – I think genmaicha are my preferred greens, though I still would rather have most anything else. The beau enjoys green tea more than I do, so I might get him to drink it. It’s good to have diverse tea tastes in the house! : )

I still have a bunch of this left and brought it to work to finish up. I still get an unpleasant coconut note in here, which I would prefer to be more of a vanilla or cream note. The earl aspect if well balanced, not too dry and dusty but definitely not my favourite. The black tea base is a bit harsh, this could do with a small splash of milk or a bit of honey. I am fairly fussy about my earls, bergamot is a tricky flavour to do well.

Nonetheless, I am very grateful to my aunty for thinking of me and giving me this tea. As I’m sure you all know, it can be very hard to buy tea for a tea lover – we can be a bit fussy! : )

I received this sample today as part of Peony Tea’s shipping test. They graciously sent along this one, a puerh and a yellow tea but this is the only one I am familiar with so I thought I would try it out first. The shipping took just under two weeks from Singapore to Canada (which is impressive!) and everything arrived safe and sound. They also included a wooden measuring sppon which I am actually quite enjoying. It feels more like tea ceremony than my typical metal spoon. : )

The dry aroma of this tea was that of a very green oolong, it reminded me of some Tai Guan Yin I have had in the past. Sweet smelling, with a hint of hay or grass. Some sort of plant life. I am at work so I steeped this up western style in my perfect tea mug, resulting in a lightly yellow liquor with a green tinge. Steeped, the aroma reminds me of boiled corn. Mmm – surprisingly appealing, considering my usual tastes (I’m more of a dark oolong or black tea person).

First sips are surprisingly sweet, light with a lingering taste and aroma that I still find reminiscent of peaches and cream corn. There is no bitterness at all, but the flavour stays with you, light though it is. It has a cumulative strength of flavour and makes me want to keep sipping. Very nice! : ) I’m impressed it doesn’t end up tasting too “green” as that can be a real turn-off for me, but this works.

This is a sample graciously sent to me from Teavivre – I am very inexperienced with green teas so I figured I would go for this one to broaden my horizons. It tends to be universally well reviewed, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong, right? The dry smell is quite appealing, actually. i get a great deal of sweetness and almost honey notes. the beau proclaims it is earthy and vegetal, but I don’t get either of those smells. Honestly, I hide from vegetal and earthy – I’m glad this seems to have neither.

Out of fear, I steeped this approximately 1 minute 45 seconds in 80 degree water – we are each having a smallish cup of this so I used one heaping “perfect” teaspoon of leaves for the pot. The liquor is a warm yellow, darker than I would have guessed for the temp/time combo but as I said, I rarely brew greens. The beau likes them though, so he is the “authority” in our house.

First impressions are quite nice. The flavour closely matches the aroma and is quite nice. I get sweetness, and I am reminded of oolongs. I am not getting anything in terms of vegetal but I’m really liking it. This is the sort of green tea that I can appreciate – I think it is a little under-steeped in terms of temp, time or leaf but it’s still a good infusion. Will give a second shot tomorrow morning. Thanks again, Teavivre!