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This is not a good day for tea, apparently. Woke up late for the third time this week and had no time for breakfast tea. The beau did up my travel mug with Ruby Red to take me to work, but I get here and taste it and it tastes wrong. I don’t know what the problem is, but it does not taste like the Ruby Red I know and love. It’s too sweet (way too sweet!) and just..not right. Don’t think I’ll make it through this.

The travel mug was cleaned after the last tea I had in it, but this one, I’ve found, holds onto smells like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Hopefully that isn’t the problem, because there’s nothing I can do about that. My last travel mug was plastic, but I did NOT have problems like this with leftover tea smells. I want my proper Ruby Red back! : (

EDIT: I think the problem is that the tin wasn’t shaken up and rather than getting a teaspoon of Ruby Red there is a teaspon of fruit bits with a light hint of rooibos. That would explain the crazy sweet taste. After five brave sips, I’m pouring this out. Terrible morning.

Sipping Moroccan Madness out of my teacup from Sawadee Tea House while sitting in the remains of the sun. I’ve got nearly half an hour left worth of sun to come in my window, and I intend to sit here and enjoy that, my tea and a book the whole time.

This is the first time I’ve brewed this tea, which I picked up last week at Sawadee. I was waiting for the all clear on their peppermint and since it was declared safe earlier in the week I feel that it’s time to test out the Moroccan Madness. The Sawadee Peppermint is extremely bold and in your face…Something I appreciate, but not what I was looking for at the moment. Luckily, the Moroccan Madness seems to only have a smattering of peppermint amongst the black tea. The smell is mild but minty, and refreshing.

Steeped, I am excited. The smell is a bit more of mint candies (you know, sweets!) than of mint leaves. This is a big departure from the peppermint, but that’s what I’m looking for. First sips are lovely and soothing. The mint is there, I can taste it and feel it in the coolness of my mouth, but it’s not hitting me over the head. It’s dominating the black tea base, but I still know the tea is there. At the end of the sip I get a hint of that ever familiar orange pekoe flavour. This is, for me, excellently blended. The mix is perfect, and really refreshing. I might add more mint to this on days when I’m looking for more of a kick, but this is fantastic right now. Just what I’d hoped for.

I never turn to this tea. I never have an urge to drink this tea…but prior tasting notes suggest I quite like it once I finally make it. I can’t even use the excuse that it’s bagged, because I drink baggd teas at work pretty frequenty. I do tend to turn to the ones with the strings, so I don’t have to use a yucky popsicle stick to get the bag out, but that’s probably just convenience.

Anyway, I find myself here with a mug of this tea, because nohting else in my drawer appealed to me. Once again, I need to stock up. I didn’t even bring my travel mug today, so I’ve got nothing to throw some of my loose tea in…though I still only have mojito and spearmint here at work. I keep meaning to bring more in, but I never get anywhere with that.

The smell of the tea is, as always, pretty pear. I know it’s a weird thing to say, but something about the smell makes my teeth hurt. It might be the popsicle stick thing (I hate the feel of popsicle sticks against my tongue, it does that nails on a chalboard thing to me). Anyway, it is really tasty. I just have some weird mental issue. With the tea, that is : )

The beau loves this tea. I love this tea. How have we not drank it since january? Obviously, it is time! This was one of our first David’s Tea purchases, which means it’s getting on in age. 8 months or so? It’s been sealed in it’s tin in a dark cool cupboard though, so honestly, it smells the same to me. Yummy fruity, berry sort of a smell. Not much of an earl grey, which is exactly what we were looking for. If you want an earl grey, have an earl grey. If you want a fruity diversion, have this!

The steeped smell is much more of a classic earl grey, but you can still smell the fruit. David’s Tea website mentions strawberries, black currants and blackcurrants – these flavours are brought to us by added flavouring, although there are chunks of strawberry in the tea. I have no problem with added flavouring, especially when it’s admitted to, but the strawberries are a very attractive addition to the tea. I love DT’s consideration of aesthetics.

Firs sips are fruity, with a subtle earl grey flavour. I’ve described it before as Froot Loops, but I find the additional berries sort of mask that flavour. I presume it’s the flavour of the bergamot…we have such a tricky relationship, bergamot and I. Anyway, this is still as delicious to me as it was in the beginning. I love it!

I really need to get myself a good and proper chai. I love chai, I think. But I haven’t found THE one for me yet. Ah well, there are still 3 or 4 more to try from Sawadee, and I love searching!

Anyway, rounding off my day with a few hours at switchboard, so I went for the easy to use chai teabag, so I can just pop it in and forget about it. The smell is quite horrendous, I’ve realized, with a mix of wood and soap, but the taste is satisfying enough. Nothing in your face, but not terrible either. Maybe I’ll try another stovetop chai tonight, because this is leaving a weird taste in my mouth.

This is another of the teas I picked up while at Sawadee Tea House last week. Mie Mie packaged up 50 grams for me, because I became intoxicated by the smell. I already have 50 grams of David’s Tea’s peppermint, but the smell of this was just so in your face that I had to give it a go. Strong strong mint loveliness!

This is my first time trying it, as I waited to hear if it was clear of salmonella or not – Obviously, it’s safe! (Or so we hope, :D). The smell is extremely strong. If you don’t like peppermint, run away quickly. The beau hates the smell, as he only likes peppermint in toothpaste and mouthwash. The smell is strong enough to suggest of either. And maybe do the work of both! I really don’t have a peppermint tea that can stand up to this one for smell or taste – I hope the moroccan mint I also picked up is equally bold. At least I have extra mint on hand to kick it up a notch if necessary. : )

I put a teaspoon in my travel mug this morning to take to work…it’s been steeping for half an hour already, and my has that mint come out to play. It is so strong that I’m actually left with a cold mouth after taking a sip, despite the fact that the tea is HOT! I love it!! It is exactly what it claims to be – Strong peppermint. Reminds me of the field of mint that grew by my childhood home. We always had a pot of water on the woodstove with some mint tossed in – I think a combination of this and my grandparents’ endless supply of Double Scotch Muints fostered this obsession – But Sawadee’s peppermint is helping keep it alive.

TeaEqualisBliss – If ever you should be in Nova Scotia and in desperate need of a really minty tea, give this one a go!

Pot of this for breakfast today. It actually came out a little bitter from over-steeping, maybe the beau put more than me, or the components were different. Still a refreshing apley cup, but I enjoyed the first pot more. Adjusting the rating accordingly, but high hopes to move it back up with the next. I don’t always pay the best of attention to tea first thing in the morning..

Gotta spend the next hour at switchboard, so I’ve got some of my perennial favourite – a big travel mug full of mojito, with an extra splash of spearmint to really mint it up. I know it’s not summer yet, but the time change has led me to believe it can’t be far away. There was sun in my apartment after 6 pm yesterday! Now if only the sun planned on coming out at all today…

Update: This is delicious. A little slice of minty heaven to bring me through this long strange day. My brain hates the time change, but the love for this mug of tea is stronger! : )

My first work tea of the day. Has a nice berry sweetness, with the floral taste coming in at the end of the sip. The rooibos is there the whole way through, but rooibos always is. And I don’t mind!

MMm, breakfast tea. This still reminds me of fruit loops, but in general, all Lady and Earl Greys do. Nice crisp citrus flavour, very refreshing and pretty good at waking me up first thing in the morning after the time change. My brain is still pretty convinced it’s only 7 o clock!