1118 Tasting Notes
I made myself a cup of this last might as a way to unwind from all the Easter celebrations. I followed JacquelineM’s advice to use 6 instead of 8 oz. of water and the end result was a fabulous cup of chai. Thanks, Jacqueline!!!
The tea smelled strongly of vanilla while steeping. The spices were there as well, but they were no where near as intense. This made me hopeful since I really want to taste the vanilla. I took the first sip sans sugar and milk. All I could taste were the licorice and cinnamon with a hint of vanilla at the end. Once the milk and sugar were added the vanilla jumped to the front. Thankfully the licorice mellows significantly, and the amount of spice complements the vanilla well. It was so good. So, so, so much better than my previous cup! This will be the perfect late afternoon tea when I don’t need to snack but I’m desperately craving something sweet.
After a few sips I realized this tea taste like a vanilla spice cake my roommate in college use to bake before final exams. She would bake while quoting economics definitions to herself, and once finals were over she and I would celebrate with cake while we rejoiced or despaired at how we felt we had performed on our tests. Good times.
Preparation
Maybe it ‘s because I have a cold, but I’m not getting a lot of spiciness from this cup. In fact, it taste watery and dull even though I let it steep for the full five minutes. I added sugar and then cream trying to coax the flavor out, but I’m still disappointed. Because I have a cold I am going to hold off on rating this. Hopefully once my sense of smell returns I’ll be surprised by a much more pleasant cup than the one I just tried (and failed) to drink.
How much water did you use? Zhena’s teas taste weak to me unless I use 6 oz of water per bag like recommended. They taste very weak when I use 8oz as usual.
I did use 8oz. instead of 6. Of course I was also silly and did not read the instructions. :p I’ll try it again using the correct amount of water. Thanks for pointing that out! I really want to like this tea.
I was stubborn and used 8 oz even though I read the directions! Now that’s stubborn.
I drank this all weekend. I drank it hot. I drank it iced. Both were great. This is, by far, one of my favorite tisanes. I think one of the only draw backs is that the smell of the dry tea is so strong. My entire house smelled like blueberry for a while. I didn’t mind it so much, (there are much worse things a house can smell like!) but it bothered my husband. Even so, this will be a mainstay in my cupboard. I’ll just do my best to make it while my husband is at work. ; )
I had a cup of this while browsing at my local bookstore. Very nice tea. I’ve never been a big coconut fan, but it works well in this tea. The ginger, vanilla and coconut blended together nicely with the green tea being the steady note under it all. One more tea to add to my next Harney and Sons order.
I had Queen Catherine and a slice of blueberry lemon bread for lunch today. I consider such choices one of the joys of being an adult. The tea was as wonderful as always. There seemed to be more chocolate notes today, and the smokiness was far more pronounced. It could be that I brewed it slightly longer than I normally do (closer to 5 minutes than 4). No complaints though! I enjoyed it very much.
I cold brewed this tea, and while it is good it’s not great. I enjoy the tartness of the raspberries, but there is a strange aftertaste – from the hibiscus maybe? – that I do not like. Also, this tea reminds me of Celestial Seasons Lemon Zinger. Given the difference in price the next time I’m in the mood for this type of tea I’ll just pick up a box of CS and find my caffeine elsewhere.
I find that hibiscus ruins a lot of teas. It’s not nearly as bad as I found licorice root to be, but still, it’s not pleasant.
I really don’t like it either.
I have a friend who loves hibiscus, so I may pass this tea along to her. I’d rather drink the blueberry bliss anyway.
Dear Self,
You love this tea. The sweetness, the cinnamon, the strong base tea… you find it all delicious. So, please, drink it more often. Don’t tell yourself that this is not a spring tea. It’s as yummy in the spring as it is in the autumn. Got it? Good. Now go enjoy.
Love,
Me
Preparation
I had several cups of this yesterday, and I woke up craving it this morning. Such a delightful tea. Smoky and sweet. I love the balance between the green tea and mint. Added honey water to one cup, and it was incredibly good.
Today I am going to try a cold brew. I have a feeling that this tea with a bit of honey is going to be my new go-to iced tea.
