Arby Send Message

Homemade advent Day #2

I was very suprised when I went to add this tea to the database and found out its ingredients. I thought I had the wrong tea until I looked at the photos of the blend. I think the website only lists some of the ingredients rather than the main base ingredients.

This tastes primarily of mint, raspberry leaf, and rose. It is quite floral and has a suggestion of sweetness from the raspberry leaf but is not as sweet as I would have hoped given the strawberry and coconut. I did not taste any strawberry, cocoa nibs, or coconut. I’m very disappointed by the idea that both of my cups had none of the featured ingredients that I could make out.

Homemade Advent Calendar #1

Every way I brew this tea it tastes delicious. I tried it broth hot (10 minute long steep) and cold (even longer steep). The hot cup had more ginger and fennel but still was well balanced and had a hint of sweetness like dried grass. Lots of intricate spices and herbs happening with a bit of creaminess. I think this comes from the sarsasparilla root. I’m a huge spearmint fan so that also makes this a nice blend.

Cold – Steeped 6+ hours and really enjoyed this cup as well. I get more spearmint and less spicy notes from the fennel and ginger. I’m not sure if there is cinnamon in here but it almost reminds me of that. I think I can taste vanilla or something creamy but it is less creamy than the first steep where I had it hot.

I have been drinking this recently once a week or so and I’m just not getting as much maple as I would like. I use 1.5 -2 tsp matcha powder into hot milk and water (proportions vary but usually ~250-400 mL total liquid). It is a god cup but not distinctly maple.

Finishing off my free samples of this. This tasting note is a summary of two tasting notes I have written down from previous steeping sessions.

For some reason every chai from DT tastes pretty similar. This is no different. There are some chai spices but it tastes like gingerbread. I’m not getting maple flavour, although it smells like maple. I added milk and enjoyed the cup more but wouldn’t purchase this tea. It was fairly generic and reminds me of the woody medicinal flavours of chicory root and licorice root herbal teas.

This is a lovely tea and I am often reminded by these blends how much I like honeybush. It should be more common in tea blends. It tastes a bit like a graham cracker but in dried plant form.

I can taste the fruit although I wouldn’t immediately say “kumquat”. My teas are getting a bit older and I’m also not someone who eats a lot of kumquats. It does remind me of apricot and marmalade. I think this in on par with what I should expect from a citrus-type fruit like the kumquat but I think the flavour could have been a bit more distinct. I found it blended in a lot with the base (although, this is not always a bad thing).

Hi everyone! I’m back from hiatus and missed you all deeply. I have been struggling with mental health issues and took a break from most online sites. I’m back now and trying to be active again.

This is one of the only teas I bought this year. The first time I had this was at a craft fair last year. It would so good as a taster that I bought my own sampler size pack. That was a grave mistake. This year, I bought a giant 250g bag and expect it to last me more than a week this time. This is the best vanilla rooibos I’ve ever had and everyone should try it if they get the chance.

The woody notes come through beautifully. The vanilla is intense and fresh, unlike many mass produced vanilla rooibos blends. The vanilla is a bit different than most extracts because it has alcoholic notes like whiskey or aged liquor. The rooibos lends a sweet honey flavour that compliments it well. I find the rooibos has less mineral notes than other rooibos but I’m fine with that. Some faint molasses or brown sugar notes come through in longer steeps.

Homemade advent day 22

My morning tea is this teavivre oolong I had forgotten I had tried before. This packet is 8g and was unopened, so I still have a few cups worth of leaf left. I used probably 3g with 85 degree C water. I’m too impatient to wait for my microwave for longer than 1 min 30 sec.

This does not taste like almonds but there is a vaguely nutty flavour. I can taste orchid/floral oolong and a slightly bitter roasted flavour. The most notable thing about this cup is how it almost tastes like shampoo or soap. The very strong floral flavour combined with the slightly bitterness and thicker texture tastes like some sort of perfumed product. I don’t prefer it, but it isn’t necessarily bad to everyone.

Homemade advent day 15

I made this as a coldbrew, despite the cold conditions here in BC. No snow yet, but almost two weeks straight of daily rain and gloom. A few days recently have had brief sunny periods and I feel inspired to make a fruity coldbrew for the occassion. I chose this sample I took out of a TTB because the ginger is wintery and warming but the peach is fruity and suits a coldbrew. I didn’t love the cup as much as I normally enjoy ginger teas.

The ingredients sound great, because ginger, papaya pieces, apple, orange blossom, and peach pieces sound like an amazing combo. The4 peppercorns give this an extra kick of spicy! However, there is also a small amount of very potent rosehips that make this blend very acidic. I wasn’t expecting this to be so sour and because the ginger is naturally sweet I hoped it would balance out. The second steep had more ginger and less fruit but was still sour. A real disappointment.