Ann Arbor TeaHaus

Feeling tropical lately in the depths of winter, so beware I might have a string of tropical tea notes!  I already dug a bunch of tropical teas out of the “cupboard” so they are ready to go! This is from StarFevre a while ago. Thank you!  It’s even more aged now, since I received this years ago, so I wasn’t expecting much.  But I like that there are small fruit pieces here – supposedly pineapple and mango.  Sometimes mango teas are simply “sweet” but there is some fruit flavor here on a malty black tea. It’s actually a nice base for these flavors and makes me miss their Key Lime tea…  I imagine it was much better back when it was fresh, but this is enjoyable.  The second steep was even better.. the black tea melds great with the fruit.  I bet it would be a good iced tea.  I also drank Tiesta’s I Gotta Colada today.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 12 minutes after boiling // 1-2 minute steep
Steep #2 //   just boiled // 3 minute steep

Additional notes: SAD sipdown. This is delish. Creamy lime on brisk black tea. Tea Haus doesn’t have it anymore. I asked TeaGschwender who also sells it if they were getting it in stock and then they added all their summer teas to the site… so ask and you shall receive. HOWEVER the price is $12+ for 100 grams which is way more than their international site… so I don’t know if I’m in love with this tea THAT much. But it really held up in the thin sample baggie they put it in and I’m sure it was old. Maybe another tea shop is sourcing it under a different name? Anyone know who else has TeaGschwendner/ Ann Arbor Tea Haus teas?
2020 Sipdowns: 46

Oh man, this is a fantastic summer tea. It’s from StarFevre — thanks so much! Even though it’s probably old and stored in the thinest of baggies (but the tea shop put it in that baggie), the flavor is still really good. I think it’s meant to be iced because the base is a CTC black tea… even some really tiny CTC tea that I could swear sometimes looks and tastes like rooibos. But the black tea also has a robustness to it. The added flavors are fantastic: definite lime but also with a hint of creaminess to it, like it could be a key lime pie, or lime jello with whip cream on top. It’s a great tea… one I might even search for fresh to buy again, as I’m one serving away from a sipdown. I keep going back to this tea!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 18 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep

Sipdown 84/393!

I’m bumping up my rating on this from 56 because I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. I like when teas and I part on good terms.

Sticking with the two-minute steep really is key here. This was a lovely, tropical, jammy cup even before I added any sugar, but even more so afterwards. No milk necessary, which is a good thing with these flavours. The mango seemed most prominent to me this time around, with the pineapple being more of a supporting flavour, but still discernible. The flavours are very natural and, despite the malty base which I suspect is a little too heavy for them, so clear and prominent that it took me aback. I woke up yesterday with a blocked nose and sinuses, a headache and my skin hurt to the touch. I assumed that I was coming down with something and wouldn’t be able to taste much, and was very pleasantly surprised by how much flavour was packed into this. Yummy yummy.

I received a sample of this from MissB, and again it’s one I’ve drank a few times but never reviewed. I followed the brewing instructions and was surprised by how flavourful this was after just 2 minutes steeping. The black tea base is strong and not astringent – I’m drinking it without milk which is fairly rare for me with a black tea. Plain, I got black tea with a general ‘tropically fruity’ background, but with a little over half a teaspoon of sugar added the pineapple and mango flavours really become discernible, and even though it’s the base tea which is still prominent, I can taste both of the fruits distinctly. They meld together really well too, and every time I think I can pinpoint which one is more dominant I change my mind. It is a nice tea and I will enjoy my last cup, but it isn’t particularly memorable in the grand scheme of teas.

ETA: The more this cools, the less pineapple and mango I can taste, and it’s taking on a sort of sour note…

I received a sample of this from Allie in a “Mystery Swap”. Thank you!

I had just discovered Arbor Teas. I was searching for Thai Iced tea and they seem to have a pretty good one. Anyway, onto THIS tea. This was so nice! I definitely get the mango and the sweetness of the pineapple. This was a real treat hot. I need to make a cup cold and add a little bit of sugar.

Apparently I’m in a chocolatey mood today! This is the second chocolate tea I’ve reached for today, and I’m not regretting this in the least.

Yum. There is a wonderful dark chocolate taste to this tea. While it’s not quite the same as biting into the real thing, I’m pretty convinced that it’s a decent substitute. Which is odd… I’m not sure that if you’d tell me I’d like chocolate-flavoured water, I’d like it. But. I do.

I think it’s the aftertaste. I do still miss the texture of chocolate with this, but the scent and aftertaste are so much like eating a bar of chocolate…. I’m definitely looking forward to having more of this!

When I make a cup of chai, my ideal experience is a wave of creamy spicy sweet. The tea, of course, is manly responsible for the spicy part, but it needs to serve as a vehicle for the creamy and sweet too. This tea, however, I found too mild. The taste is pleasant, and I will not say otherwise, but it falls short of giving me the wow factor, the wave of pleasure that I’m looking for. Still not bad, and I have a feeling that my mother, the plain chai enthusiast would enjoy it. I’d just like a bit more depth of flavour, myself.

I was surprised by the very short steep recommended for this tea. I’m starting to think that the tea makers at TeaHaus prefer rather short steeps, however. As a result, the taste is rather mild, though the vanilla (combined with the obligatory orange peel and cloves) makes for a mild base to begin with, regardless of steep time. (My mind goes to Glitter and Gold for an example of such.)

A longer steep makes it a little bitter, but not too much so — the mild, creamy flavour still predominant. I’m starting to think that the tea would be all the better for a bit of cinnamon, though it’s quite decent on its own.

In all, not bad. Not the greatest of the orange Christmas teas, but certainly a decent one nonetheless, especially if one is after a milder version of the flavour.

Thank you to Allie for sharing this sample with me!

I made sure not to mess this one up, even though Allie was generous and sent more more than enough for a few cups’ worth.

I taste more mango than anything when it’s straight and hot, however when I sweeten it, it’s all pineapple juiciness. Tasty and easy to drink, with zero astringency or bitterness. It’s all smooth at the finish too, likely due to the mango (which I can actually taste the granularity of the mango, how weird and awesome is that?!)

Thanks again Allie for letting me try this. I’ll definitely enjoy this to it’s fullest.

Thanks goes to DJBooth for sharing some of this tea in a swap. It certainly is a rooibos in flavor, I get the woodsy, sour wood mixed with a tart juicy cherry. The cherry is definitely spot on in this one. I can finish this cup, but like most rooibos I probably wouldn’t buy this for myself. uld be a great c

Another from the Travelling Tea Box! I think I prepared this one with water that was a bit too hot, but that’s okay. It was still what you’d expect from an oolong. I did a 30 second rinse and then a 3 minute steep.

This brews up a to a dark amber color. It has a nice light fruity note combined with the underlying maltiness. I really like the flavor. I don’t like the astringent finish much, which leaves my mouth feeling dry…like too many tannins dry.

Sipdown. Finishing this sample from Ann Arbor TeaHaus. I leafed it a bit heavier this time. I’m really liking the pear flavor, which is enhanced by a mango note. All blends nicely. I will restock this one.