Celestial Seasonings

Backlog a bit; had this as my morning drive cuppa. I’ve been playing with the temps on this one. Note: not so good at 185. 195 is much better.

Candy, candy, candy!!

Accidentally started this on the oolong setting instead of the green tea one…and it’s better this way. More of the fruit flavors have come out…gonna steep for 5 minutes next time, and see what happens.

I’d been keeping my eyes open for this one from CS…I love blood oranges, and I love star fruit. Found it last night…I couldn’t not get it, could I?

After smelling the bag, I said (outloud, to no-one since I was only one awake) “I don’t know about this.” Really had no scent besides that of the actual bag.

After smelling the brewed tea: “Candy!!” It smells like some kind of lolly that I used to get back in the day…the kind that’s not clear melted sugar, but the solid, sweet-tart like ones.

Taste: Star fruit is in the fore. A good, just-ripe star fruit, complete with just a hint of that starchy flavor. There’s a bit of citrus, but it’s not strong enough for me to be able to determine if it’s blood orange as opposed to regular orange. Green tea base isn’t as obvious as I thought it would be, and for this, that’s alright.

Visited the Celestial Seasonings location in Boulder, Colorado last week and took the tour. It was very informative, and I would recommend it to anyone who happens to be in the Boulder/ Denver area. Standing in the tea room was one of the best aromatherapy moments I can ever recall! The mint room, while famous, was overpowering and not something I would subject myself to again. There is a fabulous tea shop there, too, where I picked up the box of Roastaroma. I believe this is the stuff my Mom used to drink, I remember the fragrance, so I had to bring some home. I think I like it most for the scent memory, it really does carry me back to childhood; snowy Michigan mornings wrapped in my jammies and robe, still bed-headed, warm tea scenting the sharp chill air and praying for the radio DJ to announce my school as closed.

YUCK! A friend gave this to me at work today so I thought I would try it. Can’t even finish my cup. Soooo gross. I really enjoy their Candy Cane Lane, but this one was a huge dissappointment!!!

CS, why do you tease?
Many moons ago, it was the ‘afterdinner teas’ that seduced me into the wide world of tea. They addicted me. Hook, line and sinker. But they I was an innocent American, arriving years after the big tea party of Boston, not knowing that the hot drink my soul yearned for was tea.

I loved this one, along with vanilla hazelnut (but of course chocolate raspberry was my love among them). But I moved off to university and these three were put in the endangered species list.

Then this past few years they were back. Teased and taunted and promised to never leave me again. So, I bought a bunch, rekindled my love and guess whats…..discontinued again. Really!?!?!?!

This one is very sweet (the way I like everything) and caramelly. Maybe not peanut brittle disolved into a cup, but on the toffee side I’d say its nearly so. Anyway, do say this is worth a go, and if you are picking up one for yourself….well grab one for me (you know I am good for it) ;)

Someone said the smell-assault of this one made it like drinking potpouri.
That’s a bad thing?
I don’t really think it is. And I always know with CS teas, I can have this in my mega huge cup and not worry about a ‘failure to perform’ (yea, I am looking at you Stash Pumpkin Spice) or even better somedays (when the nurses don’t steal my cup as dead & dusted) when I can have 2 cups with the same bag.

In regards to this one, I admit its hardcore cinnamon stylin’ with an apple twist. Fab for a cold night, better with a fire in the fireplace. Think apple cider with a tea who isn’t afraid to let everyone know what you are having.

I somehow ended up with food poisoning last week and I couldn’t eat anything or really even keep anything but water down. Boyfriend braved leaving me to my own devices long enough to dash out and pick up a box of CS Peppermint for me, since we both thought it’d help.

Help it did. Great, strong peppermint flavor if you leave it to steep 5+ minutes. It really soothes the stomach and throat from the strain of constant hurling. And it’s just straight up peppermint leaves, so it really works as a strongly brewed tincture as well. Great herbal remedy for sour stomach. A pinch of ginger also helps :-)

This is exactly what I want in a fall tea. Love the cinnamon and the apple. I find that the spice/cinnamon is prominent, but that it’s balanced with the apple or sweetness. This is a great, sweet tea without the need of sugar or honey. I admit that there is a strange aftertaste.. and I’m not sure what that is. I’m too distracted by the other flavors, though. Perfect for this time of year!

Picked this up at Walmart today! Tis the season for holiday teas! I really enjoy this tea especially at such a cheap price of around $2 a box. But wondering why I only picked up one box of this!!?? Will have to pick up more for evenings when I am too lazy to scoop out loose tea.

Wow this is very heavy on the cinnamon! It tastes like Big Red gum to me… which I like..but I’m not sure if I like it as a tea. It’s sweet on its own (a little too sweet for me) but it’s not terrible.

Overall, sweet, very heavy on the cinnamon and tastes like Big Red gum :P

From the dry tea bag I get a creamy, light citrus, vanilla, then chamomile scent.

Once steeped, the chamomile smells stronger to me (yay).

Tastes sweet (but not too sweet), I can taste some honey, chamomile seems pretty strong, and overall everything tastes creamy and smooth without any added milk.

Great night time tea!

Dry tea bag smells… well doesn’t smell like much to me! LOL… Maybe a little bit of a dried fruit smell..but it could be a mental thing since I know it’s a black cherry tea…

In the cup it smells very much like the dried strawberries/berry mix from Trader Joes. Fruity but not sweet.

Tastes a little tart to me. Pretty strong flavor at the recommended 5-6 minute steep time. Maybe I’ll drink it iced next time.

So I tried to make a tea soda out of this. I failed.

To make things better, I brewed up the last bags into a pot of hot tea. And am trying to come to terms with the fact that all I’m really capable of making tea-wise is a pot of hot neat tea, and iced sweet tea. The second of which I don’t even like and only make for my mother. My lattes are sad, and my other experiments just leave me empty inside.

Oh, well. I still love my tea hot and neat.

I think I’m going to pick up some mulling spices at the store tonight to put into this tea. I’m pretty sure that this would be fantastic brewed up with a couple spoonfuls.

Mom picked this up for me on my last visit there…bless her, she’s such an enabler!

I’m really enjoying the tangerine/orange combination with the hibiscus. It’s fairly similar to the Republic of Tea’s Tangerine Hibiscus superflower, but this one isn’t quite as powerful as RoT’s. It’s slightly sweet, not too tart, and definitely orange. I enjoy this one, and think it would be fantastic to have iced next summer.

First whiff of this stuff is definitely raspberry. Second smell and closer to the nose is more vegetal. Giving it a hot water bath brings back the raspberry aroma. But I can also smell the ‘tart’ which actually brings rhubarb to mind. I had grabbed some sugar but this doesn’t really need it. It’s a nice balance of sweet & tart and actually tastes of raspberries.

Part of the sampler box from CS. I brewed for 10 minutes.

It’s not strongly hibiscus, despite it’s being listed as the first ingredient. I’m getting a definite blueberry taste, with just a hint of the rosehips and hibiscus. Definitely lives up to its name. Very warm and comforting.

I’m not sure I’ll run out and buy it immediately (especially considering the current state of my tea cabinet), but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this one up again.

I was interested in the blend of the flavors. I love chicory in tea blends. The dominant flavor is hibiscus, though it doesn’t have the sour tang it usually boasts. This brew was a pretty rosy pink, lightly sweet, and mild. Banana was nice, not too much. Couldn’t honestly taste coconut. Strawberry is very mild, wish it had more. For the money, it’s a good tea. I would buy this tea again if it had more strawberry. If you love banana tea, this is surely for you! There’s a loooong banana aftertaste.