Citizen Tea

A dessert tea with breakfast?!?
I didn’t care. This was exactly what I needed. Not the best tea I’ve ever had, but this morning I kinda wanted less than perfection. So yeah I’m very happy with this simple, clearly caramel, overly astringent black tea. Good with or without milk (because creamy caramel). And if it wasn’t for the mouth puckering sour astringency, I’d boost up the rating. A lot.

Welp. This cuppa was pretty much all hibby.
I was in the mood for something absurdly sour so it kinda worked out.
When I grab more, I’ll have to remember to shake up my tin before doling out the tea.
The cup I had not long ago was better. This is almost a sipdown, so I’ll need more soon. For experimentation yanno

Just as I remember it. Damn. No wonder herbals have felt weak to me the last few years… I’ve been mentally comparing them to this one and fruit ginger, among a few others.
So glad I’ve rediscovered my first tea loves.
This really does remind me of a raspberry mojito. Today’s brew was very berry like and even a bit fizzy. Not too heavy on the mint either. Everything came togeher just so. Ahhh perfection.
I really need to buy me a tin. Maybe as a reward when I reach a decent cupboard size.

No licorice yay!!
For that reason I think this might be the best “health blend” from this company yet. I prefer it hot when the tartness is more present in regards to taste. I’ll have to sort through them all to be sure. It is nice and fruity in a citrusy way

I really needed this cup of comfort. Day two of my headache. It’s nice and warm and smooth and full of cigar like cocoa notes. Going back for round two shortly.
Also. I’m just really sad this morning. Someone I dated many many years ago died yesterday. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth didn’t matter.
Addiction took over his life until it was over. I’m not sure if it was an OD or suicide, or a combination of the two. At heart, he was a really nice person who would do anything to help a friend… and yet make terribly non-PC jokes that were hilarious and broadly offensive all at once.
I viewed him from afar (mostly) on Facebook, not knowing how to help, after seeing him post about stints in and out of rehab, his declining quality of life after being cut off from family, and moving to a city known to be infested with drug problems, among other things. His critiques of Hamilton were surprisingly engaging. and heartbreaking. We spoke occasionally over messenger where I tried my best to offer non-judgmental support in the only way I knew how that wouldn’t impact my own well-being, just being someone to talk with.. a brief connection to the life of luxury he once had. Unfortunate proof, if I ever saw it, that money does not solve everything.

This headache of mine feels awfully appropriate right now.

Meh. Too much licorice again. Good for when I’m sick. Luckily I am mostly over my cold for now. Why must there always be licorice in a wellness blend… (don’t answer that for me haha)

A pleasant tea. Fruity with a slight refreshing zing to it, from the peppermint mixed with nettle I presume? The mallow leaves a nice lingering aftertaste as well. I’m not a fan of the occasional peeking licorice note, and the fact that it is slowly overtaking the mallow in aftertaste. Bah.
Funny. I wondered why it seemed to have more depth than your average herbal. After looking at the ingredients, I see that there is decaf green tea in the blend. Hmmm. So technically not herbal? the residual caffeine would be very minimal, but for the caffeine sensitive, it can make a difference. It seems to perk me up a bit. Eh. Could be psychosomatic.
Either way, for a wellness tea it works.

2.25 tsp for 200mL water @93C, steeped six minutes.

Dry leaf: an exceptionally pretty tisane, with apple pieces and various flower petals. Fruity scents with some peppermint, cola nut, and what smelled like a fruit flavouring.

Wet leaf: much the same.

Liquor: yellow-bronze. Fruity scent with not much from the peppermint. The cola nut does not dominate as in Rise N Shine. I didn’t taste the lemongrass, though I pick up on honeybush. I wish the mysterious “flavouring” were identified and perhaps turned down, because something fruity and slightly artificial dominates the finish. Still, pleasant and easy to drink. A subtle energy lift, not as potent as Rise N Shine.

Citizen Tea really shine on their blends.

1 tsp for 250mLwater @90C, steeped three minutes.

Dry leaf: artificial butter-cream scent. Tightly-rolled bright green leaves. Twigs.

Wet leaf: unfurled green leaves, many twigs.

Liquor: pale yellow, some gold tones. Taste is flat — it’s scented hot water. And the scent is not very appealing; it seems fake and heavy to me.

A disappointment.

1.25tsp for 250mL water @ 90C, steeped three minutes.

Before I go any further, I must point out that Citizen Tea makes it very easy to try samples of their teas. My entire order was made of little sample packets, and I am delighted by that. It’s a very friendly way to try different offerings and means I don;t need to commit to 50 grams of something I really don’t like in the end. Citizen Tea bends over backwards to treat the customer well.

Dry leaf: green pebbles, with a strong scent of liquorice. I’m dubious here …

Wet leaf: very little unfurling of leaves, which bodes well for repeated infusions.

I avoid liquorice in teas and tisanes as I don’t care for it, and because I have blood pressure issues. I missed the mention of liquorice when I ordered this sample.

Once again, Citizen Tea show they understand blends. This is very balanced between ginseng and liquorice, with neither dominating. It’s sweet, but not cloying. The ginseng lends the usual slightly fuzzy mouthfeel. Me, I’d prefer it without the liquorice, but if you like the stuff, you’ll probably like this tea.

1.25tsp for 250mL water @80C, steeped two minutes.

Dry leaf: bright green, long and pressed flat, some twigs. Very fragrant: grass and soybeans and even a hint of vanilla. Sweet.

Wet leaf: still a bright green.

Liquor: palest green, almost clear. Extremely fragrant for a green tea: first of vegetal, then of sweetness, almost grassiness. Some vegetal teas taste like briny broth and scallops to me. This one has a slight scalp note but none of that brothy taste. Potent leaves. Something sharp in the aroma, almost fruity: I can’t quite figure it out. The liquor is packed with flavour.

I tried this with and without milk. It was better without. A nice simple sipping tea ala dairy.
Will have to try another cup, as I was too distracted for taking notes, or rather noticing the finer details. Tis the first day of 2017 after all, and there is lots to do :)

1.25tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped eight minutes.

Cola nut dominates the taste and scent of this pretty stimulant tisane. Next layer of flavour is guarana, cinnamon, and apple. I didn’t taste the yerba mate at all … but I can feel it, that and the guarana. A slow build to a potent energy boost. The honeybush and apple make a lovely combination that rounds out and balances the entire blend. Still, a strong scent of cola nut remains, even in another room where I had first steeped the tisane. So if you don’t like cola, this tisane likely won’t work for you. As for me, I like it far more than I expected to.

A pleasant stimulant tisane that has good depth of flavour — not always a given with tisanes — and delivers on the promise of an energy boost.

Work pressures are building and I’ve been super stressed out lately. This weekend has been bad. Pretty much an ongoing panic attack. (in addition to my cough. Bah)
Basically, I am in an impossible situation with this project, two of the stakeholders that I report to have competing priorities/ideals. I literally do not have time to get all of what is needed done in the time they pay me for. It isn’t like I can get it done faster, as much of it is delivering seminars etc.

Tea has been a source of comfort, and I knew this one would provide. Without any sweetener it is quite sweet already, and really does give me a nice boost. That cola flavour just fills me with happiness. Especially that moment just after a swallow, but before what I generally consider “aftertaste” sets in

The old me rated this at 90, under Teaopia. Now? Still ahhhhmazing. But I have perspective. Or maybe i’m jaded. hah. Even still, 4 points lower than 90 isn’t much.
Anyhow, I tried it both hot and cold brewed. Delish both ways, and just the way I remember. I love the cola flavour, and it really does wake me up! This is the only tea in my order that I bought 50g of. All the rest were samples. Because I knew it would be worthwhile. I’ve missed you old friend!

This was ok. No additions.
Light blueberry flavour, which is a refreshing contrast to David’s Blueberry Jam.
I’m not a huge on the base, but I imagine there aren’t many Assam’s out there which would pair well with bluberry. (assuming the base is ceylon, as most flavoured black teas are)
Also found it very smooth, and easy for sipping. There are some teas out there that I adore, but for some reason I can’t easily drink quickly if needed. I’m happy to say this isn’t one of them :)
This would go well iced, I think!

My breakfast cuppa this morning was perfection. A strange but pleasing blend of cinnamon heart vs what I can only think of as cakiness. Pound cake? some kind of cookie? But more the essence, which I presume would come from the base tea, not the flavouring. Of course I sampled it with and without milk. It was amazing either way.
I think this tea could qualify for most improved of the year. Unless its just a finicky one, and then I’ll be sad.

I must have underleafed this. My cup was smaller than normal since I’m at the boyfriend’s place and he only has a few mugs. (or room for mugs, or else I’d bring some!)
So using a regular teaspoon seemed too much. Next time I’ll know better.
There was a peculiar tartness that I once associated with astringency, without the mouth dryness. Very ceylon-esque.
Adding milk helped a bit. Hmph. I had planned to make my next cup with a bit of eggnog, but now I feel like it needs another go as a regular tea. But I only grabbed a sample… what to do, what to do?! #firstworldproblems

A nice sipping tea. Nothing exciting, but very smooth and comforting. Just the right amount of maltiness and copper. Not overly astringent. Good with a dollop of milk. I dig it.
I’m not sure if it’d do well in a travel mug, so best to keep it for the house.

Sipdown!
I’m still not sure what this tea was supposed to taste like. It did a lot better in gong fu steeping but other than a lot of mineral notes and very light vegetal notes, I’m not sure what to think. In my fourth infusion, there is a slight oceanic or seaweed influence.
Throughout the infusions I also had moments when I thought some sort of stone fruit was hanging about, though it never felt like any stone fruit I could identify, or rather it was more of a combination of stone fruits. I’d say apricot married with plum, perhaps. And the vegetal aspect? My best guess is watercress. But don’t take my word for it. I’ve been down with the flu so it could be that my palate is still off a tad.
Anyhow. Merry Christmas to all the Orthodox tea lovers out there! <3

So not what I expected. I may have underleafed?
It was very green and light. A bit fruity, definitely vegetal. and kinda brothy. Surprisingly sweet with a lingering bitter yet sweet aftertaste that is actually rather pleasant. Reminds me a lot of Jiaogulan, an herbal tea that I thought was Greek but apparently comes from China. Bah. I digress.
Perhaps my palate hasn’t been entirely cleansed from the Tomato tea? I did brush my teeth between cups. Hmmm.
Must try it again soon…

Sipdown

Well this might have cooled significantly and what I am left with isn’t all that exciting. It’s a pale brew that is a little bit coffee, a little bit caramel and a whole lotta boring.

Made this as a latte and I left out the eggnog so I would get a chance to try this tea. Apparently I should have left out the milk because this didn’t have much flavor at all.

Oh. My. Memories!!!!!!!
You ever try a new type of tea that you do enjoy, but at the time it doesn’t make a notable impression (that you know of) because well you can’t say where it falls on the bar, in quality, much less for your particular tastes… so you move on, trying all the other teas, but somehow without meaning to,or even realizing it, that original tea did make a notch on the bar,and welp, ya been subconsciously looking for a tea just like it??? only you can’t even recall which precise tea you’re comparing it to because that was so long ago. Heck, maybe you imagined it, after not being able to find it for all that time!
Well guess what? THIS WAS THAT TEA FOR ME!
I know my only other review here was during a time I wasn’t able to appreciate teas much, but I have been yearning for this particular hay, dry clay, malty, smooth cuppa for longer than I want to admit. Feeling kinda giddy now. Seriously. I’m so happy the Teaopia teas have come back into my life!!!!