Herbal Infusions

Raritea had this today and mentioned it being a little astringent, so i back off the steeping time just to see if i could hit the sweet spot.

This reminds me a little of stacy’s almond tea, but without the over all great tea base. Not that i liked that one of hers, but i could appreciate the tea base. :) This one has an ok flavour to it, but it’ll never be my favourite. I’m glad half the bag is going to Kittenna AND it was free. I think there are a number of you out there who would like this one a bunch, but i’m fairly picky about my almond teas, i’ve found and don’t like ones that remind me of almond extract…which this one does slightly. Still though, Thanks go out to Herbal Infusions for adding a bit of extra fun to the Toronto Tea Festival!! I’ll be sharing my half with a few ppl just to help spread the love :)

Put this in a big mug tonight. I’m trying to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies but I’m suddenly kind of tired. We can’t have that!

Reading MissB’s reviews made me a little nervous, because I don’t like not knowing what’s in my food/drinks. It’s more of a habit than an actual worry about this particular tea, because I doubt there are peanuts or significant amounts of wheat in here. It smells really good, though, so I guess it can be excused. It’s like marzipan but slightly fruitier.

Sadly I think I messed this one up, because I thought it was entirely a black tea. Turns out there’s green in here too. It’s bitter but at least it’s not completely undrinkable. The aftertaste is pure marzipan. Sadly this is a sipdown, so I won’t be able to experiment further with it, but even with me messing it up it’s not bad.

1.5 tbsp for 375 ml

Black tea astringency is overpowering the flavouring. I will have to try to infuse at a lower temperature.

I am a huge fan of the cacao teas, but I didn’t love this one. I got spice, but not vanilla per se. It was truly a strange sipping experience to say the least. I gave it my usual cacao treatment, bit of sugar, long steep and I should get the hot chocolate I am looking for. I had worried from the scent of the husks that this was not going to be a hit, and I was right in this case. There is a smoothness I might call vanilla, maybe. But it is not the milky, vanilla chocolate taste I wanted. I did not enjoy the flavours in this at all. I can tell that this is well blended and the tea performs beautifully, but it is just not a flavour I personally like. Full marks to herbal infusions for their inventive cacao teas (I love, love, love every other variety), but I think this is one tea that will need to find a different cupboard. One where it can be properly appreciated for the unique blend it is.

Thank you so much to Dexter3657 for sending me a generous sample of this!

This is good, but it reminds me almost spot on to Argo Tea’s Earl Grey Creme which is not limited edition and easier to get a hold of, though the snowflakes are pretty darn cute.

I used about 1.5 teaspoons of leaves in a 12oz mug and added sweetener

Backlog:

The oolong tea has an earthy flavor, with notes of toasty nut which adds a compelling contrast to the sweet-tart flavors of the citrus fruit. The citrus notes were bright and lovely.

The second infusion is better than the first, so this is one you definitely want to resteep!

here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/12/10/juicy-lemon-pink-grapefruit-oolong-tea-from-herbal-infusions/

Last tasting note and second teapot experiment yesterday. I brewed a friend and I a pot of this, sweetened it, and just let it sit and steep as we played board games for the evening. As I had hoped, it just got better and better. The strawberry notes were initially the dominant flavour but, as it steeped, the chocolate really started to shine through. I can never decide if I like this or the original better, but I enjoy them both!

This was amazing! Like seriously wonderful!! I brewed some up with just a pinch of sugar when I got home today and truly enjoyed the cup.

I am loving these cacao husks as a replacement for hot chocolate. I do think they need a much longer steep time than any other type of tea, but, brewed long enough they are worth it!

Afternoon tea with R today.

Dry this smells exactly like that bottled Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime juice one can get at the store, plus it’s making me have a visceral memory of something from childhood but I cannot for the life of me place it. A candy or powdered drink, maybe. Strong and specific.

Steeped, the smell is still there but mutates slightly, and unfortunately brings with it that pool chlorine/cleaner aspect that is hard to avoid (there was some early 52teas intro last year for me that did the same, forget what exactly). But if you kind of avoid thinking about the chlorine/cleaner thing, it does definitely evoke chemical-y key lime pie. I don’t know what to say here exactly—it’s kind of both offputting and good, tilting back and forth each sip. I even get the oily graham cracker crust in the back. Smoothed out some with the clearance Harney goat caramels that came in the mail today, so apparently adding something genuinely creamy-tangy-sweet-rich helps (makes sense).

One of the last of my teas to try from MissB! Thanks so much again for all of them.

When I smelled this one as it was brewing and immediately afterward, I really did not think eggnog. I’ve been sipping at it a bit as it cools to drinkable temperature, and I have to say it is definitely filling the creamy niche. There is something familiar about the flavor here but I can’t quite place it. Not really eggnog, but maybe the added spices. A creamy, spiced thing going on here. Not getting any “spiked” about this, but that’s ok. As it cools, bitterness from the black tea is becoming more prevalent unfortunately. Still, the rest of the flavors are pretty tasty; if only it had a better-quality tea base! :)

Backlog:

Yum, yum, yum! I love cacao shells. They produce such a delicious chocolate-y tea/tisane. I think that they do a better job at chocolate-i-gasmness than cacao nibs or chocolate chips or even chocolate flavoring.

I think that Herbal Infusions should choose another name for this particular cacao tisane, though. The cinnamon and vanilla notes in this give it more of a Mexican hot chocolate type of flavor to me and I think that perhaps Cinnamon Hot Cocoa might be a better name for this.

Incredibly yummy. I love this!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/12/04/vanilla-cacao-tea-herbal-infusions/

I gulped down the vanilla cacao blend from Herbal Infusions so I decided it was time to order more! The strawberry smells so sweet and bright and doesn’t leave much room for the cacao to shine. After water has been added, the strawberry and cacao balance out. It reminds me a lot of strawberry candies covered in chocolate.

Sipping… the sweet strawberry comes first and is slowly hugged by the cacao. There is the nicest creamy chocolate note that finishes the sip. While it’s tasty, there is a part of me that feels like strawberry doesn’t belong with cacao. It could be that the strawberry is a little on the artificial side and the cacao naturally brings forward a chocolate flavor. I don’t think that I like this one as much as the vanilla cacao. It actually tastes worse as the the cup cools. Eh.. not so delicious anymore.

Another sample thanks to MissB! I do like the flavor pretty well on this one… it’s lightly sweet, a touch creamy, a bit cinnamon-spicy. However, there is something in the blend that is making the back of my throat itch just after I swallow. It is fairly unpleasant. Don’t know what it could be, but I’m sorry I won’t be able to finish the cup.

This tea sadly appears to be losing a bit of flavor, it is a year or 2 old so it’s not surprising, but it is one of my favorite Earl Greys. There still is some marshmallow flavor which I am happy about, as I gave a friend a spoonful of dry tea to try just a couple weeks ago. Still warming and cozy and sweet as well. I am feeling mildly under the weather due to my sinuses being in crazy mode from swimming (I think there is still some water in them lol) and with pressure changes from the weather here. Ugh I hope it passes, that full sinus feeling is never good, and also makes my head kind of spin.

Yes, this is a winter tea. Yes, I am drinking it Aug. 4. It is freezing as usual in my office and rainy outside, and I am super tired as it is the Tues after the long weekend. So cozy, warming caffeine was a requirement to make it through this morning. This one still has a ton of flavor and is sweet, comforting and cozy. I wish I was at home in bed lol. Tasty tea helps the day go by! See previous notes on this tea :)

Yum yum yum…having a decadent cup of this on this fine Tuesday evening. I can’t wait until it’s the weekend already LOL long week already…le sigh. Ah well, that’s why I have good tea to keep me going, and good company (the bf’s mom and brother are up for a few days). This tea is marshmallowy creamy goodness with a lovely bergamot note in there too. I need to have this more often. And now I am in a black tea mood since it’s chilly outside and supposed to snow. Blargh. Must get some sleep tonight though..haha. See previous notes on this tea!

Omg omg omg….ok. This is SO GOOD RIGHT NOW. Like wow. At first I was like hmm strong bergamot..but then it was all like BAM MARSHMALLOW. And fluffy. And creamy. And toned down just enough by the bergamot and black tea. Very good base for this tea too, not overpowering or too weak. I am just enjoying this to the max on this Monday afternoon at work. Not even sure how long I steeped it for lol, probably around 2 minutes. Yes, I really like this, not even filtered water used! Rating now added, although if I come to my senses and this one isn’t as epic, it might go down haha.

I got this tea from VariaTEA for my fiancee, who loves cookie teas. After trying a cup myself this morning, I don’t think that this will disappoint him. The smell reminds me of chocolate chip cookies, and there’s a little brown sugar noticeable. The flavor is more of a rich sugar cookie flavor with a light spiciness to it. The flavor seems to change with every sip, but every sip is equally delicious! I’m glad we have a whole pack of this tea to enjoy, although once the fiancee gets a hold of it it won’t last long! Thanks, VariaTEA!

-Dry blend has large black tea leaves with small red and yellow leaf sprinkles.
-Dry leaves smell sweetly of chocolate chip cookies. Tea liquor aroma is malty with hints of rich brown sugar and cookie.
-Tea liquor is a clear dark orange brown color.
-Strong black tea flavor with a brown sugar finish. Sugary cookie and lightly spicy aftertaste.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Very good tea. A unique cup. Sweet brown sugar and cookie flavor with a hint of spiciness.

I got this in a huge “just because she is generous, super nice and amazing” package from Dexter3657 ! I love love love hazelnut coffee. It’s the only kind I will drink when I do drink it! And when I do I milk that baby down to mostly milk and sugar ha ha. This was sooooo good! Even better than I anticipated after reading Dexters tasting note last month! Those who follow me know I love chocolate teas, coconut teas and hazelnut teas! This is all of those! Ahhhhh I was so excited to have this for breakfast this morning with my frenchtoast I made with cinnamon roll bread and one egg fried to perfection! Ha ha!
http://m.flickr.com/lightbox?id=12243721556
Thanks Dex!

I feel bad not being as into the cacao stuff from HI as everybody else here seems to be. I’m surprised I’m saying this, but I wonder if the reason I vastly prefer ATR’s Choco-Late is the addition of rooibos. I think it must give the tisane body somehow, which when combined with the cacao husks evokes the thick creaminess of hot cocoa. The flavor in the cacaos I’ve tried from HI isn’t bad at all, similar to Choco-Late, but the strength of that smell and flavor and most of all the body of the cup is just so relatively lacking. I have a little more in my sample packets and should try overleafing like mad to see if that helps.

This was a mixed-up Monday steeping, which means that I didn’t put enough water into my timolino and the steeping basket wasn’t fully submerged so I ended up with barely flavoured warm water.

Ah, crap.
Sipdown too! (146)

I’m drinking this because I’m home and have access to my kettle! I bought the kettle to try and entice myself into drinking more white/green teas because I’m too lazy to heat water and measure it with a meat thermometer like I used to. (Also, weird)

So, I take a sip and yes.. blueberries! Also, something odd. Huh. OH, it’s the tea. The Pai Mu Tan! I had to wiki it and realized that that is also Bai Mudan and also what we call White Peony (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bai_Mu_Dan_tea).

And now you know!

The white base is really nice. It caught my attention because I haven’t had a lot of white teas, and this is stronger than I expected, while still being delicate. The blueberry flavouring gives it a nice fruitiness, but doesn’t take away from the … hmm.. not grassiness… vegetal nature of the white tea?

Verdict: It’s good.

Also, the ingredients, as listed on my pouch are: Pai Mu Tan. Natural Blueberry Flavouring. That’s nice and short.

You guys are 100% right – the longer you let this steep, the more decadent it becomes.

At first I steeped it for 6 minutes – the colour was an extremely light tint of brown, with very little cacao flavouring. It was there, but it was extremely underwhelming and left a weird chalky feeling in the back of my throat. Then I decided to put the steeper back in and let it sit for another 10 minutes…and it turned HEAVENLY. Deliciously rich and cacaoy with zero chalk. It was like drinking hot chocolate without additives.

Truly a delectable treat and something I’ll be ordering in the future.
Thank you so much Courtney for sharing this with me!