Higher Living

I’ve admittedly never liked chamomile tea. I don’t even know why, I just never cared for the taste. It has been suggested to me I don’t know how many times, thanks to the fact that I don’t sleep well at night and chamomile is supposed to help with that. I’ve tried using it but I just couldn’t stomach the stuff.
I saw this one on the shelf and thought, hmmm, it’s chamomile but with natural strawberry and watermelon flavours, I might be able to tolerate it!
Fortunately, it’s really not bad at all. I can taste the chamomile first and foremost but it’s balanced well with the watermelon (I can’t taste the strawberry at all.) Overall, it’s nice, refreshing, non-offensive and dare I say, this will be the very first box of chamomile tea that I will actually finish.
I can see this becoming my bedtime tea for sure. My soothing Peppermint better watch out, it now has a challenger! Haha

8 pm; time for Evening tea.

Today should be more productive day. But it was not. Whatever. Exam period starts next week. I have one exam in Friday though. Physics; but I guess it will be quite okay. We have formulas available, so I just need to re-check theory.

This tea would not be amazing, based on basic aroma. Chamomile dominates with little notes of balm I think. Maybe it is lavender too. First tea bag I had (I had two, now gone) were way more of lavender in scents.

Guys – I was wrong! Lavender is way more strong in taste and overwhelms the boring (and yuck) chamomile. Lime tree; Lemon balm, Lavender. Those are overpowering the chamomile and I like it – so much. Lavender is making it quite smooth, lime tree relaxing, lemon balm bit sour.

I forgot about visual part; it is clear golden liquor with little dusty on bottom.

Overall it is nice blend with calming notes. I feel maybe even bit drowsy, but it is 9 pm.

Happy to announce another SIPDOWN, no. 14

After ages this tea buried in my stash, received who knows when; I never looking forward to try it again, I took this one, to finish it. Received from postcrossing… I don’t really know how though. Was it with postcard, was it tea tag? Nevermind…

I know I don’t like this tea, but rating of 30? It’s harsh, but I will raise it a bit.
It’s very sweet as one fifth of contents is licorice. And it should be tongue-tingling and honestly it isn’t. My stir-fry meal I prepared today was more hot (and my family doesn’t like spicy food at all, nor myself!). 0,3 grams of chilli doesn’t make any tongue-tingling infusion!

It’s shame, as Roswell Strange wrote: “…like a cup of unsweetened cocoa.” It is. But there is that cloying licorice sweetness as aftertaste and it’s not that wonderful as I have hoped (again).

Still a dismal, calling it Cocoa & Chilli and the latter one non-present. And first one? It’s like that a bit, okay.

This is really meh.

I steeped it for suggested time It turned out to dirty, brown, opaque liquor. It smells quite nice, spicy chocolate with sweet notes. Lots of (probably licorice) dust settles on bottom after few minutes.

But when it comes to taste. It is really bad. I mean, it is not somehow bad as spoiled, or just funky notes. But on first sip it is nice bitter cooca, little spiciness from chilli and then it hits! A super sweet aftertaste. Probably caused with licorice. And cinnamon. And Bourbon Vanilla. Yes, all of those are in, besides another “bitter” spices.

I have little troubles finishing the cup honestly :/

A tongue-tingling infusion? I am sorry Higher-Living, but nope. No tingling, rather heartburn. And going sweet every sip I make (so I suppose the dust is licorice). Sorry everybody who were looking for nice tea review. This is not it. So far my worst rating here.

This tea is amazingly smooth for herbal.

It is not divine, but certainly interesting blend. Colour of brew is gold with green notes, clear, little dusty on bottom of the mug. It smells not suprisingly after licorice. But combined with something, probably a fennel which is in too. I think it is orange peel who makes it indeed nicely drinkable. But it does not overwhelm the taste of tea.

With last sips it is rather sweet for me, but that is licorice I guess. I expected it much spicier, but I have no trouble with it.

A quote from backside of tea bag envelope:
“Use freshly boiled water, which has been left to cool for a few minutes and brew for four or five minutes using one bag per cup.”

Did it. I don’t know what they mean by few minutes, where is my thermometer again? Anyway, cup was cold, using boiling water, and by previous experience I think that water had about 80 degrees C. So tea bag in, let it there for suggested 5 minutes. I want something full of flavours.

I am brewing a white tea, right? So why after 4 minutes it smells like some herbal blend, where are strawberries? Maybe strawberry leaves, but not the fruits!

Cloudy golden colour.

Scents already described. Nope, not good again. I understand that natural flavours and few strawberry pieces (2 %, respectively 3 %) can’t change aroma much. But I really did not expect herbs as chamomile (yucky) in aroma. Maybe bit lime tree.

In taste it is similar. No fruits. Some basic herbal notes. At least it does not taste like a dirt. Rather mild black tea. But strawberries are gone too. No re-rate. Because it is better in taste. But aroma is worse. Because no aroma is better, than herbal when it should be fruity and juicy.

I expected much more!

A light and delicate white tea…nope.
It was light for sure, but certainly not delicate. It was something stingy artificial beverage.

4-5 minutes, bit cooled down water – that is their suggestion.
I used 4-5 minutes with boiling water. Result?

A cloudy, brown, liquor, with light aroma of strawberry. As there are not aromas, I thought it is okay. But nope.

It wasn´t aromatic at all. I tried to smell it several times but nothing.
I sipped. Okay, it tastes like weak black tea, as usual from white teas from tea bags. And then the weak artificial (or maybe dirty) taste took place. Stingy, dirty strawberry, but weak taste.

It was weak tea without any distinctive notes, at least not awfully sweet. I can not recommend this tea. It is not good.

Sipdown (614)!

I don’t remember much about this one other than the strong presence of licorice root and mint, and how I was generally unhappy with the cup/unimpressed by the flavour.

It’s another notch in the belt though, so to speak. Forward towards 10,000 tasting notes we march!

Strong aroma of cinnamon, cardamom, orange peels and cloves.
Decent green base tea in taste, with spices in the background.
Not bad. I think it would be a good idea to brew it stronger, two bags per cup, and with milk, like a chai tea should be done.

Sipdown (606)!

This was quite nice, like a cup of unsweetened cocoa with a hint of warmth/heat to it. That is, right up until the last two sips which had SO MUCH licorice root concentrated in the last little bit of the cup that I actually dry heaved from how sweet it was. Gross!

I received this tea from my friend for my birthday. With a name like “Flower Heaven”, I thought it would be a good night time tea. The flavour is lovely! All lavender and chamomile but lavender is the predominant flavour. It’s very floral without going overboard. It really is a perfect tea for sipping in the evening before bed. I really do love the lavender in here. It dances on the tongue and makes for a delightful cup. A simple tea but I love it!