Nelson's Tea

Steeped up at work on Monday!

The combination of ginger and bourbon flavouring was really reading as a bit of a “hot toddy” kind of vibe, and given how consistently grey and rainy it’s been outside for the last handful of weeks (Monday especially) I really appreciated that comforting aspect of the tea. The pear was a nice injection of a juicier, bright top note that added an autumnal flair to the profile while not being too outside of the sort of toddy moment I was having. Plus, ginger and pear are always an awesome combo together. Good contrast pairing.

Had such a craving for this blend on Monday, and it definitely hit the spot! Really boozy whisky-type flavour upfront, but with the sweetness of fresh pear following behind. In this cup I could feel the heat/warmth of the ginger in the back of my throat and stomach but I didn’t necessarily taste it the same way I did with the alcohol and pear components. Occasionally it did the bubblegum thing, but this was probably the less “bubblegum tasting” cup I’ve brewed yet.

Steeped this up earlier gun the week and it was very soothing. I tasted all three of the titular flavours in almost equal proportions, though worth noting that the pear was doing that thing where it almost tastes just a bit bubblegum-y. I loved how smooth this was though, and that bourbon note in particular just REALLY hit the spot.

Steeped this one up last night. The dry leaf aroma has a distinct pear note to it, but mostly it just heavily smells boozy. Like, very potently of bourbon. I wasn’t sure how intense that note would be when steeped but it’s actually incredibly intense still. Now, I love a nice boozy tasting tea and bourbon blends definitely aren’t something I shy away from so I love that it’s actually really bourbon heavy. I just wish that the pear and ginger were a littttllleee bit stronger so they weren’t so lost in the cup. I get more pear than ginger, but both are fairly soft comparatively.

Cold Brew!

Has anyone else had the Zevia root beer flavour before? Ignoring the stevia part since this is a stevia free blend/doesn’t taste like stevia, I couldn’t help but think of it when drinking this tea. It absolutely nails the taste of root beer but there’s something just slightly “off” that’s hard to put your finger on with first sip. It’s the mouthfeel, though. A good root beer has a richness to the mouthfeel that’s thick and almost creamy. Both this tea and the Zevia drink get the flavour so right, but have a bit of a thin mouthfeel that almost makes the drink seem watery even though it doesn’t taste that way.

Ultimately, though, none of those points stopped me from just absolutely chugging this cold brew. Mouthfeel be damned, this was delicious.

Cold Brew!

Some good and some bad with this cold brew. The bad is mostly that, because it’s such a heavy tea, it takes up so much leaf to get a strong enough tasting infusion and that means I’m moving through the tea so quickly. Also, the body is a little thin. However, the taste is soooo spot on with it’s delicious root beer goodness. Reminds me of the Dad’s Rootbeer brand that comes in glass bottles. A little less sweet than the typical fountain soda with more distinct sarsaparilla notes, but still rich. Mmm!

Steeped this one earlier at work today and it was almost perfect. Great combination of different spices to really give off that more traditional/old school root beer taste. The cinnamon is perhaps a touch strong as it ends up getting separated out from the otherwise mostly homogeneous medley of ingredients. Could also use a pinch more sweetness from something like the fennel, anise or licorice root. Mouthfeel is excellent though!

A bonus side effect was that I had the infuser basket of steeped tea at my desk all day, so my desk slightly smelled like delectable root beer for most of the afternoon.

Iced Latte!

God, I love root beer so much. The dry leaf of this tea is practically intoxicating with the most mouth watering homemade root beer smell. Heavy on the sassafrass and sarsaparilla! I definitely think I underleafed and under steeped my tea for this latte because it was a little weak/muted, but despite that it was still delicious and gave me really strong root beer float vibes. Definitely a VERY tasty root beer tea to add to my stash; I think I can do some fun and delicious stuff with this herbal blend!

2022 Spring Tea Swap – Day 12
From Emilie!

I didn’t have much tea this weekend. I think only a cup on Saturday morning and that was it. Just wasn’t feeling it, I guess. Or maybe I simply never got around to making any. I do much better on weekdays when I have a routine in place. Tea always starts the day on weekdays. That said, I’m starting today off with another tea from Emilie’s swap. I’m only halfway through the teas that Emilie sent, and I think I’ve loved nearly every one so far.

This blend has a very strong aroma – definitely chocolaty and fruity. The cherry flavor stands out. Even though the fruits are different, it reminds me a lot of Raspberry Chocolate Truffle from Nelson’s Tea that I had last week.

Spending the rest of my day, aside from work, enjoying a relisten of the It Makes A Sound podcast now that Season 2 has officially arrived. That and cooking some cilantro-lime chicken and rice for dinner. Maybe another cup of tea this afternoon. No caffeine after this one though.

2022 Spring Tea Swap – Day 10
From Emilie!

This reminds me so much of Plum Deluxe’s limited edition Raspberry Cocoa Truffle that I’m currently hoarding. It’s good to know I have another option when I run out of PD’s version.

I got this when I was on a blueberry kick. I could have got the sample size, but I got a slightly bigger bag, though I’m super glad I did. It’s lovely with milk and/or sugar, and some scones. I think it would be good with a bit of vanilla.

Here’s Hoping Teabox – Round Seven- Tea #11
This tea actually does taste like pear, a nice rustic pear. I’m not sure what the bee pollen is for. The black tea was very light but let the pear take the stage. However, as the cup cooled, it tasted like chocolate for some reason? Very odd, as the black tea definitely wasn’t dark enough to taste like chocolate. So I don’t think I liked this one for whatever makes it taste like chocolate. Chocolate and pear are not a combination I aim for. Then there was a TON of bee pollen texture in the last sip, which was just…. oddd. But pee pollen is good for you unless you’re allergic? one serving left in the teabox!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug// few minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep

i’m with VariaTEA on this one… uh bland murky water. No honey, no pear…just…no thanks.

Honey. Pear. Both flavors I like and yet this tea just didn’t deliver. It lacked flavor despite being super murky. It was like pear water with no honey in sight and it left me feeling underwhelmed. Check out my full review here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2017/06/06/honey-pear-from-nelsons-tea/

Latte sipdown

This tea tastes like creamy cherry rooibos. Heavy on the rooibos and leaning towards the medicinal. It is a mellow tea so one that is tolerable though not particularly enjoyable.

Good reviews. Bad reviews. They have it all and they just hit 5000 posts! Congrats to all the Sororitea Sisters – past, present and future! And did I mention the giveaway?

As for me, I have loved being apart of the sororitea, even if I haven’t always loved the teas so thank you for including me :)

http://sororiteasisters.com/2016/11/08/glass-slipper-nelsons-tea/

I’m chalking up this Really Root Beer from Nelson’s Tea in my ‘herbals I enjoy’ cabinet!

Full Review…
http://sororiteasisters.com/2016/08/18/really-root-beer-nelson-tea/

So, in Ark there are bosses (because every game has them) specifically a giant spider, a massive gorilla, and a dragon that looks like Spyro on steroids. The dragon has a fun mechanic where you can tame it and basically become a server god for 20 minutes and then poof, it disintegrates. In single player the only thing I want a dragon for is…well…it is a giant fire breathing, flying, death machine…I just want one. However I was sad that they always go poof, but I think I found a way to keep it around, now if only I could figure out how to keep the Titanosaurs from vanishing thing will be great!

Today’s tea is from Nelson’s Tea, their Vanilla Almond Black Tea, a blend of Black Tea, Almonds, and Natural Flavorings for a flavor combo I am notoriously fond of. What can I say, if I am going to drink a black tea that is flavored, chances are it is going to be either vanilla or almond, extra points for being both! Something about the blend of flavors reminds me of almond shortbread…which happens to be a favorite cookie, so no real surprise why I seek this out. The aroma is sweet, starchy, and nutty with strong notes of almond shortbread cookies, seriously the resemblance is a bit uncanny! Liquid cookies incoming!

The one complaint I ever have with almond (nutty in general really) teas is it makes the liquid cloudy due to the oily nature of nuts, but seriously that complaint is so minor. For the brewed leaves, the aroma is malty and a sweet, more like a cup of black tea sitting next to freshly baked almond shortbread cookies rather than just straight up cookies. The liquid is sweet, blending vanilla, malt, and almond in a shortbread cookie dance inside my cup.

This is not one of those teas that reaches up and smacks you in the face with intensity or briskness, no this is a black tea that shows its lighter, sweeter side. This is good, if you are like me, and only want to add a tempering splash of cream to Masala Chai or Ostfriesen Tea. The start of the taste is sweet and malty with a burst of vanilla that segues into almond for the back half of the tasting. I found myself very glad that I drank this in the evening, as it seemed to fit as a late day tea more so than a morning one, but as someone who drinks all day and is resistant to caffeine I am bad at advising times to drink based on that, this was a taste based assumption. Plus this tea tastes like cookies, and that is always a win in my book.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2016/07/nelsons-tea-vanilla-almond-black-tea.html

This heat is too much!! I need a vacation to the arctic so I can re-solidify. I loathe the heat and I have made that abundantly clear in the past, but what really gets me is when it is long stretches of it, so even at night it is still grossly warm. Now granted, I know I am a weenie of the highest caliber when it comes to dealing with heat (I have a condition) but on days like this I find myself wondering how people pre-AC dealt with it. I admire their strength immensely.

Since it is unpleasantly warm, that means it is time for more cold steeping adventures! Looking at Nelson’s Tea Glass Slipper Herbal Tea, a Rooibos, Vanilla, Almond, Cherry blend…it sounds kinda like pie. The aroma of the rooibos is pretty great, blending strong almond and vanilla with a gentle woodiness and a very faint hint of cherries. I am glad that the cherry is not overly strong, sometimes when it is too strong it can smell/taste of cough syrup, so a faint dried cherry note is welcome.

After a night of cold steeping, the aroma is rich and sweet! Almond really is the show stopper here, with an accompaniment of woody sweet rooibos and vanilla, and a touch of cherry. I find I have to be in the right mood for rooibos, definitely not a drink whenever thing, but with the few exceptions most herbals are like that for me. Conveniently I was in the right mood, and if I wasn’t before, the aroma would have convinced me since I have a weakness for almonds.

I have, in my many years of tea consumption, heard the complaint that rooibos is too woody and too dry…and well, it is very woody, but I like that…the dryness can be a problem. I have found that cold steeping is a good way to make the dryness go away, so for anyone who wants to drink it but dislikes that aspect, there is an option for you. The taste is great, strong almond and vanilla with a mellow woodiness from the rooibos, it is also quite sweet, as rooibos is. One of the things I love about rooibos is how naturally honey sweet it is, and this one is no exception. Sadly I did not really encounter any cherry notes, though in all honestly I was totally ok with that, I wanted the almond to be the dominant note and it was!

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2016/07/nelsons-tea-glass-slipper-herbal-tea.html

This week is going to be grossly hot, making me rather cross (other than my usual animosity) because I am finally feeling better and I wanted to go to the zoo! Since it is too warm to do outside things, and I had a ton of restless energy, I decided to redo part of the room…again. Including hosting an archaeological dig under my bed, which was exciting! Mostly under there was storage boxes, but Espeon is notorious for dragging random things under the bed (and under my desk, but that is easier to fix) so in the far corner was this pile of straws, ribbons, tassels, cat toys, and an empty chewed on bag of cat treats I am pretty sure I threw away. It was so sad the look on her face as I remove her stash, but I am putting the bed on the floor, so she will need a new stash spot soon!

Today I am taking a look at an herbal blend from Nelson’s Tea, Really Root Beer, a blend of Sassafras bark, sarsaparilla root, birch bark, burdock root, dandelion root, licorice root, fennel seed, anise star pods, ginger root, and flavoring. Oh yeah, we have a blend with the beloved Sassafras, one of my favorite herbs and flavor notes, this pleases me. It is kinda funny, as a kid I hated root beer, loved the smell of it but hated the taste, now as an adult it is one of the few sodas I don’t find gross (along with cream soda, birch beer, and occasional Dr Pepper) and is the soda I order when I go out to eat, because you know unless it is an Indian restaurant or Dim sum I am not subjecting myself to the tea most restaurants sell. I am getting off on a tangent, this herbal blend is the focus, and you know, if you were to blindfold me and hold this under my nose I would tell you ‘why are you asking me to sniff root beer and not tea?’ Seriously it smells just like root beer, fizz included, it is a little uncanny! I love it, but wow, that is a pile of root beer.

I decided to cold-steep this one, it could very easily be steeped hot, but in all honestly warm soda is probably my least favorite thing, so even a tea that tastes like soda I don’t want warm. After steeping for a whopping nine hours the aroma of the ingredients and the liquid is still pretty much identical to root beer, however it is not as sweet, which I like, as I frequently wish soda was a tad less sweet.

Tasting this tea was peculiar, it had notes of root beer for sure, with a subtle sweetness. However it was not an exact match, there were also earthy notes of burdock, sweet licorice, and gentle fennel. It is a more earthy and less sweet root beer and man, was it immensely refreshing! I am tempted to get more, cold-steep it in soda water, and then add a bit of sugar syrup and cream to make an Italian cream soda style concoction. This is the first soda themed brew I have had that actually evokes soda, the others I have tried have been nightmarish, this was tasty and different, I could certainly tell it was evoking root beer!

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2016/07/nelsons-tea-really-root-beer-herbal-tea.html