RiverTea

T&C TTB#3: This smells cakey, sweet and cinnamony. I see a cardamom pod and maybe dried fruit? In taste it is mostly a generic spice cake ruled by cinnamon with a vaguely fruity note. It’s actually pretty decent although I don’t really get any “cake.” I also don’t get much of a tea base that I can isolate but that may just be my jaded and overworked tastebuds. :)

Sipdown (96)!

Oh wow; I’m out of this one again. I cold brewed it to take to work yesterday as per the norm, and I have to admit this was not the best cold brew I’ve made. In fact, it might have been the worst. For the first time ever I tasted the hibiscus quite strongly, and there was some other tartness contributed by pineapple and orange flavour notes which, just like the hibiscus, are not normally present at all.

I’m thinking these elements of the blend must have just sunk to the bottom of the package, and that’s why it was so pronounced. That said, even though this is probably the worst yield I’ve had it was still drinkable and ok tasting – just not up to its usual standard. This is back on my shopping list, and if RiverTea ends up doing anything for Black Friday or Cyber Monday I’ll definitely be getting more of it sooner rather than later; there are a couple RiverTea blends I need to restock on now, and a few I’d like to try as well.

Unrelated to this tea, but still related to tea…

Yesterday there was an Antiques show/sale in the mall I work at (like I’ve mentioned before, it is a very senior oriented mall). At first I wasn’t really excited or very aware of it at all but at some point during my shift it dawned on me that antiques could mean old teaware! So on my break I ran over to the ATM, withdrew some cash and went shopping.

There was a lot of very cool stuff – tea related and non tea related. Pretty well every vendor had a decent size selection of tea sets, old teapots, saucers, and teacups. One vendor had a GIANT tin of Ceylon Tea from 1910. But out of all the cool stuff and teaware nothing really drew me in and made me want to buy it. Except for one thing. I saw it, and immediately knew that it had to be mine.

So, I am now the proud owner of an Antique Jasperware Wedgwood Teapot! Here are some pictures I took of it:

http://kissmyassam.tumblr.com/post/100473455064/guyfierithirdandfinalantichrist-antique

The thing that immediately drew me to it was the obvious Greek influence. I’ve always loved Greek Culture, but when I studied different art styles and periods in my IB Art Course I really learned a lot about the developing art style related to Greek Pottery; it’s my favourite, though somewhat niche and specific, art style/period. But then, the see that adapted to a teapot – and one so beautifully shaped (it fits PERFECTLY in my hands guys; like, it’s the perfect size to be cradled by my little baby hands), it was instant in love.

The antiques dealer didn’t know a lot about it other than that she didn’t think it’d ever been used, but upon closer inspection I think it was – the inside is very well cleaned without tea staining (probably why she thought it was unused) but inside the spout theirs’ some darker tea staining that makes me think it was probably used for black tea quite a bit.

I also spent some time last night studying and researching Wedgwood potter’s marks so I could date it – and based upon the potter’s marks, the placement, and the font I’m very confidant this piece is from between 1908 – 1929. So, possibly, this teapot is over a hundred years old! That’s so cool!

I ran out of time today to clean it, but since there’s some notable dirt build up inbetween the white decals and where the handle meets the body of the pot I’m going to try and clean it tomorrow. I want my new Wedgwood (I have named him Julius, after Julius Caesar) to shine! Although, not really because it has a matte finish. But the point still stands.

What a beautiful, unexpected find!

Mini Queue to work through today!

This one was a cold brew that I had last Tuesday on my day off; strong raspberry, cream and vanilla notes were all present like usual with a little bit of extra floralness from the rose petals in the blend. Usually I don’t taste them, but they were coming through more so than usual.

Did anyone else watch the premier of Jane The Virgin last week? I didn’t even know it was a thing, but Tre asked me if I wanted to watch it so I watched with him – I have to admit that the premise is really far fetched but I was hooked pretty well instantly! It reminded me heavily of Ugly Betty and Dead Like Me; the same sort of bright/bubbly characters and narrative style as the former, but with some of the more twisted humor of the latter.

Basically, there’s only one episode so far (the second airs tonight) so you should all watch it so I have someone to talk about it with! ;)

This is what I started to cold brew on Friday, and the plan was to take it with me during my day out Saturday w. Kristina – but due to sleeping in really late I didn’t have time to strain it in the morning, so when we took the bus back to my place to kill time for a few hours before the show, I used that time to strain this and have myself something cold to drink. It was good. Super raspberry, very thirst quenching and juicy. I love this one. Just love it.

We didn’t do much at my place; had some munchies, watched some stupid Youtube videos. She showed me some of the music I was gonna be seeing at the concert that night; most of it just sounded like loud angry men screaming, but it made her happy which made me happy so that’s good.

And then after a few hours her friend Garett came and picked us up since we were going to the show with him and his roommate/her friend Travis, and we went out to eat before the show started!

Prepared this one hot, just to switch things up a little from my usual cold brew routine for this blend. I’m actually burning through it really quickly (quicker than I expected) so another RiverTea order (just to restock, likely) could be a possibility in the next couple months. I know I do want more Magic Summer, anyway…

Here’s what I jotted down when drinking this bad boy:

- Kinda weird drinking it hot instead of CBed
- Still good; but CB is better
- Very tart initial sip, but then transitions to vibrant, thick creamy raspberry
- Which is then quickly accompanied by vanilla notes
- Reminds me of eating Frozen Raspberries w. Cool Whip at my Grandma’s

The Frozen Raspberries with cool whip is a really nostalgic to me. Growing up, when my brother and I (and much later my younger sister) visited our Grandma over the summer for a few weeks it was always a really big deal to get to go out into the raspberry bushes she maintained (they seemed SO big as a kid, but the reality is that it was kinda just a 4×4 patch of raspberry bush) and spend ours a few days out of the week just picking the best, ripe berries.

We’d then wash them ourselves after “the harvest” and she’s freeze them for a day. Then on the last day before we left she’d cook a giant meal for all her grand kids (Liam, me, and our cousin Luke) and for dessert we’d get to gorge on this massive amount of raspberries with cream that we had worked so hard (so more prickly scratches and cuts from the damn bushes) to collect. It was this really, really cool end of the summer tradition.

So this is nostalgic, but in the best way. It’s weird, because while I’ve always found this one delicious this is the first time I’ve had it bring me back to all those years ago.

Heya! Notes from teas I had today! Hoorah!

This was cold brewed; finally crackin’ into the 50g I bought in my most recent RiverTea order. Summary of thoughts; 50g wasn’t enough, I should have gone for 100g. Seriously.

This is such a good raspberry tea! And for me it really, really stands out as a fruit blend because on top of being very genuinely raspberry flavoured it’s also insanely creamy with beautiful vanilla notes. It’s so lush and refreshing and doesn’t even get close to treading into overly tart hibiscus territory. Yummy!

Sipdown (176/182)!

Thank you Courtney for sending me some more of this one! I started cold brewing it in the fridge before work yesterday and somehow managed to strain it last night despite feeling severely worse. Seriously, I was so scared that I was going to be too weak to hold my mason jar and I’d drop it…

I decided that it was probably safe for me to drink it today: it was cold, I had lots of it, and it’s herbal so it’d be thirst quenching. Plus, the few times I’ve had this one it’s been very flavourful so I wasn’t too worried about it not tasting as great because of the whole “sick thing”.

It was actually pretty decent though I did feel like I was tasting a “muted” version of it. It could be because I’m sick, or it could be because it was just a less spectacular cold brew. Either way I’m putting it back on my wish list: I like this one! It’s creamy and I feel like I have more exploring to be done with it!

Sipdown (183/187)!

…But only a temporary one: it sounds like I’m getting more of it from Courtney. Definitely looking forward to it!

I finished this baby off by cold brewing the last tbsp. and a half in two shots of Raspberry Vodka which sat in the fridge overnight getting all saturated and stuff. I then strained it this morning and now I’m drinking it in the evening with a splash of pineapple juice squeezed into it.

It’s bright, almost neon, purple! How intriguing!

I have to say – it’s not bad this way but it really isn’t anywhere near as good as it was prepared as a straight up, nothing fancy cold brew. When I have more I’ll probably just still to enjoying it that way.

Prepared like this, it’s a little more like the Raspberry Lemonade I was originally expecting, but with a creamy/burny aftertaste. And now that I’ve had my alcohol for the night I’m feeling sleepy so I think I’ll sleep it off and try to get well rested for the long, undoubtedly miserable, shift I have ahead of me tomorrow…

EDIT: Oh hey, I forgot to mention it in any of my tasting notes! Today is/was my friend Geordan’s 19th Birthday! He recently immigrated to Canada from Jamaica and this is his first year in Canada. It was kind of sad, really, that I couldn’t celebrate with him because of work. He recently asked me to make a tea sampler for him because he’s fascinated by my tea obsession: he has no idea what he’s in for…

I’m going to go all out and make the most massive sampler for him as a birthday present! He’ll be overwhelmed by all the tea. You know what’s really fascinating though? He grew up drinking almost solely herbal teas (Peppermint primarily) – but all the tea he drank was made with things grown in his backyard!

I find that a lot more interesting than my going online and just buying what sounds cool. He grew what sounded interesting!

Thank you Courtney for the lovely sample! I cold brewed it first chance I got and was very excited to bring it to work today.

Honestly this was practically nothing like I expected it to be: I was anticipating like a Raspberry Lemonade type drink and this just flooded me with delicious freshly picked raspberries with cream on top. It’s amazing, and really different from anything else I own! I don’t know how it does it either: nothing in the ingredients list looks like it would evoke a creamy, vanilla flavour but that’s what I got dammit!

Now I’m torn: do I make the cold brew like I know I enjoy it or should I wait until I have a day off and prepare it with some Raspberry Vodka because I have that in the fridge right now and I bet it’d be really good. Damn choices!

Regardless, it’s going on my shopping list right now. I need MOAR!

From the Here’s Hoping Traveling Tea Box #2

I have read such wonderful things about River Tea that I was excited to try one of their offerings. If their other teas meet the high quality of this one then I’m not surprised that so many people on Steepster enjoy them!

This is a beautiful oolong. There is so much fresh, juicy raspberry flavor. There is also the buttery flavor of the oolong. The combination is outstanding. I resteeped my leaves twice, and the balance of flavor remained the same for each cup. It’s well named, too. This really does taste like spring in a cup.

Edit: My 500th tasting note! Yay!

I got a cup of hot water this morning when I got to to work, and then I forgot for a while to steep anything in it. It was still hot, but not as hot, so I used the last of the sample I received of this, as this is a white tea, and actually good with the cooler hot water.

I really like this tea, and I just need to order some. I have DavidsTea Pistachio Cream, which has a lot of mulberry, but no actual tea. I also discovered I like white tea…who knew?

I appreciate the white tea…very light and delicate, and not overpowering. This tastes more and more fruity as it cools. I must LOVE mulberries! I also taste the peach that some others mentioned. A nice light tea! I got this as a sample in a RiverTea order…very nice to do that!

This was a sample included with my RiverTea order.

Once again, I don’t always do well with citrus, and this is no exception. I’m finding it to be more grapefruit than strawberry. The honeybush base is nice and not intrusive.
This is not something I would order, but if you like grapefruit and are looking for a caffeine free option, you should give this one a try.

Sipdown (168/172)!

It’s raining, it’s pouring…
The lazy teenager old man is snoring…

I had a crazy good sleep and then woke up with some tasty, tasty oolongs. It’s been a pretty simple, relaxed day so far! However, I think I’m ready to go back to work tomorrow; it’s been a nice “vacation”.

Thank you aisling of tea for the sample of this one; it’s another RiverTea blend that’s eerily similar to Tea Desire’s blends so I was also excited to compare the two since TD’s Raspberry Oolong is another blend I keep stocked.

I must say the two are very, very similar: both have an incredibly strong and juicy raspberry taste that dominates the cup and commands your undivided attention and both have a touch of floral quality and nice buttery, pastry like notes. The main difference I experienced was that this one tastes greener and TD’s steps up the pastry comparison to a whole ’nother level.

For my personal tastes, I think I would prefer to keep TD’s stocked just because I’m not the biggest fan of green/vegetal tasting teas, so I like the pastry quality of their blend better than the green quality of this one. That works out well I guess since TD is local. However, someone who prefers a slightly greener oolong would likely enjoy this one more than the TD blend.

Both are very good, however.

Were it not for the flowers, this one would’ve been tasty. I’m getting raspberry, but the flowers are just too overpowering.

This is a sample sipdown!

Sipdown (170/174)!

An unexpected one, at that…

I was sure there was enough leaf left for one more cup so I could do a direct “side to side” comparison between this and Tea Desire’s Chai Apricot – but I suppose not. But overall, I think that’s ok. Based on what I tasted in this hot cup I think that would have been unnecessary: this tastes basically exactly like Chai Apricot (not surprising; they’re strikingly similar) except with maybe a little bit more clove. It’s also missing one flavour note that I’ve grown to love and expect from Chai Apricot: the weird, hard to place and identify where it’s coming from presence of ketchup…

So I think between the two I like Chai Apricot more just for that weird, exotic flavour note that only I seem to get. That’s not to say this wasn’t good, though!

I made this in a timolino for work but forgot about it so I’m only just now getting to it at home, and it’s stone cold. Oh well; I’ll have it hot tomorrow or the next day.

I picked this as a sample in my most recent RiverTea order so that I could do a comparison between it and Tea Desire’s Apricot Chai since both are practically identical. Tea Desire’s take it probably one of, if not the best Chai blends I keep stocked. It’s sweet, and and spicy and really different from other chai teas. Up until RiverTea launched I had never seen anything like it sold by another tea company.

Cold, this smells kind of… dusty. That doesn’t come off as too promising, I must say.

However, the taste is not bad at all! The first flavour combo I get a feel for is apricot/cinnamon and it’s sweet like it could be from sliced apricot dusted in cinnamon sugar. From there I get a little ginger (more ginger than I remember tasting in Tea Desire’s version) and that’s a bit disheartening; I don’t like ginger much at all. Finally, this rounds out with a lot of clove flavoured aftertaste. It almost tastes licorice-like too. Much like TD’s version, the green base is pretty well buried.

I’m definitely curious to try this hot to see if the flavours present themselves in a different way. I don’t think I’ll be able to definitely say which of the two blends I like better until I’ve, firstly, had this one hot and, secondly, recently had a cup of TD’s version.

The nuttiness works great with the green tea base here. It’s very similar to Divine Temptation, and the almond is pretty subtle if it’s there at all, mostly nougat I’m getting here. Either way, it’s really tasty.

They can’t all be winners. This one was far too hibiscus-heavy. I’ll try again with a shorter steeping time, since I went at the mid-steeping point suggested. I may also try it iced.

This tea was everything I was hoping for. The star anise adds a nice dimension.

This was one of the samples I ordered with my RiverTea order.

It’s very reminiscent of Cantaloupe & Cream, a light tea base and light, but still apparent flavours. Overall a tasty tea, but maybe not one I need in my own cupboard. Though I can see why everyone enjoys it.

I still have more, so I may try adding more leaf to my cup for a bit more flavour.

Sad sipdown.

This tea was really tasty. The steeping parameters make it pretty expensive at 3 tsp. per cup, but I will happily buy some more occasionally to have around. The banana flavour is nothing short of amazing.

This tea is amazing. Banana bread-ish deliciousness. Sil you were right.

I finally got to try the sample of it a few days ago. Perhaps I overleafed it, as it came out really strong and with not much detectable flavor to it other than the stroooong base tea. I mean, I could definitely notice some hint of fruitiness but it was mostly “unidentified tropical flavors” with no complexity to them.

I think I should have been more careful steeping this one because I feel like it was mainly my fault this tea didn’t come out right. And that’s why I am not rating it.