SerendipiTea

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Recent Tasting Notes

78
drank Congo Bongo by SerendipiTea
159 tasting notes

Yes yes Yes!
You can taste the coconut and nilgiri on the first sip, then the mango flavour in the back of your mouth.
Absolutely delightful. Will have again tomorrow

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34

A cup of this to take away from the normally infallible Hopetoun Tea rooms in Melbourne. Unfortunately, a little under-strength. I didn’t mind the characteristics it had, but it didn’t have anything to back up the foretaste, no middle and certainly no aftertaste. Not much aroma either.
Will tray again today and see if it does better

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93
drank Colonille by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

I am home today because the tree doctor had to come, and I am sad to say it is bad news. Maple is very sick and rotted. It’s time for her to go. Between her and Wild Cherry that is growing crookedly over the house and could fall and wreak havoc – it’s a terrible, terrible day for old trees and a horrible, horrible day for our bank account (I love trees and there is no way I would ever get one cut down unless it was dire. We had our landscaper alert us to the problem and tell us do it NOW rather then later, and the tree expert echoed his opinion). I don’t think I’l be buying tea for quite awhile after this out of the blue expense!

I needed a surefire pick me up this afternoon, and realized that I have not tried this one yet! Vanilla – my comfort. Ooooooh and this one is gooooooood. So rich and a bit like a liqueur! I used some half and half and sugar and you would think I went and got one of those $10 hot toddy things with whipped cream on it and everything. I feel like I had a very decadent and heavy dessert. I actually feel FULL from this tea!

Thank you, Colonille! You really picked me up this afternoon :)

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
sophistre

I love this tea! I’m sad about your trees, though. It’s always a bummer when one of the old ones has to go…we had to do that with a few palms at our place when we lived in Florida (you wouldn’t think palm trees could be expensive…but lemme tell you…I feel your pain, sister!).

It’s always nice when a good tea can come to the rescue!

gmathis

Sympathies! Do you still have a good tree to curl up and read and sip under?

JacquelineM

Tea and long baths. I don’t know what I would do without tea and long baths!!!!

The alarming thing is that the tree doctor said that a lot of Maples in the area have been really sick and dying. Ours is not the first he’s seen get rotted in this way and need to come down. I wonder what is going on.

__Morgana__

Sorry about your trees. :-( Now you’ve got me wanting a hot toddy!

JacquelineM

gmathis – not near the deck, no. We have alot of trees in the back but no others near where we sit. The tree doctor said we can plant something more appropriate and intentional when we are ready and I guess he’s right, but…

Doulton

I am so sorry to hear about your trees. It’s also a wretched way to spend money. You deserve the best of teas.

gmathis

This appears to have been a traumatic week for a number of Steepsterites.

LadyLondonderry

My sympathies on all your recent losses. I’m glad your teas are giving you some comfort during this tough week.

I ♥ NewYorkCiTEA

Losing a large tree makes me sad too. =(

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81

I was very happy with this tea. This was the first Chai that I owned and made myself, and I find that about 1:3 ratio for Milk to Water with a spoon of Creamed Honey put straight into the pot makes this tea amazing.

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87
drank Ruby Sipper by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

I very much enjoyed my Blood Orange Italian Soda tea last night! Sweet/tart perfection with a scant teaspoon of honey.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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87
drank Ruby Sipper by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Wonderful late night cuppa. Refreshingly sweet/tart and flavorful. I thought it would be tough going back to evening herbals after my caffeine-fueled vacation, but this beauty softened the blow.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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87
drank Ruby Sipper by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Love this one! I now can’t help but think of it as “Blood Orange Italian Soda Tea” :) I used a teaspoon of some new raw organic honey I just got at Whole Foods, and WOW – if this isn’t a synergistic blending, I don’t know what is. Sweet/tart perfection.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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87
drank Ruby Sipper by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Very delicious tisane! I realized why I like it so much – it tastes like the blood orange Italian sodas I adore! I think I am going to hot brew some this weekend, sweeten it lightly with organic cane sugar, cool it, and add it to sparkling mineral water for a healthier-than-store-bought (and less expensive!) refreshment!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
gmathis

Just smiling at the thought of closing your eyes and clicking your heels as you drink this … there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home …

JacquelineM

Have you read Wicked by Gregory McGuire? A whole new spin on the Wizard of Oz told through the witch’s POV! I loved it!!!

Also – since I was a teenager I have always had a pair of red shoes in rotation – partially for the ruby slippers reference and partially for David Bowie’s Let’s Dance (put on your red shoes and dance the blues. HUGE Bowie fan here).

I was wearing my red shoes a few months ago and a bunch of high school students were in a clump, and one yelled “Follow the yellow brick road!!!” at me! I yelled back “There’s no place like home!!!” They all cracked up – I win!! :)

gmathis

I haven’t read any of the Gregory MacGuires yet … I’ve heard reviews at both ends of the spectrum from people whose opinions I respect. Keep telling myself if I can find it at my favorite Goodwill for a buck, I’ll invest, but not till then.

Red shoes are just happy. My favorite pair ever, long retired, were red ankle-length “elf boots.”

AmazonV

pst -gmathis want me to try and mooch it for you? it’s a good read :) son of a witch was good too, still trying to get the lion book

LadyLondonderry

I spied a bottled blood-orange juice from Italy in the greengrocer at Chelsea Market the other day. I might have to purchase some and mix it with some seltzer, now that you’ve given me the idea.

On the red-shoes front, don’t forget dear Elvis Costello’s “The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes”!

JacquelineM

I hope you like it!! :)

And yes – Elvis Costello!! I was also thinking about the fairy tale the Red Shoes, and all of the work inspired by it (including Kate Bush’s album!)

Yep, I have to always have a pair of red shoes :) (but hopefully none of them will make me dance nonstop until I cut my feel off etc etc etc!).

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87
drank Ruby Sipper by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

My most beautiful herbal tisane! Ruby red as all get-out! Blood orange and cranberry – tart in a good way. Not overpowering. So nice before bed. Excellent with a snack of pistachios!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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87
drank Ruby Sipper by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

One more late night cup. Very satisfying and unique blood orange and cranberry combination! Such a beautiful color. It manages to be both pleasantly tart/bitter and thirst quenching at the same time, like an Italian soda or Campari.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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87
drank Ruby Sipper by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

What a delicious herbal tisane! I think it tastes like blood orange and cranberry. It’s quite tart but I find it very refreshing! Perfect when you are in the mood for something fruity and don’t want caffeine.

It’s so nice that I would serve this to guests that want an herbal. It’s an absolutely gorgeous color! I do like popping an herbal tea bag in a mug, but this loose herbal is very much worth the extra trouble :) I also think it would be delicious iced, and delicious added to a black tea iced as well.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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72
drank Cocoa Loco by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Quite yummy, but somehow Once Upon a Tea (basically this one with the addition of mint) tasted more chocolaty. Hmmm! I never thought I’d say this, but I prefer it with the touch of mint!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Enjoyed this as our dessert tonight, made in the Divine Decadence fashion (squirt of agave, squirt of chocolate syrup, splash of milk). Sooooo yummy and rich. I love the hint of mint with the chocolate.

I am very close to being finished this tisane, but luckily my local tea shop has a version of it (it could be the same with the way I’ve learned many tea companies do their business!). I will definitely pick some up because this is an absolute fave when I don’t want caffeine, but want something special.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Made this last night with chocolate syrup/agave nectar/half and half and it was such a treat! The mint adds a special something that I really enjoy. Perfect weeknight dessert! Amazingly satisfying.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

I decided to use my Concoction of Divine Decadence on this tisane last night:

Squeeze of agave, squeeze of chocolate syrup in a cup, prepare and pour tisane into cup, top with splash of half and half…

I was a little nervous because of the mint, but there was nothing to be worried about. Think of chocolate chip mint ice cream! Think of thin mint girl scout cookies! and you will get the gist of this treat.

I love discovering new ways to enjoy things in my cupboard!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

This one is particularly delicious tonight – lots of vanilla flavor. The chocolate and mint are playing backup. Relaxing…mmmmmmm.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

It was deja vu all over again! More Hershey’s chocolate and this tea last night. The tea was just as rich and enjoyable.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Last night’s chocolate bar was the very elegant Hershey’s Golden Almond. My first instinct was to pair it with one of my vanilla teas, but I didn’t want caffeine. I then thought of this tisane! I was unsure about the mint component with almonds, but it worked really well. The mint doesn’t hit you over the head in this one. Very nice chocolate and vanilla notes too, and a great richness. I have to keep this one in mind for future chocolate eating!!! I loved the combo!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

I was in the mood for something sweet, and my husband was nursing a stomach ache. I thought this tea would fit both of our needs and then some! Rooibos and mint for the tum, chocolate and fruit chunks for the sweet. We both enjoyed it very much!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

YUM! I had this with a little agave nectar and it was so good. I have a theory that honey overwhelms chocolate notes in teas, and was very curious to try this one a little sweetened but not with honey. Yep – it had more chocolate flavor with an alternative sweetener. Now I want to try all of my chocolatey tisanes with it!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Once Upon A Tea by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Drank a big mug of this late last night. Mmmmmmm. The flavors of mint, chocolate and rooibos combine for a very satisfying cup. They were blended nicely and not a single one screamed out or stole the show. Vanilla is listed as one of the ingredients, but I didn’t identify it as a taste. I imagine it contributed to the overall richness. There were also bits of what looked like dried fruit, but I don’t know what kind. They were not a prominent part of the flavor but again, I think they added a certain something to the tisane because it was very rich and satisfying.

This is a great tea to have when you are in the mood for a dessert tea, but don’t want caffeine. Even though it seems like it is Fellini’s Folly with chocolate added, it really isn’t. The proportions of mint are totally different and the extra additions change that invigorating and digestive tisane into a lovely treat.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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I am a big baby who likes her green teas (well, this is a pouchong, but I think it’s a very green one because it tastes much nicer at 175 vs a higher temperature) with flavorings! A bit of orange peel along with a soft jasmine. Enjoyable every now and again, but this is not the finest jasminey tea I have tasted. I wouldn’t repurchase, but then again, when I thought about giving this one away, I couldn’t! I’ll have to remember this one for the occasional afternoon when I want something warm and light.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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I’ve lightened up my tea drawer at work for the Spring and Summer! All of the heavy black teas have gone home, and I have a bunch of oolongs, greens, and whites for the warm months. I thought this one – organic jasmine, organic orange peel, and organic Pouchong – sounded like the embodiment of the warmer weather!

First a sniff – heaven!!! The three ingredients combine for a slightly sweet and flowery aroma. Now a taste – mmmmmm! The smell pretty much describes the taste. I am surprised what a subtle, delightful detail the orange peel is. It gives a touch of sweetness and flavoring that I am loving.

Second infusion: (4 min) Light. Still jasminey and a little orange peel on the end of the sip. A bit disappointed that it was so light.

Third infusion: (5 min, and I upped the water temp to 195 since the second infusion was light) Sigh. Hot water with a jasmine taste. Drinkable but..

A question! It was a delicious first infusion at 185 but when I looked up Pouchongs, some people used 195, some 205 – does anyone have any temperature opinions about this type of tea? Maybe 185 for the first infusion then 195 for the subsequent infusion? I don’t think this one can do three. Do people change temps from infusion to infusion? Halp! Tea may get a bump if I can figure out how to make it more multiple steep friendly.

I also have to say that I was very happy with my serendipiTea ordering experience. My order arrived quickly and well packed in tons of colorful shredded magazine pages! I’m thrilled with their packaging. The teas come in a recyclable box and then a “plastic” bag which is actually a vegetable material and fully able to compost. The artwork is beautiful, and the tea names are whimsical and thoughtful. They use many organic ingredients. A real pleasure to order from them :)

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Miss Sweet

That tea sounds lovely! And thanks for the note about ordering & packaging, always good to know. I see this company ships overseas too, will definitely be checking them out!

~lauren.

I liked the name “three part poetry” – but had no idea what it meant, so I wiki-ed it – “ode generally has three parts: a strophe, an antistrophe, and an epode” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry#Ode; maybe everybody else knew except me but I learned something new today on steepster and your tea choice!

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drank Fellini's Folly by SerendipiTea
1112 tasting notes

Soothing and minty. I’m not sure what kind of rooibos is in here but oh it’s so rich! This tisane brews to such a dark and flavorful cuppa. It takes milk and a little sugar so well just like a “real” cup of tea :) Wonderful choice for the evening.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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