Tea Story

Deliciously warm and earthy.

Sipdown (1301)!

This was an easy sipdown for me this morning – I adore this sweet and juicy watermelon flavoured tea and I try to ALWAYS keep it on hand, but it’s a catalog blend from MTC which means I can find it sold by many companies. So, this was the last of my 50g tin from Tea Story but immediately after finishing the tea I refilled the tin with the same tea sold by a different tea company – I didn’t even clean out the tin because it is literally the same thing, just with the other company’s label on it.

Seriously though – one of the best watermelon flavours that I’ve come across. So sweet and juicy but balanced by floral and refreshing greener oolong. Can’t wax poetic about this tea enough…

Hot cuppa from… Monday?

One more cup of this leaf and then a sipdown – most of the leaf left is broken up, so I know it will be a cup that’s a lot like this one: has the robustness of the sweet, juicy watermelon notes but the floral, greener oolong is more astringent/drying and just a hint bitter because it’s so broken up and the increased surface area is making it steep much stronger.

Cold Brew!

Like a Watermelon Jolly Rancher, sans sourness/pucker and with a pleasant floral undertone. This is such a refreshing blend, and I had it earlier this week after getting home from work so I practically CHUGGED it while making super. I’m still loving my new apartment a lot, but it’s really warm so I’ve been flying through cold brews.

Side note – this tasted basically identicle and looked identical to T by Daniel’s “What-A-Melon!?” blend so now I’m convinced this is a catalog blend from one of the big wholesalers (I think I may even know which one).

That just means it’s going to be really easy to replace it when I run out!

Should have been a cup of sweet candied watermelon deliciousness; the aroma of the dry leaf even had me visibly drooling! However, like an idiot, I oversteeped this tea by a lot while I was poorly attempting to multitask and I ended up with a cup with hints of that juicy watermelon note but mostly very bitter and drying oversteeped green oolong…

Midafternoon cup of tea from yesterday.

I feel like I always enjoy this tea, but this was an especially good mug since it really struck a balance between those sweet, candy like plum & watermelon notes and the delicate, greener and floral notes in the oolong. Almost like biting into a slice of sweet/candy like watermelon but still getting the greener taste from the watermelon rind too. Mmm!

Went through a melon sort of phase/mood earlier in the week – so, drank this one the same day that I had the iced Melon Drop. If I had a cantaloupe tea at home, I would have probably gone for the “melon trio” and done one of each of the three primary melon types…

This one was also iced; definitely delivered good watermelon notes though not as sweet/potent as the last time I had this one. Instead, I got some plum notes as well and a lot more of the very floral greener oolong base. The increase in base tea flavour was a really welcome addition though because it really balanced out the sweetness of the watermelon in a very natural way and made the whole cup feel a lot more level in terms of sweetness. Also a good reminder that I am still drinking tea and not just fruit juice – ’cause sometimes with a tea you can forgot if the tea is sweet and fruit heavy enough…

This one reminds me a lot of another Watermelon oolong tea I’ve had before; similarly both of these teas don’t actually have melon in them but instead rely more on plum and flavourings to achieve the delicious melon taste. I just can’t remember the name of the other melon oolong I’m thinking of…

Regardless; I really enjoy this one. It’s a little obvious that it doesn’t use actual melon because the melon flavour is really over the top sweet/candied and a little bit “too perfect” to be real melon; it’s like the idolized version of what watermelon should taste like – if that makes ANY sense at all? I still really enjoy it though; it’s a very tasty flavour! The oolong is ok too; definitely not the world’s nicest quality oolong but it has those grassy, soft floral notes that I like a lot and a touch of creaminess/nectarine that I think pairs super well with the otherwise very sweet watermelon notes.

I’m really glad that this is one of the teas my mom decided to bring home with her for me from Winnipeg – it’s been both fresh and exciting, but also a little nostalgic.

Cold Brew Sipdown (2586)!

Currently sipping on the last of a tumbler of this, and it’s making for a delightfully refreshing and juicy late morning brew. Very much like a Capri-Sun in taste both in terms of sweetness level, tartness/brightness and the balance of strawberry and kiwi. I do really enjoy it, but I know it’s also a catalog blend that’s easily findable elsewhere, so not too disappointing as far as sipdowns go.

This cold brew tasted a little bit like unsweetened Kool-Aid – but in a way that I enjoyed a lot, and that was super nostalgic as well!

Cold Brew!

Brought this along w/ me on the commute in to work today – it was delicious, but I need to remember in the evenings when I’m making commute bound cold brews to brew something that actually has caffeine in it. It’s a natural inclination to choose herbal teas in the evening because they’re caffeine free but I have to remember that I’m generally making cold brew for morning or afternoon consumption…

Tart and juicy tasting strawberry though! Reminds me a bit of the crisp and sour strawberry note in DT’s Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait blend – but not as hibby dominated I think. Not getting any kiwi whatsoever though…

A little on the tart side, but a good break from all of the black tea that I’ve been drinking today. Not a whole lot else to say about it though; it was mostly just something caffeine free and fruity to pace out the other teas I was drinking.

Iced, from today.

I think I like this one even more iced – it’s very sweet and juicy with a really nice, medium bodied strawberry note that reminds me of very ripe strawberries and then just a hint of kiwi. Kind of like a strawberry kiwi Slush Puppy/popsicle or other summer time treat. Finishes with some tartness.

Good shit, right here.

Midevening cuppa.

I drank this one hot for my first tasting, and I was a little bit fearful that it would be like most generic fruit infusions from smaller retailers – either very heavy on the apple or very heavy on the hibiscus with no real defining flavour to reflect its namesake. I feel like that happens a lot. That fear was also a little amplified because the other tea I’ve now tasted from this company was pretty dull and disappointing.

Thankfully, this actually was really lovely! I’d describe it as somewhat medium bodied with a sweet and juicy strawberry flavour creating the overall body of the sip. There’s definitely room here where the flavour could be a little more robust and defined but I also think it’s far from feeling weak or flat. The kiwi was present, but it’s definitely younger sibling to the strawberry. Both sweet and tart, but not too much of either. Of course, does have that apple-y backing note that a lot of fruit infusions have, but it doesn’t overtake what else is going on here. Quite pleasant overall, and I don’t feel like I was lied to about what the tea would taste like!

I also feel like it will be even better iced or cold brewed, and I can’t wait to try that!

So, I was drinking this cup of tea as I ended up messing up my tooth. It was like flipping a terrible switch, where I went from sweet and creamy decadent rooibos to white hot pain. I just could not bring myself to finish the last third of the cup. It’s really a shame, because it was one of the nicest cups of this tea that I’ve ever steeped up.

Cold Brew!

This basically just tastes like sweet and maybe a liittttlleeee bit creamy rooibos; it’s not awful but it’s not great either. However, cold brewing it is really helping me finish off the last of the leaf and it’s probably not the worst idea to be finishing off my night with something caffeine free and really hydrating either!

Hot w/ milk.

I went and saw the new Joker movie last night after work – I’ve got conflicting feelings about it as a whole, even though I mostly enjoyed it overall. For what it’s worth I’m not a huge DC/Batman fan so my opinion may as well be taken w/ a grain of salt, but I just felt like it could have been a stronger movie (based on the themes and social commentary they explored) were it not tied in to The Joker and rather just a general character exploration. As a “Joker” movie I don’t think it fits with the overall character of The Joker based on the comics, and not in a way that feels innovative but more in a way that kind of devalues the aspects that make him so notable!?

But JP did an excellent job in that role, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. As far as his acting and the cinematography are concerned, it was a 10/10.

I was going to try to bring a thermos of tea with me into the theater, as I often used to do with DT’s Movie Night blend – however I ended up running late leaving for the show and I didn’t have time to steep anything.

I made a mug of this tea, with milk, when I got home because I wanted something sweet and smooth to warm me up from the walk back to my apartment from the theater. It wasn’t a long way, about ten minutes, but it was like eleven at night and it’s starting to get chilly out and I was only wearing a T-shirt.

I drank half the mug, found it average at best, and then fell asleep. With the rate I’ve been falling asleep after half consuming mugs of tea I’m actually surprised I’ve yet to nod off with a mug in my hand…

Basically just a very sweet and mildly creamy tasting rooibos – usually I find this tea disappointing, but since I mostly just wanted something sweet and caffeine free that wasn’t at all fruity this cup actually and surprisingly really hit the spot!

Hot with vanilla agave and an extra long steep.

Making it this way was a huge improvement; I think the agave probably carried the flavour a lot but this actually did seem to resemble white chocolate in terms of creaminess and overall body. The liquor felt thicker, also. Pleasant honey wood notes from the red rooibos base. Good tea for late night sweet cravings.

My mom decided to go on a spontaneous vacation to Winnipeg earlier in the week, and today she got back in town. Turns out there was a tea place near her hotel that she decided to check out, and she wound up bringing me back some tea!

The place is called “Tea Story” and I’ve actually heard of it before… kind of. When I was last in Winnipeg it was on the list of tea places that I had looked up to visit, but we didn’t end up going to it because it seemed more like a cafe and we had a limited amount of time, so we prioritized the places that weren’t cafes.

This is one of the teas she brought back, and I think it was a good pick – looking at the ingredients list it seems a little plain/boring (rooibos, white chocolate, cocoa shells) but the name is something that would have also caught my attention too, and I do like white chocolate so if it tastes like white chocolate then it could definitely be a winner! The dry aroma is a little sweet and creamy, but mostly it smells just like boring, plain rooibos so I’m not getting my hopes up. Steeped up, it’s pretty bland. I mean, it definitely doesn’t taste bad BUT it’s a stretch to say there’s more going on here that slightly sweeter than usual red rooibos in terms of flavour. It’s not especially creamy or distinctly white chocolate tasting. So, pretty ‘meh’ overall.

Hopefully her other two picks are a step up.

Sipdown (139)!

Thank you to Tea Story for providing the sample! Silver Needle is definitely in my top five favourite types of pure tea, and I always love trying new companies’ selections of it. Since the brewing instructions on the sample packet were Western style that’s how I decided to prepare it.

It was actually my commute to work tea for the morning; this week is my first in my new production position so I’ve gone from catching the bus to work at 8:10 to catching it at 6:40 in the morning. It’s a harsh change of pace; but I’m really appreciating the stillness of getting up so early. The world is so quiet! It’s the perfect time of day to drink my tea and appreciate it fully – for the same reasons I so greatly love having a cuppa in the dead of night.

All in all I enjoyed the cup quite a bit; although I have a hard time calling it anything more than average. It demonstrated very typical Yin Zhen flavour notes: sweet hay/straw, lightly floral characteristics, and slight peachyness. I also thought that it had a bit of a heavy whipping cream sort of vibe and while I can’t call that super typical it also isn’t a flavour note unique to this Yin Zhen. And typical isn’t a bad thing by a long stretch. If I was looking for a very simple, every day drinking Silver Needle that I wouldn’t feel bad for drinking quiet casually I think this would likely be a good choice if it was offered at the right price. I also think, however, that between this and the Big Red Robe I tasted from Tea Story the oolong was definitely the better offering.

Again, I’m very grateful for the free sample though! It was a very pleasant and enjoyable cuppa for the commute to work, and I can never pass up a mug of Silver Needle.

Sipdown (140)!

Thank you to Tea Story for kindly sending me some samples to try out and review for them. Since the steeping guide on the sample packet has Western brewing instructions that’s how I decided to try out the sample.

My first infusion was very warm and toasty with some great, roasty flavour and a bit of a softer nuttiness. Definitely no bitterness or astringency; just a very smooth flavour and mouthfeel. I’d say probably more of a medium body than anything else. Other than the roasty notes, I also found that this was a bit floral, especially as it cooled and had a nice sweetness that was a bit of a cross between a lighter caramel and sort of a honey sweetness. Maybe the tiniest hint of light peachy fruitiness?

My second infusion was a much lighter roasty flavour that was less of a top note and more of a body note. Instead, I’d say the focus was definitely shifted more in favour of the floral notes in the tea. It maintains that honey sweetness in the finish, although this one doesn’t have a super long lasting aftertaste.

I know traditionally is usually reserved for people of high esteem or special occasions but I think because of the lower caffeine level, general ‘smoothness’ of the blend, and really nice flavour profile this would make for a very unobtrusive daily drinker. Thanks again Tea Story for the sample!

Tea sent to me by a Tea Story. Ceylons tend to get a bad wrap around here – they’re often too brisk/coppery for a lot of folks or people think of red rose sort of experiences. I’ve had a few really great ceylons but this one is super. Missing from this cup is that brassy/copper note that a lot of ceylone have. Instead this is very smooth and easy to drink. Resteeps of this were also great – not diminishing in the flavour. Looking forward to trying a few more from a Tea Story if this is my first experience with them.

thanks so much for the sample!