The Forest Witch

Tea Press Sipdown (334)!

I had actually already thought I’d finished this one off when I found the bag of it in my sample box, so this is kind of like a surprise bonus cup of it! I think the fact I was so pleasantly surprised to see that I had another cup of it really speaks to how much I enjoyed this one, though!

This last cup was fairly one note – but it was a good one note. Basically, it was just really sweet, fruity and bright kiwi notes! Kiwi is pretty great though. The only thing that kept it from basically just being a purely kiwi flavoured cuppa was a hint of lemon in the finish. It was the perfect second layer of flavour, and a pleasant end to the sip.

I’m not looking to get more of this one right now, but definitely something I’d consider ordering again the the future!

Iced.

We had a big staff meeting/pizza party the other night and I decided it might be a nice opportunity to bring a tea with me to make a pitcher of for the whole staff to try out. I chose this one because it’s fruity, and doesn’t have anything in it that our staff is allergic to. I just had a hunch it’d go over well.

I’d say it had a pretty good success rate – of the about eight or nine people who tried it only one said they weren’t really a fan, citing the rooibos/honeybush flavour as being too strong from them to really enjoy it. Totally fair.

My favourite comment, which I have to agree with, was made by my colleague Sarah who said it tasted like a melted down slurpee, just with less sugar. Yeah, I totally get that! A kiwi slurpee for sure, but yes that totally clicks for me.

Only a cup or two left for myself now; making a pitcher used a lot of leaf. It was worth it though for the big group share!

This is still pretty pine-y, but mostly it’s sweet, bright kiwi with hints of lemon and melon. I’m actually liking it even more today than I did last time, even though I did let it sit a little too long and now it’s a weird temperature that’s just slightly above room temp!?

Also, it’s pretty lush, fresh and bright and those sweet, lively fruit notes are a really nice counterpart to my lunch, which is a cheese fondue made out of this GREAT melted down Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese which is creamy, buttery and kind of nutty. I’m dipping fresh grapes and crackers in it, so it’s already this nice, sweet and kind of light snack/meal and the tea just mimics those vibes and that kind of fun, upbeat flavour profile.

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyv0ZlW0yS0&index=4&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ

I’m pretty much keeping that upbeat, fun and lively feeling going with my music pairing today – which is essentially just the Moana soundtrack. I mean, that’s perfectly in line with not only the vibes of the tea but the meal, too! I keep gravitating to this particular song though; it’s just the perfect mirror to the mood/aesthetic I’m striving for.

New Company Alert!

So, I was looking for new flavoured teas to try and I realized that I really wasn’t sure what company to order from that would be new to me and carry things that were unique/hand made and not just sourced from a larger company like MTC or East Indie’s. So, I started looking on Etsy (because there are a few companies popular on Steepster that started off on Etsy) and this is one I stumbled upon! It’s a mix of fandom inspired teas, mythological teas, and a collection of horoscope blends! Pretty cool concept already, and everything looked pretty unique on top of that.

I was actually very impressed with my experience ordering from them; once stuff had been shipped out it arrived really quickly and it was packaged really well. Plus, the packaging of the tea itself is pretty nice; everything reseals and is sun blocked and even the sample I got came in a sealed foil bag rather than just a crafting style bag.

I was going to get her Pisces blend because that’s what I am but honestly the flavour profile of Pisces didn’t appeal to me at all so I got this one instead because it jumped out to me the most flavour wise. Also, cantaloupe! Holy shit am I down for more cantaloupe teas in my life. Plus, fruity rooibos/honeybush is something I’m always open to as well. I like having lots of night time drinking options.

- Smells great; strong kiwi, lemon, and… pine?
- Mostly tastes of kiwi; in a very realistic and natural way
- Though just the sweetness of the kiwi; no acidity at all
- Melony as well; but I wouldn’t describe it as cantaloupe
- The lemon is interesting: it’s strong, but not as strong as the kiwi
- It also pairs very well w. the kiwi; takes me back to Kiwi’s Big Adventure!
- Which was a DT blend with kiwi/lemon/apple
- I’m also, weirdly enough, still getting a bit of that pine taste
- Though confused about where it’s coming from, I think it actually adds nice dimension

On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed the cup though I don’t think it was without areas of improvement. Personally, I wish the cantaloupe had been a more distinct cantaloupe flavour instead of just melon, and I’m still totally baffled as to what what giving this that strong pine flavour, even if I liked it overall. Still this makes me really excited to see what else this company has to offer, and very eager to try the other two things I picked up from the company.

This tea tastes like an herbal roasted oolong, though the base is green tea.
I’ve never had mugwort before, so I didn’t know what to expect for the flavor. Though I don’t know what mugwort is supposed to taste like, I think it is the dominant flavor. I definitely don’t get much jasmine or fennel coming through. I hear that mugwort can be bitter, so perhaps these other ingredients tame the bitterness, because its definitely not bitter.

It’s a pleasant, comforting tea. Maybe not one I’ll drink everyday, but I will be in the mood for it from time to time.

New tea, New tea!!!! I have been stuck in a rut lately, sticking to my favorites and not venturing out much anymore. Then I found this new line of teas with pagan, fantastical, and sometimes geeky themes and I had to try some!!

This tea tastes like a hearty cup of slightly sweetened oatmeal and no weird aftertaste. If you like bready/nutty teas, you need to try it!!