The Whistling Kettle

Wow! If the first time I tasted Pu-erh was at all like this tasting, I would not have ever come to the conclusion that I did not like Pu-erh. This is really very good. Yes, I taste the earthy pu-erh, but, when combined with the sweet-tart notes of raspberry and hints of floral notes and even just a touch of softness from the white tea, it just … works. The earthiness doesn’t taste off in any way. It all works together in such a harmonious way.

I’m really loving this tea. It’s very smooth and has a richness to it that reminds me a little bit of coffee, but without the bitterness. A really remarkable blend!

This drinking experience did not start off as love at first sip. It took a little half and half, plus sweetener to get this to be amazing. I really enjoyed that there seemed to be rooibos with a hint of citrus. Both flavors played really nice with one another. There was a little something extra on the finish with this one and I’m guessing it was the blue cornflower. I might have to pick up more than just a sample the next time I visit.

Made another smoothie this morning, this time added in some agave and WOW did it make all the flavors pop! I’m really enjoying this matcha. It is very smooth and to me not super veggie tasting. I could really get in the habbit of drinking one of these every morning.

Mixed this into an Acai/Cran Kefir smoothie this morning and wow! I got a hint of the veggieness of the matacha, but it was a perfect blend to the acai/cran Kefir. It was so good that I polished it off before I even made it halfway to work…yeah I think I found my morning “go to” starter. :)

First off I wish there was more of a description for this tea. But I wish a lot of things about The Whistling Kettle…story for another time. So it’s really late here and I wanted something chocolaty, but without the caffeine, so I dug this out of my tea bin. It smells a bit like mint chocolate chip if that makes any sense at all (mind you I’m tired). I opted to add ice as this seemed like the kind of tea that would be good iced….it is.

The mint and chocolate flavors are there. But there’s something about it that isn’t right and I can’t seem to put my finger on it at the moment. Thankfully it was a sample size and I only have maybe a cups worth left (if anyone wants it let me know).

I’ve never had an Oolong before. That being said this smelled really great when I opened the package…a bit like lemon squares and I LOVE lemon squares! The great smell continues as the tea steeps…good sign. But again I’m not clear as to what this really should taste like so… it isn’t bad. Of course it isn’t WOW either. I’d drink it again but I’m not sure I’ll restock once this sample is done.

I am usually not a fan of Earl Grey anything. Granted I think I had one cup of the stuff in my life. That being said this isn’t bad. I did break my rule of not sweetening it and added two cubes to cut the bitter taste I first had. There is a very creamy aftertaste to the tea which I actually like. I think it could do with a bit more cream. But that’s me. I may have to visit the Whistling Kettle again to get a bigger supply!

There is a major blueberry aroma coming off this both prior to infusion and while infusing. Once this gets going there is almost a medicine smell to it and not a good kind (not that there really is a good kind – but the smell reminds me of taking gross cough syrup with a water chaser). However, the taste is all blueberry with just the slight hint of rooibus. I think it would be better served iced. But I like others like to try all my teas hot first. It could probably due with a hint of sweetener too. My husband thinks it smells great (loves the smell of tea but the taste he says tastes like tea nothing special).

My wife tried this when the package first arrived from SimplyJenW (Thank you!), and she didn’t care much for it, so when faced with the choice of this or any other, I tended to go for any other. But this morning I was looking for a good black or oolong and this instantly came to mind.

So far, so good! It reminds me of an upscale Red Rose, to be honest, and I mean that in a very good way. This also explains why the wife doesn’t like it, because she grew up with oversteeped, bitter Red Rose as the only tea available, so I can see how this would put her off. It’s got some floral notes, but I think that it’s not as astringent as a black tea would be. Hmmm, I should try DT’s orange pekoe and see how they compare!

A good morning tea I’ve glad to have a large amount of, though I’m not sure if I’ll be replacing it. If it were readily available, I’d keep it in stock, but I don’t think it’s worth shipping in from the states.

I’d never tried a “Monks Blend” tea before so I’m not sure if they all taste like this, but… I am enjoying this cup! The flavor is a rich black tea mixed with something sweet. It’s almost a candy sweetness. To me, it’s like a marshmallow, cherry and some kind of fluffy vanilla sugar. Really delicious! I will definitely have to buy a larger amount in the future. Thank you to SimplyJenW for a sample!

Ooh ho ho….we love Monk’s Blend, yes we do. Yum. So very yum. This one is our first looseleaf Monks Blend, it’s one of the few we both like, so we are happy to make a pot to share. It’s a tasty black without getting bitter, which always makes me happy. I could drink this all day…and I just might! Thanks so much, SimplyJenW!

Delicious! But sugar and cream are an absolute must.

Classic, classic peppermint. Sweetened or not, hot or cold, it’s a fantastic drink. As an added bonus, sticking your nose in a freshly brewed pot of peppermint tea clears out your sinuses more than anything else I’ve ever encountered!

A fantastic tea, one of my favorites. Fruity, but also a delicious spicy undertone.

Delicious and subtle as usual.

Subtle and delicious. Don’t steep it more than a couple minutes, though! It gets bitter very fast.