Zen Tara Tea

2021 Sipdown 127/365!

Well, this was the last sipdown of 2021. Not a great number given my goal, but I also set that goal before I knew I was going to have a second kid this year! Hopefully an easily beatable number for this year!

This tea was old and the coconut was going off, but not enough not to drink it. And, I actually still liked it. I believe I had liked it when it was fresher, too. Creamy coconut, black tea base. Well-enough executed for what it intended to be.

Sipdown! 87/395 – I got a couple of samples with my Bluebird order that’s bumped my total up a bit.

This was a tea I received in my first ever swap from Hapatite and it’s taken me a while to get through because it isn’t often I’m in the mood for hibiscus. When I am, though, I actually quite enjoy it! It’s tart and fruity, and I really do get notes of pomegranate. I used to add something crazy like four sugars to this back when I first got it but now I only add one to stop the tartness from being too much. It’s definitely best hot, because it gets more tart as it cools, and I find that I have to add extra sugar if I let it cool too much. I wouldn’t say there’s anything special about this particular brand, but I would definitely think about repurchasing a straight hibiscus tea from someone at some point in the future.

This was a sample from my first ever swap with Hapatite, and has actually been gone for quite a while.

I am not a big fan of green teas, and I actively dislike ginger, so this was never going to be a winner in my books. However, it is totally drinkable. The green tea is more green veg than grass, and the ginger isn’t overbearing. I don’t remember tasting any lemon but it does have a slight tang. Still, I am glad to only have a sample of this. Not as bad as expected, but still not one for me I’m afraid.

Sipdown! (11/203)

Found this for bulk purchase at my local food co-op. The concept of combining a root with puerh is problematic because roots need to be boiled to extract their essence, and puerh needs to be steeped with cooler water. One is better off using squeeze of fresh ginger. However, I got around the problem by a cold rinse, followed by a first steep for 15 seconds in an infuser and then let the leaves sit cold for an hour before steeping again. This tea is purely a digestif for me. The puerh is smooth, no fishy notes, the ginger adds a sour taste. But it clears up a heavy gut in a few hours after two cups. Can’t recommend for pure tasting, however, the ginger will probably wipe your palate.

I must have steeped this too much, which I normally end up doing with my tea anyway because I am easily distracted by shiny things. Good thing I like tannins! :-)

But oversteeped, this tastes like bitter melon, which I love, so I’m happy with that. I’m going to have to pay careful attention to this one to get it steeped right. Iced though, I could taste some different notes besides the bitter, although I’m not sure what yet. There is a fullness to it. I’m going to have to report back about this one after I coax some other flavors out of it!

I ran out of LS a long while back and I have been meaning to get more, but then I get distracted by shiny things and noises. So seriously, it’s been at least a couple of years without LS.

But now that I have it again, I remember that the smell is so soothing, and I get a big smile on my face, and I remember that I love this tea more than my children.

So sad that Zen Tara is closing, but happy I got this in my final order from them!!

I don’t like cherries or floral teas, but this is one of my favorite teas. Something about the blend of flavors and the nice aroma when brewed makes this a delight to drink. It can get a bit bitter if overbrewed, so watch out. I believe this is only available seasonally during the Spring.

This tea smells very citrus-y, but it is well balanced when brewed. The funky fermentation of the pu-erh goes well with the citrus. I have to learn to stop drinking pu-erh tea on an empty stomach since it makes me extremely hungry! This would be a great tea to drink at the end of the meal since it is refreshing. I might also try it as an iced tea since it is a pretty red color when brewed and the citrus flavor would go well over ice.

Ahhh, I remember drinking this in my cottage in Northern Latvia with excommunicated Roman Catholic Pope. It was a delightful supplement to our conversation about how plaid is the perfect balance between smart wear and cute wear!

A very nice Darjeeling with a very distinct Muscatel note. Sweet and wine-like. Somewhat astringent, slightly dry, reminding me of a sweet, dry wine.

Very enjoyable.

Again not sure who I got this one from.

This steeped up rather dark for a white tea.
It has a light honey dew taste and a strong earthy taste, which pretty well takes over.
There was some bitterness which may have been a result of a slight over steeping. Darn finicky white tea.

I just finished a bag of Ginger & Tumeric. A bit of a lingering sweetness on the finish, but I did enjoy this tea for its stomach soothing properties.

This is another hojicha/houjicha that will likely need to grow on me to really appreciate it. If found it to have a bit of a woodsy flavor and a lightness of body. It also has a vague, floral aftertaste that I can’t really place- almost like a subtle osmanthus.

I went to bed early last night, so I cold brewed my daily tea in kind of a rush. In fact, I had zero idea what the ingredients were in this (aside from that it was a green tea) when I made it. But when I tried it this afternoon (after an overly long 16 hour steep, I took a nap and forgot about it!) the flavors popped right away. I love when you can guess exactly what’s in a tea without having to know it—I can be pretty good with floral and fruity tastes, but honestly some citruses I find impossible to place.

The lemon is most prominent, bright and perhaps a bit more sour than in other blends I’ve had, like it was steeped with an actual lemon slice. The passion fruit is a soft, exotic taste that really tones down and also compliments the lemon, and the chrysanthemum adds a lovely floral edge that I don’t think is overpowering at all. Citrusy, fruity, floral is a common combo, but I think this is a really unique take on it and so tasty!

I wasn’t was wowed with this one as I thought I would be. It still is enjoyable though (very good iced too).

Wow, this is one of the better coconut teas I have had in a while. It reminds me of the black tea in my coconut cream chai from Tealish, but I love this – straight up.

The coconut flavour is strong and made very creamy from the vanilla. I would drink this as a dessert tea, but as it is, I’m loving it as a morning tea too. But hey, I’ll take coconut all day every day.

Thank you LiberTEAS for the sample! You know what I like n_-

Backlog:

This is a tea that really benefits from a few minutes to cool slightly. When it’s piping hot, it comes off tasting weird. But, after a few minutes (give it at least 2 minutes, and a little more if you have the patience), the flavors develop nicely. Put it for a chill in the refrigerator, and you have a mighty fine iced tea! YUM!

Yum! I was inspired to order this in honor of the Year of the Dragon, I think mostly because it’s different than most Year of the Dragon Teas because it’s not a Dragon Well. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Dragon Well, but, I’ve already plenty of Dragon Well in my cupboard thanks to another Year of the Dragon tea (Andrews & Dunham), so I probably wouldn’t have ordered this if it had just been a Dragon Well.

And I’m really glad I did order it, because it is so yummy. The flavors of lemon and passion fruit are two that I wouldn’t normally think of putting together, but they work together very well. The lemon is tart and tangy, and the passion fruit gives a sweetness to the cup to soften the lemon a little. The chrysanthemum gives just a hint of floral note to the cup, just something a little different. Everything really works together very nicely.

I needed something to really inspire me to get my butt cleaning the apartment this morning, so I dug through my sample box from Anne from Liberteas and this is what I settled on. The leaves smell so good! I love coconut so I was especially excited about this one. Love watching the little coconut pieces floating during infusion!

The tea brewed smells equally as delicious. I’m finding that I really enjoy a nice cup of black tea to start the day. I’m enjoying this one because it tastes strong to me. I’m not getting too much coconut flavor, but it’s definitely in there. A nice balance. I generally don’t add anything to my tea but out of curiosity I added a bit of sugar halfway through the cup and really enjoyed the second half.

I just may have to get my hands on some more of this stuff…

I’m the first here to review this? Really?

OK, well, this is a tea company that I’ve wanted to try for a while, but I didn’t know which teas to order … I finally settled on this and their new Fortune Dragon Green Tea – as well as a box of their tea infused truffles (come on, you knew I couldn’t resist those!)

This was a very good choice. The flavor is so creamy and coconut-y. The vanilla tastes very natural. It is sweet and creamy but I’m not finding it to be too sweet. I like that the base is a Nilgiri tea rather than the standard Ceylon. It gives it a bold richness. Overall, a very pleasant tea.