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I expect there will be a number of tasting notes on this one, considering it was created for New Years. It’s just a quiet night here at home, with just over an hour and a half left of 2013 here on the west coast. Hubby is about to go out and get some sparkling cider and popcorn, and then we will watch a video…maybe Blackadder: Back and Forth, or perhaps the farewell to Matt Smith.

This one is certainly apple-y, and has that drying quality you find in champagne. As I have said in other notes, I like this one a lot and hope it (or something like it) becomes permanent. I’d love to see more honeybush blends as I can’t really do rooibos, but honeybush seems doable thus far…and a suitable caffeine free tea.

Sipdown! Well, I chose this one partly because it is New Year’s Eve, partly because I had to get up super early for an MRI on my foot that ended up being cancelled, but lastly because I got some really fantastic news (that I alluded to in my recent notes) so I wanted a little happy tea, and this was it. Champagne Cider for later…

This cuppa was just about perfect. Creamy, not too astringent and a hint of nutmeg.

PLEASE AMODA AND BUTIKI MAKE THIS PERMANENT!!!

Mmmm….always a comforting fave. Yes, I’m still treating myself to comforting teas right now, and probably will, for a little longer still. Some good has happened today, and fingers crossed that it happens again tomorrow.

Continuing the soothing teas today…this one is an old time favourite, and I’m running low on my last bag. It’s good tea. I’m sad it’s gone, but I have hoarded my last bag for a while. It’s getting on and needs to be drunk before it loses all flavour.

Hopefully, part of the stress and anxiety will be resolved tomorrow or on Tuesday at the latest. Hopefully, some other good news later this week will help balance everything out. Some. The rest will take time, and money. And bravery and persistence. Not that I want to discuss that part right now though.

Comfy tea…I love you Buttercream

Sadly, I chose this one today because I’ve been stressed out beyond belief for the last week, and my anxiety is riding higher than ever, and this tea is my zen tea. Also, since I had an upset tummy this morning, the ginger was beneficial. When I reorder this tea, I’m going big. BIG I tell ya!

I still really love this tea, and will be sad when it is gone, but it is definitely going on a reorder list.

I thought I’d like this one, if I picked out the rosebuds.

Nope.

Dumped it. Which I rarely do.

Rosebuds aside, it is something I should like, so I thank Fjellrev (woo! got that one right before checking!) for the chance to try it, but something in it just disagrees with me.

On to the next tea…

TTG from Hillside today…I had it in mind to get some Santa’s Secret, but my friend’s daughter opted for this, and in a split decision, I got this instead.

Do I regret it? No.

Do I like it as much as Santa’s Secret? No.

Is it tasty? Yes.

Would I buy more? Maybe.

I’m very picky with my mint teas in winter. To me, mint is cooling and refreshing, and totally makes me think of summer, not winter when it is cold. The reason I like Santa’s Secret is that the mint is more candy cane mint, and somehow it is different to me than regular mint…don’t ask me why or how, as I don’t fully understand it myself.

Now, when I took the bag out of my mug, I did notice the oily sheen on the top that people talk about, and generally dislike. For me, I’m indifferent to it. My guess is that it comes from the chocolate, and it’s worth it for chocolate for me.

That being said, I find the dominant flavour to be the mint, and not much else. I find mint does this a lot.

So far, I don’t think I’ve reacted to the stevia, but my skin is so bonkers right now, I have no idea what is causing it to go haywire and act up. One hopes that the bloodwork today will give answers when the results come in.

So I think this is alright, better than I expected, but not stellar. I may or may not get more of this…if I do, it is mainly because it is caffeine free and another evening option for me. But this or Champagene Cider, and Champagne Cider wins HANDS DOWN.

I’m undecided on this tea…it smells good, and OMGsrsly painstakingly removed as many flower buds as possible, since I don’t do florals well, but my taste, I’m not sure. I think that maybe my taste is affected from the hot cereal mix I just ate. I can smell more than taste this tea.

While I can detect some floral in it, it is on the very edge of what I can handle. I think.

I am reserving a rating for another time when I can drink this straight and see if it still tastes the same or not.

I decided to try this one out this evening, because it is caffeine free, spicy and warming, and new and shiny. This one is from OMGsrsly I think.

I was not sure what to make of the smell when I opened the bag, as there was something that gave a vague hint of a licorice like smell. Is it the orange peel or the coriander or a combination of the two? I dunno.

That taste does come out in the steeped liquor also, though, just as in the dry smell, it was not too offensive in the way I find licorice to be.

Now do I like this tea, that all being said?

I’m not sure. I like it enough not to dump it. I like it enough I’ll probably have more from my sample. But I am not likely to order on my own, and I may give away some or all of this. I think it is one I have to be in the right mood for, so I feel like I will get another cup or two from, but it is not my favourite.

To add to my note from last night…

This morning, before I steeped my Brioche tea, I did one more steep of this, set it aside in the fridge for later, and had it when I came home. I had a small nap when I got home, and was quite warm and thirsty when I got up, so I opted to drink this one cold straight from the fridge (instead of reheating in the microwave), which is something I don’t do often.

I can safely say that this is super tasty cold as well as hot/warm.

I will repeat what I said previously, that I want this to come out permanent….do you hear me Amoda and Butiki? :)