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Just finished a cup of this…I wish I still didn’t feel so tired. Maybe my rocket engines have a problem. I dunno. This is the 2nd bag I’ve had, and it seems like I was a lot more hit with the 1st bag and miss with this bag in terms of flavour. I could definitely pick up more chocolate and raspberry when I first got this tea, but the last few infusions I have not tasted them. I still like this tea, for it’s lack of caffeine, but I do wonder now if I really do prefer this over Love Tea #7. Maybe I will make a 2nd cuppa before my shower and see. Maybe I just need something stronger today.

I’m having this now, and I don’t know how I feel about it. I did this brew, sans milk, and only with a spoonful of brown sugar. I can taste the whiskey flavour for sure. The tea is a lot heavier than expected. I taste a little bitterness or dryness, though I don’t know if it is the whiskey flavour, or my poor brewing skills. I kinda lost track of time while it steeped, and I have no way of knowing if the water was the right temp. I think I need one of those thermometer timer thingies they sell at DAVIDs.

So, judgement will continue, but…I think it is good I only got about 2 servings worth of this.

I initially had this as a tea to go, and I found it kind of weak, but I usually do find them weak, so I decided to get myself a small amount to try at home, as I always love smelling it at the shops, and have been debating on getting a tin while they still have some.

So today, I was working at my downtown store, on my own, and they have to keep at least one door open all the time to attract people. As it is cool out today, despite glorious blue skies most of the day, I knew I was gonna need some tea, and they have a kitchen with a kettle downstairs, so I brought my pouch of this tea, a small container of raw brown sugar, and a small container of milk along with my steeper. I knew they had mugs of all sorts there, so I was alright on that front.

On to the tea…

I used 3 tsp and shorter steeping times, and got multiple brews, though by the fourth, it was pretty weak. I did use milk and sugar the first few times, and no milk (other than what was left in the tea in the mug) after that. I can’t say I get the carrot cake flavour, but I can say that the flavour I get is quite pleasant and warming. I guess what throws me off is the coconut. I think that I am missing a spice and a raisin component in the tea. I have a little left, and I am going to try this sans milk and see how it goes.

I do like this tea, and I think I might get the special tin of it, though I really don’t know where I’d put it…I have so little space in my kitchen.

So, this was my second tea latte today. I don’t usually do tea lattes, nor two in the same day. I usually just get it with or without milk, but nothing fancy. This is the tea latte that I was teased with all day, as I had told the SA what teas I had smelled the night before, and she said, “ooh, the almond biscotti would be good as a latte” and I agreed.

Keeping in mind that the Plum Oolong was a bit dominated by the steamed milk (it was whole) I opted for almond milk. Alas, I think still that this tea was overwhelmed with the steamed milk flavour. I think that this tea is also best with a little milk, or simply sans milk. Though I usually go for a little milk with my black teas. So again, like the Plum Oolong, I mostly tasted the steamed milk, whether it was whole or almond…

So I am not going to give a lower rating due to the preparation…I can tell the tea would be nice if only it wasn’t drowning in the steamed milk. And as I said with the Plum Oolong, I don’t think the fault is the tea or preparation (from a technical standpoint) or SA, I think that it is just not suited for the latte preparation, or the tea needs to be brewed A LOT stronger, and the mildest tasting milk needs to be used, and maybe in smaller amounts.

So, this was the the first of two tea lattes I got from Teaopia today. I had initially only planned on one, but while this one was being made, I was tempted into getting the other one later…a seed was planted and it was in the back of my mind all day. Last night, as I was leaving work, I decided to stop by Teaopia and smell a bunch to decide what I was going to have today…it was better to take that time, off the clock, rather than on. I smelled a bunch, though this was the first. And while many had possibilities, I decided oolong over black, and the plum over the creamy nut, since I have had that one before, and I decided to try something new so I could write about it here. And so it goes…

So, I first asked the SA whether she thought it would be ok as a latte, or whether it would be better to go with a black. I have had a white tea or green tea latte and, well, it was not stellar. She had thought it should be ok, but thought it best to use a little more leaf than usual and make it a bit stronger. That’s ok with me as I sometimes find the teas to go a little weak.

I admit, while the overall beverage was tasty, it was mostly the taste of sweetened milk, and just a hint of the tea. I think the steamed milk overpowered it. I can’t fault the tea, nor the SA (who IS awesome, btw), and I do want to try this tea again, though either not as a latte and just a wee dash of milk, or sans milk totally.

So while my experience with this tea isn’t fabulous, it was good, and I gave it a higher rating due to seeing the potential in this tea if prepared differently.

I think I read somewhere that Oolong is like the “champagne of teas” though I might be thinking of Darjeeling. Or I’m totally wrong with both. :P In any case, this tea tasted truly decadent as my $1 Straight Tea promo tea to go today. I got it with a little agave, but decided to skip any milk (with Oolongs, I can go either way, which is one reason I love them so). Ok, so for the taste…I couldn’t really discern any milky or creamy notes, but honestly, I have a hard time pinning this down to a particular flavour, as it seems simple and complex at the same time. Like Roxy Music’s Avalon…so many members in the band, but the sound is smooth, but textured. Some people say buttery, and yeah, I guess I could say that, though sometimes I can’t get the descriptives. All I can say about this tea is that it truly does feel like a luxurious tea that tantalizes my taste buds. Should I decide to buy a straight tea, this is one I will definitely consider.

I love amaretto anything, so it begs to reason that I like this tea. I should consider picking some of this up too. I’ve been on a bit of a DAVIDs kick, as I generally prefer them over Teaopia, but Teaopia has some nice smooth blends.

I’ve only had this as a Tea To Go, but I seem to remember liking it, despite the fact that I think that the stores in general make teas a bit weak to my taste. I might have to pick some up to try on my own at home.

So, it’s a beautiful fall day here, but I slept in because I have a headache. I am low on my teas since I used the last of my Pumpkin Chai and the largest amount of tea I have at the moment is The Earl’s Garden which would have aggravated my head more. I have a little of The Skinny left, and a bit more of Buttercream and Caramellisimo. But I am out of milk, and all of these are ones I prefer milky. In the end, I decided to give Buttercream a go, sans milk, to see if it has a different flavour or feel on its own, just sweetened a bit.

So anyhow, I decided to use Buttercream, even though I am out of milk.

I have to say I do prefer it milky, and that’s strange to say that I prefer a white tea with milk…it seems so wrong. I’ve never had a white tea with milk before, but Buttercream changed that. I think that with this blend, the milk enhances a creaminess in the tea, giving it a more icing-like taste as expressed in the description. That said, this tea is perfectly fine without milk, and as a fruity white tea, it is smooth and pleasant. I admit I generally prefer my teas sweetened, though I did try this one without any sweeener at first. I found it fine, but I think that this tea is best with a little sugar to bring out the fruit flavour and help it live up to its name…Buttercream. Buttercream icing is sweet, and so should this tea be.

Anyhow, I’m keeping my rating as is, as I find this tea incredible. I am definitely going to stock up (read: hoard) on more Buttercream before it vanishes at the end of the month.

This is a comfort tea. It is warm and cozy, and makes me want to cuddle up with a blanket and a good book or movie. The flavour isn’t all that complex…it is just a nice sweet tea. I add milk (sometimes Vanilla Silk coffee creamer) and a little sugar even though this is a sweet tea. I can’t say it tastes caramel-y, but it does taste sweet and dessert-like.