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Finished up this one today while on the bus for an appointment. Definitely lost some notes since I was drinking out of plastic. Even when it comes from a tea company, plastic cups can suck. :(

Last cup of the night, nothing new to report.

One teaspoon Green Rooibos from DavidsTea with half a teaspoon of Very Berry from McNulty’s.

I’ve been trying to use up the Very Berry I got almost a year ago from McNulty’s for forever. It’s extremely full of hibiscus and therefore you can imagine how strongly it brews. Finally, tonight I have done it. Seriously folks, I cannot warn you enough that if you do not like hibiscus, avoid Very Berry. There is no berry here, just hibiscus. And it overpowers everything, even a lovely organic green rooibos. Avoid avoid avoid!

This was the sample sent to me with my last order, and I decided tonight it was what I felt like. The cup unsweetened is very dark, both in colour and flavour. There were hints of the caramel but there was more of a strong toast and tea flavour than anything else. Disappointed, I attempted to salvage the cup and make it more into what I’d been craving, a caramel tea. I added half a spoon of sugar and poof, the tea magically transformed into caramel. The tea is still flavoured, but with the small addition I did it was balanced now and much more of a true caramel flavour. The toastedness did fade, though, so if that’s what you’re searching for I recommend trying another sweetener to retain it.

My two hundredth tasting note! And to celebrate, I’ve saved my most eagerly anticipated sample from Indigobloom! I’ve wanted to try this one since I first read its description, and the tea didn’t disappoint me at all.

I added just a small amount of sugar and just sat back and delighted in the fruit flavours that I got. I know most of you reading this have already tried this tea already so I won’t bore you, but just . . . yeah. Definitely worthy of being my 200th tasting note. Yum.

I conquered the tea! Finally a cup that wasn’t soapy or missing any of the notes. Sadly however, with my conquering I have discovered that it isn’t my Earl of choice. The cream notes are mild, and it just doesn’t sit right on my palate. Any of you guys coming to the GTA meetup interested in this one? I’m definitely willing to pass it along.

Another from my beloved Tea Haus. This is definitely a tea for those people who prefer their flavoured teas to retain a mostly tea flavour. Dry it smells amazingly orange-y, so I was surprised when I took my first sip and found it to be a mostly black tea flavour with subtle orange undernotes. For my second cup I was curious what some sweetener would do to the flavours so I added a small bit of agave. It didn’t change the orange notes, instead just making the entire cup a sweeter version of what it was. I do enjoy the tea, and definitely recommend it for people who enjoy teas with lighter flavours. I’m just not sure that I’m one of those people with my blacks.

I had this one as my “walking to work” cup this morning. Yes I’m one of those lucky people who live a short walk to work, and sometimes I’m actually awake early enough to brew a tea to bring with me along the way. Today I had this one, with a dash of sugar. It was a great morning wakeup cup, with a nice full flavour and definite malt notes. Unlike the raspberry rush i had last night, this one didn’t leave my mouth feeling the effects of the tannins, either. I tend to prefer my blacks with a bit more natural sweet notes, but this is definitely a lovely tea I’ll be keeping in my collection for those days when I’m in a malty mood.

I got this one from a friend in Australia, and definitely am a fan. Dry it smells like raspberry heaven, with a hint of black tea. Brewed, the tea takes over, both in scent and flavour, but the raspberry doesn’t give up the fight. There is definitely a natural raspberry flavour here, one that is noticeable with every sip. The tea base is one that is lovely and full of tannins (my mouth is always dry after sipping this one), and together they make a delightful cup for those who like their flavoured teas to still taste like tea. I’m looking forward to trying this one iced in the summer, maybe with some raspberry ice cubes!

I am determined with this tea! I have tried it twice now. The first time I brewed it I got all vanilla and no Earl to be seen. Then last night I tried to do a pot of it up and all I got was . . . soap.

I will conquer this tea. I swear. For now though, it has won. shakes fist at it