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My sister recently moved to Waterdown, ON which has a large tea house on the main street. That is one of two tea houses. So when I went to visit my sister last weekend, we decided to try one. Honestly, I have never been more proud of my sister and brother-in-law.

My sister and I went and when we sat down, she immediately commented on how the tea was not stored in light-proof jars (the jars were clear glass). Then they brought the tea in tea pots with no way to strain the leaves from the pot. She also noted all the teas were brewed at 195F. I was so proud because she knew that these were all wrong. Then, I bought this tea and another, Maple Cream Cookie, and she watched as they used a tin to measure a small amount of tea and then dumped the tin in a bag and then used the same tin from measuring this tea for measuring the other tea.

When we got back to the house, my brother asked how the tea was. We said it was alright but they made some mistakes and he immediately responded with “did they brew the teas at the wrong temperature?” When we said yes, he then asked “and did they leave the tea bags in the pot too long?” Honestly, the fact that they both knew this stuff was so delightful. Means they are absorbing some of my passion which is nice.

As for this tea, I made it as a latte because it is a vanilla chai and really what other way is there to make this tea?! It’s good but not amazing. It’s sort of the generic muddiness that you sometimes get with chais with just a bit of vanilla flavor. It is creamy and nice but there are much better options out there.

tea-sipper

Oh gosh, and this all was at an actual tea house?!? how how how

tea-sipper

alright, as a tea person, you seem to be giving them too much of a break. haha. :D

VariaTEA

Tea people don’t seem to be their clientele and I feel bad ripping into a little shop in a small town. I think I make it clear to tea people that this isn’t quality while still being nice and fair for those who don’t actually care about the tea part of high tea

tea-sipper

Yeah, I wouldn’t want to do that either…

VariaTEA

Plus I like to save my 2 stars for places that are bad and my 1 stars for places where the people are assholes lol

tea-sipper

AH okay. Seems rational!

Mastress Alita

The majority of High Teas I’ve gone to actually brew the teas “free floating” (Victorian style) in the pot with a cup strainer, since it is expected you will be adding milk and sugar (British-style) to the cup as it gets bitter/astringent. It isn’t my favorite way of drinking tea either, but it just seems to be a cultural thing of High Tea. Since that isn’t my preferred way of drinking tea, I usually ask if they are serving their tea the “Victorian way” or using bags or some other method that allows me to remove the leaves after steeping, and if they are using Victorian style, then I select an herbal tea, since I know those will taste fine sitting in the pot for a long time.

VariaTEA

I went to another high tea today and they used pots with filters that could be removed but the filters were hot and even if we got the filters out, we had no where to put them. I have been to many and most just throw the leaves in the pot which for some reason is more bothersome to me when it’s done at a tea shop which is all about tea as opposed to a hotel. They should know better lol.

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tea-sipper

Oh gosh, and this all was at an actual tea house?!? how how how

tea-sipper

alright, as a tea person, you seem to be giving them too much of a break. haha. :D

VariaTEA

Tea people don’t seem to be their clientele and I feel bad ripping into a little shop in a small town. I think I make it clear to tea people that this isn’t quality while still being nice and fair for those who don’t actually care about the tea part of high tea

tea-sipper

Yeah, I wouldn’t want to do that either…

VariaTEA

Plus I like to save my 2 stars for places that are bad and my 1 stars for places where the people are assholes lol

tea-sipper

AH okay. Seems rational!

Mastress Alita

The majority of High Teas I’ve gone to actually brew the teas “free floating” (Victorian style) in the pot with a cup strainer, since it is expected you will be adding milk and sugar (British-style) to the cup as it gets bitter/astringent. It isn’t my favorite way of drinking tea either, but it just seems to be a cultural thing of High Tea. Since that isn’t my preferred way of drinking tea, I usually ask if they are serving their tea the “Victorian way” or using bags or some other method that allows me to remove the leaves after steeping, and if they are using Victorian style, then I select an herbal tea, since I know those will taste fine sitting in the pot for a long time.

VariaTEA

I went to another high tea today and they used pots with filters that could be removed but the filters were hot and even if we got the filters out, we had no where to put them. I have been to many and most just throw the leaves in the pot which for some reason is more bothersome to me when it’s done at a tea shop which is all about tea as opposed to a hotel. They should know better lol.

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My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

Location

Waterdown, Ontario

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