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additional notes: Finishing up this sample — this time just whisked in a mug of cold water with a fork. It disperses quite well, even with just a fork! Yet still no peanut butter flavor here for me at all. More hojicha flavor here now in the water, rather than the milk. It’s mighty good chocolate hojicha though, if you can forgive the missing peanut butter aspect. I would definitely drink this again. It’s gone from the site at the moment though.
2024 sipdowns: 57

I think I have like two teaspoons left of ANY sort of milk oolong, so this was a welcome addition to my collection at just the right time! Thanks so much, Cameron B! If this is just a super flavored milk oolong, then I am happy with that! Sometimes I crave that custardy type of flavor. BUTTER. YES. Over the top butter, but sometimes that is what I want. I can’t really tell there is maple flavoring/sweetener here, so that means it’s the perfect amount in the blend. As it cools, I notice a bit more sweetness. I probably didn’t stir up the bag enough this time around. I will be sure to do that next time. By the fourth steep, it has slightly moved towards a more traditional milk oolong. But I love this!

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – August 2024 Tea #2 – August 8 – International Infinity Day: drink a tea you’ll love forever

Now, it might not be THIS chai that I would love forever, but let’s just say it would be chai in general that I would love forever! One, because chai is the first tea I ever had (even if it was a Celestial Seasonings chai — it was good!) and two, chai is always a comforting cup.  At least this one has the strength I always wish a chai to have!  And the price isn’t bad either. 

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – August 2024 Tea #1 – Tea with the smallest amount left

I just finished this, so I guess it had the smallest amount left!   By the time I finished this, I think it lost a lot of its strength. It’s quite light now.  And I really like it better when keemun is stronger.  I’m not sure if this is a NOW problem, with how old the leaf is.  OR if it started out that way.  I suppose I should just read my old notes for it….  Since this one is ELEVEN YEARS OLD, I will refresh the memory here.  Originally I said: “this is what I expect a nice keemun to taste like. I must admit that the only keemuns I’ve tried have been from Butiki and Teavivre and this one is just as good!”  So yeah, age of the leaf hits again.  Sorry, poor tea!
2024 sipdowns: 56

This is from an awesome package from Cameron B!  Thanks very much!  I love being able to try teas I would just 99% chance probably never get to try otherwise, if it wasn’t for samples.  I am very much a fan of chocolate peanut butter combinations.  And the promise of a houjicha powder base — even better.  This might be my first “houjicha powder” that I have tried?  I just mixed some of this in some cold milk. I just love the idea of this blend, however in cold milk it seems to me to taste mostly like hot chocolate powder.  There was a HINT of houjicha in one sip… I am making a note now to try the remainder of my sample in water — not milk — to get a better idea of the flavors here.  I’m sure instructions say to use ten teaspoons or something crazy per serving, but I’m not up to doing that. heh.  On a good note, the powder was fairly smooth.  I think the cane sugar used here, was the perfect sweetener and perfect amount (for what I added to the mug anyway.)

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – July 2024 Tea #10 – An iced tea

Bonus points for hitting all ten prompts this month!  I have been enjoying this one a few times this month.  One steep session left after this.  It really does taste like cola and lime.  One of my favorite cola varieties I wouldn’t be buying, even if I could find it in stores.  The prices are ridiculous these days.   I remember the day you could buy 3 twelve pack of cans for the price of one now.  yikes. Probably better for the health of everyone anyway, to have soda be so expensive.  But I do like an occasional soda.  I’m drinking the leftovers of my Gram’s 12 pack of root beer this summer. (It will take me way longer than summer.)  But this tea will suffice for soda cravings!

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – July 2024 Tea #9 – A tea you will re-order

How and why was this not in my cupboard? argh. oh wait… I think it was because I bought it when my dad was in the hospital years ago and I had so few tea options with me.  I have a few teabags left.  I can’t believe I have only logged this ONCE.  It might be my favorite tea possibility offered in a grocery store. I would 1,000% buy it again. When I see it, I will scoop it up. It is great when I am craving pumpkin (on this rainy day).  And if the only reason I would buy it again IS BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY ADD PUMPKIN FLAKES TO THE BLEND then that is good enough of a reason for me.  This might be the only pumpkin tea to actually have pumpkin. (But PLEASE prove me wrong in the comments!) Even my beloved, magical Spiced Pumpkin Pie from Bird & Blend doesn’t have pumpkin in it. Raising the rating from 77.

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – July 2024 Tea #8 – Your oldest green

I’m sure this isn’t the OLDEST green I have, but it’s green!  And I’m finishing it!  It was from TreeGal quite a while ago — thanks very much!  It’s a pleasant green.  I definitely wouldn’t steep up the entire sample packet in one mug.  Splitting it in half for two steep sessions works.  It tastes like a neon matcha to me.  I would guess it might be matcha, if I didn’t know otherwise.  Also very sweet.  Not terrible!   However looking at these busted leaves after steeping, the flavor should probably be much worse.
2024 sipdowns: 53

I wasn’t lying… four days later and this is my eighth steep of this glorious tea. And I might steep up a ninth cup and stick it in the fridge for tomorrow. To be fair, the earlier steeps were probably around 30 seconds each, since I didn’t want to overdo the huge amount of leaves that fell in the infuser. BUT there is still cantaloupe flavor. The white tea is still lovely. This is quite a tea. And I’m actually a little glad that I DID accidentally dump the leaves in the infuser, as it kind of allowed me to test this tea and whatever that test was, it has PASSED. Amazing tea here. It’s going up from a 97 rating to a 99. Longevity in every sense of the word.

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – July 2024 Tea #7 – July 20 – International Chess Day: drink a black tea and a white tea

I didn’t think I had a white tea with me, but I DO.  And it’s one of my favorites.  Sadly, I somehow dumped way too many leaves into the infuser, so I’m going to keep steeping this one over many many days, to get all I can out of this basket half full of leaves. The first steep was only for 30 seconds and it is plenty flavorful.  This tea can never get old.  In all the ways that can possibly mean.   For the black tea part of this prompt, I’m drinking some of Harney’s Malachi McCormick.  A great complimentary tea to the Melon.  As I usually steep up two caffeine teas for the day in the morning, this works for me!   For a while, I thought this prompt was for a combo white/black tea, probably only because I remember David’s Checkmate blend. Not too many other black/white blends out there.