By Golly, Ollie!

💾 a blog about books, tea, & geekery

Tag: tea musings

Posts featuring tea tasting notes that usually meander through personal reflection

  • Finding Balance in a Cup of Phoenix Oolong from DAVIDsTEA

    Finding Balance in a Cup of Phoenix Oolong from DAVIDsTEA

    Somehow, 2021 has been a more challenging year than 2020. I feel guilty for saying that for obvious reasons, but 2021 has left me feeling languished and stretched too thin (“like butter scraped over too much bread” as Bilbo Baggins might say). However, amid Oliver’s recent recess from school, I finally found relief. Granted, I cried mercy two days into the workweek and finally gave myself permission to take time off instead of trying to work with a toddler at home. But, now here I am, finding peace in a cup of Phoenix Oolong from DAVIDsTEA.

    The dark brown and charcoal strips of oolong offer a weak scent upon opening the bag. I think of sweet grass on a humid day, but it took a lot of effort to find those notes. After tumbling around in a warm gaiwan however, the tea leaves come alive. They are bold and fragrant fruit and floral, like lychee and plums.

    A quick 10-second steep produces a liquor that reminds me of honey, and the wet leaves smell like unripe plums or fresh wildflower petals that have been crushed. The tea offers floral aromas layered with honey or malt, and it makes me think of syrupy, tinned lychee. I also notice a dry bitterness that reminds me of grapefruit or its rind.

    A second quick infusion of unknown seconds (because I am still toddler-wrangling, after all) sheds its brown hues in favor of rich yellow. The honey flavor has already dissipated, and this time the tea offers floral aromas with the sourness of plum skins on the finish.

    A third and fourth infusion of 22-seconds and 27-seconds respectively (which I know because Oliver and I practiced counting together) produces softer florals yet and something that tastes both smoky and like a handful of dimes. The last few infusions after that become one note– more soft florals, but pleasant all the same.

    Dan Congs, like the Phoenix Oolong from DAVIDsTEA, hold a special place in my heart. It’s a kind of tea I discovered in the early days of the pandemic, and I spent many weekends getting to know it back then. Perhaps it seems weird to want to be transported back to April 2020, but amid all of the media coverage, the late night scrambles to process payrolls because we didn’t know what a lockdown would mean, and the refreshing of the State of Michigan COVID site at 3PM each day to see the COVID case and death count climb…I found moments of peace too.

    Like when cabin fever drove me to rearrange the furniture in my house, which created so much more space in the living room for Oliver to sprawl out and color. Or when we had to get creative about outdoor play spaces because the community playgrounds were taped off; so, we spent afternoons and weekends on abandoned football fields and baseball diamonds blowing bubbles, kicking a ball around, or having a picnic lunch. Or when I had the time, or perhaps more accurate, the mental bandwidth to create. I’m proud of the blog posts and youtube videos I put out into the world last year, and I miss it. I miss this…

    Somehow, finding balance between mother, employee, and self came easier back then, but I finally felt that balance again today in a cup of Phoenix Oolong.

    Thirsty? Why not try the Phoenix Oolong from DAVIDsTEA?

    Already tried the Phoenix Oolong from DAVIDsTEA? Why not try these tasTEA recommendations:

  • Blooming Tea on an Almost-Spring Day

    Blooming Tea on an Almost-Spring Day

    One of my unofficial New Year’s Resolutions was to enjoy at least one cup of tea outdoors each day. So far, I’ve neglected this practice, but in my defense, I always forget how bitter cold February can be in Michigan. I’m not sure any amount of cabin fever can drive me outdoors in ten-degree weather just for a ten-minute cup of tea. But, March is here now. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, the ground is thawing, and warmer temperatures are finally luring me outdoors again. As springtime creeps in again, I find myself reaching for blooming teas, and most recently I enjoyed the Black Gold Blooming Tea from California Tea House.

    Armed with a glass teapot, a kettle, a cup and saucer, and a ball of Black Gold (a blend of Monkey Paw black tea, marigold, and jasmine), I retreated outdoors to enjoy a quiet moment before the rest of the neighborhood woke up. Normally, I am distracted when preparing tea, but blooming teas command attention. After submerging the bloom in boiling water, I watched the tea steep for several minutes. Swirling among hot water and steam, black and occasionally golden-tipped tea leaves opened revealing a bouquet of marigold and jasmine.

    The tea was malty but smooth with a subtle floral aroma that did quite register as jasmine. I would have been relieved by this months ago when I first placed the order because I did not care for jasmine. However, I have had several positive experiences with the ingredient since, and I’m developing a fondness for it. In defense of the tea though, I may have used more water than I usually would for a blooming tea. Still, the Black Gold was a treat enjoyed while soaking in birdsong and golden sunshine stretching across grass. It was the exact kind of mindful moment to mark the end of a busy work week and the beginning of what would turn into a much-needed, relaxing weekend.

    Have you tried a blooming tea before? Tell me about your favorites in the comments!

    Already tried the Black Gold Blooming Tea? Why not try these tasTEA recommendations?

    Disclosure: This tea was provided for free in exchange for a review. Thoughts are ever my own.

  • Sampling Sweet Treats from Dessert by Deb

    Sampling Sweet Treats from Dessert by Deb

    Dessert by Deb blends have been on my wishlist since the beginning of 2020, but steep shipping costs to the US have usually deterred me from placing an order. The temptation is becoming harder to resist though, especially after Deb recently released her Winter Brunch collection featuring blends like Banana French Toast, Cereal Milk, Orange Cinnamon Rolls, and Salted Caramel Pancake. Plus, she added a few pieces of teaware to her site, including the most charming Lemon Yellow Teacup that I cannot stop looking at with heart-eyes. In the meantime, I’ve been sipping some samples so graciously sent to me from tea friend, @briannadrinkstea.

    Marshmallow Crispy Square

    Marshmallow Crispy Square is a blend of Green tea, popped roasted rice, coconut, toasted coconut, palm sugar

    The Marshmallow Crispy Square blend appears to have broken pieces of green tea, large pieces of coconut flakes, pieces of brown rice– some of which have popped open into what looks like popcorn– and a dusting of brown sugar. The vegetal scent of the dry green tea cuts through coconut and sugar sweetness. After steeping, the tea produces a cloudy, yellow liquor that smells sweet and coconutty with this slightest hint of roasted rice.

    I’m usually reluctant to sip flavored green teas, but I make exceptions for Genmaicha (a Japanese green tea with roasted rice) and coconut-flavored green teas. Dessert by Deb’s Marshmallow Crispy Square blend was a perfect marriage of both of these. The mouthfeel of the tea is thick and luscious. Coconut is in the forefront with hints of roasty toasty rice and vegetal green tea peeking through at the end of the sip. It is a perfect balance of sweet and savory that I will look forward to dipping in to all year long, although the flavor profile makes me think of Springtime when the sun is warm and golden but there is still a chill in the breeze.

    Coconut Maple Custard

    Coconut Maple Custard is a blend of Black tea, Vanilla, Canadian Maple, coconut, palm sugar

    The Coconut Maple Custard blend appears to have small, broken pieces of black tea and small chips of coconut that have been dusted with palm sugar. There are also biscuit-colored chunks of what I think is maple or maple sugar. The blend smells sweet and like coconut, and it steeps to a burned orange color with slicks of oil on the surface from the coconut.

    I enjoyed the Coconut Maple Custard, but I didn’t taste the flavor profile Dessert by Deb was trying to convey. Most maple-flavored teas do not actually taste anything like the flavor I associate with “maple”. I assume this is because I was raised on Aunt Jemima, which is artificially flavored “maple” syrup. Instead, this blend was a light black tea with a hint of coconut and sugary sweetness on the finish, but it was pleasant to drink, nevertheless.

    Orange Creamsicle Mousse

    Orange Creamsicle Mousse is a blend of Fair Trade Rooibos, Orange Peel, Oranges, Lemongrass, Vanilla, Coconut, Toasted Coconut

    The Orange Creamsicle Mousse blend appears to be small chips of red rooibos and coconut, chunks of orange peel, and short sections of green lemongrass. The blend smells like sweet orange, woody, and slightly medicinal, and it steeps to a rich orange color.

    Prior to the Orange Creamsicle Mousse from Dessert by Deb, I have had very negative experiences with any orange rooibos blends that accidentally crossed the threshold into my house. It’s a flavor combination that runs the risk of tasting like cough medicine since orange is a common flavor used in children’s medicine (at least in the U.S.), and rooibos occasionally offers medicinal aromas. But, there is something special about this blend, and I think it’s because it relies on natural ingredients instead of artificial or natural flavoring. The orange pieces and orange peel in this blend offer a soft, juicy orange flavor that compliments the woody rooibos. The addition of the lemongrass builds on the citrus element, too. The cream element, relying mostly on coconut pieces, is subtle but helps create one of the more successful orange creamsicle blends I’ve tried so far. And thankfully, my palate did not discern any medicinal aromas from the rooibos.

    Overall, my initial experience with Dessert by Deb has been a treat! I think what impresses me the most is the blends captured the essence of the desserts they were inspired by without relying on massive ingredient lists and artificial flavoring. They are fun and creative and well worth exploring if you’re a fan of dessert teas (like myself!).

    If you’ve tried Dessert by Deb, let me know about your favorite blends in the comments! Or, if you haven’t tried Dessert by Deb, let me know what your favorite dessert blends are.

    Already tried these Dessert by Deb blends? Check out these tasTEA recommendations:

  • Word of Intent: Joy

    Word of Intent: Joy

    The last memory I have of 2020 is Oliver kicking me in the back as he tried to keep himself from falling asleep. I don’t know who dozed off first– him or me– but when I woke up, it was 2:30 AM in 2021. I missed the opportunity to say “so long, sucker!” to 2020 and usher in the New Year with a strange sense of optimism.

    Normally, I have a long list of resolutions that I post this time of year, and ultimately all are abandoned by the end of January, so this year I decided to forego that and instead adopt a word of intent. I tried to do this last year, but ironically, the word I chose for 2020 was “explore”.

    In 2021, I am embracing the word “Joy”. Something I wish I would have done more in 2020, especially as the year dragged on and the negative echo chamber of the internet got louder. Moments of joy were always there. I just didn’t slow down and really appreciate them.

    We are only a few weeks into 2021, but joy has filled my days in so many ways. Like, having actual time off from work, so I didn’t have to juggle that work-at-home-mom life again while Oliver was on Christmas vacation. Like adopting a new habit of drinking at least one cup of tea outdoors each day to enjoy a peaceful moment in the fresh air. Like finally having someone to sip tea with because as it turns out, my husband has a taste for sheng pu’erh.

    On this day, I was going to take a moment to decompress with a cup of sencha because green teas embody those weightless, warm and sunshine days that I miss right now. But, I found joy in a cup of the Forest blend from Tea Spectral instead.

    Not even trying to imply Ollie painted “mom”. I painted; he dumped glitter everywhere.

    Forest is a blend of black tea, orange peel, cinnamon, sage, juniper berries, and natural and artificial flavor. The scent of juicy orange dominates the dry leaf, and it steeps up to a burnt orange or amber color.

    The first infusion was sipped while Oliver and I worked on arts and crafts. The tea was tart and juicy orange against subtle earthy sage and cinnamon. Each sip was vibrant and matched the energy of a toddler armed with a paintbrush and a tube of gold glitter. The second infusion was softer. One where all the flavors were present, including refreshing pine from the juniper berries. It accompanied me as I cleaned up art supplies while Oliver settled quietly in the living room, filling me with false hope that he was getting ready to take a nap.

    I find myself reaching for this blend on snow-quiet afternoons when the warmth and coziness of my home threatens to lull me into a nap. It also pairs nicely with fantasy novels with richly crafted worlds, like the Lord of the Rings.

    Did you set any resolutions or words of intent for yourself this year? Tell me about them in the comments!

    Thirsty? Why not try the Forest blend from Tea Spectral?

    Already tried the Forest Blend from Tea Spectral? Check out some of these tasTEA recommendations:

  • This is Not a Glamorous Post About Tea or Motherhood

    This is Not a Glamorous Post About Tea or Motherhood

    I may have romanticized my gongfucha sessions– written about how it’s a meditative practice that lets me decompress while exploring tea more intimately. And some days, my gongfucha sessions are exactly that. But, most days it is just a tea brewing method no different than brewing tea western-style with a cup infuser. Most days, it just keeps my hands busy and my mind focused on work when I would rather be lounging on the couch, playing video games. Some days, it is a fleeting refuge between my toddler’s tantrums. On days like that, I like to steep familiar teas, like the Yunnan Golden Buds (Dian Hong) from California Tea House, which was most recently sipped while hiding beside the refrigerator and out of my toddler’s line of vision. (Surely I’m not the only mother that does this? On second thought…don’t answer that).

    The Yunnan Golden Buds appears to be fuller, uniform wiry leaves with a fairly even ratio of dark brown leaves to downy, golden buds. The dry tea smells malty, and after being tossed in a warm gaiwan, sweet molasses and cocoa scents surface. After an initial 10 second steep, the tea produces a rich, brown liquor that offers malt and cocoa aromas. There is a mild, drying sensation on my tongue, but no bitterness.

    Around the corner, I hear Oliver throw the TV remote over the baby gate, and after it clatters across the kitchen floor, he emits a guttural sound and shouts, “MOTE! MIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!” We have entered the “MINE” phase of toddlerhood, and no amount of parenting books and blogs could really prepare me for it. I immediately prepare a second infusion as Oliver yanks at the baby gate, threatening to tear it down.

    Infusion two moves away from malt and instead offers sweet potato aromas alongside savory cocoa, but my sip is interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening and the sink faucet turning on. I nearly tear down the baby gate myself trying to get to Oliver, who is standing on the toilet and splashing in sink water. This used to be a fun activity for us, but during a brief moment of having my back turned, Oliver clogged the sink with an entire roll of toilet paper. In 2020– the year of toilet paper shortages nationwide! I’m still recovering from that trauma, but dragging a soggy Oliver out of the bathroom isn’t any better. As we start to cross the threshold into the hallway, Oliver lets his body go limp and screams a thousand screams (approximately).

    Infusion three through six are a blur of sips stolen from beside the fridge in between attempts to build a Lego tower and consoling an inconsolable toddler. The Yunnan Golden Buds isn’t an overly complex tea, but delicious all the same. It is forgiving during distracted moments and delivers a consistent cup of cocoa, malt, and sweet potato. It’s the flavor profile I found myself reaching for the most when I needed comfort this year– when the world began shutting down, when the months blurred together into some appointment of time never experienced before, when all I wanted were sunny days but was delivered rain instead, and now during moments of toddler-infused chaos.

    This story does have a happy ending, but not before getting slapped across the face by a flailing two-year-old and shedding tears myself. I stood there, embracing Oliver and swaying with him, which was as much a coping method for myself as it was to soothe him. Within five minutes, he had succumbed to sleep, the very thing he had been fighting. I shuffled him to the bed and tried to return to my cup of tea, but I found my arm trapped beneath his tiny body. So, there I laid for the next hour and a half, lest I risk waking a sleeping bear.

    Luckily, I have just enough of the Golden Yunnan Bud for another gongfucha session, but I think this time I will sip it in a moment of peace and not just to find a moment of peace.

    Thirsty? Why not try Yunnan Golden Buds (Dian Hong) from California Tea House!

    Do you have a favorite tea to sip when you’re searching for a moment of peace? If not, what do you like to do to decompress? Let me know in the comments!

    Already tried the Yunnan Golden Buds from California Tea House? Check out of some of these tasTEA recommendations:

    Disclosure: the Yunnan Golden Buds was provided to me free for PR purposes. My thoughts and opinion of this tea are ever my own.

  • Finding Elegance in a Cup of Assam

    Finding Elegance in a Cup of Assam

    Assam tea is a staple in my stash. No specific vendor, no specific estate— just something labeled “Assam” that produces a consistent, stick-to-your-ribs malty tea, which I dress up with milk and sugar. It’s never been anything special, but it always offers a certain kind of comfort— especially on cold winter mornings. Enter the Harmutty Estate Assam STGFOP (which is just a fancy way of saying “the good stuff”) from Chado Tea. It has challenged every experience I’ve had with Assam tea.

    The Harmutty Estate Assam appears to be small, uniform leaves, that are fine, curly, and charcoal-brown colored. I also noticed plenty of downy, golden buds scattered throughout the bag. The dry tea smells sweet and malty— just what I would expect from an Assam— and, after tossing the leaves in a warm vessel, I notice the smell of raisins, too.

    But, this is where my experience deviates from all of the Assam teas I have tasted. On a whim I decided not to add milk and sugar like usual. (Really, I should be waiting to dress up tea until after tasting them plain anyway, but old habits and whatnot.) Instead of a malty and fairly astringent cup of tea demanding to be tamed with milk, the Harmutty Estate Assam was smooth and malty with aromas of dates and raisins. It was rich and full-bodied, and while it could certainly stand up to milk and sugar, I was perfectly content to sip without any additions to the cup.

    I re-steeped the leaves a second time, and I found the tea still flavorful. It was malty, for sure, but any fruit aromas dissipated into something floral (but fleeting).

    I always considered Assam tea to be the “meat and potatoes” of the tea world— hearty but nothing fancy, yet always suitable for delivering warmth and caffeine in the morning. But, the Harmutty Estate Assam is something more. Its sweet, fruity aromas made it feel elegant, like something I might serve at Afternoon Tea.

    For all of the Assam junkies out there— which Assam teas are your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

    Already tried the Harmutty Assam from Chado Tea Room? Why not check out these tasTEA recommendations:

    Disclosure: the Harmutty Estate Assam was provided to me free for PR purposes. My thoughts and opinion of this tea are ever my own.

  • Five Earl Grey Teas to Keep You Cozy

    Five Earl Grey Teas to Keep You Cozy

    When I first started my tea journey a decade ago, I was most excited about tasting Earl Grey. I thought this simple blend of black tea and bergamot oil was the kind of thing tea connoisseurs and true tea heads sipped. I was ecstatic when I found a box of Twinings at a World Market! I thought I had found loot, though I would soon discover Twinings lined the tea aisle in every grocery store. My initial perception of Earl Grey is laughable now, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart and room in my tea cabinet for this blend. I find a special sort of comfort in the tea, especially as the temperatures start to drop, so here are five Earl Grey blends I’m keeping cozy with this Autumn.

    Lavender Earl Grey from Seafoam Lavender

    Lavender Earl Grey from Soafoam Lavender is a blend of black tea, lavender buds, and bergamot oil and extract

    I love a lavender-scented Earl Grey. (Especially when they are sent from the very best, far away tea friends– thanks Jann!) This soothing, floral blend always makes me feel a little more proper when I sip it, and I like to pretend I’m sitting in a little English garden instead of my cluttered kitchen in Michigan. This blend from Seafoam Lavender is especially nice because, while flowers can be a tricky and over-powering ingredient to work with, Seafoam Lavender found a perfect balance, and neither the bergamot nor the lavender compete with each other. This is a blend I like to sip on the greyest of days to remind me Spring will come again.

    Vanilla Creme Earl Grey

    Vanilla Creme Earl Grey from California Tea House is a blend of Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri tea, bergamot oil, vanilla bean, and cornflower petals.

    A vanilla flavored Earl Grey, like a lavender Earl Grey, frequents my stash. The warmth of the vanilla is a perfect contrast to the bright and citrusy bergamot. Most Vanilla Earl Greys that come into my collection are blended with vanilla flavoring, but this blend from California Tea House has actual vanilla beans in it. This one is perfect to warm up with after coming out of the cold, and is it just me? Or does this one taste slightly boozy but in the best way, too?

    Winter Earl Grey from DAVIDsTEA*

    Winter Earl Grey from DAVIDsTEA is a blend of black tea, pink peppercorn, white tea, natural vanilla flavoring, natural creme flavoring, blue cornflowers, bergamot oil, and natural orange flavoring.

    This seasonal blend from DAVIDsTEA is similar to the Vanilla Creme Earl Grey, but the creme factor is dialed way, way up. This blend also includes orange flavoring alongside the usual bergamot oil, which add an extra layer of soft and sweet citrus. Oh, and did I mention there are also pink peppercorns in the Winter Earl Grey? They add an interesting peppery element, which makes this blend one of the more unique Earl Greys I have tried. I find myself reaching for this one the most, right now.

    *At the time of writing this post, the Winter Earl Grey is not available on the DAVIDsTEA website. I happened to snag a bag early because I am a Frequent Steeper. Keep your eye out for this one though. It’s worth tasting!

    Earl Grey Bella Luna from Adagio Teas

    Earl Grey Bella Luna from Adagio Teas is a blend of Black Tea, coconut, blue cornflowers, natural coconut flavoring, natural bergamot flavoring, and natural creme flavoring

    This is one of those blends I forget about because it only fits in the back of my tea cupboard (out of sight, out of mind). But, anytime someone mentions it, I’m crawling on countertops and dismantling perfectly stacked tins of fandom teas to reach for it. The Bella Luna Earl Grey is a brisk but indulgent coconut creme-flavored Earl Grey, and it is only available during the full moon.

    Winter White Earl Grey from Harney & Sons

    Winter White Earl Grey from Harney & Sons is a blend of white tea, bergamot oil, and natural flavoring

    Sometimes a girl just wants to sip her Earl Grey in the afternoon but also still wants to fall asleep at a reasonable hour and not three o’clock in the morning. For that, Harney & Sons offers an Earl Grey that is blended with white tea instead of black tea. It’s a little softer and a little sweeter, but it still hits the spot when I’m craving that pop of bergamot.

    If you follow me on any of my other channels, you may be surprised to find this white tea blend on my list. I am too! But, I love the soft citrus flavor of the bergamot oil, and it pairs well with the subtle floral and sweet grass aromas of the white tea. Like the Lavender Earl Grey, the Winter White Earl Grey makes me feel a little more proper. Like, I’d like to sip it while reading Pride and Prejudice along an idyllic riverbank in the English countryside.

    Are you a fan of Earl Grey too? Tell me about your favorite Earl Grey blends in the comments!

  • Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDSTEA

    Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDSTEA

    Following my Celebration of Autumn with DAVIDsTEA YouTube series, I couldn’t resist placing another order with the company to buy more of their Pumpkin Chai and Salted Caramel Oolong. Then, I found myself tempted by several new and re-released chai blends because who doesn’t like warming up with a spicy chai latte when the temperatures start to drop? Butterscotch Chai. Baked Apple Chai. Maple Chai. Cinnamon Bun Chai. How is a lady to choose?

    The answer: She doesn’t. She lets her husband choose, and when he selects Butterscotch Chai, she’s quietly disappointed he didn’t choose Cinnamon Bun Chai.

    I can see small pieces of amber-colored rooibos mixed with large chunks of tropical fruits, whole green cardamom pods, sugar crystals that look like gems, and small flakes of blackberry leaves and ginger root. The blend is a feast for the eyes, as DAVIDsTEA blends usually are. The scent of the dry tea is buttery and sugary sweet cardamom, but I don’t think it smells much like butterscotch. Once steeped, the blend produces an orange-colored liquor that reminds me of butterscotch pudding and smells like sweet cardamom and spiced wood.

    Tasting Notes

    There are elements of this blend that I really appreciate. First, I love the spiciness of the Butterscotch Chai. The inclusion of black pepper adds a satisfying heat factor to this tea that has me going back for more sips. Also, DAVIDsTEA delivers on the “butter” aspect of butterscotch in a way other brands have not achieved. Seriously, I am in love with their natural butter flavoring. It’s subtle. You may even almost miss it. But there it is, right at the end of a sip– a slab of unsalted, melty butter coating the tongue. I noticed the same flavor and sensation in their Maple Syrup Oolong, a blend inspired by maple syrup drenched buckwheat pancakes, and I think it is spectacular attention to detail.

    But then, the blend starts to fall apart for me…And, okay…I’m not going to lie. A major factor in this is because what I was really searching for was a tea that tasted like liquid Werther’s Original, but I’ve jut found out those are caramel-flavored and not butterscotch-flavored. My whole life is a lie. Instead, the blend is buttery sweet with a subtle bitterness and flavor that I associate with molasses followed by a hint of cardamom.

    And while on the subject of sweetness, between the sugar, the fruit pieces, the sweet blackberry leaves, and the stevia extract, Butterscotch Chai was too sweet for my personal tastes. I think to get the full Butterscotch Chai experience, you need to drink it sweetened. However, I think the degree of sweetness is such a personal preference, so I would have much preferred to add my own sweetener. I also don’t love the flavor of stevia. I don’t always notice it imparting flavor in a DAVIDsTEA blend– the Vanilla Cappuccino blend comes to mind. But, I did notice it in the Butterscotch Chai.

    Interestingly, turning the Butterscotch Chai into a latte (or just adding a spot of milk), which is how I usually sip my spiced chai, doesn’t work for me either. It cuts down on the sweetness, which I appreciate, but it also mutes the flavor in general. The spice is still there, but the buttery flavor that makes this blend unique is missing.

    Overall, Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDsTEA is a miss for me, but it reminds me of those awkward breakups that start with, “it’s not you…it’s me…”. (Has anyone outside the movies actually ever heard that line?) I went into this experience looking for a certain flavor profile, and the Butterscotch Chai wasn’t it. The cloying sweetness and flavor of Stevia didn’t help either. This blend actually tastes quite similar to another one of DAVIDsTEA’s sugared and spiced rooibos blends– Monster Mash– so, if you’re already a fan of that blend, Butterscotch Chai might tickle your tastebuds.

    Oh, and what did my husband think of this blend? He genuinely liked it! But, when I told him Werther’s Original was caramel and not butterscotch, he said he needed to start his life over.

    What spiced chai blends have you been keeping warm with this Autumn? Let me know in the comments!

    Already chaied tried Butterscotch Chai from DAVIDsTEA? Why not try some of these tasTEA blends?

  • Armchair Travel And Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas

    Armchair Travel And Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas

    Love it or hate it, 2020 has been a year of armchair travel. When everyone was stuck at home due to shelter-in-place orders, many turned to sharing old vacation photos as a way to feel a little less cooped up. I have managed to avoid that trend until now, thanks to the Rooibos Cinnamon Apple blend from Adagio Teas, which transports me to an afternoon spent picking apples in Ohio.

    The Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas is a blend of red rooibos, apple pieces, cinnamon, natural apple flavor, and natural cinnamon flavor.

    The dry leaf consists of small chips of rust-colored Rooibos accented with dried apple and cinnamon pieces, and it smells woody and sweet with a subtle apple scent. Once steeped, the blend produces a vibrant red-orange colored liquor, which smells inviting– juicy apples warmed up by subtle cinnamon.

    The tea tastes like fresh, juicy apples and newly cut wood. The spice of the cinnamon is not as pronounced as I would have preferred but instead offers a subtle, earthy aroma. I also notice that the Rooibos used in Adagio’s blends has a sort of boozy quality about it, which whether intentional or not, makes this blend taste a bit like hard cider.

    Whenever I sip the Rooibos Cinnamon Apple, I am instantly transported to the Lynd Apple Orchard in Pataskala, Ohio. During our visit last year, we meandered among rows of trees and picked Fuji apples in late Autumn sunshine, which always seems to glow a bit more golden this time of the year. Ollie had just learned to walk that week, but he preferred to sit contently in the grass snacking on fresh apples the size of his face.

    Have you indulged in a little armchair traveling this year? Let me know where you explored in the comments!

    Already tried Rooibos Cinnamon Apple from Adagio Teas? Why not try one of these tasTEA blends?

  • Oh My Darjeeling

    Oh My Darjeeling

    I am unkempt hair and peanut butter jeans. Crayon scribbles on the walls and desk and couch. Teetering piles of work and dishes that still need to be put away. Oversteeped breakfast blends tamed with honey and milk are much better suited for me. But, once in a while, I make time to indulge in a cup of Darjeeling tea– a tea that feels so elegant I pull down the fine china from the cupboards and sip from dainty teacups instead of tea-stained novelty mugs.

    I’ve sipped quite a few Darjeeling teas this year. Its fruit and floral aromas remind me of sunny Spring days, and I think we could all use a few more sunny days in our lives rights now. But, among my favorites is the 2020 Rohini First Flush from Masters Teas (free for review purposes). The leaves of the Rohini First Flush are a beautiful array of colors– dark brown, green, fuzzy silver tips, and sepia– and when gently tossed around in a warm cup, they smell rich, honey sweet and a bit like tart grapes. After the leaves have steeped, they are undoubtedly floral and almost like strawberry jam.

    The first infusion is mellow. It steeps to a pale amber and offers subtle golden raisin and floral aromas, but infusion two is when this tea sings. The color of the tea deepens, and the flavor is punchier. Bold floral notes burst through on this infusion, and as the tea cools, it transforms into sparkling white grapes. The third infusion is once again mellow. Floral notes are still prominent, but it trades refreshing grapes for golden raisins once more. When I sip this tea, I am reminded of sparkling white wine and an unexpected weekend of decadence when Jon and I were upgraded to a luxurious suite at the Great Diamond Island Inn during our trip to Maine. It is a much needed vacation while still being locked away from the world amid a pandemic.

    What do you like to reach for when you need a little escape?