Bayswater Tea Co.

I have to assume this is from OMGsrsly, so thank you! Pretty sure I’ve had some of this sample before (or have had a very similar-tasting tea), as this tastes familiar. There’s a solid herbaceous note, which has to be the basil – I feel like I should have known that immediately, but for some reason, basil is an elusive flavour for me, despite the fact that I use it both dried and fresh regularly. Anyhow, the tea is mostly this herbaceous flavour, and not really a lot of (or any?) lemon. Actually – I can smell the lemon much more than I can taste it. Perhaps it’s because it’s being overwhelmed in the flavour by the basil?

I think I read on someone’s post about using this for an iced lemonade. I feel like that would be an excellent choice here – a splash of lemon juice and some simple syrup would probably take this to a much tastier level. As is, it’s fairly meh for me, though an interesting tea to have tried.

This one appears to be a newer one, and it’s not on their website (granted, it hasn’t been updated since 2010!), so naturally, it was an impulse buy. It’s very cherry cherry but not in a cough syrup way like many cherry teas lean. Both in scent and in flavour, it’s mostly cherry with almost no fig. I can taste a little fig but it blends in with the base and hides behind the cherry. I’m enjoying this hot but I can imagine that it’ll make a pretty decent cold brew.

I haven’t logged all of the new-to-me Bayswater teas I have picked up on my last trip, but it seems like all the ones I got 50g of, I’m loving and wishing I got more of, while the ones I automatically got 100g of because I tried and loved them before have actually been a letdown. Say what?

This is one I got 50g of because I wasn’t sure it would be completely amazing even though it was super fragrant and gingery in the gigantic canister. Yeah, this is great. It reminds me of DAVIDsTEA’s Ginger Pear, one of my favourites from them. The ginger isn’t too spicy or overpowering like biting into a chunk of the fresh root, but it complements the tart quince perfectly. The base is also mild and absent of any weird cardboardy undertones that some lower-quality black teas used for blends can possess. Now just watch. Next time I go to Vancouver and get 100g of this, it’ll coincidentally be cardboardy, stale, dusty, weird, or just not nearly as good because that’s how life works!

Sipdown! 248/365!

I found myself getting bored of my current iced tea options (the less-preferred honeybushes), and had a thought to try this iced. It was a good idea – it made a lovely iced tea. And now it’s gone, and I feel like I need more iced fruity blacks in my life. Not likely too hard to accomplish – between AQ2T and 52teas I’d imagine I have a good stock of iceable options!

Bumping score a bit from 72 to 76 (75 is kind of my enjoy-drinking cutoff, it seems), since I enjoyed this for what it was.

This had found its way into my straight tea bin as it was wrapped in foil, like a handful of other teas were in there – but it was a nice surprise to find! It’s actually tastier than I recall it being – medium base and kind of a limey, fruit flavour that’s fairly tasty. It’s not your conventional candy strawberry flavour, nor the lime that I’ve found in recent 52teas/AQ2T blends, but whatever it is, it’s enjoyable.

Another tragically old sample – but on the plus side, I now have extra faith in the power of tinfoil to keep flavours separate! Clever wrapping, and thanks for the sample, Cavocorax!

Anyhow, this tea was decent; a strawberry black. Didn’t really pick up on the lime, but hey, it’s old. A bit of a different twist on a regular strawberry black though – a bit more fruity. It kind of seemed like a tea I’ve had before from a different vendor, although I couldn’t pinpoint which.

I have a few cups of this left – should probably migrate it to work to drink there. Because who doesn’t need a selection of 300+ teas at work…

This little sample has lived in my cupboard for a long time now.

Steeped hot at the recommended 95C, it’s everything I don’t like in mango/tropical fruit teas. Something about the combination of tea and mangoes makes my tongue jump to fruity cardboard dirt. I’ve also never been a fan of this type of oolong base.

I’ll try the last of my sample in a cold brew and hope that makes a difference!

So I guess this is a new Bayswater rooibos blend? I had to add it to the database and I can’t find any useful info online. The “ingredient list” on their website was more of a list of flavours. Anyway, the dry tea is very aromatic – I keep sniffing it and the only description I can come up with is “fruity and boozy”. The brewing directions on the label are pretty intense (“2 heaping tea measuring spoons for 1 cup of water. steep 10-15 min”) but I went with it. It brews up a nice reddish-orange colour. As I was tasting it, the fruity and boozy impression continued, because first it reminded me of… ok, you know when you’re making fruitcake and there’s the part where you soak a bunch of dried fruit and stuff in like, rum or something? That. Then I sipped it some more and I thought maybe it was more like mulled wine. So, fruity and spicy and boozy? It’s good. :) There a bit of tartness that makes me wonder if there’s a tiny bit of hibiscus in this blend, but it might just be the citrus, and it’s balanced by the sweet and spicy. It has “plum” in the name, and maybe that’s the only reason I’m getting plum notes, but if it’s just the power of suggestion it’s very effective.

I went back to inspect the dry tea a bit more closely. So, it’s mostly red rooibos, and the most obvious additions are these little dried orange (?) wedges, like a 1cm strip of orange peel but with a little triangle of orange attached, why is this so hard to describe. Anyway, there are also some big chunks of cinnamon stick, and some crystalline bits are definitely sugar of some sort, and some little chunks of what I think are dates.

I am confused but pleased by this tea. :)

I knew I’d like this one, but it’s nice to have it confirmed. I can definitely get cream and burnt sugar from this, but I see what people are saying about hazelnut coffee as well. :) Yet another nice dessert tea. I think I’ll have to make a cup of this and one of Divine Temptation and compare them directly.

This is a really tasty variation on the classic Earl Grey. :) No big surprises here, it tastes like black tea, bergamot, and grapefruit. To me the grapefruit flavour smells pink and sweet, and it blends nicely with the overall citrus character of the bergamot. I haven’t tried it with sugar or milk yet (citrus + milk seems a bit weird to me… but then again, creamcicles), but lots of people have had luck with various additions so I might have to try that next. Thank you Steepster, for providing recommendations to make my tea-choosing a little easier. ;)

Took this to work in my new curve mug, which I am still worshipping btw.

I made it too sweet, and that made it a bit disappointing to finish. I don’t think sweet teas do well in travel mugs, because something about the flavours being “trapped” does something to the sweetness that in other contexts would be lovely, but kept in a travel mug can be quite cloying. That’s ok though: trial and error, right? It’s so frustrating, being the obsessive perfectionist that i am, to not “get it right” when I’m taking tea to go, because it’s not like i can make up for it. Oh well, I suppose we’ve all got bigger fish to fry. Anyway, I’m wondering if this isn’t the best travel mug tea, but would not ever change my opinion of this tea. I’m somehow nearly finished my 50 g and will track down some more once I’m done.

In other news, I’m going to the bluejay’s second playoff game on Friday! My husband is a huge, huge fan and gets seasons tickets each year, and so got first dibs on playoff tickets. So he’s going to all the games, and I get to go to one with him. Yaaaahhhh!!

Oh my god, what a morning. Last night, I thought I’d save myself all sorts of time by setting out today’s clothes in advance (remember how we were encouraged to do that as kids?). I even decided which teas I’d take to work and which I’d drink at home, and proudly went to bed.

Then this morning happened.

I woke up on time, and made this tea with breakfast. it was quite delicious, especially because I was worried it wouldn’t be as I was using a larger mug and had to adjust accordingly. So in 10 oz. of water, I used 2 tsp of leaf and a sizable pinch more, still a fairly generous puddle of cream, and 2 tsp of rock sugar because i find grapefruit to be very sharp otherwise. Brewed for four minutes, and it was a most excellent choice. Because of the combined sharpness of the grapefruit and the bergamot, it stands up to additions beautifully, and always manages to taste fresh and invigorating, which is exactly what you need on a Monday morning.

But then I started brewing my work tea, and stupidly started filling the travel mug with the lid still on it because I’m a tool (it was just the mesh lid, but still). Whatever, got over that and sorted it out. Then, I blasted around the house looking for my water bottle, which I was sure I’d brought home from work on Friday. But nope. Then the doorbell rings, and it’s my ride. Assure him I’ll be out in just a minute, abandon the water bottle, and harness up the dog and get on my shoes and coat. Decide I don’t have time to let him use the bathroom, and haul ass onto the bus. Sit down, and then realize I don’t have my cell phone. Feel like I now have sixteen disabilities instead of one. Send Mr. keychange back into the house to grab my phone, but he can’t find it so has to call it from the home phone and hunt it down. It was in the bathroom. He comes tearing outside, and off to work we go. Drop him off first, and then onto my work. Once i get here, I let myself and Arden (my guide dog) into the office, and then take him down the hall and outside a side door to relieve him, something I’ve done several times before. He goes to the bathroom like a boss, and then guided me back to the door beautifully. Only it’s locked. So we stand there stupefied for a while, and then walk around to another door, which is also locked. I’ve also only been here a short time, so I’m not familiar with like every door on campus, and the sound of the nearby highway also drowns everything out. So then we just stood there, and finally a wonderful human being walked by and we found another door together, but that was also locked. But then she sightedly saw people on the inside and waved at them to let us in, which they did.

So now I’m back in my office which is freezing, but man this morning was supposed to have gone so differently. hahaha! But this tea was an absolute winner.

Holy shit. Last night, i was craving this tea, but I have a no caffeine after 3:00 rule, so I thought I’d wait until this morning. And oh my god, it was perfect. 1.5 tsp of leaf, used a generous amount of cream, two tsp of sugar, and brewed for four minutes. And I was blown away by how well this tea took the cream in particular. Both the grapefruit and bergamot were prominent, and the cream just amplified the latte-like thickness and comfort, but the zing of the grapefruit was not muted which was mind-blowing. I really hope this tea keeps well. I’m still on the hunt for the best tins in which to store tea. My ideal would be a tin where you can’t smell the tea from the outside, no matter how hard you try.

I know you guys know what it’s like to brew a perfect cup of something. Doesn’t always happen, but when it does, boy do you know it.

I don’t really like grapefruit, or grapefruit juice (why am I starting off my tasting notes by saying that I pretty much never expect to like things? hmmm). Anyway, I read the rave reviews for this tea, and also suspected that grapefruit and bergamot would pair really well together, as they are both quite crisp flavours. That said, it’s possible that they could have been too contradictory, but I somehow doubted it. Anyway, omgsrsly picked up some of this for me and brought it to the meet on Saturday. I decided that it would probably be a nice, kick in the pants tea, and when I woke up this morning and it was dark out and I felt as though it was the middle of the night and I would have offered up my soul to the devil to get some more sleep, I knew it might fit the bill.

Brewed up a tsp of leaf in 8 oz. of water, and added in my normal amount of milk and sugar. I have been halving the amount of sugar in my tea lately for some inexplicable reason, but I figured I’d go with the full amount as I’d read about how tart the grapefruit can be here, and combined with the bergamot, I knew I’d be in for a mouthful. Anyway, steeped it for four minutes, and it was delicious. The grapefruit and bergamot work amazingly well together, and I wouldn’t really say one drastically out shown the other. I couldn’t get too much of the base, but I’m not surprised, as it’s quite strongly flavoured. The tea (as with most teas I drink) tasted better as it cooled, and the milk made it taste oh so creamy. I can see myself reaching for this tea for a variety of reasons: in the winter when I need a brisk pick-me-up in the mornings; as a comfort tea to cozy up to with a good book; as a spring tea to awaken my senses. It is a fairly straight-forward tea with little in the way of nuance or surprises, and that’s just fine by me. I will have absolutely no trouble finishing off this bag, and depending on how often I reach for it, it may become a staple. Too early to say yet, though.

I know I just recently made a tasting note for this, but I feel like I needed to do another one just to jog my memory later and remind myself how much I really, really like this (memory, if you are reading this at a later date, take note!).
Each tea was really great on its own, but together they’re a total symphony in my mug…. the flavoured tea I could drink every day. :) Nutty, cookie-like, graham notes, hints of cooked caramel; I swear I can almost taste the crunchy, sugary top of some decadent dessert… It’s not sweet on its own, which I prefer in a tea….it’s just so, so perfect.
I even have a terrible headache at the moment (I don’t get headaches usually), and a period that makes me want to curl up into a ball and not unroll for three days… but, this tea is helping. It’s utter comfort!
So, I’ll go take my mug now and sit in a dark room and watch The Amazing World of Gumball with my kids….and drink this tea. :)

See, this is where I go, “you don’t need more tea. really.”….
But, this combination of two teas sent to me by Plunkybug is honestly so good, and not really like anything I have in my cupboard right now. It has notes that remind me of Lupicia’s Cookie, but this blend of these two teas is just perfect… it’s that desserty, comforty kind of cup that I love when I’m in the mood for a flavoured tea.
Oh, man… I keep sipping and this is just SOO gosh darn good…
(no kate, you don’t need more tea….you can buy this someday….)

Just got the most lovely package in the mail from Plunkybug. Everything smelled so wonderful, it was really hard to pick which to try first.
I decided to go with this one, and it’s heavenly…
Nothing artificial or weird, just lovely and grahamy, and cookie like, and nougaty, and a little break of fabulous in my mug.
But it’s not overly sweet at all…just perfectly balanced.
I feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to try this. Thanks so much Plunkybug!!

Cardboard? Yeah I kinda see it. but I don’t hate it.
Something about vanilla and coconut always has that profile, in my mind anyhow.
A dash of milk and a teeny bit of sugar make it uber creamy.
So while I wouldn’t run out and buy out the shop of this one… I wouldn’t turn down another cup! :)
Also, I don’t see much chocolate here. Or maybe that kind of chocolate that’s been so washed out that it tastes more like vanilla!!

I found the Bayswater Tea Co while explore a cool neighborhood on West Broadway St in Vancouver. It’s a very multicultural neighborhood with strong Greek/Balkan/Persian vibes – so cool. The tea shop had an good selection of interesting blends, but I restrained myself from going too crazy (stop laughing) so I eventually decided on this tea. The smell drew me in right away – it reminded me of candied grapefruit. As it turns out, the grapefruit flavour is a bit too pungent for my tastes when the tea is plain, but with a splash of milk it turned into a wonderful, medium-strength cup of tea with a tangy, citrusy grapefruit flavour that’s almost juicy in nature. Much love.

Finished this one off today. Thanks again to OMGsrsly for the sample; it was yummy! I had no problem reaching for it this morning, and am a little sad to see it go. I think the various additions besides maple all support the maple and give it a depth of flavor that is sometimes lacking in single-flavor teas. Another nice offering from Bayswater!

As I alluded to before, now that I’m done with my sip-through of my cupboard I feel paralyzed with indecision over what tea to drink. My tea drinking was so prescribed for 4 months, and now I have to make a choice?!?!?

Last year at this point I decided to work on a few sipdowns, which is what I shall do again. This is not a sipdown but the penultimate cup of this tea. I almost didn’t drink it but then it smelled really yummy so I couldn’t resist. I accidentally forgot to take the brew basket out after my timer went off, so it was probably in for another minute or so. Fortunately, it does not seemed harmed by the experience. Not bitter or astringent, but there is definitely more cinnamon in this cup than there was in the first. Still, a very tasty cup and still very mapley.

OMGsrsly kindly sent me samples of a few teas back when she sent me the Divine Temptation, and I just never got around to trying them. I never even properly added them to my cupboard (I did later). Well, here they are now! Thanks OMGsrsly!

This one (#2) is really quite tasty. Very mapley. Maybe not so much taffy? But I don’t know how you would really distinguish “taffy” flavor. I don’t really get much in the way of distinct spices, which is kind of funny, since I definitely see the cinnamon stick pieces in my infuser. Anyway, glad this one got sent my way! It was quite yummy.

Another Bayswater sample from the lovely OMGSRSLY

I was looking forward to trying this based on the delicious name and the delicious smell. I made a cup last night when I got home late after a hair appointment.

I was so tired, I just wanted to relax, it seemed a good night for a caffeine free tea.

Unfortunatelyyyyyy I think I can officially add Honeybush to my list of herbal “teas” I loathe, along with Rooibos.

This wasn’t as haylike or woodsy as rooibos is to me, however all I was getting from this repeatedly with every sip was some weird hay note and pepper. PEPPER so much PEPPER. I almost dumped it, the only thing stopping me was that I didn’t feel like making another cup of tea and I really wanted something to drink with the rest of my cookie.

Thanks so much for sending this along, OMGSRSLY, it had so much promise but I’m sad to say it’s not for me!

I won’t rate it because that seems unfair, like rating an egg salad sandwich poorly because I hate eggs. (Not true, and I love egg salad sammiches, just using that as an example)

Received a sample of this from OMGSRSLY, was super pumped because it’s been on my wishlist for awhile!

Made some just now, packaging some tea up while the baby naps.

It’s really as good as all the reviews state! Dessert in a cup but doesn’t have any weird fake flavour notes that I notice. I would definitely buy some sometime if the opportunity ever came up.

Thanks for sharing, OMGSRSLY!!