TeaFrog

This is another good rooibos from TeaFrog! It really reminds me of Zhena’s Fireside Chai. This is once again very smooth and non-woody. The spices are very chai-like, but I’m not really getting the orange from this blend. It is very good with milk and honey.
I think I prefer the Tiramisu rooibos, but this one is pretty acceptable also.

I’ve enjoyed all the blends I’ve had from TeaFrog, but I was concerned about this rooibos because I’ve only had one so far that didn’t taste and smell like sour wood. I am pleasantly surprised by this blend! Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts of all time and this tea does remind me of that taste. It is very smooth and the flavors are blended nicely with none of them standing out more than the others. You can taste the rooibos, but it is the backdrop to the other flavors and is not woody at all.
This is starting to make me reconsider rooibos. I’m definitely interested in others from TeaFrog’s collection.

Yummmmmmm, so soothing, relaxing, calming, and peaceful. I think I may be on a fluffy white cloud in the sky with little cherubs flying around, showering me in the cute like pink roses found in this tea. Everything played a role and everything was light. It was a like a tropical romance in a cup, if even that is possible. It was great. It is what I call: Happy Tea

Well, I’m hella busy and can’t write a long review but I am just finishing up a nice cup and LOVE this! You know me and my mint…YAY! LOVE IT! Ahhhhh!

This was a free sample included in my TeaFrog sample pack. I’d considered getting it but decided on the Markesh Mint (which I’ve yet to try). Aaaand I’m going to have to reorder this one too.

I steeped it for three minutes and found the black tea slightly more pronounced than the green, with a strong mint flavour that was enhanced by adding a bit of sugar. This was my first green/black blend and I’m very impressed!

Ok. I admit it. I blindly put this on my shopping list as soon as I saw “bamboo”. It wasn’t til after it arrived I even noticed it has gen mai in it. AH CRAP! But even that aside, this is a weird combo: chai like spices and fruit?

Prepared as suggested.

Hmm… The light greenish yellow liquor definitely smells very faintly of the gen mai that gives it it’s cloudyness and a hint of spice. But it’s mostly a fruity green tea aroma.

Ok, this is the ONLY gen mai cha that I will ever like. I’m not actually gagging- yay! The gen mai is the lightest of the flavors followed by the spices (unfortately mostly peppercorn), and most strongly the fruit and green tea. I have no clue what bamboo would taste like in a tea so I can’t tell you if it’s here or not. Don’t get me wrong, this is actually a pretty impressive and shockinly amazing tea (an 85ish on my personal preference scale), but there’s just too much other schtuff here for it to be called a bamboo shoots tea.

The first thing I could smell with the dry leaves was a sugary type smell. Once infusing began I could smell the Genmaicha and after the infusion was complete there was a funky smell – almost like sour??? What the!?

Taste-wise I could taste the Genmaicha first then the peppercorns, then the fruit and then the peppercorns again.

“E” for Effort on this one. It’s not my fave but it’s not bad either. My rating may go up when I try it again but for now I’ll go low to mid 70s…that sour-type smell is freaking me out…thank the tea gods it doesn’t taste that way! LOL

Yum! I’d never heard of a Cream Earl Grey before but it’s quite nice. Creamy with a slight vanilla flavour. The flowers really add to it. Stands up well to a bit of milk. Yet another to add to the reorder list….

The steeping suggestions are hotter, shorter, and less leaf than I’d choose- but here it goes.

The liquor is a light golden color almost like a white wine (which I love) and the aroma is light and sweet.

The flavor is exactly what I’d expect from the aroma with almost honey and fruit like notes. The mouth feel is a bit thicker than plain water, but not something I’d label as thick. A wonderful, light, smooth cuppa!

On to something unflavored. The liquor is a light but vibrant green and the aroma is very vegetal with hints of butteryness and sweetness. Yummm… the mouth feel is on the thicker side and the taste matches the aroma. Almost broth/soup like.

Ok… this tisane looks like fecal matter droppings. ’Nuff said.

This isn’t exactly a fruit or an herbal, but that’s the closest listed on the chart so that’s what I’ll go w/ even though 1/2TB doesn’t look like much since the chocolate pieces are so big.

Suprisingly this brews up quite dark- dark brown liquor w/ reddish tones. And it definitely smells like the ingredients. I can detect the red pepper, but it doesn’t burn my nose, it’s mostly chocolate and ginger.

I was expecting this to be flat w/o any tea in it, but it’s actually quite smooth. I think that’s cuz of the ginger and the red pepper. It’s almost coffee-ish in some ways, but still different enough to not be called coffee flavored. Would most likely be good with milk.

Ok, I admit it. I bought this just for the name. I’m anticipating not liking it. Why? Because black/green blends just don’t work parameter wise. Each tea demands vastly different steeping conditions. I hate “winging” tea, but I have no clue what to do w/ this so I gotta. I’m gonna go w/ “typical” green parameters.

1tsp/6oz

The liquor is a beautiful autumnal amber and the aroma is surprisingly sweet. I’m getting fruity and sugary notes instead of floral. Interesting.

Whoa! Color me surprised. It tastes nothing like the watery black tea I feared. The green tea and flowers took over giving me a smooth slightly sweet (but still not floral) tea that has quite a bit of body (I’m assuming from the black tea). It’s actually very good and I’d give it even more points if I got the floral notes.

There doesn’t seem to be much to say about any orange pekoe – I grew up with it as the standard “just plain tea.” That said, this is certainly a very good one, and it’s the first one I finished from my sample pack. I’ll probably reorder it.

Hey, look what I found! I thought I’d tried all my TeaFrog samples, but this was buried in the “green tea” box. I really do think this is the last one, though.

As with my other TeaFrog samples, I can’t get aroma other than the fruit of another blend that was packed with this bag, but the leaves are pretty; medium green, fairly long, flat and shiny.

The first time I tried this, I fear I did not use enough tea and may not have steeped long enough. I steeped for 1:30, which is what I usually do with greens unless they ask to be steeped for a shorter time. The flavor was pleasant but not very strong.

More leaf and longer does seem to be an improvement, though I’m still finding this a subtle one. I get a light yellow liquor, and an aroma that is buttery, almost milky, a little salty, with a vegetal echo.

The flavor isn’t particularly buttery or vegetal, though. I’m not really sure how to describe it, other than to say it is “green” tasting, which isn’t very helpful. There’s a slight toastiness, but it’s very slight. There’s an interesting dryness on the tongue after drinking that’s almost like the feel of the grab you get from putting certain dried, chip-like treats on your tongue and letting them sit there. After they get moist, they start to feel like they’re grabbing onto your tongue. That’s the feeling I’m getting here. I’m not getting nuttiness, at least not strongly. Maybe more like the aftertaste of pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Even on the second try with more leaf and more time, I’m not finding this to have much depth in terms of flavor. I have had greens that were more flavorful. Perhaps I’m not a Dragon Well fan, but since this is really my first, I can’t conclude that just yet.

I’m not ordinarily a huge fan of white teas; I prefer heartier teas that can stand up to a good dose of milk and sugar. (Does that make me a philistine? If I’m wrong, I don’t wanna be right!) Ahem. Anyway, I had to order this in my sample pack because the name was so intriguing. I’m glad I did – it certainly has the delicacy of white tea but with a good blueberry flavour. In other words, it does what it says on the tin. Excellent choice for someone who tends to like white tea.

Here is what I know…I like this tea. The problem is I don’t know why. Just something about it works, it is definaely one of the more unique of roobios tea blends I have tasted. Not sure if I think love maybe this should have been called…Lust Flavored Rooibos. :-)

Yes! I can finally post notes again! Firefox wouldn’t let me for the longest time but I think I’ve got it figured out now. And in celebration: 1001 Nights tea! This is definitely my favourite of the teas I got in the sample pack – light and floral, but not overly acidic, and strong enough to stand up to some milk. Definitely reordering!

Sorry…but I’m really NOT a fan of this. It smells ok…but…it tastes like coffee creamer BEFORE you put it in the coffee…that is all…

ug.

This is a very tasty tea. Not your typical chocolate and cream blends. The flavors are very well balanced. It is very smooth, creamy, and chocolatey. None of the flavors are overwhelming, basically I feel like the chocolate and cream have bonded into one ingredient. It is weird, but in a good way. We should call this Chococreme Tea. I really can’t put this one in words. You just have to try but what I can tell you is that it is VERY GOOD!

Mild milk chocolate flavor. Powdery sweet cocoa aroma. Smooth black tea background. Nothing bitter. Slightly creamy.

Eventhough I’m not much for chocolate, I don’t hate this. :) It’s tasty. Nothing offensive or artificial about this at all. Very soft and soothing.

This is another sample from TEAEQUALSBLISS! What a great tea! I have been wanting to try this one but wanted to do it on a special day when I could really spend some time with it. The only other chocolate tea I have had is Florence by Harney and Sons and that one is a real favorite for me, so I was eager to try this one. The scent is marvelous and chocolate-y. It brews up to a nice medium color and still has a lovely aroma. I was afraid it would be just the same as dumping some mini-chocolate chips in a cup of hot tea, but it isn’t. The tea has a lightness, a cleanness, I didn’t expect. It has almost the tingle of Uva Highlands, but no astringency or bitterness at all. I tried it plain – lovely! And totally drinkable just that way. I added a little sugar – still good. I added a little milk – also good. I think you can take this one any way you like. A really interesting tea. I would love to have some again.

The smell of the dry leaves is oh so good, I can’t seem to get my nose out of the bag long enough to put some leaves in the infuser basket…ok, I am out of the bag and placing leaves in the teapot…5 minute wait…pacing….Red brew in my cup, it is a red tea afterall. Cinnamon is the emitting from my cup, a nice cinnamon, not fake or candy like. I like it, I can see myself drinking this in the winter more than in the summer, but yeah, I like it!

I like this one a lot better than I thought I would. Eventho it has 4 floral type ingredients it’s not overly flower-like….you know bitter/floral…The Black tea and the green tea along with the flavors all make sense and make it very enjoyable! I think I would have this more than once in a blue moon. Nice!

The last of my sample of this one. So warm and comforting! It’s got a nice level of chocolate and great balance with the tea flavor. With cream and sugar, it’s like drinking an improved cup of hot chocolate – not as rich and filling as the real thing but just as satisfying for me.

I’ll just have to get some more.