The Spice & Tea Exchange

Welps. This is definitely just an average oolong now, after all that time! To be fair, I’ve had it for a few years now. Too bad we bought so much that I couldn’t drink it down very fast.
Perhaps I can use it up in Kombucha. I have a lot of tea that needs to be used up.
I wonder how many baked goods I can use tea in…

Sighs. Where have my coconut oolong loving ways gone? There was a time I adored this particular tea so much that I wished to share it with anyone willing to indulge.
Now? I revisit as a throwback to the good ol days but otherwise I am indifferent.
My how tastes change. I know this is still a delish tea. It’s smooth and sweet, slightly creamy with a hint of tang hidden underneath. The coconut is strong, but not overpowering (imo). So why did I stop adoring it so?
Oh tea lords, I want to love this one again! I really do.

So I had some fannings of this left over, which I’ve been saving for eons now… for what I don’t know… but after all the talk recently about which is the best Coconut Oolong, and my recent lack of appreciation for said tea genre, I decided to use up the dust and see if memory serves me.
Turns out, that despite this being two years old, and 90% dust, this is still the best coconut oolong I’ve ever had.
The coconut is very sweet, in a natural and unassuming yet upfront way that seduces me like no other while the green roasted oolong note is blended so perfectly that it took three infusions to find where they separate. In fact, for awhile I compared coconut milk to this and thought “my coconut tea is so much better!”
Oh man, this brought me back to my tea “newbie” days when everything was incredible and fresh to my palate. How I miss those days sometimes!
So yep, I’m quite pleased to know that it still tastes like home, and I look forward to the day when I’m reacquainted with this delightful blend.
Next time I go to John’s Pass(Florida), you can be sure I’ll be scooping some up. And that’s coming from a newfound coconut disliker!
Anyhow, based on this experience alone, I’d rate the cup around 87, but considering the circumstances I’ll leaving the rating as is for now.

P.S. Sipdown! a sad one, but still a sipdown. 244 left to go!

Ever since I got most of my ‘buds back, I’ve been revisiting old favourites… and I thought I had finished the last of this one, but surprise, I still have a few tbsp’s left! Yipeeee!!!
I tried a different strategy this time, going with shorter steeps. The green oolong is really coming out, and despite that I am still in love! (I prefer darker oolongs)
It’s very fresh tasting, and bursting with coconut flavour.
On another note- it seems that I react badly only when there are coconut shavings? this has only the essence and I only have a sense of heaven to report on my end!! x sighs x

I am a big fan of coconut, and find that though I don’t have a favourite tea base, I often find varieties in the oolong family that make tickle my tastebuds. So… naturally, I LOVE this tea! the coconut flavour really comes through and the oolong notes balance it out nicely. It goes exceptionally well with milk as well. No sugar required, it’s naturally sweet on it’s own- another big plus :)

I picked this tea up at the Spice and Tea Exchange in John’s Pass near St. Pete’s Beach in Florida. The owner of the shop explained how he prepares and blends all of the tea and spices he sells by hand using only fresh ingredients, and it really comes through in his products.
The Darjeeling is a slightly sweet and fruity loose tea, but not overwhelmingly so. As opposed to a lot of tea I have had, this one has no bitter aftertaste at all which is great. They recommend steeping for 3 to 5 minutes which I found it a bit weak; I increased the time to 6 minutes and it was perfect. A bit of sugar and milk suited my cup perfectly.
Overall, it is a great tea that I would not hesitate to recommend to others.

If you like coconut, you’ll LOVE this tea. The coconut flavor is strong and sweet – like a tropical vacation. The strong oolong base doesn’t mask or hinder the coconut flavor. On the flip side, the coconut is overpowering but the oolong base holds its own. Overall this is a great tea, naturally sweet and abundantly fragrant. Delish!

I only meant to go downtown to pick up a paycheck today…but I ended up veering off course and entering The Spice and Tea Exchange. It was relatively new. I did some background digging on their teas prior. None really stood out at first, but then I went in to smell ’em. The Mystic Dragon grabbed my attention for smelling exactly like an Orange Julius smoothie. Not a sophisticated comparison, I know…but an apt one.

Taste-wise, both green teas (the Japanese and Chinese) blend quite perfectly. The berry lean showed up in the middle, but not overpoweringly so. The round-out was quite floral. Subdued, slightly subtle, but sating.

This is most definitely my favorite tea right now. I’m fairly new to tea… hot tea at least. This one hit the spot with the right amount of vanilla. Its perfect for a wake-me-up cup in the am.

This is another one that Wombatgirl sent to me. It’s one of those things that I didn’t even know that I was interested in trying until I actually had it in my hand. But now that I do, I’m very very curious!

I like strawberries in tea (and otherwise), I liked the rhubarb sencha I had once from TeaEqualsBliss (I think) and the Dragonwell/Sencha combination is really very interesting, but not one I had even considered for a moment before.

I only had enough leaf for one pot, so I used all of them in my small favourite farm animals pot. I forgot to smell the dry leaves, though, but after steeping it smells very Dragonwell-y. There is that cat breath note that is fairly easy to find. It’s very sweet too in a kind of creamy way, so I’m guessing that must be due to the strawberries and mallow flowers. The rhubarb is coming through with a sharp stap of acid. Very rhubarb-like.

It has a funny multi-layered flavour. For a flavoured tea blend, I’m not sure how well I think they got away with it when I’m getting the flavours one at the time with clear distinctions in between. First, strawberry and Dragonwell. Then sharp rhubarb tangyness. Last a sencha finish.

If this had been a more fluently developing flavour it would have been awesome, but it doesn’t really flow for me like that. Still, I’m very pleasantly surprised by this one. Had the flavour been more rounded off and fluent, I’d have given it a few more points and I’m still not sure I’d have wanted to own it in larger quantities, but it was definitely intersting to try it and a pleasant cup.

And, whatever you do, don’t let this get cold. Blech.

Strong black tea is the most prominent flavor note, followed by rhubard and a hint of flowers. It’s good for a strong morning cuppa, but it’s not one that I would keep on hand at all times.

After today I am officially out of this and I will miss it A LOT!!! I hope I can wither re-order it or find another brand locally or regionally that is just as good. I will miss you dear friend!

I’m seriously SHOCKED I am enjoying this tea this much…I really do like it alot tho! I am really trying to stretch my little bit left. I think I have 1 more attempt after today. :(

Infusions 2 & 3 – good (got my tea order so I will be switching gears! YAY!)

I’m continuing to enjoy this one. So much so that I am almost out. I am going to resteep as much as possible today. I should have one more steeping/amount/attempt left after this.

2nd steep…cookie!

Needed a Morning Treat…this fit the bill. However, the cookie taste was a little less than prior attempts but I am ok with that…will do a resteep for longer after this cuppa. Still enjoy regardless!

Had 3 cups this morning. After working my ass off all of yesterday – thought I would treat myself! YAY! LOVE IT!

2nd Steep…near the same in color. Scent is more ‘cookie’ than almond this time but still pleasant, indeed! The taste is like before with a bit of an earthy taste added in. Still very good! Very strong black tea taste for the 2nd steep! Steeped about 4 minutes this time. Thumbs up!

Another THANK YOU to MandyB for this blend in the mail today! YAY! MandyB has been talking about Almond Cookies lately and I haven’t tried any of them so she sent me some! :) The Dry Leaf and Steeped Leaf both smell about the same which rarely seems to happen in my opinion…they tend to morph in some way…but not this one! I can certainly taste the almond but it blends REALLY well with the black tea. I can also taste – what seems to resemble – a pinch of ‘cookie’…it’s truly amazing! I usually don’t go ga-ga over nutty type teas but I have found lately that I like the majority of the ones I have tried. This one has been moved to the top of the list. In addition…I love the way this blend looks…black tea leaves with sliced almonds with orange and red slivers for extra color and uniqueness. What a FUN, delicious, creative, and guilty-pleasure type tea! Thanks again, Mandy!