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So this is the chrysanthemum that is top tier for me. It’s my favorite one I have come across so far.

Preparation: Western
Tasting note: One first taste there is no indication that this is a chrysanthemum tea. It is light and sweet like nectar. It has mandarin orange notes. The liquid is bright like sunshine. There is absolutely no haylike qualities to it. I had no idea an herbal tea could be so nuanced.

So this tea I actually have ties to. My best friend’s brother started a small tea business in MN a few years ago and this tea was imported and sold by his business. I think he has shifted gears to mainly educational tea tastings and ceremonies now, however, he does still have some teaware left on his website.

So this a fairly old tea at this point, it was harvested back in 2019 and I hear greens are the best when they are fresh. I have held onto it for mostly sentimental reasons. It reminds me of both my best friend and a jasmine tea that solidified my interest in tea when I was 16.

Preparation: Western
Tasting Note: This tea has some buttery notes and a hint of jasmine. No bitterness and no artificially flavored jasmine in it. Satisfying and calming in a very nostalgic way. It is old so it doesn’t have those light, fresh, spring water notes anymore as some of the other jasmines I have do so I would say that it is just ok. (I am a tinsy biased in the rating of this tea though).

Preparation: Lazy latte (1/2 tsp maple syrup and oatmilk, no foam)
Tasting note: The first time around, I didn’t get much blueberry but this time I kind of looked through the bag to make sure there were some blueberries in my scoop. That helped a lot is making sure that there were blueberry notes. In latte form, the blueberry notes seemed more noticeable and the maple didn’t take over this time. I think that my latte tastes more like the blueberry syrup you pour on the pancake opposed to the pancake itself. More specifically, I wasn’t getting bready vibes from the tea or latte. I don’t think that is a bad thing, it is still quite good. Overall, this feels like a relatively simple blend but delivers well as a latte. I probably won’t buy it again because I feel like there are better blueberry options out there.

Watching some It Crowd and coloring tonight. Decided to take a little hiatus from instagram and some well liked tea stores. Trying to curb the tea and stationary buying compulsions for awhile and enjoy what I have. Still drinking tea and crafting planner layouts though.

Preparation: Western
Tasting Note: Light soothing herbal. The sage is a nice change from mint. Its very calming without taking over. Lemongrass is refreshing and tangy. Apple is giving a little bit of sweetness. I don’t really taste the rose in this blend bit that is ok with me. I think that this is really refreshing and gives that “Haku/river spirit” vibes.

A new bag of this smells so good! Sort of between champagne and starburst candy (i think).

Preparation: Western
Tasting note: A little lighter in taste compared to smell but I think it hits all the notes. Strawberry and apple is juicy and sweet and fresh and gives it that sparkling wine/champagne feel. The rose gives it a little more body then expected, otherwise I think this wouldn’t be as good. Overall, I think this is probably my favorite strawberry fruit tea, which is great because it is also an herbal.

This is my go-to in my house for making something for some one who is sick (like head cold). Essentially, it is an herbal spice blend but less christmas-y. (Ingredients are: Cinnamon Pieces, Licorice Root, Ginger Pieces, Fennel, Orange Peel, Cardamom pods) I add honey, and Oatly to make the latte. My current stash is probably way old now but it does a pretty good job for a chai still. I looked on the website where I got this tea and luckily they still are around and making this blend. Though, I need to sipdown the rest of my chai blends before I spend the money to ship from the UK to US.

Preparation: Latte
Tasting Note: It is really, really warming. The licorice root provides a little sweetness, the cinnamon and cardamom warmth and ginger and provides some spice. I don’t drink this straight normally based on personal preferences.

Preparation: Western
Tasting Note: The flavoring with the Rooibos, does a good job of creating a silky nutty, toasty feel. The apple keeps the blend sweeter and isn’t too tart. It has cocoa nibs that give it a little bit of chocolatey-ness but nothing too bitter. Added bonus, the flavors don’t feel muddled or bitter.

I have had this tea before and honestly, I am surprised that it is still good. I think I got this sample in 2021 around this time. Opened it a month ago and it still is pretty nice.

So I just started watching some episodes of the The Great Canadian Baking Show on youtube this past week. Which to my delight, I found out Dan Levy is one of the hosts. Hoping to find a way to watch more soon. :)

Preparation: Western (unsweetened)

Tasting notes: This is pretty much tastes like a Strawberry-Raspberry Genmaicha which is really good. There is some candied/jammy strawberry notes and some tart raspberry notes from the fruit pieces. The toasty rice comes through nicely for me after steeping three minutes, not immensely so but it’s there. It’s been awhile since I have had a flavored green tea so it’s not unwelcome. I know that I could steep for 4 minutes to get stronger rice notes and raspberry, but I am concerned I would be pushing the green a little past it’s prime. I like that I can have this tea plain without any additives, it’s a nice change of pace.

Taking a break from Black blends for a moment in the sipdown. Thought an oolong blend would be a good way to do that. I have tried Salted Caramel Oolong from DAVIDsTea a couple different times, once as a latte and another straight.

Preparation: Western
Tasting Note:
So initially I get this sweet and creamy, cinnamon-y flavor that is pretty close to caramel. Then I get hit with the aftertaste which is this spicy, slightly umami signature of some oolongs, which feels a little strange choice for salted caramel but it works. Also, I finally pick up on the pineapple which leaves a little sour taste. I think my issue with this tea is not the individual flavors but their overall combination together in a tea. I like the spice of the oolong but not with the pineapple. I like caramel and sweets but maybe not with this tea.

I think since I am pretty close to finishing this bag, I will try a really short steep and see how it goes.

Preparation: Sweetened Latte
Tasting Notes: This was like more dessert than I intended but I am totally ok with it. I added like a tsp of raw sugar and 1/4 c of full fat oatly and it is like cinnamon ice cream or like apple pie with ice cream. I have never had a snickerdoodle but I think this is delicious as a latte. I think I would order this again when I run out.

When I had a sip of this without the oatmilk, it was bit too strong even with the sugar so I don’t give it the highest score because it isn’t as flexible as far as I have tried so far.