Category: Tea

Share-A-Tea: T(ea) is for TARDIS

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October 15, 2018

8:00 am

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In honor of the new season of Doctor Who, Adagio.com had a short promotion where you “spun” a virtual wheel, and a sample tin TARDIS-themed fandom blend popped into your cart for free. This is the tea I got.

Name: T(ea) is for TARDIS
Source: Adagio (free sample)

Description from Vendor: A famous time machine and space craft that does wonders, also known as Time and Relative Dimension in Space. This rooibos tea is filled with the sweetness of Earl Grey and warm delicious vanilla and green tea. Touches of rose hips, hibiscus, blueberries and apple pieces add great flavour to this blend. Cheers!

My Preparation: Steeped 3 minutes at 190 degrees Fahrenheit

My Impressions: This tea has a really lovely aroma, thanks to the fruit and floral ingredients. It’s sweet enough for me to enjoy without adding sugar or honey, which is saying something, considering my sweet tooth. All of the flavors blend together really well, making a soothing, sweet drink that I think would be very nice over ice, though I haven’t tried that yet. Since I’m not generally a blueberry fan, this isn’t a blend I would have selected on my own, so I’m grateful to Adagio for sending it my way!

Ingredients: Green tea, rooibos tea, rose hips, hibiscus, apple pieces, natural vanilla flavor, orange peels, blue cornflowers, natural blueberry flavor, natural bergamot flavor, blueberries

Suggested Preparation: Steep at 200F for 4 minutes.

Share-A-Tea: Dusk

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October 1, 2018

8:00 am

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Now that it’s cooling off in the evenings here – it’s even supposed to rain later in the week! – hot tea is more appealing than during the summer heat. I’ve been winding down before bed lately with my Doubleday Sherlock Holmes and this relaxing herbal tea.

Name: Dusk
Source: Tea Runners April 2018 Box (purchased subscription)

Description from Vendor: A perfect after dinner treat, this unique beauty is a smooth, lemony brew with a hint of spice.

Turmeric, ginger, and fennel help the body’s digestion while tart lemongrass rounds everything out to a pungent and delicious finish.

A really nice way to end the day.

My Preparation: Steeped 4 minutes at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, added a small amount of honey

My Impressions: The aroma of this blend, especially straight out of the bag, is odd, and I’ll admit that the ingredients list gave me pause. After steeping, it turned out to be a delicious, slightly-spicy, slightly-lemony smooth drink perfect for the end of the day. Pretty much as promised on the packaging.

The packaging is the usual zipper-sealed pouch that Tea Runners includes in their shipments: a gold foil front with all the important information on a neat white label, and then a see-through plastic panel on the back that shows exactly what’s inside.

Ingredients: Lemongrass, ginger root, turmeric, fennel, and black pepper.

Suggested Preparation: 4-5 minutes at 212F

Tea Review: “Turkish Slipper”

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October 10, 2016

7:00 am

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I really bought this one because it had pumpkin spice in it, and I was (and am) in a pumpkin spice kind of mood. It is part of Bran Mydwynter’s set of Sherlock Holmes – as in the Canonical stories of Arthur Conan Doyle – fandom blends.

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Name: Turkish Slipper (Sherlock Holmes Fandom)
Creator: Bran Mydwynter
Source: Purchased from Adagio.com

Description from Site: Pipe tobacco, set alight with spices. This robust blend of Rooibos Vanilla, Spiced Mate, and Pumpkin Spice is highlighted with whole cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom pods, creating something warm and fragrant. It’s the perfect accompaniment when you need to solve those difficult three pipe problems.

My Preparation: Steeped 4 minutes at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

My Impressions: Just a little bit spicy, this is a very smooth blend. It smells autumnal, cozy, and comforting. I might try it with a drop of honey sometime, but it’s so perfect as is, I don’t want to mess with it. I prepared it as Bran’s package note recommends, despite the lower temperature recommended on the site, and there is no bitterness or “stewed” flavor to it. (The packaging actually says 220F/100C; I assume that 220 is intended to be 212.)

I loved the first cup so much, I immediately made a second, and it’s pretty clear that I’m going to need to order more.

The packaging is an elegant illustration of a pipe (not, let us note, the non-Canonical calabash) under the name of the blend with a Victorian floral flourish. Below the pipe is a list of the teas and accents, along with the recommended preparation of the tea. Evocative and practical – ideal.

Ingredients: rooibos tea, toasted mate tea, black tea, cinnamon bark, natural vanilla flavor, ginger root, orange peels, natural spice flavor, natural pumpkin spice flavor, cloves, marigold flowers, cardamom, cinnamon (accent), cloves (accent), and cardamom (accent).

Includes:Rooibos Vanilla, Spiced Mate and Pumpkin Spice teas.

Suggested Preparation: 4 minutes at 212F (on packaging); 4 minutes at 195F (on site).

Tea Review: “Man’s Best Ghost”

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October 3, 2016

6:00 am

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I’ve loved every one of Bran Mydwynter’s blends that I’ve tried so far, so I’ve been eager to taste more. With Halloween coming, I couldn’t resist ordering a bunch of his Nightmare Before Christmas Blends. It’s still hot and sunny here in SoCal, but with the right cup of tea (and central air), I can curl up in a chair and pretend it’s properly autumn.

Man's Best Ghost Tea
Name: Man’s Best Ghost (Nightmare Before Christmas)
Creator: Bran Mydwynter
Source: Purchased from Adagio.com

Description from Site: Mellow, uncomplicated, and gentle. Decaf Vanilla and Peppermint create a comforting vanilla mint, and Foxtrot contributes a dry, dusty, soothing flavour of chamomile. It’s a blend with zero caffeine—a smart companion for when the sun goes down and the ghosts come out to play.

My Preparation: Steeped 3 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

My Impressions: The strong scent of peppermint was the first thing I noticed on opening the tin. After steeping, that fades and blends in with the vanilla and the vanilla, Ceylon, rooibos, and chamomile. The flavor is a perfect balance of vanilla, mint, and black tea. It’s sweet and light, ideal for relaxing in the evening.

I love the artwork on Bran Mydwynter’s tins from Adagio. It has the name of the fandom, the name of the blend, the ingredients in the blend, and the preparation suggestion, along with an image. This one has a rendering of the ghost dog on a sepia-toned background (not nearly as pink as it appears in my photo). It strikes just the right note of slightly gothic playfulness.

Ingredients: Decaf Ceylon Tea, Chamomile Flowers, Rooibos Tea, Peppermint, Peppermint Leaves, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Candy Canes (accent), and Marigold Flowers (accent).

Includes: Decaf Vanilla, Foxtrot, and Peppermint teas.

Suggested Preparation: 3 minutes at 212 (on packaging); 4 minutes at 212 (on site).