Tag: Subscription Box

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Tealish’s Maple Cream

Maple Cream by Tealish
Herbal Infusion / Flavoured
$9.50 for 50g

Tealish’s Maple Cream came to me as part of The Sugared Teacup’s October themed subscription box.

First Impressions

I was intrigued when I unboxed my October box from The Sugared Teacup and found Maple Cream – mostly because of the name, it sounds like a chocolate I’ve had from a certain local chocolate company (yum). I found the tasting notes on the back of the packaging were fairly accurate. The first thing I noticed when I opened the resealable bag was the fact that it smells like maple syrup and walnuts. I didn’t notice any apple fragrance, despite it being the first in the ingredients list.

The ingredients in Maple Cream are: apple, orange, rosehip, walnut, safflower, sunflower, calendula, maple sugar, and natural flavours. The aroma of maple syrup is pretty distinctive, and with the name like Maple Cream I’m glad it really comes through.

Preparation

Tealish recommends steeping Maple Cream in boiling water (100°C/212°F) for 3 to 5 minutes. My initial steep of Maple Cream was for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Maple Cream steeps to a lovely yellow colour, which I think can be attributed to the safflower, walnut, orange and possibly the apple. The aroma of the steeped herbal tisane smells of sweetness, maple syrup, and a little bit of the walnut. The flavour of the tisane matches the aroma of the steeped tisane really well. I can taste maple syrup, there’s a good amount of sweetness in it, and there’s a bit of nuttiness in the undertones that are quite pleasant. I don’t really get a lot of fruity flavours (there is apple and orange in the blend), but I trust that both add to the sweetness.

A Second Cup?

I did attempt to resteep Maple Cream, but found that the flavour just wasn’t there. I would say that Maple Cream is good for just one steep.

My Overall Impression

I  liked Tealish’s Maple Cream. I found that the flavour really made me think of autumn and fall, which makes it a great seasonal option for those who want a caffeine-free beverage. I think it would be a great tisane to mix with a hot apple cider, to have that nutty flavour of the walnut with a boost of apple flavour and sweetness.

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T By Daniel’s Garden Party

Garden Party by T By Daniel
Oolong Tea / Flavoured
$11.00 for 50g

T By Daniel’s Garden Party came to me as part of The Sugared Teacup’s June themed subscription box.

First Impressions

Garden Party came in a familiar matte foil bag, branded with T By Daniel’s information (and if you’ve never seen one of his bags, you should – they’re just so bright and cheerful!). This oolong blend is incredibly floral, with a sweet aroma to it and quite beautiful dried ingredients to be seen. You can really pick out most of the ingredients, if you know what you’re looking for. Garden Party smells like walking through a garden without smelling like a bottle of perfume up your nose – which is much appreciated.

Garden Party consists of: oolong tea, mooring leaves, rose petals, bamboo leaves, and natural orchid flavour.

Preparation

T By Daniel suggests steeping Garden Party in 90°C (194°F) water for 2 to 3 minutes. I used the oolong setting on my Breville IQ Kettle, which is 91°C (195°F). My initial steep of Garden Party was for 2 minutes.

First Taste

Garden Party steeps to a light yellow, this tea has such an inviting floral aroma to it. I can’t really pinpoint which flower that I smell the most – either rose or orchid. It’s not overly floral at all though, which is nice. On first taste, I can taste the floral sweetness, which balances well against the creamy oolong base. The oolong just has a note of buttery creaminess to it, going really well with the floral notes

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Garden Party three times, adding an extra 30 seconds for each resteep. I found that the flavour profile stayed fairly consistent throughout – by the last steep it was more oolong base than floral ingredients. But the oolong stayed true to itself with the buttery notes with each steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved T By Daniel’s Garden Party. I think the oolong base lends itself well to the added floral ingredients. The mix of floral and oolong would pair up well with afternoon tea goodies, I think. The buttery notes from the oolong would play off of the baked goods while the floral notes would balance well against the sweets (cupcakes! macarons! cookies!).

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Global Tea Hut – March 2018 “Swirling Mist”

March 2018 “Swirling Mist” 2004 Sheng Puerh by Global Tea Hut
Pu’erh / Straight
$20-30USD/month

Global Tea Hut has provided me with their March 2018 issue of Tea & Tao Magazine with a sample of “Swirling Mist” for the purposes of providing an honest review.

First Impressions

When I was first contacted by a representative of Global Tea Hut, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. A tea magazine? Why not! It came to me in the post from Asia, so it did take a little while to reach me in Canada. The magazine is a beautiful 60+ page magazine with full colour, glossy pages, and no advertisements. The March 2018 issue talks about several different locations where tea is grown, harvested, and processed. There’s even a full feature on the tea of the month, as well as a feature on a Tea Wayfarer, which I’ve come to learn is a regular feature on a Global Tea Hut member.

“Swirling Mist” is a 2004 Sheng Puerh, it came to me in a metal tin that’s lined with rice paper to help protect the tea. The aroma from the dry leaf is actually very mild, I found it to be a little bit earthy. There were some leaves that were heavily compacted, just from how the puerh was made into a cake.

Preparation

Global Tea Hut recommends steeping Swirling Mist in 98°C (208°F) water and suggested steeping it gong-fu method up to 20 times. It’s a bit of a time consuming method, consisting of very short steeps. I opted to steep in 100°C (212°F) water for an initial steep of 2 minutes.

First Taste

Swirling Mist steeps to a dark gold colour. I found that it had a smooth, pleasant mouthfeel. There’s some earthiness in the flavour – something that reminds me of mushrooms, and also sweet plums. It makes for a very pleasant cup of tea, and I don’t say that very often about pu’erhs.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Swirling Mist a total of eight times (nine steeps total). I found that the flavour stayed strong and consistent throughout, until about the sixth resteep – which is when the flavour started to decline a little bit. I added an extra 30 seconds for each additional steep and found that the tea stayed smooth and enjoyable throughout each steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Global Tea Hut’s March 2018 issue of Tea & Tao Magazine along with Swirling Mist. I really enjoyed reading the magazine, and learning more about the kind of places where tea is grown and harvested. The pu’erh was a really nice treat to have, I’ve been disappointed in the past before with pu’erh tea, so I was very pleased that I enjoyed this one. I think for the cost, you do get good value if you are interested in learning about tea farms and the process of making some of your favourite teas.

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