Oh my, I knew it was a mistake to click on that link. Well, I say "mistake". The mistake was to stop going.
I've personnally bought the "Heart and Mind" Sherlock tea, it is de-li-cious.
*off to make some tea-unfortunately-not-this-one-because-I-don't-have-any-right-now*

Lilythiell wrote:

Purchased the canon edition.
I will review every single one of them as soon as they're here. Hopefully it will help through the wait for the Special.
 

That would be wonderful - I´m curious if they are as good as they look like. 
 

If I got my hand on that I'd never stop drinking tea... wow. 

First things first:




This box contains six tin samples:
-Sussex Downs
-Three Continents Watson
-Always 1895
-221 Bee
-Turkish Slipper
-Morocco Case

Each tin sample costs $4, and the box is $19.

Now, a tin sample is small : length of 8 cm; depth of 4.5 cm and height of 1.5 cm. Well, it's for samples, so...
I do have to admit I was a little disappointed when I saw the size of the box -I thought it would be bigger -which is, in retrospect, silly of me, as I know the size of a tin.
Moving on.

I am very satisfied with the efficiency and the speed the items were delivered -ordered on 18 July, arrived today around noon. Shame the neighbour thought they'd be nice and take it to give it back to me in the evening. I could have started earlier. Oh, I should say the deliveries are made via U.P.S.
If you live outside of the U.S. like I do and the shipping (not that kind of shipping...!) price puts you off a little I think that trying to be reasonable and order once a year is a good idea. Hard to resist, though. And chose. Oh my God there are so many different teas...!
Moving on.

This evening, I've tasted Sussex Downs.



It's a nicely balanced blend with white tea (so with a low level of caffeine).
Sweet (ingredients are as follows : apple pieces, rose hips, hibiscus flowers, natural strawberry/pear/cucumber flavour, strawberries and raspberry leaves) that doesn't need honey to make it sweeter. Of course, you can add honey, it'll work and it will be nice, but to my mind, the tea is self-sufficient.
I did taste it both with and without honey, and I prefer without (even if bees).

Oh, and the maker of this blend (Mydwynter) has quite a good number of blends to propose, and they're all delicious (well, I say "all"...).
If you want a review on The Heart and Mind, I can provide one, I've also re-ordered that one. Delicious.

Last edited by Lilythiell (July 29, 2015 1:52 pm)

So far I've done three more of the Canon edition : Always 1895, 221 Bee and Turkish Slipper (in that order)
I expect I'll be able to do another one a bit later on, but I'm not promising anything.

Always 1895
Is a tea with high level of caffeine -definitely one for the mornings. Or in periods when comfort is needed.
It is blended with black teas -rather strong, then- namely : yunnan jig tea, oolong tea, assam tea and wuni ensemble tea.
It is accented with marigold flowers which bring a soothing edge to this tea -and without which one could expect the tea here to be bitter.
As for sugar, it doesn't need it -if you let it steep correctly.  However, I find that it goes well with cookies.

221 Bee
221 Bee is an energetic tea, with a high level of caffeine -though maybe a bit less than Always 1895.
Blended with almond oolong tea, caramel black tea, hojicha tea (it's a green tea with a nutty flavour), almond flavour and caramel flavour, it is accented with cinnamon and marigold flavour.
It has a strong taste of pralines and nuts. Makes me think of winter, when you're cosy in your home.
Goes well with a bit of honey. Obviously

Turkish Slipper
This tea is said, on the website, to have a moderate level of caffeine, but I think that moderate + could be more accurate.
Although it is blended with rooibos vanilla (that it to say, a decaf tea with vanilla flavour), there is also spiced mate and pumpkin spice, both of which have a high level of caffeine.
It is accented with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves (whole), and has a faint taste of ginger roots (I say faint because you have to focus to notice it). Unless you've a very delicate palate.
Now, this tea reminds me of winter -or at least cold days when you need to warm up. And tobacco.
There are some of the spice used in mulled wine (cardamom, cinnamon and cloves), and the ones you taste the most are cloves and cardamom.
Be careful not to let it steep for too long -you'd only be able to taste the spice!

Three Continents Watson
This tea is blended with three types of tea: peach oolong, citrus mate and green rooibos, that is to say a high level of caffeine.
It is very fruity. Indeed there are a lot of different fruits or fruit flavours (from three different continents, obviously) : orange peels, peach flavour, apple pieces, mango pieces, passionfruit flavour, mango flavour, orange flavour, lemon flavour, apricot and apricot flavour).
However fruity it is, I found the need for some honey -indeed, green tea can be bitter, and it's not the type of tea I love the most.
Still. It's a good one, and it seems that it would be good to drink it during a hot day, whilst being in the shade.


 

Last edited by Lilythiell (July 29, 2015 5:26 pm)

I'm happy to know my reviews are useful
So far, my favourite ones (from the Canon Edition, because I admit Heart and Mind has a special place -don't worry, review on it tomorrow) are Sussex Downs -so sweet! I was really surprised by how sweet it was- and Always 1895 (because, well. Comfort. Black tea. That sort of thing).
Which makes me think that I very much want to try The Reichenbach Recovery tea by Cara McGee. Mostly because of the name. Stupid, I know. But...I've checked and though this one doesn't sound "perfect" at least it does sound "good".

Morocco Case
This tea is  blended with toasted mate, gunpowder green and spearmint, and accented with cornflower and red peppercorn.
It smells quite bitter (that would be the green tea) but it doesn't taste it at all -which would be the mint.
I have tried it with honey, but it really, really doesn't need it.

Mind and Heart
This tea is blended with Irish breakfast tea, rooibos vanilla chai and blue berry.
It has a moderate level of caffeine and is very good with honey -although it is not compulsory. At all.
This tea has a discreet fruit taste, what with all the little fruit bits in it. I say discreet because it's hidden beneath the taste of spice in the rooibos vanilla chai.
My overall appreciation of this tea is that it brings out warmth. (spice again, I suppose)
Now, for the list of the ingredients : assam tea, cylan tea, ginger root, cinnamon bark, rose hips, hibiscus flowers, apple pieces, cloves, orange peels, cardamom, blueberries, vanilla and blackberry flavour.

Note: I've been snooping on Cara McGee's profile and she's made a Redbeard one -full rooibos (decaf), that'd be perfect to calm nerves before going to bed. Or trying to. There are plenty others that I'd like to try out in her store, but those'll have to wait.
 

Last edited by Lilythiell (July 30, 2015 11:43 am)

I would ask "whatever's the matter?" and "can I offer you anything?", but I fear I'm a bit far away...
That's why we need meet ups, so we can get together, drink tea and have Sherlockian chats.

 

I love how they bring something new with every new installment of Sherlock.