Welcome to The City of Desire.

Boooo I was going to make this my Tea of the Summer but it sold out before I could restock during DavidsTea's 25% off sale booooo



Here are my notes on DavidsTea's Moroccan Mint Oolong:

Moroccan Mint Green vs Moroccan Mint Oolong
2 PS for 3 min
Oh noooo, either that was too long or 2 PS for one 12 oz mug is too much. The Green is undrinkably bitter.
The oolong actually kind of smells like an Assam and tastes like a mint tea. Oddly, it has nana mint and lemon peel, while the Green has peppermint and spearmint.

1 PS each for 3 min using 180 F
Moroccan Mint Green is nice! Minty, bold.
Oolong version has a stronger oolong flavour ofc but still minty

And here's the official DavidsTea description:

it’s tea tradition
Keep the tea flowing and the conversation going by serving up Moroccan Mint Oolong! This is our version of traditional Moroccan mint teas that are traditionally served as a way of hospitality, but we gave it a twist. In place of the usual green tea base, we used oolong—perfect for re-steeping so the fun never has to end. On top of that, this powerhouse duo of oolong and Turkish mint is the ultimate digestive aid for when you’re feeling a little bogged down after a heavy meal with friends and family.

How it tastes: Smooth & medium-bodied with naturally sweet & refreshing notes of nana mint.

What makes it great:
Our version of Moroccan Mint is made with nana mint, which has a similar taste to spearmint and is also sometimes called “Turkish Mint.”
This combo of mint & oolong is great for supporting your digestive system.
Did you know that in Moroccan mint tea with sugar cubes is traditionally served to guests as a sign of hospitality? Why not try brewing a pot of this crowd-pleasing blend the next time you have company over!

Ingredients: Organic oolong tea, Organic nana mint, Organic lemon peel

It looks like it's still available on the Canadian site... I wonder if it sold out in the US, or what? It looks like I can add it to my cart on the Canadian site, but do I really want to place a big order when I do, in fact, have a four-drawer chest and 3-drawer cart full of tea already?

Anyhow: Moroccan Mint Oolong is definitely in my "reorder when next available" list, along with Cardamom French Toast and Bahama Blue (and Pura Vida, but I don't think that one's ever coming back).

so here's the thing

I first taste-tested Clementine Cheer on April 14. That's a friggin' month ago!

I took a photo (which ended up being the only photo I took that day, so I guess it's my Picture of the Day also) and jotted down some notes in my Google Keep app.

And then I didn't update my Dreamwidth journal for a month, other than meal-planning.

I was busy! Our friend Bill was visiting Orlando with his family, and we went to see the 20th Anniversary re-release of Revenge of the Sith, and there were Pokemon Go events pretty much every weekend, and then there was May the 4th and Star Wars Nite and... and... there's just been a lot on my plate.

And now it's a month later, and I just finished off the pouch of Clementine Cheer.

Here are my original tasting notes:

Clementine cheer oolong: 3 min 180 F
Smells like a creamsicle with orange and yogurt
Tastes mostly citrus, maybe would have used 2 spoonful given the fruit-to-leaf ratio.
Will use a second spoonful when re-steeping
Satsuma spice cake is way tastier BUT has rock sugar in it as well as pineapple

A month later, I stand by those notes. Clementine Cheer is tasty, but it's not as delicious as Satsuma Spice Cake... but how could it be? Satsuma Spice Cake has rock sugar and pineapple. It tastes like a dessert. Clementine Cheer *smells* like a dessert, but tastes like citrus softened with vanilla and probably apples or some other "healthy" sweet thing.

Official description from DavidsTea:

the cheer is here

Fill your cup with cheer this season… Clementine Cheer, of course! We squeezed nothing but good vibes into this fresh & fruity high-spirited tea. It’s got a rich oolong base with juicy orange & tangerine notes and creamy vanilla to finish it off. Try it on ice with a (generous) splash of sparkling wine for a celebration-worthy spritz. Let’s goooo!

What makes it great:
We blended three different types of oranges into this perfectly zesty blend: clementine, tangerine and orange peel.
Looking for the ultimate crowd-pleasing tea to offer your guests? You found it! Serve hot or iced, it’ll please just the same.
Turn it into a clementine spritz with a (generous) splash of prosecco or champagne!

How it tastes:
Lively notes of freshly peeled clementines and tangerines with a creamy vanilla finish.

Ingredients: Apple, Oolong, Acidified apple (apple, citric acid), Orange Peel, Sweet blackberry leaf, Orange, Tangerine, Yogurt (skim milk yogurt, sugar, maltodextrin, modified starch, citric acid), Natural (vanilla, clementine) flavouring.

It's more apple than oolong by weight, and it really does look like potpourri before steeping... big chunks of orange peel and apple garnished with the occasional oolong tea leaf. The oolong means that it *should* re-steep well, but the apple means that each re-steeping tastes like watered-down apple juice, or warm water that remembers having been in the same room as an apple once.

I would buy this again if it was on sale, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to get more. There are better oolongs, and probably better orange herbal blends out there.