adventures in tealand

it's been a crazy week, and a crazier monday. amidst the craziness, i went to make a cup of tea, just a mid-afternoon ritual to get another couple of hours of work out of myself, and no big deal for me...unlike some of my co-workers. ahem.

i used to love Good Earth white tea, which had this vanillaish flavor, but you can't get it around here anymore. i miss that tea. it was good, had a cute old chinese man on the box, came with little sayings like Dove chocolates but less schmaltzy, it was solid. consequently, i've been looking for a replacement with little success. while i was at publix in atlanta last week, i found some Lipton (i usually don't like lipton, but i've been trying to be less brand-prejudiced) white tea.

the full name on the box is as follows:
WHITE TEA
with
Island Mango and Peach Flavor
with other Natural Flavor
Made with real orange leaves and lemongrass

i mean, simple is usually better, but if a tea requires nineteen words to name it, it's an event if nothing else, right? why not?

so i opened the box today at around 3, eagerly anticipating my new caffeine fix, and the smell was an olfactory assault. pleasant, but aggressive. i'm pretty sure it killed the lunch funk that lingers down here until 4 most days. so far, so good. i brewed a cup, and DAMN. it was like i was by the pool on some island where peaches and mangoes grow. and oranges. and lemongrass....a fictional island. super fruity. not very tea-ish, but good.

initially i loved it. however, it's been about an hour and change, and there's a distinct burning in my throat. weird. the ingredients are all natural, no fifteen-word chemicals, but it's still kind of odd. we'll see how the next adventure goes.
try it...if you dare...

meanwhile, i'm still on the hunt for a white tea replacement.