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| - 2.5 stars.
I was on my way back to my car when I spotted Tea Time across the street, so I went in to check things out. Colorful and dainty porcelain tea sets, Flagstaff honey jars, and other tea-making and tea-drinking accessories mingle on wall shelves and stands on the main floor, while filing drawers, reminiscent of old laboratories and classrooms, containing tea cuttings line the wall behind the cashier's counter. Sharon, the rep working tonight, was personable enough and let me know she would be happy to let me take a whiff of whatever tea variety I fancied. I was able to sniff a few-- Coconut black (with visible toasted coconut flakes mixed in), Ginger coconut green Rooibos, Coconut macaroon (with herbs and other additional ingredients that Sharon did not have the info to share with me), and even Stevia leaf cuttings, before settling on the Ginger coconut, seeing as it was caffeine-free. (Otherwise, I'd have gone for the caffeinated Coconut black.) But before I settled with that choice, I did get to sample a Ginger-berry blend tea from a cute clear honey pot dispenser across the counter along one of the walls, which I found to taste similar to a Juicy Fruit gum that has lost most of its sweet flavor. When I finally was able to taste a few sips from the 22 oz. iced Rooibos ($3.50) as I was walking towards my car, I was disappointed to find that it tasted just like the Ginger berry...
I noticed signs on all three two-top garden table and chairs sets lining the center of the store where customers could sit and have tea advertising Easter Saturday High Tea reservations available ($15 per person/$50 for a table of four), with the first five parties who do reserve will receive a gift from the store as a token of appreciation for attending. This sounded interesting- I was thinking of taking my cousin, but Sharon didn't know who the caterers were for the event, so I stopped considering the possibility.
While I like the idea of the store and its offerings (local honey, tea sets and pots made in England and Japan, rather than China), I'd rather patronize tea shops and online merchants that offer hand-rolled loose tea leaves that look like whole leaves curled into pearls and other definitive shapes, rather than almost-powder cuttings. I would like to return and try another variety before shrugging off Tea Time for good- I wanted to give this review two stars, but it seemed a bit harsh. Perhaps I just chose the wrong tea to try tonight. I hope my next visit will yield more info, and better tastings.
Congrats to Tea Time for reaching its five-year anniversary. May you have another five!
#690
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