Andriel

Popped the top off this one as soon as it was freed from the delivery box. I have waited for a long time to order this one and was looking forward to the experience for quite some time — and took a sniff and sadly did not like the scent. I sat it aside and brewed a cup of Rose Scented Tea (from this same shipment) instead.

The biggest surprise from this tea became evident after I decided to try a cup adespite the somewhat flat, smoky scent of the dry leaves. I discovered that during the brew, the heat of the water releases a tantalizing complexity, smokey, spicy and delicious. A real treat for the senses!

This tea brings back memories of the scent of my Grandmother. She was an immigrant to the US, and simply put, so steeped in the atar of roses (from the Valley of Roses her home country) that her pores simply exuded the fragrance. So how could I not cherish this exotic infusion?

The tea is not only scented, but has a forward flavor of pinkness, and is smooth as velvety petals. Such a delight!

Inadvertantly deleted this favorite from my Steepster cupboard. Ooops! Still takes me to a happy place!

It is soooo cold outside. And this tea is just so warm and soothing. Yea for brown rice tea!

Nice tea, and I like the orange/clove/rose-ness of it all. As with the other Talbott teas I have, it takes more leaf than I usually use (compared to other brands) to get the flavor for which I am looking. Overall, nice; one I will serve friends as a conversation piece but not one I will secretly hoarde exclusively for my own selfish consumption!

Maybe after reading the favorable posts, had set my hopes too high. Or, maybe I need to use a lot more tea in my infuser.

With Indiana paralysed by an ice storm, I had lots of time to shop online and finally got around to spending the Talbott’s Groupon that I purchased some weeks ago for just such a day. The fearless FedEx delivery person dropped my box of tea this afternoon and within minutes I had ripped into it and was sniffing the intoxicating fragrances of my three choices (two being chocolate, the other cinnamon rose).

The hubby was outdoors breaking the 8 to 10 inches of ice that was making any thought of getting my car out of the drive laughable, and then shovelling the heavy chunks out of the way. What a man!

So, when it appeared he was nearly finished, I set the kettle on the stove and chose “Cocoa Cardamom Seduction.” And I even had a sheet of freshly baked cookies to go with the tea (it took a while to break up all that ice!)

The tin contained visible chunks of spice and tea, and the fragrance was mouth-watering; as pretty to look at as was its aroma while steeping in my favorite tea pot.

The flavor fell short of expectations, though. Seems to be all fragrance but just a mild black tea flavor. We added a little cream and sugar and it seemed to bring a little cocoa flavor forward, though this is not our normal tea service. I suppose I will try steeping another pot some other time, with more tea in the infuser and maybe for a longer time. There have been such fine reviews that surely I just need to experiment some more

Nothing fancy. But it makes takes me to a happy place.

A bit astringent as to be expected from green tea, and earthy from the mango.

Made a nice Thai-style soup for lunch with my sweetie; dropped an infuser with a pinch of this into the broth and it was simply amazing! Really enhanced the smokiness found in most Thai soy sauces.

A good black tea when in the mood for one with a fruity nose. Nice body and a natural sweetness, too.

Yep. It’s just kinda meh. Didn’t dump it down the drain but didn’t finish it, either.

Chocolate. Tea. Perfect harmony. Ommm…

This one was purchased over the holidays for a mar"tea"ni recipe. For the mixologists among us, it makes an interesting “tasty beverage,” and maintains a fun blue-ish color when combined with vodka.

The tea itself is a bit astringent and my preference is to take it with sugar (or, the aforementioned vodka, when appropriate.) It might be a good candidate for iced tea, too.

Meh.

Mostly spice, not much plum. Disappointing body (too watery feeling in the mouth). It just feels like something is missing. Kept bringing the tea bag back for additional steep time but it just added more spice, never rounded out. Maybe I will try blending in more black tea next time.

It is 9 am, and time for tea. And I need a minty punch to kick my butt into gear. Since getting up (late) this morning I have accomplished the sum total of this: 1. Decided I needed some tea (1.5 seconds); 2. Chose Chocolate Mint and heated the water (5 min.); 3. Selected my Teavana Tea Harmony tumbler from the cupboard (5 seconds); 4. Discovered the infuser had not been stored inside it and disassembled entire kitchen looking for it (22 minutes); 5. Found it! (But will not be able to find anything else in here ever again, in the wake of my infuser search…); 6. Made fresh heated water; 7. Logged on to share my agony.

If you have stayed with me this far, you have probably had similar moments. I really need this tea break!

As for the tea itself, the aroma is already bringing me out of my sleep-fog. Mint just shakes me into consciousness, and it is the prominent aroma. It is also the prominent flavor, which is why I add some Half & Half — the milk seems to bring the chocolate into focus and balance everything out. No sweetener for me, though I know many do like this tea sweetened.

Now maybe I can decide on what to wear to work and get on with the day. Thanks for listening.

Brought this home from Jungle Jim’s International Market in Hamilton, Ohio. It is a regional mecca for foodies in my region, and many treasures were purchased that are not easily available in my hometown (mainly Asian ingredients, this trip.)

My favorite sushi bar served up this toasty tea which I like very much, and I have demonstrated great lack of restraint by tearing into it upon ariving home. It is not fancy, just satisfying in a homey kind of way.

What better salve for the melacholy than a heady, fragrant vanilla concoction?

A beautiful reddish colored tea; brisk and with great body. I will be drinking this one for the simple joy of the tea, in and of itself.

No notes yet.

MMmmmmmmm … caught a chill on the way home from work today, and a cup of Queen Catherine was just the right thing to chase it away!

No notes yet.

After being enticed into the purchase of this tea by its lovely aroma, I am a bit disappointed with the brew because the bergamot is quite subdued. Really it barely tastes like an Earl Grey at all; it tastes good but don’t expect the crispness of bergamot. It is also a very light, yellow-y colored brew, also not quite what I had expected.

Even though it was not as I had anticipted, I do like this cuppa; it is light and I appreciate the vanilla-creaminess.

Delicious, nutty with a bit of cocoa. Perfect for this cold day! Kind of reminds me of roasted chestnuts. Yum!

I must be missing something. This tasted just like boiled water, I detected no linden flower, really nothing at all. Even after adding more tea and steeping longer. And I really did try to like it. Go figure.

No notes yet.