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Pulled this one forward on the shelf. As I mentioned before, its finely granulated; I didn’t trust a measuring spoon, so I did the “two full pinches” method…perfect for a 12oz mug. Again, nothing really outstanding, a good tea that is very drinkable and forgettable (not in a bad way).

A small tin, the Clairvoyant Tea Tin…its seethrough, of this has been sitting around for some time. I had no idea what flavor it was, I thought it was “Clairvoyant Tea” by Serendipitea. I found out, after brewing and deciding how to describe it. So here goes: “Grass clippings, I’m pretty sure that this is a tin of grass clippings. The tea is all straight, flat, 1/2” pieces just like out of my lawn mower. Its green, with little blue bits (cornflowers)…did I mention grass clippings? Smells green and fruity, tropical, in the tin. Brewing at 185F, the steam reminds me of cranberries, sour fruit. The taste is high quality green tea. Very light, crisp, none of the steeped-athletic-sock mustiness I get from cheap green teas. Oh look, there is a paper label on the bottom of the tin. FIJI, Wild Pineapple, Papaya & Green Tea…really?…."

Its raining in Central Texas…gloomy grey skies and the constant, vertical rain that we need, yet is so depressing. So whats to do when its boringly wet outside…dust off (literaly) the teapot and the Palm Court from the back of the stove. Yeah, I know, probably shouldn’t store tea there; but in my defense, its in an airtight metal can. Put 4 heaping teaspoons into the infuser and 1.5L of water just off the boil through it. stand for 2 or so minutes and a fine cuppa. Its oxidizing in the pot, getting darker with every pour, but not getting bitter or otherwise “off”. Drinking it straight, but can tell that just a touch of sugar would be really nice I think. Good “Generic Black Tea”…doesn’t have any one thing that stands out like a varietal/regional might.

Restocked this a little while ago as a side benefit to a business trip to Atlanta. Still as good as I remember from a few years ago, perhaps better. I don’t know if their supplier changed the weight of the balls, but I’m using 3 per 16oz mug now. The “burnt” edge is not present in this batch. Strong flavor but not a heavy tea. Its smooth, slurpable (is that a word?). A very good wake up tea. ratings bump over a few years ago for consistency in goodness.
Needs boiling water, I think, to get the balls well-saturated quickly.

Made this in the Keurig this morning since I was in a hurry. This tea has an earthy, woodsy flavor, almost like it was aged in a wood barrel. Otherwise, it has a strong keemun taste sets it apart from other black teas.

I was initially put off by this tea..it smells sweet and flowery. But I’ve decided its not half bad. It doesn’t brew like it smells, but still has a light sweetness…more fruit than flower. I’ve mentally assigned this tea to an “afternoon tea” slot.

I must have gotten a bad batch or something. It had a strong chemical flavor that was nothing like bergamot. Tried a second cup with less steeping with the same result. Threw the bag in the trash.

I’ve had this tea for several years, but never wrote a note on it. This tea is full bodied with a nice, light smoke. Truely something I enjoy for “Afternoon Tea”. Brews quickly and can be overdone. Cheese and Crackers with VA, mmmmm.

I think MTW’s Earl Grey is one of the best Earl Grey’s I’ve had and their Decaf version holds true to the original. Flavour is similar, with a good bergamot floral/citrus smell and flavor. I have noticed that the Decaf version brews a little lighter and slower than the regular version…I add a little extra tea to the tea ball to compensate (or I’d have to be even MORE patient).

Intense Jasmine fragrance. Surprisingly, it doesn’t overwhelm the green tea underlying it. The two combine very well. The tea is light, fragrant without being overwhelming and does not have any sort of “chemical” harshness that I’ve detected in lesser Jasmine Tea’s (from artificial flavoring??). 3 minutes @ 200deg