Doulton

This tea is not unpleasant, but it does not stand out for me. If I want a chocolate tea, I have other options that “pop” in my mouth more boisterously. I don’t think this is a bad tea, but it’s not memorable.

I purchased this tea with some scepticism. I love the flavor of pears, but I’ve had too many tea-bags that proclaim Pear flavor with no discernable taste nor even odor of pear.

This one is a true keeper. The aroma is strong and distinct and the taste is divine. There are pear over-notes, mid-notes, and base-notes! I was so caught up in my first cup that all I could do was start thinking about my second cup. For me that is a signal of true tea dementia. When I get demented over a tea, I know that I love it.
If you like sweet flavored teas and the taste of pear you will love this. It’s de-caf so you can drink it all evening long and you don’t need to worry about over-steeping.

This is the first Pumpkin tea I have tasted, so I don’t really have any points of comparison. I’m the kind of person who chases after things like “Pumpkin Pie Martinis” and “Pumpkin Ravioli” so I write from the perspective of a pumpkin lover.

This tea pleased me very much. Most importantly, the pumpkin flavor seems true and not at all synthetic. The mix between the black tea, the spices, and the pumpkin was exquisitely done. If you like flavored teas as I do and if you are a fan of the Pumpkin as Food or Flavor source, you owe it to yourself to give this a try. Very well done, Culinary Teas!

I wanted to like this more than I did. The description is tantalizingly delicious. I’ve had several cups of Chocolate Monkey and it’s nicely subtle. It’s quiet, aromatic, and has a great banana aftertaste.

It’s naturally sweet and very laid-back. The monkey seems to be napping and not up to much mischief here.

I realize more and more that I like big, brash, arrogant teas and that the subtle delights often pass me by because I want an enormous flavor whallop. Chocolate Monkey is a bit sedate and lady-like for me. Maybe if I crush the peppercorns? I’ll try that next.

Ever since I drank far too many Harvey Wallbangers in college one evening because they tasted so NOT like alcohol—-I have been wary of liquers. On the other hand, I love the name Luigi and use it as a nickname for any convenient masculine figure—and TeaGshwendner had such an attractive description, that I had to get this tea.

TeaGshwendner, right now, is most certainly in my list of top ten tea companies because I love the sensational things they do with flavor. If you approach Luigi Amoretto you will think that someone has opened a bottle of Amoretto and is waving it right under your nose. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The appearance is intriguing. With all of the raisins, apple pieces, and other visually appealing things in Luigi Ameretto, one wants to sprinkle it on ice cream, on cereal, or simply to eat it stright up.

I used two teaspoons and a dash extra because I have humongous mugs. I also allowed it to steep for a full ten minutes (not be design but because I was distracted). The result was a fine and festive mug of fruitiness which smelled exactly like Amoretto. It’s a kind of fruity, creamy, almondy brew. I like it. I like strawberry and chocolate and chai flavors better but this tea is just great and would make a superb gift for the almond or apple lover in your life. On second thought, however, I won’t give this away. There are times when I want something different and this will remain in my cupboard. I can most certainly imagine drinkers give this tea 90 plus points.

TeaGschwendner seems to be all about high-quality flavors and mixes and this is a great autumn/winter tea. I felt a bit as if I were out on a crisp November day in New Hampshire, 75 years ago, watching Robert Frost (temporarily called Luigi) picking apples and tossing them into a vat of toasted almonds.

Eros tea is floral and fairly light. That being said, however, the lightness is deep, rich, and conveys a sense of yellow like a painting by Turner, who made yellow seem more exquisite than anything nature could offer.

The aroma is not as intense as Marco Polo, another favorite of mine, but it is like being in a French country garden—possibly at Giverny where Monet painted. With Eros I once again noticed the brilliant way that Mariage Frères has deep rich flavors that sustain themselves on the tongue, in the throat and in the aftertaste. A lot of light floral teas I know give a little whiff of their perfume and POOF! they have vanished. This tea stays: like the finest French perfume, it caresses you with its vapors and aromas.

It’s a nice black and would be a wonderful blend to serve at a sophisticated tea party or, as the name suggests, after a romantic tryst.

One of the things I like about Mariage Frères teas is they are resolutely natural: the ingredients must be of the highest quality and there is no hint of anything synthetic or ephemeral. it may cost more than other black teas, but it is worth it. Considering what you get, it’s a lot less costly than a tea bag at Starbucks!

Some of the other reviewers loved this tea. I thought it was rather drab. I don’t know if that is because I don’t appreciate subtlety as much as some or if my tea-bag (sent to me as part of a holiday letter) was old. I got the earthy taste, but could not pick up on the promised overtones.

I know that Numi has some enchanting bagged teas so I might try to revisit this was a bag I know is new. I’ve had other teas that do earthy and chocolate-y in a much more intensely pleasing way.

The date between my nose, taste buds and this tea was an unmitigated disaster. Firstly, the tea is over-packaged in a tea bag in a little box covered with cellophane and a rip cord. Secondly, the tea had no discernable flavor. Just a tad of sweet earthiness, but nothing I would call caramel. Aftertaste is nil.

The problem might be that the more loose tea I drink, the harder it is to find a tea-bag I like. And I know that I like huge bursts of flavor, the more so when I drink a non-caffeinated tea. But there are some Numi bagged teas that are worth-while. This tea might be perfectly delightful for someone with a much subtler sensibility than I have.

The tea smells and tastes exactly like Root Beer. I brewed it and let it steep for a good 7 minutes because I was feeding the cats but as the aroma suffused the room I could swear I heard the chords of “Hoe Down” from Aaron Copland’s ballet “Rodeo” with Gene Autry in the other room singing "I’ve Got Spurs (that jingle jangle jingle). I know that root beer is not especially “western” but this brew transformed me into the “Fanciulla del West”.
The taste is thorough root beer and I drank it up with gratitude that I could feel so “rooting-tooting” replete without a ton of calories.

I drank it sraight up, neat. I am sure that it would be just dandy with sugar and some milk. Indeed, the milk might give one more of a “float” feel.

But it was so excellent I wasn’t stopping for the dairy.
I am a person who is enamoured of dessert teas and I have to order this. I had it as a sample along with the rest of my NecessiTeas order. Isn’t that how the dope peddlars operate? They give you a sample and you belong to them for life?

Now I have to rush to have a second infusion…it really is that good and it has made me feel a bit silly and screw-ball-y. It’s a NecessiTea indeed.

I’ve had three cups of Buccaneer and think that it is mis-named. Maybe it should be called “Shepherd” or “Vicar” or “Constable”. It’s not a tea for dashing pirates or for Edith Wharton-style young ladies who are intent on conquering European high-society. It’s a good tea for a crepuscular read of Barbara Pym. It’s a great tea to share with an early evening visit with your neighborhood curate. You will taste its tones of vanilla and coconut and they will be kind and gentle, unassuming and a bit timid—but they are indeed there.

I may not be entirely fair: I’ve observed that I am not good at doing “subtle” when it comes to teas. I want mad concoctions that rage in my mouth! Buccaneer is a mild and very servicable tea. You can steep it for a while and it won’t taste bitter at all. It’s a tea for kind, gentle, wise people and not for pirates and debutantes. It is a perfect tea as is and milk and sugar will not hurt it, nor will they be necessary.

SerendipiTea has great looking packaging and speedy delivery service and I’m looking forward to trying more of their teas.

Dessert teas are my weakness, and this is one of the better ones I have sampled recently. I am really impressed by TeaGshwendner, by the way. Their shipping was super-speedy and their teas have been superb. They do not stint on taste and I love the way the taste deepend and develops in their teas. Their Rooibush Eggnot is no exception to the incredibly high bar they have set.

If you like eggnog (as I do) but the profusion of calories, fat, cholesterol, sugars might ruin your diet, this tea is an extremely satisfying “hit” of sweet, full, rich eggnog. It’s got a natural sweetness, so you don’t need to add sugar although I am sure that the tea can stand up to added sugar or milk and not be the least bit overpowered.

The eggnog aroma is enticing in the dry, loose tea and also in the brewed tea. When you drink it, you can taste the eggnot quite specifically. The aftertaste is exceptionally festive and I felt as if I had downed a filling quart of eggnog without fear of consequences.

I am contemplating adding some warm milk and a shot of rum or bourbon next time I have this tea—although it really does not need any enhancements to make it pop in your mouth. This is a perfect tea to sip on as you sit by the fire and contemplate the majestys of winter; it’s a great substitute for eggnog that will not leave you feeling at all deprived. Play some holiday music, or pull out a mesmerizing Victorian novel. Repeat and congratulate yourself on how virtue sometimes really is a reward!

I had an obscenely sinful amount of fun with this tea. I love the “cola” effect and the blend of flavors. I really have not had a tea like it. I could almost feel the splash of carbonation on my face. It’s a great blend. I may try the carbonated soda recipe that 52teas has presented but I think I would cut the sugar by at least half. My tea stood up to a second brew with no loss of potency, so I can make it last longer.

I don’t know if tea purists will appreciate this one; I, on the other hand, love strange and unusual combinations and blends and this is one of the best, in my opinion, of the always interesting, always loveable, and often outrageously great blends of 52teas. I just paid them for a 6 month program once I tasted this tea, so you can tell that my love is sincere.

This is a tasty and competent black tea. I’ve enjoyed other Christmas teas more and the fact is that my personal tea aesthetic wants to be overwhelmed by the spices of Christmas. Instead of just an overtone or two and a slight note, I want to have my socks knocked off by the holiday effect.

But for many drinkers, less is more and you will like this a lot. Just because I don’t do subtle does not mean this tea will not be wonderful for you.

Carrot Cake is a sumptuous and spicy dessert tea. It’s got a thickly pleasing cakey and nutty taste and aftertaste. I love me a great full-bodied dessert tea and I also like lots of variety in my pantry. The NecessiTeas has blended a truly distinctive mix. It’s not derivative of any other tea I have sampled thus far—and if you drink dessert teas you know that many of them are rather “same-ish” and the differences do not trumpet themselves forth.

While this tea is nicely spicy, it’s careful not to allow the spice to overwhelm the natural sweetness of a carrot cake.

One test I apply to a tea is asking myself this question: Must I have it in stock at all times in case of a craving?

There are many teas which I don’t need to have at my fingertips, although I like them. There are other teas which I would reorder in the fullness of time. There are teas I could cheerfully live without and there are teas that I will carefully avoid. This is a tea that I will reorder when my supply is running low-ish.

I love this tea! The mint and spearmint are highlighted flavors, thus making Holiday Cheer not yet another clove/cinnamon clone. There is, of course, clove, cardamon, ginger, and orange which are artfully blended with the two mints to create a beautiful rhapsody of spicy, minty, good cheer.

This particular tea feels as if one is standing next to an old-fashioned orange pierced with cloves upon which candy canes are pendant. The taste and aroma are warmly enveloping and not at all intrusive. If you like mint blends, you will love this.

I highly recommend SerendipiTea for speedy delivery, an artistic and pleasing web page, and superior mixes.

It’s not particularly unpleasant, but it’s not as strong as I would like a Breakfast tea to be. In fact, it’s undistinguished in any way. Maybe I just need a tad more ferocity in my first cup of tea each day. This one seems to lack overtones—no smoke, no malt, no punch, no pungency and nothing distinctive.
I think I prefer stronger teas and flavors in general.

I like most Numi Teas and this is the first with which I’ve been a bit disappointed. This tea tastes like pink lemonade to me. Which is fine if you want pink lemonade, but if you want a black tea with a strong berry flavor, you won’t be happy. I think Numi needs to limit the hibiscus and rosehips which overwhelm any berry flavor.

Visually the tea is very pretty but we cannot live on vision alone.

Overall, Numi is a great company and this experience won’t deter me from trying their other blends.

For a bagged tea, this is an excellent choice. It’s spicy and distinctively robust and flavorful. I first disovered this tea about 15 years ago while visiting a friend in California and took lots of it back home to my pedestrian town where Lipton was virtually the only tea on offer. I have a sentimental fondess for Good Earth Original because it was the first really “big” taste of tea I had.

The cinnamon and orange notes stand out above the rest. I would recommend this for those times when you need a bagged tea—and they do come up. The individually packaged tea bags maintain their flavor for a long time.

Good with milk, although milk is not essential. Good Earth Teas appear to have a great policy about sustainability and doing good works with their profits, which is another reason to support them.

This is another great tea. It’s spicy flavors are strong and true. Visually very appealing, the dry leaves conjure up aromas of hearty holiday good cheer. I need it because my default mode is grumpy, so it’s nice to have a transformative moment inhaling this tea.
The aroma reminds me of a strongly mulled red wine (good as far as I am concerned).

The taste does not disappoint at all. It tastes vibrant, spicy, and without having any piny odor at all, makes me feel as if I’m in an evergreen forest wassailing my heart out without irony.

This hearty, robust tea is great on its own; I added a bit of sugar and milk as I approached the bottom of the cup and the tea was still just fine—it does not really need the addition, however.

I’m tempted to use these tea leaves to experiment with adding them to heated red wine, to heated apple cider, to heated eggnog—I think that this tea is divine on its own but could be used to cook up some seriously December-y potent potations!

Chocolate? Mint? My middle names! I like this tea and it’s good straight up and also with a bit of sugar and milk. I am drinking the loose leaf but this also comes in tea bags. It seems to be a very reliable, pedestrian tea. I will finish it and enjoy it in the evenings. So far my favorite chocolate tea (not that I’ve done a wide sampling) is Florence by Harney and Sons.

If you like chocolate and mint you will inevitably enjoy this tea—the mint seems stronger than the chocolate. I suspect that there are better ones out there, but I would happily drink this again.

The more tea I drink, the more I start to make judgments about just how I would line individuals types up on a scale. If I could select just one Earl Grey as my favorite, from those I have tried, I could do it. If I could select just one strawberry flavored black tea and just one strawberry flavored rooibos, I could now do it. That does not mean that I will quest to try all of them.

This Chocolate Mint Truffle is very nice; there are days when meat-eaters would prefer a hamburger to a steak and this might just be the hamburger of choc/mint teas. But it’s a good hamburger—not a fast food one, but a hamburger from your local pub that prides itself on making a fantastic hamburger sandwich.

I think it’s time to try a second infusion.

Do you ever have one of those experiences when you come face to face with your prejudices and discover that you have been wrong? When this tea showed up at my house, I undoubtedly shot it a prim frown of disapproval and put it away thinking I might be able to use it in a swap. No rice krispies in green tea for this woman!

So today I decided to give it a try….I’ve liked the 52teas of the week very much and thought that I owed them a courtesy taste—-before I gave this tea away to some unsuspecting victim.

HELLO! I love this tea! No rice krispie taste; but there is a toasty sort of crispness. It’s not overwhemingly sweet at all. A layer of smoke, a nuttiness, and a tinge of malt all add up to a fully tasty experience. As I try more teas, I notice that I really respond to those which give me a big and unique tasteful. This tea is excellent for afternoons. It steeps swiftly to pot to mouth time is speedy.

Maple Bacon is potentially a novelty tea, but 52teas does transcend the “novelty” by producing an authentic, full-bodied tea. It smells delicious and it’s a good, strong, smoky black tea with a nice overtone of maple. I could see the bacon bits in the tea and I could smell the bacon in the loose tea, but I could not really taste the bacon…perhaps my palate is not subtle enough.

It’s delicious with a lump of brown sugar and if you have some maple sweetener, that would bring out the maple even more.

I have to say that 52teas comes up with varied and ingenious flavors. Each one that I’ve tried ranges from very good to superb so they are certainly not merely a “novelty”. They have a very good “nose” and “tongue” and lovely visuals too.

This is a lovely tea! If you like the idea of sweet strawberry with a bite you should try this one.
The strawberry taste is rich, sweet, and very authentic. The aroma is fully fruity and redolent of a strawberry grove in full season. The pepper comes out as a robust and pleasingly biting counterpoint to the sweetness of the tea.

I’m sure it could sustain milk and sugar but I did not need any.

Excellent morning tea. It’s strong and robust and fully flavored. Rich without milk or sugar but could tolerate both, I think. There’s a hint of peat bog, moss, and smoke which makes me think of Ireland.

I would call this a great everyday breakfast tea, especially for those who want a good infusion of caffeine.