Infusin_Susan

Lovely fragrance — the orange blossom scent is almost overwhelming. In the cup, it retains an orange-y flavor but the oolong is there as well. A good, reasonably priced flavored oolong, and one I think would be great as an iced tea. However, I am beginning to realize that the natural flavor of oolong tea does not really need any help — it is enchanting on its own — so I may not repurchase this.

I’ve sampled several gyokuros, and so far this is my favorite. It has a depth of flavor some others seem to lack. It almost has a “chocolately,” dense sort of scent in the tin. I brew this at about 155 for two minutes only, otherwise it does turn bitter. But brewed properly, it yields a flavorful yet delicate, savory, vegetal cup. The price point of this gyokuro is more comfortable than some others I’ve found. In my experience, the second infusion is not as rich; the third is very good, then after that it loses flavor.

This is a very good choice for a strong black tea. For me, the two things that stand out most about this one are its beautiful coppery-red color and its smoothness. It is not the least bit bitter or astringent, even when slightly overbrewed. I love drinking this in the morning to help wake me up.

This is one of my favorite wintertime breakfast teas. It is rich and slightly chocolatey, but unlike many other “chocolate” teas I’ve tried, it lacks hazelnut, almond or minty flavors. It’s straight-up strong, robust breakfast tea with a hint of chocolate and a bit of “boozy” richness (this must be the whiskey flavoring). The other day I made this as a tea latte (half strong tea, half foamed milk) and it was incredibly good. I’m going to have to do that again soon — and I’m going to have to stock up on this while it’s still available. It’s one of TG’s seasonal teas.

My experience with decaf teas is that they generally taste kind of “flat” and uninteresting. I was happy to find Vanilla Comoro an exception to the rule. The rich taste of black tea is there, overlaid with natural, smoky vanilla. Some vanilla flavorings can taste artificial or strange, but this does not. It’s the perfect tea to have with a piece of shortbread — or even by itself — after dinner or at bedtime. Smooth, soothing, and delicious. I brew two teabags in my 16 oz mug and let it steep for six minutes, and I add one packet of Stevia to bring out the sweetness.

If you like your green tea to smell and taste like rancid butter, you may enjoy this. Otherwise, skip it. I bought this because it sounded interesting; I like green tea lattes and found the idea of a milky green tea without actual milk intriguing. From the moment I opened the bag, though, I knew this wasn’t for me. The sour milk/rancid butter odor did not morph into anything creamy and delicious, and the taste was just as repugnant. Brewing it for different intervals, at different temperatures didn’t make any difference in the nasty spoiled milk taste. I wound up throwing this out, and I rarely do that with any tea, but this was just dreadful.