Lazey

Is it just me or does this tea get better when you’re getting closer to the bottom of the box?

This is a bagged tea but it’s still really good. Very spicy, strong hints of coconut. Even awesomer if you use a flavored coffee creamer, like pumpkin spice or chocolate, like most milk teas are improves with flavored creamers. When I can’t use fancy creamers I use milk (whole milk is better) and add honey instead of sugar.

I got a free sample of this tea. I was hoping it would be one of those teas that other people don’t like but I like.

No, this tea was awful. I only took a few sips before pouring it down the drain, I feel guilty for making the drain swallow it all.

Bad tidings.

A nice, citrus-tasting tea. Also tastes like cranberries, which I guess is the lingonberries. Slight hints of cardamon. As this tea cools I notice that it tastes fruitier. This cup I only added a touch of sugar to, but I might try it with a little milk later.

This tea almost feels familiar, which is a good thing. Not a bad tea to start the day off with.

Second steeping- about 4 minutes with 200 degree water. The cardamon is more noticeable, the citrus/berry taste is only a little weaker, same for the ceylon tea. How do they make tea this strong? Didn’t add any sugar to this cup. No milk either, on second though I’m not sure if the lingonberry would curdle milk and don’t want to risk it.

This is a strong tea, strong smelling and strong brewing.

I have to admit at first sip I was afraid I would hate this tea. I tried a spoonful right after steeping it, no milk or sugar and it was horrible, absolutely horrible! I added milk and a little sugar and my second sip was a little better. I waited a few minutes before taking another sip and it was really, really good. As the tea sat and cooled a little the cardamon and vanilla must have been doing something together and made the tea a lot smoother and more pleasant to drink.

The second steeping was even better than the first, the cardamon was not weakened and I could feel the spice prickling on my tongue. I had some M&M cookies to dip in the tea and it was amazing.

The tea even stood up to a third steeping. It was starting to get weaker but I think I might have even managed a fourth steeping but it’s getting late and I don’t want the caffeine keeping me up all night.

My Tall Tea Gift Box came today! I’m so excited! Right away I tore open the padded envelope, opened the box and started twisting the lids off the tins (Those are really nice tins too) and sniffing every tea. I decided to try the Caramel Apple first.

I may have put more tea than necessary in my tea strainer, but i hate having a tea being too weak because I didn’t add enough tea. Then I had issues with the thermometer trying to get the water at 205 degrees, I need to get a proper tea thermometer, the one I was using was inaccurate, or water boils at 200 degrees.

While the tea was still hot all I could taste was apple and assam tea. As it cooled I began to taste caramel, slight hint of chocolate. If you drink this tea too fast you’ll miss out.

This tea is fine on its own though a little sugar will not ruin it.

After having two Teavana teas that I did not like I was about to write Teavana off, but I was sent a sample of this tea in a Swap and was surprised by how much I like it. With a name like Azteca Fire I expected it to be spicy, like a chai, there’s supposed to be pepper in this tea but I didn’t taste it in the first steeping.

Like all chocolate teas it has a ‘thin’ chocolate taste, but the chocolate flavor grows thicker as it cools, and the strawberry taste is a good mix. I add a little sugar and milk, a nice dessert tea.

The second steeping the chocolate and strawberry flavor is weaker of course, but I could taste the pepper.

I got this tea in a swap, and of course the Earl Greys are the first teas I hit. Steeped for about 3 minutes, added just a little sugar.

High quality tea. I could barely taste the ‘hint’ of bergamot. I do think I can taste hints of jasmine though there shouldn’t be any jasmine.

Now to see how the leaves stand up to a second steeping.

It’s like getting punched in the mouth by a Russian, but in a good way. It reminds me a bit of Lady Grey, only a lot stronger. I think I can taste grapefruit in this tea but not quite sure… I like this tea, when I want a really powerful Earl Grey this is a good one to choose. When I want it a little more mellow I mix it with EG cream or Dorian Grey. Sometimes I add milk but usually just sugar.

I love my bergamot.

I got this as a free sample from the NM Tea Company and I wish I had a couple ounces of it, this is good stuff. I’m usually not too crazy about mint teas because the mint tends to get overpowering, but in this tea I can also taste the tea and more importantly the bergamot. The mint blends well with it.

I only meant to steep this tea for 2 minutes but got distracted, I think it would be better with a shorter steeping time but it was still good. Added just a little sugar and drink it like I drink my regular Earl Grey – enjoying and trying to make it last instead of gulping it down too fast.

Just added half a teaspoon of this to a teaspoon of Night of the Iguana, added milk and honey and it made a really good chai. I wouldn’t drink this tea straight but it goes well with other teas.

For Christmas my sister got me a Tea For One set that came wit ha couple bags of Twinings Earl Grey. I thought the bags looked a little old and beat up but decided to try one anyway, I’ve been meaning to do a comparison of Twinings and Bigelow bagged Earl Grey.

I can taste the bergamot… But I can also taste the cardboard box the Tea For One set was in. It would be unfair to give this tea a rating when it has gotten old and the packaging damaged. So far Bigelow is winning in the bagged EG comparison but I’m pretty sure Twining can do better than this.

ETS blackcurrant herbal had me craving fruity tisanes so I picked up one of Celestial Seasonings sampler boxes.

I remember trying this tea years ago and not liking it.

I tried this tea again a few days ago… and I still did not like it. Some of their fruity tisanes had been improved (See my note on True Blueberry) but this one had not. It still tastes… I don’t know what it tastes like, not like any raspberry I’ve ever picked. It tastes like pinkness and artificialness though I think it’s supposed to have real raspberry and other natural flavors. Maybe it’s the hibiscus I’m tasting and not liking?

Sugar improves this tea a little but I still don’t like it.

Got a sample box and opened the True Blueberry pouch today. At this hour I need to drink something caffeine free.

It smells like blueberries. And It tastes like blueberry, and other fruits and berries. I add a little sugar to this tea to help bring out the berry flavor even more.

I think I saw on the packet something about being new and improved with more berry taste, and it has been improved. I remember trying this same tea years ago and not liking it because it didn’t taste like blueberries. Good going Celestial Seasonings.

I’ve been drinking this tea almost every day since I got it and am finally getting around to making a tasting note.

I thought in order for a tea to be an Earl Grey it needed to be infused with bergamot. However I do not taste any bergamot and do not see it listed in the ingredients.

Besides the lack of bergamot this is a good tea. It’s very creamy, I do not taste caramel but other creamyish flavors like vanilla. It’s a mild tea. Usually I brew it for 5 minutes but got impatient, next time I’ll be more patient, this cup is weak compared to the 5+ minute cups I’ve had before. I take it with milk and sugar.

To make up for the lack of bergamot I’ve tried brewing the leaves with other EG teas, like ETS double bergamot. The best combo I’ve found is half Dorian Grey and half Russian Earl Grey- Russian Earl Grey is on the other side of the Earl Grey spectrum.

I think this is the same Night of the Iguana Chocolate chai that I am currently drinking. I ordered it from Bonjour Gourmet but it has the same description.

It’s a decent chocolate chai. The different between cocoa and tea is that tea is NOT cocoa, but it has a chocolate taste. When I brewed a cup I made sure to leave plenty of room for milk and let it brew at least 5 minutes so it would be nice and strong. I added a little sugar because chocolate needs sugar. It’s not very spicy for a chai, maybe i need to shake the pouch upside down some more so the spices can get mixed up more.

I don’t know if I would buy this tea again, ETS chocolate mint has a more chocolatey taste, but I don’t feel like I wasted money on this tea either.

I resteeped the leaves and it still has a hint of chocolate.

It smells like coconut. Unfortunately the taste is more like regular nutty flavor like hazelnut than coconut. It reminds me of “Roasted Chestnut” from TeaSource".

I’m having it with milk and sugar and a full cup is just too much… Might be better if I mixed it with another tea, like chocolate flavored tea or even regular black tea to dilute the nutty flavor.

Tried resteeping the leaves. Only meant to steep for 10 minutes but forgot and steeped for about 25 minutes!

Surprisingly the second steeping was not too different from the first, can taste more spices like pepper this time.

Have not entirely made up my mind on this tea yet. I swear it smells like strawberries though there are no strawberries in it. I steeped it for 5 minutes, was too weak so I left it in a bit longer.

Tasted it, decided it needed sugar but I guess I added too much because then it was too sweet though I only added a little. Next time I’ll only add a pinch of sugar.

It tastes fruity, almost like strawberries. I can taste the ginger and other spices but not much of the coconut.

Tried this tea again, I like it a little better than I did last time. I don’t know why, I prepared it the same way, brewed almost 5 minutes. Maybe because I added less cream?

Not sure. This is still the bagged ETS Earl Grey cream, but I wonder if I’d like it better in looseleaf form and possible from a different company.

The last tea for me to try from my ETS Earl Grey sampler.

For a looseleaf tea the leaves are finely ground, like what you would find in a teabag. I probably should have put them in a teabag for a good bit of the leaves leaked through my mesh strainer and when I stir the tea I have to wait for the grounds to settle on the bottom of the cup.

When I sniffed the dry leaves they smelled like regular tea leaves, not the citrusy scent one would expect with Earl Grey. When brewed the tea only had the slightest of hints of bergamot.

I’m not impressed with this tea, I may as well be drinking bagged Bigelow Earl Grey at least then I can taste bergamot.

Brewed this tea with a piece of cinnamon stick for 5 minutes, left the bag in and stirred in a spoonful of honey then added some cream. This is so much better than last time and so good. Drinking this with the bag still in, can taste the pumpkin better and it’s a little spicier.

Really enjoying this tea.

Another sampler from ETS. I tried it first without sugar, very bitter. Added a little sugar, the description is right, sugar does help bring out the taste of huckleberries.

I’ve never had huckleberry tea before, the closest I have tried that I could compare it to would be blueberry tea but I like this a lot better. It’s a little more bitter than I like (a tea that’s not Earl Grey) but I think if I shortened the steeping time it would be less bitter.

It has a not unpleasant aftertaste similar to blueberries. I don’t think I would buy this tea again but I wouldn’t turn down a cup if offered to me.

I believe Bigelow was the first Earl Grey I had ever tasted and I liked it right away. Might not be the best Earl Grey out there and it’s bagged, not loose leaf, but it’s the most convenient, easiest to find in my area and still one of my favorite.

I could hardly taste the bergamot but I really liked this tea. I think it was a good blend of tea, jasmine and whatever else was in it. I only have it in the bags but it was still good, strong tea.

I think I’ll put this on my list to buy looseleaf next time I put an order in with ETS. I think it would be good to mix with ETS double bergamot Earl Grey.