Michelle Butler Hallett

1 sachet for 250mL water, covered and steeped a good 10 minutes while I showered.

Oh, mad-hot steeped tea right out of the shower. YUM.

This Darjeeling, one of my faves, does not get bitter with a long steep but does get very fruity — sunshine fruit with a hint of plum, plus some sharp Muscatel. A lovely Darjeeling blend.

1 sachet for 250mL water, stepped 5 minutes, drunk bare.

Hmmmmm. God save the queen. Or at least this tea. The label says “Chinese black teas, stirred with pieces of dried stone fruit, then finished with oil of bergamot and honey flavors.” The base teas are fairly robust, especially for China tea, and they don’t drown beneath the fruit, bergamot and honey flavours. The bergamot is subtle but kisses you in the aftertaste. The honey scent is pleasant. Not sure what the “stone fruit” is — peaches? plums? I get more plum scent than anything else.

Overall scent is a tiny bit artificial. The taste is less so, but still there’s something fakey going on. I am strongly biased against flavoured black teas, so my review of Tower of London (and Paris) should be taken with my prejudices in mind.

A pleasant-enough flavoured black, but still disappointing. Maybe I have a stale batch. I won’t be buying this again.

1 sachet for 250mL water, drunk bare.

I’ve only seen Harney and Sons Tea in my city at Christmas time, and then only at the ChaptersIndigo (like Barnes & Noble) book store. The tins are pretty, especially the big ones that hold 30 sachets, but they’re also expensive. And tins that only show up around Christmas usually aren’t the highest quality in the land.

But I’ve done some research on Harney this year, and today I broke down and bought a 20-sachet tin of Paris and a 30-sachet tin of Tower of London. (Dang — thought the ToL was loose tea. Oh, well.)

Flavoured black tea and I often don’t get along. I found an Earl Grey I really like earlier this year and nearly tap-danced for joy. Too, too often the flavours mask a poor quality base tea.

Paris. Hmm. Visited Paris in May of 1989 and left a large chunk of my heart there. Totally hope to return. Paris smelled to me those weeks of fruit, coffee, diesel (?), dirty river (the Seine), dog turds, fresh baguettes, brie, oranges butter, chocolate and people. I loved it. A lively, not always pretty smell.

The Paris tea, however, is awfully pretty. The tin promises “natural and art [artifical, I presume] vanilla, fruit and citrus flavors.” Apparently this is a “fruit black tea with a hint of lemony bergamot.” It’s a pretty subtle hint. I can catch awhiff of it from the dry sachets, but in the brew all I’m getting is limp China black tea and a really heavy vanilla flavor. Almost sickly sweet. And grenadine — yeah, this reminds me of a horror I once tried called Vanilla Monk’s Blend. Oh. Yuk.

I really wanted to like this tea. But, for me, I gotta file it with dozens of other flavoured black teas: Don’t Bother.

Second infusion note.

1TB for 500mL water. First steep: four minutes. Second steep: a good eight minutes, easily, as I got distracted by laundry.

Only slight less sharp that the first infusion. No bitterness, which surprises me as the first infusion can get better past the four-minute mark. Not quite as much depth this time, but the differences are subtle. A bit more Yunnan pepper-mineral coming through.

Wow. What a cup of tea.

Second infusion … two minutes, almost indistinguishable from the first. I really, really like this yea.

2 TB for a 600mL pot

Received a lovely tin of this Dragonwell as a gift last night. The large leaved spied through the peek-a-boo lid are long, a bit twiggy, dark dark jade … and look good enough to eat. Ever the cynic, I dumped some tea out of the tin to see if most of the volume was fannings of broken leaves over which full leaves had been laid … but nope. All leaf, all the way.

First infusion: steeped for just under two minutes. Liquor is pale green with yellow tones. Scent is sweet and light. Body is light but creamy. Taste is sweet and very refreshing. No mineral or brine notes. Faint fruitness rounds out the aftertaste. Maybe some distant smoke — hard to say. Slight nuttiness.

A competitor’s Dragonwell promised improved concentration, which did happen. I’ll report later on this one.

Refreshing. I keep coming back to that, but yeah, refreshing to the point of being invigorating. Not at all a caffeine smack-up-the-head like, say, Damn Fine’s Captain Assam, but definitely a sweet buzz. Invites meditation.

1 heaping TB for 600mL pot, 1 packet of stevia, no milk.

Blueberries. I adore blueberries. And they grow wild, rampant and lush here in Newfoundland. Not the great big rubbery monsters that import from South America in the winter months, no: sun-warmed, low-bush, get-down-on-your-knees and eat em off the bush bits of deep blue heaven.

So I’m spoiled for blueberries. And I honestly believe the best wild ones grow here.

And I’m leery of flavoured black teas. Hubby, however, adores flavoured black teas — and blueberries — so he bought us a nice sized packet of Wild Blueberry from Britannia.

The aroma: redolent. Seriously penentrating blueberry. REAL blueberry, not that powdery horror that might scent an eraser.

Black tea base is quite mild—China blacks, I’m guessing. I followed instructions — three-minute steep — and got a beautiful amber liquor, clear all the way through, with that delicious, now almost winey scent of blueberries. I also used water just off the boil so as not to scald the fruit, ’cause yes, there are dried real blueberries in here!

The light sweetening does bring out the berry taste, but I think I’ll drink it bare from now on so I can taste the black tea, too.

Lovely flavoured tea. I’d recommend this for evening-in sipping, or in place of / alongside port, cognanc etc.

2 scant TB for a 600mL pot, drunk bare.

A most resilient tea. This time I nearly ruint it — really, too much leaf for the pot, but even though the brew got slightly bitter, it’s still great. Also brighter and more assertive, in a cheery way, like a noisy and well-loved friend announcing herself as she swings open the door. I had planned to make this tasting note a warning not to use too much leaf, but I’m really liking what I made here.

Mineral notes are also more pronounced, but, as I’ve noted elsewhere, mineral notes may come from my tap water, which in turn comes from a lake.

1 rounded TB for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Teatime! Elevenses!

Sipping this beautiful brew after a quick, um, breakfast of slightly stale toffee loaf chopped up and soaked in coffee-flavoured yogurt. Puurrrrrr …

But the tea, the tea! Mineral and slightly smoky this morning with a rich Yunnan finish. I love how this blend subtly varies so much. Mad hot, refreshing, especially after an insanely rich morning of capucinno, hot chocolate and the above-mentioned alleged breakfast.

Some Assam (?) depth as I sip further down the cup. Peace.

I find the recommended four-minute steep to be perfect. HB can get bitter if steeped longer.

1 scant TB for 400mL water, 1 packet of stevia, no milk.

Ah, a new bag of Super Chocolate under the tree, lucky me!

Luckier than I knew … SC is temporarily out of stock. David’sTea assures me they’re not discontinuing this one, just re-formulating. They suggest I drink their Spicy Chocolate Rooibos in the meantime. SCR is nice, but it’s red rooibos and can get a bit woody. Hmph. Be keeping my eye on this …

This particular 250g bag has much more cocoa in the nose and in the flavour than my last two, which were apple-y (and delicious). But it’s good to have a decent whack of cocoa back in this blend; the chocolate scent wafts out the cup and beckons you to kiss it and sip in green rooibos goodness, that apple-y taste, if not so pronounced this time, plus a bit of cinnamon.

I got two great steeps from the 1 TB in the 400mL mug. Not so great a second steep in a 500mL mug, which makes sense.

Super Chocolate is also fabulous chilled. So if you let some go cold and don’t want to nuke it, fret not! Just knock it back.

Hope everyone’s having a great time.

1 scant TB for a 400mL travel mug. Drunk bare.

Steeped just four minutes this time instead of six — much more balanced. Water just off the boil vs at a rolling boil yields a better liquor, more complex, sweeter. The Assam remains assertive but does not get all woody on the aftertaste. Much more oolong and Darjeeling up front. I agree with another reviewer that Stash’s Christmas Morning rivals Tazo’s Joy. I think the Stash CM is a bit sweeter with the Assam finish, but Tazo’s Joy has more oolong in the nose. I’d need them side by side to determine which one a I like more.

All told, a beautiful blend.

4TB for a 12-cup pot, drunk bare.

Dry leaves: some tips, faint scents of jasmine and Keemun and a lovely comforting hug of Assam.

Steeped: jasmine disappears but resurfaces very subtly in the taste. Oolong aromas. Slight smokiness from the keemun. Winey-ness from the keemun dances with the wine-to-maltiness from the Assam. Aftertaste: Darjeeling, and Yunnan pepper. Some astringency, but I did steep this for 6 minutes; 4 minutes would be better, I think. Medium body. No bitterness. Quite lovely. I feel very relaxed and blessed, drinking this one.

I used water just off the boil out of respect for the oolong and jasmine in the blend.

1 rounded TB for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Nor’easter, day two. Rain and wind just battering us. Some areas have lost electricity. I should make tea in a pot and cozy, just in case.

A perfect day for drinking LOTS of tea. I’m about one cuppa each away from finishing tins of my faves — including this beauty. Robust. An almost creamy mouthfeel. Some malt, some smoke, some wine. Slight astringency. No bitterness. Never boring. Rich.

1 rounded TB for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Mmmm … getting something crisp, sunny and earthy all at once in the foretaste … Darjeeling? Nepal? Mineral notes, too, but that may be my tap water.

Hahahaha — ‘Cup of Brown Joy’ just came up in my iTunes playlist. ‘You could say I’m mad for tea, or just say I’m mad.’

Overall, once more, delicious and sparkling. Cheering. Tends slightly to bitterness, which makes me wonder if something more delicate in the blend mightn’t be happier with water just off the boil. Must try that next.

COMBO: 2/3 TB A&D Damn Fiine Holiday Blend plus 1/3 TB of Stash’s Kopili Assam for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Woke up craving Holiday Blend. And Assam. Ai. Have just ordered more HB and some Captain Assam. Is there opium in the Holiday Blend, or what? Woke. Up. Craving. It.

The addition of the Kopili Assam smooths out the brightness /sharpness (slightly smoky sharpness) of Holiday Blend, adds some depth, sweetens the whole brew a bit, and gives it a heavier body. I like the combo, but Holiday Blend is also damn fine on its own. Can’t wait to introduce HB to Captain Assam.

Now, back to Holiday Blend on its own. Sigh. Bliss. TEA!

1 heaped TB for 500 mL water, drunk bare.

I admit it. The label got me. Sweater-knit Imperial Walkers. A & D could have stuffed the tin with grass clippings and I still would have bought it just for the label.

And today, in the first of a three-day nor’easter, horizontal rain, wind that’s trying to uproot trees: it came! My poor drenched postman brought the Damn Fine Holiday blend! I figured I wouldn’t see it til well after Christmas, as out ferries aren’t running (nor-easter’s affecting the entire island) and so lots of mail is tied up. Worse, lots of people aren’t getting home for Christmas.

I wish I could visit each stranded one and give them a cup of this tea.

Dry leaves are long and tippy. You know how some Assam smells raisiny? I’m sure I’m catching a faint whiff of smoked pears instead. And Yunnan — God, there must be Yunnan in here. Keemun? Pinch o’ lapsang? All an Imperial secret? Dunno, don’t care. What I can say is this: bright but not astringent, assertive but not a bully, deep but not bitter. Truly a happy-making tea. Restorative. Medium body, thick-to-creamy mouthfeel. My brew is a teensy bit bitter, but only because I steeped it six minutes.

And yes, it goes fab with cookies. I noshed a shortbread while sipping.

PS For anyone frightened off by my mentioning lapsang, the smokiness is NOT that strong. More of a Keemuny-smokiness, or a mild, milk Caravan … and that’s only one tasting note in a blend. So Holiday Blend is not a smoky tea.

1 rounded TB for 500 mL water, 1 packet stevia.

My regular nightcap. Now that I’ve shaken up the packet a bit, I get more of the petal-ly bits which seem to put the ‘cream’ in this brew, and that mellows the tartness. Much more balanaced.

I agree with another reviewer: it’s hard to tell there’s rooibos in Lemon Cream Pie. It’s a cheerful tea, provided you like lemon. It’s also mondo refreshing if you don’t finish you tea before falling asleep and wake up later parched and drink it cold.

Upping the rating.

1 TB for 500mL water, drunk bare, second infusion

Less smoke and honey, more mineral and pepper. Given that this is a second infusion after a 5-minute steep, impressive amount of flavour.

Ye gods, I love this stuff.

1gently rounded TB for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Steeped 3 minutes to get that creamy mouthfeel.

A lovely Tu Kuan Yin. I’ve only tried one other, so I’m no expert. A haunting tea, faintly mineral, more floral. Medium-bodied, yet delicate, if that makes any sense. Infuses multiple times; I get at least two good long steeps. The less greedy amongst us could probably get three or four.

Love. Gentle, lasting tea love.

1 TB for 500 mL water, drunk bare.

Yes, at the Kopili Assam again. Tasting bitterness for the first time — only because I ate some ice cream before sipping the tea. Silly mbh.

1 scant TB for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Dry leabes are long and look like living honeyed brass.

Note to self: heaping TB is the better option. Still, this Yunnan is luxurious without being heinously decadent. Layers and layers of flavour today, including honey, smoke and pepper, earth. Crisp finish. No bitterness. Yes, I abused it again today with a longer-than-approved steep, but hell, I like it. Excellent for a rainy day. I am craving a malty Assam; this Yunnan will make me appreciate the Assam all the more, while at the same time being fab in and of itself.

Le sigh. Le bliss.

2 bags for a 500mL travel mug, drunk bare.

Another delight for a rainy morning drive. A dependable, really tasty ginger black tea that takes the chill out of the pouring rain. Practically screams to be simmered in milk on the stove with from cinammon black tea. Forgives a long steep — really good black tea base.

1 rounded TB for 500mL water, drunk bare (nothing added).

As others have noted, jasmine does a cheery ‘Ta-da!’ when you open the tin. And that’s great.

I set the timer but couldn’t repond right away and ended up with more of a 4-minute steep. With that length of a steep, a new scent wafts up from the brew: line-dried white shirts. That incredibly clean scent you only get in summer when you, that’s right, hand white shirts on the line to dry in the sun and the wind. I love that.

The longer steep thickens the body a bit; any longer and it might get soapy. I’ll probably water this cuppa down a bit. But oh, that clean, irreplacable lovely jasmine. I can taste more of the green tea base today, too: a sweet green, as others have pointed out, thank goodnes, not grassy and not briny.

Jasmine fabness. One of the best I’ve tried. Up there with some of the jasmine pearls.

1 heaping TB for 500mL water, drunk bare (no milk or sweetener).

Left the leaves steeping merrily in the travel mug in this morning, as I needed to do the morning driving …

The faint peppery scent of mad hot Yunnan wafting up from a travel cup as I naviagte traffic on a rainsoaked morning — now THAT is a blessing to count. It got strong, of course, but not bitter, just very, very rich. One caveat: I wouldn’t dare drink it this strong on an empty stomach. Same goes for super-steeped Assam.

Rich and mysterious, like dark silk in winter: you wouldn’t think something normally so delicate and fine could keep you warm, but it does. The peppery notes seem to mute as the steeps past 6 minutes, but they fight back on the aftertaste. The honey and, well, Yunnan tea notes deepen. Gets a tiny bit smoky when it’s this strong, too.

A super-steep gives this normally light (not thin) bodied tea more of a medium body that drenches the taste buds.