QueenOfTarts

I’m having the very last of this iced. I think it’s much better than hot! This would make a great staple tea during the summer. It requires a bit too much leaf for me to justify purchasing this, but I am so glad I got to try it!

I am very impressed with the quality of Art of Tea’s teabags. Usually I don’t expect much flavor from teabags, but this almost had a bit too much! Like many others have said about their loose Earl Grey, the bergamot is definitely the most dominate flavor. I honestly didn’t sense any of the cream or vanilla, which was disappointing. It’s still a smooth and very flavorful cup.

This is a very interesting tea. Steeping, the scent was VERY strong.. and I was worried that it might end up a little too strong for me. The flavor tastes like something familiar, but I can’t figure out what it reminds me of! The classic lemon flavor comes through at the tail end of the sip for me. Its finish is something almost like lemonade. The majority of the sip, though, is something that I can’t put my finger on. Maybe it’s the ginger or other dimensions of the lemon? Either way, this is a very strong cup of tea that is both refreshing and invigorating.

I’m really loving the smell of this tea. It definitely has that white grape juice scent! The taste of this tea, however, is much lighter than expected! The smell has me craving a blast of juicy, sweet and tart grape. This is a really light and gorgeous cup of tea, I only want more GRAPE flavor. Thank you ladykittykat for this tea!

I had breakfast with my friend this morning and picked this tea bag (which I had actually given to her) in hopes of possibly having a different experience. I honestly didn’t notice any of the vanilla or any kind of floral element to the tea. The only flavor that stood out was that of the Darjeeling, which isn’t necessarily bad, but this is supposed to be a Vanilla Orchid tea blend, not plain Darjeeling. Too bad that even this second experience was uneventful. No more Zhena for me!

I opened up the pouch of this tea and was really very surprised to see lots of tiny, whole chamomile flowers. I thought that they would be more broken up, but they’re small and absolutely adorable! The scent of the leaf is, of course, chamomile. Sipping, I can’t taste much of anything beyond the chamomile.. no banana or anything creamy. I suppose I was expecting more flavor. Maybe I might get more flavor if I dig around in the bag and search for other things besides chamomile flowers. Despite the one-note element of the tea, I do very much enjoy this cup. I’m looking forward to having more of this before bedtime! Thank you so much laney for letting me try this tea!

It’s rainy and cold out and even though I’ve spent most of my day indoors, I’m in the mood for something warm and tasty. The dry leaf is adorable with the tiny orange pumpkins. I love basically ANYTHING pumpkin: pumpkin muffins, bread, pie, cake, tea, lattes. The scent of this tea is pure comfort. A little bit of spice and a little bit of something creamy. I don’t taste pumpkin or a mouthful of chai, but more of a sweet tea with some smooth spice. I wish I could taste the pumpkin a bit more, but this is a very tasty cup. I’m glad that the chai element isn’t strong, but a bit smooth. This was the perfect choice for this evening! Thank you ladykittykat!

I really like the little red lips and tiny chocolate chips in this blend. Adorable! Brewed, I was a bit worried at the scent of the peppercorns. I dislike anything spicy or peppery, but luckily, they aren’t too overwhelming! The taste is smooth and sweet (not necessarily a punch of chocolate, but a nice sweetness). I really enjoy the minty finish. It’s certainly refreshing and is the best part of this blend, in my opinion (besides the little red lips, of course). Usually I don’t care for peppermint all that much, but this evening I’m definitely in the mood. Thank you so much to ladykittykat for a sample!

This afternoon I had a crazy craving for chocolate. I wanted something sweet, creamy and rich. I realized that I had this Chocolate Flake tea to try, so I popped a bag into a mug! I love that the scent is initially a bit buttery. As you bring your nose closer to the tea, you can detect more of the chocolate and the black tea. Taste is sweet, but not as sweet as many other teas out there. This is more of a sophisticated kind of chocolate – not your everyday cheap chocolate bars. The flavor combined with the assam makes it almost have a “bitter” finish, although bitter isn’t the right word. I suppose it’s a sweet kind of bitter. This is a solid cup of tea that isn’t too sweet, but definitely has a sophisticated richness. Thanks so much to Alana237!

Very yummy tea! I wouldn’t say that there is anything that distinguishes this rooibos from another. It has that same rooibos flavor with a hint of sweetness. I love the scent of this tea.. really creamy and sweet. The material used for the tea temple is especially nice and silky. Quite a good cup! Thank you so much to Alana237 for this tea!

I’d never tried a “Monks Blend” tea before so I’m not sure if they all taste like this, but… I am enjoying this cup! The flavor is a rich black tea mixed with something sweet. It’s almost a candy sweetness. To me, it’s like a marshmallow, cherry and some kind of fluffy vanilla sugar. Really delicious! I will definitely have to buy a larger amount in the future. Thank you to SimplyJenW for a sample!

This is a interesting tea. The scent of the brewed tea had me worried. It smells very much of an orange medication.. I’m thinking liquid Motrin with a bit of dirt in the background. The taste actually isn’t that bad. There is a real citrus component with a little bit of an earthy flavor. Even though it’s strange, it is awfully smooth. The smooth character is its redeeming quality! Many thanks to ladykittykat for a sample!

This rooibos is one of the lighter blends I’ve had. The “leaf” is absolutely tiny, almost like a powder. The scent is of a classic rooibos with a hint of richness. I’m tasting primarily that woodsy rooibos flavor everyone knows. I love the smooth mouthfeel and the sweetness that joins quite well with the rooibos. Thank you SimplyJenW for a sample!

Another cup of this before bed.. surprise, surprise! I am really liking this tea at a lower water temperature. Tonight it’s smooth and sweet, just the way it should be!

I’m so glad that my pouch of this tea arrived today! I love the marigold petals in the black tea leaves — really bright and gorgeous! The taste of this tea is primarily black tea, but I am enjoying the aftertaste that is lightly maple. It’s not JUST maple, but something else in the background which I think is the pancake. I’m not tasting butter so much, but I haven’t been able to taste the butter aspects in some of the other 52Teas blends. Even though the majority of the pancake and maple flavor is in the swallow, I still very much enjoy this cup. It’s delicately delicious, but also bold because of the black tea base. I can’t wait to have a second cup of this tea. I would love to see this as a permanent blend in the collection. Yummy!

The first thing I notice is the beauty of the leaves. There are lovely, light strands of what look like petals. The leaves are bright and cheerful! The flavor, to me, isn’t creme brulee, but something a bit more fruity. I definitely like this cup of tea. It reminds me of Fruit Loops or Fruity Pebbles in a strange way. While this flavor is different, I’m really enjoying each sip! It’s rich, fruity and sweet. Thanks very much to ladykittykat! I’ll be adding this to my next order from DAVIDsTEA! Yummy!

This was one of the teas I was MOST excited to try from DAVIDsTEA. Apparently, this is one of the most impressive milk oolongs out there today. I’m quite excited! It’s a gorgeous golden, faded yellow color. The scent is a bit more green, like vegetables, with a buttery finish.

Steep #1: First sip is FAR more like grass and vegetables than expected. As I keep sipping, the tea reveals that it’s a bit more astringent than expected. I’m not getting much milk or cream, only the faintest bit of butter and floral finish.

Steep #2: More yellow in color and definitely more buttery/milky. I am still tasting more of the “tea” component, than anything creamy. It is quite smooth, as well.

While this is a good cup of tea, it isn’t my favorite milk oolong I’ve tried. It’s still more vegetable than creamy, sweet milk.

Thank you very much, ladykittykat!

This tea reminds me of a watermelon tea I had not too long ago. The chunks of fruit and flowers are HUGE. They puff up greatly in the hot water. This tea smells a bit like sweetened pink lemonade. I bet this would be great iced, but I don’t have fresh ice here at my house. The flavor is a bit tart and a bit fruity. I’m definitely tasting hibiscus and a fruit that I can’t identify. There is a little bit of a strange aftertaste, but it doesn’t bother me so much that I won’t finish the cup. I’m going to save the last of what I have for an iced tea. One cup requires an awful lot of “leaf” so this may be too expensive for me to purchase. I am very glad to have tried this! Thank you ladykittykat once again.

Steeping this tea, I was reminded of LifeSaver’s butter rum candy. The smell, to me, is just about the same! The taste is of coconut and vanilla with a slight creamy finish. As it cools, the tea turns significantly more buttery and creamy. Absolutely amazing! I can’t seem to get the image of LifeSaver’s candies out of my head.. this is THAT candy flavor in TEA form! This tea is so sweet and delicious, I have already had 3/4 of the cup without noticing! I really wonder what milk and sugar would do to this tea. I feel like it would be beyond sweet, almost like a piece of toffee. Drinking it so quickly, my stomach catches up with me to realize just how RICH this tea is. This would be perfect for satisfying any sweet cravings!
The biggest hug to ladykittykat for sending me a sample of this. I have quite a few more samples to try and think I’ll indulge all afternoon and evening while writing three papers for class!

I was really excited to try this tea since there has been so much talk about it! Infusin_Susan sent me a little sample to try, so I offer a big oolong-wrapped hug to her!

Steep #1: The scent is of a regular milk oolong and surprisingly, less buttery than Holy Mountain’s version. The flavor, though, is smooth and sweet. It doesn’t have the same savory or buttery tone that Holy Mountain’s has, but I think I am enjoying the sweetness a bit more. I can even taste a bit more of a floral or fruity flavor as well. There is a grassy note that wraps itself around the sweetness.

Steep #2: The steep is a bit less milky and still tastes relatively the same as the first cup. This milk oolong is interesting because while it’s sweet, it’s much more floral and less rich than expected. Still a good cup, though!

I was given a box of this today by my mom’s friend. My little dog went crazy for the box and even tried digging his little nose into the tea bags. I popped one in a mug and steeped for a little over a minute. The flavor and scent are familiar. I definitely recognize the “Constant Comment” taste, but with a different finish. I prefer this tea without the green tea finish, it just doesn’t taste like a spectacular green. This is rather comforting, still, and I may pull out some of these bags if I’m ever craving that old flavor.

I forgot to log this tea yesterday when I picked up a giant cup at Starbucks. I felt exhausted and needed some kind of refreshment! The nice thing about this drink is that it tastes familiar and just about the same no matter which Starbucks I visit. The chai is sweet and not too spicy. (It seems less sweet to me than its hotter version – and that’s a good thing! Sometimes the hot Tazo chai lattes can be a little too sweet.) I tend to get a sour note on the tail end of some sips. I honestly don’t believe that it’s from bad milk, but that it’s just the way it is. This is a solid drink to have when you’re not in the mood for a rich espresso drink or plain tea. While this isn’t my favorite thing to have from Starbucks, it was very fitting yesterday in the afternoon.

To add to what many have already said, this tea is beautiful. Rich, dark tea leaves with tasty sugar crystals and glittering gold balls. Gorgeous! There are glittery sparkles that transfer to the actual water! This looks magical and I haven’t even had a sip yet!
The cinnamon scent becomes more tame while the tea steeps and blends well with a nice black tea aroma.
The cinnamon and the black tea blend seamlessly into a smooth flavor. I actually really like this aspect about the tea & haven’t tasted anything like it before. Despite the presence of sugar crystals, the tea isn’t overly sweet. I suppose looking at the tea, I was expecting a bolder cup. It’s surprisingly mild.. almost maybe a little too mild. This is still a very warming and interesting cup of tea, though. Thanks so much to Ashika for a sample of this!

I don’t know why I haven’t logged this tea yet! Big thanks to Jaime for a few bags of this tea. I had another crazy day at work and needed something to help me unwind (even after a LONG nap!) before bed. I thought about having a black tea blend, but didn’t want to risk going to sleep even later. I had 1/2 cup of an uneventful rooibos, and have now turned to this lucky one. Sometimes you just need a good cup of herbal tea. The scent is simply fall and early winter. Even though it’s out of season, I really like the comfort this cup is providing. Tasting the tea, I’m not getting distinct apple flavors, but more of an unidentifiable fruit flavor with the background of light spice. I’m glad that the spices aren’t overwhelming since I really dislike heavy spices and peppery flavors. There is a tartness in this tea that isn’t necessarily what I would mix with cider, but it works. I’m getting a small tickle in the back of my throat.. but it’s not so unpleasant that I can’t continue sipping.
So far this is the closest tea I’ve found that tastes the most like cider. This fall, I might just have to drink cider and wait for some magical tea that tastes even closer… but tonight this is a very comforting, yummy cup.. just fits the mood!