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I’ve been drinking this one at home on a weekend, usually Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon. I’ve been aware that my cold has been affecting my taste buds, though, so I’ve waited to review it until I feel I really know what I’m tasting. The first thing I have to say is that it makes for a delicious cup, and never fails to bring a smile to my face. I think that’s why it’s a weekend only tea for me at the moment…it just makes everything feel somehow right, like all is well with the world.

I’ve settled on 1 tsp of leaf in boiling water for approximately 4 minutes. This yields a reddy-orange brew, to which I’ve been adding a splash of milk. The scent is divine — very malty, with notes of fresh baked rye bread. I’ve not really been a yunnan drinker until recently, but once I tried a couple of good ones, I was a convert. There’s no going back now!

To taste, I initially get a strong, almost slightly starchy, sweet potato flavour. It’s underpinned by the malt, which is similarly sweet, and a touch of honey. Then come the yeasty, bread-like notes, which add another layer to the flavour. Finally, I get a darker, earthy, almost molasses-like flavour, and a hint of very dark, very bitter chocolate. There’s a tiny bite of astringency at the very end of the sip, but it actually complements the flavour experience so I don’t really mind.

This is by no means a simple-tasting tea. I love how the layers of flavour emerge and build into the final, complex whole. I’m more than glad that I have a whole tin of this — it’ll certainly be savored! A beautiful Yunnan, and my new favourite black tea. Gorgeous.

Finished this one off at work this morning. I’ve actually been drinking it fairly steadily at work over the last few weeks, and it’s fair to say that it’s grown on me. It’s not THE best orange jasmine tea ever, but it’s very smooth and drinkable, and works equally well both with milk and without. It’s not something I’d repurchase, but it’s been an easy finish all the same. I’ve raised my rating a little.

Tried my second cup’s worth with a splash of milk. The flavour is a little muted, but still there. I’m not really sure which I prefer – the stronger flavour is nice, but the milk augments the creaminess and tones down some of the dry, flat generic “black tea” flavour I was picking up in the aftertaste. An enjoyable cup, all the same.

A sample from VariaTEA! I’ve tried a few honey rooibos blends to date, and I’ve enjoyed pretty much all of them. Some more than others, it has to be said, but I’m pleased to say there’s not been a real dud so far. I’m encouraged by this one, because the dry leaf inside the bag smells very strongly of honey, and it’s not even touched water yet! I gave one bag 5 minutes in boiling water, and added a splash of milk.

To taste, this one has a strong initial hit of thick, syrupy, runny honey! It’s almost like drinking a cup of the real thing, only conveniently less sticky and viscous. The rooibos is fairly mild, and I think the milk helps with that a little bit. It’s very smooth and easy to drink, and the honey flavouring really shines.

This will probably be my last cup of the day at work, and it’s a good note to end on. The perfect sweet afternoon treat, and nicely calming and relaxing too. Sometimes I don’t realise how tense I am until I take a minute out, making teas like this a necessity. Yummy stuff!

A sample from VariaTEA. Dry, the leaf smells so sweet and meringue-like, so I’m hoping that some of this translates into the flavour. I gave 1 tsp of leaf 3.5 minutes in boiling water, and the resulting liquor is a medium golden-brown. No milk.

Brewed, the scent is still sweet and meringue-like, with a hint of strawberry. The initial sip of this one reminds me of a strawberry refreshers bar – sweet, candy-like strawberry, almost a little sherbet-y. There’s a underlying sugary creaminess that does remind me of meringue. The black base makes itself known at the end of the sip, where it stops the flavouring lingering for very long. It’s not bitter or astringent at all, but it does round the sip off a little abruptly. I’d been hoping that the strawberry-sherbet-meringue flavour would stick around a little, but instead it ends almost on a dry, flat note.

I’m glad I didn’t add milk to this one, as I’m not sure I would have been able to taste the flavouring as well. It’s not that it’s subtle, but I do think milk would have drowned this one a bit. As it stands, I’m enjoying this one a fair bit. I like the flavour, although it’s a little artificial tasting, and I’d happily drink another cup if the opportunity arose. It’s not world-changing, but it’s a sweet, pleasant afternoon treat.

Thanks again to VariaTea for sharing this one with me.

A sample from VariaTEA. I’m more or less out of my tea hiatus now, as my cold is beginning to depart. I know I’m not 100% back to normal in terms of taste, but I’m probably as well as I’m going to be for a fair few days. I can’t go without tea for much longer!

So anyway. I’ve never had a bamboo tea before, so I wasn’t all that sure what to expect. I followed the recommended parameters and added 2 tsp of leaf to boiling water for around 8 minutes. The resulting liquor is medium yellow, and smells fruity and a little vegetal.

To taste, I get an initial fruitiness. I can more or less pin it down to red berry, although there’s a light tropical element lurking around in the background. There was a cube of pineapple in the dry mix, so I guess it’s that! The fruitiness fades gently into a relatively think-tasting sweetness, almost like sugar-water, which I assume is the bamboo. The sip ends on a light herbal note.

I have to say that I’m really enjoying this one. I like the use of bamboo as a base – it really seems to let the fruit flavours shine through, while providing a pleasantly substantial backdrop. Often, my complaint with berry teas is that the berry is too hidden by other flavours. Here, it’s just perfect! Definitely one I’d try again if the chance arose.

I’m still not completely over my cold, so I’m limiting the “good” tea I drink because I know I just can’t taste it right now. I made an exception for this one, though, because I have a large bag, and because it sounds perfectly suited to a sore throat. Chili!

I used 1.5 tsp of leaf, because it’s quite chunky. The dry mix smells strongly of tropical fruit — all coconut and pineapple. I left it for the recommended 4 minutes in boiling water, and returned to a medium red-brown liquor.

First sip, and it’s the fruit that comes out most clearly. I can taste pineapple first, then a creamy coconut. It’s fairly fleeting, though, and after that initial hit, I can taste mostly tart/sour hibiscus. Fruity, though, in a chutney sort of way. The chili develops primarily in the aftertaste, and it does have a bit of a burn to it. It nice and warming in the mouth and throat, as perfect as I’d hoped for a lingering cold! With every fresh sip, the sweetness of the initial fruit returns, the natural sweetness augmented by the sour hibi/spicy chili elements that have gone before.

This is a pretty perfect tea for this time of year. Warming, yet with a reminder of summer still lingering in the taste of the tropical fruit. I’ve had a few bad experiences with chili chai blends, but this is fortunately one of the ones that’s “just right”. Yum!

I was so sure I’d logged a note for this one. So sure. Apparently not, though!

I’ve tried this one twice now. The first time, I unthinkingly added a splash of milk. I’m not really sure why, just habit I think. The milk washed out most of this flavour, and it was just like drinking a cup of honeybush or rooibos. Okay, but nothing special.

I was more careful the second time, and there were no further milk-related incidents. In it’s natural state, this is a delicious blend. The caramel flavour comes our first, and is mild, but it’s definitely there. It’s like a thin caramelised sugar coating on an apple, which (surprise, surprise) is exactly what it’s supposed to be. The apple flavour is also fairly delicate, but it cuts through the initial sugary sweetness with a slightly sharp/sour tang. It’s a pretty perfect combination! The honeybush base is smooth, and adds an almost honeyed quality to each sip. It’s perfectly in keeping with the caramel vibe this one has going on.

I would have liked the overall taste to be a little stronger – more caramel, more apple – but it’s fine as is. It just needs a little focus to really appreciate, but that does make a change from some of the smack-me-in-the-face flavourings I’ve experienced recently.

I’ll enjoy the rest of this pouch, and I’m looking forward to comparing it with the oolong version that’s also sitting in my stash. When 52 Teas get flavouring right, they definitely get it right!

This one reminds me in flavour of an “old-style” root beer – slightly medicinal tasting, a little black-liquoricey, a little chicory. The rooibos is a good choice here, and I actually feel the slight woodiness contributes to the flavour. I wouldn’t say that “float” element is particularly strong, although there is a light creaminess in the background. I tried adding milk to the second half of my cup to bring that out a little more, but I think it actually drowned what there was more than anything. So, without milk is the way forward with this one for me! Of the root beer teas I’ve tried this far, I wouldn’t say this one is a favourite. I much prefer the 52 Teas version. It’s a pleasant cup, though, and I’ll definitely enjoy finishing off my sample pouch.

In other news, I’ve been on a bit of a hot chocolate jag these last few days. That’s so totally not me, I should have known something was wrong. Then last night I started getting the sniffles and a scratchy throat. Time for another cold! I should have known that my tastes wouldn’t change that dramatically for no reason. I miss tea already, but no doubt I’ll return to normal soon. I certainly hope so!

Another of the teas I started last week, primarily as a bedtime brew. I was expecting a generically sweet cup, but this is actually pretty much spot on cotton candy. There’s a sugary sweetness, and an almost marshmallowy/strawberry element that takes it from being just sweet, into actual cotton candy. I’m holding on to my pouch of 52Teas reblended Cotton Candy black, because that was the first cotton candy tea I tried that really lived up to its promise. Now that there’s this one as well, though, I feel like I can maybe be a bit less sparing with it. Maybe.

The rooibos base here is fairly undetectable. With any tea but rooibos, that would probably bother me, but this one is clearly all about the flavouring. It’s a sweet, caffeine-free pre-bedtime treat, and the sprinkles add that little extra touch of fairground cuteness. They’re small enough to melt completely, so none of the stuck in the steeper basket anguish. There’s a lot to love here, and love it I do.