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Drank a cup black this afternoon. The caramel and sweet apple flavours seem to come out better black than they do with milk, and the base seems less prominent. I might try adding a small piece of crystal sugar next time, but I think I’ve discovered a new favourite way to drink this. A tasty treat, as ever.

I’ve brought this to work so that I can try and work on drinking it a little bit more, and because I have a shortage of black teas at work at the moment. I’ve only tried this once before today, I think, and I’m pretty sure I liked it well enough. Today’s cup I wasn’t so sure about. There seems to be a really chemically scent coming off the dry leaf, which I found slightly off-putting. I also only have soy milk at work, and I’m not keen on soy with black tea. It’s whole milk all the way, particularly with chai. The chemical sweetness seems to carry over to the flavour, too, and I’m pretty sure it’s the chocolate that’s the culprit. I’ll try this one again in a day or so, in case my taste buds are wonky. I’m sure I remember liking it more than this before.

Finished my main pouch off at work today. I still have the sample sachet from the 12 Teas of Christmas, but I’m going to save that for now. I enjoyed my last few cups, although I only have soy milk at work this week, and I prefer this with ordinary whole milk. The soy makes it seem too thick, somehow. I’ll miss having this one to hand when I’m looking for a strong, flavourful tea in the morning.

I’ve changed my mind about this one. There’s no lemongrass — I really think it’s just fennel seed. There’s something herbally about it that I still can’t place, but a longer steep seems to bring out a more accurate flavour. I like this for quick and easy sipping. It’s a good one to keep at work for extra busy days.

A sample from KittyLovesTea! I tried this one last night also. I don’t usually drink a lot of bagged tea at home, but I was tired and it’s so convenient. I was also thinking I’d take them to work to finish off, as I appreciate speed more there than I do when I’m relaxing.

So, this one tastes pretty much like fennel. No surprise, as there are whole fennel seed in the bag, and it’s the primary component here. I’m tempted to say there’s something else kicking around…maybe lemongrass? It’s a little like the H&H Apple and Cinnamon I tried alongside, in that there’s a niggling flavour I just can’t quite identify. Anyway, the fennel flavour is clear but not too strong, gently aniseed-like, with a herbal undertone. Successive cups might help me out here, so my rating for this one is also provisional. I like it, though. I just wish I knew what I could taste other than fennel!

I looooooove this. It’s my favourite Pumpkin tea, largely because it’s just so smooth and creamy. The pumpkin flavour is rich and natural tasting, and it’s complemented beautifully by the mild cinnamon and clove spicing. There’s a buttery note, too, almost reminiscent of short, well made all-butter pastry. I’ve got enough of this left to be going on with, but I think it’s one I may come to hoard as I approach the end of the bag. It was cold today, and this evening is no different. This was the perfect choice for a cosy TV session on the sofa. Ahhh.

A sample from KittyLovesTea! Tried this last night, and wasn’t quite sure at first. I could smell apple and cinnamon really clearly, and it was almost reminiscent of apple pie filling, but something in the taste seemed a bit off. As it cooled, the flavour did improve. I can’t quite put my finger on what was wrong — I think there was something very herbal about it that kind of jarred with the other flavours. Anyway, it was a success in the end. The apple was sweet and tart, almost starchy in a way, and the cinnamon came through almost gradually after the initial hit of apple wore off. An interesting apple tea, and pretty good for a bagged — at least it tasted of what it claimed to be! Possibly successive cups will cement my opinion on this, so my rating is provisional for now.

Sipdown! I’ve been drinking this at work pretty solidly for the last couple of weeks. It’s easy to brew well, doesn’t need milk, and is pretty much fuss free. I like making tea, but I don’t always have the time, and this is perfect for those manic days. I’ll miss it in my cupboard, but I’ve got a couple more MF teas I can try as a replacement. Earl Grey has always been one of my favourite things, and this is a really, really good one. I’ll buy it again, one day, should I have the chance.

A sample from KittyLovesTea! I brewed this as a latte today — it’s been too long since I last had one, and it’s still officially winter. The chocolate in this one comes out really strongly, particularly while brewing. It’s like melted milk chocolate. There is something a little artificial about it, but I can tolerate that because it’s so slight. The spices help to mask that, too, so the overall effect is pretty reasonable.

With milk added, this is gloriously creamy and chocolatey. The cocoa and chocolate notes come out first, followed by a wonderful swirl of chai spice. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove…it’s a wonderfully sweet and comforting combination. The spice isn’t too strong or overwhelming, unlike some I’ve tried recently, and is balanced well with the chocolate to create an overall flavour that is both chocolate and chai — it well deserves its name. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this one, but it’s actually one of the best chai blends I’ve tried in a while. I’ll be saving the rest of my sample for another cold day, the better to enjoy it! A great find.

Finished off the last of this sample last night, brewed black with a small piece of crystal sugar. I had a feeling it would make a positive contribution to the flavour, and it did. If it was reminiscent of cider before, it’s doubly so now! I doubt I’ll ever get chance to try this again, but I’ve enjoyed these two cups more than I’ve enjoyed any apple tea in a long time. Absolutely fabulous stuff!