SimplyJenW

I keep needing to bump the rating down on this one. It is good, but I seem to always want a shot of cocoa powder added. It is like this tea has a personality complex….it does not know if it wants to be tea, hot chocolate, or an herbal infusion. Anyway, with the cocoa, milk, and sweetener added it is pretty pleasing, but on its own it is just good. I think it will be easy to move on to my own version after all.

This one just reminded me of another chocolate chai I had in my stash a while ago. Both are good, but spice teas are actually not my usual choice. The cost of the two is pretty close, so not even a noticeable savings to report. One difference is that the spice level is a bit more subtle in this tea, which is actually a bonus for me. Note to self: If you ever get a craving for chocolate chai, buy this one!

My 100th tasting note! It is time for a party and a special tea. Marco Polo is a great tea for an indulgent afternoon cuppa. It tastes of strawberries and is lightly floral. The base is perfectly blended to match the flavor. This is definitely one of my teas of indulgence!

Happy 100 to ME!

The afternoon tea of the day. This one is just so easy to drink. It is smooth and slightly sweet. A pleasure.

My first arrival from 52teas for this flavored black tea loving gal. Yum! The vanilla is complex and completely natural tasting…nothing artificial. And the assam tea is nice and smooth, even to the end. I see why others were begging for this to be in the permanent collection.

This one is pretty good, and definitley unique. Tastes like chocolate malt and honeybush together. I can also smell the chocolate, and the honeybush just makes a sweet and happy base. I sweetened mine and added a small amount of milk. This makes an great evening treat.

Backlogging from yesterday-
I got home from my campout with my Girl Scouts to find a wonderful package from JacquelineM. The first tea on my list to try was this one, as I was planning a small Harney’s order. This tea is a great basic but classy black tea…..the tea equivalent of the little black dress. It goes with anything, and will be prefect on many different occasions. I splurged for a big tin! I think Harney is becoming my favorite tea vendor, but then I have many favorites.

Yes, this is as good as they all say it is. I have ever so lightly sweetend mine and plan to resteep. The cup is slightly smokey and incredibly smooth. I do get the faint hint of cocoa. A huge thanks to my ‘dealer’ JacquelineM.

Since my palate is essentially newish to tea, this tea and a few of the other more expensive types make me wonder if premium teas are lost in translation for the newbies. In all honesty, this is very good, but do I really notice a huge difference in comparison to a less expensive variety? Is the difference actually worth the price difference to me? I know there are tea drinkers out there who can very much tell the difference, and the premium teas are definitely worth the expense to them. And we all know, life is too short to drink tea that is just so-so. Still, I may have to look into this a little more for my personal information, and I might even try to get a blog going about it…kind of outlining my deals, splurges, and great values of the tea world.

I needed a cup of this for comparison to what I am trying later today. This one is smooth and sweet enough that I am able to bump the amount I sweeten it way down. (Someday, I am hoping I won’t need the sweet as much.) I have a sample of Emporer’s Red from the lovely JacquelineM. to compare…..and I am thinking she is the Emporer Red dealer in disguise….to get us all hooked and then…. I am sure there will not be a comparison, but it is the only similar region black I have in my cupboard for reference.

Backlogging from yesterday-
This was the main tea I drank on our camping overnight with my scouts. It was really roughing it, because I had to make my tea with well water. Luckily, the English Breakfast was strong and smokey enough that it fared well. The heat from the tea was very welcome, as was the ease of using paper teabags to steep in. It was cold! I would definitely drink this on the next campout…

My tea for this evening. Any cup of Vanilla Comoro is a good one. Rich, creamy, and decadent. All that and no worries of caffeine, or calories. Perfection.

Yum. I just need someone to make a decaf tea like the base in this blend! Or, maybe it is time to train myself to be able to drink regular black tea at night. Hmmm. I might be onto something there!

My afternoon tea after, yes, more shoveling. Definitely does not do well with oversteeping. Once I got the steep time right, it was lovely with sweetener and milk.

My morning tea after shovelling wet snow. Luckily, I remembered the milk this time and it made a huge improvement. Lightly smokey, rich, and packs a good morning punch. Definitely needs milk and sweetener for my taste.

Watching the news about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. My heart goes out to those affected.

My evening cuppa listening to my Girl Scout Troop plan for a campout we are having this weekend. I am wondering if the 6-10 inches of snow in our forecast will slow us down any…. I did pack my tea for the weekend first!
Lightly sweet and I can definitely taste the apricot. Lovely and relaxing with a little sweetener. (I am seeing a pattern here….tea greatly adds to my relaxation. Awesome!)

I needed a cup at the mere mention of this tea. Yum. I think a version of this tea will always be in my cupboard…..and I will start to panic once I see the bottom of the tin. Nah. It’ll never happen…that I see the bottom of the tin, that is. I have the stock up gene, and will always have extra!

Good Morning to my new breakfast blend! I wish I could concentrate on just you in the mornings, but my breakup with last breakfast tea was messy. I was ready, but my past love was not. I still have some things from the past relationship unfinished, which I will need time to work through. Please be patient.

Love this one. The smokiness is light, but definitely still gets me going in the morning. And I can even see a few afternoon pick me ups with Mincing Lane in my future.

Another evening cuppa? Yes, I could not resist. This is another of my reliable evening teas. Slightly sweet. Always good.

My evening cuppa. Yum. I think any blend with Vanilla Comoro is a sure winner. Sweetend and enjoyed!

I purchased this one without sampling…..I know, so weird for me. I am definitely happy with the tea. The chocolate and bergamot flavors are subtle, and I loved the touch of lemongrass. I also liked that the brew is light, rather than heavily flavored or scented. Yum!

I think there are two versions of this tea on Steepster. This is actually my second tasting note on this tea. I really like this one regarless of the fact that it is probably the most inexpensive loose tea I own. The really cool part, it is toward the top of my list! A tea bargain that makes me very happy!

My morning tea of the day. Good solid tea that is slightly sweet. Nice balance with the grenadine and vanilla with the black tea, but be careful not to oversteep. The back story on how this blend kept the monks awake for long periods of meditation……I am hoping for a little of that kind of energy today. Yes, I am going to be the optimist today and accomplish much.

This one is pretty good in the evening, but it always makes me wonder why it is hard to find a good decaf chocolate tea…. I have no problems finding good fruit flavors, and a great vanilla. Why is decaf chocolate so hard?

For this one I have to slightly heap the spoon, and I take it with milk and sweetener. I only wish the chocolate was more intense. Maybe I will have to toss in some mini chips, or some cocoa powder next time……

Second steep, I added a little more tea and a few shakes of Dutch process cocoa powder. Yum. More chocolately goodness!

I did another side by side sampling of lychee tea kind of like I did with the rose teas. I thought this one was a little light on flavor, but then I was tasting it along side the Lichee Congou “Extreme” from another merchant. I definitely need to try this one on its own before passing judgement. All in all it seemed pleasant. Looking forward to it iced in the warmer weather, which will probably be June around here…..