Miss Sweet

Last time I tried this, it didn’t taste like anything but the bag was a very old and dusty open one. For todays tasting I opened a fresh packet at there was little difference. This tea is quite strange, you get a ghost of a flavour but its not quite there. Theres hint of malt on the back of your tongue, but its far too delicate for me. White tea drinkers or fans of Darjeelings wanting to try a Chinese black should defintiely give this a go.

The name and ingredients are more exciting than the taste, which is blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sweet and faintly floral. Definitely drink this plain, milk will just overwhelm it completely. I’d recommend this if you’re a fan of subtlety spritzed with rose from afar.

One of the most terrifying teas I have ever drank! The broken orange pekoe is so broken (like my soul after drinking this) its almost powder like. The resulting infusion is incredibly harsh and coppery with a heavy malt taste. The recommended brewing time is 3-5 mintues, but I would use 1-2 minutes – any longer than that is completely insane. The upside to this tea is that it takes milk and sugar really well. If you enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with putting your life in danger, or if you like your tea really milky and don’t want to sacrifice flavour- then this Ceylon is for you. I, however, will lie awake in fear of this tea tonight. As summed up quite nicely by a a co-worker: “Stab stab stab! It will come for you in the night!”

A smooth, incredibly rich and oaky tea that lingers like that guy you hooked up with a few times then got bored with, but he still texts and calls you even though you haven’t given him any reply in the last 4 months. This Ceylon is great with milk and would pair well with a slice of lemon cheesecake!

Beautiful beautiful beautiful classic Ceylon tea from this small (well 51-100 workers) estate which produces the only Ceylon worth drinking. Incredibly smooth, slightly maltier than the Nandana op1 and lovely with a touch of milk (trim of course). I would recommend this if you’re into bagged Dilmah English Breakfast and are venturing into loose-leaf, if you dig Assams and want to ease yourself into a Ceylon, or if you like nice things. I am totally going to fangirl the heck out of this tea!!

A similar tea to Kenilworth op1, except slightly bolder and a touch more flavoursome, making it that much more tasty. Adding milk to this would be a waste and completely mute the delicate flavour of this Ceylon, so drink it plain!

This is a very smooth, very light, very dull Ceylon. Nothing to write home about, though if you were writing home I would mention that its best drunk without milk and that Darjeeling fans would probably enjoy this tea. Perhaps just as a P.S though, it would be silly to include it inbetween updates about your cat and your enquiries about Auntie Mabels health.

This tastes fairly medicinal with a peppermint tang, but its what you would expect from a medicinal tea. Brew a pot of this to cure what ails you, if what ails you is nausea (though I hear chamomile might help with vaginitis).

I am still wary of green teas, but wanted to brew a classic Japanese green for my sister to try as she is just getting into green tea. Its probably the least offensive tasting tea I’ve ever drank – mild, with a hint of that buttered vegetables taste that sencha tends to have. This would be good to have while enjoying a meal, though I prefer to pair my foods with hard liquor.

ETA: Seeing as the Sencha Fukujyu has been discontinued, this is as close as you’ll get. Its not as astringent and grassy as the Fukujyu though.

After spending all night drinking/dancing/flinging my beads around, I was in desperate need of something that packed a bit more punch than a cup of earl grey. I am not a fan of plain yerba maté at all, but Lemon maté is one of t leaf T’s newest blends and is actually really tasty! The lemongrass and lemon flavour mask the taste of the yerba, making it an incredibly refreshing drink. Plus its crazy healthy for you and a great hangover cure. If you are feeling particularily nasty after flinging your beads around, I’d brew some plain yerba maté with a bit of ginger root added to help you feel less queasy.

I’m not a fan of this hot at all, but iced and topped up with soda water and orange slices makes this taste divine! I used 6 tablespoons for 1 liter (letting the rooibos steep until the water was cold).

This is my current breakfast tea favourite! The Assam tea base is delightfully smooth and I can quite easily (and surprisngly) drink this without milk. The addition of manuka leaf makes this blend even more maltylicious than Malty Breakfast Blend – shocking I know. I can’t decide if it is best paired with Eggs Benedict for brunch, or with a large helping of cinnamon cookies fresh out of the oven…

Tis the season… almost! This tastes like a sweet and mild chai, which I prefer to brew with a stick of cinnamon and drink with milk. I made the mistake of overdosing on Christmas Tea this time last year, so can barely bring myself to finish this cup, but I promise you it is delicious!

Oolong is not a tea I tend to drink willingly (especially when I have over 100 other teas to choose from) but I needed something savoury and snack-like to tide me over until I can go on a lunch break. The ginseng gives it a sweet and cooling aftertaste, which makes for a fairly inoffensive chinese oolong. Usually I they offend me greatly, but today this was not the case.

Good lord this tea is brilliant. Currently I am forced to drink it black as my work doesn’t have kitchen facilities, but it is still delicious enough that I am not tempted to pop over the road to purchase a tiny carton of milk. I do prefer it with milk though, as it makes it a delightfully creamy treat. For passionate lovers of cinnamon, and people who enjoy chai but find it lacking in cinnamon.

The perfect tea to drink on a day like today when the weather can’t make up its mind whether to rain or shine, and you’re stuck at work hanging out for 5.30pm so you can run home and pop on a face mask and some Cary Grant.

My preferred method of beating back a cold or that run-down feeling. Kawakawa is a traditional medicinal/magical plant, used by Maori to cure almost anything. Unfortunately it doesn’t taste that great on its own, so its a perfect match with the lemongrass and ginger – which mask the bitter flavour without removing the benefits. I find this has just the right amount of zing, and is extra delicious with a spoonful of honey!

These look far too pretty to drink! I was a little wary of trying this, but was pleasantly surprised to find the taste less perfumey than the aroma, and slightly sweet. The smell by the way, is DIVINE. I sat inhaling this cup for at least 5 minutes before drinking any. The perfect treat for morning tea, you could also pop a couple in your bath or bottle the rose water to use in baking.

I currently have a cold and I probably should drink this before I get sick as a preventative measure, but I never do. Though drinking this nonstop over the last 3 days has made me feel significantly less shit. Just add Coldral and chicken soup to be on your way to wellness.

Sorry Temi, I feel like you are trying to be as awesome as Maloom and failing! I’d recommend this if you are a fan of Darjeelings, Enya, or like your tea delicate. If the floralness of the Maloom overwhelmed you, give Temi a go. You won’t be disappointed…

The taste of this is actually accurately described on the packet! Strong yet delicate, and slightly lemony. I really enjoyed this one, definitely drink sans milk.

This tea is the most glorious tea I have ever tasted! Wonderfully floral without being sickly sweet and incredibly interesting (unlike Darjeelings). I promise you will fall in love with this tea immediately and begin planning an intimate wedding with 400 of your closest friends and family.

This tea made me go “Ooooo!” in a weird high-pitched voice when I took my first sip. Suprisingly savoury with a malty tinge, I found it reminiscent of the Genmaicha green teas. So if you are a fan of Genmaicha & want to venture into black teas, give this a go!

Fairly inoffensive for an Assam. This would be good for introducing someone to the vast and glorious world of black estate teas, or even black teas in general.