Peet's Coffee & Tea

Now, normally I don’t try new teas when I’m in a hurry, or am not feeling well. I don’t think it gives me a good impression of the teas, and I’d like to get to know a new blend more slowly than that.
But I broke the rule for this tea, drinking my first cup of it as I rushed around getting ready, and also while stuffed up.
But I have a sense that this won’t make a huge impression, even without those handicaps. But next time I try it, I’ll do it properly.

And its a sipdown!
I have achieved a higher level of sipdown-ish nirvana, apparently. I bask in the glow of my sipdowns.
I did like this, and might well welcome it back into my cupboard some time in the future, but not right away.
Another inch closer to the sipdown goal!

I am going to do it. I shall finish this tin by Thanksgiving. Eeek! I am proud and excited. The end of this tin is nigh!

I have, once again, acquired the wild eyes and laser focus of a woman on a mission. A week ago I was preparing to accept defeat. There was no way that I could achieve my goal of 40 teas in my cupboard before Black Friday.
But some minor victories in the sipdown arena have, once again, brought me back to the brink of obsession, and I am going to drink tea for glory!
Or something like that.
What all this hyperbole is trying to say is, I can see the bottom of the tin. I might be able to get it all drunk down before next Thursday. I am within a teacups throw of my goal.
And it would be darn nice to hit that goal.

Another perfect day for drinking this blend.
I am starting to see the bottom of the tin! Whee! Maybe this one will be drunk by Black Friday, after all…..

This is the perfect weather for this tea. Its raining, there is a chill in the air, and a faint scent of woodsmoke. This tea compliments that atmosphere to perfection.
Sluuurp. Sigh. Ahh.
Proper tea drinking weather!

This tin finally looks like its getting low! Wahoo!
Its not as cold outside today, meaning my enjoyment of this is not quite as complete as I could wish it (this somehow is best on very cold mornings), but it still generally satisfied.

A cup of this has done wonders for my headache this morning, and I am feeling slightly more hopeful about my day.
Still wish they hadn’t stolen my delivery of tea, though.

This tea is now outstripping much beloved teas in the times-drunk games. That’s what happens when its a work tea!
And yet, there is still so much more of it! Why are the bottomless tea tins never the ones of your very favorites? This is a good, not great bottomless tea blend, which is also a rare duck. Usually the bottomless ones are the teas you don’t really care for at all.

Whew, a busy morning. I need a nice fortifying cup of tea, and this fits the bill.
I’ll be both glad when I’m done with this, and a little sorry. Its been solid!

I am freezing. I feel the icy hand of death on my shoulder, and its all because my boss keeps it so cold in the office.
I am huddled under my shawl, and clutching the tea for warmth. Keep me warm, beverage!

Golly I have a lot of this. That makes a sipdown seem very far off.
But its just lovely on a cold morning. The spiciness of the lavender really warms up a cold brain.
I still would not classify this as an Earl Grey. I never get any bergamot out of it, but its nice none the less.

Its raining today! Its grey, and chilly, and the air is full of the scent of rain! Yaaaay!
That means that this cup, wafting its rich and spicy lavender scent, is even better today. This is the perfect weather for this flavor!

Its been one of those endless, breakneck mornings, where each time you finish a task you see that it has been replaced by six brand new things that all need to be done right now.
Sheesh.
So, after a monumental effort, I have smashed through a great number of to-do’s, and now can sip a cup of tea. While, of course, working.
But tea helps grease the cogs of my brain, and adds pep back into the step!

As the weather slowly starts to get colder, it gets harder to get out of bed. There I lie, snug as the proverbial bug I in the rug, and the world seems far too bright and cold to go into.
Well, tea helps to banish the lingering cobwebs, and perk me up for the day.
I have sooo much of this. If I drink a cup a day I might be done by December. But, as I am involved in the great cupboard bust, and I’ve had this for a good long time, its time to batten down the hatches.
The good news is that I like this, and its very good on a colder morning.

Its hard to celebrate Halloween when at work. I am keeping my spirit as spooky as possible, while still being a professional person.
Tea! Yep, I liked this but don’t love it. Its a very good thing to have at work.
It smelled very lavender-y today, which was nice. I love lavender, the smell, the taste, the look of it!
A very good autumn tea.

On a sleepy Monday, such as today, I am very happy to have a strong tea to help me through the morning.
This is proving to be an excellent work tea. Strong, not too fussy, and easily ignored if the phone should happen to ring just as the cup is ready.
Tea really does help the world go around.

First cup of work tea, brewed strong, to prop me up.
Feeling slightly more human now.

I have so much of this. Really, its an almost overwhelming amount. Its a good thing I generally enjoy it.
But its been ignored at home, so it, in its stout little canister, is now going to cheer my desk up. A lot of tea at work is still a lot of tea, but it makes it easier to drink it all down.

With my triumphant sipdowns of the weekend, it was time to select the next office tea, and this was the lucky winner.
I don’t dislike this blend at all, but I have a ton of it, and it has been more or less untouched for absolute yonks. Time to bring it to work and get it properly sipped down.
Firstly, and as I observe every time I drink this blend, I cannot believe that this is an Earl Grey. I cannot detect any hint of bergamot anywhere in it. Lots of lavender, yes, but no bergamot. In fact the whole tea seems smokey, which I associate more with lapsang, but may just be the lavender.
It shall be a very good work tea!

The sore throat continues today- actually its more like breathing dust. Its not debilitating, but it is annoying. Another day full of lots of hot tea.
Due to this somewhat dulled sense of taste, I went bold today, and good heavens but this is bold. This tea, I imagine, could polarize people, and I wouldn’t blame anyone who doesn’t like this. The lavender here is STRONG, like, mighty mighty lavender. If you think you’re getting an earl grey experience out of this, think again. Its practically lapsang souchong in smokiness, and the lavender refuses to settle into the background.
It was great for my throat today, but its not an every day experience.

Wham! Pow! Kablooie!
This is one bold tea. It packs a seriously lavender punch, and the tea base is every bit as strong as the lavender it supports.
An Earl Grey this is not. I don’t care what the label says. Bergamot is simply not here. Nope, move along.
This is not a tea for the faint of heart. but if you like the occational bold cup of power, then this is your blend.

I have a mighty hankering for lavender today. Its a strong flavor, one I associate more with autumn than with summer, but its been cooler lately (read, 87 degrees), so I’m risking it.
Bold, powerful, a real wake-up kick in the mouth. Again I feel compelled to say that I cannot believe this is an Earl Grey, but hey.
I enjoyed it a lot this morning.

Now, this tea is a conundrum. I like it, I actually like it a lot. Its bold, and the lavender and the tea make an interesting and pleasant combo.
The trouble is, however that I cannot be convinced that this is an earl grey. All the defining characteristics of the earl is gone (namely, bergamot), as the boldness of the lavender, and the general smokey quality of the tea.
So, I like it, but it puzzles me.