Cory O'Brien

I was a little worried that this tea would be too strong since it warns against steeping for longer than 2.5 minutes, but I was pleasantly surprised by a nice cup of green tea with a balanced flavor that isn’t overly grassy and has a hint of minerality.

Smooth taste with just a hint of smokey flavor, wonderful aroma and a dark, golden brown color. What’s not to love?

Ceylon has a great/traditional black tea flavor that just won’t quit. It’s strong, but not overpowering, with hints of smoke, gunpowder and minerals. The aftertaste is smooth, with just enough of a bitter bite to remind you that you’re drinking black tea, but not so much that you need to balance it with milk or sugar. (Unless that’s the way you prefer it.)

The aroma complements the taste nicely, and adds to the smokiness that I love so much in this tea. It’s not super strong, but it’s there when you need it.

Definitely a winner if you’re looking for a mid-afternoon black tea to sip on.

Thankfully this tea resists my tendency to over-steep, because I forgot about it for a few minutes, and almost doubled the recommended steep time. Even with those extra few minutes though, the tea comes out pleasant and drinkable, with a strong grassy/flowery flavor, and just a hint of bitterness that actually adds to the overall enjoyment.

Finished off the sampler tin today, so I’m logging my last tasting. Overall a good tea, but just shy of extraordinary. Followed the instructions exactly (212 degrees for 5 minutes) and got a pleasant, but mild flavor. I preferred the longer steep that brought out more of the smoky flavors. Good color and a nice aroma round out what I’d say is an agreeable black tea.

Steeped for a little longer in a little hotter water today, and the taste and aroma definitely improved. Still not a strong flavor, but the caramel comes through in the aroma and helps to mellow out the flavor. I wish the pear was stronger, but it’s growing on me.

Tried hotter water today, and the taste was still smooth and delicious. However, it’s mostly a strong mate taste with just a hint of fruit despite the huge chunks of dried fruit in the tea, and I’m still not getting much of the spice flavor, though there is a slight taste of minerality.

I was looking for a classic black tea this morning and I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to reach for more than my tin of Thomas Sampson. The earthy, smokey, mineraly flavor is a perfect pick-me-up in the morning, and the dark color and smokey aroma add to the overall appeal. There’s also just enough bitterness to give the flavor some bite without overpowering the other flavors, and it lingers on your tongue and lets you savor the experience. Great stuff!

I had a second steeping of this tea today after the first steeping sat for about :15 minutes, and it had a musty/mossy aroma and taste that just didn’t agree with me. The color was still very light, and there was a grassy after-taste, but overall, I didn’t like this one.

This tea is a winner. Love the rich, dark red color and pleasant jasmine aroma that just won’t quit. It’s also got a smooth, sweet taste that lingers on your tongue without getting bitter for a great combo of color, taste and aroma.

I accidentally let this one steep for a few extra minutes today, but the flavor stayed true and didn’t get overly-intense. If anything, it just brought out the rice/popcorn flavor a little more, and made the aroma even stronger.

Steeped a minute longer today, and got a really strong flavor that was still smooth with just a hint of bite at the end. The aroma is strong, with a mix of toasted rice and a hint of earthy, and a taste to match. Still a great cup!

No notes yet.

Steeped it a little longer, and got a nice earthy/grassy taste and aroma out of the tea today that made it better than the first time I brewed it. Still pretty mellow, but nice and smooth with a rich golden color if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

Snowbud makes a good cup of white tea with a subtle, yet distinctive taste. It’s a bit grassy and a bit minerally, but very smooth and with just a hint of tea aroma. The color is a barely there yellow, which reinforces the subtlety of the tea in general. If you’re looking for a smooth, mellow tea that’s hard no to like, this is it.

This was a great tea with a pleasant lemon-y taste that had just a bit of bite to it. Very smooth on the palate with a great aroma and not too grassy, but with just enough to keep it earthy tasting.

Steeped this one for a couple extra minutes today, and it definitely made for a much stronger taste. I still get much more spice than apple (especially strong when smelling the tea leaves, which have a strong, spicy smell to them) and the aroma is pleasant, but the flavor has a bit of a bite to it on the finish.

Smooth taste with just a bit of bitterness. Great aroma, and overall a very enjoyable tea.

This tea has a REALLY potent smell that’s almost all spice, and is balanced by the taste which is almost all sweet. It’s a great combo, and makes for a nice cup that can be steeped a few times if needed. That said, I think I should have steeped this for less time to smooth out the sweetness, as it was almost too sweet and makes you pucker up a bit with each sip. Definitely one that I can see myself drinking more of though, and especially on a cold and rainy day.

Let this one steep for a few extra minutes, and that really helped bring out the flavors. I still can’t put my finger on exactly what the taste is, but it’s smooth and smokey and I like it.

Steeped for longer today, and still didn’t get the flavor I was looking for. Has a great aroma, but that just doesn’t transfer to the taste, and you end up with a bland (and when over-steeped, bitter) taste with a bit of spice and no pumpkin. If you’re looking for a tea that tastes like you’re drinking a pumpkin pie, then this isn’t it.

I love the look of this tea as it steeps. It starts out as tiny little BBs of green tea that expand (explode would actually be a better description) into giant tea leaves. The leaves have a woodsy, earthy smell that brews into a lighter colored tea with a subtle green tea taste. Hard to describe the taste, but it’s a little bit earthy, with almost a mineral-like quality to it. Not bad for a green tea, just not knock your socks off good.

Steeped the tea for less time today, and the taste is still great, but the sourness comes through a bit more. I like it that way, but I don’t know if it’s a taste everyone would like.

I’m a big fan of this tea. It steeps to a nice golden brown color, has a great aroma, and a smooth taste that doesn’t overpower with bitterness, but still packs plenty of punch.

Steeped for about 6 minutes this time, and the flavor was much stronger. Just a hint of bitterness and a fantastic, earthy flavor that makes this a great black tea for a morning wake-up.