Daniil

I am not a huge chai fan but for a free sample I can’t complain. I actually liked this tea. It wasn’t anything special, mostly just easy drinking, not too overpowering, but nothing too memorable either. Wouldn’t buy it for sure, would I drink it again if offered – probably. I’ve had worse chai teas :P

I want to start by saying that I actually don’t like licorice, I got the sample of the tea and thought I’d give it a try. The tea smells very much like chamomile to me. It doesn’t actually have a licorice taste, but every time you take a sip there is like a 2 second distinct “feel” of licorice. You don’t so much taste or smell it, you just kinda feel it. Better experienced than explained. One thing that does turn me off quite a bit is the splenda aftertaste, it’s lingering for a good 30sec after a sip.

I am yet to have a “perfect” english breakfast, the concept itself calls for a uniform cuppa in my opinion. And that is exactly how I feel about this or any other English Breakfast blend I’ve tried. It’s good to sip on, it’s not worth thinking over. I tend to drink bagged teas at work where I need a nice beverage to help concentrate without needing to enjoy flavor too much. This tea delivers on all fronts. I’ve tried several of the Bigelow tea by this point and they are all rather stable. Good all around tea.

Darjeeling is something I am not very experienced in. Bagged darjeeling is sort of opposing idea as well, just like oolongs; it’s a premium tea in a generic format. The flavor of this one is generally good. I fail to find good grape/citrus notes but it delivers full force on the pleasant bitterness front. So much in fact that I find it a bit too strong to have on an empty stomach. It packs the punch and in no way can be described as mediocre or generic tea, the Darjeeling heritage is definitely there regardless of whether it’s very refined. For a bagged tea it’s a strong contender.

It’s a little hard to rate the tea that has somewhat of a cult status, though I am not sure if teas can do that. I am usually very picky when it comes to anything “spiced” but this tea sure hits the balance just right. It’s a perfect any time of the day tea when you need to warm up from inside – hearty, soothing, rich. It’s complex enough to savour, so yea, it lives up to it’s cult status. Also, how can you hate on anything that has a cool coming to be story :P

This tea has a perfect lemon flavor, it tastes natural, the creaminess of the yougurt complements it perfectly and it has a fine balance between calm and refreshing brew. Some of the David’s teas are known for their more flavorful teas that make you question how much of natural stuff goes into them but this one feels just right. Due to the ingredients it’s not something I would drink often but it’s a great choice for when I feel citrusy.

This is not a full leaf tea so it’d be unfair to review it as such. With that said, I find this “dust” tea to be of a great quality, it mixes well with Twining’s lady grey (75% to 25% ratio, less of LG) and goes well with milk (don’t have sugar in my tea, so can’t comment on that). It has a great flavor profile on it’s own as well. I find it to be an exceptional morning and even afternoon brew. Out of more common teas, this is surely a stand out one.

Very creamy, vanilla tasting oolong with a right amount of banana flavor. Real pieces of banana is a nice touch. A friend who isn’t too knowledgeable about tea enjoyed it a lot. I actually wanted to pick up milk oolong from DM, had a craving for it, but since they were out tried this and wasn’t disappointed. I can see myself enjoying this tea quite a lot, it’s subtle enough but still packs a good punch.

It looks very muddy which makes it look rather weird but it has a nice light taste with certain creaminess to it. I can easily compare it to both cake and ice cream, but there is definitely a milk chocolatiness present. I was recommended to try it with milk, I’m yet to do that but I can definitely see how it would only increase the creaminess of the tea. As a person who usually is very picky about flavored tea I can see myself drinking this one once in a while. Would I stock up on it? No.

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Very mediocre tea even by bagged tea standards. Bitterness is there and that’s about it, very bland flavour profile. It’s drinkable, but English or Irish breakfast variations of the same brand would be a better choice. Not much more to say.

I am drinking the flat bag variety so I will not be too harsh on this. It’s a good breakfast tea. It sure has an accurate name, it’s a great tea to brew as soon as I get to work, wakes you up great. It’s a plenty bitter, but I am way oversteeping it so it’d be silly to blame it on the tea itself. But I like this intense boldness of flavor, after all it leaves a great after taste. As far as bagged teas go, this one is a keeper (and it’s not the first time I refresh the stash).

Don’t have that much experience with Assam’s but this tea has a pleasant bitterness and definite maltiness that people are referring to. Very good breakfast tea (to compliment the part of the name) and gives a refreshing “wake-up sleepyhead” boost. Both dry leaves and steeped it smells very enticing.

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It’s not the most flavorful puerh out there but it still has interesting notes associated with it. There is definite smoked woodiness there with a good amount of mellow. But it’s a pretty clean brew. There isn’t much of a lingering aftertaste and definitely pretty lacking punchiness of the flavor or thickness of the soup. Drinkable but not what I like in puerhs, it lacks the complexity.

I must be the only person on here who drinks it while not sick. And I gotta say I am really enjoying it. It is very minty up to a point where I can feel freshness in my throat long after the sip, it smells herbalicious and I am feeling a little sleepy though I had 3 cups of tieguanin before that. Perfect tea for worknights when I can’t afford to drink caffeinated teas after work since I have to go to bed earlier. It tastes medicinal but I appreciate it, gives me a feeling that it’s not just a bunch of hay, but herbs that are actually good for me. Whether that’s actually true is a different story altogether but power of mind is an important thing!

Had this tea as a part of the sample set, so I am not sure what grade it was (as the website features several), but it was a great tasting tea. Not a hint of bitterness, just pure nuttiness (almost milkiness), mellowness and deliciousness. Dragon Well is definitely one of the easiest drinking green (or perhaps any) tea for me, it’s something that I can drink cup after cup. Good one.

A very high quality roasted oolong, actually one of the better Da Hong Paos I had an honor to try. Roasty, mellow, slight bitterness – everything is balanced in this tea. It’s hard to go wrong with a Big Red Robe, but this particular one is a sure hit. Delicious tea, very good quality. It’s not a cheap one, but it’s truly a treat for a special occasion. Your gaiwan or yixing pot will thank you :)

Ok, whites are probably the last teas on my list to drink if I have a choice. I just don’t find them punchy or tea-e (yea, it’s a word) enough for me. I still bow before the gorgeousness of flavor of theirs, but it’s just not my cup of tea. But trying this tea (had a sample, steeped it for a dear friend who loves whites) on a second steep I was blown away. It is a very delicious tea. I am backlogging now, so can’t go in details of flavor, but I can say it was delicious and didn’t make me think for a second that it’s a white – I simply enjoyed it.

My relationship with Chinese blacks is a rather strange one. First time I tried it (Yunnan I believe) I was more surprised than anything. They are not like your typical black tea (or tea that comes to mind when one hears black tea, like assam or darjeeling). Aside from that, now that I appreciate the flavor more I like this one. It’s clean tasting, that’s what comes to my mind. I don’t find it very complex and there isn’t much of a lingering taste after the sip. It has loads of honey wax notes, very mellow and easy drinking. I can’t in a right mind think of putting milk or sugar in it (not that I ever do) which I guess says how really balanced this tea is. It’s a good one. But perhaps I prefer something little more complex :)

Tao Tea claims that this is award winning tea and that just adds to how good this tea is. It has just the right amount of maltiness, smells a bit like burnt sugar and provides an incredible after taste. It’s one of those teas that you have to swirl in your mouth a bit each sip to fully understand the playfullness of the flavor. Chinese blacks are very exquisite so someone used to Ceylon or Indian teas might be surprised by lack of flavor, but where it lacks in power and strength it is really multidimensional tea. Simply delicious

It’s an interesting sort of fusion like tea. I say interesting because it seems to be somewhere in the middle between Japanese seaweediness and Chinese mellowness and nuttiness. The dry leaves smell pleasant, almost smokey. Steeped it does have a bit of sea smell but if you’re careful with steeping and don’t overdo it, it tastes good. Oversteeping can bring nasty bitterness. Wouldn’t be #1 choice for green tea and I probably won’t buy it again but it’s an interesting tea indeed.

I have tried matcha previously and either it was not prepared correctly or that’s just the way it is but I didn’t like it one bit. Now this tea is a mix, so it’s not exactly the same thing, but I sort of like it. I followed the steeping instructions the first time and what I got is a smooth almost milky tasting beverage. I am trying longer steep time now and even if that makes it worse, I still find this to be an enjoyable tea. As far as bagged tea goes of course.