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I brought this to the lab in my Timolino, and topped it off with some half-and-half cream and honey. I find that you have to be really careful with the base lest it leans towards the bitter side. It’s a little vegetal too.

But I really like it with the additives, especially with the honey, which creates baklava-in-a-cup before my very eyes.

By the way, anyone watch MasterChef? I know it’s rigged, but last night’s elimination was utterly despicable.

Thanks for the sample, Heather! This is a dead ringer for a coffee cream truffle, both the scent of the dry leaf and the taste. It reminds me of Tea Desire’s Latte Macchiato, only that one has a rooibos base. I see on their site they now have a flavoured black called Café Latte. Wonder how it compares to this.

I added some half-and-half to my cup, because I’m bad and all, and it’s like sipping on a coffee cream truffle. Wow! Without any additives, I find that the cocoa flavour is a little bit edgier.

Not detecting any of the hazelnut but I don’t mind that at all. This is really good the way it is!

Thank you so much for the wonderful sample, Stacy! I’m so glad it’s raining today. I have my windows open letting in the fresh air and enjoying this tea. I just wish this place had window screens because I’m in a basement, so I keep glancing at the windows paranoid that a rat or squirrel is going to hop in.

At any rate, this is the second Dragon Well I am trying, and it is light years better than the last one I had. Tons more buttery, not nearly as astringent, and more delicate. I’m not really picking up on any strawberry here, but perhaps because my sample happened to have one tiny piece of it (which is cool, that’s the luck of the draw!) but I’m getting the nice warm glow from the ginger. It’s like sipping on a liquified Chimes ginger chew.

As this cools a bit, I’m tasting a bit more of a burnt sugar note which accompanies the ginger perfectly.

I would totally order some next time I make an order. Thanks again, Stacy!

My picking up the new fall teas reminded me that I haven’t even reviewed this, and I’m down to my last serving. Pineapple is like candy to me. So sweet and juicy.

The dry leaf smells like pineapple candy. The Tie Kwan Yin can be finicky, and I find that if you can’t watch the steepage, you’re left with astringent oolong and weak pineapple in the background.

But if done right, it’s pineapple sunshine with a fresh hint of floral in the background. The second steep is lighter on the pineapple but is worth it for the base too.

I’m sure this would make a killer cold brew, and imagine mixing it with coconut oolong. My, oh my.

Trying so hard to resist the temptation, I caved in, stopped in at a David’s, and grabbed a bit of all the fall teas except Pumpkin Chai.

Apple is hit or miss for me, so I wasn’t expect much, quite frankly. But this is green apple to the tenth power, people! Of course with a dash of cinnamon.

The steeped tea kind of smells like an apple Jolly Rancher, but a little more natural. As for the taste, it’s extremely apple-y. The cinnamon isn’t as strong as I’d like it. No pastry notes and I’m halfway through the cup.

And I’m inching my way toward the bottom, the cinnamon sediment is perking up the remainder of the cup. I’m also getting a touch of that pastry note others are talking about. Maybe if I steeped this a little longer, I’ll get even more of these two flavours, but for the first time, I wanted to make sure the base wouldn’t go astringent city on me.

EDIT: The second steep is quite a bit weaker. Much less apple than I was expecting. The cinnamon is still hanging in there but the pastry is practically gone.

Easy sip down! I enjoyed the last of it with some half-and-half (like a lighter cream). It tones down the apple and brought out the nuts and cinnamon more. Yay! I’d totally buy more in the future, but as usual, if I can just slow it down and finish off some others first.

The dry leaf smells ridiculously heavenly. Truly like a slice of banana cream pie speckled with coconut on top. There are chunks of vanilla pod and shredded coconut scattered amongst the tea leaves.

This must be a popular tea because I’ve been trying to purchase it since moving here a year ago, and every time I’ve gone, it was completely sold out.

Hot, without any additives, I would say that the banana is the strongest note next to the base. It’s not as flavourful as I had hoped considering how fragrant the dry leaf is.

I tried it with agave and milk, and didn’t care for it. I think the agave didn’t go well with it. Just covered up the subtle flavours even more.

Now, I’m trying it with a dash of half-and-half (I feel so guilty for buying some!) with a bit of honey, and it’s better. I can now taste the coconut and the banana is even stronger, like banana chips. The vanilla is brought out a bit too. I was still hoping for a little more of the coconut and/or vanilla but overall, it’s a pleasant dessert tea.

Would I buy it again? Probably not, but so far, it’s my favourite Murchie’s blend.

Thank you for the sample, Stacy! This one is truly taking my taste buds on a ride.

Firstly, I’m not tasting most of the ingredients. It seems like together, they’ve morphed into another creature… edamame beans. I’ve been taking small sips for twenty minutes now and every sip, it’s been edamame. Then about five seconds after each sip, I can taste a very faint kiss of marshmallow.

I followed the brewing instructions so I don’t know what’s going on with my life right now.

As this cools, a faint note of honey is joining the marshmallow at the very end, but they still can’t balance out the vegetal note in here. Talk about a surprise party.

Another sample from Ms. Heather. Thank you muchly!

This dry leaf smells faintly sweet. For me, it’s hard to make out what it’s supposed to be. I kind of did things backwards. I added a touch of clover honey to the first cup I had earlier, which to me, played very well with the base but drowned out the subtle flavours in this.

I’m enjoying the second cup without any additives, and the plum is now more noticeable, but still very subtle. I’m getting a subtle woody note in here too. Like birch or something? This is also quite astringent; slightly drying to the roof of the mouth.

Thanks for the wonderful sample, Stacy! This is my first purple tea ever.

I brewed up a cup, poured half into a mug and the other half into my Timolino, then dropped some ice into my Timolino so I could see what this would be like hot and iced.

Once steeped, the liquor looked very murky. Nothing wrong with that, but I wasn’t expecting that.

Hot, as usual, the hibiscus really comes through. Underneath the über tart hibiscus, I can taste mostly blueberries, and then something fresh and herbal.

Onto the iced. I think this tea is more appropriate this way. I’m getting more of what I’m guessing is the purple base, and the blueberries and strawberries are more prominent, while the hibiscus has calmed down a bit. So, there’s a better balance here. I normally never sweeten my iced teas or cold brews, but I think this would have been even better had I added a bit of sweetener before dropping in the ice cubes.

This one sure packs a punch in the tart department!

EDIT: Oh duh, didn’t realize there was basil in this. That’s the herbal note on which I was picking up.