Audrey C.

Evidently I like to overbrew my tea, because I let this one go for 4 minutes in my tea steeper.

I was all set to sing its praises, but for some reason this cup turned out rather weak. Maybe next time.

Try this again and upping my rating a little tiny bit. It’s growing on me, or maybe the bottom of the packet is a better mix. All I know is I feel like I’m getting more flavor now. Mmm, yuzu.

Actually trying this straight for once – usually I have it with the Jasmine Pearls, but it’s too late at night for that.

A really nice blend – sweet without being saccharine. I’m always impressed at how flavorful and fruity this tea is. Still, not quite a daily drinker for me – a once in awhile, really. I do love it with the Jasmine Pearl, though.

I actually do find the sweetness of the jasmine in this tea a little strong for my personal taste. Still, a nice tea.

My 2nd day trying this tea, and I’m still a little disappointed by it. Maybe it’s too subtle for my tastebuds? I love the standard Bai Mudan from Samovar, but I really feel like the peach doesn’t add much at all to it and I find the flavor very weak. Even in the second cup, which I brewed for longer at a higher temperature I probably wouldn’t identify the peach if I didn’t know what it was.

Next time I’ll try adding more tea (maybe one heaping table spoon isn’t enough?), but I doubt I will buy this tea again.

A much lighter tea than I expected, although the water may have been a little too cool the first time I brewed it. I like a bold sencha, so I was surprised by the mildness. The yuzu is nice (although I agree the smell of this tea is heavy on the yuzu, so I was surprised when the tea itself was a nice mix). I may re-rate depending on how the next new steep is – it’s a very pleasant tea, but not amazing at this price point.

No notes yet.

One of these days I’m going to have to actually buy this tea so I can steep it at a lower temperature. I always get this tea at Peet’s when I get a free tea from buying one of the other teas. I think the water is a little too hot.

A really nice white tea, doesn’t get too bitter even when brewed in water that’s a bit hot.

The flavor is light, and getting the timing right can be finicky – but it can be the perfect little after lunch tea.

You need to like very flowery teas for this one, but if, like me, you do — it’s a great tea.

I keep buying this because it sounds good and I keep remembering that I don’t like it. Where’s the vanilla flavor? Completely unsubtle and just not that tasty.

This is a pretty solid tea that tastes exactly what you’d expect green tea+chamomile to taste like.

A nice white, slightly sweet and citrus-y (as advertised).

I’m not sure what it is about this tea, but I find the flavor/texture amazing! The first tangy sip surprises me every single time. I have to be in the right mood to drink it (and I swear, despite the lack of caffeine it always makes me need to pee) — but when I am, it’s, well — fun. A really fun tea, if you like different and tangy.

One of my favorite white teas for the days where I want something more subtle and less sweet. Very smooth.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with adding a little bit of jasmine pearl tea in and the two mix remarkably well!

A lot of people seem to like this one, but I’m not a huge fan. I’ve tried this particular Sencha a variety of ways – steeping shorter, steeping longer, covered cup, uncovered cup — it just never excites me. I can’t get a good flavor out of it without steeping it too long (and then it gets bitter, of course). If I steep it for the recommended time it’s not very good.

I’m going to try another cup at some point with lots of extra tea and a very short steep time to see if it helps. I don’t think I’ll be buying this tea again.

EDIT: Lots of tea and a shorter steep time did help – a lot! I think I need to stop trusting Teavana’s claim of 1 tsp for their teas… it’s really closer to 2 or 3 for the best flavor. Maybe they only do that so they can claim more servings? Unfortunately it’s still hard to time it right.

Anyway, increasing my rating, but I still prefer the Sencha from Peet’s.

This is my everyday work Sencha. It’s very clean and fresh tasting, at least when I don’t forget about it and over-steep.

The only downside is that some of the pieces get a little powdery towards the bottom of the container.

I tried this tea at Samovar in downtown San Francisco. The leaves are chipped out of the mandarin (literally with a tool similar to a chisel), then there is an initial quick rinse before the first steep. They said to steep for 30 – 45 seconds – I found I preferred the shorter steeping time. Once I put too much water in the pot for one cup and steeped for a few minutes… definitely a mistake!

I liked the tea both without and with the orange peel. I found it more subtle without (unsurprisingly). After drinking 4 or 5 brews I smelled the contents and I loved the sharp, earthy scent. Overall, really interesting and delicious.

(water temperature note may be off as I didn’t brew it myself)