Jason

Very light and subtle. I’ve been drinking some heavier, earthier green teas today, so this works well to offer a clean tone after those earlier teas. The white tea has a decent flavor, pretty straightforward.

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The 3rd and final bag from the best person in the world! The tea leaves (well, technically there are no leaves because it’s a tisane) have a sweet sugary smell and it is visually stimulating as it looks like a bag of potpourri. I can smell the delicate fruitiness of the strawberries and the kick of the hibiscus but I can also detect/see the presence of orange peels and floral notes from the purple and red flakes of petals sprinkled in the mix.

The liquor is a great purplish red color, very vibrant and energetic. The aroma of the tea is not very desirable IMO. Its smell too closely resembles the smell of actual potpourri and I don’t like that association. I’ve never been a fan of potpourri, I guess it brings to mind ideas of emptiness and despair because I often encountered it in nursing homes. However, after giving the tea a taste I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. There isn’t much depth or variety to the flavor, but as the liquid passes through your mouth it leaves a wonderfully sweet and powerful taste on the back of your tongue. Super sweet so if you’re not a fan of the sweeter teas I would steer clear. Otherwise, give it a shot.

This is the second bag I received from the greatest person on earth, coming in the form of a subtle white tea from The Tea Garden. The leaves have a very powerful floral aroma, like taking a stroll through a greenhouse. Good greens and browns on the leaves with the petals nicely interspersed. The tea gives you that same floral smell and taste, with just a nice hint of sweetness to keep it from being overly fresh and earthy. The delicacy of the rose and the white tea work well to make a balanced and extremely refreshing experience. Great for relaxing and lounging on the couch after a hard workout earlier today.

Another pot, a little less strong but still tasty. The leaves hold up well to multiple infusions.

Just got a bag of this from the greatest person in the world so I’m giving it a shot. The loose leaf has a rich, deep, and earthy coconut aroma. Not like regular processed coconut, but one that you’ve found on the beach and cracked open raw. Every now and then you’ll catch a little glimpse of the fruity aroma coming through, but the coconut remains dominant. This makes sense because it appears that the slivers of mango in the loose leaf are far outnumbered by those of the coconut and black tea.

The liquor is a rich golden brown and has the same earthy coconut aroma as the leaves. The coconut carries through the aroma and into the flavor quite strongly. It is supported by a quality black tea flavor but still maintains the spotlight. You get hints of mango every now and then, but I would consider this mostly a coconut flavored tea (which I’ve had before and really liked). Lingering after the liquid is gone is the coconut flavor, which has taken on an almost malty chocolaty taste, very interesting. Overall, an enjoyable experience. Besides for the lingering coconut flavor, I’d say this is one of more consistent teas I’ve had, from aroma of the loose leaf all the way through to the last sip. Good stuff.

Nice fruity aroma but the flavor is so-so. Depending on the sip, you can get a decent splash of sweetness at the start but it quickly changes to a bitter green tea taste. There’s not much depth in the flavor and it basically tastes like the tea was over-steeped. Not great, but it is a bottled cold tea, so I guess you should expect as much.

Has a very earthy and floral aroma that takes me straight to the garden. Having trouble tasting the passionfruit though (not necessarily the fault of the tea, probably just my untrained palate). The tart bitterness is present, but I am still missing fruitiness from the passion fruit.

Pretty nice flavor for a more run of the mill lunch tea. Really powerful roasted nutty tones, both in flavor and aroma. A little bitter towards the end, but nothing that isn’t manageable.

It’s 85 degrees outsides and sunny, great day for another pitcher of iced tea. This one is inspiring in all its sugary sweet goodness. If you like fruity teas, you’ll love this one. The pitcher comes filled with fresh strawberries and balls of watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe. The honey is star of this show by far, but it works in concert with the combination of fruits and tea flavors. It lingers just long enough to allow you the pleasure of savoring its great taste, but isn’t like normal honey that sticks in your mouth. Its timing is perfect, staying just long enough to make its point but not so long as to overstay its welcome. But once the honey as calmed and receded to the back of your tongue, the cool juices of the watermelon and honeydew massage your taste buds. I just think these “watery” types of fruit work so well with an iced tea like this. Their flavors are given the chance to show their true colors when blending with the rest of the liquid. Very enjoyable! It’s also interesting how the oolong flavor rides in on the tail of these powerful fruit flavors, reminding you that you are still drinking a tea and not a juice mix.

They really make the extra effort to perfect their tea here at the Radiance Tea house in Manhattan, I highly recommend them if you’re in the area (55th near 7th).

Comes in a clear pot and immediately the smooth and deep purple and red liquor is already calming but slightly upbeat. Swirling at the bottom is a cornucopia or fruit pieces and tiny rose buds. The aroma is sweet and slightly floral, very fresh. The tangyness of the pear cascades first, but it is trailed closely by traces of the carrot and rose cleaning and tantalizing your palate simultaneously. The mango is seemingly absent but that’s okay, the rest of the flavors carry the tea nicely. All of this is finished off with a tone of the black tea that is artfully sweet but subtle. Having it chilled with ice is a nice touch. And all the fruit in the pitcher is edible too, that is except for the rose flower buds. Don’t munch on those.

A fairly standard black tea. Nice deep color and decent aroma. I added a good amount of milk and sugar (I don’t usually do that) which helps cut back on the spicy flavor. Right as the spice is about to kick-in in full strength, the sugar and milk come and soften the blow. Even though its a breakfast tea it works well as a mid-afternoon cuppa.

Great aroma, sweet taste. A little under-steeped and I forgot to pull the plunger up on the press (yea, that was stupid, I know) but still tasty nonetheless. Love how the strawberry is able to peek through the complexity of fruity flavors.

Great crisp lemon flavor. First yerba mate I’ve had, so we’ll see just how the extra caffeine jacks up my body…

Great smokey flavor. Makes me think of the smoke from a camp fire. I would describe it as camping in your mouth…if you get what I mean. Good if you’re in the mood for an earthy, woodsy tasting tea. Could be a little strong and distinct if you’re looking for something with a little more subtlety.

Pretty sucky if you ask me. Moldy aroma and super bitter…watch yourself, you’ve been warned.

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Great fruity aroma with a perfect hint of the popcorn. Pretty sweet when it hits the back of your mouth, but I like it. Strawberry and apple combine to make the most dominating flavors, but the general fruitiness is smooth and tasty.

Btw, just wanted to add that this loose leaf smells like Pop Rocks! Awesomeness in a bag.

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Very smooth and wonderful fruity flavor without being overly sweet. The pineapple and strawberry flavors are just barely peeking through for a great hint of sweet goodness. Steeped for 4-5 mins, but I think I may have used too little tea so it is a little weaker than I would expect (should have used more tea or steeped a couple minutes longer). Also, as a side note that may have affected my tasting, I had a handful of rainbow nerds shortly before my cup of tea…interesting way to approach a fruity tea tasting :)

Smooth and buttery and smells just like melted caramel. Yum! Having it warm but would love to try it cold with the milk and sugar.