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I woke up like two hours before I needed to this morning and lay there annoyed for a while, and then decided I might as well just wake up and turn off my alarm…only I hadn’t set it, so i suppose my waking up early was a bit of a blessing in disguise. Only a bit of one, though—let’s not get carried away or anything. Waking up while the sky is still dark feels wrong on so many levels.

But oh my gosh this tea. I actually think part of the reason I slept fitfully last night is because I was excited to have it again (please tell me this happens to you too? please?). I remember liking it so much the first time, and when I picked it out last night to have this morning, I re-read my initial tasting note for it and got excited all over again haha.

In the bag, I couldn’t really decipher all that much, because I’ve been storing this with other samples. I just dumped the remainder of the sample into my steeping basket (JustJames gives very generous amounts!), and brewed it up for four minutes. After I lifted the basket out of the water, I could smell the tang of fresh, just-picked strawberry, set against a rather airy vanilla. I can’t tell you just how fresh the strawberry scent is in this tea-it is so evocative of summer breezes (well to be fair, no summer breeze where I live smells like strawberries, but a girl can dream—this is in an ideal world, nkay?). The taste of the brew was consistent with the smell, right down to the slight tang of the strawberry and weightless vanilla. The rose in this tea makes a rather understated appearance, so floral-fearers need not get worked up in advance. You get the gentlest hint of rose as you swallow, although it’s more akin to a breath freshener if anything, because it isn’t an adult, sophisticated rose; rather, it’s a very delicate, slightly coquettish presence and it completes this tea perfectly.

I do wish i’d put slightly less sugar in this cup, but alas, that rectification shall have to wait for when I place my first Ninas order. I have yet to try japon (which is being sent to me by the lovely VareaTea, who hates it oh so much…kidding!), and there are a few more NP samples I have here from Just James, and then I think I’ll be ready to order! woohoo!

Ok. So thanks again to JustJames, whose tasting notes and private messages I miss deeply. Thanks for introducing me to Ninas!!