Laura

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I’m not usually a fan of bagged chai, but the Chai Spice Black tea from Stash really surprised me. I brewed it for about five minutes and added brown sugar and milk and the tea held up very well. Even before adding milk, it was very drinkable. Not bitter at all, with clear tasting notes of cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and maybe even some ginger. Very flavorful and aromatic. A very delightful and addictive tea that is caffeeinated, so I look forward to drinking it during lunch. It looks like I’m in the minority on Steepster, but I’m buying another box!

One of the least palatable teas I’ve ever tasted. I’m guessing I overbrewed this, so I will try it iced. But served hot, the tea is too acidic, very bitter, and has a terrible aftertaste. I’m pretty disappointed with the Art of Tea sampler I picked up on Steepster.

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It’s a beautiful tea with long leaves that you can watch unfurl as you tumble boiling water into your glass. The tea is a wonderful amber-orange color, with a very smooth and clean taste. The recommended brew time is two minutes, but I left the teabag inside while I enjoyed my cup. I normally find this makes black tea too bitter but Bengal Breakfast is simultaneously bold and mild and there is the slightest hint of silky sweetness in the aftertaste. I have been looking for a good AM tea and whereas Teatulia’s Neem Nectar was a little too sharp for me, Bengal Breakfast is perfect.

I’m trying to make the switch back from coffee to tea and I decided to give this tea another try this morning. The “neem” is definitely an acquired taste. When you keep the brew to about four minutes, the tea is infinitely better. It’s still a little bitter but with a good roundness and a subtle hint of sweetness. Adding sugar improves this tea immensely (though I really dislike sweetening my teas). The texture really reminds you of the name of the tea, the “nectar.” A good AM tea, if you are craving something that is a little astringent but not harsh.

A very, very mild mint tea but still enjoyable. I’m pretty easy to please though when it comes to anything mint. No caffeine makes it a good choice right before bed, but it’s really nothing special. The tea is your regular bagged, finely-chopped supermarket variety— which could be a bit jarring when you’re accustomed to full leaf tea snobbery. I would actually choose their Peppermint tea if I was looking for something stronger.

An extremely robust, malty tea with a muted caramel finish. You’ll almost need to do a doubletake when you take a sip of this tea because it’s so strong. The directions tell you to use a full tablespoon but I suggest using a teaspoon and brewing it for 3 minutes or less. We made the mistake of following the directions and the tea was somewhat bitter. It does get sweeter, or at least more muted, as it cools, and I love that these leaves hold up to a rebrewing. Ultimately, a high quality, wonderfully dark and strongly caffeeinated tea. I can see why so many people drink this as the morning tea (or as a very concentrated shot of teapresso). Personally, I prefer lighter, naturally sweet teas so I’d drink this tea as a morning jolt only. Still, really great, strong flavor.

The tea comes with a fancy-schmancy in-cup brewing system called the BrewTache. Instead of completely submersing the tea bag, you spread two paper flaps over the mouth of the cup so that the tea bag can hang. It’s meant to replace the trouble of using a diffuser or filter for loose leaf tea and I must admit its kind of cute, if totally unnecessary. That said, it’s a pretty good darjeeling. I steeped it for a little less than 4 minutes and the tea is wonderfully smooth and light. It’s fairly thin-bodied, with a very subtle floral aroma. Very soothing, with a barely-there sweet aftertaste.

Feeling a little hoarse today? This is a deliciously revitalizing and energizing tea, especially after you add a tablespoon of honey. It has a very round flavor, thick almost, but very smooth.

I regularly purchase the Iced Tea version, which comes with 10 quart tea bags. The tea is refreshingly sweet without sugar and very smooth. I like to add lots of mint and a slice of lemon or mango for decoration. A strong flavored black tea, beautiful amber color, lovely for summer.

More mild than their Prince Vladimir tea, Kusmi’s Christmas tea is dominated by orange. The other “six” spices of the tea disappear in a pleasing way. I actually enjoy this tea better than their strongly spiced Prince Vladimir (which ironically, I think, makes a better holiday tea) but would not buy again out of personal preference.

Spicy, with heavy notes of vanilla, cloves, cinnamon and bergamot. Best when brewed for a short time. It is a good Christmas time tea. The only negative is that they come in enormous tins (4.4 oz) and after two years, I have yet to come close to finishing it but can’t bring myself to toss it out… It is still fragrant enough to be potpourri though!

Did they discontinue this wonderful green tea? It’s a very perfumed tea, with bright blue cornflower blossoms and bits of dried wild papaya and pineapple. I’m a sucker for cornflower. I’m always so amused by seeing blue (!) leaves in my tea or bits of dried fruit. Sweet and fruity, and very delicate.

Nutty but a tad too light for a good cup of Genmaicha. It’s not as aromatic as I hoped it would be. I found that my cup of tea ended up with way too much sediment at the bottom so next time I think I’ll give the leaves a short rinse.

A very pretty and unconventional sencha green tea. Extremely light, somewhat sweet, but very, very fragrant. It has rose and blue mallow/purple blossoms. I am tempted to stuff my bra with this tea in an attempt to smell just as pretty (ha).

Bold, but boring. Seems like a great company (organic, socially responsible, single-garden, cool packaging) but I never get excited about this tea. Perhaps I just need to add a sweetener..

A very mild Chamomile tea with hints of orange and lemon. Surprisingly enjoyable. A regular cup of Chamomile has the tendency to make me a little nauseous sometimes (strange, I know!) but the addition of citrus does wonders to this tea. A good before-sleep tea.

A very easy, beautifully fragrant tea with notes of vanilla (flavor), mango (flavor), and hibiscus. The tea itself is colorful, with rose, marigold and hibiscus. It is somewhat deceptive though— the flavor is far less intense than the aroma but still enjoyable. Avoid overbrewing to avoid any bitterness. 4-5 minutes is ideal.

This is the tea that converted me to rooibos. I believe they have since renamed/discontinued this tea, but it is a very enjoyable, pleasantly sweet and mildly spicy red tea. Very fragrant.