IrishBreakfastLass

This is a really good one. It’s not bitter in the slightest, and there’s cinnamon and pumpkin flavors that are prominent. Nice full mouth flavor. Yummy!

I had this one as my before-bed tea last night, and I have to admit that I was almost expecting it to be terrible. It smells like candy canes straight out of the box, and upon brewing, the scent is pretty close to that of a certain kind of melt away soft mint I like. The flavor is almost spot on for it too. It’s very tasty, at least if you like candy canes or those soft peppermint pieces. I found it quite relaxing, too :)

My first cup of the day. I was afraid it would taste too strongly of ginger upon opening the bag since the smell was SO STRONG. It made me sneeze. But, brewing, it started smelling just like these ginger cookies I like from Wal-mart. Alone, it’s ok, but with a bit of sugar and some milk, I get almost that exact flavor. Pretty tasty! The ginger is not so strong that you gag from it, but it’s most definitely a ginger tea. I like a tea that is what it’s supposed to be and carries it well. That can’t really be said for a lot of teas. I know, it’s just Celestial Seasonings, but it is still GOOD!

I got this in a swap with teataku- Thank you again!

So this one is great for today as the past few days I’ve been FREEZING. It’s a little warmer today, but still most definitely tea weather. The packets of this tea smell SO GOOD. Like spices. The taste- pumpkin pie! It’s very tasty. I’m not getting as much of the pumpkin as I would like, but it’s definitely there, along with some cinnamon and ginger warmth, and something else. Great cuppa when I want something quick and I’m being lazy- plop in a bag and wait!

I needed a bit of energy this morning after last night’s Halloween antics with 4 kids and a husband in tow. So this one came out. It came from a sample box from KallieBoo, so thanks go to her :)
To be honest, I’m not really digging this tea. It’s too rooibos-y for me. It does have some redeeming qualities though. It’s hot, slightly sweet, and has some spice taste to it. Not one I’d buy for myself though.

Backlog from last night! I had been neglecting some of the teas in my cupboard, and this was one of them. I totally forgot how wonderfully lemony and sweet this one was. It’s delicious, and totally what I think of when I think of lemon tea. I like to put a bit of sugar, and it transforms this into a kind of lemony dessert, like lemon meringue pie or lemon candies. Yummy!

I decided to give this one a shot because I need something warming. Turns out, it is NOT AT ALL like the regular chai black tea from Stash! This one is actually tolerable! Maybe it’s because I steeped it a full 5 minutes? I don’t know, but I’m digging it. At least right now. Because it’s like 40 degrees outside, and I’m FREEZING! It’s got a nice and spicy bite from the ginger, and you can really taste the cardamom and cinnamon. Not too shabby, at least for Stash!

This one is really weak. I brewed as instructed, one bag per cup, 4 minutes on. I can’t really taste anything, maybe a sweet tobacco taste, but definitely not rum OR spices. Or even tea. It has a sickly sweet smell, and this is definitely not one I’ll be ordering again. Yuck.

ETA: Added some sugar, and now I can barely taste the tea. It’s just a hint of an aftertaste.

Decided I needed spicy this morning- it’s freezing out! This tea smells SO GOOD in the bag, and brewing, it’s even better. It’s a spicy mix of coconut, black tea, ginger, cinnamon, and some other spices, and it’s really tasty. You can taste the coconut, the black tea base is just right, and none of the spices are overpowering. It’s a very nice blend. I just wish my pot hadn’t gotten cold for the last cup :( lol

Had this as an after-dinner tea, since ginger is warming, and it’s freaking snowing here(this never happens!). It’s a nice lemony-ginger, with the spice of the ginger giving it a nice bite. I had to add sugar, but that’s ok with me as I like sweet teas anyway :) It was fresh and bright, and great for an evening tea. Stash is not one of my favorite brands, and this was a gift, several packets in a knitting swap box from a dear friend, so I thought to give it a go. I’m glad I did- it’s good!

Hmmm… Welllll, it’s not quite what I hoped for. It’s not very lemony, at least not that I can tell. I can SMELL the lemon, it just doesn’t translate into tasting it. And it smelled SO good when I opened the box :( Oh well, there’s always tomorrow for another brew. I’m going to keep working on this one until I like it. I normally love lemon in tea.

A HUGE thank you to momo for the two boxes she so generously ran out and picked up for me, then sent to me via USPS! I made my first cup after returning from the post office, and oh… it’s exactly what I was wanting! And the peppermint/spearmint combo really helps with the cold I have. So yummy! Not bitter in the slightest, and very smooth. The mints are not so IN YOUR FACE as with some peppermint teas I’ve tried(I’m looking at you, Stash!), but rather neatly blended with the black tea base. Twinings, how I love you :)

Made a pot of this for my afternoon tea, and I have to say, it was good. Still not quite up to Twinings Pure Mint, but close. And my first boxes of TPM are coming in tomorrow, so there’s that consolation :)

This is actually the second time I’ve had this tea. It smells so wonderful straight out of the box, honestly like sugar cookie dough. Then steeping, it’s like an actual sugar cookie. The taste, though, is a little lacking compared to the smell. It’s a good solid tea, I can taste the sugar cookie, the orange peel just a bit. It’s tasty, just not as yummy as the smell leads you to believe. Nothing to throw it out over though. This is a great evening tea!

I made a pot of this tea in my 2-cup teapot, and the smells while steeping are so nice! It smells like a very strong chai, which I love, so I’m anxious to give it a go. This is a good one! It’s full-bodied, no bitterness steeped at 4 minutes, and with a bit of sugar and milk, it’s the perfect comfort tea! Very spicy, not much heat though, and absolutely yummy. I’d recommend a smaller amount of milk than you normally put in your chais though, as it seemed to weaken the tea a good bit.

I LOVE spearmint, so it was only a matter of time before I discovered this tea! The smell was SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD in the bag, so I was optimistic that it would be good, despite some of the sagging reviews I’ve seen. I noticed the steep time was really short, and decided to try it that way, keeping the bag handy for adding it back to the cup if necessary. It was- the steep time listed on the box was WAY too short, and left me with some amber colored water. I put it back in for a bit, and was rewarded with some very decent minty black tea. Not as good as Twinings, but decent, all the same. I can’t get the Twinings Pure Mint in my area(you know, the one with black tea and spearmint), so this will do until I can get some :) It’s a pretty nice one, IMO.

I was craving a hearty tea with milk and sugar- comfort foods, you know- and decided on this one. Nice and full bodied, malty, smooth. The milk rounds it all out, and the sugar brings up the tea flavors, brightening the cup a bit. Just what I needed on a Monday morning.

Lovely sweet almond scent upon opening the packet! Yum! You can taste both the almonds and the green tea base in this one, but I don’t find any cinnamon- that’s fine by me though! I’m having this one plain, no added sweetener, and it’s really tasty. Light, bright, and with a sweet aftertaste. My only complaint is the amount of ‘crumbs’ left after I take my tea ball out- there’s a fair amount in there. I’ll finish this one quickly though, so it shouldn’t be a huge problem.

Thanks go to KallieBoo for this sample! I’m really excited to try this one. Hmmm… I steeped this one for a little over 5 minutes in boiling water. Naked, I’m not getting much other than rooibos… maybe a tiny bit of spice? Definitely no pumpkin, though. It doesn’t seem very strong at all, despite the long brewing time(for a bag, anyway). It’s got a strong rooibos smell after brewing, despite the distinct pumpkin-y spicy smell before. I’m also getting a bit of a sour taste in there, not pleasant. I guess this one is not for me.

Decided to try this one out since I have no spicy caffeinated teas at the moment. The dry smell is quite fruity, and the tea scent comes out as it’s steeping. It smells delicious! The naked flavor is really interesting- fruit hints with black tea overtones. Slightly tart. Nice full mouth feel with a bit of dryness. Very nice!

This is a nice one. It’s not too strong, no astringency really. A sweet, slightly fruity note, full-bodied. Not one of my favorites, since it’s pretty middle of the road black tea nothing special, but a good stand-by.

Wow- this is yummy! It’s nice and strong, no bitterness, smooth, and MALTY. I steeped 1.5 tsp for my large mug for 4 minutes at 212. I had it with toast, but this could easily hold up to a hearty breakfast!

Thanks go to The Persimmon Tree Tea for this free tin! Dry, this tea smells like a fresh coconut, and the leaves themselves are BEAUTIFUL- I love the mix of flowers and tea leaves. Steeping, you don’t smell much at first, and then I was quickly reminded of coconut rum- I’m humming beachy songs as I type :) Also, this is my first ever white tea, just so you know.
My first sip is quite lovely- the coconut is strong, but you can also taste the tea, and it’s got this great creamy taste too. I’m drinking it neat(no additives), which I have to admit is not my usual MO, but it’s really quite nice. A very fruity blend, that’s for sure. And I agree with the characteristics listed for this tea- it’s refreshing and mild, which is a nice change from some of the teas I’ve been sampling lately. I’m definitely going to keep this one in rotation a while!

So I gave this one another shot this morning, recalling that it was a rather weak tea last time I had it. I decided that I should put in 2 teabags to offset the weakness, and then it would be fine. No. No, no, no, no. Instead of weak black tea with a little scent, it was weak black tea with an entire jar of cinnamon in it. Yuck. Sorry, I really wanted to like this tea, but it’s just not happening.