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Another sample that was generously provided by the Teavivre team! Thanks!

I’ll be honest – I have not had good luck with Chinese green teas. However, I wanted to give them another try so I requested this tea in my last box of samples. The dry tea is so pretty with little curly pieces of light and dark green and there was a very clean smell. I brewed this tea up for about a minute and was greeted with a very pale (almost clear) yet shimmery liquid that smelled very sweet. Wow, this is actually good. It reminds me a bit of Silver Needles, but a bit of a greener taste. There is a bit of a fruity aftertaste that lasts long after the sip. I’m looking forward to several infusions of this beauty.

I love toffee so I was super excited to give this matcha a try. I ordered the basic grade matcha with a distinctive flavor level and I have to say this was a great choice for my first matcha from Red Leaf Tea. You can find more information about this beauty and order some for yourself here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/english-toffee-matcha.html.

First off, the scent when you open the pouch is of creamy, rich caramel toffee. I was concerned that the color of the matcha would have been muddied a bit with the addition of flavoring, but luckily the matcha is a beautiful, deep green. I love that there are no artificial flavorings added to this tea because the color of matcha is definitely part of my overall experience. I don’t have a sifter so I was worried that the matcha might be a bit clumpy, but it was perfectly smooth! After brewing this up without additions, it gives a pretty good froth. The flavor is primarily of lightly sweet toffee, but the matcha is not lost against the flavoring. However, there isn’t any edge of bitterness like you usually get with unflavored matcha. If you are new to matcha or don’t really enjoy the bitterness it can have, I highly suggest this company and flavor.

Although the matcha was good without additions, I wanted this flavor as a dessert replacement. Next up, slightly sweetened matcha latte! I added just a teensy bit of sugar and a splash of milk into my chawan of matcha. Yum! This is pretty amazing! It is just like drinking matcha while eating a big hunk of toffee. This is definitely a great dessert replacement! “Wow!” is the only word that truly describes this flavor accurately. This is my first flavored matcha and it definitely will not be my last.

I also want to add that my order was sent out quickly and I received both an email after submitting my order and after it shipped with tracking information. I’m very happy with the service I’ve received from Red Leaf Tea. I will certainly be ordering from this company again.

While this is delicious to drink, I’m already planning how I can use this English Toffee Matcha to bake with. I think that this would be amazing in a buttercream icing and equally good in cupcakes or really any type of baked good. This would also be great incorporated into some whipped cream and used to top fresh fruit or angel food cake.

I think the last time I had a Cream Earl Grey it tasted odd ~ gladly this one is amazing! The bergamot is strong, but tempered greatly by the rich creamy flavors. This is also a pretty good tea base that doesn’t go bitter easily. I’m quite glad I put this on order without sampling first!

Ahh, my precious…you are finally back in my cupboard. I have so missed this sweet and smoky flavor! Even though it is the middle of a hot Texas summer, I am loving this tea. So, so good.

Starting my day with this one!

Alright, another awesome honeybush from Frank! I LOVE maple glazed donuts – so much it is almost pitiful. However, I really try not to eat them often. This is the perfect substitute for some hot donuts. I’m not noticing much of the custard flavor, but it is maple and pastry all the way. I’ve cold-brewed this and it is decent, but it shines hot with a bit of milk and sugar. Frank totally rocks the honeybush blends!

I was a bit apprehensive about this tea due to the addition of licorice root, but being a big fan of Harry Potter I had to order a pouch. Besides, if anyone could make a somewhat strange flavor combo work, it is going to be Frank! This tea is really, really good. I drank some last night while watching a Harry Potter movie and it was a cool experience. I woke up wanting this tea again! I think this pouch is going to go fast. I appreciate that this tea is good for at least 2 infusions also. There is a root beer flavor that is backed up with a buttery taste and texture. I don’t really notice the licorice root or chicory – I think they just add to the general texture and smooth flavor profile. I am loving this!

Finishing up this box – I don’t think I have another unless it is hiding behind some things in the cupboard so I’ll be decupboarding this one for now. I like this one, but it isn’t my favorite of the CS holiday line – that honor is reserved for the Candy Cane Lane. Anyways, this tea really does smell like fresh baked sugar cookies. The taste isn’t completely spot on, but it is close enough with honey and milk to easily pass as a dessert tea. I’ll definitely buy another box this holiday season!

Yum! Perfectly strong, malty and smooth – made with a tiny bit of honey and milk. Love this in the morning!

Yeah, I’m drinking this one again. It is really growing on me – I love the creamy, fruity aftertaste. On the shopping list!

Decupboarding this one from a big pitcher of coldbrewed tea with a bit of simple syrup. Although I like this one hot, it really shines when cold.

It is a sad, sad morning! I’m finishing up my sample of this tea. It is definitely on the shopping list though – it is really great and holds up for several infusions.

Cherry Cheesecake Genmaicha (52teas) and Fruits D’Alsace (Harney)

Coldbrewed with a bit of simple syrup added. It is light because I didn’t really put enough tea for the amount of water but very flavorful. The genmaicha is most noticeable but there is a definite fruity aspect given by the Fruits D’Alsace. Decupboarding both teas!

Tea of the morning – it is perfect on its own but I’m opting for a bit of milk and sugar today. Yum!

This one must be growing on me – I wanted it again today! Alright, I give in, this will go on the shopping list! Yum, creamy, light, and slightly fruity.

Finishing up the last of this one this morning. It is pretty good, fairly malty and not overly astringent. However, it doesn’t particularly stand out to me as one of my favorites. I don’t think I’ll restock this, but it was nice will it lasted.

Once again, another generous sample from Teavivre! I’ve been craving the lighter unadulterated teas today. I LOVE silver needle teas! They remind me of what good chamomile should taste like. It is very smooth, light, and a bit floral. The leaves aren’t as fuzzy as some other silver needles I’ve tried. However, I really, really like this. It is calming, yet it seems to help me focus.

This is yet another delicious sample graciously provided by Teavivre! Thanks so much! I’m really, really liking this flavored variety more than the natural. This has a sweet yet floral aroma and the flavor is of a nice green oolong with a heavy, creamy finish to the sip. This feels decadent to drink, but it is totally guilt free. I haven’t completely decided if I have to have this tea variety in my cupboard – but if I do, this flavored variety will be the one for me!

Another sample that was generously provided by Teavivre! Thanks! The leaves were so incredibly sticky with honey that I almost just wanted to eat them instead of brew them, but I stuck them in the teapot anyway. The first couple of infusions tasted like a very high quality, smooth medium oolong with a slight sweet, floral aftertaste. This isn’t as overly honey sweet as I expected, but you can tell this is a nice quality oolong. This is only the second tieguanyin I’ve had so I’m not sure if this is a preferred oolong for me – it is good though.

Infusions #2 and #3 tonight after my class. This tea really reminds me of my beloved Emperor’s Red from Premium Steep. Although it is similar in taste to Teavivre’s Bailin Gongfu Black, I think this is so great for me because the pearls have a tiny bit of smokiness that I absolutely love and crave in a black tea. And the 3rd infusion is still quite flavorful – I may even go for a 4th. So this is a pretty economical tea also! I think I’m going to bump up the rating a bit. Any black tea that is good for this many infusions deserves high ratings from me!

Many thanks to the Teavivre team for another generous round of samples. I added 5 of these pretty pearls to my 12 oz teapot and steeped for 2 minutes. Wow! This is really super good. There is a bit of cocoa, possibly hay, a good amount of malt and a smooth finish. This is amazing without anything added. While everything I’ve tried from Teavivre has been really good – this is most definitely going on my shopping list.

I’m desperately hoping for an extreme caffeine kick from this tea. I have homework and tons of laundry to do – not to mention basic housework – and all I want to do is crawl back in bed for several hours. I think this tea is a good example of an East Frisian blend – bold and smooth with little to no astringency. Of course, this blend is made for milk and sugar so that may help with any bitterness. This is a good one though – very comforting.

Eeek, I’ll have only one more bag of this tea after tonight’s mug. I can’t believe it is almost gone, but it has been my go-to caffeine free option lately. Zhena’s Gypsy Tea does some amazing things with their rooibos chais! This is a must try.

Several pots of this tea with a tiny pinch of sugar added is really helping to calm down my overactive sweet tooth today. Good and smooth as always with a delightfully rich caramel sweetness.