mrawlins2

Started my day with this again, like so many mornings lately. It was good!

I’m brewing this tea Grandpa style – which I’ve never tried – but am definitely enjoying it. I’m having a hard time describing the flavor of this tea. There is a definite light mineral taste with a hint of wood. I also taste some floral aspects which remind me of a greener oolong. But while I’m not sure about the flavors, I am really enjoying this tea prepared in this manner.

I FINALLY have a Lapsang back in my cuboard! I have definitely missed the smokiness. This version is serviceable but not as smoky as I was expecting based on the intense bacon/jerky aroma. I will gladly drink the rest of this package because it does nip the smoky craving, but will most likely return to Upton’s Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon after this package is gone.

I now have in my possession a very pretty matcha bowl from Etsy (courtesy of threewhales for Christmas)! And yes, I received some matcha and a whisk – so I’m completely set up. And yes, I have had 3 bowls of matcha since about 3:00 this afternoon. Have I mentioned that I love caffeine? Yum!

This is a good tea, but not strong enough for a wake-up tea. I guess that means I’ll have to drink more tea – what a great problem to have.

Once again I am starting my morning with this robust blend. The Queen really knows just what to say when you would rather lounge around and nap instead of being productive. Now I’ll have a productive day along with a delicious tea!

This is a great, smooth afternoon tea with a bold tea flavor followed by a nice fruity aftertaste. This is SO good and perfect for a rainy day.

I have not had this magnificent tea in my cupboard since June. What was I thinking? Anyway, the Queen is back now and I am so, so glad. I drastically oversteeped this tea, but the Queen never fails. After taking my first sip since June, I seriously said “How have I made it for the past 6 months?” Mmm… roasty, slightly smoky, smooth, cocoa and heft. I should definitely be able to get my laundry and baking (for my husband’s work party) done tonight!

My Harney order arrived today!! This is one of the teas I ordered based on reviews from my fellow Steepsterites – I sure am glad that I took a chance on this one. This reminds me quite a bit of Paris and Tower of London and I love both of those teas so I love this one also. I love how smooth the base of this tea is and that it is tasty both plain and with additions. I’m currently drinking it with a bit of sugar and cream which really makes the fruit flavors pop. I’m getting cherry more than apricot or plums and that is fine by me as I ADORE cherries. In fact, I also ordered Sour Cherry Preserves from Harney’s site (which I totally recommend! Also the black tea and fig preserves are good if you like figs). I don’t think this would be a good first thing in the morning tea as it is pretty smooth, but definitely a great afternoon/evening choice.

I woke up a bit earlier this morning than usual and I finished off the last bit of this Yunnan. It was really good, but I doubt that I would re-purchase this particular brand again. I would like to have a Yunnan in my cupboard, but one with a bit more character. This is a bit one note – however yummy that one note may be.

I had two delicious infusions of this tea today and it was awesome! On to more great tea!

I woke up entirely too early this morning considering the extreme lack of sleep I’ve had for the past 2 weeks (I’m talking 2 long, stressful weeks filled with too many 7:30am-10pm or later days, then waking up at 7:30am again to do it all again), but I wanted tea. So 2 delightful steeps later I’m satisfied and ready to go back to bed.

I haven’t had this in awhile – and I think I remember why…hibiscus, tart, oh my! Well, it is serviceable with sugar, but I wouldn’t buy this.

I’m just beginning my extended session with this tea and it is delicious so far. Looking forward to more infusions!

I was in the mood for a floral tea, so I grabbed this. It is definitely a rose tea so if rose isn’t your thing you probably wouldn’t enjoy this. However, I like rose in my tea! There is a nice, light sweetness that emerges during the sip and lingers for awhile. This tea is very calming and relaxing – I may have to stock up on this.

I’m revisiting this one today! It is very, very odd for me to pick an oolong, or really any non-black tea, for breakfast – but this was calling my name. It was a good choice too! I love the first infusion with its sweet biscuit-esque thing it has going on. I was a bit heavy handed with the milk though so it isn’t as good as it could be. I’m looking forward to more tasty infusions today!

Another mug of this, but with some delightful lychee honey for a change! The fruitiness from the honey adds a nice layer of flavor to the mint and really makes the vanilla pop.

I love, love, love this tea for both the taste and convenience! It is a great lazy drink to just leave in the bag, add sugar/milk, and let it sit around while you sip it through the night. Plus, this green tea does not become bitter no matter how long or hot you steep it. Yum, yum, yum!

I finished up the last of my Mayan Chocolate Chai this morning! I added a spoonful of Golden Snail to round out my pot and the chocolate notes of Golden Snail went very well with the chocolate in the chai. The end of my pouch was mighty rich in cayenne though, heartburn meds may be in order. But it was SO worth it!

Well, I’m finally finishing the last of this tea. It is really hitting the spot tonight. I don’t think I would purchase this particular kind of pu-erh again, but this sample has given me the desire to try other pu-erh teas. Oh, and this tea is doing wonders for my tummy after a really big meal.

I haven’t had this in ages, but I’m not sure why. This is a interesting tea with a pretty smooth and forgiving base. I seriously forgot about steeping this tea and I think it was bordering on 20 minutes. I was expecting a majorly bitterly tea, but with a bit of milk and sugar I am now drinking a big, warm mug of kettle corn!

Another tea plucked from the sample basket! This is a decent enough Ceylon with a bit of a kick that I don’t often notice in Ceylons. This is a really smooth tea with the addition of milk and it is nice enough, but nothing I would seek out for myself.

This is another “tea” that I found after organizing my cupboard and I decided it would be perfect as my morning beverage. I used to be a coffee addict and I still drink coffee occasionally so I was excited to give this a try. It isn’t often that you see baked coffee beans rather than roasted ones. After brewing, this is super smooth with a kick of cinnamon. I love the aftertaste of this – it is a milder coffee taste than you get from drinking a cup of coffee but with a definite bakey flavor that I usually only find in certain black teas.

I’m quite liking this and I hope that the caffeine will help me to get going today!

Backlogging! I had this tea last night after I finally got up the nerve to try a tea with cucumber in it. Well, I’m glad that I gave it a chance because this tea was very refreshing. The cucumber seemed to provide a clean backdrop for the mint which worked very well together. Out of all the Tea Forte blends I’ve tried, this is the only one that I would consider purchasing. I think this tea would be remarkable iced so maybe I’ll put it on my list for next spring.