Pia M

Hmmmm…. after all the times I have had to put my name on the waiting list for this one (and finally getting in on a re-blend), I am quite disappointed. I do definitely taste the genmaicha, but I can barely taste the S’Mores are of this. You can smell the S’More part in the bag, but once the water hits the tea it’s genmaicha predominantly. Not that I don’t like genmaicha, it’s just that as a flavored tea I was hoping for a more “sweet”/choco/smoky/marshmallow experience. I wish I liked this tea more, because as I said I had to jump through a lot of hoops just to be able to order it.

I just received this tea in the mail this morning and was very excited because I adore red velvet cake! I am not disappointed… this one is smooth and the flavors harmonize well together so that no one essence stands out more than the other. A guilt free pleasure in a cup!

Received this tea as part of the Kusmi’s “Russian Sampler”. The citrus, vanilla and other flavors are muted in this one and no one flavor jumps out at me. Too muted, in fact, that I am just not crazy about this one. There is some spicy essence coming through, but I am having trouble making out what it is. Definitely not getting the “citrus” part of it…. Funny thing about Kusmi teas – either I am jumping for joy or just blah. This one would fall under the just blah category.

I was surprised that I liked this tea so much. It is so elegant and lovely. The orange blossom is distinct yet blends well with the other flavorings. I am crazy for anything with flowers in it lately, and this is the closest thing to perfection I have experienced in a while :-)

I waited a whole month for this tea to come in the mail, so I was hoping that I would like it a whole lot in exchange for the inconvenience. Although I adore milk oolong, this one is just average. It has the characteristic milky aroma when dry, but I didn’t detect much once steeped. The buttery flavor was not that strong, and that disappointed me. I also didn’t detect much of a floral, milky or pineapple aroma that I favor either. I routinely keep Republic of Tea’s Milk Oolong on hand (which has a rich, strong aroma and great taste), so I guess I was comparing this tea to that. To be honest, I prefer the Republic of Tea MO as well. I will have no problem drinking the rest of this tea, but probably will not order it from Teacuppa again…it just isn’t that remarkable, after all the waiting around I did for it to arrive from Malaysia.

I received this tea in an order which I also received the S&V violet tea and was thinking that the two teas would be more similar than they are. The violet harmonizes with the rose to create a unique floral sensation. It is smooth and relaxing and is truly lovely. I imagine sitting in a Victorian tea house, drinking out of elegant china while wearing a beautiful vintage hat. This will probably become a stable in my personal tea cupboard -)

Such a lovely violet tea, not too strong but not so weak that you cannot taste the violet… it is soft and smooth and innocent in an interesting kind of way. It resteeps really well, with the violet carrying through to subsequent cups. I want to say that when I drink this tea I imagine I am at a child’s tea party using fancy china…again, it has a sweet and innocent quality that is so charming.

Oh, I love this tea. This is my first Formosa Oolong, and I am not disappointed. A darker oolong, this one feels smooth and round on my tongue. It is full bodied while tasting nutty, sweet and floral. I want to say that I am also tasting raisins on the finish. I am so glad I ordered this tea from Simpson & Vail and think that this one is going to become one of my staples …. Yum :-)

So I have been trying to decide whether to order this for some months now, broke down earlier in the week, ordered and just received this. Initial tasting tells me I am pleased but not overjoyed. This tea is very subtle, and frankly I am really more of a “hit me in the face with the flavors” kind of drinker. The rose is oh-so-subtle, and you really don’t realize the hot red pepper is in there until you feel a slight tingling on the tongue between sips. Also, the descriptions state there is “smoke”, but frankly I don’t taste any smoke. Perhaps what they meant was that the tea, combined with the rose and the pepper should remind you of the smoke of the fire of a travelling gypsy caravan bunked down for the night. That would be more like it. It in no way tastes like a Lapsang or anything like that. So, I am saying this one is subtle, and even smooth and sophisticated, definitely not “in your face”. This tea is definitely more for a pensive, quiet moment when you can savor the nuances of the tea. Definitely tastes high quality, btw :-)

Funny about Kusmi Tea and me, I either love them or I don’t like them so much. I received this tea sachet as a sample when I received my violet tea order. I thought the violet was a let down because you cannot smell or taste the violet; however, this flower tea is lovely. The sachet itself presents with a nice, obvious rosey scent, and brews up with a soft yet distinct rose scent and flavor as well. I think this tea would be good during a nice quiet, relaxing time, giving an opportunity to inhale the rose scent as you go. I would definitely purchase this one if I was looking for a floral green tea.

I do really like this tea as I have been craving carrot cake lately. It brews up a nice strong orange color and does taste like carrot cake…would make a nice dessert tea as well. I drank this one with sweetener and cream and it was very satifying for my sweet tooth. To bad this is a limited edition tea and will be gone again end of May!

Pleasant fragrance and aroma. The flavoring doesn’t taste fake. Nice and smooth…. I drank this with sweetener and cream, and I think this will make a nice dessert tea. Would also be great when I just want a little sweet “something something”.

This tea was brought back from China by a colleague of my husband. All I know about it is that it is very expensive and high quality Green Tips. So very smooth, with a nutty and pleasing aroma and taste. Wish I knew more about it…so lovely!

Very nice tea, really performs well as an iced tea. I like that the vanilla tastes like real vanilla bean and not like artificial flavoring. For some reason this one tastes better cold than hot in my opinion, so I guess I will continue to do so. The flavors seem brighter when served cold, IMHO….

Very rarely would I rate any tea with the “yuck” emoticon. However, this one I just must. I cannot taste the tea, as it is overwhelmed by a horrid artificial flavor, and it certainly isn’t of walnuts! To me this tastes exactly like eating cheap store bought white cake icing from the can. I’ve tried blending it with other teas, and each time the flavor overwhelms the cup. I seriously would not have the good conscience to trade this tea with anyone!

This tea is as beautiful to look at as it is to sniff and drink. Hand blended with whole rose petals, lavendar flowers and Earl Grey tea, this tea is a must for floral tea lovers. The floral flavor is nice and strong (the way I like floral teas) and harmonizes well with the bergamot of the Earl Grey. Because of the high flower petal size and bud content, I usually brew 2 heaping teaspoons full at a time for each 8 oz of water. Lovely to smell and taste!

I purchased this loose when I found out that one of my tea shops no longer carries Bewley’s Clipper Gold, which I love, in either loose or bag form. I saw that this was African tea as well, so I thought I would give it a try to see how it compares to the Clipper. I would call this Clipper Gold with a twist. It brews up a deep orangey color like the Clipper Gold (and the color develops quickly, like the Clipper Gold as well). Also, I can taste similarities to the Clipper Gold, but I taste a more earthy and musky flavor to this one. I would say this is a nice tea, however, my tongue still prefers the Clipper Gold. I guess I will have to order Clipper online from now on.

This is one of my favorite rooibos blend teas. I drink it with heavy cream and honey, and it tastes like a creamsicle :-) Smells like one too, come to think of it. I drink this tea when I want something decadent and sweet but can’t afford the calories. Additionally, I love the subtle tartness…. super YUM!

I love chocolate flavored black teas, but I feel this one is only average. I do not taste the full bodied, smooth and satisfying feel on my tongue that I prefer when I drink flavored black teas. To me, the chocolate tastes artificial and the tea bland, perhaps as if it was not the freshest of the fresh. I usually only purchase this tea if I have run out of other more preferable chocolate teas since I have a TSTE store close to my house.

This tea is flavored with bergamot along with some vanilla and some other creamy flavorings that my tongue cannot identify. I like it well enough, but it is not one of those teas that make my tongue do the happy dance. To me it doesn’t taste fresh, full bodied and smooth like I like in a black tea. However, I believe that this one is worth a try if someone is interested in a twist on the traditional Earl Grey.

Finally a tea from Kusmi that I actually like. Generally, I find the Kusmi flavored teas so subtle that I am disappointed. This one I could actually smell the chocolate and spice dry and could actually taste the flavors brewed as well. I always enjoy chocolate black tea, but this one has an interesting twist with the flavors of spice. Nice and smooth to drink as well. It is snowing outside and this tea is perfect as drink it right now in this wintery weather.

I completely agree with the other reviewers. I found this tea weak and thin and it lacked the intense nuttiness I associate with other Japanese genmaichas I have had (and loved) over the years. I was disappointed in the lightness and thinness of this tea, and am glad that I was only trying a sample bag that was sent to me when I placed an order for another tea.

What is not to like about this milk oolong? It is smooth and buttery, with a strong scent and taste of pineapple. It is a joy to drink, as I inhale the pineapple aroma. The price is a lot lower than other milk oolongs on the market, but don’t let that fool you. If you like milk oolong, I would definitely give this brand a try!

I am very disappointed in this tea. Although it is very smooth, I can barely smell the aroma of violet either in the tin or brewed. I was hoping this would be a highly or at least moderately scented tea, but I find it simply is not. I love the fragrance and flavor of violet :-(