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Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Dustin.

Circling back to try a couple of blends I botched the first time around. I’m afraid this cup’s no good either. Maybe this tea’s just not for me. I hope someone else down the line really likes it!

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Dustin.

James says this one smells like buttered popcorn, and I can see it. The coconut stands out to me in the dry blend, but the lavender comes through more in the cup. I’m not usually a fan of lavender in tea, but I loved the way this one smells so I decided to try it anyway. Unfortunately, the lavender ended up being too strong for me. Hopefully someone else will enjoy it more. I won’t rate this one since lavender’s not my thing, and I knew that going in (but still didn’t listen to my brain).

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Dustin.

This one might be my favorite from the box so far. It’s like a very refined version of some caramel black teas I’ve tried in the past. I’m not sure what makes it feel so fancy, but I like it. Definitely keeping what’s left of this one.

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Martin Bednář.

Another cold brew from the TTB. This one was my favorite of the two. I didn’t taste the pomegranate, but the strawberry came through loud and clear. I’ll probably be keeping what’s left of this one. Yum!

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Inkling.

This one had some mixed reviews – I almost left it off my list, but I read one review that suggested it tastes like vanilla frosting so I had to try it. It doesn’t taste like frosting to me, but it’s not too bad either. I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons for 8 ounces of water and the liquid came out very light. I imagine this might be partly because there are so many other ingredients aside from tea and vanilla (apple pieces, white hibiscus, and coconut to name a few of the big ones). I do love seeing the vanilla bean flecks floating across the surface. Or at least, I hope that’s what’s floating in my tea. It does have a light vanilla flavor, but the tea itself isn’t nearly as bold as I’d like. I have other vanilla black teas I enjoy much more (Mighty Leaf Vanilla Bean comes to mind), so I’ll send this one along with the rest.

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Dustin.

This is very lightly spiced, but I do get a hint of cookie in the aroma. Not fortune cookie necessarily, and I couldn’t say for sure whether I would have picked up on it if I hadn’t known it was supposed to be a fortune cookie chai. I think this might be better with an added teaspoon. May or may not try it once more before sending along.

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Martin Bednář.

James loved this one when he tried it hot, but I knew with the hibiscus that I would probably only really like it cold. It smelled so good that I definitely wanted to taste it as a cold brew. I mixed it together this morning and let it steep all day before pouring a glass with dinner tonight. It certainly tastes like cherry, but it’s a medicinal cherry. Very reminiscent of cough syrup. Not my favorite but not bad by any means.

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Inkling.

Oh goodness, I was so excited to see something from Butiki when I opened the tea box! I started drinking tea the year that Butiki closed, and I wish I had known about them at the time so that I could buy some of their blends before they were gone forever. I keep hoping one day they’ll reopen. I suppose I’ll keep dreaming.

I’ve been waiting for a good day to try this. I wanted to be able to take my time and have several cups all day long. Today’s the day! I started with a 15-second rinse, followed by a short rest, then 20-second steeps (following a note from Tealizzy). The first cup is a bit light and smells like cinnamon stick and dark chocolate. The second cup is much, much darker. It amazes me that such short steeps can bring about such a dark brew. Will continue on as long as my body will let me – the caffeine from the first cup alone had me feeling buzzy, but I shall press ever onward.

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Martin Bednář.

This tea smells like Christmas! I think I’m connecting it to the holidays mostly because it smells so much like Harney & Son’s Holiday Tea. It must be the cloves. I think I oversteeped it a bit because it’s bitter, maybe I should have dropped the steep time. Still delicious though!

Pulled from TTB 2022, shared by Martin Bednář.

I agree with Martin here – the lemon flavor is missing for me. I do taste some lemon as it cools, lemongrass I think, but the primary flavor is the rooibos. It is a tasty rooibos, but for something with lemon in the title it’s just not as pronounced as it should be.