Tabby

So, this tea was what made me sure I wanted to place my newest order with Harney & Sons instead of the four or five other companies I had been waffling between. I love just about any tea that has lavender in it, and the idea of a pure lavender tea excited me. I’ve had plenty of blends before, but this tea is just fluffy dried lavender buds and a few pale green leaves.

Now, the official website shows the tea as brewing up to a pretty shade of purple. I can tell you right here that it does not. This stuff is a strange, kinda sickly gray. I mean, it’s sort of purple tinted, but it’s nothing like the picture. And it’s like nothing I’ve ever drank before. But the aroma is heavenly. Deeply soothing, floral, and clean. Lightly sweetened, it’s exactly what I was hoping for. A very bold and slightly buttery, tingly lavender flavor.

But I understand that this is not for everyone. If you don’t like herbals and don’t like lavender, stay far away. But I’m definitely going to re-order and blend it into stuff. Yum.

I found this while my boyfriend and I were giggling-drunk in the health food section of the grocery store. I was intrigued with the name of the tea at the time, so it found its way into my basket. (Despite the fact that I have so many other teas to be reviewed!)

This is actually my second time drinking it. I took it with me to work in a 16-ounce cup. I underestimated the strength of it and used two bags, which was a MISTAKE. It was so strong that I had to gulp some and add more water. But after that, it was great.

Like I said, this is a strong black tea that does not kid around. Perfect for your first cup of the day, especially if it’s cold outside and you have things to do. (The caffeine content is delightfully high.) After barely four minutes, it’s very dark, almost like coffee or a puerh. The flavor is malty and caramel-like, especially in the aftertaste. It certainly has a bitterness to it, but I crave that sort of thing. This is an especially good black tea for something bagged, I think. I’m actually pretty surprised by it, since it’s something from the grocery store. This might end up as my go-to convenience tea for those mornings where I just don’t feel like dealing with an infuser.

Decided to give this a try this morning, but didn’t have time to log it. I drank it fast while I got dressed and did my makeup before meeting a friend for hibachi.

The aroma of the dry tea is delicious and spicy, smelling like a good standard chai. The blend is more uniform than what I’m used to seeing in chai loose leaf. Usually, there are brown and tan bits, nuts, etc. but this is mostly chocolate-colored leaf and what looks like cinnamon bark. Maybe? It’s so small I can’t tell what it is.

Anyway, the flavor isn’t quite as bold as the scent lead on, but it’s alright. I tend to like my chais on the spicy cinnamon and gingery side, and this doesn’t really present that. (Granted, I added a heavy splash of 1% milk.) But I’ve certainly had rougher chais before. I’m glad I got a chance to try Harney & Sons’ take on a classic, but I will continue my search for the perfect one.

This was a freebie that came with my latest Harney & Sons order. When I opened the package, I "eek"ed out loud because the sachet was not properly sealed. Tea almost spilled everywhere. The whole bottom of the bag had not been closed. Strange! So I dumped it all into my infuser and continued.

It didn’t smell very much like grapefruit dry or while steeping. I mostly smelled the delicious vanilla they use in the Vanilla Comoro. (But not as overwhelmingly strong.) There’s a vague hint of citrus, but I feel like if I didn’t know it was there, I wouldn’t have known what it was. But the flavor is quite different! The vanilla is more dominant than the fruit, but the grapefruit is quite present, especially on the exhale. It’s very nice, in a unique way. I can’t say much for the white tea, as it has been smothered by other flavors. But this is really interesting, and enjoyable.

Alright, I’ve been meaning to taste this tea for years! I’ve seen the rave reviews here on Steepster, and I love anything vanilla. So I knew this was something I needed to get my hands on. My only hesitation was the fact that it’s a black decaf. I’ve never had tea that has been decaffeinated. And I’m the kind of girl who likes her buzz.

Anyway, I opened the pouch for a quick sniff last night. I had to get my non-tea-drinking man to sniff, too, because the aroma is like straight up buttercream frosting. Like a delicious cupcake. And not the grocery store kind. The independent, mom-and-pop bakery kind.

The taste is as lovely as the smell, but sadly not as potent. Sure, this is a delicious, creamy, wonderful vanilla tea. The best I’ve had. It just sort of lacks a punch. But that could be my fault entirely. Luckily, I have enough to try to make a stronger brew next time. For now, though, I am serious when I say this is my new favorite vanilla tea. It puts everything I’ve had previously to shame. Then again, I have Vanilla Black, the non-decaf version. So I’ll probably be onto that next. We’ll see what the difference is!

So, my tea stash had started to dwindle. I decided it was time to get around to tasting all the Harney & Sons teas I’ve had my eye on, so I made a big order of samples. And in addition to what I ordered, they sent along five other single-bag samples! I have so much tea to review!

Moroccan mints, in my previous experience, tend to all be very similar. This one is a little more on the bitter and astringent side of things, but that’s because it’s not just pure dried herb. About a third of it seems to be gunpowder green tea leaves. But that certainly doesn’t take any flavor away from the peppermint. It still leaves a soothing, tingly feeling in my mouth. I’ll be happy to finish this tasty blend, but I think I prefer the Arbor Teas version.

Wow, alright. This appears to be a tea that Steepster either loves or hates. We’ll see how this goes.

The dry bag smells very appealing. Like a mix between sencha, pineapple, and mango. Heavy on the pineapple, but I guess that’s what they mean by “tropical”. I was hoping for some coconut, but oh well. But it also smells like there’s going to be some actual green tea flavor in this instead of a hint like what I’ve been drinking lately.

The tea brews up to a yellowy tan and… I oversweetened it. Why did I think I needed two packets of Abriva? Still, I can tell that even beneath the sweetener, this isn’t bad. It is mostly pineapple flavored but not sour. Very, very fruity! There is a wholesome but uncomplex green tea taste mixed in to back it up. I bet this would be very good iced. Sadly, I only had one bag to try, so I’ll probably never know.

Sipdown! This takes my cupboard down to 7 teas! Seven! I am both proud and itching to restock it at the same time. But I must be strong.

Another note — I won’t be buying this again. There’s just too much new and better stuff out there.

Oh dear, it’s a rooibos. Rooibos and I don’t really get along, but that’s with one exception: apple cinnamon. I’ll admit right here in front of all of Steepster that I genuinely like Tazo’s Organic Apple Red, which is also a rooibos. (What?! You got something to say?!) I had a feeling that this might be similar, so I’m giving it a chance even though this one uses chocolate instead of caramel.

It smells divine. I actually made a “mmm” noise when I sniffed the bag. I can’t smell the chocolate, but that’s alright. As it steeped, the aroma spread throughout my kitchen. As I sip, I can’t really taste the chocolate either. But more importantly, I can’t taste that strange rooibosness that I dislike so much. This is just a yummy apple cinnamon treat to me. Smooth and comforting, well-spiced without it being too much. Yep, I’ll be picking this one up again, too.

I picked up a sachet of this tea at Fresh To Order in midtown, but instead of drinking it there, I put it in my coat pocket for later. I’ve tried almost all of their Harney & Sons offerings now.

This seems like a good idea for a cold winter’s night. Even though it’s a pyramid-bagged tea, it still has large visible chunks of orange peel and cinnamon bark mixed in to the not-so-crushed black tea leaves. And the aroma is fantastic. Seems like it’s going to be very spicy, which is great because I hate it when a cinnamon tea is stingy with the spice.

Whoa. This is very spicy, but not enough to burn afterward. The taste instantly makes me think of my grandmother’s house. She always had those decorative cinnamon-scented brooms and they made her whole kitchen smell that way. This tea is like drinking that smell. Plus a hint of orange. And shockingly, I can actually taste the black tea they used as a base shining through. It’s pleasant! I would certainly drink this again, but I don’t think I’d purchase it again… despite its tastiness, it’s a little too plain for me.

My first tea with yuzu in it! And forgive me if I’m describing it funny, I have no clue what it’s supposed to taste like.

The bag smells like real honey, but also something very sour and sort of fruity. It’s a confusing scent. Part of me wants to taste it, and the other part of me wants to wash my hair with it. As it steeps, the water changes to a sunny yellowish tan and smells more like toasted fruit, maybe lemon. Really trusting you here, Tea Forte!

The flavor is surprisingly pleasant after a little sweetener. Sure, it’s a little strange, but it’s basically like a lemon and honey green tea. Only the lemon is yuzu, maybe yuzu peel. I believe the bee pollen is what’s making the honey aspect seem toasty. As usual with Tea Forte’s flavored greens, the actual tea aspect is buried and hard to detect. All that’s there is a bit of bitterness in the finish. But this isn’t as terrible to me as it seems to have been for other Steepsterites. I wouldn’t buy it again, since it’s not really my thing, but it’s not awful.

I am so behind on my Nuvola reviews. I feel pretty bad about that, so I think I’m going to finish them today. Curse my tea ADD.

I admit, I’m a little afraid of this one. I’ve had a few orchid scented and flavored things before and I’ve hated them. However, the tea leaves I have here don’t smell like that at all. They smell like a nutty oolong, with a hint of spring grass. They’re dark green, and they look like they were rolled very gently and loosely.

The tea brews up to a pleasant pale green, and suddenly, the strong aroma of flowers is very evident. It reminds me of fresh gardenias. There’s also a bitter scent that puts me off a little bit, but if I know anything about oolong, I know I shouldn’t be scared away by that. And I’m right! The flavor is surprisingly delicious. Vegetal and floral at the same time with sweet creamy notes. The orchid is much more subtle than I expected, which is nice. It’s like a little decoration on an already good oolong. Very satisfying!

I added more of this to my stash yesterday. Quite pleased to have another cup on National Hangover Day. Mine’s not that bad, just a headache, but I do kinda want to stick with something soothing and light today. No chai or puerh, thanks.

Mainly, since I’ve written about this tea already, I just wanted to mention that with a longer steep time, more cucumber flavor surfaces. That’s exactly what I was hoping for. Of course, the mint gets stronger, too. But that’s definitely not a bad thing.

I did end up returning to EcoDenizen, as their prices are very similar to Tea Forte’s online ones. It would actually be cheaper for me to get my teas there because of the website’s shipping charges. But sadly, they don’t carry any of the black teas or chai I’m after.

So this is a green and rooibos blend? That’s certainly new to me. But strangely, it works. The cherry compliments the green, while the almond compliments the rooibos. And I’m really liking the cherry. Plus, the rooibos gives it a little boost of strength that almost reminds me of a black tea. It leaves a bit of bitterness in my mouth, but I like that in a tea.

My only regret is steeping it for three minutes. The packaging said three to five minutes, but I erred on the side of caution. Four minutes next time, to see if more fruit flavors come out.

The bag smells gorgeous as soon as I open the packet. Again, I am reminded of Bath and Body Works, but in a good way. It smells so clean, fruity, and lightly minty. I’m also getting hints of lime. I wonder why the art on the packaging doesn’t show any blueberries, though. They’re a pretty ingredient! Wouldn’t that be something enticing to show off?

The liquor brews up to a yellowy tan and smells more strongly of spearmint than the dry tea did previously. The flavor is similar. Mint is the first thing I taste, followed by sweet cucumber and blueberries. Again, the green tea aspect is very muted and just barely there. It’s a little hint of sencha in the aftertaste. (But I’m a little weird about green tea, so this is fine with me.) I’m really enjoying this stuff. It’s something I can see myself drinking year-round. Again, I am impressed by Tea Forte. Eco Denizen will be seeing me again soon to get their little variety pack, I’m sure.

I also want to note that I’m getting a pleasant feeling in my sinuses from this tea. I think it might be the soothing effects of the mint? Either way, I’ll have to remember this tea next time I get sick.

So, in midtown there’s a cute little shop called Eco Denizen that had a variety of Tea Forte’s offerings for .50 a bag. I nabbed one of each because I couldn’t help myself.

The dry tea smells wonderful. Like sweet, bright fruit and warm, realistic coconut. None of that weird vanilla coconut you smell in scented candles. It’s like a Bath and Body Works scent, only drinkable. Once steeped, it comes up to a darker tan color than I was expecting. The scent of the tea is mostly coconut now and very soothing. I’m surprised I’m not smelling much lychee anymore… its perfume usually hits you in the face above everything else!

After tasting it, I realized that this is something I’m going to want more of. The lychee flavor is very pleasant, but it doesn’t remind me of the real thing. It tastes more like some kind of generic “red fruit”, but I like it. You know how lychee can have a sort of strong, peppery, rose-like quality? Well, there’s none of that here. This stuff is smooth sailing, and the coconut is great. Very real. I can’t say much for the white tea base, since it’s mild and covered up by the fruit flavors. But anyway, I’m loving this tea. I’ll probably get more tomorrow.

Completely unrelated to this post — today I learned how to steam gyoza on my stovetop and I’m quite proud. I see many dumplings-and-tea lunches ahead of me.

Anyway, I’ve been meaning to give this a try and the reviews here were even more encouraging. People can be kinda harsh about Bigelow, but they didn’t seem to hate this one as much.

The bag smells like tart apples. As the tea steeps, it goes from the a faint green tea color to the color of strawberry applesauce. Oh, hibiscus, I know that’s you. It does give it a cheery pink/red hue that someone might mistake for the pomegranate’s influence, though. Clever. The scent of it brewed still smells predominately like apples and rosehips. The flavor, however, is a little weaker than what I was expecting. It basically tastes like a Celestial Seasonings Zinger to me. Fruity with a lot of stuff going on in the background, but none of it being flavors from actual tea. This is meh, but probably alright iced.

This is the last of the new teas we’re carrying where I work. I had sort of been avoiding this one because it was herbal and I’m not really a fan of orange teas. The bag smells very strong, like mint, ginger, and especially anise. That licorice aroma! It’s powerful and a little scary.

As it steeps, the water turns pale green, then eventually a sort of murky greenish brown. I know for a fact that there’s no fennel in this, but it sure smells like it. I detest fennel. The taste is not much different from the smell. The most dominant flavor is tingly anise, followed by orange, then mint. As usual with The Republic Of Tea, the ginger is barely noticeable, which is a disappointment I should expect by now. Essentially, this tastes like watered-down medicine and I will not touch it again.

Another afterthought — The combination of spices in this reminds me of oregano. I’m thinking pizza sauce here.

This tea was a favorite of mine when I was in my late teens, right before I switched to loose-leaf. I first discovered it in Rutherfordton, North Carolina at a combination coffee shop and bar called Legal Grounds. I distinctly remember my father having a sip and making a dad-joke about it not being “his cup of tea”.

So, anyway, this is my first time trying it again after maybe six or so years. It smells delightful and familiar, light on the sage but strong, sweet blackberry. It makes me think of gummy candy. And purple. It smells purple.

The taste really takes me back. Mildly astringent black tea for a base, and complimented by the sage. Those two go very well together, and I would be curious about trying them without the fruit flavor. But the fruity blackberry is nice, too. It’s not the most realistic it could be, but it’s not bad, and even ends on a slightly tart note. I can’t say I love this as much as I did when I first discovered it, but it’s nice to have it again for nostalgia’s sake.

I found a little foil pouch I didn’t remember I had! Yes!! On a cold, wet, and windy night, I have smoky black tea. ♥

(For the new people, I’ve reviewed this several times and I’m not gonna bore you with repeating myself.)

Detox…? Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt. The little pillow of herbs smells like mint and chamomile the most, and something strong like anise. Something about it reminds me of summer, strangely. Like being outside in the summer. I’m a little apprehensive. But it has red clover in it, another ingredient I’ve been meaning to try out. Maybe clover is the “summery” smell?

I gave the reddish tan infusion a minute to cool, then tasted. The peppermint and licorice combination is enough to leave my mouth tingling. After another sip, I realize there’s something in it that tastes a little too strange for me. It’s woodsy and not in the pretty, floral way. This is too medicinal for me to be enjoying for the taste. I suppose that’s not what it’s meant for, however, so I finished it for the herbal content. Never again, though.

An afterthought — this would be much better with honey.

Hmm, it never occurred to me to rate my kettle, but here it is!

I received this as a gift at least 3 or 4 years ago and it’s still chugging along. It has never malfunctioned, and it even forgave me for trying to heat milk in it. It has survived three moves and even a furry convention. I use the thing every single day. Be it for my tea, cider, noodles, or whatever, it gets the water bubbling faster than anything else I’ve ever had.

There’s only one drawback. When you push the button and open the lid, a few droplets of hot water always fly out. Sometimes they land on the back of my hand, which can hurt. But I see it as a small price to pay for such a useful appliance.

It would get a perfect 100 from me if it had a temperature display. I use a meat thermometer for now.

I’m pretty interested in this one. Rosehips are something I’ve always liked, but haven’t experienced much as a tea ingredient. It seems like being paired with hibiscus wouldn’t be a bad idea. They’re both tart and fruity, after all. But I’m already wishing for a black tea base.

The dry bag smells like hibiscus and cherries. Maybe a bit like a sour apple, too. As it brews, the water changes to a bright red-orange. I tend to use a white or clear mug when I’m brewing a new tea so I can see it properly. Am I the only one that does that?

The tea’s scent as I sip reminds me of apples and oranges at the same time. It’s quite sour without sweetener, and even with a little, it remains that way. It’s also very fruity, and the hibiscus is for once not smothering the other ingredients. The rosehips remind me so much of dried apple slices. Or unspiced apple chips. Honestly, though, it’s not the boldest experience… it makes me want to see how other companies are doing this combination, or something similar.

This is your standard herbal mint tea. Composed of only dried peppermint, it leaves my mouth cool and refreshed, even though I’m drinking it hot. Sure, it’s not the best mint tea I’ve ever had, but it gets the job done. It’s a simple, no-nonsense, no frills drink.

The taste isn’t overwhelmingly minty, and it has a sort of savory/creamy, kinda buttery aftertaste that’s difficult to describe. It sort of reminds me of those after dinner mints. The softer ones that melt quickly in your mouth. While this is soothing, it leaves me wanting something a little stronger. Maybe I should have given it another minute to steep. I’m not sure.