teacupdiaries

When I sniffed this one, I figured it was going to be like most ‘Earl Grey Cremes’ but was pleasantly surprised. You can taste straight away that it’s a good black tea base with just the right amount of bergamot. It is definitely a creamy cup but nothing overtly gourmand or sickly like some teas of this type. The creaminess makes this a smooth, rich cup, and the aftertaste is actually quite brisk, which is pleasing since a lot of creamy teas tend to be too sweet or cloying.

I like this tea a lot more than I expected. I probably won’t be buying more but I will definitely enjoy what is left of my sample.

Brewing note: made this with 1% milk. No sugar. The second cup is almost identical to the first, which is lovely.

This is an incredibly brisk tea! I was actually surprised by how strong it was once brewed. It’s wonderfully aromatic, which is always a major plus for me, and the taste is a strong earl grey with sharp citrus overtones. The aftertaste is a little bitter. I had this with milk but I think next time I’ll need to add a little raw sugar to make it more my thing. For people who love citrus, I’d recommend this black with a sliver of lemon.

I have been looking forward to this tea since I first stumbled across it. I mean, who wouldn’t love a tea called Dorian Grey? I finally caved and bought Apollo’s ‘best of Earl Grey’ sampler and this was the first tea I tried.

I was a little worried at first. Of the 5 teas in the sampler, this had the lightest aroma. In fact, it almost smelled a little stale. When hot water is poured on it, I get a burst of wonderful scent and then that murkiness overtakes again.

I am pleased to say that the taste is far better than the scent would have you believe. This is a mellow, smooth, and creamy Earl Grey. There is a soft caramel aftertaste but it’s just the right amount; no overpowering sweetness or gourmand flavour. I’m a huge Earl Grey fan and this one is now among my favourites. I can’t wait to try the others!

Tasting note: I had this with 1% milk. No sugar.

This is an incredibly unusual oolong, and one I’m very glad I tried. When brewed, this tea has a sharp fruitiness to it, which reminds me distinctly of dry white wine and something else that I can’t quite put my finger on. It tastes as it smells; that unusual sharpness a wonderful contrast to the smooth vegetal aftertaste. It’s really something else and I am not doing it justice. Each infusion had the same wine-like aroma and taste. I don’t think I’ll drink this often but it’s a wonderful addition to my tea cupboard.

Classic British tea! We call it ’builder’s tea’ in my family. :) I get my mum to bring this over for me when she visits. I love how strong it is and how it stains my mug with all that tannin. This tea can be made so ridiculously strong and absolutely needs lashings of milk and sugar. I brew this tea up when I need some serious comforting. A personal favourite. Tea snobs take note: you’re missing out.

Twinings is my favourite bagged tea, hands down, and I always keep some Earl Grey on hand. It’s a good, solid rendition of this famous tea and it is wonderfully relaxing right before bed (I stick the the decaf version).

Pretty much the only bagged tea I drink anymore are the British ‘builders’ teas and Twinings. I always have a box of the decaf Lady or Earl Grey in my cupboard, and generally have a large mug right before bed. It’s my go-to relaxing tea. Very delicious and soothing.

This is the strangest tasting tea. Someone described it to me as being similar to Cola, and I can almost see the comparison. Somehow it becomes so much more than the sum of its parts. I can’t really describe it but it’s not at all unpleasant, and the spice is noticeable without being overly strong. Unusual.

Beautiful white tea. Soft, smooth, a little vegetal, and absolutely delicious. Very delicate and wonderful when added to other teas.

Honestly, this tastes a bit like pizza to me. I have no idea why but even my friend described it the same way. Somehow, it tastes like basil and tomato. Not my thing, at all!!

As an oolong fan, I actually found this tea very disappointing. It’s just too soft. Not enough flavour for me, though it smells delicious.

This is much smokier than I expected and actually put me off it entirely. It’s just too much for my palate.

This is a very delicate tea that is simply delicious. Beautiful when bloomed, the taste is soft and true; no synthetic peach flavour here. It tastes as good as it smells.

I am not a jasmine fan but I love this tea! The soft jasmine blended with the oolong and the smooth white tea makes for a delicious, soothing cup. Good for anytime of the day, although I am partial to this in the mornings when I need to wake up gently.

What a good idea; blending spearmint with strawberry! This is a seriously delicious tea. It is fragrant and tastes as good as it smells. It brews a very dark red/pink cup and has a much stronger taste than I expected, though this is not a bad thing. Very fruity, dark, and with that great true spearmint undertone. Lovely!

Good iced when blended with Fruta Bomba. On its own? Eh, nothing that special.

Absolutely amazing when blended with Strawberry Lemonade. The soft jasmine taste with all that fruit is just beautiful. Lovely!

This is a good, standard flavoured black. It doesn’t taste artificial, and is naturally sweet. Not something I drink often but it really hits the spot on days where I need something a little uplifting.

This tea is not what I expected. It’s very soft with a subtle smoky aftertaste. It really has some snap to it despite how smooth a cup it brews up. It’s nice but not one of my favourites.

I cannot make this tea work. I think it’s the chamomile in it that makes it seem so bitter to me, which is a shame because it smells absolutely amazing.

This is disappointing on its own but absolutely mind-blowing when combined with Peachberry Jasmine Sutra! I love that blend iced with a ton of sugar. Mmm!

I don’t like jasmine tea unless the jasmine is one note among many. This is all jasmine all the time so not one of my favourites. However, I could taste straight away that it is a high quality black tea, and you can always taste the difference between a tea that is scented with real jasmine flowers like this one, than those sprayed with scented water/oil. If you like jasmine, you absolutely must try this tea. It’ll be everything you want; trust me.

This tea is true to the name; very strong coconut and ginger taste, smoothed out by the natural sweetness of rooibos. I love this with honey and some milk when I’m feeling under the weather. It’s very soothing on sore throats, and is a good smooth tea for people who like a little kick in their teas.

Middle of the range, soft formosa. This is nice but nothing to write home about. A good introduction to oolong, though it’s now discontinued.