teacupdiaries

I just don’t understand the appeal of this tea. So many people have raved to me about it but, frankly, it is so malty that it smells horrible to me! I find the taste far too strong and murky. The Black Dragon Pearls are a much better cup, IMO.

Finally a mate you can ice!! I love this with a little sugar. Out of this world fruity taste and with that great roasted mate base. Delicious! I only ever drink this iced but a lot of people have been raving to me about it hot. I’ll have to try that sometime. Overall, this is a must try for mate and fruit tea lovers. The sharp lemon kick with the raspberry is pure heaven.

Finally! A version of Morroccan mint tea that I like! It’s the spearmint that makes this such a soft, beautiful tea. I find the usual peppermint + green tea too strong a combo for my liking so this was a welcome surprise. I absolutely love this tea hot at any time of day.

This is a lovely lavender tea. The white tea base is smooth but nothing to write home about for a white. That said, the lavender scent and taste is so true, so flowery and smooth that, overall, this tea is just lovely. It brews a beautiful grey-purple shade.

This is very much not my thing, I’m afraid. I have been intrigued by the ‘milk’ oolongs since I first read about them on a tea forum, and this seems like a good one to start with. I can clearly taste that it’s a good, high quality tea with that distinctive ‘sweet milk’ aroma. The only problem is that it just isn’t to my taste. I find the smell far too sweet and cloying, and the taste on the first brew is far too creamy and odd for my liking. The second infusion is much more pleasant but I couldn’t stomach any more. I don’t want to put people off since it’s clearly a high quality oolong but I really do not understand this fondness for such a cloying taste!

Naturally sweet and caffeine free, this is a great tea to have on hand. I especially like it with Teavana’s white chai but it’s good on its own, too. The vanilla is very authentic tasting; no synthetic nastiness in this one.

This smells great but I just cannot get behind it for some reason. I’ve had it iced and that was okay but it reminds me of something that always puts me off. Maybe a medicine from my childhood or something? Either way, I am not a fan.

A lovely spicy tea. Great when you need something low caffeine. I like to blend this with the Samarai Chai, or Honeybush Vanilla.

I can never really taste the chilli in this but it’s still an awesome chocolate tea. I drink it with Matevana, and it’s like hot chocolate!

This is a super strong cherry tasting tea. The smell reminds me of cough syrup, honestly. It’s okay iced and I know some people love it but it’s just way too fruit for my tastes. I’d recommend it to people who love cherry and want a really bold fruit flavoured white.

Best green tea I have ever tasted! This is naturally sweet with a great grassy bite to it and a smoothness that is just wonderful. The smell alone makes me happy! Absolutely a must for everyone. I find this tea usually makes people fall in love with the Japanese greens. Can be re-infused.

My favourite of the Teavana black teas. Maybe it’s my British heritage but I much prefer the strength and bold flavour of this tea compared to the apparently superior Golden Monkey blend, which I find far too malty for my tastes. This is rich and brusque with a soft aftertaste and the merest hint of smoke. Love it! Great on its own and handles milk well, too.

This tea is great when you’re feeling under the weather. I added it to all my tea when I was fighting off a head cold, and definitely felt a lot better for it. On its own, it has an extremely soft, slightly grassy flavour. This is a subtle tea that I mainly use for blending.

I definitely need to try this more so expect this note to change. However, as it stands right now, I’m not exactly blown away by this tea despite its description as a high quality oolong. It’s not bad by any means but has none of the complexities I like in my oolongs. I find it quite strong with a vegetal bite. Maybe I like my oolongs a little more flowery? I’m sticking with this for now because it might be a brewing issue. Definitely worth a try for oolong fans, though.

I love this tea! I drink at least two cups every morning. The flavour is wonderful; stronger than some oolongs with a good soft aftertaste. Definitely more vegetal than flowery but it does have that classic hint of orchid taste and aroma. I like this up to the fourth infusion. An absolute staple for me.

This is my staple blend. I have digestive issues and this tea really hits the spot. Better than straight peppermint for dealing with indigestion and nausea, and it tastes great to boot. The smell is out of this world; it’s so flowery and herbal. Major love for this blend.

Love this tea! Mild, refreshing, and pretty. It smells lovely, tastes lovely, and even looks lovely! Not for the white tea purists but worth a try if you like flavoured tea.

I found this disappointing when hot but a friend suggested I blend it with some rooibos and the subsequent cup was outstanding! This is just delicious with peach rooibos or rooibos tropica. Yum!

This is a stronger tasting mate than the ever-popular ‘matevana’ blend. I like this okay and it’s well worth a try.

This is great iced or hot. I’ve even splashed some milk into this and it tasted lovely. Love the smell of this and its a good staple to have on hand.

This is a wonderful introduction to mate. I find that I’m not a mate fan in general so I only tend to drink this on very cold days when I want something bracing and comforting. It seems very popular and for good reason; the taste is great.

I really love this tea. It’s naturally sweet and the fruit balances nicely with the white tea. It makes a delicate cup with a lot of aroma. Really, really nice.

Great iced with Apple Lemon Pomegranate.

I love this tea! I was trying to describe it to someone the other day and just kept saying “it’s succulent”. I don’t think they knew what I meant but that is the best description I can come up with! This tea is fresh and fruity and cool. It smells a lot like Ribena (a blackcurrant cordial that many Brits will be familiar with) but doesn’t taste nearly as fruity. I am sure this would be wonderful iced.