Alaina

Compared to oxidized rooibos, this tisane is much more mellow and light in flavor. It’s got some similar herbaceous and sweet notes, but it’s slightly more straw/hay-like in flavor. I bet it would be great for blending.

The overall flavor is fine to me, but the aroma is extremely off-putting; it’s practically all “hay” (similar to yerba mate and guayusa) and I just can’t stand it. Therefore, I much prefer oxidized rooibos.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a huge fan of fruity black blends. And because the Peach Black is made up of heartier black tea than I usually care for, I decided to steep it (the tea bag version) for only three minutes.

This tea has a lovely sweetness to it. I would agree with the descriptor “juicy”. The peach flavor is light and pleasant. However, I can’t get over the taste of this black tea; it’s far too astringent for me. I like my blacks smooth and unfortunately, the Assam in this blend sticks out like a sore thumb. To be honest, I don’t think its maltiness pairs well with the peach flavor.

The first notes that hits me are chamomile and linden. I think the rooibos has dulled down the overall flavor just a bit. This tisane isn’t very exciting to me, as it has a very monotone character, but it might make a good sleepy-time tea.

I’ll try steeping it for longer and see if that brings out any of the other, more interesting, components (like lemon myrtle, hyssop, cyani and rose petals).

Maybe because it’s grown in the Himalayas, but this tea is very reminiscent of a Darjeeling! The aroma is similar and the notes I pick up the most are like a stronger first flush Darjeeling or light second flush Darjeeling. There’s a pleasant astringency to this tea and it makes a great afternoon cup.

Huh, the lotus in the Chamomile Nights leaves a weird aftertaste in my mouth. This herbal infusion isn’t very tasty to me; it’s rather bland. I pretty much get chamomile with that odd aftertaste. The lotus seems to tone down the chamomile, until it’s almost tasteless. Maybe I just need to brew this tisane hotter and/or longer, but either way, I’m not enjoying this cup.

No notes yet.

Maybe because it’s grown in the Himalayas, but this tea is very reminiscent of a Darjeeling! The aroma is similar and the notes I pick up the most are like a stronger first flush Darjeeling or light second flush Darjeeling. There’s a pleasant astringency to this tea and it makes a great afternoon cup.

I feel like this might be an infusion that could grow on me. It’s got a light minty note which was a bit strange the first time I tried Mellow Moments. I definitely get an interesting guava/fruit flavor and I think the tulsi was a great addition to the blend. It gives the infusion a nice herbaceous, grounded taste that keeps it from being either too minty or fruity. I’m not completely blown away, but I’m willing to give this a few more attempts.

By the way, this tisane smells fantastic! Minty and fruity sweet, like gum but in a good way.

This is my second time trying the Cinnamon Vanilla. The first time, I steeped it for 5 minutes at 208° and though it had a fantastic aroma, it was way too weak.

This time, I’ve gone for 7 minutes. Again, it has a terrific fragrance—spicy, sweet vanilla. The taste is not really working for me, though. It’s stronger than before, but it’s a little thin, only medium-bodied at best. This would be a great tea for someone else, though, especially if they add a bit of honey to the cup. It’s just not my taste, unfortunately.

This tea has a nice menthol sensation in the first few sips and I definitely get the lemongrass note. Compared to Stash’s Moroccan Mint, I think this is a better mint and green tea blend. However, I’m still not impressed. It’s not quite as minty as I had hoped and yeah, it’s rather bland.

This tea kind of surprised me. I was expecting a minty blast in my mouth and instead, it’s rather bland. The mint isn’t sharp enough; it tastes muddled against the green tea. I’m sad to say that this is just a very blah cup of tea.

No notes yet.

I brewed the loose leaf YMY Pu-erh with about 1.5 tsp in my 6 oz cup. I like my Puer a little stronger and this has got that really nice earthy, sweet aroma.

The tea itself is rich and full-bodied. It’s sweeter than you’d expect, with a light earthy note. It’s very smooth and mellow. This is the tea I reach for after a large meal; it settles the stomach and cleanses the palate. Maybe it’s all in my head, but Puer just makes me feel healthier.

I’m not the best judge of green tea, especially Japanese green tea, but I really enjoyed this Gyokuro. Light body with a sweet, grassy note, this is exactly what I look for in green tea. It has a pleasingly light astringency and a clean finish.

This black tea is unbelievably smooth with a full body and very clean finish. I’m not really a fan of the flavor notes (malty and sweet), but I love how bright and brisk Golden Monkey is. It’s definitely a high-quality tea; I can wholeheartedly recommend it to others!

Mmm! This is, so far, the only Yunnan I’ve liked. It’s rich, full-bodied, sweet and the dry leaves have that amazing nutty aroma. Utterly smooth with a clean finish and no astringency. When I think of a classic Yunnan “the mocha of teas” black, I think of this tea.

Light and slightly sweet with citrus notes, this tea is comparable to a decent Ceylon. While it’s very agreeable, I wish it had more body. This tea would be great for someone who likes lighter-bodied blacks. It probably won’t take milk and sugar very well.

Malty and smooth, full-bodied, no harshness or bitterness, slightly astringent, bold and biscuity. This is where I go for a strong cup of tea.

I was in the grocery store when Townshend’s Vanilla Rooibos caught my eye. I absolutely love rooibos but have unfortunately disliked most blended versions. I had tried Stash’s Vanilla Rooibos, but it wasn’t very good.

This, on the other hand, is delicious! The vanilla really comes through but doesn’t taste artificially sweet. It is a bit like a dessert treat. I like to brew it darker (two teaspoons per cup, steeped for at least 5 minutes), but I’m also eager to try it iced. I’m glad to have another caffeine-free option to drink at night.

I also just found out I live by the Townshend’s on Alberta. I can’t wait to make a trip to the shop itself.

This tea has a light, fruity flavor that is subtle rather than overpowering. It’s smooth and fairly pleasant to drink and I imagine it would take milk and sugar well. However, though it’s full-bodied, it lacks character.

Despite hating fruity teas, I actually wish the lychee was more prominent. The dry leaves smell delicious, but the brewed tea doesn’t really hold up to the promise.

I’ll try brewing this tea with 190° water next time and see if that makes a difference.

The dry leaves are pleasantly aromatic. The tea itself is light in body and taste, though very smooth and with a clean finish. The magnolia note is hinted at, but does not linger. This is disappointing as an oolong, but might suit someone who loves lightly scented jasmine or floral teas.

The leaves don’t hold up to several infusions. My suggestion would be to brew this for a longer steep time and only re-steep the leaves once.

No notes yet.

Very smooth and refreshing. This tea has a medium body, light astringency, and a touch of maltiness. It’s pleasantly brisk and has a lingering finish. I drink Organic Ceylon plain, but it would certainly take milk and sugar well, or even a squeeze of lemon.

I’ve oversteeped this tea before (for maybe eight, nine minutes?) and it was only slightly bitter and still drinkable. If you like stronger blacks, this would hold up great to 2+ teaspoons per cup, though I still drink it with one teaspoon because I am a wuss.

The leaves look almost like Darjeeling leaves, which gives some indication as to the taste of the tea. Slightly sweet and floral, this was smooth, clean, mellow and had a medium body and clean finish. It tasted similar to a first flush Darjeeling, actually. There’s a deliciously…bread-like note to it? Weird. I usually brew this at 208° for four minutes, which makes it stronger.

Along with Jun Chiyabari’s Himalayan Hand-Rolled, this is one of the only black teas my green-tea-only friend enjoys.