It smells and tastes like pink hubba bubba bubblegum. It is a nice tea to curb the sweet tooth. Doesn’t remind me of a breakfast smoothie at all…Hubba Bubba smoothie is more like it.
19 Tasting Notes
Maybe it was my batch but it smells like regular black tea. It tastes of black tea with a little something I can’t pinpoint. Marshmallow. Didn’t get cotton candy at all.
This smells wonderful like a freshly baked apple pie. Fruity, cinnamon, nutty. Yum! I can’t pick out the papaya notes though. The taste is not what I expected. Very tart and it was all hibiscus. Pass on this one.
This is day 2 from the 24 days of teas Christmas calendar. I wasn’t really impressed with this one. The dry leaf smells like a box of low quality dark chocolate raspberry truffles. The kind you get at the drugstore. The chocolate smells artificial. The taste: If I didn’t know this was called chocolate rocket I wouldn’t have known there was chocolate in here, I would have thought this was straight up raspberry tea with something weird lingering in the background, flavorless stale carob? Think I’ll pass on this one.
This was behind door one of the 24 days of teas. The dry leaf smells primarily of coconut and it steeps the color of rum. The butteriness comes out as it is steeping and smells like its namesake. My husband says it smells and tastes like Malibu without the alcohol. He wishes the flavor were stronger. I agree. Very tasty tea but not enough to warrant a full tin.
This used to be called Winter Mint. The dry leaf smells like after eights. Yum! You can see chock full of white chips and apple bits which I though was strange. The first sip was underwhelming, I was expecting a chocolate mint explosion but each sip thereafter proved to be a pleasant tea experience. The flavor is well balanced, chocolate and mint do not overpower each other. They are well blended due in part to the vanilla and the apple gives it another layer of complexity. The vanilla lends a smooth creaminess which tames the chocolate and mint notes. A demure chocolate mint tea.
I managed to nab Caramel Apple Oolong for Halloween. I’m glad I did because by the time I blinked, it was sold out! The aroma of this tea smells exactly like caramel apple lollipops (a melange of jolly rancher apple sour hard candy and caramel so sticky it pulls out your fillings). This is a nostalgic smell for me because it reminds me of my childhood. Caramel apple lollipops were my favorite candy especially around Halloween. I would dig through my trick or treat bag and pick them out leaving the copious amounts of sweet tarts, chocolate, starbursts and peanut butter cups behind.
Apple dominates the flavor and aroma of this tea, you can see huge fuji apple chunks in the dry leaf. The brew is a gorgeous amber color similar to aged whisky. The smell is divine, the sour apple candy smell dissipates and you get crisp and tart green apples and apple blossoms. I get hint of floral which I thought was interesting. There is an undertone of something sugary sweet but it is not recognizable as caramel. To my surprise, I don’t get the creamy caramel as I expect with most caramel flavored teas. I first get hit with apple. After the apple leaves my taste buds, I get carmelized brown sugar like the crackling top of a creme brûlée.
I am obsessed with Caramel Apple Oolong and I will be very sad when I get to the bottom of the bag. Caramel Apple Oolong makes for an amazing dessert tea. The subtle sweetness is perfect, no need for additives.
How do I put this delicately? The smell and taste of this tea is terrible. I can smell this tea wet and dry from across the house. Potent and artificial. The aroma reminds me of peaches and a cross between model glue and turpentine. I had to plug my a nose to take a sip. After the third sip, I couldn’t stomach it anymore so I dumped it in sink. That’s $3.99 down the drain!
I am determined to make Brioche work for me since I had such high hopes for this tea. My last review of Brioche was less than stellar. I didn’t get the French pastry flavor everyone was raving about. I only got the taste of Lipton. A lightbulb in my head went off, “What if I mix Brioche and Choco*Late together?”. I mix Equal part Brioche and equal part Choco*Late like a mad scientist. The aroma of the dry leaf was bitter all around, bitter chocolate and bitter black tea. This could be disaster, I thought.
Brewed I got the most decadent smell. This is it! The French pastry smell. Not only did the aroma conjure images of croissants but a chocolate croissant! I can pick up ever so slight notes from the nuttiness of almond, buttery flakiness of pastry underneath a dominant bittersweet chocolate note. And the flavor, the notes seamlessly blend together into a chocolate croissant. This is chocolate croissant in a cup I tell ya! The aftertaste does have a bitter astringency, although it is tolerable. I found that adding sweetner and a drop of milk takes the bitterness away. I find the creaminess of the milk lifts the buttery notes of the pastry more and brings out the cinnamon, the sweetner enhances the flavor of chocolate. I’m quite proud of my ingenuity. I created a masterpiece. Ingredients: black tea, sliced almonds, cinnamon, safflower blossoms, cacao husk, vanilla, rooibos.
I have been in a bad mood all week. I’ve been chained to my computer bogged down by an excessive load of school work. This law paper I am writing is pure torture; a looming deadline never helps. Naturally, I run to the tea cupboard for respite from stress and chaos. I reach for Salted Caramel because I know this tea never fails to turn my frown upside down. The smell of the dry leaf is divine: ooey gooey sweet salty and chewy fleur de sel caramels with a boozy undertone. A salty caramel liqour. The aroma of the brew is molten caramel without the inebriation from the dry leaf. This is one of those teas that taste just like it smells. It smell and taste reminds me of a Heath Bar. First sip you get the creamy feel and taste of caramel, you can taste a bit of malt from the black tea. The aftertaste is interesting and unique. Once the tea hits the back of your throat, you can taste a miniscule sprinkle of sea salt. Very unique this tea. I would be surprised if this tea doesn’t bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Opening the sample packet was like opening a box of gourmet chocolate truffle liqueurs. The smell of boozy bittersweet chocolate permeated the air. The aroma of the brew smells exactly like hot chocolate. One sip and O.M.G.! Chocolate bliss! The chocolate flavor is not overwhelming. It is smooth and well rounded by a woody aftertaste. The chocolate lingers on your palate long after the sip. This doesn’t need additives it is enjoyable on its own. But with sweetener and milk, it is mind-blowing! If I didn’t know this were a tea, I would think this was hot chocolate. Choco*Late is the most authentic chocolate flavored tea I’ve ever experienced and dare I say the best I’ve tasted so far. It is a perfect decadent dessert without the guilt. It tastes so good that you forget it has zero calories and caffeine! I think I may have found my holy grail chocolate tea.
I had a box of neglected Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride sitting in my cupboard so I thought I’d give it some love today. How shall I describe the smell? Dry and brewed it smells exactly like the inside of a donut. Just a plain donut not even a sugar glazed one. When I took a sip I had to do a double take because I tasted nothing but hot water. I thought I forgot to put a bag in but I did.
Now I remember why I don’t reach for this tea more often. Instead of Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, they should call it Donut Dough. I am debating whether I should chuck this in the bin. If I gave it to someone, they would probably hate me.
I’m really not having any luck with the ATR samples. First was the So Coconut. Now with Brioche. I am so bummed because Brioche sounded so mouthwateringly enticing. Reading about this tea is what turned me on to ATR in the first place. And reviews have touted its ability to conjure images of French Patisseries. I don’t get the pastry smell everyone has been raving about in the dry leaf. All I get is plain ole black tea. I see the sliver of almonds and the safflower. Where’s the aroma and flavor? This is a fussy high maintenance tea. Steep too long you get bitter. Steep not enough you get watery. I just don’t get any flavor out of this brew. 2 teaspoons, 1.5, 1? I still don’t see myself on the streets of Paris eating croissants. Sad to say it just reminded me of Lipton. The flavor in here is very subtle, it’s like squinting to read the fine print. Milk and sweetener brings out any semblance of flavor but it’s barely there. Maybe its just my sample, maybe not, maybe I’m not doing something right. I’m on the fence giving this tea a second chance considering its price.
They weren’t kidding when they called this So Coconut. While I was steeping, people could smell this miles away and were asking me why it smells like coconut! The aroma of the dry…leaf alone was in-your-face fresh roasted coconut. Coconut dominates this flavor profile, forget about the tea it is all about coconut! The fragrance of the brew was surprisingly coconutty. You can even see a slick of coconut oil formed over the surface. The taste was more like infused roasted coconut water than tea.
The aftertaste was soapy probably due to the oil extracted out of the coconut shreds. After every sip, I imagined I was drinking suntan lotion and it was grossing me out. I tried to mask the soapiness with milk and stevia but the suntan lotion just got creamier. This would be heaven for coconut lovers which I am not. Maybe they didn’t give me enough tea in my sample. But dang, it’s coconut def con five level! Too much coconut and not enough tea for me. It’s not a terrible tea. You can tell ATR does not skimp on ingredients, they are high quality and all natural. The coconut flavor is authentic as if you cracked open a coconut. I’ve read reviews that this is amazing iced, maybe I will try this way.
I’ve never thought of tea as having an aesthetic, but this tea is so cute! The dry leaf has tiny orange pumpkins peppered throughout the leaves along with chunks of pumpkin meat. The liquor is a beautiful deep amber. And the smell…it smells like pumpkin pie filling with an underlying malty plume of smoke from the black tea. Much like a pumpkin pie brulee. I would gladly wear this as perfume. The smell of the brew is a mouthwatering caramel and creamy pumpkin, the spices take on a supporting role. The flavor is to die for, the liquor runs creamy and smooth across the palate tasting a bit sweet, molten caramel and pumpkin meld together dancing with the soft music of autumn spices. Enough of me waxing poetic. This tea is baller, yo! If this were a latte it would be nothing short of orgasmic.
Lime Gelato from Davids Tea. Lime Gelato is a fruity green tea. When I opened the sample, I was immediately taken by the aroma. It smells just like key lime pie and the liquor stays true its fragrance. It follows through on taste. The lime is distinct but not tart and there is just a whisper of sweetness. This is a delicious, light refreshing tea and I can easily drink gallons of it. It tastes like a watered down lime sorbet. I imagine this tea would be amazing iced. Full tin worthy for sure!
When I opened the packet, I was really scared. The smell was a cross between an Indian grocery store and a Chinese herbal shop. It was strong, spicy medicinal, and pungent. I only steeped it 5 mins for fear that the flavor would be as strong as its scent. Surprisingly, the brew had a very light aroma of spice. The pungency is barely there. The taste is nice and light. I get the tiniest bit of heat from the peppercorns with each sip. This is a very delicate chai. It’s pleasant but not something I’d run out and buy.
Feeling sluggish so I reached for a mate this morning. The dry leaf smells…Holy Cinnamon, Batman! with an underlay of bitter chocolate lingering in the background. While steeping it smells just like Mexican Hot Chocolate. The color of the brew is surprisingly light and the taste is full and robust. Cinnamon and chocolate are well balanced. If I close my eyes, I wouldn’t think I was drinking tea but Mexican Hot chocolate. It’s spicy, warm and chocolatey. Even better with a hint of honey and a drop of milk. I may just get a full tin of this!
Reading rave review after rave review, I had to go out and get this tea. The smell of the dry leaf is amazing and so many plump blueberries in here. Very fruity and sweet like blueberry candy. Yum! At first sip, however, I was wondering what the big deal was because all I could taste was water. But with each sip I took the flavor kept getting stronger and fuller. I can taste fresh juicy blueberries, real not artificial. It had just a hint of sweetness and the black tea gave it an interesting bit of smokey flavor lingering in background.
What is amazing about this tea is the after taste. After I glugged down my mug of tea, the blueberry flavor lingered in my mouth and it tasted as if I grabbed a handful of blueberries and shoved them in my mouth! Seriously!
Don’t expect the blueberry to hit you right away while drinking this tea. As a matter of fact, the blueberrry is strong in fragrance but the brew itself is like sipping diluted blueberry water. It is the after taste that is incredible.
I found sweetening the tea a bit brought out the blueberry flavor a little more.
Yes, this is tin worthy for me! Drinking this alongside a blueberry muffin or scone would be perfect!
Sidenote: I also love picking out the blueberries after steeping and eating them. Delicious!
