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Thank you, TeaTiff, for the sample of this and other caffeine-free options! I needed some variety in my cupboard!

This was really yummy! I could taste the creaminess and light caramel flavor, but it wasn’t overly powerful…simply smooth and delicious. It’s a nice tasty treat for late afternoons/evenings. I enjoyed it very much!

I purchased this tea while I was in western New York on vacation this summer. I desperately needed a good cup of black tea to get me going in the mornings, because for once in my life, I hadn’t packed a suitcase full of my tea from home (we flew this time, and I had limited space in my luggage for tea canisters and such). Anyway, this tea was delicious during my vacation, and it is delicious now.

I am very partial to Yunnan black tea, and this one met my expectations. Smooth, malty, robust, with that nice little peppery bite to it—mmmm love it! On the box, the description states that it is “Malty and rich with a mellow, jammy sweetness and subtle accents of plum and raisin.” Yes, yes, and yes! All of the above! A very nice cup of tea, indeed.

Now I just need to try this side-by-side with Gong Fu’s Emporer’s Gold and see how it compares. I will try to save the last teaspoonful I have remaining for just that purpose.

I tried this tea again when I was in Chicago, and it tasted a lot better than the other times I had it, so I’m bumping up the rating. Not sure what made the difference, the fact that I was using unfiltered Chicago city water, or that I used a little more leaf. Anyway, it was more robust and had a deep, distinct, earthy flavor.

It still isn’t my favorite black tea, but at least it had a richer flavor this time, and was good enough that I could finish drinking it, and even enjoy it to a point!

Mmmm, a bold black tea perfect for busy days! It’s not incredibly complex with lots of different flavors, but it’s a nice solid tea when all you want is a no-nonsense dose of energy. I prefer Gong Fu’s Kenyan Safari a bit more, as it’s more silky-smooth and super rich, but this is definitely robust and good-tasting as well.

This is one of my summer favorites! I’m really enjoying floral & fruity black teas lately, and although this one does not contain any actual fruit, it still has a very nice light berry aroma and flavor—just a hint that goes right along with the light floral aspects of this tea. The black tea base is great too—not too strong, not too weak, but just right. A great way to wake up on these sunny summer mornings!

After reading TeaTiff’s review of this one not too long ago, I thought “hmm that sounds good!” and added that at the last-minute to my summer tea order at Gong Fu. What a great unexpected addition it turned out to be! It totally hit the spot! Full-bodied, fruity, vanilla: NAILED IT! This tea is just so satisfactory. It’s elegant, lovely, quite dashing with that nice fruity current taste (and smell! Oh the scent that this tea exudes! I seriously spent pretty much the whole five-minutes while it steeped with my nose practically plastered to the bag, inhaling the delicious aroma).

If this tea were a person, it would be that “tall, dark, and handsome”, smooth, clean-cut dashing gentleman in a spiffy black suit at a party . He’d be French, of course. And if you stand close to him under a starry sky in Paris, you are totally drawn in by the fantastic fragrance of his cologne. Ah, Paris. Ah, strong sweet fruity black tea. I am in love. (If I knew French, this is where I would insert the perfect French phrase). Okay, I know, this all is sounding pretty cliche, but this tea is not cliche. It’s just….wonderful.

The only thing wrong about it is it’s name, in my opinion. I would definitely pick something more romantic than Le Tour de France. Not that Tour de France is not a good association—it’s just that it doesn’t represent the elegance and smoothness and finery that is this tea. I would call it something along the lines of “Moonlight in Paris.” Ooh la la!

Hmm I didn’t care for this tea. It just tasted really bland to me, lacking the complexity and depth of flavor I like—and come to expect—in really good black teas. There is just not much to say about it. I even tried steeping it for a shorter period of time (3 minutes instead of the typical 5) because the description said it was good for gong fu style drinking, but that didn’t change anything taste-wise. As a last resort, I finally tried cold-steeping it, and that also did not bring out anything new in terms of flavor. Oh well, I’m glad I gave it a try, though.

This is a nice green. It is lightly warm and vegetal, with a teensy bit of asparagus and possibly nut, and a faint smoky taste reminiscent of gunpowder green tea, and with a slight smoky sweetness on the finish. The first thing I noticed, though, was the gunpowder taste—nothing strong or bold, but just enough of a presence to bring to mind my old habit of drinking 4 cups of gunpowder green tea before my morning run during marathon training. That sure did get me going!

Anyway, this is a perfect tea to keep me going these days, when I require a different sort of energy…not a bold burst like a cannon, which the gunpowder used to supply, but a more low-key, substantial, and sustainable energy to keep up with my toddler all day! And yet the tea needs to be mellow enough to keep me calm and patient. This fits the bill most afternoons. It’s an enjoyable yet practical green, nothing too fancy or lofty for everyday, yet not hum-drum or boring. It has enough complexity to keep me interested, but nothing I would feel obligated to forgo on the basis of “not having enough time” to appreciate it.

This is another great spring green tea! Deliciously sweet and juicy cherry and sencha combine in an exquisite and vibrant duo. The scent of the dry leaf is incredible: it will make your mouth water the minute you stick your nose in it, and brings to mind super juicy cherry candy like a Starburst or Jolly Rancher. The liquor itself, though, has a more natural cherry flavor which is nicely balanced and doesn’t taste medicinal (I was a little apprehensive it would taste too much like cough syrup). Additionally, this tea has a light, almost faint vanilla wafting in the background. All in all, it’s fresh, fruity, and faintly floral—as if you were sitting among cherry trees in full bloom. Very tasty!