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The florals are a lot more subdued than I remember them being this time around- possibly due to the two year aging factor. Whatever the cause, the effect makes for an incredibly pleasant cup, while still resulting in a wide bouquet of flavour. I’m positive that lavender and jasmine are undying sensory stimulators; the rose and orange blossom notes are more subtle and act like flavour highlights. The silver needle base adds refreshing elements of bright lemon citrus and cooling cucumber greens.

Steeping this baby is still a touchy subject; 180F is just a tad too much and results in an aftertaste that is reminiscent of biting into an orange rind or chomping down on a bunch of lavender or rosemary (so bitter). I’d strongly recommend keeping the temp below 180F/82C unless you’re a fan of that type of palate cleanser.

The second steep (5min, 175F) is lovely with the jasmine taking on those fruity banana/melon notes. The lavender’s bitter edges are smoothed out. The first steep is tasty but the second is exquisite.

So it turns out not a single individual in my immediate family cares for these fine chocolatey Chinese black teas. This became more and more apparent as the years went by and all the cupboard’s teas came and went, except for this and Verdant’s Laoshan Black (also, the rooibos). My mother went so far as to call them undrinkable. I’ve merely become indifferent.

Oh, well. Moving on. I guess there’s more for everyone else!

I think this came by way of OMGsrsly and MissB but that was all the way back in 2015. It’s possibly too heavily flavoured, but I think it smells (and tastes less) close to it’s namesake. Adding milk turns it into a kind of vanilla perfume creamsicle.

Also, it resulted in this mother moment.

Mom: “This is so much better than teabags.”

Me: “But this came in a teabag.”

Mom: “I don’t understand.”

29 teas to go and I caved hard. Currently now on a massive oolong buying spree from any place that carries oolong. Thank you, tax returns.

Anyways, this was yet another giant tin I excavated from the back of the cupboard. It’s probably one of the best rediscoveries, and definitely the only tea I own that I’m grateful to have an abundance of (over 4oz).

Even though I should know better by now, I’m still surprised how much complexity the first sip yields. Tiger Assam is like a particularly dynamic red wine (even when diluted in milk)- it’s also like red wine in that it tastes of grapes and stuff, and drinking it goes to my head in a way that is delightful to me and an annoyance for everyone else in the near vicinity. People don’t judge me as harshly for drinking it though, which is another perk.

Oh, man— How this tea takes me was back! Golden Phoenix was one of my first notes on Steepster. I initially thought it was a “green oolong” tea (labelled semi-green), and I had one hell of a time trying to politely convey how strange and off-putting I found it.

Then a couple years back I stumbled upon it again when Bear with Me pointed it out as a favourite “puerh” tea in store. That was a big “Oh” moment.

Now I can drink this with a (somewhat) greater point of reference and can actually say that it’s a pretty decent puerh blend. The citrus cinnamon is still a flavour rollercoaster but the “strange” earthy sweetness that confused younger me is now appreciated.

I could see myself craving this more around the fall/winter transition. It’s warm and soothing with a great contrast between action (cinnamon, citrus zest) and rest (fermented puerh, earth). Now the tea name makes sense!

This tastes a lot like amaretto. I tend to steep this in the evening, forget about it by my bedside table, then drink it cold the next morning. It’s good that way.

Bear With Me recommended this to me ages ago, and it’s pretty tasty when I’m not drowning in rooibos apathy.

This dates back to the “new” 52tea’s kickstarter campaign.

The Greater Vancouver region refuses to commit fully to spring weather, so I’ve chosen to ignore it and make a cold brew in sheer spite. It’s also “let go of your hoardings” week in my community and I’ve hoarded two big packs of this, so..

24hrs later: Lime Jello Salad makes a great cold brew and lives up to its name. The combination of marshmallow root and pineapple flavouring somehow make a very convincing creamy lime dessert. I may possibly like this rendition more than the original 52teas but they’re pretty similar!

Nabbed some of this tea while house sitting for my aunt.

Swept up in my mission to drink all the strange and wonderful (rooibos) specimens in my increasingly limited cupboard, I’d forgotten the simple pleasures that are gleamed from a nice cup of Cream Grey. The more pots I consumed (and it was pots) the more I realized that I’d been committing a personal tea blasphemy by going without Cream Grey. These last few years have been hollow.

I’m not sure if David’s has the best Cream of Earl Grey but it will definitely do for the time being. I’ve been super apathetic about tea lately, and I clearly need to go back to the basics for a bit.

This little sample has lived in my cupboard for a long time now.

Steeped hot at the recommended 95C, it’s everything I don’t like in mango/tropical fruit teas. Something about the combination of tea and mangoes makes my tongue jump to fruity cardboard dirt. I’ve also never been a fan of this type of oolong base.

I’ll try the last of my sample in a cold brew and hope that makes a difference!

This is the original 52teas blend and it has aged considerably.

Essentially tastes like a root beer float mixed with stale malt. Needless to say, this is not the glorious tea my memory claims it to be. Oh, well.

Part of me wants to steep this in whip cream or melted ice cream. I should probably dump it and get rid of the temptation..