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I haven’t had the best of luck with ATR rooibos teas, but I’m happy to report this went down easy. Maybe because it’s green rooibos? I hadn’t actually known that existed. If you’re looking for that tropical taste without coconut, this is a solid choice.

I’ve never had Laoshan black before but it might be my new love. It certainly stands up to the citrus flavor while adding something delicious all its own. It’s a terrific exception the usual situation where I can’t taste the tea in my flavored teas. Because I apparently compare everything to supermarket teas, this would surprisingly not replace Earl Grey in the cabinet – it would replace Lemon Lift. It’s expertly blended though, with this incredible tea base, bright citrus, and gentle rose. I look forward to trying any other Laoshan I can get my hands on. Mmm.

There’s a lot going on here. The first steepings had a lingering sweetness after the forest floor notes of the initial hit. Later on, the sweetness is gone, replaced by, well, I can’t do better than Verdant’s description of ‘nag champa incense.’

‘Traditional Tieguanyin’ is one of the categories to fill in my fantasy tea collection, and this one will be tough to beat. I may not even try, at least until this variety goes away and I have to! This being my first year not in a northern state, I think I’ll absolutely have to try Dinosara’s cold steep on this, as I can imagine it will be terrific.

What a pleasant surprise this free sample from Verdant was. Though finding my favorite jasmine green is on my list of projects, I haven’t started it yet and would never have thought to try a white. It easily wins my affection over the only other jasmine in recent memory – American Tea Room’s Grand Jasmin (green) – if only because I can taste and enjoy the tea along with the jasmine. Still, I continue to prefer bolder tea flavor and will continue the hunt. UPDATE: I just tried it in my first ever gaiwan, and it got bolder. By a lot. I’m upgrading the score, and this might be a keeper.

I have to join the chorus of love for this blend. It’s crazy delicious, nutty, buttery, toasty, fruity. It reminds me of my early love for Celestial Seasonings Almond Sunset – but better! But here’s the thing. If you’re looking for tea taste, there isn’t too much of it here. This is a GREAT tea for beginning tea drinkers or those not sure how they feel about tea. But still very enjoyable for everyone else too.

There’s something terrifically settling about this tea. The taste is neutral to mildly unpleasant, but this one just isn’t about the taste.

When I was little, we grew corn in our small garden. One summer, we were building an addition on the house, and there was a constant smell of fresh cut lumber. This tea brings me back to an early summer evening, eating a sweetcorn dinner from the garden at the picnic table outside while smelling that fresh, sweet sawdust and the grassy smell of summer next to blooming flowers.

I guess I’m just not meant for ATR rooibos teas. This one has a lovely blueberry scent, but there is just something odd to me about the base tea. To demonstrate how terrible I am with descriptions, it just tastes pointier to me that others I’ve had, and with an aftertaste similar to sugar’s, though not as bad. I love Capital’s rooibos teas and will just have to stick with them.

Confession: My first tea love, back in high school, was Twinings Blackcurrent. I hadn’t realized it, but my taste buds were hoping for that again here. Well, they didn’t get it, but that could be good or bad depending on your taste. Looking for something that doesn’t hit you over the head with the fruity flavor? This is it. Maybe you prefer a more basic black tea with just a hint of fruit? This is it too. The tea base itself is an odd duck – lighter in flavor, kind of thin, but quite tannic. Not a combination I love personally.