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This doesn’t seem to be a very popular tea on Steepster but both the BF and I liked it this morning. It’s a broken leaf assam and it steeps up very dark and strong, which is a good quality for a breakfast tea to have. It’s definitely a bit rough if you try to drink it plain, but if you drink it with milk and sugar it’s pretty good. Tastes of malt, with some apple like notes. It’s got a bit of briskness in the finish. Definitely an eye opening tea that reminds me of an Irish Breakfast.

This is a broken leaf assam and I would say it’s pretty average for the price, I’m sure I’ve had some similar teas from Upton that are much cheaper. The tin is beautiful, however.

http://instagram.com/p/vwMgGqoLWy

Ooof, I am getting out of bed late. I was woken up this morning around 4:30 by my noisy steam heater and finally went back to bed for a nap I am just getting up from around 10.

So it’s tea to the rescue, and here is a lovely sample by Yezi. I don’t know how long I steeped this for because I forgot the timer, but I think it was around 3 minutes.

The tea liquor has an aroma of cocoa which is really nice. It has fruity elements, and smoke just like the description says. The smoke isn’t overwhelming but it’s enough to give a slight tobacco flavor to the tea which I am not really loving. It’s also a smooth tea and devoid of astringency but I definitely prefer the ming hong over this. If you’re a fan of keemuns, you might want to try this.

I decided to break this one out this morning, it’s been such a long time since I’ve had it. Last night’s networking event was definitely fun and I’m not used to drinking wine so this morning I have a bit of a headache. It’s the shu puerh to the rescue…. cures all ills.

This tea has a bit of fermentation smell still left in it but when you steep it up it’s just so smooth with a date like sweetness and notes of coffee and chocolate. I already feel it reviving me… yay

Free sample that came in the Lupicia newsletter. I probably don’t need any more caffeine today, especially as I am already freaking out about the stuff I need to do today: apply for a job, design a poster as a favor to the Sierra Club and attend a networking event tonight. Also my brother is in town…

Anyhoo, I had the Decaf Carol last year but I drank it all. This is the caffeinated version and it strikes me as mostly the same, it’s a nice black tea with strawberry and vanilla flavors. Drinking with a bit of soymilk and stevia. I like the strawberry teas from Lupicia but I think the strawberry and rhubarb is still my favorite. This is tasty but not something I feel the need to run out & buy (which is good — since I have enough tea as it is!)

This is an ok rooibos chai but not really a favorite. I’ve come to realize I like chais that contain both fennel and pepper because I like the spicy kick that comes with that. this chai is on the sweeter side, with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and clove. It also contains stevia, which is a bit on the strong side for me. When I sweeten with stevia, I use a bottle dropper and one or two drops because it just gets so overwhelming if you use too much. After I drink this I get the “too much” kind of taste in my mouth.

Anyway I am sure I will finish the box, but can’t tea makers just let you add your own stevia or sugar to tea after you’ve brewed it?

I’ve had this tea for what seems like forever. I must admit, these strong flavored holiday teas are really more appropriate for winter time so that’s probably why I haven’t had so much of this since last year. This is good with the soy creamer. I think I have a trend here, the soy creamer is good in almost everything black tea or rooibos based.

I added a tiny touch of fennel to this and it’s good! I like the mix here of the orange and the chai like spices. I also see a few peppercorns in here, so this is a nice warming drink. Hopefully I will finish it off before spring arrives :)

I’m having this tea for lunch as a cold brew. I haven’t been drinking much cold brewed tea since the weather got cooler, but this is just so delightful when it’s been prepared that way. If Lupicia ever made a decaf grapefruit and it tasted anywhere near this good, I’d definitely buy some.

Getting energized to go join a gym. I was trying to save money by not going to one, but sitting around on my duff isn’t making me feel better about myself and it’s important to feel and look good when you go on job interviews. I think it will be a good thing for me if I can get there 3x a week at least. Wish me luck!

This is really good with some soymilk creamer and just a touch of stevia (as I am trying to reduce my sugar intake), of course that combination would improve a lot of teas for me… but I think it helps to bring out the “cookie” flavor of this one.

My BF is trying to quit coffee and he drank some green tea this week instead. He ordered the Den’s sampler and says Japanese green tea is weird and it tastes like soup. Oh well! Of course being the tea pusher I am, said I would make up some samples for him to try because he should find one he likes and would want to drink every day. We’ll see if I can convert him ;)

This is a sample I got from Upton ages ago and am just trying it now, seems like fall is a good time for an apple cider tisane.

I steeped this for the full 8 minutes recommended on the package but it still doesn’t seem very flavorful. This tastes mostly like woodsy rooibos with a tiny hint of apple and cinnamon. I liked this a bit better after adding two drops of stevia, but this sample isn’t compelling me to buy more.

Backlog. I got some of this recently and tried it for the first time last night. I was surprised at how good it was. The roasted and slightly bitter taste reminded me a lot of coffee but without the acid reflux I get from coffee. I had mine with soymilk and it was yummy. The only negative thing is that dandelion root is a diuretic; after drinking a big mug of this I was in the bathroom constantly! So if you’re feeling bloated this might be a good thing. Otherwise I will need to be careful with this stuff and stick to a smaller cup. Yowsa!