Kroger Private Selection

I loved the rose flavoring here. Saturated and sweet rather than a perfume that goes straight to the head. Worked really well with the leathery-malty base tea which made a very bold but not tannic cup. In my experience, almond milk drowns tea, but here, a good dash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk made it even better! Thanks, g <3

Found this on crazy sale during the summer and set it back for nippy weather. The licorice and turmeric way overshadow the orange and ginger elements, so I’m not enjoying it much on its own. However, I can see this as an add-in to plain decaf tea or as a mulling agent for cider. Won’t give it up just yet, but I’m glad I didn’t invest a lot in it.

August Sipdown Prompt – a teabag tea

I am really shocked.

I received these teabags in a card from gmathis yesterday afternoon. Many thanks!

I made a small pot of tea using both teabags, boiling water and a little over three minutes.

I was delighted to bring to my lips a cup of tea that smelled so good that I am plotting to acquire more of this.

The base tastes and smells like a good quality of tea was used; without astringency, it still has a light sweet orange smell so India or Kenya maybe for the origin of the base. The rose…well, they got it just right. It is not oily or perfume-y, it isn’t overpowering, it is well balanced with the base, and it adds just the right amount of rose sweetness and florality. No bubble bath here.

Not kidding, I am immediately googling where to buy this for the teens who come here and love to drink rose tea, something I am very nearly out of completely after years of having four different ones on shelf.

This is turning out to be surprisingly tasty and reliable for a store brand tea! Enough rose that you get it, not enough to make it taste like perfume, just a teeny bit sweet. Moderately strong tea base underneath that stands out well, either iced or conventionally steeped.

Simply because the weather forecast was beastly hot and boiling-oil humid, I opted not to bring any bagged or loose tea along on our quick road trip to central Kansas. And then after I thwapped myself on the forehead (what was I thinking?) we landed at a very large Dillons (Kroger offspring) that had several of the Kroger Private Selection teas on sale.

At $2.19 a box, I didn’t expect a lot, especially since I fridge steeped it overnight in a hotel room foam cup. So the resulting chilled morning cuppa was a really pleasant surprise: a decent base tea with enough rose to live up to its name without tasting perfumey or artificial. I liked it so much that way, I put another quart in our fridge as soon as we dribbled home.

Thanks so much for sharing this one, Tiffany! I have had this one a few times and it’s pretty good for a grocery store tea. The blend looks like it has at least two types of black tea in it, finely chopped. So I made sure to only use one heaping teaspoon, while also getting some of those lavender pieces in the infuser. I wouldn’t say there is an abundance of lavender in the tin, but it’s flavorful enough! I like it though. The base is strong enough to stand up to these lovely flavors — a balance of a decent bergamot and fragrant lavender. The rich and robust, brisk black tea with the decent bergamot would be enough for me and the lavender is a bonus!
Steep #1 // 1 heaping teaspoon for a full mug // 23 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min

TTB tea! I enjoyed this more than I expected! It was spicy and orangey. The turmeric wasn’t too strong or dirty. The licorice made it too sweet, but it was better with soy milk.

I grabbed this tea at the grocery looking for what I hoped would be a cheap and easily accessible alternative for “cinnamon candy” tea… and while this is okay and scratches some of that itch, it isn’t quite up to par with, say, Harney’s or Market Spice’s rooibos versions. It does have that sweet cinnamon flavor, and I actually like that it isn’t quite as aggressive as the others, but my main issue is the inclusion of mint… like, why? It is subtle, and I definitely notice it more in some cups than others so it is a little inconsistent from teabag to teabag, but it just leaves this weird aftertaste. I’d be far more favorable of this if that one ingredient were missing. I don’t hate it so much that I wouldn’t ever buy this again when I can grab it off a grocery shelf and not have to pay shipping to get something objectively better from elsewhere, but it sure was a disappointment over what I was hoping to get from it.

As I have continued to sipdown teas without making any purchases, a lot of “staple” flavors have been disappearing from my cupboard… rose black tea being one. So when I saw these teabags at my local grocery, I didn’t have high hopes, but thought it would be better than nothing.

My expectations were completely blown away by these, though! The black tea base has a much nicer flavor than I’m used to from grocery store blacks, having that rich, slightly smoky and slightly leathery flavor of a Keemun, with brassy-malt undertones. The rose fairly strong… it is perhaps a bit oily/artificial but I really love the flavor and like my rose teas on the strong side. I imagine those that do not have my floral grit could find this “perfumy” or “soapy.” It’s not as good as naturally scented rose petal tea, but for a cheaper and more easily accessible option, I’m really pleased with the flavor. It’s been great both as a warm morning pick-me-up-cup and coldbrewed in the fridge and gulped down as chilled tea.

I’m a big fan of most anything floral in my tea so this was just lovely. Would definitely add to my pantry once I make some space!

Single bag from a tea box. The scent reminds me of the orange spice teas I’d drink as a kid! The strongest flavor is clove. It’s actually really tasty warm. I don’t taste too much orange, but the spice combination is mild and pleasant.

Etsy Tea Advent Calendar Day 11

Not a fan of green tea. I wavered over whether or not to brew this one up, and decided I may as well. I am going to drink (almost) all the teas in this calendar. If I don’t like it, I don’t have to finish it.

I didn’t finish it. I forced three sips down. Very grassy. I know many people love that about green tea. Not me. So I am not going to rate this one, since many people might love it and it doesn’t seem fair to knock it for being what it is. That would be like reading a mystery novel and giving it a 1 star review because I couldn’t figure out who the killer was until it was revealed in the last chapter.

I adopted this off the pay-it-forward table at work because…well…a perfectly viable unopened tin of tea. Do I need more justification?

Actually, with iced tea season almost upon us, I thought it would be pleasant this summer. But before chilling it, I made a conventional cup this afternoon. For a grocery store selection, it isn’t bad. The jasmine didn’t taste like guest soap. I was a little heavy handed on the water temp so it was a little bitter this time around, but next time, with a little more care, I think it will be acceptably leafy and vegetal.

A good cheap date, especially with your eyes closed, listening to the maple tree “helicopters” plinking on the roof.

Horrible. I couldn’t even finish it. Took one sip and threw it out. Not sure if it was just the particular kind of tea it was or what, but I thought it was NASTY.

I like this tea a lot, and it is good with or without a bit of sweetener. Unfortunately, it looks like Kroger has discontinued this one and another herbals cinnamon tea is available under Private Selection label, but no hibiscus is in the ingredients. This tea is a nice citrus and cinnamon flavor, without being too much of either (maybe the hibiscus helps level those out!). I always enjoyed this one, drank it for the benefits cinnamon can have.

A chai from Madeline in the morning, while I was half-awake watching the results of US Presidental election (among others and I know it’s not final yet). I am praying that you decided for the better one. Thank you Madeline. And as there weren’t any instructions and I was so lazy to search for them, I did my best.

This tea is actually quite enjoable which quite surprised me. Although the base isn’t one of the most perfect ones, the spices made it quite enjoyable. Base was quite tannic and bitter.

It was bit like some sweets. And it little bit reminded me H&S Hot Cinnamon Spice.

The cinnamon is quite present with cloves. Those two are most prominent. Mild; ginger isn’t much there; I expected more savoury notes, but I am glad it doesn’t have them. So, as for spices — it is good.

- with milk and a spoonful of honey -
I wasn’t expecting much, but it’s one of the better ones I’ve had.

This private selection tea is my go to tea. I usually drink 4-6 cups each night. It tastes like cinnamon, not too strong and usually not too light. It’s very hard to acquire, they are always sold out so I buy as much as I can whenever they’re available.

I’ve had this one for a little bit. I’m usually pleasantly surprised by the Private Selection brand. It has some good products for being a store brand.

This is a nice, classic black tea. A nice aroma from the bergmont oil. It has a nice balance of the bergmont and black tea. The lavender is more in the after taste but it blends well and kind of wraps the cup up. Overall I enjoyed this cup and didn’t have any complaints.

Always a favorite in my home

I went to the store to find Twinings Earl Grey, my favorite, but they were out of stock. So I just grabbed this box because of the price. When I got home I looked at the ingredients: black tea and oil of bergamot. The bag smelled like essential oil, too bitter and pungent. But I went ahead and mixed it the same way I do any other Earl Grey: two sugars and some vanilla almond milk. The smell was still bitter, despite steeping it only about 40 seconds. The almond milk did not dilute it much and I ended up tossing the cup of tea down the drain. Vile and cheap.