Simple Loose Leaf

Ive had bad luck with citrus-centric herbal tea in the past, but this one is pretty good.

Not very much flavor, smells pleasant though

Smooth and great smell.

Wonderful smell, mild flavor, feels good on back of throat.

Very well balanced between tea and fruit flavors!

Unpleasant menthol taste, although I don’t usually like these kind of teas.

Tasty and very smooth. Citrus is a little artificial.

Light and refreshing, very smooth

Pretty good, although this really isn’t sencha at all (which I don’t typically care for). The label says it is “Chinese Sencha”, but I’m pretty sure sencha is a Japanese kind of tea where they steam the leaves rather than pan fire them. Also I usually think sencha is reasonably bitter and buttery, while this is tastes light and flowery like most usual Chinese green tea.

Might be better iced tbh, citrus-y

Tastes like a mildly sweet assam.

First tealog entry in a couple years, now with a shiny new college degree!

I gotta say, I’m just not a fan of genmaicha. It’s incredibly strong, and I wouldn’t drink more than one cup of it.

A tea at work for a stressful day. The lavender is tasty and soothing, and the green tea is pretty nice, at least for a green

Gifted to me by SuperStarling!, this oolong is a nice entry into the Formosa oolong arena. It is very drinkable. A wallflower of a tea. Nothing that stands out and says look at me but it is definitely there with a consistent and dependable flavor.

Earthy, roasty, a bit of raisin flavor. A smooth every day drinker.

Sipdown! I think this was better when it was fresh two years ago. It’s still quite decent though. The floral jasmine scent carries over into the flavor, present but not overwhelming, floral but not perfume-y. I have a vague memory of cold brewing this over the summer and finding it quite enjoyable.

Thank you to SuperStarling! for this sample.

This is definitely a SMOKY tea. The scent out of the bag is like fire place ashes smoky. I was a little nervous brewing this up that it would be too much in the mouth.

My worries are slowly dissipating. Don’t get me wrong. This tea tastes smoky. There is no getting around that. But there are other flavors there as well. Specifically a sweet malt, and a bright black tea flavor. I’ll state this once again. You need to like smoky teas in order to even consider trying this. If you don’t like smoky teas and you try this, you’re not going to have a good time. But it is a flavorful smoke.

Here’s Hoping TTB.

I used the last of this sample. I quite enjoyed it. It had a smooth, mild creamy vanilla flavor. Nothing spectacular, but the sort of flavor I’d be happy to drink every day.

I found this tea sample the the back of my tea cupboard the other day so I decided to take it to work with me so that I can try it. I think this is one of my last samples from my trade with Emilie, so thank you!

When I first opened the bag, the aroma of the dry leaf really reminded me of an oolong. It had an earthy/woodsy aroma but with a little bit more depth to it than an oolong. I steeped it for about 3.5 minutes, which resulted in a tea strength that I found perfect for my tastes. The aroma of the steeped tea is more distinct from an oolong. It has a slightly floral aroma, and the earthiness gives way to a slightly more smooth and slightly sweet/floral.

I don’t remember every having a pure darjeeling tea before, so my first experience with this tea was very pleasant. It’s like a smoother and less woodsy oolong with more floral notes than wet earth notes. Enjoyable!

Old sample from tea sipper. This is really nothing special. The hibiscus definitely dominates. I wish it had a stronger citrus flavor. I also wish they had skipped the rooibos and lemongrass because they give this a slightly odd aftertaste that tastes almost minty.

Sipdown!

I quite liked Simple Loose Leaf when I had the subscription, but I just have too much tea to handle a consistent monthly shipment of more. Their packaging was excellent – opaque, lined, semi-waterproof, and with an air valve like on fancy coffee packages. As a result, this tea has kept pretty well over the two years I’ve had it.

Steeped hot, gong fu style, it’s fairly unremarkable. Just a gently smoky, grassy green. Better than a teabag but not particularly complex. To be fair, it may have been more interesting when it was fresh, so I am foregoing a rating.

Cold brewed overnight, this is very refreshing. The dominant flavor is more hay than grass. There’s just a hint of sweetness. The mouthfeel is simultaneously dry and juicy. Something about the texture reminds me of biting into a grape. I liked it so much I even tried doing a second cold brew with the same leaves. Alas, it didn’t really work. I just ended up with vaguely sweet, dry water.

What a fragrance! The dry smell is so sweet. Almost like root beer. You really cannot let this one steep too long or it becomes bitter fast. Oddly enough the first flavor to hit your mouth is not vanilla. It hits more in the aftertaste. Also I found it better if brewed at a slightly cooler temp. Not the best vanilla tea I’ve had but not terrible. Not something I would drink again.
From the Here’s hoping TTB

This has been made with the hot water from my office, so steeping my not be under the ideal conditions. Take my review with a grain of salt.

I love that neither the rooibos nor hibiscus are overwhelming in this one. The hibiscus adds just enough tartness to work with the lemon. The only thing I would add is a bit more of the strawberry flavor