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Second experience with this particular mystery leaf—coworker’s spouse brought back from China; that’s all I know. And it seems to be a completely different brew from the first. With water a little hotter, and possibly a shorter steep (you know how scientific and precise my tasting notes are—not)it is cleaner, brighter, almost a little lemongrassy. Pleasant for a rainy afternoon with a contented cat lounging on your lap. Tazo says hey.

Can’t find a description of this one; could be on their website, but since my knowledge of Korean is nonexistent…

Dry, it looks like a party and smells like fruit punch. Decently long green leaves with calendula and cornflowers and pink things and fruit bits and other happy things.

No directions; gave it a three minute steep at a just-cool-enough-to-do-green temperature, and ohhh! Sweet fruitiness. Candy. Been a long time since the last one that made my eyes roll back in my head due to its sheer decadence.

This one was, literally, buried treasure. Had been in the basket for two years, unopened. But due to decent packaging (foil pouch inside fancy cardboard “tin” inside cellophane) it retained first-day fresh quality…or if had lost quality, wowie kazowie, it must be beyond superlative when it’s new.

First experience with O’Sulloc anything; they appear to operate without many U.S. outlets. Further research pending. This is too good to drink once and let go.

Hey! I can post!

This smells a lot like a bag of fresh Brach’s Pick-A-Mix caramels this morning. The bergamot keeps it from being so cloyingly sweet.

Supply is waning…must conserve…

Which is worse: a week with no time to drink tea, or a week so nuts you’ve been drinking it all along and failed to enjoy it? It’s falling somewhat toward the latter here.

So, in keeping with the “brainless” theme, picked a morning cuppa that apparently needs no thought whatsoever. This is good, but awfully mild for an Irish breakfast; just a half-tone shy of a Ceylon, a trifle less sharp than that. Takes long steeps with no problem; I may have to double up on leaf and time and see what happens with the rest of the packet.

Hadn’t had this one for a while, and forgot that at the recommended 1 minute steep time, all you get is delicately tinted water. Pleasantly delicate, but definitely not enough oomph for a morning tea. Next time, two minutes, minimum, for me to be able to taste a thing.

(Sorry…no refinement or elegance here :)

Fall is upon us, regardless of the calendar and thermometer; when you work in an academic setting, it starts early these days. Lovely thick fog permeating the creek bottoms and making your eyebrows sweat.

So prompted both environmentally and Steepstorally (couple of you had this yesterday), this was the tea of the a.m. If you’re one of us that prefers fruit flavor that is fruity and not tart, this should go on your must-try list. Cranberry pastry without the bakery.

Chickweed (Frontier Natural Herbs) + Body & Soul (fruit/chamomile/lemongrass blend—Leland Tea co.). The fruit and lemon are a nice counterpart to the chickweed that tastes…well, weedy.

Junkyard Tea this morning. Getting a new flavor with each sip! Something cocoa-y, mostly, with a little Yunnan.

I am always initially suspicious of Earl Greys—have encountered too many fussy, foppish ones that taste like perfume. This is a superb balance. Good, rich green tea is a solid foundation for not-too-much, just-enough citrusy bergamot.

I have made a new tea friend. k s sent a sample of this, which has been set back until there was plenty of quiet time to consider it. And thankful for the quiet I am. It’s been a wringer: Goodbye Day for this year’s crop of church kids, who were precious; they hugged me and I sniffled on them, then some time with my frail mom who is a little smaller and farther away every time we visit.

Grateful for the sound of rain, a quiet house, and this gentle cuppa, all of which are blessedly restorative.

I think this was in a little package from azzrian that arrived while the weather was still cold—tried a cup and then set it back thinking it’d be tasty in hot weather.

And it is. Tasty. Not hot—we’re having a lusciously cool and sunny day in late July (mid 70’s).

Cold steeped this in the fridge, adding a little extra straight-up lemongrass from local herb place. Tart, but not unpleasantly so.