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Some days, you just need a nice, relaxing tea. You’ve had a long work week where you sat around in a circle and talked with a bunch of guys for 40 hours. I can only imagine how frazzled I would feel if they made me do much labor.

So that brings me to Yogi’s Kava tea for stress and relaxation. It suggests brewing two teabags for 7 minutes of you’re on the brink of insanity. I steeped 4 teabags for about 15 minutes. I think. I didn’t really count.

Man, this stuff tastes horrible. Because of the cinnamon and anise, at best, I would call it drinkable. I’m sure it’s there to cover the mud-like flavors of kava. It’s mouth-numbing qualities started to kick in, making it a little more tolerable. But by the end, the tea was cooling off. Memories of “bitter beer face” commercials came to mind as I cringed down the last sips.

But the tea is noticeably relaxing. A little more than sleepytime extra, the only other tea I can think of that recommends being over 18 to drink. Relaxing enough that I no longer felt like writing this review while drinking it.

If you’re both looking for the kind of flavor that makes you question if you hate yourself, but also desire mild relaxation, this is the drink for you.

Been drinking rooibos a lot of afternoons and evenings when I work. But this is the first green rooibos I’ve tried. Green tea in particular was what got me into the tea world. And unlike green tea, this recommends using boiling water. I let it steep for about 5 minutes and was pleasantly surprised. It was very reminiscent of green tea, but more hay notes than grassy. And not quite as deep. While I would both choose green tea and red rooibos over this, I’ll enjoy having this on occasion, especially when I don’t want any more caffeine for the day.

I really enjoy this tea and generally keep it in a rotation on evenings off work along with the regular Sleepytime and Sleepytime Extra. I sought this one out online when I head about it when I saw it existed, but had never seen it in stores. The lavender aroma is stronger than its taste. The chamomile and mint shine through a lot. Worth checking out if you like the other flavors.

Sipping this one today before a simple surgery to remove my port in a few hours. I got a sample of this oolong a while back and take it out on occasion. Steeped at 195 degrees for 3 minutes. True to it’s flowery name, it comes through in both aroma and taste. It has a good, slightly thicker mouth feel with a darker green tea color. Tastes best when slowly sipped. Would recommend as an occasional cup.

It’s been a long road since I’ve last reviewed anything on here. My dad passed away from cancer, then I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. Then chemo with radiation, surgery, then more chemo and 9 months with an ostomy bag. I had that reversed about six weeks ago and now readjusting again.

But I had a few constants in that time. I’m a mail carrier, and I kept delivering during it all. And I drink a good amount of tea daily. One of those cups is in a thermos on my route too.

This is one of those dependable teas for any time. Rich, malty, comforting. Along with teas like Yorkshire or Thompson’s, I tend to drink this for comfort. Perfect on a cold day or a big breakfast. Or a few shortbreads. It won’t let you down.

I haven’t done very well of posting on here like I keep wishing to. But I still drink many cups daily and look for interesting teas often. I got this tea to remember my best friend, who passed away two years ago. Somewhere along the line he got interested in teas and branched out in ways I hadn’t. His first love was matcha, which I never made properly or appreciated.
His girlfriend told me near the time of his passing (of diabetes complications), he was enjoying some oolong teas. I would guess he got them from teavana, as he liked physical stores and got a lot from them. In fact, my last text message from him was about teavana closing.
So I ordered this tea. According to the package, it has notes of peach pit and apricot. My first try making it only found bitterness, following the directions of boiling water for five minutes. Since then I’ve attempted a few other temperatures and found that 180 at 4-5 minutes suited me best. That’s when I detected the peach flavor, which is also very evident in the scent of the steeped tea and the dry leaves. They give off an almost perfumed scent.

This cup is one of more unique teas I’ve tried, and seems best supper very slowly. I detect the apricot notes once it starts cooling off. I would gladly drink this tea in the late afternoon or evening to relax with. I wish my friend were still around to see what he would think of it or know which varieties of oolong he enjoyed.

I keep meaning to post more on here, but it hasn’t really taken shape. I periodically enjoy reading peoples reviews but rarely contribute. I still drink a lot of tea. But it’s been a busy year. Right off the bat, I had a daughter born. Then I started a new job as a mail carrier in March and usually work over 65 hours a week. My tea before and after work(often late) are my most relaxing parts of the day. I have some interesting teas on the way in the coming days, but in the meantime decided to write this one. I have often had a box of this on hand. I’m always looking for what can be considered the perfect ‘everyday’ cup of tea. Usually in a teabag, not hard to make, and completely satisfying.

Well, this tea isn’t it. (I’d really say right now that honor would likely go to Punjana). But it is a good basic black tea that’s nice to have on hand. I’m having the American version of this, but keep wanting to try the Canadian as I’ve read it’s much better. As it is, it’s a good cup for what it is. Inexpensive, dependable, but doesn’t really hold up to milk in it. I’d either have it straight or with a little honey. Good for sipping on a rainy day or when you’re not feeling great. The Wade Whimsy’s, the porcelain figurines that come in them, are really better than the actual tea. I think they’re moving those to online only though. What a shame. I really need to try that Canadian Red Rose soon…

I’ve been drinking Thompson’s Punjana blend pretty regularly for a while, but have introduced this in a little more recently. I’d say this is basically their “Gold” blend, if comparing to other everyday tea makers. It certainly lives up to that. It’s bright, but also a little more earthy than Punjana. Very smooth. I added just a splash of milk, and have had it with or without some sugar. I’ve been liking it more without recently.

A week or so ago I brewed up a few cups for my nieces, who drink it without milk and use sugar or honey. They enjoyed it a lot too.

I find I appreciate it the most in the late afternoon after work, but it’s great in the morning also. I just seem better able to appreciate its flavors more. I can’t find where, but I had read online that this is a blend of Assam, Kenyan, and Rwandan teas.

A great tea for bringing over for family members while enjoying the holidays, and tasty however taken. The other day I had it with some mince pies I heated up. Shortbreads work great too….

I keep meaning to write more reviews than I do. I have a lot I’d like to write about. But it seems difficult to find time to get on my computer. I tried making a review on my phone once and just couldn’t make it work.

This brings me to a tea I’ve mean to review for a while. Chun mee, sold by Harney and Sons. I find this to have a very ‘classic’ green tea flavor, at least to what I thought green tea tasted like when I first started drinking it many years ago. I still really like that flavor, even though I now know that green tea can really vary by where it’s grown. It brews a very beautiful dark yellow and has a very pleasant ‘leaf’ and slightly smokey smell. The taste would reflect this as well.

Even though it’s not an expensive tea, it’s one I would still recommend drinking slowly, preferably with a friend. It also goes very well with Chinese food(many green teas I think are best alone, but this one doesn’t seem overwhelmed by other flavors as easily).

I started drinking green tea around 15 years ago with a random package of Salada green tea. I would think of this as a logical next step for people that started with that, though I think this is much better. Good to drink every day, but maybe not special occasions.

I started out drinking only green tea, branching out to many loose teas of all kinds. Oddly I got into black tea years later, and in the last few years have really begun to enjoy British black tea blends. They can be very comforting, tasty, and unpretentious. My every day brew has been Yorkshire or Yorkshire Gold for several years. But I enjoy comparing it to other offerings of all companies, always coming back to them.

I never really expect any of those I try to surpass it, but for my tastes, Punjana does. It’s a blend of Assam and Kenyan leaves, much like many others of its kind. Somehow it tastes fresher though. Punjana is blended by the Thompson Family in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Many reviews of teas say they’re strong, but not bitter. I’m always skeptical when I read that, but to me it applies for this blend. In short, I have a new everyday tea to enjoy(and always lots of other teas to always try too.) I recently tried their Signature Blend and will do a separate review for it some time, but my taste buds like this one a little better.