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I am sampling this Masala Chai thanks to the benevolence of LORI. I agree with her note that this is a smooth Chai with no one spice predominating. I think it is very well crafted and spicy.

If it were earlier in the day, I would be adding some black tea as one tasting note recommended. Overall, the is the richest and most robust Chai I’ve had. I’m not really tempted to embrace Chai as a way of life but if I ever feel compelled to keep it in stock (and I’m a very easily compelled woman) I may select this blend. Right now I’m marinating my own blend with a good strong Keemun base and several of the usual spicy culprits and some real vanilla beans (JacquelineM got me started on the vanilla bean thing). I’ll wait to see how that emerges.

With milk brought almost to a boil and some sugar this tea is a veritable meal in itself!

Since I wrote my first, fairly cautious tasting note on Upton’s LS Black Dragon, I have returned to it again and again. It has become my everyday first thing in the morning tea. I have at least two cups and I slurp and slobber and am very unladylike. I have not found a Lapsang Souchoung I dislike, but I like this more than others. It’s got a touch of natural sweetness and it’s also not quite as tarry as some LS teas.

I like the balance of smoke and sweet. I like this tea black, but I also like it with milk and sugar when I’m in the mood (often).

This tea became what I had hoped that Jackee Muntz might be—but Jackee is in limited supply. I am no longer “dating” Black Dragon tea. We are married. We’ve said the vows. We’ve plighted our troth. We are in this together for better or worse, till death do us part. I may take some afternoon lovers; I may have many French liaisons and I may have other trysts, but I’ll always wake up with you!

Indigo Tea Company sent me a free sample of this when I placed an order with them recently. I think it’s a good choice for a lighter black tea with a tropical vibe. As they say, it would be good iced (I’m drinking it hot).

It’s one of many teas that are “nice” but don’t have anything of extravagance in them. If you like a passion fruit overtone, you might want to try this. It just did not “pop” for me, but it’s certainly pleasant.

I have a cat named Mrs. Palmer, who has an enormous crush on my oldest son. Mrs. Palmer looks at me with disdain and superiority (which I love—every cat lady loves a superior cat) and she tolerates my husband. When my son comes around she gets this goofy dazed crazy happy expression on her face that I call “Spring Awakening”.

Leland Tea’s Bogart has given me “spring awakening”. I am a somewhat cautious tea drinker—I prefer to start out with a small sample at 1 or 2 bucks. Then I might buy more. Untasted, sight unseen, nothing known about Leland Teas, I purchased not one but two full orders of Bogart (and quite a few of their other blends). I ordered on April 12 and today, April 19th my tea has arrived. Very good record, considering that I also got teas today that were ordered on April 3rd.

Upon first sniff I fell in love; first taste confirmed the love, and I think that the explanation is that Leland Teas uses some Lapsang Souchoung in the blend. If you don’t like smoke, you would barely notice it, however. The predominant taste is the hazel nut, followed by the vanilla and the cinnamon. The nuttiness is divine and the vanilla is excellent. The cinnamon wisely remains a back-up player and does not try to take over the show.

I’m ready for more and I still have that “spring awakening” expression on my face. The question is will I be able to stop and try other teas? I have, from Leland, “Tiffany,” and “Garbo’s Peachy Blend” and “Kisses!” and more!

Golden Moon Tea Sample #8, selected at random.

The buttery note of this type of tea is always pleasing and so is the floral note. It’s good and pleasant but I don’t think that there’s anything here that will sear this tea into my memory and impel me to spend money on a full size. I like, but am not in love with, oolongs, green teas and white teas, so if you are reading this, please be a bit jaundiced about my opinion. I’m the person who thinks that the smokiest Lapsang Souchongs should be smokier. I am the person who drowns herself in perfume instead of applying a tiny whiff. I’m the person who used to wear Bob Mackie knock-offs. So I can respect this tea but not, perhaps, love it.

This is a serviceable Masala Chai. It’s not at all bad, but there’s nothing particularly memorable or outstanding about this one. Chai lovers might want to sample this.

For what it’s worth, I’m not a big devotée of chai, so my ability to judge fairly or to detect differences may be limited.

Thank you to Meghann for this sample. The dry tea has got a wonderful typical Earl Grey scent and there were quite a few white tips visible in my sample. The brewed tea is a very good Earl Grey. The bergamot flavour stands out clearly. The quality of the black tea seems to be decent at the very least and perhaps better.

I would most certainly recommend giving this a taste for those who are in search of their perfect Earl Grey BFF.

Golden Moon Sampler Tea #7 selected at random

I was glad to select a robust tea. It’s too early in the day to go in for an airy-fairy white muskmelon with breath of lilac type of tea. This English Breakfast did not disappoint me. It’s full and rich and the blend is a lovely combination. I would consider making a full purchase of this. I’d like to have a breakfast tea in stock aside from my beloved Lapchang Souchongs to offer visitors or in case my taste shifts—-and taste, as we know, can be fickle.

I’ll see if this tea calls to me in the next several weeks. Overall, a hearty recommendation.

This tea is just another tea that Randy Jackson would call “aight”. It’s most certainly blueberry but neither the black tea nor the blueberry are strong enough for my taste.

I would recommend this tea to a blueberry afficianado looking for a lighter afternoon fruity tea

Golden Moon Sampler Tea #6, selected at random

I was glad that I picked this out rather early in the evening. I would have tossed back a very robust tea into the “ocean” of the basket.

I don’t hate licorice, but I’m not a huge fan. I found this tea more pleasant than anticipated, but I don’t think I would feel a need to keep it in stock. If I knew a big licorice lover, it might make a superb gift.

Pleasant and light, the anise flavour shone through but was not overwhelming. It was a great one-note white tea.