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Yum… I decided for my last cup of the night, that I’d have a “late night snack”! Carrot Cake!

It is remarkable to me just how much like Carrot Cake this tea really is. So yummy!

OoOoOoOo-long! Delightful! Pleasant aroma – floral, vegetative – much the way I would think a meadow kissed with spring flowers would smell in the morning after a light rain.

Even more delightful than the aroma is the flavor! Floral notes, buttery, even a hint of fruit hits my palate. And of course, a hint of vegetation. Not strong… but it seems to linger lightly in each layer of flavor of this complex cup.

Several more infusions to follow!

Guess what arrived today! I was very surprised (happily so!) to receive my package from 52Teas!

The strawberry flavor is a bit tart. Or it could be that the slight bitterness from Matcha brings out the tart of the strawberry. The sweeter strawberry flavor arrives on the palate in the finish as sort of a low note. The strawberry flavor is a really nice addition to the flavor of the Matcha. I think I like the mandarin matcha a little better though. Overall a very pleasant Matcha.

I had received my order from Teany a few weeks ago, but, I have been ordering tea like crazy (something just sort of came over me when I decided to switch over from being a tea business to a tea consumer and I started buying tea like mad!) that I hadn’t yet tried it until today!

My initial reactions to this tea: Well, first of all, the tea is really beautiful. I like Teany’s tins, they have a clear top so you can see the tea. Slivers of nuts and flower blossoms. Beautiful! When I opened the tin, I could smell the cocoa. It is a very prominent aroma in the dry leaf, and while the brewed tea smells a bit softer, it is still there – soft, yet delicious smelling!

I wish that the cocoa was a stronger flavor in the tea. Perhaps this is one that I will need to experiment a bit with as far as steeping time to see if I can extract more flavor from it. It’s a tasty tea. I think that the flavors have sort of melded together into one “new” flavor – and I am finding it difficult to discern the individual tastes. Definitely worthy of another attempt in the near future.

This morning (well, technically, it’s afternoon, but I slept in so it’s morning for me), I decided to brew up a special treat. This is the very last of this tea that I had from a small “tester” batch that I made. Assam and custard go well together, I think.

The sweet, creamy custard flavor brings out some of the Assam’s malty characteristics. Very nice, just slightly bitter (but not in a bad way), very pleasant way to start the day!

I have two favorites from Mighty Leaf, this one and Mayan Chocolate Truffle. However, somehow… some way… this tea is not as good as it used to be. Or at least as good as I remember. It was one of the first teas I remember trying out about eight years ago when I was contemplating opening a brick and mortar tea room. And I fell in love.

The orange flavor has what I would call a sharpness to it rather than a sweetness. It is very a very bergamot-ish orange flavor. The vanilla softens this flavor a bit, and the jasmine is very subtle but offers a pleasant floral tone to the finish.

Even though the information on this site about this tea doesn’t say it, this tea has green tea as well as black to it, so I steep it at a lower temperature so that it doesn’t become bitter.

A very nice, well-rounded cup.

I created this blend a couple of months ago, I call it “dude” grey because it’s got a California feel to it (citrus-y flavors) but with a pleasant Earl Grey note.

I like inhaling this tea through my mouth just before I take a sip. The aroma wafts over my palate and yum! The black tea is smooth, not too robust, nice for afternoon or early evening. The Earl Grey is softer than in “straight up” earl grey teas (such as the one I enjoyed earlier this afternoon) as it is softened by the other citrus notes. I especially like the grapefruit in this blend.

I am so excited that my order for this arrived this afternoon. I love this chai! It’s available to the general public – I don’t know if it’s for a limited time or not, but what I do know is that when I contacted them back in October about purchasing a small amount they would not sell to me because I was not a coffee shop or similar. So I was happy when I happened across their website last week and noticed that they’re raising money for Haiti relief by selling smaller (personal size) portions of their tea to the public! woo hoo!

What makes this chai so unique is that it’s a MATCHA chai! I prepare it the same way I’d prepare matcha, except that I heat milk (yes… for this tea I’m even willing to heat milk) instead of water. It doesn’t need anything else… just milk and stirring — you can do this without a chasen, but I do use mine for it because I have one.

The flavor is chai-spicy with the natural sweetness of matcha – it’s creamy and thick and oh-so-good. You can read my review I wrote of it several months ago here:

http://www.teareviewblog.com/?p=8088

Oh wow, this is so good I might make myself a second cup!

I just got my order a few days ago from Lupicia, but this tea has been calling my name ever since receiving it. So I finally caved in and decided to try it.

Aroma – not surprising – it’s Earl Grey! It is a very strong fragrance, but that’s not a bad thing. I love the smell of bergamot in the morning! (Yeah, it’s 12:30 pm, but, for me, it’s still morning!) The dry leaves possess a stronger scent than the brewed liquor. The brewed tea is still pleasantly bergamot, but the Keemun tea can also be detected in the scent which adds a slightly earthy note to the aroma.

Initial sip – awesome! Lovely citrus notes, hint of floral. The Keemun base is pleasantly pungent. I love the way the bergamot and Keemun play together in this blend.

As I continue to drink, I note that this is a skillfully flavored Earl Grey tea. Speaking from the standpoint of one who flavored teas for many years, Earl Grey was one of the most difficult (if not the most difficult) flavors to create. This is because there is a fine line between not strong enough, just right, and too perfume-y when it comes to the bergamot. This one is planted firmly in the just right position! Well done!

I don’t know if it’s my favorite Earl Grey, but if it isn’t, I don’t know which one is better, either. It’s really, really good!

Backlogging a bit: I started my morning (late morning!) with my breakfast blend. Lovely – as always. A good way to get the blood flowing!