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Brewed this tea up this morning and only got one sip before having to set it aside and run away for an appointment…but the good news is that it’s just as deliciously complex cold as it was when warm.

It’s all the things I love best out of white teas…woodsy and toasted and delightfully tasty, but for some reason it doesn’t resonate with me the way some others have. It’s a shame, but it’s going back in the box for the next person.

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I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this tea – I know I enjoy pear and ginger separately, but I’d never tried the two of them together. This unlikely pairing is unexpectedly delicious, though, and one I’ll happily drink.

The base layer of white tea doesn’t really shine through, but I’m remarkably okay with that since it acts as a perfect vehicle for the crisp pear flavour in the forefront and gentle ginger heat in the background. There’s something delightful about the way the two go together and I can’t help but keep stealing sips out of the mug between sentences.

Two thumbs up. Definitely will be having this one in the future…

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Orthodontic visits suck…braces moreso. So while I’m sitting at home nursing my wounded ego and displeasure at being forced into wires and rubber bands and other indignities I’m drowning my sorrow in tea.

This one is actually…really quite good. The assam is solid without being pushy and there’s a very generous layer of vanilla smoothed over the top. Each sip is simple and really well-balanced, so if you’re not looking for complexity this is a great tea.

And the flavours hold up well to being forgotten and left to cool, so I guess that’s something. :D

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I prefer starting my morning off with an Earl Grey when possible, so when I saw the plethora of choices in this box I knew I’d be having quite a few happy mornings with the Earl. :)

With that said, this is an interesting blend. The EG notes are familiar – well-balanced bergamot and a rich black tea underneath – but the lavender adds a potpourri note to it that I’m not sure I like; I’m used to lavender as a “calm you down and go to bed” scent, so having it mixed in with my morning brew is a bit discordant.

It tastes pretty good, all told, so I’m certainly not complaining about having the cup…but I think I prefer the EG Creme flavours a little bit better.

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This tea brewed up to a deep, fruity magenta that’s surprisingly hearty – there’s layered bits of fruit (cranberry, I think, and maybe some hyacinth-ish notes) that leave you with a silky, full mouthfeel and a nicely warm feeling. Yum.

It’s not spicy or hearty, but the flavours are well-layered and complement one another nicely. I think that as far as fruity teas go this one may be a keeper – I have a sneaking suspicion it’d go well iced as well as hot – and I think it’s on my list of things to buy whenever I decide to splurge again.

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This is an interesting, subtle little tea. I’m not picking up the cotton candy flavours as thoroughly as I’d like, but it still took to sweetener rather nicely. My main complaint is just that it has a bit of an astringent aftertaste and leaves your mouth feeling dry.

Nice enough, but not something I’d want to drink again. Back in the TTB it goes.

I’ll preface this with the acknowledgement that I’m not generally a big fan of chocolate in my teas…but with that said, this is a damn tasty tea.

The raspberry comes through cleanly and the chocolate sits as a sweet little background note that fleshes out the robust, earthy tones of the black tea base. A little added sugar keeps the flavours mellowed out and it’s a surprisingly enjoyable cup.

Got this tea as a present…mostly because of the tin, I’m sure. Sadly, said tin has no guidelines whatsoever on how to prepare the stuff, so I wound up having to wing it.

I’m not usually a big fan of teabags, but on a whim I decided to drop one in my standard tea mug and give it a go…it brewed up really richly to a dark chestnut colour that – oddly enough – reminded me of the Lipton tea bags I used to have as a child.

The first attempt at brewing was 212F for 3min and the resultant tea was nigh-undrinkable – overly rich and tannin heavy and generally unpleasant. I gave it another attempt at 200F for 2min and it came out a little better…but for the life of me I can’t decide if the issue is the temperature or the time.

In any case, this particular cup reminded me of childhood tea…in some slightly unsavoury ways. It’s thick and silky feeling in the mouth, but lacks complexity and instead just kinda kicks you in the teeth with a generic “tea” flavour (about as delightful as the sweet teas you get at McDonald’s).

So although I have a whole tin of the stuff I think I’ll figure out a way to foist it off on some of my less-wary tea drinking friends…it’s not like they really have tastebuds, anyway.

I should preface this with the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of rooibos ever. I mean, it’s okay as far as tea goes, but it’s never going to impress me more than a nice “proper” sort of tea…and I’ve been really spoiled by 52Teas’ Dreamsicle blends (both the darjeeling and the puerh).

With all of that said, though, this isn’t a bad tea. The orange flavouring is a bit reminiscent of orange soda – not exactly true tasting – but it harmonizes well with the rooibos.

It’d feel disingenuous to rate it poorly based on how much I dislike the base tea, so I’ll be rating this one based on what I think a rooibos-liker would think of it. :D