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Guess what. It says “Grey” on it, so I’m sold.

I was browsing Wally World again tonight because obviously I don’t have enough quickie tea, (or enough tea that I can stash in my purse), so when I saw this on the top shelf, I figured “What the hey” and grabbed it. I really don’t know the difference between “Lady” Grey and “Earl” Grey, so we shall see.

I brewed this a bit strong at about 3:30. It wasn’t really my intention, it just got away from me. Taste unsweetened is… Hm, fruity. It’s odd, I’m getting a ripe orange flavor from this and not just the usual bergamot. It’s a sweet orange flavor, with a decent amount of bite. Now, it isn’t too much bite that it’s unappealing, mind you, but it is very noticeable. However, the sweetness of the orange tempers the bite a bit. I think I like this; Not love, but like. The black tea base isn’t very noticeable and is mostly present on the aftersip. It’s got a slightly astringent, drying feel to it as well, but just barely. If anything, it’s a burst of ORANGE! followed by everything else. Which, you know what, it’s fine. I didn’t know what to expect coming into this, but I’m happy. It’s decent enough tea. I’m afraid to put sweetener in this because it might make the orange too strong though. But I think I can handle sticking a handful of these in my purse. It’s not the best, and that dang orange explosion, but you know what? It’s fine.

That’s my conclusion about this.
It’s FINE.

So, I already reviewed this once. Back then, I was just starting to try new things.

Well, I’m here to say that, about a year or so into my tea journey, and this one still holds up. I’m still getting the same Malt/Honey/Bread/Cacao notes as before, although sadly, I had to steep it a bit longer to get the full flavor. Not sure if it’s just fading with age or what, but I had to steep 2 minutes to have the nice, robust flavor that I commented on last time. A bit worrisome, but it just tells me I need to drink this more often and then get more! Hahaha.

Hey yinz, so I’m in a lazy mood tonight, and while I wanted tea, I didn’t want to put any effort into it. So, here we are, using the k-cup attachment of my coffee maker.

I’d like to start by saying that this stuff is hella old. I can’t actually reach the box that it came in, but I know that the k-cups have been on my spindle for at least two years. Hell, pretty much everything on my spindle has been there that long, as that’s about when I stopped using the K-Cup function on my coffee maker. So this stuff is likely out of date.

That said, it’s still pretty tasty. Obviously it has the usual “Instant Chai” flavor to it. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I can taste the spice, I can taste the sugar, I can taste the milk. For something powdered, it’s decent. I even get a bit of tingle when I sip from the spice that lingers into the aftersip. However, I should note that, unlike most of the teas I drink, this one comes with actual sugar added, so I personally have to be careful how much I drink, because it could spike my sugar.

All in all, this stuff is ok. Naturally, properly made chai will beat this every time, but for something that takes all of 30 seconds to “brew”, it works. Here’s hoping I can get out of my funk and return to actual tea shortly… I can only drink so much of this stuff before I pass out!

Wow, so bringing this one back.

I actually made this one a bit stronger this time. I used 2tsp for 12oz (rather than the 1.5 of last time) and steeped it for 3.5 minutes. I have to say, reading my note from last time, I should likely stick to the way I made it before. It does still taste like a cordial cherry, but I can’t help but notice an ever so slight ‘dirt’ flavor to it. I hate that I taste it, but I swear I do. Maybe the tea is a bit stale? I don’t know. I just know that I raved about this last time and it is still very scrumptious, but that odd background note of dirt is throwing me. I noticed other people commented on it having a dirt flavor if made at full strength, so maybe it really does need to be weakened for best results.

I’m not changing my rating. When made right, this is an amazing tea, no doubt. I only have enough for one more session, so whenever that point comes around I’ll get back to you guys.

Ok, So I’m not writing this review while drinking it. I drank this last night but didn’t write it up. As such, this is going to be short.

Basically, if this is supposed to be pumpkin spice… well, they missed pumpkin spice by a very long way. However, what it DOES taste like is caramel corn. You know, like that caramel crusted popcorn you get in the tins for Christmas. That is exactly what this managed to hit on the nose. I’m really not sure how you aim for pumpkin spice and hit caramel corn instead, but it’s a delicious tea. I love the sweetness and creaminess. It makes a great dessert tea.

Basically, it’s a pretty tasty tea… if you were looking for caramel corn and not pumpkin spice.

Ok, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of this one. It smells so dang strong in the bag that I was sure it would be overpowering.

Nope. This is wonderful. It is very clearly cucumber melon, with a pronounced natural sweetness, and a good balance of the cukes and the melons. It’s just so delish. The flavor also lingers so it doesn’t just fill you with flavor on the sip, but afterward, the flavor dances on your tongue and sticks around for a while. This is just… wow. Great stuff. This may be a permanent addition to my collection.

Absolutely glorious tea. A+

So, trying this again as my morning brew (I know it’s almost 3PM, this is just my life, ok) and I have to say, I think it was my prep that was off last time. This time I actually measured out the water and leaf (12oz, 1.5 Tsp), but sort of eyeballed it (is that the right term) on the time. It was somewhere around 2 minutes though.

Taste is so much better! No licorice present at ALL! Instead, it tastes just like the package states: an Earl Grey Cupcake. I can taste the sweetness of the frosting, and the bergamot, and the tea, all wrapped up into one. This is amazing! I think I’m going to need to order a few more pouches of this. I could drink this all day!

Ok, attempt #2 at my first ever Darjeeling!

So, quick note, when I pulled this out of my drawer, I didn’t realize it was a Darjeeling. I know the title of the tea is “Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling” but the label simply reads “Margaret’s Hope” which, until now, I didn’t realize was a type of Darjeeling. I now remember buying this specifically to try as my first ever Darjeeling tea, but since last month, I had forgotten about that and mistook it for a black tea. So, the first cup I had of this was prepared as a standard black tea. Big surprise, it wasn’t that good. This is a review of the tea prepped as it was meant to be made.

Taste this time is… delightful. I’m getting fruity notes right away, with a touch of sweetness. I’m also getting notes of leather as well, and a hint of tobacco. There is noticeable astringency (I believe that’s what it is) that results in a drying sensation in the mouth post sip. However, it isn’t at all unpleasant. No need to add anything to this, it’s lovely on its own. By the way, the aroma of the liquor has a strong grape-like scent. I’m not noticing it as much in the flavor, however.

Honestly, I’m certain I’m getting everything wrong on this. I’ve never had darjeeling before and therefore, I’m a newbie at trying to describe it. At least with the Earl Grey’s I’ve been reviewing I have something to go by. This here is uncharted territory. That said, I do enjoy this tea, and I think I may well try to branch out into other darjeelings in the future.