American Tea Room

This is a delicious tea. The dry aroma is dominated by the orange but the brewed tea liquor nicely balances the orange, apple, and the spices of the blend. The vanilla is not shy either.

As I drink this I think that it’s one of many, many teas I have sampled which are exceptionally strong. How do I distinguish them? American Tea Room has one of my favorite blends in its Brioche and I think that their one flavor orange and vanilla teas are exceptional. This tea is an exceptional orange/apple lightly spiced and there is most certainly a niche for that in my life.

American Tea Room never has disappointed me yet; I don’t know if they add something to the blends but they seem to end up with a better product than so many of the really fine but not brilliant tea companies out there have. I wonder if most of those companies rely on the same blends/different packaging. I am convinced that the American Tea Room is adding a je ne sais quoi that is thoroughly delightful.

This tea has a beautiful smell and is definitely coconut. I think it would make a really nice iced tea, but as for hot.. the black base is a bit overwhelming, at least for me. I prefer tea bases to be somewhat “smothered” with the added flavor. This is definitely a pick for someone who loves a more balanced relationship of coconut and black tea.

Good, though not my favourite flavoured tea from ATR. Great base tea, though. Definitely a quality blend and refreshing to boot.

Fruity and luxurious. Absolutely one of the best teas I have ever had iced, and it’s good hot too. So sad I’m out; hoping to buy more soon.

A delightfully fragrant oolong that defines smoothness. The taste is slightly grassy with a natural sweetness reminiscent of burnt sugar. It has a creamy aftertaste with a buttery mouthfeel that one only finds in the best oolongs.

Do you ever have those teas that you keep coming back to despite them not actually mixing well with your tastebuds? This tea and I have have a bit of a strange relationship because it was the first milk oolong I ever tried, it inspired me to try other milk oolongs and because it carries quite the high reviews and ratings. Despite all this, I haven’t been able to really taste what everyone else tastes with this tea. I have actually moved on to other milk oolongs since first trying this tea, but still… this one always creeps back up in my mind and grabs my attention and I think, “maybe THIS time I’ll make that cup everyone else has loved!” I know that tea tasting is very subjective, but with so many wonderful reviews, you would think there would be a large chance that I would follow suit. I’m not necessarily broken up about it, just curious!

Moraiwe was kind enough to share some of this tea with me in a recent swap (Thank You!) and I’m giving it another shot. Giving this tea a sniff, it seems much more like a regular green oolong than other milk oolongs I’ve had. There isn’t much of that buttery/milky scent that usually hits you in the face. Sipping… hmm… I am getting a nice milky note. It’s not as “obvious” as other teas, but it’s not bad. There is also a lovely sugary sweet finish that blossoms into something lightly floral. In the background is that leafy oolong flavor that ties everything together. Quite nice indeed! I suppose when you aren’t looking for the explicit milky notes that they slowly come out anyway.

This is a very nice oolong and if it weren’t so expensive, I would definitely add some to my collection. I don’t think it’s my favorite milk oolong, but it is one of my top oolongs to have in the cupboard now. Happy to have tried, retried and tried this tea again!

I’m lowering the rating on this one, unfortunately. I brewed this tea exactly as directed and I was surprised to taste just an ordinary oolong. The texture was smooth, but nothing to go crazy about. I didn’t taste any milk, cream, vanilla… Nothing special! I wonder what happened? As of right now, this tea is not living up to its price tag or reputation. Any suggestions of how to make this cup awesome would be appreciated!

This is a very unique tea. I haven’t tried anything like it before. It’s very sweet with a light drying effect at the end. The scent is slightly milky, but also with something else.. I’m not sure what. The experience was pleasant overall, but very difficult to describe! It makes for a very sweet, aromatic and smooth cup of tea. Beautiful. I think I’ll enjoy the rest of this, but won’t repurchase until later on because it is awfully expensive!

Made this tea again and I love it even more.. so much that I’d adjusted my rating. One of my favorites!

This has to be one of the best rooibos I have I ever tried. It has the taste of a rich dark hot chocolate without the calories

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act III scene 2

“Let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.”
The Comedy of Errors, Act V scene 1

So this is lychee! I do believe that this has a part of some other teas in my recent past. I’m thinking that it was in one of the Golden Moon samplers — perhaps Sinharaja or Honey Pear? I couldn’t tell you what the tea base is with this blend since the lychee is so overpowering. It seems like the tea is merely here to be a vehicle for the fruit. With that said, it’s not a bad tea at all. It’s sweet, nectary and pleasant. But it’s not really remarkable.

Speaking of unremarkable(see what I did there?): could anyone tell me the basic plot of The Comedy of Errors or even a famous quotation? I had to look it up to gain a bit of information to know what it’s even about. There’s nothing wrong with this play, but it’s just not memorable. The plot features a double set of twins who were separated as children, and then become confused for one another as adults. Hijinks ensue. According to R. Martin and A. Tichenor (in their Reduced Shakespeare book, p. 68) “This play can actually be pretty funny — there are lots of opportunity for slapstick comedy. (Of course, MacBeth can be pretty funny if you put lots of slapstick in it. On its own? Not so much.)”

This might make a pretty good cold brewed iced tea, but I’m not really so excited to try it that I have to put an order in right now! It’s more like when I finally get around to trying out American Tea Room I will purchase another sample of this and try it iced. NE

As far as chocolate rooibos goes, this is as good as it gets! The cacao husks give off a rich chocolate flavor akin to dark chocolate and the vanilla beans give a delicious back drop that makes this positively delicious. I will be making an order for several ounces soon. YUM!

I really like Vanilla so I ordered a fairly large bag (3.5 ounces) of this from the American Tea Room. Imitating JacquelineM I cut up a fresh Madagascar vanilla bean and allowed it to sit in the bag for about three weeks. The result is a deep, rich vanilla tea. I am certain that the flavor has been well-enhanced but also it may well have been quite strong before my addition.

Because of the strength of the vanilla, my tasting note may be a bit off. The black tea support seems to be excellent but also chosen as a backdrop to promote the vanilla.

If you like vanilla I would highly recommend JacquelineM’s method and get the best vanilla bean you can find and doctor the tea. I did not taste the tea previously, because I put the smallest hole in the bag possible to add my vanilla bean segments. It’s delightful and not the least bit ersatz!

I reviewed this one on Teaviews and the Sencha used in the blend is really top notch for a flavored tea blend. It leaves behind a very creamy mouthfeel that I found quite impressive. Add a pinch of German rock cane sugar for a delicous creamy, peachy treat. I added some of this one to my personal stash.

SIPDOWN on this one. Still a goodie! See previous notes!

I Think this is going to be my last Black/Black Flavored Tea of the day…yum.

Sweet and Bake-E sums it up! See my previous review for a more detailed explanation.

This looks and smells like Almond Cookie(s) from The Spice and Tea Exchange and SpecialTeas…oh yea! I’m excited!!!! Another sample from Doulton! Thanks!!!!

I can taste the nuts and pastry and cinnamon and croissant comparison and even a little marmalade!

I think the difference between this and the other too is it’s seems to be smoother all-around. The almond doesn’t jump out as much and it might be a little more sweet than nutty. Regardless I really like it! REALLY like it! YUM!

What an excellent tea! I’ve been off Earl Grey recently because I’ve had too many pallid, callow, and scantily flavored Earl Greys. I ordered a sample from American Tea Room because it sounded good and they have never disappointed me. They’ve become one of the tea vendors from whom I’ve placed multiple orders and their shipping is speedy.

But I digress. I think that the success of this tea is based on two equally important features: the strong Yunnan base and the fact that they were not skimpy with the Earl Grey bergamot. This tea has some natural sweetness and some natural smoke—not enough smoke to scare away those who dislike smoky teas, in my opinion, but enough to anchor the bergamot into a marriage with the Yunnan.

If you love Yunnan, you’ll want to try this. If you love Earl Grey, you’ll want to try this. This tea successfully balances a few flavors and never loses its grasp on any of them. It’s going to be one of those teas I will need to have on hand.

This is a fabulous dessert tea. It is almost like and as satisfying as eating a pastry.

What a wonderful aroma! I opened the bag and felt as if I had been transported to an orange grove. This tea is serious about its flavour.
This basic black with orange tea is so deeply and richly flavored with orange, that it’s the best citrus tea I’ve sampled so far. The taste is delightful. With a big of milk, it tasted that a really high class gourmet Creamsicle—or as if somebody like Todd English or Gorden Ramsay or Ina Garten had decided to create an orange Creamsicle and serve it with the best black tea.

The American Tea Room has become one of my favorite merchants because of their speedy delivery service; because of their sample sizes, and, most of all, because of the high quality of their tea and their flavor combinations.

I was so impressed by the flavor and the quality of other teas that I got from American Tea Room (plus their speedy delivery) that I wanted to try this. I am not disappointed. It is a sweet, rich caramel with a full body and a full taste. I added a bit of sugar mid-way through my first mug, plus some milk. I don’t think that the sugar is needed—it’s naturally sweet on its own. The milk seemed nice. I think that there is a natural milkiness in caramel candies, so it belongs.

All in all, I am not in the least bit disappointed. I keep evolving as a tea drinker and just a few days ago when I ordered this I was all about the sweet, candied teas and have since evolved into a purist. BUT I know that in the course of human events, I will naturally return to a love of the sweet, candied tea.

I came across a tea reference in a poem by WH Auden (Letter to Lord Byron, part III):

“For now we’ve learnt we mustn’t be so bumptious
We find the stars are one big family,
And send out invitations for a scrumptious
Simple, old-fashioned, jolly romp with tea
To any natural objects we can see. "

I like the idea of a “jolly romp with tea”. That’s what my life has been like lately!

This is a very nice and elegant tea. I like the aroma and taste of melons of all types, and this has a good, true aroma. The taste is excellent as well with the green base being a true showcase for the melon. I did not pick up on the other flavors, but hoped not to.

The American Tea Room has some superb blends and excellent customer service.

Another sample courtesy of Doulton!!

I thought this tea tasted like french toast with cinnamon, maple syrup and a pat of butter! I brewed it for one minute longer than recommended so I could put in a little sugar and half and half for a dessert tea, and there was no bitterness or astringency. I also liked that the flavorings tasted very natural and were not cloying or heavy handed. Very comforting and indulgent. What a treat!

I’m excited to be trying this sample that I purchased from American Tea Room, which offers nicely priced small samplers so that one need not dive deeply into the unknown and the pocketbook.

The aroma of the dry leaf is hard to pin down—floral and sweet is about as far as I can say. The brewed tea is a nice yellow. The taste is naturally creamy and sweet (I added no milk or sweetenter, by the way). This has more vegetal overtones than other oolongs I have sampled, but they are nuanced. In a blind tasting I might say that this is a green tea.

Overall, I anticipate extra steepings. There’s something I cannot quite capture here, but it is something amiable.