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Low’s were in the upper 30’s last night (I believe that’s about 3 for you Celsius folks). It’s not unheard of in these parts, but rather unusual for this early in October.

So it was a little tough to slide out from under the quilts this morning (doubly so with a cat snoozing on my feet). This tea helped. It is a lovely balance of black tea, puerh, and coffee beans to provide the proper taste and aroma without the coffee buzz that makes me feel like a fluorescent light flickering on and off.

However, it does get your eyes open—a good thing. Deer are on the move in our neighborhood and I had to brake to watch one sprinting into the brush. (Were it not for traffic behind me, I would have paused to keep watching…how does something so big fly?)

Found the “zone.” Add milk. Caramel apples in your cup.

I really like kukicha. I’m bemused at the fact something that looks like what you rake up from under your elm tree can yield something so sweet and nutty. This particular blend hasn’t gotten much love in existing reviews, but I’ll defend it. Tasty, with maybe even a little touch of Juicy Fruit Gum—oolong in the aftertaste.

After surviving a road trip that required us to endure every conceivable road delay short of an armadillo stampede (which was plausible…it was central Kansas), we declared it a Light Duty Saturday. So here I am, rocking in my glider, listening to the neighbor’s wind chimes, watching a bee investigate my dwindling marigolds, getting bonked on the head by an occasional falling maple leaf, and enjoying this sweet and civilized tea from Cuppa Geek.

What initially drew me to it was my perpetual quest for the perfect strawberry tea, which I’m beginning to think exists only in my imagination. What I am enjoying about it, however, is how nice a carrier the bao zhong is for the fruit and flowers—-no, make that flowers and fruit. You get the rose first, then a really nice amalgamation of the apple, pear, and strawberry. Good stuff; just expect general non-specific fruit punch fruitiness rather than identifiable strawberry.

I finally tackled the Basket of Neglected Herbal Tea Gimmes and Scraps, and boy, do I need to drink up some rooibos! I’ve got dibs and dabs in a dozen different flavors that haven’t had proper attention over the past summer(s).

So this was on deck last night. It is several years old, but the orange peel was still OK. The first time I reviewed it, I compared to good old Constant Comment orange/cinnamon/spice. Can’t improve on that comparison. It was still tasty, and fitting for early fall.

(Will I ever learn? How many times have I grabbed a tea box without checking the ingredients because the name intrigued me?) When I finally read the fine print and noticed licorice, I almost immediately regretted picking this up. Same when I sniffed the dry bag

However, (don’t you just love good howevers?) it works in this blend! The apple flavor is crisp and strong and balances out the licorice stickiness. I had to really think about it to find any real sarsaparilla…but if you want yourself a good cup of caramel apple tea, you’ve got it here. Go figure.

Planning to try the next cup with milk in hopes of replicating Wrapples. (Remember, I am ancient … they were thin round sheets of caramel you plopped over an apple and stuck in the oven for just a bit. I ate the sheets straight from the package and drove my mom crazy.)

I have already been introduced to blue pea flower via Adagio’s Bella Luna, which has a lemon/blueberry personality. Parker’s Evening Blend steeps up with the same gorgeous deep indigo tint, but the first flavors I detected were cream (must’ve been the honey) and chamomile. I am at a loss to say which I like better: Bella Luna is the sparkly sapphire; Parker’s Blend is a blue plush comforter. Depends on whether you need to twinkle or cuddle.

Not to rub it in, but it was a delicious 54 degrees this morning. Don’t you just love that first turn in the weather when you trot out the teas you’ve been craving after a sweltering summer? This one is a cocoa-y, bourbon-y treat. I wish I could say it curbs my chocolate cravings; unfortunately, it prompts them.