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I really want to like this one. But… so far it’s not doing it for me. I’m so sad about it. It’s ok, but I am not getting much flavor from it. It’s a nice black tea with something. I don’t taste butter, I don’t taste toast, I might taste something slightly raisiny, and maybe there is a touch of cinnamon. Is it possible that the re-blend is not as good??

Maybe my mistake is that I actually had buttered cinnamon raisin toast last week from freshly homemade cinnamon swirl raisin bread? The flavors are fresh in my head.

The dried leaves smell like pez (in case you don’t know what I am talking about – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pez). And I am getting the pez flavor in the finish when I am drinking it.

Update – it’s definitely better with some soy creamer, but the flavor profile didn’t really change much.

Update 2 – .. and down the drain. Bleah. Can’t finish it.

This tea is so lovely. I don’t think I can sing it’s praises any more than I have already done.

I found with my new bag of this that it is important to shake up the bag when you get it so that all the blueberries aren’t sitting on the bottom! :)

I love love love this tea. I love it so much that I think I am going to give up 1 of my 2 cups of coffee in the morning in favor of this so that I can drink it everyday. I love it more than Dawn tea. Dawn had this earthy/peaty flavor that I associate with manure (despite that, I still liked Dawn). This tea does not have as much of that flavor.

This tea is strong and bold but not bitter. It has a mild astringency to it that is not overwhelming. And it’s definitely malty. It’s a very well balanced tea.

I drank it first with just sugar and loved it. I decided that it could mellow just a bit so I added the world’s tiniest drop of soy creamer to it and that completed the balancing act. This is my favorite black tea. Did I mention that I love it?

The leaves in the package are small tight balls. Once brewed they open up to large leaves.

Brewed at boiling (for me at 195-197 F) for 3 min.

This tea really let me down tonight. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not feeling well or if it is because it is a new bag. I will try it again before I drop my rating. I had a sample of it and loved it so I ordered a whole bag. Perhaps it’s a different batch?

Anyway, this was so floral tonight. It reminded me of that tea that I hated from Teavana – Garden Aria. I looked at the ingredients that those two teas have in common and apparently it is the rosehips that I hate. I didn’t taste any floral notes in the sample I had but tonight, I couldn’t even finish this cup of tea. If it still tastes like this next time I try it, I’m going to have to see if I can return it.

Update – can’t bring myself to drink it again.

I’m feeling pretty yucky today and this will hopefully make me feel better.

I did exact measurements today and realized that I have been brewing this with more tea than I thought. Today was 1.5 tsp to 8 oz and it wasn’t as strong. I’ve probably been doing 2 tsp for 8-10 oz previously and that was yummy.

After skiing all morning, I need something with some caffeine. So, I pulled out this sample. I’ve been quite frankly a little scared of it. I wasn’t sure I’d like coconut in tea and I generally stay away from green tea as it gives me migraines (well, see if I’ll be punished for this tea later).

When I opened the package and smelled it, it smelled just like those square coconut cookies with ridges on the top. I can’t remember what they are called or whether they even make them anymore. I just remember them from when I was a kid.

Brewed, I get alternating tastes of a light green tea with floral notes (I think I smell some jasmine in there) and the coconut cookie taste. Yum!!

Update – Second steeping still tasting good. My husband took the second steeping of this sample and then told me to put it on the shopping list and he doesn’t normally like green tea (or much flavored tea for that matter).

I got this as a sample from Doulton (thanks!) but I’ve been reluctant to try it as I knew the bar had been set way high for lemon flavored Rooibos by SpecialTeas Rooibos Lemon Chiffon. Sadly, I was right. I don’t think anything can compare to that.

This sample just tastes like a lemon sucker (from the bank) and rooibos tea. Not much to write home about. Just on the edge of drinkable.

Mmm. Woody, Chocolately, Malty, full-bodied and yet light at the same time. Really good tea. I smell something in this tea that is like earth (I keep calling that peat-like) but I’m not sure of the word for it. There is absolutely no bitterness after brewing 5 minutes and very low astringency.

The unbrewed leaves are beautiful almost black with tinges of green. Big full slightly furled leaves.

Brews up to a pale golden color. I added a little sugar. No cream needed.

And I have to give The Simple Leaf huge kudos for getting my order here so quickly. I don’t know how they did that. Ordered Saturday and it’s here today (on Monday) and I live across the country. Also, for anyone contemplating sample size vs full bag, I ordered one of each (a sample of the Mountain Malt) and the sample size is pretty large and will last me a long time. I think I just needed sample sizes of both.