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Oof. Just got back from having dinner with friends. They decided to cash in our wedding present to them and get dinner at our local Brazilian grill. I didn’t eat all day in anticipation of the feast.

My tummy is seriously angry with me. So. Much. Meat. I’m thinking this might be soothing.

Dry leaves smell more like bergamot than anything else. Steeped liquor is a lovely dark honey color. The bergamot is what I notice first. Then at the end of the sip, the cool of the mint comes to the forefront. This is a nice, balanced cup and my tummy is approving.

Tried this in snow ice cream today. Mom & I made vanilla first and then started wondering if tea would make good snow ice cream.

Steeped about a tablespoon of this in 3/4 cup hot milk for about 5 minutes. Added 1/3 cup sugar, a dash of salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and let it cool. Folded enough clean fluffy snow to make a firm ice milk.

It’s not bad. I love this tea cold but have never tried it with sugar or with milk. I’m not sure I like the fruit and milk together. Which is odd – I like peach ice cream. I think this experiment needs to be repeated with chai. Even though I’m not a spice ice cream person I do love milk with chai. Now… where to find more snow… :)

No rating since I’ve rated this tea before and this isn’t really a fair tea experience. :)

Smells like holidays. :)

I picked this up thinking maybe my mom, who likes spiced teas but can’t have ginger and cardamom, might like it. She does, and said that it reminded her a lot of Constant Comment. Myself, I’ve never had Constant Comment that I recall so I can’t say.

Heavily orange, heavily cinnamon. I don’t really get apples until it cools off. Then it reminds me a bit of spiced apple cider.

I think it does what it says it does. Not going to be to my taste enough to keep it in the cupboard, but I’ll rate it based on how closely it matched expectations. :)

Okay. First – warmth is good. :)

Second, this is a good morning tea. Dark, heavy, slightly sweet… with an odd almost fishy aftertaste? Dusty? Not a bad thing. But not something I tasted in the Yunnan Gold from NM Tea. This is good and if I hadn’t tried the Gold I’d be pretty happy with this.

When I reorder, it will be the Gold I keep in the cupboard, not this one. Not a thing wrong with this one, just prefer the other, I think.

Oh, my. This is just wonderful. Lovely and malty with hints of cocoa. Strong and very smooth. A perfect tea to be snowed in with today.

Both glad and dismayed that I asked for this as my free sample. Glad because it can easily become a staple. Dismayed because it should easily become a staple. :)

Next up for today’s adventure in lots of tea since I can’t go anywhere is the regular Royal Yunnan from NM Tea. Try it in comparison to this one and see if I can tell a difference and if so, what one I’ll like better. I really need to spring for the gift tins from NM Tea on my next order. I love so much of their label artwork.

Off to shovel snow since we have a break in the storm for a few hours. Maybe I can get a path to the car and get the drive done in front of the car before it piles on more this evening. Then I’ll really want hot tea!!

Just a lovely tea. The dry leaves are beautiful.

The smell is malty and yeasty. Taste is mildly malty. Definite notes of pecan and cocoa – not sweet chocolate or hot cocoa but cocoa like cocoa powder you bake with. This is one of the only teas I’ve ever had that is described as having chocolate flavor that I 1) actually get a cacao nib taste from and 2) actually like. This is not a chocolate tea, though, so I wouldn’t drink this expecting what you have had in other chocolate teas.

I’d say if you like yunnans you’ll like this one. No doubt at all that this is from Yunnan.

This is one I’ll definitely want to keep around. Sturdy and hefty without being bitter or dry.

UPDATE: 2nd steep was for about 6 minutes and while it was noticeably less malty and flavorful, it was still highly drinkable.

The initial smell left me with some trepidation. I have loved the leafhopper bitten teas up to this point but this smelled just like the oolongs that made me think I didn’t like oolongs. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. Woodsy, vegetal, juicy, I totally get the burnt toast notes but not in a bad way, if that makes any sense.

This is a darker oolong than I am used to trying. For that reason, I am not giving it a rating – no experience with it and while it will all be used eventually and I won’t dislike doing it, neither will it be replaced in my cupboard. :)

Smells fruity and floral when dry. After steeping, the leaves are predominantly green. Vegetal taste, very light and astringent. I’m happy to have tried this, but it confirms further to me that first flushes just aren’t my thing.

Not rating since I can’t compare this to other first flushes and have no way to say if this is a good one or not.

UPDATE: Continuing my way through this cup, I think I’ve narrowed down why first flushes aren’t for me. They are very reminiscent of green tea and green tea truly isn’t my thing.

Dry leaf smells fruity and yeasty. The steeped tea is malty, strong and honest. I’m not sure Assams are in my top teas but this one is high quality and very good. I’m glad I got more than just a sample, but I probably won’t add it to my next order. Nothing at all against the tea, just isn’t particularly one for me to keep around.

I like it, but, like stray animals, I can’t keep the teas I like all in my house. Gotta have room for the Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black. :)

This. Is. Amazing.

I smell the baked pastries when I sniff the cup. I don’t taste raisins or anything else, but this does have a completely unique something to it. I do get maltiness, even though others have not. And I did steep it for a loooong time accidentally so that may have contributed to the dryness in my mouth after drinking it. But it is not in the slightest bit bitter. It is stout and heavy.

This is a phenomenal, unique tea. If I could afford to, I’d drink it every morning. It steeps at least twice, thought, so that’s a plus. :)