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Haven’t had this in a while. It’s very earthy and mushroomy and kind of weird, but I like it from time to time.

I read in a few reviews that this was a spicy tea, and I wondered how that was meant since this is a plain green. Now that I’ve tried it, I think it’s spicy in the way that parsley is spicy — vegetal with bite. It’s very interesting (and the little curled tea leaves are adorable) but I think it might take me a few tries to warm to this tea. It’s definitely a bit out of my comfort zone.

I have the worst track record steeping this tea. For some reason I always forget about it and leave it stewing for like 15 minutes before it comes to me that I made Se Chung and left it somewhere. So today I made a big effort to steep it correctly, but to my surprise it didn’t really make much difference. It is slightly mellower, but that’s about it. The mystifying licorice flavor is still there.

A light but beautifully balanced green, the flavor is equal parts vegetal and floral – the sort of honeysuckle floral you typically find in oolong teas. There’s no strong aroma, but the steeped leaves smell ever so slightly of peas. A very fresh-feeling tea, good anytime.

My first order from TeaVivre came in! I was really excited to get the green tea sampler of their new spring harvest. Can’t wait to try them all! Plus, I am a total sucker for free prizes, and I love the beautiful silk scarf they sent. (There are little shoes printed on it :) It’s adorable!)

At first impression, this Long Jing reminds me a lot of the phoenix bud tea I got from Upton. They’re both China greens and they have a similar appearance: long, narrow olive-green leaves with a velvety finish. They both have a predominantly vegetal flavor, but the Long Jing is more nuanced, I think, with some mineral notes rounding it out. I love that someone said it tastes like chicken soup! I’m not really picking up on that, but I guess it does lean more toward the savory than the sweet. It is also very relaxing, the perfect tea to unwind with.

I’ll probably have another cup while I plan my next order!

Back to the earl grey routine, a good way to start a rainy morning.

This is the last of it! It’s extremely similar to Upton’s Jade Formosa Oolong, but there’s something rough about how the flavors come together, especially when you compare it to the jade, which is extremely smooth and mellow.

Seriously, this is the last of the lemony gunpowder sample ALREADY? Welp, I guess I know what’s going to be in my next H&S order.

Second time trying this, and I remain unimpressed. It isn’t bad, it just tastes like green tea and nothing more. The other flavor notes aren’t showing up, and I was really looking forward to that sesame taste. J’aime sesame!

Trying this one again, but with a little raw sugar this time. It really enhances the pecan flavor! There are a lot of background flavors too, giving body to the tea. I can’t really pinpoint them though — I have a feeling this tea is more complex than my palette is right now.