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A classic, easy go-to. One of the best bagged black teas commercially available. Prepared as builder’s tea.
This box of bags is very old, and I was apparently storing it next to something flowery, as it came out weak in flavor with a weird floral/ soapy note that is foreign to this blend. Have chucked the last of the unused bags and will re-stock when I get to the store next.

Horrible. Tastes like what Lemon Pledge smells like. I definitely oversteeped it though, so that’s probably why it came out so awful. I don’t remember it being this undrinkable the last time I made it. For that reason alone, I will hold off on changing my rating.

I love this one. The flavors are so delicate and just really delightful. Low-maintenance to make, and pretty to look at in the mesh sachet. A gem in the Tazo (aka Starbucks) empire.

I don’t have much else to add about this that other reviewers haven’t already said— it’s a nice, mild, non-astringent, honey-tasting Assam. It makes for a very pleasant, mild first-thing cuppa, on those days where you want to ease into your morning. I don’t get caffeine jitters from it either, which is also nice. The second steep is just as good as the first. Like someone else mentioned, I wouldn’t add any sweetener or milk/ dairy-free milk products to it, as it is mild enough on its own and might not hold up to either well. It’s not mind-blowing or restock-worthy, but it’s completely agreeable and inoffensive, and I’m glad I got to try it!

Got this for free at my local grocery store with a promotional coupon, so I figured, why not? I drank it yesterday, so this is a backlogged note.
I’ll preface this review by admitting that this is not the kind of oolong I prefer— I like oolongs that lean more toward the black tea side than the green tea side. And the list of ingredients says that this is a blend of green and white tea. But, again, it was free.
I poured it into a glass over ice. The colder it got, the better it tasted. It has a mild flavor, slightly bitter aftertaste. Overall, a fairly weak blend. I suspect it’s under-leafed during the manufacturing process. Still, it’s not bad as far as premade bottled options go; it’ll do in a pinch or during a road trip. I did appreciate that it wasn’t loaded down with 40 grams of sugar like many other commercial bottled iced teas.

Backlogged from Friday, because Steepster had the latency of a baked potato and I got aggravated with it.
This Waffles cake is another one that I dug out of my cabinet and decided to try again. I brewed it Western style in my Kati.
White2Tea probably named it Waffles because the cake physically looks like a waffle. It was pressed with a cross-section pattern to make it easier to break into quarters. I don’t think it’s actually supposed to be waffle-flavored. I get no notes of maple, butter, fruit, or waffle batter.
I agree with other reviewers that the first steep has a wet earth-fishy-peaty smell, which then wanders off into caramel and vanilla-land as the liquor cools, somehow. You can tell by the list of flavor notes people have tagged this one with that it’s a bit of an adventure and hard to pin down. It’s complex, it’s fun, it’s fermented, it’s pu’erh. If this one had an astrological sign, I’d say it’s definitely a Gemini because of its duality and refusal to be labelled with either one flavor profile or the other.
You have to be in the mood for it and be open to the journey, is all I will say. Tune up your tastebuds and bring your sense of humor.

I didn’t love this zhu cha first time I tried it, but this time was much better. I let it steep a few minutes longer and drank it straight. I could smell hay when the water hit the leaf, and then on the sip, I’m getting a slight metallic note, which mellows out into raisin, honey, and the same kind of mineral-y finish that good spring water has in the aftertaste. It’s very smooth and full-bodied. Really enjoyable.
Upping my rating.

This was some AMAZING tea. I didn’t even know that honeybush could taste this good… My prior experience with it has been meh at best. This smelled heavenly, was packed full of flavor, and lifted my spirits tremendously. It’s like rooibos, but naturally honey flavored and a bit smoother. Sweet without being sugary or cloying, and really delicious. I’m usually on the fence about red tea in general, but this one is definitely a keeper.

This one was just OK for me. It’s a pretty straightforward oolong (haha, words I never thought I’d say…). But it kind of is. Ticks all the boxes for what you’d expect in an oolong, but in a generic, lackluster kind of way. The leaves are broken up, so it’s not really pretty to look at while it steeps, and I didn’t feel compelled to bother with using spring water and the gaiwan. I just brewed it in my Kati, Western-style, with plain tap water.
The dry leaf smelled good when I opened the packet, like roasted roots. The liquor tastes like standard oolong. Roasted, earthy, mineral-y, with a faint cocoa note, etc., etc.
It’s fine. Just not particularly memorable.

First time trying moringa! Thank you, Sips By.
Moringa is supposed to be super nutritious and healthy. It does taste a lot like a true tea, minus the caffeine. It’s satisfying in the same ways as a cup of oolong, in that it has a nice roasty taste/ feel to it. The chocolate flavoring pairs with it well. Will likely buy a whole box of this after I sip some of my other teas down.