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This sat on my desk while the water was boiling, and I have to say the smell – of just the dry tea – completely filled my area. I kept wanting to look around to see who was enjoying some very fresh and juicy-smelling fruit!

I was a little hesitant about the idea of oolong in a teabag, but it seems to have room to expand nicely. While the smell is still very present, the fruitiness is toned down in the actual cup, allowing more of the oolong’s butteriness to come through.

This is a fantastic change to the Teavana sample I grabbed this morning – it’s washing away the melted cinnamon candy flavor of that earlier poor choice and replacing it with something much, much more enjoyable.

Sipdown! This sample came with my last order from Teavana. I may not like them, but I do like their tins, and when I can get them inexpensively (i.e. their Cyber Monday deal of free tin, free sample, and free shipping with all orders) I do tend to snap them up.

I already knew I was in for some Red Hots flavor because of previous experience with their chai blends, and the fact that I have had both these teas in my cupboard before. But this? Wow. I have a horrible sweet tooth, but that being said, this too sweet even for me!

This is like drinking hard candy, and while it may be nice and warm on a cold morning, it’s just too artificial and insanely sweet to handle.

The morning is finally here! Because of the caffeine, I couldn’t try this last night, and had to wait until my commute to sample it. I wasn’t certain what to expect, but I love the Laoshan Black base so much that I knew I was probably going to be in for a treat.

Teaware: 16oz travel mug with ForLife infuser
Measured dry: 2 rounded teaspoons
Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3min
Additives: 4tsp raw sugar

Unlike last night, I’m a little more with it this morning. I followed the steeping directions regarding temperature and quantity, but extended the steep to match some Steepsterite suggestions. I think that was the right call, as this is still a little faint, and might benefit from an additional minute or even two.

Sipping this, there is no missing the Laoshan Black, but I am surprised with how subtle the spices and other notes are. It’s difficult for me to pick out the citrus notes, but I do get a little bit of the cinnamon and clove – primarily in the aftertaste. As the tea cools, they are becoming more pronounced, but I don’t think they’ve quite lived up to their potential yet. We’ll see if some additional steep time will buoy them.

This cup may need a little more fiddling with to absolutely dial it in, but for now it’s a wonderful way to ring in the morning.

I am so excited about this one – I’ve never had a tea subscription before, but the Verdant blends were just so tempting that I managed to talk my husband into a month or two… but time will tell if I can swing it longer! ;)

Today was our first day back at school after the storm this last weekend, and my students were absolutely crazy. I feel like I’ve been juggling all day, and being able to sink into something fascinating and new just sounds delightful. I’m itching to try the Jolly Earl blend, but it’s way past my caffeine cut-off. If I tried it now I wouldn’t do anything but bounce off the walls later!

Teaware: 16oz ForLife glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 rounded teaspoons
Temperature: 175º F
Steeping Time: 1-1/2min
Additives: 4tsp raw sugar

I’m so used to ignoring packing lists that I didn’t realize there were steeping notes included. It should go to show how messed up my mind is right now that the other teas I just looked up for re-packaging seem to have influenced my steeping. I love Verdant’s samples, but I really wish they would re-seal. I think that’s how I ended up at 175º F instead of the recommended 212º F. That’s the best I can figure.

I’m getting mostly the peppermint and spearmint right now, with only hints of the cinnamon and maybe the fennel. I’m not getting much of the cacao nibs at all. That may have to do with my mis-steep. I think next time I make this I will follow Bonnie’s suggestion about adding a pinch of Laoshan Black (to bring out the chocolate notes), cut the amount of raw sugar, and make sure to steep at the correct temperature!

For now, I’m going to go curl up under a down blanket, sip this, and enjoy cuddling with my kitty, Mei-Mei, who is feeling extremely affectionate tonight!

Sipdown! This stuff is so very, very sweet* and juicy that I don’t think I’ll be reordering it, but it was interesting to try!

Edit: *Nope, tart. My mind is useless today and I can’t type.

I spent seven years living in Alaska and northern Washington, but until this morning it didn’t really register that I always lived close enough to school (whether I was attending as an undergrad or teaching) to walk there every morning. It didn’t occur to me to start my car periodically during the five days away from school, so this morning she just sat there like a brick. I had to switch cars with my husband (who drives the clunker we used during the storm) so he could call AAA and get mine back up and going.

So, understandably, this tea was a little cooler when I finally got a chance to drink it! This came my way via a swap with Shadowfall a couple months back, but it fell between a couple teas in my stash and I forgot about it for a while.

Too bad, really, because I think this would have been a lot better if I had been able to drink it hot. It’s a nice, smooth tea that’s leaving me with a bit of a licorice aftertaste… and I love licorice! There is some astringency, but nothing I’m too concerned about.

An interesting tea to take for a test drive! For now, that’s one more sipdown!

Thanks for letting me try your custom blend, Lariel!

This is a lot better than the Adagio teas I’ve been sampling lately, with more depth and complexity. I definitely get the black tea, but the pumpkin does march in and assert itself quickly, with a bit of support from the cinnamon and cardamon.

An interesting fall blend. Thanks for the opportunity!

This came my way before we realized that the reason my allergies were going insane was that I am allergic to apple. As such, I do want to still be able to try a sip, but we’re going to be relying a little bit more on my husband’s tastebuds for this one!

The dry blend is very, very chunky and looks like it’s nearly entirely dried fruit. In appearance it is very similar to the other Teavivre fruit tisanes we’ve sampled.

Teaware: 16oz travel mug
Measured dry: Contents of sample, approx. 3-1/2tsp
Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 8min
Additives 4tsp raw sugar

My little sip is yielding a very rich, juicy hot drink. The rosehips and apple are the most prominent, with the pineapple and orange in more of a supporting and layering role.

Jake’s take on this is that it reminds him an awful lot of sugar plums. He says the elements are blending together in such a way that they create a new flavor experience, something very different from what they would taste like on their own.

We ordered 250g of this during one of their web specials, and I was a little shocked at how heavy it was… and how little tea you actually get at that weight. There was more than double the amount of the other tea, and this one looks a lot more like a very dried fruit-heavy trail mix.

This wasn’t my first attempt making this tea, but I guess I just forgot to write a tasting note for it… maybe that’s because we attempted to make iced tea with it, and it turned out more like fruit juice. The first time I made it, the flavors were too light, so I over-compensated. I tried to find a better balance this time:

Teaware: 16oz travel mug
Measured dry: 3-1/2tsp
Temperature: 200º F
Steeping Time: 4min
Additives 4tsp raw sugar

The flavor is still a bit light, but I think this is the best so far. The cranberry has developed a much richer flavor than the first time I made it, and some of the additional notes are sounding off.

Oh, no. I forgot to check this one for apple.

I thought I had gone through them all!

Well, I’m off to go find some Benadryl. I think my husband is going to have to enjoy the rest of this one. Stupid allergies.

Update: Okay, found the Benadryl. Now that I think about it, the apple was a pretty strong undertone to the cranberry in the overall flavor. The cinnamon and anise notes were more understated, but unlike my previous attempts at making this tea, they were a lot better with this preparation. I couldn’t taste the green tea at all, but I’m not surprised by that much. Some of the DAVIDsTEA and Teavana blends are so heavy on the blend-ins that they lose touch with the base, and that is unquestioningly the case here.

Wow… I followed the steeping instructions (1tsp/8oz, boiling, with a 3min steep), but this is just bad.

Each sip is leaving me wincing, and the astringency is off-the-charts. I’m not getting gingerbread here… I’m getting a bitter cup that needs to be dumped. My poor tongue feels numb with a slightly cinnamon aftertaste.

There is absolutely no joy in this cup, and it’s going down the drain.

I’m not even sure if this tea is worth posting to the Take It Away thread. I picked up a couple other Adagio samples to put in a gift basket for a co-worker, and I’m starting to think that would be the absolute worst way to get someone interested in loose leaf.