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Finishing this box of tea is bittersweet. Every cup has been a pleasure, whether hot or cold. The pineapple flavor really stands out—it’s bright, sweet, and refreshing, but also incredibly comforting. On a freezing day like today, it felt especially soothing. I’ve never had green tea blended with pineapple before, but it’s such a natural combination that I’m surprised I haven’t come across it sooner. I will have to keep my eyes open for other pineapple teas and give them a try.

Trying the first caffeinated option in my Tea Forte sampler. Once again, I’m hoping that this is the correct Steepster entry, as the label on my box is simply “Vanilla Chai” versus “Vanilla Veda Chai.” I don’t know why there is such a discrepancy in names between the Steepster entries and what I have listed on the box, but until I can confirm otherwise, I will assume the ones listed here are correct.

This tea was very pleasant! I love me a good vanilla chai, and this one was every bit as good as your average pick. I have had better, but there’s much to enjoy here nevertheless. I am getting prominent notes of the vanilla and there’s a distinct clove flavor as well. I never ever put milk into my teas (yes, I know I’m probably missing out), but this one feels like it would pair really well with a splash of milk. Maybe someday I will try it, but not today.

Happy Sunday to everyone, the RealFeel here is -14*F, so stay warm!

It’s finally the weekend! After a long, grueling week of work, I’m excited to try one of my new caffeinated teas.

This is from yet another sampler pack I picked up at HomeGoods. I really enjoy English Breakfast blends, so I had high hopes for this one. And, while the tea was fine, it didn’t meet my expectations. There was a lack of depth of flavor which was disappointing. I usually want my EB blends to have a really deep and rich taste, and this one just felt sort of watered down and lackluster. I can’t even pick out any flavors to list here…it’s kind of just plain black tea.

Hopefully I will find a better blend in this sampler pack.

This is the last new herbal tea I have in my Tea Forte sampler box. Again, just taking a guess that this is the correct Steepster entry, because the actual name on my tea pyramid is just “Turmeric Chai.” But the photo here and the ingredients seem to line up.

Probably my second favorite of the 3 herbals. I get lots of cardamom and some ginger and turmeric, but there are also very pleasant notes of clove and licorice. The flavor of clove is very nostalgic for me, so this tea made for an interesting trip down memory lane. Overall a very enjoyable blend.

I love all things earl grey, and really all things bergamot in general. This tea has a lot of great qualities, and extra points for being caffeine-free so that I can enjoy it in the evening.

Visually, this tea is gorgeous. The little specs of blue cornflowers are delightful to look at. I did notice that it’s about time I invested in a better quality infuser, as my current ones allow a good portion of the finely ground loose leaf tea to simply fall into the water. If anyone has any recommendations, drop them in the comments.

The taste is great! Plenty of bergamot, but the rooibos profile is definitely not to be dismissed. I agree with some of the other descriptions that were listed: wet wood, root beer, anise (as an aside, I noticed that “wet dog” is one of the flavors in our database…I hope I never have to use it in one of these reviews). These are all great descriptors that work well with this tea. There is some orange/citrus as well that’s quite lovely.

I don’t often comment on the mouthfeel of teas, but I will say that this one felt particularly silky.

I enjoyed everything about this tea thoroughly and look forward to drinking it again.

Finishing the last of this box and I’m quite disappointed by that. Work has been super stressful and I like to enjoy the calming effects of this tea, placebo or otherwise.

The taste is very pleasant. I am getting some of the lemon peel, a slight hint of the licorice root, and the most subtle notes of cardamom. Combined, there’s a slightly medicinal flavor but without being too in-your-face about it.

If I can remember where I bought this, I’ll likely opt to purchase another box.

Going to assume that this is the correct entry for this tea, because my set names this as a Ginger Chai, not Ginger Guru Chai. Their website doesn’t seem to list anything other than Ginger Guru Chai, so until I know better, I’ll be leaving this review here.

This tea packs quite a powerful punch! I am instantly getting a ton of pepper, cardamom, and of course ginger. And wow, the more I drink this, the stronger the ginger seems to get. I can feel it slightly burning and tingling my throat. Another sip – damn, it’s straight up liquid ginger. I want to taste more of the other flavors, but everything is largely overwhelmed by the GINGER. SO. MUCH. GINGER. I enjoy a ginger tea, but this is too much. I ended up actually struggling to finish this cup, my throat actually burned with every sip. GINGER.

I am a HUGE sucker for HomeGoods and funny enough, every time I go there, I buy almost exclusively food/bev. Their selection of unique, artisan, organic treats and teas is a huge reason why I never leave empty-handed. This time I picked up a sampler box of Tea Forte and we’re starting off strong with this flavor.

But first, I have to make a special mention of the delightful packaging. The tea sachets are enveloped in these adorable little cardboard pyramids, and the sachets themselves hang within the cup on the cutest little leaf holders. I do enjoy really nice aesthetic packaging, and this was muah chef’s kiss.

Okay, moving on to the tea itself. When I first began steeping, the scent was immediately pleasant and strong. Chai, but of the more herbal variety, if that makes sense. The taste…wow! So nice! I am definitely getting some of the apple. I don’t think I’ve ever had a red chai before, but this mixed with the pink pepper made for SUCH a pleasant flavor! It’s like…fruity, herbal chai, but without compromising all of the things you’d typically love about a chai.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this tea and I look forward to trying their other flavors!

I bought a set of 12 Days of Christmas teas, kind of like an advent calendar thing, but completely neglected to open it until, well, today. Better late than never. The holidays and work completely took up the majority of my time and attention.

Starting off on a fairly average note here – this tea was…fine, good even, but largely unremarkable. There are notes of slightly bitter, almost matcha-like flavors, but the overall taste is nice. I expected something a little stronger. I wouldn’t buy this particular tea again, but I’m optimistic that there will be some better brews coming up in the box.