Harney & Sons

This is a really nice Assam. I’d actually never had an Assam tea/blend straight before. I’ve always made it with milk and/or with sweetener. This was malty, bready, sweet, and cozy… especially with the oddly cold weather we’ve been having in NY.

This is another sample. It’s good, not my favorite but it’s nice. A little unseasonably cold today so maybe that’s part of it… I’m definitely craving something cozy and warm rather than this cold brew.

This is another from the sampler I received as a very kind gift. I really like this one, I was pretty shocked by the other tasting notes for this blend. I thought that it was bright, creamy, had a little spice going…. I really liked it and will grab some the next time I head to the Millerton location. I do understand that its not a traditional chai, it does miss some of the other spices other than a bit of cinnamon and clove. So I’d call it rooibos spice maybe, but I do enjoy it!

I really like darjeeling teas, I honestly don’t know why I don’t have any other than this sample. It’s more of a, I know I love them… I just don’t realize I want them until they’re in front of my face. That needs to change, I do need to get more. That being said, this smelled sweet and floral right off the bat which I was really excited for and this tea did not disappoint. It’s sweet, floral, and a little malty. I love it!

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve been on here. My cupboard is down to about 18 teas aside from a sachet sampler I got as a gift from a friend. I am hard-core sipping down because most of my teas were old and need new refills soon so… why not. Plus, I’m down-sizing and figuring out which are absolute staples since I may be moving in the next year or two. Since that is the case, I want to minimize the craziness despite life being chaotic lately. TLDR: Life is a mess, but at least the cupboard isn’t.

On to the tea… despite loving the smell of it, Hot Cinnamon Spice is not a tea that I gravitate towards very often. In the past, I didn’t like it very much and getting the chance to revisit it in a sample… its still a love hate relationship. I like the tea for the first few sips, but there’s a strange sweetness that creeps in that is almost nauseating and I can’t keep drinking it. Although, I did find that it is nice mixed in with espresso or as a latte sooo…. by itself I give it a 70, with an addition… 85?

I had this hot instead of iced, but it came in a large teabag packet (like 9 × 9 cm or so) and inside was a silkish sachet.

This is an ok green. There is some vegetal bitterness and some citrus peel flavour. I don’t get a lot of ginkgo but I can taste things other than just the green tea. It has that herb cupboard dried citron peel (not fresh zest) vibe to it (almost dusty pomelo ish). I enjoyed trying it but would not drink it again.

TTB! This is pretty good! The black tea is hearty, and the peach is bright and juicy. A little simple, but not bad at all.

Nice to have while I have it.

Not as apple-y as higher quality chamomile, so I probably won’t repurchase this one.

Steepster 2025 TTB Tea

Unfortunately the bag of this had a hole in it and most of the tea had falled out, leaving me with only about 1/2 tsp of leaf. But it was a smooth milk hcocolate creamy tea because I brewed it very hot and added a touch of vanilla soy milk. I did not get any hazelnut or nutty notes, but got a creamy chocolate that I was happy with.

Sipdown

Mostly Ashman’s tea but I did have a small pot for breakfast one day. This is a very TEA tasting tea, perfectly serviceable and good and great for breakfast and midday sipping.

TTB! This was much more mildly flavored than I would have hoped. Cold, I could taste a bit of an EG vibe, but not much.

Decent surprise. I got it at the recommendation on here along with the True Blue Oolong. I have been pretty tame in my oolong purchases lately, and figured I’d like this one. The aroma smells like Horchata instantly opening the tin, and waftes heavily of nutty vanilla and cinnamon.

Tasting it, it’s a on the thinner side. Aroma still great, the oolong is a bit overpowered by the cinnamon for me personally, but there’s a definite rice and vanilla note too in a generally nutty profile. The liquor is a little bit more darker yellow/brown than I expected in part from the cinnamon, and the oolong is a little darker than I expected overall, but still on the greener side. Rebrewed faintly.

I do like it, but I’m not sure about rating. I think a little bit of sugar or rice milk/almond milk might make this taste better, but I’m fairly pleased with it.

Steepster TTB 2025

Yes, this is my first time trying this one! Chocolate teas are not my favorite, and this blend has the typical thin, artificial, almost sour flavor I associate with them. That said, the hazelnut flavor is pretty nice, and the cup is going down easier than expected.

I did not expect to like this tea this much.

I saw it when I was stocking up on Vanilla Comoro which serves as the base for my summer “soda” syrup. Superanna loves horchata so I was mainly getting it for her, planning to try one sachet and pass it on to her. This I will do, but I think this will be on a future order of my order.

The main thing I have to say about it is that the cinnamon is perfection for me. This is just the right level, and is pretty much the type and amount I remember being in Heirloom Bartlett Pear. It gives the same warm and cozy feeling.

The toasted rice doesn’t come off as burned popcorn. The oolong is so light it is almost like a white tea base. The vanilla and milk flavors are sooo creamy.

I love this just as it is, but if you really wanted to add milk and sugar (I am usually disappointed when I add anything to tea) I bet it would be good. In fact, I may try it that way ice cold.

Feels like I have had this tea a million times. I keep getting free samples of it. Harney loves giving little samples of their green tea. And I definitely appreciate it, but I do wish they would provide more variety in the samples. I’ve had it a couple times and I’m to a fan…maybe it’s the combo of coconut and ginger. It’s better cold but I still don’t really like it. Not for me.

Here we are, trying the 3rd Day of Christmas tea in my advent calendar. At this rate, I might finish all 12 by the time Christmas actually rolls around.

Positives: Pleasant bergamot aromas combine nicely with the fruit and vanilla. Everything works together well, but it does bring me to the Negatives: Too artificial. Even though it says there are “natural” flavors, the overall combination still feels kind of fake and forced.

There’s something of an assam aftertaste as well, which is a bit odd. Altogether, I enjoyed this tea, but I very much wish it tasted more natural.

I’m not a big fan of white tea, but I like to try a new one every now and again. When I first started drinking it, I over brewed it..but I started paying attention and there was one time where I got the loveliest apricot notes. The rest of the time, it’s been forgettable and average. I don’t know how or why I got on magical cup. But not really worth the time or money…

2025 TTB #23

This didn’t really taste like tiramisu, but it did have a pleasant, light chocolate and vanilla flavor, with the hojicha adding a bit of nuttiness and depth.

The aroma of the leaves was so fantastic I was shocked by how boring I found it. I brewed it at the recommended temperature, three minute time, and (more or less) correct water amount. But it was so dull I swear I must have done something wrong. I left the tea bag in for half an hour and after that it was somewhat drinkable. I will be attempting it again. If it doesn’t improve with further testing, I suppose I’m just not a white tea fan :(

Tasting Note 3,500!

I think it is really fun that a benchmark note is landing on a special tea – in this case, my birthday present from my bestie, Melissa, a little early.

We are big strawberry tea fans over here, with black and green versions usually on shelf. I don’t know that I have ever had a strawberry oolong, though.

This is a great tin for gifting because it is so festive looking. The front of the pink tin is rather fancy and ornate, posh if you will. The back is very cute, featuring a simple strawberry milkshake topped with whipped cream, blushing and smiling with eyes closed. Would this be called kawaii?

The aroma is almost confusing because you don’t expect the authentic smell of scented milk oolong mixed with strawberries and cream. Well, I didn’t.

I had this with breakfast and decided to do several tests. How is it as a true resteeper, not combining steeps? How does it best pair? I usually pair with contrast rather than similarity. I had Good Seed bread by Dave’s Killer Bread, toasted and buttered. A small bit was plain, and bit was smeared with Fortnum & Mason Strawberry Jam, and a big portion was smeared with Bonne Maman Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.

First the tea – unmistakeable that this is oolong, you are not going to be fooled that it is a green tea with strawberry. The ingredients list milk flavor so I am assuming this is a scented or flavored milk oolong. First steep was 190F for three minutes and the strawberry is fairly light. Taste is unchanged when having plain buttered toast. Strawberry jam just sort of carried that berry sense across without enhancing it. Hazelnut chocolate spread was the winner by far. The chocolate contrasts sharply with the tea and added flavors making the strawberry AND the vanilla pop much more. At this point, I feel like there is surely a bowl of strawberries and cream somewhere on the table because that is what my brain is interpreting this as now.

For the second steep, which was without food, I kept the same steeping parameters. The tea is definitely strong enough to resteep even if you are not combining and the milk oolong personality comes out even more. There is still a hint of strawberry and the vanilla may be showing up a little more now because of the fading of the strawberry.

Don’t expect a KAPOW thick and sweet strawberry shake. I don’t think this would make a good dessert-replacement latte. If you add sugar it might enhance the strawberry shake vibe but we generally don’t add sugar and I liked it as it is – a subtle strawberries and cream milk oolong is my best description. Marvelous with chocolate.

Since a Harney and Sons sample bag contains more than just one serving of leaves, I got to perform a second experiment on this one back on Monday. I had to drive for a really long time on Monday – 140 miles round trip; it was supposed to take three hours, and I was very proud of myself when it really only took four, as I am not exactly God’s gift to vehicle usage – so I decided to make up the rest of the sample and try it out with a very light drizzle of honey in my glass water bottle I just got.

Brewing went well, pouring went well…and then I merrily sailed out of the door without picking up the bottle. Naturally. Ah, well. I guess I get to find out something of what it would taste like as an iced tea, then!

My first thought was “milder”, though I can’t say whether this was due to the honey or the temperature. The honey did seem to stay mixed, though, so I’m confident I at least didn’t overload it. It was pleasant and not as dramatically flavorful as the original, hot version, but would have made a nice thing to sip on during the horrors of my attempt to get both into and out of Atlanta alive on the same day. On the swallow, it also assumed an interestingly spicy note that it hadn’t had before. Still wouldn’t buy a full tin, I don’t think, but the next time Harney has samples of black Gulou available, I might grab another to compare, just based on the breadth of behavior seen from this one sample bag.

This tea, I fear, did not receive care nearly as good as it probably deserved. Specifically, it sat in a Harney’s sample bag for…???? I really have no idea, but it’s longer than it should have. Still, at least those things are opaque and pretty airtight, so such a bag is hopefully not the worst storage the leaves could have endured.

When I opened the bag, I was immediately hit by a rush of nostalgia. I don’t know how to describe it, but whenever I’ve ever opened one of those little black Harney and Sons sample packets containing any sort of unflavored black tea, there’s always initially been virtually the same smell. Good thing it’s a pleasant smell! The dry leaf, as you can see in my not-quite-seven-ounce glass teapot pictured in the tea image, was pretty but not especially distinctive.

I was making this tea on my ‘day off,’ away from my usual setup, so I had to time the three minutes on my phone. At first sip, all I could think of was “Keemun.” It wasn’t as winey, and lacked as strong of a certain indescribable note I call the “Keemun Edge,” but it was strikingly similar to my memories of Keemun. Keemun with less wine and Edge is, for me, a good thing, since I dislike wine and the “Keemun Edge” makes me feel inexplicably queasy after about one cup, but the resemblance to Keemun – a certain multigrain bread note underneath something sharpish and liquidy; yes, I know this is not a great description – was strong enough that I decided to do a little quick-googling to find out if they were from the same province. This specific Gulou is long gone from the Harney and Sons website, but they had some other Gulous, so I was able to confirm the tea is probably from Hunan Province. Another google, because I really have forgotten almost as much as I ever knew, revealed that Keemun is from Anhui Province, so nope, they aren’t from the same province. Time for a bit more google….

Just pulling up a provincial political map of China, I…initially took a really long time to find Hunan, to the point that I had to check that it didn’t have any alternative spellings. Eventually, though, I found it, and it is not adjacent to Anhui Province. Anhui is further north, and parts of two other, side-by-side provinces – Hubei and Jiangxi – stand between it and Hunan. Since the resemblance between the two really was striking, though, I googled around some more to find an elevation map. I couldn’t immediately find one with the provincial lines laid out over the topography, but by using the Sichuan Basin and the coastline as guideposts, I managed to make what felt like a reasonably plausible guess about which bits of the topographical map were Anhui and Hunan. If I’m right about where they are, then they share almost the exact same, very low elevation, just above sea level, so I suppose that plus proximity could contribute a lot to the two teas’ similarity.

I drank this a few days ago, so I can’t comment on the exact color, which only survives in a photograph taken for a tumblr review which the Internet ate. Thanks for that, Internet. It looks like it was a pretty, clear medium brown, though. Since it was a Chinese tea, I decided on a whim to try resteeping the leaves for a while, which is when I noticed that the wet leaves smelled remarkably much like Cadbury Egg! This was a good thing from my point of view, as I am very, very partial to Cadbury Eggs every spring. For this second steeping, I left the tea to its own devices for as long as it took me to walk around the house to the basement, unload the dryer, reload the dryer with wet clothes from the washer, and then put more dirty clothes in the washer. This was at least five minutes, probably a bit longer. When I poured the second cup, the color was exactly the same as the first, though now with bubbles around the edges for some reason. As I drank the tea, it retained strong flavors that were pretty distinct from each other – more distinct from each other than they were in the first cup, really. I got a bit of chocolate (sadly, not the sweet Cadbury kind, but chocolate) and a lot of that multigrain bread impression. Unfortunately, I also started really tasting the Keemun Edge on this one, so I didn’t attempt a third steeping. The leaves felt like they were close to ‘done’ anyway, though, and 12oz of a Keemun-like taste without feeling sick seemed like a reasonable amount of tea to get out of one spoonful of leaves. It’s not something I think I’d buy a whole tin of, but it was pleasant enough for special-tea Saturday, anyway.