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A silver needle white tea blended with plenty of flower petals. This one has a lovely jasmine scent, both in dry form and after brewing. There’s also the slightest hint of rose. In terms of flavor, this is a superbly light and smooth jasmine tea, with a bit of fruit flavor contributing to what I suppose is the “tropical” feel. The white tea base is of good quality and has a hay-like note, evoking a sunlit sort of feeling.

A good jasmine tea with a light touch always reminds me of summer in China, and this one was nice to have on a warm afternoon. To be honest, I’m not sure how well the tropical concept of the blend succeeded here—I’m not getting much from the lemongrass, or other additions. But on sheer enjoyability this is getting a high rating anyway. Thanks beelicious!

Thank you beelicious for another sample from Banff Tea Co which I would otherwise never have heard of! This one consists of tightly wound pearls of dark green oolong, and pieces of coconut. The coconut has been tinted green from storage with the oolong, which scared me a little at first. But upon checking the description, there were no other ingredients or additives, so it’s just… chlorophyll? Probably wouldn’t hurt.

The aroma of this one, both before and after brewing, is fresh, sweet coconut. It reminds me more of coconut milk or coconut water, instead of preserved pieces! The tea brews up to be very light in color. Upon tasting, the coconut note floats to the top, almost light and airy. The oolong base is excellent; I haven’t had much experience with milk oolongs but this must be one. It’s naturally creamy in a way that complements the coconut perfectly. A little leafy, and definitely fragrant, but not at all floral unlike other green oolongs. Very happy to have tried this one!

This one has the sweet, mellow aroma and flavor of preserved fruits, mainly raisin (though it also reminds me a little of plum). I always enjoy a good black tea with a naturally fruity undertone, and this is no exception. The tea is brisk but smooth, and the color of the brew is quite dark. Thanks again to beelicious!

The smell of this one is really enticing, a strong whiff of coffee and caramel that makes it hard to believe I’m actually brewing tea. The tea itself is lighter in color as well as body than I anticipated. The coffee flavoring is not particularly strong, but lingers in the background as a sort of fragrant, roasted, slightly bitter note. The tea base has a sort of malty, fuzzy quality, which might be where the “cake” part of the coffee cake is supposed to come from. I get a bit of caramel sweetness, but not the fruit that has been described. Overall, it’s a much milder experience than coffee (as expected!). Thanks to beelicious for the sample!

A red rooibos blend with yellow flower petals. The Mariage Frères version of vanilla rooibos is still fresh in my memory, so I can’t help comparing the two. This one has a similar vanilla aroma, and brews to a slightly less scary red color. In terms of flavor, it’s typical red rooibos, woodsy and warming, with a touch of vanilla cream. The MF version set a pretty high standard with the quality of both the rooibos and vanilla, and comparatively this one is not as rich or complex, but it’s still decent and enjoyable.

The cold evening calls for more tea, but I’d better stick to herbals as I have to get up early tomorrow!

200th tasting note, and a lovely tea for a rainy day!

I’m very happy to try this sample from beelicious. Having enjoyed several WP offerings in the past, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with one of their black tea blends. This one has dark spindly leaves and a rich, cocoa-and-malt aroma. Brewed up, it’s harmonious and smooth, with that “fuzzy”, almost textured malty undertone that I’ve come to know and love. I can’t quite decide what it reminds me of yet—this is a complex tea that will take much exploration. There’s a lighter, fruity accompaniment to it as well. It’s a blend that is both invigorating and soothing, and while I might love Second Breakfast and North Winds just a little bit more, I enjoyed this one highly as well.

From the Book of Tea. Vivid green sencha with a rich, almost creamy dry aroma. The brewed tea is light yellow-green, with a buttery mouthfeel to it. Fresh, vegetal notes, reminiscent of spinach and peas. A slight bitter undertone that isn’t unpleasant. There is very little of the nori/seaweed note found in some senchas. While it’s not a tea I’d get excited about, it’s a solid offering of its kind.

Second try after yesterday’s attempt made a very lovely-smelling but not at all tea-like brew. Added a bit more leaf (1.5 tsp) and a touch of coconut sugar. It’s better and the flavors are still quite authentic, but the tea base remains tepid and hesitant to come through. I think I’m comfortable with rating this now—it’s ok but I don’t think it has the potential to shine.

Tried this again side-by-side with another Cream of Earl Grey (DAVIDsTEA) and I’m increasing the rating. There’s just something very delectable about the creamy aspect of this tea, I’ve never had anything quite like it.

This morning I wanted to try this sample from beelicious, while comparing it to the other Cream of Earl Grey I had on hand (from Tealated). This one has darker tea leaves visually, as well as a sharper bergamot aroma with less creaminess. I brewed up both teas, and this one is amazingly smooth. It really has a silky mouthfeel. The tea base is quite good and has a stonefruit sweetness, which I appreciate because some DAVIDs blends are too heavy on the flavoring for the tea base to really come through. This one is even organic.

So far, so good…but I don’t really taste the bergamot and cream, especially compared to the newer Tealated blend. Possibly this is an older sample or the flavors have faded in transit and storage. So, no rating or proper comparison yet, but I have a feeling I’ll like it if I order it in the future.