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Steeped: 1 tbsp in my 2-cup pot with freshly boiled water

First Cup: Steeped 4-4.5 minutes
Ok. Apparently this tea requires a very low steeping time. While the package says 3-5 minutes, this already feels a bit overdone. Rather than coming off creamy, it seems rather flowery and a little bitter for it. Going to try it with milk and see how that goes

Second cup: Same steep. Steeped 25-30 minutes, added milk
Yes, it tastes a whole lot better with milk. This isn’t surprising for various reasons. First, milk is generally wonderful at cutting through bitterness in oversteeped tea. Second, I find teas with vanilla pretty much always taste better with milk to add to their creaminess. I’m sure there are exceptions, but I don’t think I’ve met them yet.

Third cup: Same steep. Steeped 30-35 minutes, added milk and honey.
Oddly, I don’t think the honey makes much of a difference to the flavour. However, I’m sure that it is the perfect compliment if added sweetness is necessary, as its floweriness matches well with the cornflowers in the tea itself.

Fourth cup: Resteep. Steeped 5 minutes. Clear.
Flavours no longer bitter, but very muted. Drinkable but delicate. I can taste the vanilla and get its smoothness more now.

Fifth cup: Same resteep, 25 or so minutes.
Flavour a little stronger now. Finally a cup that tastes more or less like I like my earl greys. Could still do with being a little stronger, but not bad at all. We’ll see how the last of this steep is.

Sixth cup: Same resteep, 40-60 minutes (I lost track)
Not bad. Tried adding honey after a few sips to see if it would brighten the flavour, but somehow it ended up hindering it instead. Worked better with the milk.

Overall impression: There are some earl grey blends that I love, and some that I don’t. This, unfortunately, is closer to the latter end of the spectrum. It wasn’t bad by any means, and I may change my mind after steeping it for a lower time, but right now… it’s off my list of Best Earl Greys Ever.

My rating: 71%. B- It was going to be a C+ based on the original steep, but the further resteeps gave it a bit of a reprieve. Judging by other reviews, I do think I may change my rating after trying it with a lower initial steep time. However, I’ve had this and a few similar teas before, and haven’t quite found them to be my thing, so it could also be that. I generally prefer a more basic earl grey or a fruity play on the classic overall.

There are some teas, especially black teas, with a strong, rich flavour. In my experience thus far, they tend to be caramel-y back teas, though strong-brewed straight black also qualifies. These are teas that taste best with milk, and maybe a little sugar or honey as well. Something about having a robust tea like this in a big mug… somehow makes the tea. They just… don’t fit with the delicate nature of a teacup, and even a regular mug seems a mis-match. But in a big mug, like, the kind with a thick edge that can easily hold two regular cups of tea? They absolutely thrive.

You can tell what these big mug teas are at first sip. They’re strong, robust and heady. They’ve got a bold flavour and require a bold vessel to carry them in order to feel complete, just like they need the creaminess of the milk and perhaps a hint of sweetness just to round out the flavour and make it into something extraordinary. These teas aren’t ruined by the additions like their daintier cousins. No. They’re enhanced by them, and become magnificent — truly their own.

They especially go well with hot cinnamon buns, but unfortunately I’m lacking at these in the time. Oh well.

However, as you’ll notice, I discovered while drinking my tea today, that it was a big mug tea. The log actually goes through my discovery of the fact, so bear with me if it seems repetitive. I thought of putting this bit at the bottom, but I figured I’d be best explaining myself up front rather than after, plus it adds a sense of consistency to my writing.

With that said, let’s get to the tea!

Brewed: 1tbsp in my 2-cup pot

First cup: Brewed 5 minutes
Before I even brewed the tea, I had a smell of it, it was very rich and heady. This scent certainy comes through in the tea’s brewed flavour as well. It’s very rich, musky, and, actually, a bit salty and bitter, even though it was only brewed for 5 minutes (with a 4-7 minute brewing reccommendation). I’ve got a feeling that this would taste better with milk. Actually… it may taste best as a big mug tea. I’ll have to try that sometime….

Second cup: same steep, brewed for around 40 minutes. Milk and honey added.
While I’m sure it’s oversteeped by now, it’s not bad with the milk and honey. Still rather strong in flavour, though it’s mainly up front. There’s a musky aftertaste, but the strength is mainly right upon the tea hitting my mouth. And I still definitely think this tea would work best in a big mug.

3rd cup — resteep, brewed for 30-40 minutes and poured into BIG MUG with milk
Yes, this is DEFINITELY a big mug tea. And, ok, I kind of forgot I was making this, but with the milk, and the fact that it’s a second steep, it doesn’t taste overdone at all. If anything, I wish the flavour was a little stronger. Still, quite good, and still very musky. A decent second steep for sure, and definitely worth the big mug.

4th cup — re-resteep, brewed for around 30 minutes again, and again taken in BIG MUG with milk
Weaker, more delicate, but still a passable big mug tea.

My overall impression: Bold. Heady. Musty. In almost all the right ways. The flavour combination isn’t quite my favourite, but it’s still quite decent. I think I’d prefer something a little sweeter and less salty. Still, a decent cup of tea.

My rating: 79%. Again. A decent cuppa, good and solid. But it’s not… quite to my tastes. It’s a good big mug tea, that’s for sure, but I’ve had better. So it stays off my to-stock list and my A list, but it remains a solid choice overall, for sure.

First cup: Steeped 5 minutes
The cinnamon is the strongest note, with the various spices also rounding out the flavour. I don’t notice the coconut as much (it’s there, but not one of the major notes I’m noticing), but as I’m not a huge fan of it anyway so that’s just as well by me. I can tell that this would taste better with milk and sugar (the way that chai is really supposed to be enjoyed) but it’s not a bad cup on its own either.

Second cup: Same steep, around 25 minutes. Milk and 1 tsp sugar added.
Definitely better with the milk and sugar — more rounded out. The sweetness balances out the spice blend wonderfully.

Third cup: Same steep, around 35 minutes. Milk and Sugar added.
Ok, this is more of a half-cup. (The pot makes 2 cups clear, 3 with milk.) Cooled down a bit as well. The spices are very strong. Not off-putting, but strong, nonetheless. Makes me wonder how this would work if used to spice some sweet cider…. I bet that would be good. I may have to try it sometime.

The spices definitely leave an aftertaste, but thankfully not a bad one. I suppose it more speaks to just how strong the spices were in the first place.

Fourth cup: Resteeped. Milk and sugar added. Steeped for around 10 minutes.
The spices are still coming through very strongly, and I can taste the coconut more, I think.

The second half of the resteep went to my mother, who quite enjoyed it.

I also did a third steep. In general, it wasn’t bad, but the flavours were starting to mellow — the spices were starting to lose their power, and it needed to be clear to really be enjoyable.

My overall impression: Not the best chai that I’ve ever drank, but certainly not bad either. I know my mom likes this one quite a bit as well — she enjoys a good cup of chai and can’t drink much caffeine, so it’s perfect for her. Myself… I’d probably go with a different one if given the chance, so it wouldn’t be a staple for me, but I’m glad it’s there as it’s a solid non-caffeinated backup.

My rating: 79% B+. Definitely a good, solid tea. Not quite at the A level, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Brewed: 1.5 tsp put in tea bag. Brewed in-cup with water left for a minute or two after boiling.

First cup: Brewed for around 4.5 minutes
Well, this is odd. I’m used to this tea oversteeping and becoming too strong, hence my decision to brew it in-cup. However, I seem to have had the opposite problem today: it’s not as strong as it should be at all. This is, however, the appropriate amount of tea for the amount of water I’m using. Perhaps I should have let it brew longer or else put in a bit more tea.

Second cup: Resteeped for 10-15 minutes
Still not as strong as I’d like, but not horrible. I can taste everything, it’s just… not as strong as I’d like it. That being said, I’m still terribly in love with this tea’s flavour profile. Woodsy from the roasted maté and chicory root, chocolate-almond deliciousness, and then a hint of sweet-fruitiness from the raspberry. Seriously. I’m in love with this tea. Just not this steep, which is barely showing off what this tea has to offer.

Third cup: Re-resteeped over dinner
Well, as a third steep, I’m not surprised that it’s echoing the flavours, though the longer steep definitely allowed some of them to come through. The woodsiness is still coming through decently, as is the hint of sweetness from the raspberry. Probably no better or worse than I’d expect a third steep to be with most teas.

My overall impression: I’m disappointed by this steep. I love this tea, but I probably wouldn’t have bought it again if this was my first impression of the tea. While I liked the flavour, it was always far too weak for me, even though I tried following the manufacturer’s directions.

Next time, I’ll put in a bit of extra tea for the pot/cup, and definitely up the brewing time to the full five minutes. Hopefully it will like that plan better than it did my execution this afternoon.

My rating: B- 73%. I love the flavour, but it was far too weak to get the proper taste.

My overall rating for this tea: Closer to high 80s or low 90s. I’m going to say 89 for argument’s sake, but I reserve the right to alter this after I have a proper cup of this again.

Brewed: 1 tbsp of tea brewed loose in 2-cup pot with freshly boiled water.

First cup: Brewed for 5 minutes
The flavour has a bit of a dry quality to it, I think it’s between the coconut flakes and the vanilla… though I think (in mentally comparing it to DAVIDsTEA’s old Irish Cream tea) I can pick out the flavour (or at least the astringency) of the cornflowers.

Second cup: Same steep, approx 25 minutes brewed.
The flavours are stronger, though it doesn’t seem bitter-oversteeped. That being said I added milk to it after a few sips anyway. The addition gave it a rather smooth quality, and definitely brought out the butter part of the “buttered rum”.

Third cup: Resteep (a few hours later), approx 10 minutes brewed
Tastes rather watered down. Drinkable, but not something I’d really go after. So, more of a one-steep wonder. (I may try adding a black teabag to the resteep next time and see if that adds enough body while still letting a hint of flavour come through….)

Fourth cup: Same resteep, longer brewing time
Flavour stronger now (thankfully), but still not quite right with me. Still a little astringent, and coconut seems very predominant.

My overall impression: Not bad. Not great — I prefer teas that can steep better the second time, and while the flavour certainly wasn’t unappealing, it wasn’t something I would go out of my way for either. This isn’t surprising though, I’m generally not one for coconut when given the choice, or alcoholic beverages for that matter (though as with everything, there are exceptions….) I’ve also heard that this goes really well with some sugar. I’ll try that again, and may adjust my ratings/feelings if I find it better that way. But still, not bad overall.

My rating: B- 72%. Certainly passable, but not something I’d go out of my way for. May be far better enjoyed by a more rum-loving audience than I.