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Tea #4 from Another Traveling Tea Box

This tea had a bit of a fruity smell, so I was worried that there may have been some cross contamination. Luckily, the fruitiness didn’t carry over into the taste. When hot, the flavors were all a bit muted. The mint was a bit too weak, but came out more when the tea cooled. The rooibos base was not as flavorful as I would have liked, but this was still a pretty solid cup of tea.

Tea #3 from Another Traveling Tea Box

I would definitely buy this if Frank ever decides to reblend it. The flavors are all very well balanced. The sip starts with marshmallow and has a malty finish. The mint did not overpower the flavors at all. I LOVE the marshmallow. It adds so much sweetness with a bit of creaminess.

The second steep lacked the malt notes and the marshmallow mellowed out a bit. The flavor was a lot more like a creamy, minty green tea.

Tea #2 from Another Traveling Tea Box

I was surprised by how good the dry leaf looked. There were a mixture of large, broad leaves and long needles. The smell was pleasant, though not identifiable. After steeping, the tea smelled and tasted like a mild cucumber water. The tea base was quite smooth, but not that flavorful. The second steep was completely flavorless.

I would love to sample more cucumber white teas, but I don’t feel the need to try this one again.

Tea #1 from Another Traveling Tea Box

I was in a rush to get to a meeting, so I rummaged through the teabags in the box and found this gem. I didn’t read the ingredients before opening it, and was pleasantly surprised to smell sage. The savory smell reminded me a bit Thanksgiving stuffing.

The flavor was extremely interesting. The sage completely overpowered the cardamom, so I wouldn’t consider this a successful chai. However, it certainly was a damn tasty tea.

This came as a free sample along with my awesome new Nordic leaf mug (seriously, it has to be the coolest mug ever). I don’t think I would have ever picked this tea for myself, so I’m really glad to have gotten the chance to try it out. I’m seriously thinking about purchasing it if it ever goes on sale.

I was a little disappointed that there weren’t any actual pistachios in the sample, but the pistachio flavor turned out to be quite convincing. The dry leaf had a very nutty smell, but smelled a bit too strongly of alcohol. Once steeped, the smell was absolutely delicious— nutty and creamy. The pistachio flavor was at the forefront with a bit of a vanilla finish.

I don’t know what the chamomile brought to the table. As someone who does not enjoy chamomile in the slightest, I can’t say I’m disappointed that its taste was nowhere to be found.

Tea #12 from Traveling Tea Box C

Backlog.

The dry leaf has a very sweet smell, so I was feeling pretty optimistic about this tea. I haven’t had much luck with other currant teas. The flavor is quite strong, and a bit tart. This tastes like a pretty typical flavored black tea from H&S (most of which I enjoy quite a bit), so I’m starting to think the problem is that I don’t really like currants.

I can definitely recognize why people would like this tea, so it earned quite a few points there, but lost some for not being as well balanced as other H&S flavored black teas.

Tea #11 from Traveling Tea Box C

Backlog.

With rooibos and hibiscus both listed as ingredients in this tisane, I fully expected the liquor to be unmistakably red. Instead, it was a sickly yellow color. The flavor was a bit tart, and did not at all remind me of passionfruit. In fact, couldn’t pick out a single recognizable flavor in the entire cup.

This tisane claims to support libido, but I would be feeling less than amorous if given a cup of this.

Tea #10 from Traveling Tea Box C

Another backlog.

This reminded me a lot of melted ice cream or perhaps even the freeze-dried ice cream that gets marketed as astronaut food. Perhaps I’m too traditional, but drinking a melted cup of ice cream is not something I’d prefer to do regularly. However, I have to give Frank a bit of credit for creating such an interesting blend.

I could definitely taste the chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. The chocolate flavors were the first I detected, while the strawberry took awhile to make an appearance. I personally love honeybush, so while I’d never seek this blend out again, I am very happy to have had the opportunity to try it out.

Tea #9 from Traveling Tea Box C

Backlog.

Mmm, creamy honeydew goodness. I’m beginning to think that melon and white tea were made to be together. The yogurt does add much in the way of flavor, but instead acts to smooth things out. The resteep contained a lot of the same honeydew notes, but lacked the creaminess of the first steep.

While this tea doesn’t measure up to Butiki’s Cantaloupe & Cream, it certainly could satisfy a similar craving, so I set aside a few teaspoons for later.

Tea #8 from Traveling Tea Box C

Holy bubblegum! This reminded me of unappealing cherry candy… and I LOVE cherries. The flavor is tastes artificial and has a strange aftertaste that lingers. The sencha base was a bit harsh, and I didn’t much enjoy it. While I’d never want to drink this again, I didn’t hate it enough to dump the cup, so it earns a few points for that.