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Backlogging:
Another sample from Azzrian, this one originally from Indigobloom.

In a word, yuck. I paid attention to the steeping instructions and only steeped for 2 lousy minutes. This was so profoundly bitter that after about 3 sips I gave up and threw it out.

Seriously, yuck.

So, I just got back from a cruise to Alaska. This is what I drank on the boat.

Note to self: Bring my own tea on the next cruise.

This is a genuinely average cuppa tea. Nothing to write home about. No real bergamot to speak of. Forgettable. It will, however, do in a pinch…like when you’re trapped at sea…

Once again, good job Butiki Teas!

This is delightfully strawberry-ish in the bag. On my first steeping, I was a little haphazard with the water temperature. I boiled it, then let it cool off again…lazy. I didn’t really taste the strawberry, but it was still earthy and delicious.

Steeping number 2…got out the Breville One Touch and heated this to the appropriate 180 degrees, then steeped for 4 minutes, adding a bit of rock sugar. This time, the strawberry came out very subtly while keeping the delicious earthiness of the oolong.

Seriously, folks. I am going to keep steeping this until it just plain gives up today.

Delicious. This will be a staple.

The always wonderful Dylan shared this with me yesterday. Wow. Yum.

I love ginger and bergamot. This really has the right amount of both. It’s very light yet distinctive. There’s also some aromatic note that reminds me of something from my childhood, but I can’t put my finger on it.

This is a worthwhile bai mu dan.

Thanks, Dylan!

As Blake mentioned below, this is a pretty in your face tea. And, it’s super yummy.

As Dylan well knows, I don’t care for cinnamon. I didn’t notice it. I get the clove in full force and a nice undertone of clementine.

This is very good hot. I’m delighted to try it cold as well.

Very, very (VERY) cheap tea. I should call it inexpensive, but it was $1 per ounce. Doesn’t matter. It’s delicious.

Good job, Tropical Tea Company.

So…another one I won’t be rating.

A friend brought this to work today to share with me. I was extremely nervous because I loathe licorice. He didn’t know that. He did know I love almond, so it was a genuinely nice gesture.

That said, this is really an uneventful tea. I wanted the almonds to be toasty, the goji berries to burst with joy, and the licorice to be unnoticeable. All I got was unnoticeable licorice.

I shared it with Dylan and my friend Mary. The reaction was the same all the way around.

I have had several amazing bai mu dan teas in the last few days. This isn’t one of them. This is unremarkable.

I can’t say that I liked this.

It smelled really artificial in the bag and was a bit bitter and unmemorable in the cup…except, I still taste it in the back of my throat. Ugh.

I’m going to try this iced before I throw a rating on this.

Yes, the caramel extravaganza continues.

This is a nice change-up from the Creme au Caramel from Tropical Tea and the Creme Caramel Rooibos from DAVIDsTEA.

I love the little chunks of caramel in the mix. This also is fairly astringent. What makes this genuinely interesting is its smokiness. This adds depth that you don’t find in the rooibos’ teas.

This goes nicely with a small amount of honey. I’ll also be picking up some crumpets. This is worth a try. It’s bold.

Why I would drink a cup of heavily caffeinated, super perfume-y Earl Grey at 10pm is a mystery. Perhaps it was because I spent the afternoon with a friend in her garden that has some new lavender growing. Perhaps it was because I’m obviously nuts to drink something like this late at night. I really don’t know.

That said, this is delicious. Some reviewers have mentioned it reminds them of drinking perfume. Ok. I get that. The lavender and bergamot both come on like gang-busters.

I cook with lavender (Herbes de Provence) on a regular basis. I like lavender in my food. If you don’t, seriously, don’t drink this.

This tea is meant to be drunk in the garden. It would likely be lovely with a splash of cream, if you’re into that kind of thing.

If you want a full throttle Earl Grey that isn’t shy on the lavender, this is it. This is another one I could bathe in. For now, I’ll stick to drinking it. Yum.

And again, Butiki Teas hits it out of the park.

I have been on an almond and caramel kick lately. I just purchased about a bushel of Almond Oolong from Adagio. I love it.

This is nothing like the Adagio oolong. This is a good thing since I now have another delightful almond option.

There is no doubt this is an almond tea when you open the bag or when you steep it. It’s pleasantly sweet and smooth.

As was mentioned in another post, steeped, the flavor is fairly mild. I will brew this stronger the next time around.

Frankly, this smells so good I’d like to take a bath in it. Profoundly yummy.