Inkling Send Message

I got this as a free sample with my most recent Republic of Tea catalog. Butiki’s Warm Cinnamon Bread was a surprise favorite earlier this year, so I was eager to try this similar-sounding tea. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. The main flavor I’m getting is artificial apple with just a light sprinkling of cinnamon and absolutely nothing that’s reminding me of bread. That flavor combo could still work, but RoT made the unfortunate decision of pre-sweetening this tea, making it far too sweet for my tastes and leaving me with an unpleasant Stevia aftertaste. Definitely not something I’ll be drinking again!

This is a lovely smooth, peachy green tea with a nice hint of sweet vanilla in the aftertaste. I found it to be delicious hot and even better iced.

I got a free sample of this tea with my recent purchase at TeaSource. I’ve never had a rhubarb-flavored tea before and I was quite curious to try it. The dry leaf has a very pretty appearance embellished with lots of pink flower petals. While steeping, my kitchen smelled just like stewed rhubarb! After a 3-minute steep, the tea was a warm amber color with a slightly cloudy appearance. I chose to drink it iced and found it to be quite smooth and flavorful with a distinctive rhubarb taste and a bit of tartness in the aftertaste. Overall a very refreshing summer tea!

I may have found my new favorite summer iced tea! The dry leaf smells delicious and the brewed tea does not disappoint. The base is smooth and silky with a nice natural sweetness and the mango flavor is spot-on.

I was looking for a good fruity tea to drink iced this month and I let the saleslady talk me into this one, even though I don’t like red rooibos or chamomile. My mistake! I do taste the pear in this, but for me it’s overwhelmed by an unpleasantly sharp chamomile flavor. On the other hand, several of my friends have sampled this blend and liked so, so this is probably a personal preference thing. If you don’t share my violent aversion to chamomile, give it a try!

I had the opportunity to sample this in-store over the weekend and immediately purchased two ounces. This is one of the best straight black teas I’ve ever had! The leaves are large and twisty with lots of golden tips. It steeps up to a beautiful red-gold color with a malty aroma and tastes full-bodied and rich with an almost caramel sweetness to the aftertaste. It’s so good that my friend who ALWAYS sweetens her tea drank it straight!

Not My Cup O’ Tea TTB

I didn’t expect to like this one, as I don’t typically enjoy smoky teas. However, the smoke in this one is very light and somehow seems to balance out the spicy sweetness of the cinnamon. I don’t really taste anything bread-like in this blend, but the flavors work together perfectly and I’m actually really enjoying it!

Not My Cup O’ Tea TTB

I’m not a huge fan of straight green tea, but I’ve loved almost every Butiki tea I’ve ever sampled, so I had to give this one a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor: nutty and buttery with just a hint of grass in the aftertaste. This isn’t something I feel I need in my collection, but I’m glad for the chance to have tried it!

Not My Cup O’ Tea TTB

I was so excited to find some new-to-me Butiki teas in this TTB! This one makes a great breakfast tea: strong and malty with a rich, chocolatey flavor. Also good for multiple re-steeps, which makes me really happy since I won’t be able to re-purchase.

Not My Cup O’ Tea TTB

A nice bright, refreshing lime tea. Not really picking up on the tequila, but it’s good anyway. I enjoyed it hot but I’m guessing it will be even better iced!