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Thank you SimplyJenW for swapping with me…

The dry tea has an almost syrup-like scent to it. It’s sweet, yet the black tea scent is grounding. 205/1.5 min.

Now I can smell the blackberries. The taste is really nice. The flavors meld together and taste like a blackberry custard tea. It’s definitely a black tea, mildly astringent, but with a richness that combines so well with the fruitiness of the tea. The vanilla is present, but fortunately it’s not the super sweet faux vanilla that haunts many a blend. Instead, it seems almost creamy in this one. (In taste, not in mouthfeel.) It’s really nice and makes a terrific wake up tea.

Thanks, SimplyJenW, for a delightful swap!

The leaves are long, slender and bluish green. The way they weave themselves together is quite nice to look at. As much as I love the way this tea looks, I couldn’t have imagined enjoying a green tea, allow me to clarify, a vegetal green tea, this much. The scent of the dry tea evokes images of Halloween with pumpkins freshly scooped. I’m surprised. There’s a sweetness to the scent that is intriguing and I must have spent at least three minutes just breathing it in and trying to put my finger on it. Once steeped (165/1.5 min.), the aroma is still there and the flavor is divine. Yes, it’s definitely vegetal, but the most intriguing flavor of pumpkin and perhaps nutmeg emerges. It’s so lovely! This tea completely blew me away. I really enjoy green tea and have become accustomed to cups of asparagus and artichoke and even the occasional broccoli, but never something so delightful and unexpected. There is no grassiness to this tea, perhaps slightly leafy, definitely plantlike. The green is definitely present. It’s savory through and through with just a hint of sweetness. I will most definitely be adding this to my tea cupboard.

Dry, this tea smells vaguely of… tobacco. Hm. It’s interesting. It’s a darker tea, but not quite black in color. 205/1.5 min.

The aroma of tobacco is still present. In the taste, as well. It’s a slightly smoky tea, but with a tanginess as well that is surprising and pleasant. There’s a slight astringency to the tea, even at a lower temp and shorter steep time than recommended. The tea is well-rounded and has some complexity as I’m finding that the finish tends to change, beginning with a malty flavor, to tanginess, then the touch of smokiness lingers for a moment or two.

This is definitely a vegetal oolong. Even in the dry scent, it’s reminiscent of celery or green peppers. 195/1 min.

Vegetal… confirmed. It’s actually not too overwhelming. I can also taste a woodiness in the flavor. And zucchini. It’s not exactly toasted or roasted, but somewhere light and in between. The oolong itself isn’t bitter. This would make a great afternoon tea.

This is the third of the New Zealand oolongs that I’ve tried. Of the three, it is my least favorite… and I love it! All of the Zealongs are outstanding. Pure has a light scent in the packet, and, not surprisingly, it is a lighter oolong as well, both in aroma and flavor. I steeped this one longer than I normally do. 195/4 min. It produced a light colored, aromatic brew that has a roasted flavor. The oolong is beautiful and has no astringency or bitterness whatsoever.

What a delightful tea! This tea scented the entire package with its delectable peach scent. The coconut, while present, isn’t the dominant aroma. It is, by far, the peach.

175/3 min.

Mmm. The taste is really nice. It’s sweet with a coconutty finish. I have to admit that when I first saw this tea, I assumed it was an oolong. It’s a dark tea for being a white, but when it is steeped, it’s a light golden yellow. It’s difficult to make out the white tea. In fact, I can’t. The peach assaults my senses and, other than the finish of coconut, I can’t make out any other flavors in this tea. I do think that it’s a novel combination of flavorings and appreciate the sweet and nutty approach. This is a tea I will buy for serving in the summer at night. It would make a great entertaining tea.

As a side note, this tea was a huge hit with my French class. My students kept coming up to my desk asking questions. I found out later that hour that they were all coming up to smell my tea, which was in an open cup on my desk. I have a growing interest in which teas I’m brewing in that class. :)

Well, I had to use a bag on this one because I’m at work and didn’t bring my infuser. I guess that makes this Snowflakes in Green Lake? Mine didn’t have a chance to dance.

I don’t know the exact water temp, but it’s pre-boil, around 170 ish. 1 minute steep time.

It smells very floral, very fresh. Even the scent in the package had me thinking that this would make a wonderful soap. (For the scent, remember, I hadn’t tried it yet!) It’s just such a clean, fresh and invigorating scent. I really love it and if I get more, I might store it in my closet so that my clothes smell as lovely.

The taste is very floral. It’s still the nice, clean scent, however, it’s also quite strong. It’s not bitter, which is nice, but it’s still a very floral cup of tea. I cannot make out the green tea with which it is paired.

The dry tea smells like dried lemons or oranges mixed with a fresh, leafy green scent. The tea is powdery and there are lots of little bits and pieces that slip through the filter on my Breville One-Touch. 160/3 min.

Wow. This is one cloudy tea. It looks almost swampy with a light olive green color and a murkiness that makes me hesitant. The lemon scent and taste are very pronounced in this tea. It’s difficult to discern the green beneath it, but it’s there. The ginkgo comes through in the aftertaste. I drank this tea about an hour ago, but I can still taste the ginkgo on my tongue.

Refreshing, that’s the definition of this tea. I received this tea as a sample from SpecialTEA Brew. Having tried and enjoyed the teas previously, I was looking forward to seeing what’s new.

The dry leaf smells like citrus. It’s a mixture of the tiny green rooibos with small dehydrated pieces of what I believe is lemon. It smells very nice, fresh and clean. I’ve never tried green rooibos before. 205/4 min. The taste is interesting. It’s not as citrusy as I would expect from the name, however, it’s good. The best part is that the lemon is not overwhelming. I can taste some of the mint in the tea, but the interesting part is the slight taste of cloves that I’m picking up. I think if I were naming this tea, based on what I’m finding, I’d have gone with a Slightly Spiced Citrus Green Rooibos. (Okay, so naming teas isn’t my talent.) I wonder if it’s the green rooibos that is giving it this flavor. Who knows? The end result is pleasant.