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Every now and then I’ll reach for a simple flavoured black like DT’s Cream of Earl, and I’ll cringe back for a second as memories of all the horrible astringent, bitter, burnt black teas I’ve had in the past march before my eyes like some kind of sideshow of horror. And then I’ll turn to a green or an oolong and pass up the blacks of my tea-drinking youth. Buttered Rum, for example, I haven’t had in years except in an egg nog latte, and that is a really tasty tea.

I’ve said it before – Cream of Earl is what first turned me on to loose-leaf tea, and it is a consistently enjoyable blend, no matter how far down the paths of tea lore I wander.

HOLIDAY MASH-UP TIME. That’s right. I made a latte with Eight Candles and egg nog. And it was fucking tasty, let me tell you. Like just damned delicious. It was creamy and sweet and so good.

This is a beautiful earthy oolong that would be perfectly enjoyed slowly, savouring the developing flavours of each sip as one relaxes. Unfortunately, I was drinking this in hurried gulps during the busiest morning of my life in the shipping/receiving part of my office duties so I didn’t really get the full impact of the first cup. I think I didn’t get the water quite hot enough, the flavor was a little weak and thin. But the second cup was glorious. It had a real rich earthy full flavor to it, a little bit of the grassiness of the first steep but much darker. Still had that vegetal green-stuff aroma that I love, but not as buttery or creamy as other oolongs. So good without being dry. Third steep is less glorious but still tasty, some of the richness starting to fade into a solid flavor closer to a “regular” straight oolong.

As I shuffled out of the bedroom this morning to find that my wife was WAY too awake for 5:30am, she very perkily asked me if I wanted some of the Big Red Robe she was brewing. I think I must have grunted yes, because that’s what was in my travel mug when I left the house. It was so good. Woke me up as much as coffee would have (which wasn’t much, I still napped most of the way to work – I wasn’t driving, I take the bus). This tea was delicious. I know I’ve had a da hong pao before, but the flavor has never struck me like this. It was rich and grassy and leafy, tons of depth and interest. Usually oolongs have a bit of a buttery creamy finish, but this had a much sharper flavor – in a good way. Definitely going to be one that I reach for often from now on.

Smells overwhelmingly like cough syrup. Tastes like cough syrup. I got about two sips in and couldn’t finish the rest of it – and I have a cough.

Shared a pot of this with girlie – so very yummy. This is such a creamy buttery oolong with just the right note of strawberry. Not too much that it turns into perfume, not too little that you can’t taste it. Om nom nom.

Let the great sip-down begin! After the tea purge of this afternoon, there is a small stack of teas that I need to try – the stack of teas from our stash that I haven’t tried is significantly larger, but most of them I’m okay with letting go untasted. But this one just sounded like too yummy of a combination to pass up, and I adore another of Della Terra’s marshmallow teas, the Eight Candles.

Unfortunately, this did not live up to the name. The black tea base was pretty generic in and of itself. The marshmallows added a touch of creaminess without adding flavour, and left a bit of an oil slick on the top of the tea. As for the caramel and pumpkin, I suppose those were the flavours – if you squinted at them really hard from across a dark room. Very artificial and generic. I feel bad giving this a very low rating because it wasn’t gross or anything, it was just . . . nothing special.

I feel the beginnings of the ickies coming on – not a full-fledged icky. We can still get ahead of this. But this called for something warm and soothing and fortified. And that I had in my small stash of tea at work.

I’ve never actually tried David’s ginseng oolong before – which is odd considering that I enjoy both ginseng and oolongs. This did not disappoint. While it wasn’t the best straight oolong I’ve ever had, it was still creamy and buttery on the first steep, with that medicinal tingle of ginseng that I wanted. Second steep – with crappy work kettle – was a lot stronger and more grassy, with a bit of bitterness towards the end. All in all, I wouldn’t stock up on this because we have so many straight oolongs, but it was definitely a satisfying cuppa.

This is just the best. What else can be said? If you are not currently drinking a cup of Santa’s secret, go drink one. Now. Shoo.

I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I find that with pear teas in general, and David’s pear teas in particular, the pear flavour tends to be sickly sweet and artificial tasting. But I’m a sucker for ginger, so I gave this one a shot.

Oh dear lord.

Dry, this tea smells like an upscale farmers’ market – the kind that’s semi-permanent indoors, you know? Lots of little stands selling preserves in fancy jars and candles and stuff. Once you smell this tea you will understand exactly where I’m coming from. Delicious and a little old-fashioned.

I did a short steep at a low temperature, since that’s what I’ve always had the most success with whites with. Brewed, it was a pretty light yellow-green colour, and that comforting old timey smell carried over. But to sip it was . . . it was just beautiful. The pear was sweet and mellow without being overwhelming, and the ginger was just a small sparkle and not a big punch of flavour. Sort of tingly and lightly sweet, with an aftertaste of spices and potpourri.

It stood up well to a second steep of about a minute. The light spicy taste was replaced by more of a vegetal leafy flavour, which I enjoy. It was drier, however.