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Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: 160°F hot spigot water
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, cinnamon, vanilla, clove, and something else I can not quite figure out
Steeped Tea Smell: vanilla, cinnamon, sweet, cardamom
Flavor: mild black tea, vanilla, cinnamon
Body: Medium
Aftertaste:
Liquor: Translucent green-brown

Gift from a co-worker who loves strong black teas.

I am shocked by the mild nature of the black tea in this blend. It relaly takes a back seat to the cinnamon and vanilla.

Post-Steep Additives: one honey stick. Now the flavor is a nice mellow sweet cinnamon, with hints of vanila.

Just too mild for me. It was a nice sipping tea, but I want my spiced black teas to have a kick.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/twinings-of-london-teabag-black-tea.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: hot carafe water, paper cup
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: black tea, toasty
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, toasty
Flavor: thick, dark
Body: Full
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: opaque dark brown

Post-Steep Additives: white sugar

Not the most fabulous tea, but it was very good at waking me up during the meeting I was in. I think the tea might have been a bit better had there been boiling water. A surprisingly good teabag.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/bewleys-coffee-and-tea-company-teabag.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 teaspoons
Water: 750ml @ 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
AmazonV: it smells like chocolate peppermint
MilitiaJim: they started with chocolate, then added bacon and then it got weeeird.
Steeped Tea Smell:
AmazonV: chocolate, mint smell then a slight toasty black tea finish
MilitiaJim: There is that weird mintiness
Flavor:
AmazonV: roasty tea, hints of chocolate and smoke
MilitiaJim: the flavor of chocolate, then something trying to be bacon but it is mint
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: mint, smoke
Liquor: translucent dark orange

I wish I could give this tea a higher rating but the odd mint (perhaps cross-contamination?) is throwing it off, plus most bacon items are not as marvelous as I imagine. I did stop half way through for a glass of orange juice and bacon.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/52teas-loose-leaf-black-tea-chocolate.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 teaspoons
Water: 500mL @ 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 1 minute
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
MilitiaJim: Ricey woodness
AmazonV: Vanilla paint thinner
Steeped Tea Smell: vegetal, vanilla
Flavor: sweet, vegetal, light vanilla
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: vegetal, bitter
Liquor: translucent green orange brown

It was naturally sweet, and only slightly vegetal. I wanted to try a Hojicha, and i like vanilla. It’s not bad but it’s not really something that I want to make again.

I purchased this at a tea shop inside of a grocery store in New Jersey.

Refrigerate after opening, seriously?

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/ito-en-loose-leaf-hojicha-green-tea.html

Steep Information:
Prepared by staff
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: Sweet, vegetal, floral
Flavor: Silky, vegetal, sweet
Body: Light
Aftertaste: Sweet
Liquor: Translucent honey golden yellow green

The tea was well prepared, no astringency or bitterness.

The store itself was roomy, bright, full of people quietly talking or working on laptops. There was a nice large selection of teas. I ordered a butter cookie and the oolong tea and sat for a few hours while reading my book and waiting to go to dinner and then the airport.

I never felt rushed, and the staff was friendly and helpful.

I highly recommend you visit this location if you find yourself in Seattle. I would like to thank Prashanthi of Makeda Coffee for this fabulous recommendation.

Resteep: When I pour the last of the tea the waitress promptly asked if i would like a resteep, the resteep was just as flavorful as the first steep. I wish I had more time to try another steep of the leaves they were large and only partially unraveled.

White chocolate then a creamy spiced center – cinnamon, cardamom, clove…not sure I can pick the spices out of the melody of spices but I think this is delicious. The crunchy dark chocolate topper is delicious as well and I enjoyed the nice crunch. Not a strong tea flavor, but a strong spice flavor.

After the Jasmine I was hoping this would be my favorite, surprisingly the Lapsang Souchong won out as the best.

If you know anyone who loves chocolates, I recommend these as a unique and delicious gift (the entire set) – however they don’t carry a strong tea flavor so you might be disappointed if you want tea with chocolate favor instead of chocolate with tea flavor.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_14.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag / silken pyramid infuser
Water: hot water spigot, 6-8 oz
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon, clove, red tea, woody
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon, clove, woody
Flavor: cinnamon, woody
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: spicy
Liquor: deep reddish-brown

Last year’s winter chai review http://amazonv.blogspot.com/search/label/winter%20chai

Resteep: 6 minutes or more, not as strong but drinkable.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/tea-forte-teabag-red-tisane-winter-chai.html

AmazonV: Pretty. Sweet white chocolate, mellow firm chocolate center. I think I get hints of grapefruit, I don’t get jasmine :(

I was hoping this would be the best as I adore jasmine.

MilitiaJim: Is this jasmine? White chocolate shell works well with the inside of this one. Jasmine is subtle and would have been overwhelmed by a different shell.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_09.html

Very pretty swirl of glitter on top.

Dark chocolate, toasty, smoky, delicious interplay, smooth but not creamy.

A favorite thus far.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/11/arbor-teas-tea-infused-chocolate_2627.html

Very sweet, creamy, gritty matcha filling goes well with the chocolate shell.

Delicious, a little gritty, reminds me of a Starbucks green tea frappuccino but with chocolate, maybe I can get pumps of chocolate in my green tea frappuccino!

MilitiaJim: The matcha is creamy and sweet. The chocolate is smooth and well done. The two are not improved by their addition. 2 + 2 has come out to 3.

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