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The main flavor is cocoa (not “chocolate” but if you’ve ever tasted unsweetened cocoa powder it tastes like that). The other spices emerge after longer steeping. It’s not what I typically think of as “chai” (which is heavy on the cinnamon and cardamom), but it’s “chai-like”.

If you’re looking for something more chocolatey, try this instead: http://steepster.com/chai-mera/posts/299406

Black tea with a fruity flavor. I don’t specifically taste mango, though. Would recommend this one if you happen to be in the Berkeley area.

HOME BLEND: 50/50 mix of this and their Assam CTC (see link below) I’d originally bought on recommendation as a base for a homemade chai. Result: a mildly spiced black tea with a refreshing ginger aftertaste. Could even use a slightly longer steeping time than I gave it. (I was trying to avoid bitterness but apparently that’s not an issue with CTC?)

New Mexico Tea Co’s Assam CTC (Crush, Tear & Curl): http://steepster.com/teas/new-mexico-tea-company/61060-assam-ctc

I got this on a whim when stocking up on my African Summer. The flavor is not too sweet, not too minty. While it smells very strongly of chocolate, it mainly tastes like a smooth (non-bitter) black tea with a slight chocolate aftertaste. Could probably be turned into a “dessert” tea by adding milk/sugar, but as-is it’s pretty good as a breakfast beverage.

The package of loose tea had two chocolate chips nestled on top. A cute touch (but probably not meant to be brewed).

The first tea review from the assorted Wissotsky box that a friend sent as a gift. I accidentally left the cup steeping for 20 minutes; the end result was delicious but tasted more like cherry juice than tea ( not “cherry flavor,” the real thing – a good sign!) This would probably make an excellent summer iced tea, but I’m holding off on the numerical rating until I can make a proper cup.

EDIT: Here’s that “proper” review: http://steepster.com/chai-mera/posts/315826

(55 = probably good but not to my taste. Should be renamed “Jamaica Yams.”)

Disclaimer, I’ve never actually tasted rhubarb; to me, the tea smells like peaches and something vaguely like a yam or sweet potato. Sadly it does not taste of peaches at all - TeaForte, if you just named your teas properly you’d get much better ratings!

I didn’t notice the hibiscus initially but after a few sips it became pretty obvious. Objectively this is not a bad tea: hibiscus/rhubarb lovers would probably enjoy it, but the hibiscus flavor plus the lack of peach means I won’t be buying it again.

Brewed from a “single-steeps” loose tea packet. This one had nice large pieces and no dust.

The brewed tea smells like tasty dried apples but tastes mainly like ginger. The dried tea also had another savory herb smell I couldn’t recognize (maybe the blackberry leaves?)
Took about 15 minutes of steeping to actually get an apple flavor. So you have two alternatives for this tea: a short brewing gives you a mild ginger with apple scent, a long brewing gives you an apple tea with a strong ginger “bite” at the end. Both are tasty but I prefer the latter.

As a side note, this was a “single steeps” loose-leaf packet, but the dried mix was in very small pieces and there was a lot of “dust” that escaped the tea ball and floated to the top of the water. This might be a packaging issue. If I see it on sale I may be tempted to buy a proper tin of it, maybe.

COMMUTER NOTES: Because it took so long for the apple taste to show up, this might work in a commuter brewing thermos.

(No number because I put a lot of honey into this cup – but assume it’s 85+)

I only drink chamomile tea when I’m sick but this one of the best blends I’ve tasted. As far as I can tell it’s basically chamomile flower heads and bits of dried orange peel. (Sadly it’s not listed on the Berkeley Bowl webpage, but the “Chamomile and Fruit” is probably worth a try if you’re in the neighborhood.)

A tea that smells and tastes just like its name, imagine that! The main flavor is cinnamon but it’s not overwhelming, the other ingredients are there in the background and they make a good blend. (Unfortunately I had a bit of a mishap with the loose tea, so it’s a slightly chewy cup, but still pretty good.)

This came as part of a “single steeps” sampler, but this packet actually was 1 serving, unlike the last “single.” I may eventually get a tin of this as my go-to for cinnamon tea, if it’s still on sale.

(Renaming this tea “Peppermint Honey”) Smells delicious – I think, ‘m congested right now – but I’m not sure what to do with it. After 3 min of brewing, just a slight fruity/sweet taste with an herb/grass aftertaste. Promising but still too bland. After 6+ min the peppermint took over.

Might become a pretty good tea if you have the time/effort to baby it. Or just relabel it as “Peppermint Honey” and you’re good to go.

(BTW I got this from a “single steep” sampler. Each envelope was supposed to hold exactly one portion of loose tea, but I could only put about half into my larger tea-ball.)

ADDENDUM: After reading other peoples’ reviews, it seems like nobody can find the figs!