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My first try of What-Cha from the group order, and “Sticky-Rice” is the prefect name, because that’s exactly what it tastes like. It is powerful for one tea spoon and after 2 minutes. Steep 2 was at 2 minutes and 25 seconds, and it was still just as strong as the first steep. Oddly enough, I picked up a pineapple note in the first one, maybe because of the power of suggestion and association. I used to eat sticky rice with pineapple and a little it of coconut oil when I lived in Hawaii, and this tea especially emulates that memory. The fact that the tea comes from Thailand is no surprise either-this is where I imagine being also.

I’m pretty impressed, though I’m not sure if I would drink this all the time. Make no mistake, this is a really delicious tea-the fact is that it tastes just like sticky rice and oddly, it acts as a strong appetite suppressant for me. I feel like I just drank a meal when I drink this tea. That could be a testament to quality’s greatness, but also a testament to its power. This is a deceptively light tea, but also very thick, moderately sweet, starchy, and creamy. I am so glad that I got to try this though….I was craving it.

Rating still stands, but I learned something about steeping. I did this 15 sec, then 20, 30, then 15, and I got a really awesome fuse of flavors. I’ve only back down on timing for some Mandala teas and Whispering Pines teas, and now I know it works really well for others. The first steeps were still muscatel, but had a more soup or broth like taste with nuts thrown in. The last one so far was a lot more fruity and less brothy. Well, experimenting is fun.

Bagged blasphemy! This one is really good. I actually have the same tea but just renamed as Cardamom Caramel Sweet Journey Tea. I knew I would like it, but I didn’t expect to like it nearly as much as I did. The first time I brewed it, it was around two minutes and thirty to forty five seconds and it was perfect. Primarily sweet, and strongly flavored by the caramel and subtly spicy with a playful fruity background from the blackberry leaves. Steep 2 at four minutes, the caramel remains but the cardamom really shines with blackberry leaves. Also tasty cold- you really get the smaller flavors this time.

Yeah, I’m rating another bagged tea in the nineties.Keep in mind that I think about price when I’m rating teas, and this was about $11 bucks for 50 bags. Considering how flavorful this tea can be, and me being a college student on the go, this is what I need. Now; Revolution Tea’s Blackberry Jasmine and Dragon Eye are on my hit list for bagged teas. Teatulia’s bagged oolong is coming to me soon. And now waiting on a few selections of loose leaf…

Needed some herbals due to sleepless addiction to blacks and oolongs. Well, this tea packs a really strong smell and flavorful punch. I taste the plantain the most with the coconut coming in second as texture against the green body of the rooibos. Honey really brings out the plantain and makes it all the better down my throat. Every time, I get 2 solid steeps out of this tea first 4-5 minutes, 2nd 5-7 minutes. Also great cold. Totally worth the near $8 bucks for 36 bags.

On the note of bags, I’ve been going back to bags lately more out of portability, time management and getting the better water from the school cafeterias on campus. Though I could bring my strainers and leaves with me, this is more convenient. I overall think now that I just prefer a flavorful leaf, with that leaf being full. The green rooibos already has small leaves, so this type of tea bagged never bothers me because I know I have the whole leaf. As for actual tea, I’m pickier, but I still enjoy some bags. I know, blasphemy, but as long as the tea has a full profile, it’s good to me.

This time I added more leaves, closer to 5 or 6 grams while steeping it in 15 second increments. A lot better than it was last time, and even closer to the Ailoashan Black. A fruitier quality emerges, kinda like stone or dried fruit, maybe even currant? Anyway, steep 1 at 15 sec was pretty chocolaty with some caramel, salt, and raisin thrown in the undercurrent. Steep 2 had the same, but significantly more chocolate malt and fruitiness at 30 seconds. Steep 3 was supposed to be 45, but ended up steeping closer to a minute with a malt, chocolate raisin dominant. Steep 4, however, was at 50 seconds and I taste the weird currant the most with the chocolate. Probably the best of the bunch. Steep 6 was at two minute and fifteen after various tests, and the taste was pretty faded throughout.

I stand by what I said in the previous review and I think that this is overall a good black tea.

Cold. Sick. Tired. On my way to class, and in need of caffeine then sleep. White tea is perfect for these moments. And something fruity was even more needed. So I checked out the ingredients, and decided I need it to stay alert and to bay the mucus dripping down my throat. I was wise in that decision.

But was it a good tea? Well, it’s good as an herbal, but something left desirable as a white tea. All of the fruity ingredients came through sweetly and naturally with the white as the clear back drop. I wanted more white. Yet I needed the caffeine more than the white, and the sleep.

I’m iffy with Teavana and Starbucks. There are a few drinks I really enjoy, but everything else is mediocre or vastly over priced for the quality. I can say that this is a better option than their coffee and fairly enjoyable, but not something I’d drink constantly. Suits my needs though. I’m on a Oolong and White fix anyway. Black tea, though one of my favorites, has been too much for me to handle in the copious amounts I imbibe. So my cravings shift for something more…delicate.

Hopefully, this is the right Dian Hong cake that Andrew gave a piece of. He complained that it tasted entirely too much like a black tea, and after steeping it for 2 minutes and 45 seconds in water cooling way too quickly, I know exactly what he means. I swear I’m drinking an Assam. Now, this is like a GREAT Assam yielding a very dense complexity, being very malty, sweet, mildly astringent, kinda fruity, leather like, and a little bit chocolaty. I do get some of the same malt notes cocoa notes that are closer to a Dian hong, but with the Assams robustness. I need to steep this one so more to get a definite judgement because anything like an Assam or English Breakfast depends entirely too much on my mood. There are some days when I want a strong tea, but I don’t want to be choking on my dehydrated tongue doing so. With that said, this is a really great candidate for a breakfast tea and for those who enjoy more English style black teas.

I was really impressed. Very rarely are Four Seasons strong teas. It tasted like a strong, good Tie Guan Yin after 15 seconds. It was almost overpowering. Vanilla was the strongest first note, nevermind there is no vanilla in this. Then there was gardenia, lilac, orchid, and a strong sweet tartness. Also partially vegetal, nectar and a hint creamy mouth feel. I brewed it about 6 times, adding 30 seconds each time and though it got weaker, it delivered. Oddly enough, it reminded me of Mandala’s Tie Guan Yin. If you want to try a four seasons and it be a stronger tea, I recommend this one deeply.

I had one of those moments where I craved a dark oolong. I was dreaming about it last night. And my mood has honestly not been to great lately. So luckily Andrew provided me this sample, and damn, is it good. Sweet plum and shea butter. So fruity, so fragrant, so roasted, so nutty,and so much like nectar. I estimated the first steep again, and it was somewhere between 30-45 seconds, and the water was closer to 190 degrees at most. Man, it hit a sweet spot.

Now, I’m looking at the product description, and a temple is what I imagine as I swallow this down. I didn’t realize that this was a Dan Cong, (would this technically be a Phoenix Oolong?) and this one is one of the best that I’ve had. All the notes are balanced, and it is oh so sweet. Curse my expensive tastes.

Andrew granted me some of this Spring 2015 batch. I used a tea spoon for 8 ounces, brewed it up in 30, 55, 85, then 110 seconds. Malty all around. First one a little bit more sweet potato like, and the middle too kinda caramel like with dark cocoa hints. Last steep was a little bit more unexpectedly floral. Steep five and six kinda reminded me of honeysuckle or orange blossom. A good, solid Dian Hong. The only bad thing is that I’ve been spoiled by Whispering Pines Imperial and by Liquid Proust French Toast. Hey, this cup is still good and I think I might be a little bit more satisfied with generous leaf portions or better timed steeps.