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One of the more interesting inclusions from The Whistling Kettle’s March subscription box… in theory, at least. In practice, it’s kinda boring! I’m not getting much flavor from most of the ingredients. It’s just a mildly spicy weak black tea with maybe a hint of amaretto. As for the “truffle” in the name… well, there’s no chocolate listed in the ingredients, so I have to assume anything chocolate-y is coming from the generic “flavoring” ingredient. There’s not much to it, though.

“Bland yet inoffensive” is probably the most I can say here.

What a delightful blend! Although the candy apple scent is super strong in the dry leaf, the flavor itself is more muted—I’m getting a nice balanced blend of fennel, clove, and apple. Which sounds very autumnal, but that’s not really the vibe I get while sipping it.

I’m glad I ordered a package of this one last month, because I just saw that August Uncommon is discontinuing it. What a shame! I feel like it’s one of their better blends, without lots of flavorings gunking it up.

Although the dry leaf has a slightly off-putting, artificial-y scent, the brewed tea is much more palatable. There’s a slightly drying spiciness from the cardamom layered on top of a custardy, eggy vanilla flavor, making for an overall pleasant blend. The green tea base has a minerality and slight grassiness; the fact that this is a green base is a bit surprising—I’d expect these flavors on a black base—but I actually don’t mind it. It’s a nice twist and it makes for a gentler cuppa. I could see myself restocking this one for those times I want something flavorful but mild.

I had some expiring AU rewards points to use up, so I ordered a few sample-sized bags of some blends I hadn’t yet tried. I’ve seen this one compared favorably to Low Country, which I enjoy, so I was excited to give it a shot. It’s definitely got a similar flavor profile, but whereas the smokiness tends to get lost in Low Country, it’s really front and center in Golden Arrow. The blend has a really lovely scent of buttery toffee with a bit of smokiness, and it’s carrying through in the flavor. The first sip was very heavy on the campfire smoke, but as it’s cooled, I’m getting more sweet, caramelly notes. It’s flavorful without being overpowering. It could maaaybe have more buttery notes to evoke toffee a bit more strongly, but that’s nitpicking.

I really like this one. I prefer it to Low Country (which sometimes veers toward the cloying) and would definitely consider restocking in a larger size.

Surprised I haven’t reviewed this one yet! This is a blend that I will always think of fondly. I went through chemo in spring 2021 and had to isolate from everyone except my partner—I couldn’t risk catching covid while my immune system was decimated. But one warm early spring day, my friend/neighbor invited us over for a safe, socially distant, outdoor cherry blossom party. She served this tea brewed up in her signature yellow Russel Wright teapot and fed us an assortment of snacks that even my chemo-addled taste buds enjoyed. After weeks of feeling like a husk of myself, it was so nice to feel the sun on my face and to chat with friends like a normal person. Plus, the tea tasted good—which did not always happen with hot beverages during chemo! My friend bought me a tin of it afterward, which was very sweet. Now whenever I enjoy it, it takes me back to one of the few bright spots during treatment.

…so, yes, I’m biased toward this tea. But I think it’s genuinely tasty! The cherry is super subtle and not at all medicinal, with the lightest floral note. There’s almost a blueberry element there too, layered on top of the smooth, mild green tea base. It’s not terribly sophisticated, but it’s inoffensive and reliably tasty and always makes me happy.

Ooh, this is tasty. I’ve had mixed feelings about my Murchie’s order overall so far, but this blend falls squarely in the “good choice; could see myself repurchasing” category.

I’ve always enjoyed jasmine but didn’t come around to lapsang souchong until the past year or so. I wouldn’t have imagined a pairing of the two would work, but dang, it does! The lapsang tempers the jasmine just enough to take any perfume-y, overwhelming edge off, creating what to me is a very pleasant and super nuanced sip.

I’m also getting bold black tea and maybe a bit of minerality from the green tea, and it’s really just a terrific cup. A bit drying, but I don’t mind. I could see myself reaching for this one any time I want to jump-start my day.

A perfectly nice fruity tea. I’d say it’s more peach than apricot, but still tasty. There’s no soapiness or astringency to the base; it’s pretty unobtrusive. I think this would be really nice iced—I’ll have to try it this summer.

Jasmine, jasmine, and more jasmine! Fortunately, I like jasmine. :D I also like libraries and teas with literary names, which is why I added this one to my cart.

It’s a perfectly fine blend. The jasmine overpowers the black and green tea base, although I am getting muted notes of each: something slightly grassy, something a bit tannic… but mostly it’s floral jasmine all the way down. I guess want something a little more, like a stronger black base to back up the jasmine? But I won’t have any problems finishing the bag.

I opened the bag and was hit with a ridiculously powerful punch of artificial strawberry essence, to the point where it made me a little queasy! The scent reminds me of something from my childhood, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. It might be strawberry-flavored Creme Savers, which I VERY MUCH ENJOYED in the late ’90s/early 2000s. That said, I was a little nervous the tea would taste like 100% artificial, perfume-y strawberry and nothing else.

At first, it doesn’t. Once it’s brewed up, the artificial scent mostly dissipates and I’m getting a much more natural strawberry aroma, although there’s definitely an artificial flavor that hits at the back of a sip. It’s layered on the same soapy black tea base I recognize from Canadian Breakfast; the website tells me it’s a blend of Ceylon and Keemun. (I really need to get better at recognizing black tea varieties!) I’m not really getting vanilla or anything to evoke the “shortcake” part of this tea, and I feel like the base is just not super high quality… so, overall, this is pretty meh. It’s also making my entire WFH office room smell like a cheap strawberry candle someone bought at the dollar store and forgot about in the trunk of their car. Ooh, or maybe it smells like a cheap air freshener?! That could be what I’m getting in the scent. Regardless… not great.

A bit of oat milk adds some body and helps hide the artificial flavor, but I think this one will be, ahem, shared in the TTB when it comes my way. XD

Edit: OK, I couldn’t finish my cup because even the small amount of lingering artificial strawberry scent was bothering me. I can’t get the car freshener comparison out of my head! I have to reduce my rating because to me, this is just vile. I rarely dump tea, but this one went down the sink. :(

Maple is one of my favorite flavors of all time, so I’m always on the hunt for a tea that satisfies my maple cravings. This is the tea that led me to place a Murchie’s order in the first place—it sounded right up my alley.

I think I probably overleafed and oversteeped it, though, because it’s slightly bitter and nearly all the delicious maple notes in the dry leaf are missing in the steeped cup. :( I get a little bit of maple, but mostly I’m tasting the tannic, almost soapy black base. Which, y’know, is fine for a strong, bracing breakfast tea in and of itself; I just wish there were more maple. I’ll have to try again soon! But not today, because I’m absolutely buzzing with caffeine already… this morning I got a gingerbread latte from a local coffee shop to celebrate clear scans (I get mammograms/MRIs every six months to make sure my cancer hasn’t come back), and now I’ve just had a strong cup of this tea. My teeth are practically chattering!