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Thanks go to KallieBoo! for this(and 6 other samples currently burning a hole in my cabinet, so to speak!) Hmmm… I’m not getting much vanilla out of this one. It smelled like a pretty stout vanilla when I opened the bag, but it’s just not translating. I wonder if I steep it a bit longer? I did the recommended 3 minutes with 212* water. I’m hoping it’s just ‘user error’ here, and I’m going to reserve my rating until I get to try this again.

This is my first Scottish breakfast blend, and let me tell you, they are serious when they say this one is a hearty one. It’s very in-your-face, but in a good way. The complexity is a nice suprise for me. Nice and malty, full-mouth feel, with some almost-fruity sort of sweetness in there and maybe a bit of nuttiness. There’s a bit of astringency there too, but it adds to the experience overall. This is a great breakfast blend.

Decided I needed a comfort tea after falling early this morning and being in pain all day. Upon opening the packet, I’m greeted with a very lovely anise scent, and immediately I’m in love. Brewing, it smells just as lovely, but more scents start showing up- orange, cinnamon, and slight hints of the rooibos. Christmas in a cup! It tastes generously spicy, and within the first few sips, I know this is MY rooibos. This is my first Chai with pepper, and it lends itself well to this blend. The first notes I taste are cinnamon and a slight orange taste, followed closely by ginger, cloves, and finally the pepper in the finish. It’s really a lovely, relaxing cup. I definitely see another order from Upton in my future, and this one is in the box!

I got this sample in yesterday, and I could smell it before I even opened the box! It’s a very sweet fragrance, and it smells exactly the same when brewing. The taste, with no additives, is heavy and complex. I taste the rose, maybe a bit of vanilla, but I think I’m mostly getting the passion fruit flavoring and the rose. There is no bitterness, and very little astringency, if any. It’s ok, but not something I’d seek out. The rose is a bit off-putting for me, and combined with the strong scent, it’s just not my thing. It’s quite possible that the addition of sugar could save it, though.

A spot of sugar does seem to lighten it up a bit, but I think it brings out the rose even more. I am getting a touch of black tea now, though. I think this must be one of those things where you either love it or you don’t. I may try it again, but I’m definitely not loving it right now.

Oh. My. Goodness. This tea has totally changed my opinion of rooibos! Before this tea, I desperately wanted to like rooibos, but every one I’ve tried just didn’t do anything for me(and some I couldn’t even finish!). The almond, the tiny sugar hearts, the rooibos- it’s all perfect! It smelled much different than the previous rooibos I’ve had so far, so I thought there may be hope for this tea, and decided to have it tonight! I’m SO glad I did! It was not an in-your-face flavor, the almond is subtle and smooth, and the taste is crisp and bright. The almond is most prevalent in the finish, and it definitely made me want to keep drinking. It’s a perfect evening or afternoon tea, in my opinion, and I’m so glad I found a rooibos I can drink!

Upon opening the packet, the first scent that hits me is… Thin Mints? I dunno, I’m getting a chocolaty minty scent. And when I pour the water over the tea, I get a scent of rice. Just plain rice.

First taste, plain- I’m getting a bit of astringency, but it’s a nice, full-mouth, stout flavor. I always take my chai with milk and sugar, so…
Hmmm… I’m getting less chai, more black tea…. the addition of another sugar cube or 2 really brings out the subtitles of this tea. No more minty scent, only a lovely, soft vanilla fullness. Pretty good, though not quite what I expected. Still a lovely cuppa!

This is just heavenly. It has just the right amount of lemon flavor, and it’s just SO GOOD!

I originally made this tea for my 7 year old, who had a sore throat, and wanted something warm and soothing. Nothing more soothing than mint when you have a sore throat, right? I sweetened it for her, and she loved it but could only get down about half. So I’m finishing the cup for her. It’s really good! It smelled like Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum straight out of the pack, which is interesting since I love Spearmint :) It’s much tastier than the Stash Peppermint tea which just overwhelmed me. I think this will be my go-to when I want a minty tea!

Sadly, I just don’t think this tea is for me. I love the idea of this tea, and the ingredients sound so good, but it just doesn’t translate for me. It smells like hay or tobacco, and tastes about the same. Just not my thing. I want to like it, really, but I just couldn’t finish the cup.

So this morning marks a milestone for me- my first cup of loose leaf! I chose this lovely Irish Breakfast, since I love it in the bagged version, and I was not disappointed! It is definitely a more complex flavor, with a less harsh edge to it. There were nuances that I didn’t get with the bagged version, too, and I can tell you this is my go-to tea. For now, anyway.