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Made a pot tonight to share. It’s not the French vanilla taste I’m looking for, but it’s still good. I like it, and I like blending it with my other teas. It’s not a creamy vanilla… more like the coconutty vanilla. Or like a sugar cookie. Either way, this is my breakfast every now and then and I’ll probably buy it again out of convenience.

To begin, I’m very new to green teas and my previous experiences have not been good so far. (I think I’m to blame for this, however, due to my tendency to make tea with too much gusto. And my long history of loving black teas.)

So anyway, I love the way the bright green, glossy leaves look. So long and flat, almost like preserved grass. As they brewed, the green became more vivid, as if the leaves were still alive. But the scent of it put me off a little… it was strong and reminded me of the ocean. And not in the sea breeze kind of way. But I gave it a chance anyway, as I feel like I’m in need of a green tea education.

I used 2 teaspoons for 8 ounces of water, brewed for 1:45 at 175 degrees. Any critiques you could offer about my preparation? The result was pale yellowy green and tasted much better than I expected. I feel like I understand what people say when they describe green teas as “buttery” now. It also has a sort of veggie flavor, like seaweed. I can’t really say I’m a fan, though. I believe these sorts of teas are going to have to be an acquired taste.

I ended up steeping this tea for quite some time, long past the eight and a half minutes I set my timer for. I was playing Minecraft and not paying attention, so I didn’t hear the beep.

But this tea does not suffer one bit from oversteeping. True, it’s very dark maroon and a little tart, but it’s still great. I like this one more than the other fruit tea I’ve tried by Teavivre, Apple Awakening. The pineapple is a great touch and goes well with the rose hips. It’s like a hot, mouth-watering fruit punch. I bet it would be perfect iced, which is what’s happening next with this tea.

The guys and I are sharing a pot of this tonight with the balcony door left open. My glass mug is still steaming furiously, but I keep trying to steal a sip anyway. I’m impatient. I still love this tea. It’s such a complex and summery thing.

We’ve been having a pot of tea every night, since I always have at least one person hanging out at my place these days. Previously, I’ve been blending my teas and not logging it because I don’t really like making pages for custom blends. But I’ve been mostly making “fall” teas. Apple cranberry, vanilla assam, stuff like that…

This is one of the best Earl Greys I’ve ever tasted, and it’s also my first Lady Grey. (There seems to be an assortment of them out there from different companies.)

The black tea aspect is very mild, hidden under layers of fruit zest. I can barely tell it’s there. The strongest flavor is mostly lemon, but it isn’t tart, just a little tingly. The bergamot shines through just as strongly, adding that classic Victorian flavor. All around, this is a great tea, and I’m really impressed by it, even if it’s bagged.

I think I’m going to embark on an Earl Grey exploration very soon. I’m really starting to get a taste for them. I’m going to add bergamot to my balcony garden soon, as well.

This is my second Tie Guan Yin, the first was from my local farmer’s market. I’ve been wanting to get into oolong, and I think I’ve found the first that I truly like.

This oolong is fresh and highly floral in a way that reminds me so much of spring. (Which is a little depressing in November, I have to add.) The flavors remind me of gardenias, honeysuckle, and jasmine. There’s also a note of sweet, clean hay.

It still has that nutty oolong flavor, but it’s mostly in the scent. At first I was a little nervous, since the vegetal scent was so strong. But no, after a little honey, this is lovely and satisfying. I’m going to have to start trying oolongs to Teavivre’s brewing instructions, I think.

It’s actually a little cold here in Atlanta today. I guess winter really is coming. I was starting to think it had forgotten us.

Anyway, I’m warming up with this tea, which I am just as fond of the second time. It’s smoky but mild, with a decent amount of caffeine. I’m saving the rest of this sample for Kaliska, I think.

Well, my apartment complex’s office has a Keurig now. However, I didn’t want to be down there any longer than I had to, despite the cookies, so I snagged the pod and got the hell out.

The leaves are not in good shape at all, crushed to pieces about the size of sugar in the raw. However, that might have something to do with it being compatible with the Keurig, so I’m not complaining. I brewed them in a steel infuser instead and got what I assume are the same (if not similar) results.

This is a little weaker than what I’ve been having lately, as far as black teas go. The flavors are very straightforward and a little coarse, but it gets the job done. I think Adagio’s English Breakfast was much better. Anyway, this is a fairly boring tea, but I wouldn’t turn it down if it were free again.

At the sight of this tea, I knew I would like it. It’s a lovely mix of fragrant and brightly colored dried fruits with a few pale green leaves. (And anything with rosehips is golden in my book.)

The tea brews to a lovely amber red. The Steep Time counter only goes up to 8 minutes, but I steeped mine for about 8:45. The result tastes strongly of dried apple, and is a little on the tart side even with sugar. I can definitely taste the rosehips as well, but I’m not sure about the other two ingredients. I’ve never had anything with verbena leaves in it before, so I’m not sure what I’m tasting.

Either way, this is pleasant and reminds me of drinking juice. I bet it would be fantastic iced, which I will certainly try some time soon.

The first thing I noticed when I was steeping the tea was a bold, smoky scent. I was reminded of lapsang souchong, as the tiny black leaves also brewed up very dark, very quickly.

The flavor, however, was less smoky than I expected. Which is good, because smokiness is something I’m still adjusting to. Anyway, it’s a strong, hearty tea that would go great with breakfast. There is no harsh aftertaste at all, just a sort of rounded maltiness and woodsmoke taste.

This would be a good segue tea between plain blacks and lapsang, I believe. And I also think a slightly longer steep time is in order. I’d like to taste what this tea is like when it’s stronger. So, next time…