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Still chipping away at this sampler. Haven’t had a pure darjeeling in a long time.

This is brews up a little darker than expected. I’m getting notes of peppers, grass stems, toast, and muscatel. Even at three minutes, it’s pleasantly bitter. Pretty standard stuff for this kind of tea, I guess. And this tea company, really. Why are all their teas so heavy-handed?? I’m scared to try the lapsang now!

Anyway, this is another one that’s mediocre but has nothing wrong with it. I’m just really partial to Chinese black teas instead.

EDIT: And as I’ve come to expect from this company — the caffeine in this is out of control, too.

Finishing up Lupicia’s Momo Oolong Super Grade. I only had one teaspoon left, so I blended it with three teaspoons of Joy’s Teaspoon’s Plum Crazy. I figured I’d have a fruity start to my half-week.

The result is a little more light and tart than I expected. I probably should have used more Plum Crazy. The peach notes don’t come through very strongly, but they’re there, so this has a kind of generic stonefruit punch flavor. It’s not bad, but it’s not stellar.

Finishing up Nepal Tea’s Nepali Breakfast, but I only had enough for half a pot. Substituted Joy’s Teaspoon’s Cinnamon Roll to make up the rest.

This came out mildly astringent and a little weak when it comes to spice. It’ll do, though.

I bought four ounces of this in Joy’s Teaspoon’s going out of business sale. Eight years ago I had gotten a free sample and loved it. I was young and really inexperienced then, but plum is still a favorite, so I went for it again.

This is such a nice break from spiced and heavy, bitter black teas. I didn’t remember it having a floral note, but it does and I really like it. Yeah, maybe this doesn’t warrant a 97 rating like I had set it when I was 24, but it’s still up there. Realistic plum skin and juice flavor. Great over ice. Buying four ounces wasn’t a mistake.

Last night, I stuck half the pot in the fridge. Sipping it sweet and cold tonight, I decided I wasn’t going to let this one go by. I used my Sips By discount and bought 2 ounces. Looking forward to it!

EDIT: My husband ended up drinking most of it. He is addicted! Since I made this post, we have gone through almost 4 pouches.

This one is from Sips By. Three fourths of my box this month was spiced, and I am loving it.

This tea is super aromatic! Mmm. Clove, cinnamon, cardamom, and gingerbread notes. Each scoop seems to have as much spice as it does black tea. Smells like your traditional masala chai, and maybe a bit of vanilla.

The black pepper gives this such a nice kick. I love any kind of pepper in chai. It really boosts the ginger burn. Could have sworn I smelled lavender while this was steeping, but there isn’t any actually in it. I didn’t add milk, though I can imagine it would be delicious if I had. Still tasting vanilla even though it’s not listed in the ingredients. This is so well-rounded and leaves my mouth tingling. Definitely one of the best chais I’ve had in a long time.

This is another tea sent to me by Yaupon Brothers. Thank you!

I am all about chai. It’s a staple in my collection for sure. However, the dry bags don’t smell so much like chai to me. There are gingery notes in the aroma, but mostly it smells vegetal and seaweedy, with a little bit of iodine. Like some green teas. There is a faint hint of cinnamon that you really have to feel for.

I used 5 bags for a 24 ounce pot, making it strong on purpose to stand up against a splash of milk. (I realize this was a bold and maybe unwise move.) The water starts off light green and fades to a dark brownish color. With milk, it whitens fast and ends up pale tan. The spices don’t really come through at all as far as flavor goes. This surprises me after how bright and flavorful the Lavender Coconut was. I honestly would not know this was a chai at all if I hadn’t read the package. It mostly just tastes like a nutty, somewhat vegetal green tea.

It’s Friday! Got a four day weekend coming up and I’m counting it down.

I steeped this one cautiously after drinking the Assam. I had a feeling this one would be very strong, too. Judging by how dark red it came out, I believe my short steep time was wise. It has an aroma that reminds me almost of a darjeeling. That sort of fresh, green hay scent.

The flavor is crisp and toasty, but features a less than desirable sort of vegetal note. Not really the clean black tea experience I was hoping for. Not too bitter, but it could get that way quickly if left to steep longer. There’s really not that much to say about this one. It’s a middle of the road black. Meh.

Daily work tea. Just trying to use this up, as I’ve got too many jars on the countertop. I suppose my strategy next week will be making this every other day.

I have missed Steepster during the holiday chaos, though. Real reviews will resume tonight or tomorrow, most likely.

Another from Sips by. I had been waiting to try this one because I’m caffeine sensitive and need to try stuff like this in a low stakes environment. Luckily, this is my Friday night and I am free to make bad sleep decisions.

I’ve actually tried this brand’s Earl Grey, too, but I think I was on Steepster hiatus then. It was good. Not spectacular, but pretty good.

Anyway. Apple cinnamon has been a flavor dear to my heart my whole life. Steeped, the cinnamon smells like Red Hots. I’m not sure about that. Artificial cinnamon is always a bit of a letdown. Luckily, it doesn’t taste super artificial. However, there is that weird bitterness you get from stuff that has had caffeine added to it. Leaves your mouth kinda tingly. The apple flavor is present, but falls behind the cinnamon. All around, the taste here is mild. This is a gently flavored tea that could probably stand a longer steep time than I gave it.

EDIT: The caffeine certainly offers a potent boost. Upped my heart rate and motivated me to get off the couch. I am talking much faster than I normally do.