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It was so hot today! Luckily I had this tea to take off the edge. It just feels more hydrating than all the other teas, the cucumber and mint somehow acting as a cooling flavor even when it’s not iced. I wish I’d been quick enough to snag a big bag of this to get me through the summer, but alas they sold out too fast. I did get another taster pouch though, so looking forward to that. Also, in case you missed their discussion post, 52Teas is doing a mystery grab bag sale right now :)

And another one for the list of changes that didn’t need to happen. H&S sent me a sample tea bag of this. I’d previously had the newish version of Bangkok at a Starbucks, and while it IS better when made at the right temperature (i.e. not scalding), it’s still a disappointment when compared to the old version. I’d like to know who tasted the original and thought, I know what would make this better — weird fake vanilla! Really — and I say this as a fan of vanilla — even a good vanilla would make no sense with the other flavors in the tea. As it is the awkward cloying fake vanilla is overwhelming everything else.

Got this as a sample. The description talks about chocolate and tobacco undertones and a fruity aftertaste — I’m not sure I’m getting all that, but it is a flavorful earl grey, nice and punchy, with a hint of smoke. I still prefer the H&S earl grey supreme that’s become one of my cupboard staples; it’s a bit lighter and brighter and more citrusy, and just more my style, but this is still good.

I like this so much I’ve already gone through it. The popped rice flavor came through beautifully and it kind of reminded me of Lucky Charms, like a marshmallow vibe with a very light vanilla/fruitiness? Delicious.

American Tea Company sent me a coupon and I jumped at the chance to stock up on this. It’s even better than I remembered :)

Mmm, I really don’t get snickerdoodle from this. It’s definitely a spice tea, but I’m not picking up any of the tang or the buttery goodness of the namesake.

That said, given the fact that I am a fan neither of rooibos nor spice teas, I find this remarkably drinkable. It’s because the spices are really nicely balanced, not overpowering as so often happens.

Another sipdown. Sorry to see this one go. The base really needs to be punched up but I like the cookie flavor. I’m pretty sure this is one of those Metropolitan teas, so at least it’s available from several places.

Sipdown. Not extraordinary, but I did warm to this one several cups again. A decent flavored black.

Having never had (or heard of) a cucumber tea before, I thought it sounded incredibly weird. But I am a convert. This tea is so refreshing! I didn’t even ice it and it still tastes like everything you could want in a summer tea. The cucumber and the white base meld seamlessly. The spearmint is present but the way it combines with the other flavors is kind of different than I’d expect — it almost brings a peppery note to the mix. The lime is the subtlest flavor in the mix, but even though I love lime, I’m okay with it being in the background here because the balance of the tea really is perfect :)

While I definitely notice the flavorings, to me this comes across as a black tea first and foremost, with backup voices from the caramel and marshmallow, as opposed to a flavored tea, where the base usually gets the supporting role (does this make sense? I hope it makes sense). It all comes together very nicely, the marshmallow smoothing out the CTC and the caramel giving it extra richness. It doesn’t really taste like Nina’s Paris’ Je t’aime (before that went downhill), but it reminds me of the concept, and it makes a great morning cup.