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Giving up on herbal throat teas for the time being and spoiling myself with this – it is deliciously desserty with a bit of honey and milk. Does this mean I’ll actually have to patronize Teavana someday? :( Thanks nonetheless to Meghann M!

Ugh. I’m drinking this because I have a sore throat tonight, and it’s the only throat tea in my cupboard, apparently. I don’t think I realized, when I bought a full box, that it tastes much more licorice-y than Traditional Medicinals :( almost undrinkably so, for me. Almost, but not quite, when my throat hurts.

It’s effective, and sweet, so if you don’t mind fennel or anise it’s a great choice. I, on the other hand, might need to give the rest of the box away so I have an excuse to buy TM’s instead…

Add me to the list of those who don’t like coconut-flavored things, but liked this tea anyway. It’s a buttery, sweet, fresh coconut that melds with the green/oolong flavor without overpowering. I am definitely tempted to buy some of this this, though $7.25/oz is more than I’d usually pay… we’ll see.

ETA: I’m having the 4th steep of this with a bowl of popcorn, with butter and coconut oil, and that’s bringing out the green/flowery bits in the tea. Don’t let the fact that it’s flavored make you think this is a cheap base – there’s a nice pouchong under there.

I used about half of my 2.7g sample, to make 4oz; I’ve steeped twice so far with good results. ETA: After six steeps, I think this is done. Still, a really good value; that was 21oz of tea from 1.4g of tea leaves!

Finally finishing up my sample of this – it’s surprisingly good for having spent several months in a clear plastic bag. Smooth, sweet, lightly grape-y. I can definitely taste the white tea base, which is impressive considering how little white tea I drink. I… might just have to buy more of this. Ooh, and apparently it’s on sale? $4/.8oz or $5.60/1.6oz This gets more and more tempting…

1.4g, 4oz water, 2 steeps so far

I brewed this a little on the strong side today, using up the last of my sampler tin – about 2.5g for 8oz, and I found it a bit harsh to drink plain. (I guess that could be about hte dust in the botton of the tin too). It’s fine with milk though. It actually tastes mild and well-rounded now, more sweet than smoky. This is good, because I find the smokiness of Keemun Encore somewhat overpowering.

I think this’ll go on the shopping list for a full tin. It’s very drinkable, and has a nice sequence of flavors rolling over the tongue, but it’s relatively inexpensive so I don’t have to worry about savoring every cup (I’m looking at you Jackee).

2.5g leaf, 8oz water, 3 minutes near boiling
$12/4oz

I prepared this as Den’s Tea’s oh-so-detailed chart instructs: 2g tea, 4oz boiling water, 30/15 second steeps. First impression: reminds me of (roasted) yerba maté or kukicha. It’s a very mild flavor, not at all bitter, but also not very tea-like to my palate. Slightly sweet, but also somewhat… dusty, in flavor? Oddly dry. The second steep is very similar.

This is interesting, but not likely to become a staple of mine any time soon. Maybe it would be a good low-caffeine option if you’re a purist who doesn’t drink flavored teas or tisanes, but I can’t really imagine the mood where I’d pick this over everything else in my cupboard.

Finishing the last of my Teafrog samples now that my new order is here. This is good, but I’m finding that I don’t really crave an extra lemony Earl Grey very often. The lemongrass in particular is… interesting, but not quite to my taste; it reminds me too much of herbal blends, which is not what I want out of an EG. :/ So, interesting to try, but not likely to be a staple for me.

$6/100g, ~15¢ per cup

The description here seems quite accurate to me: green and floral. Also a little buttery, at least in the aroma. The color is a very pale green, almost like a white tea. This reminds me of Samovar’s Four Seasons, but maybe just because that’s the most recent green oolong I’ve had; this is lighter in flavor, and sweeter. It doesn’t quite have the rich buttery mouthfeel of FS though. (Note: they are both Tie Guan Yin/Iron Goddess varieties)

This was a very generously sized sample – at least 4 grams of tightly rolled leaves, total. I’ve steeped it twice so far, and may adjust the rating depending on how many it yields. I don’t quite have a system for how much QPR affects my ratings, but it is a factor i.e. if this yields a comparable number of steeps as Four Seasons, it will get a slightly higher rating because I like them similar amounts and this costs half as much. I find it relevant, because if a tea feels like a ripoff, I genuinely enjoy it less.

ETA: I’ve had six steeps of this now, and it’s getting milder, but no faster than the Four Seasons did.

2.3g leaf, 3.5 oz water, 45 second steeps near boiling
$21/4oz