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May have steeped this slightly too long… Like almost a minute too long… But it seems to have not made the tea too astringent, which I find is a common problem with some whites. The liquor was definitely darker than I remember. I’ve had this tea for a while, which may have something to do with that. I also steeped it in my cast iron pot, which could have caused it to be a little darker.

Anyway! I digress. This tea is a pretty standard white. Nothing too special. It’s good for when I want something unsweetened but don’t have the time (or attention span) to devote to a more delicate tea.

It’s a sad, sad day when you drink the last of such a delicious discontinued tea. I would keep a constant stock of this tea if I could, it’s that good. I think I have a friend who’s got some more that she said she’d give me some of, so all may not be lost, but I’m sure going to miss this one. So smooth, so jasmine-y, so unassuming. love

Meh. I selected this tea this morning because I thought to myself, “You have a lot of this tea. You should drink some. I know it’s not your favorite, or even close, but it wasn’t so bad, right?” As it turns out, I was right, but that’s really all this tea is—not so bad. Even with milk and sugar, which is my favorite way to dress up black tea, it’s still got this weird aftertaste that I’m not sure is the marzipan or the roses. It might very well be the astringency of the somewhat low quality tea, perhaps tinged with the rose or the marzipan… or both. I just can’t tell. Other than the weird aftertaste, it’s a very creamy, nutty tea. It’s just that the aftertaste is so strong, much stronger than the other flavors. I think I have decided that from now on, with all Teavana teas, I will try it in the store first before I buy it (not just smell it, because sometimes teas that smell amazing just don’t measure up in terms of flavor).

Whoa, how have I not logged this yet? I’ve had this one now three times. Oh well. I’ll just chronicle all of my experiences in one note. Huzzah!

The first time I had this tea, my husband had made it for me as a surprise when I got home. I don’t remember where I’d been, but the tea had come in the mail while I was gone. It was a very thoughtful surprise! :)

My first impression was, “Wow, I can really taste the lapsang souchong!” And then… I couldn’t taste much else, except a vague spiciness, which I think was the cardamom, or maybe the peppercorns. I’m not the biggest fan of lapsang souchong, so I have to admit, I wasn’t initially as stoked about this tea as I’d hoped I would be. (I mean, S’mores Chai?? Sounds amazing!)

The second time I made this, I tasted a bit more of a creamy sweetness in the flavor, no doubt the marshmallow root coming through a little. It was still pretty smoky, almost burnt tasting, but not as bad. So I naturally had a little hope that the next time would be even better, and I was not disappointed. :) The marshmallow root really helped smooth out the flavor, and I actually tasted most of the spices. Still not getting any chocolate, and quite a lot of the smoky lapsang souchong, but perhaps if I wait even longer, the flavors will balance out even more.

Dropped the hubby off at the Navy recruiter’s station today, because he’s leaving for boot camp tomorrow, and I wanted something familiar and comforting. I settled on this, with a piece of chocolate cake. It did quite nicely. I will still miss him like hell, but at least I’ll have my tea and my little girl.

Oh my goodness, was I ever in the mood for this tea this morning. I wish I had some whole milk, or better yet, half-n-half, to add to it, to make it a little bit more decadent. (I’m weird, I know, but I like what half-n-half does to tea.) I have to let this one cool down all the way before I taste any almond, but I got impatient and had finished half the cup before that happened. :3 The black tea is astringent, kind of low quality, and I could use more cinnamon flavor for sure. I guess this is a little older than it probably should be… but I don’t have much left, so I’m not too worried. I’m hoping that the caffeine won’t bother my little girl, since I had this with food… but we’ll see. It’s been all right so far, I just don’t want to press my luck.

Made a cup of this yesterday, but I only got to finish about 1/3 of it, because my LO was being ornery. She just doesn’t understand “Mommy’s having a tea moment” yet. xD It’ll be a while before that happens. Usually it’s not so much of an issue. Like this morning, when she’s sleeping late because she decided to stay up two hours past her usual bedtime last night.

Anyway, enough about my spawn. My previous notes about this tea stand—it’s a lot more vanilla than pear. However, there is something in the astringency of the aftertaste that is somewhat reminiscent of the way pear peel tastes by itself: a little sour, a little bitter.

This tea has to be allowed to cool considerably to get any of the tart fruity flavors that the smell promises it will have. The bamboo is… interesting. I’ve reviewed this tea before, but there was no date mentioned on the tea’s page about when I last logged a tasting note. I’ll have to go see if I can find it later. Disappearing tea notes seems to be a common problem on this site. :/
Anyway, this tea isn’t my favorite anything, but I definitely know where to go if I’m desiring that sour cherry flavor from rosehips. LOTS of that in this tea (although you get very little of it if you don’t sweeten it. Unsweetened, this tea is just meh).

Steeped this one for the hubby and myself while we were waiting for dinner to finish cooking (navy beans and sausage, yum!). I really love how this tea smells—like Tropical Skittles and fresh flowers, with a slight grassy note from the green tea. I decided not to sweeten mine this time, and I really liked it. I got lots of floral notes, sweet rose and honeysuckle… hmm, honeysuckle… so I added a little bit of honey halfway through the cup. Yep, good decision. The honey woke it up just enough to take it from enjoyable to sublime. I used wildflower honey, because clover honey just isn’t my thing, but I got the feeling that clover honey might have been quite tasty in this tea as well (I guess because the smells of clover and honeysuckle kind of go together? My brain works in mysterious ways). Anyway, I really like this, but I may or may not buy more. I could live without it, but it would also be nice to have around.

Hmm, surprisingly, I like this tisane a lot better than I did the first time I had it. I’ve never been a big fan of this one, but the husband likes it, which is how we ended up with some. I was pretty sure I’d just let him drink it, but today has taught me that perhaps, in the right mood, I could enjoy it. I was looking on my shelves, and it caught my fancy, ’cause I wanted something herbal but not fruity. I steeped it for much less time than Teavana recommends, which made the normally too powerful savory flavors light enough for me to really enjoy. The crisped rice and the soy go really well together now, with the other leaves and sundry flakes filling out the depth quite nicely. It smells wonderfully grainy, very reminiscent of cream of wheat. The mouthfeel is smooth and almost creamy. I think I have just revised my opinion of this tisane entirely.