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There are so many “never hads” about this tea. I’ve never had Amaretto. I’ve never had lapacho. I’ve never had a rose flavoured tea or beverage… etc.

I have had Alpine Punch, though, and this tastes and smells pretty similar! Both remind me of those instant angel food cakes. There are vague hints of creamy sweet marzipan, mostly coming from the nuttiness of the flavour. I don’t know almonds very well but the finish is distinctly full of them.

Hm, I don’t know how I feel about this one. I think I prefer Alpine Punch. Would Amaretto go well with real amaretto? Maybe iced, or as a latte? Altogether, not bad, but I’ll have to try some of the alcohol to see how this holds up.

Eating dry blend: The lapacho is rather bitter tasting. All the dry bits have this artificial sweet cherry taste to them. That same flavour is also noticeable mid-note when it has been steeped.

What a pleasant cup of coffee! A heap of astringency and a smidgen of bitterness… Oh, coffee! I wish I wasn’t a wimp and could drink you straight but I’m just completely incapable- maybe as a double double from Tim Horten’s or with enough syrup and whip cream to sink a buffalo? Ah, There! All better. Now you taste like a “Dark” Hot Chocolate with a little bite at the end!

Um, well, apparently this isn’t coffee but I don’t drink a lot of that stuff, OR black teas, so please forgive me! This is exactly the kind of black tea I hide from. It’s not because it’s “bad” but because I am a weakling and I feel like anything this strong will crush me. I don’t have the stamina to handle such briskness. Maybe I need to train myself up.

The leaves are cool looking! They’re little round balls that give off a malty odour when wet which I found to be a bit intimidating at first, not being able to handle beer very well- on top of my intolerance to coffee.

In reference to where the tea is from, Tinderet apparently means ‘Place of Lightening’. It’s fitting as I do feel like I am being struck by a bolt while sipping on this. Whereas I can’t drink the first steep of this straight yet I can, and do, enjoy the second steep on its own- much more mellow and smooth, but with enough edginess to stay vibrant. There’s even a hint of floral sweetness that I love so much in my white teas. This is a very strong, full bodied tea and I wasn’t expecting such a delicate note to be found underneath all of that force.

I’m relieved this doesn’t taste as strongly as the aroma from the dry leaves suggests. I think I would have exploded from a sweetness overload! Even though it’s turned down a notch, this cup of rooibos seems to ooze maple syrup. I’m surprised the liquid doesn’t leave a sticky sluggish residue in my mug- the flavour is that vivid.

I feel like I should have a side of pancakes with this tea; this syrupy condiment needs something to accompany it. I wonder if this could be incorporated into some kind of recipe. The toffee flavour also reminds me of those delicious maple toffee pops. Oh, I want one of those so badly now!! Delicious syrupy snow toffee… maybe I can pretend to eat you if I ice this rooibos blend?

It’s lovely how the natural sweetness of the rooibos and honeybush pair to create such a distinct maple flavour. The rooibos is noticeable but blends soundly with the sugary additions of toffee and caramel.

I have a handful of teas I like to drink with Hazelnut Bailey’s and this is one of them. Alternatively, it’s good with some kind of milk as it helps cut back some of the overwhelming sweetness, and there is no doubt that this tea is very sweet. There’s a touch of saltiness to it too, almost like salted caramel, but it isn’t a dominant flavour. This is perfect for a cold winter evening but not something I would be able to handle all the time.

Now I know where to go if I ever feel the urge to down container of maple syrup.

I ended up finishing the last of this sample after all, along with Main Squeeze, this night/morning… My eternal clock is really messed up right now and it feels like 4pm despite being 6am.

I dumped nearly 6 grams in my 700ml (24 oz) teapot because, like the Main Squeeze, the first time I had this I found it to be on the weak side. It reminds me of Tetley’s Pomegranate Green Tea, as well- watery,fruity, and green. Kiwi apple flavour is very prevalent with a finishing taste of lemony green. Sweet, puckering tart, clean green with a A dash of prickliness.I do like that flow of flavours and that I can taste the tea in this one but I’m, unfortunately, not the biggest fan of kiwi. I’m also not huge on the watery broth that this tea has. I guess I’m craving something with more body. Despite all of that this is a unique tea that kiwi and fruity green tea lovers should try at least once.

Dry leaves smell almost like Elf Help. The first time I had this was little over a month ago and I found it to be a bit weak for my tastes.

Tonight I decided I wanted something fruity- it was a toss up between the remainder of this or Kiwi’s Big Adventure. Remembering how watery it was the first time, I dumped the last of my fourteen gram sample into my teapot and let it sit for six minutes.

Taking the wet leaves out, wooooo! Is there really no ginger OR orange in this? It smells almost exactly like my ginger pineapple orange drink that I get at the university. It’s zappy.

The flavour is more toned down than the aroma but it’s still deceiving! The leafy materiel and pineapple come together to give it a pleasant acidic citrus note but it’s mostly sweetness- like SunnyD? Safflower contributes a nice oily sweet texture.

This time around, Main Squeeze wasn’t a bad drink at all! I bet this would be good iced. Still, I can’t help but think this is some relative to Elf Help every time I take a sip. Maybe it’s the candy orange papaya notes.

This is more of a practical beverage than one of pleasure but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good. That’s just an added bonus.

Jungle Ju Ju is my most trusted friend when I need stay up all night to get something in. It’s also good to drink the morning of an exam after I’ve stayed up all night to get something in… See how that works?

I remember the first time I tried this: a friend was visiting me on the island and had decided to buy some of this after I dragged her to David’s Tea (I drag everyone to David’s Tea). She was leaving at 6am the next morning and, not wanting to miss a new experience, I decided to drink a pot at 12am. I Could Not get to sleep and was still running in circles by the time she arose to catch the first bus outside the house. Oh, my. I guess I’m very susceptible to caffeine stimulants, or placebos, or both.

The flavour is earthy leaf with the sweetness of candied fruit. Out of all the blends with fruit pieces this is my favourite one to snack on. There’s a bit of bitterness to this tisane but it’s a good kind of bitterness. Reminiscent of coffee beans. Perhaps, it’s because I steep it for a kalpa.

Anyways, If I’m drinking this it means I have school obligations to fulfill so good night world! See you after deadlines!

There is certainly a taste of honey to this straight black tea. I also get a “wheaty”, “beer-ish”, malty taste. The aroma of the wet leaves is strong with the malt too. The effect leads to a cup that is both sweet and full with enough astringency to give it good character. The honey note even makes a certain song play endlessly in my head. It’s quite magical, really. It tastes delicious both with or without milk.

I haven’t tried many straight black teas. Even during the David’s Tea straight promotion this is the only black tea I sampled. David’s Tea has a mixed bag of straights but Nepal Black is one of the better ones. I have a small bag but I’m unsure if this will become a staple. I need to try more blacks and check out Verdant Tea before I make a decision but right now I’m leaning on a yes…

“I’ll come back for the honey……….AND YOUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Yes. I am ashamed of myself.

Ah, yum! If I’m going to drink something with artificial additives why not go full candy and have a tea that’s essentially candy canes in liquid form?

I have not been overly satisfied with most of the new additions to David’s Tea as of late and am left wondering where the “tea” part went. It’s hard to remember to be bitter and whine loudly when I’m drinking this though. The dry leaves have mini candy canes scattered throughout and possess the aroma of vanilla and peppermint.

Liquid tastes like the smell with noticeable vanilla. The peppermint is not too strong with only a light presence of that “fresh” feeling in the back of the throat. My lips are tingling and I’m getting some puckering pungency so this isn’t a flat beverage. Generic black tea is not bitter and provides a meek earthy base.

I think Santa’s Secret will be my indulgent friend for this deadline filled week. Time to read Cloud Atlas and Storm of Swords get cracking on those public executions in 17th and 18th century England!

Out of the four teas from Mariage Frères gifted to me this was one of two chosen because the giver “thought the name was cool.” I am absolutely speechless before her rationale. What makes “Alexandra David-Néel” sound more appealing than teas with names like “Eros,” “Mandalay,” or “Pleine Lune”? I will never know. I’m happy to try a new tea and learn about an interesting historical figure, either way!

In summer the aroma reminded me of winter spices and mandarins but now that it is damp and wet the impression changes to dry desert and floral fruits. This tea does transport me places I’d rather be.

When I first opened my tin and caught a whiff of the aroma I thought “new chai! I need to add milk.” So, without even take a sip, I went straight for the milk and was dismayed at my spicy and fruity milk creation. This tea is actually tasty without the milk; the fruity, mellow, floral notes do not need it or do well with it anyways.

The flavours are complex. The first spices to hit me are the cloves and ginger. After I had my wisdom teeth removed I received a “clove” cleaner so it’s usually the first spice I detect. I will never forget you, cloves.

The ginger is a nice balance of sweetness and zing and leads me to noticing the next jumpy spice, cinnamon, which blends so well with the others I can barely single it out. The cardamom is spicy sweet and I think it may contribute to the last surprising bit of floral sweetness- reminiscent of something potentially citrusy and creamy. While this last note adds another dimension to the tea it tones the spice affect down a notch, and that’s ok.

Aftertaste is peppery and sweet. There’s a pleasant tang from the spices and a black leaf astringent streak but no bitterness that I can pick up! Floral endnote and cinnamon are more pronounced in second steep.

Sometimes, I just want something predictable to wind down with. No crazy ingredients, funky aromas, or overwhelming flavours- just a nice and simple tea.

Vanilla Plantation is a flavoured tea but it’s a straightforward and honest one. The vanilla here is not overwhelming enough to cause a headache, like some jasmine and vanilla teas. Instead, it maintains its simple Ceylon base with only enough vanilla bean to create a mellow and creamy sweet cloud.

There has never been even a hint of bitterness in all the times I’ve had this although there is a slight pleasant pungency which keeps the tea from being too soft and dull. Undoubtedly, there are better vanilla blacks out there but this is the nicest I’ve had so far. It’s so rich it tastes like it already has milk. It’s similar to Silk Road’s London Fog, with a creamy start than a pointy black base to skim through it.

The dry leaves smell of vanilla with something vaguely citrus-like. The liquor is a bright gold. Wet leaves are brown and fragrant and hold up well for two steeps.

I’ve also had this iced with chocolate soy milk which is very tasty. I’m glad my friend convinced me to buy this- it’s become one of my favourite Silk Road teas.