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Catching up on teas of the last few days…finished off a bag of this when I needed something to get going while waiting for breakfast.

Very straightforward, unsurprising green tea. Clean, green, and just a tiny bit nutty. I don’t drink a whole lot of green teas, but this is one I sometimes have on hand for when the mood strikes. Just a little astringent, which I think makes it a nice wake-up tea. I only made one cup this time, but on previous occasions have gotten quite a bit more out of it.

Wow, this is almost too decadent for an at-work tea. I think it’d be better suited to a day of indulging in a good book somewhere comfortable where I could really enjoy.

First cup is a little malty and sweet with a whole lot of vanilla. Honestly reminds me of these chocolate scones at a local coffee shop – something warm and freshly-baked (there’s a hint of chocolate here, but it’s not the main point). Texturally, it’s kind of silky and easy to drink.

Second cup is way more intensely chocolate, with a little more dimension to the sweetness – it’s described as cherry, which I guess works as long as you’re thinking sweet cherries and not tart ones (so…not what I was expecting, oops).

Back to work I go, will make more tea later throughout the day, but so far this one is really lovely.

1st (very short) steep was interesting, smelled sweet and floral/green, more like smelling a vegetable garden than say, a rose garden. The sweetness is what I tasted first, followed by bitterness.

2nd steep is where things got weird for me. Still has a little sweetness, but the bitterness is more pronounced. Couldn’t figure out how to describe it until I saw other people here saying “green pepper.” That’s it, it’s vegetables with a kick. Combined with that initial slightly-floral sweetness, it makes me think habanero minus the heat. Not sure how I feel about this as sort of flavor as tea.

With some trepidation, made a third cup. Shorter steep than I did for the second cup. Still a little bitter, but significantly less peppery. Unfortunately less sweet too, but what can you do…Just a touch of minerality in there also that I hadn’t noticed before.

I could probably make another cup, but I’m not sure I’m inclined to. Overall a very educational experience, if mostly in discovering that I do not enjoy this sort of tea. On the plus side, it’s not a one-note tea. And for a tea to wake me up to start the day, it definitely did the trick.

I adore the name of this one, and it’s beautiful when dry with all the buds – they do look like fox tails! Beyond that, it’s a cozy and comfortable tea. No bitterness, nothing deep and dark. A little earthy, sometimes just a hint of a little peppery/herbal in the background. The sweetness is pretty mellow too, it doesn’t taste like fruit or desserts or anything like that. I didn’t think of sweet potato while drinking it, but seeing other people describe it that way makes sense. It’s not my longest lasting tea, but I got several good cups out of it.

Will need to write a more detailed description next time when my tea drinking isn’t interrupted by errands and other things, but I’m very glad I bought this one! It’s very sweet and light, with a little fruity/hay flavor? Reminds me a lot of Whispering Pines Tea’s Moondance white tea, which I love, but a more grown-up version. Not bitter or overpowering, but pleasantly energizing, with just a hint of a darker, woodsy-ness underneath.

Trying a sample of this one:
Quick rinse, struck by slightly smokey aroma. First couple cups are kind of smoky, slightly earthy, followed by a tangy and sweet flavor – kind of citrusy? Is it making me think of orange? At one point I even thought pineapple, but that’s not quite right. Not sure I can pin it down, there’s a lot going on here. At the end it’s just a tiny bit bitter and drying.

Later cups seem to have mellowed out a little. Less smoky, still a little citrusy. There’s still something I can’t quite place, something a little earthy and herbal that balance out the fruit flavor.

Altogether, it’s pretty interesting, lots of contrast. I’d try it again.

Mixed feelings on this one. First cup was spicy, sweet, and strong, which I liked very much, but by the third (tiny) cup most of the interestingness was gone. Might be better as just one really good pot/mug of tea and not bother resteeping more than once.