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Samurai TTB #57

Michelle kindly included a sample of this one in the TTB for me. I’ve loved most of the golden snail-style black teas I’ve tried in the past, so I was eager to give this one a try! The aroma was very rich with notes of cocoa and honey. The tea brewed up a rich reddish brown with intense chocolatey flavor and a dense, almost chewy mouthfeel. I loved the first steep, but was disappointed by the second, as the flavor became quite thin and the aftertaste was pretty astringent. This is a great one-time steep but I wish I could get more out of it!

Samurai TTB #56

I’ve had lots of orange spice black tea blends before, but I don’t recall another one with a green tea base. I actually found this a lot more enjoyable than the classic Constant Comment. The green tea base is nice and smooth and the orange flavor was distinctive without being overwhelmed by sweet cinnamon (as is so often the case in such blends). Here, the cinnamon just added a gently warming note. I honestly enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting!

Samurai TTB #55

Of the four fruity green teas from Tea of Life I tried in the TTB, this one was my favorite! The green tea base was buttery-smooth with a subtle vegetal flavor and the passion fruit flavor was quite distinctive and natural. Hot, I wasn’t getting much flavor, but the passion fruit really started to pop as my cup cooled down. I think this would be a delicious iced tea!

Samurai TTB #54

I didn’t know anything about this one, but I was hoping it might be similar to Teavana’s Youthberry. Unfortunately, this one is completely different…mostly hibiscus (which I’m emphatically NOT a fan of) with hints of rose and tulsi. It’s quite tart and has a somewhat medicinal quality to it overall…definitely feels like a tea you would drink for the health benefits and not for the flavor!

Samurai TTB #53

I love caramel, so I had to give this one a try! The dry leaf is VERY finely ground (almost like matcha) but I followed the directions to steep it like a traditional tea and add milk. The aroma was intensely sweet and caramelly, but I didn’t get much of a caramel flavor from the brewed tea…it just came across as a sweet, milky rooibos. Pleasant enough, but not the rich caramel experience I was hoping for.

Samurai TTB #52

This is the only tea I sampled from the TTB that I ended up dumping without finishing my cup. There was a little bit of lime in the flavor, but it was overwhelmed by the earthy, herbaceous flavor of the yerba mate and lingering aftertaste of the cola nut. Not a great experience!

Samurai TTB #51

Another standout green tea from the TTB! Smooth and sweet with a mild nutty flavor and a buttery finish. This one is staying with me!

Samurai TTB #50

I have yet to develop an appreciation for puerh. However, I do love sticky rice! And this little heart-shaped cakes were so adorable, I just had to give this one a try. And honestly, it was a pleasant surprise! The tea is a bit earthy, but it’s not musty or fishy like others that I’ve tried. The sticky rice really comes through in both the aroma and flavor and I love the unique umami flavor it gives to the tea. My only complaint is that I did find the aftertaste a bit drying to my throat. This probably isn’t something I’d purchase, but it was really fun to get to try it!

Samurai TTB #49

This was marked as “Princess Peach Ice Cream” from a brand I’ve never heard of called Tea Hippie. If I’d enjoyed it more, maybe I would have taken the time to add it to the database, but as it was, I don’t feel the need. No peach and no ice cream for me, just straight up hibiscus with a hint of yogurt. Not a fan!

Samurai TTB #48

I love pear but am ambivalent about jasmine, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one. Thankfully the jasmine is muted by the fruitiness of the pear so this comes across as a lightly floral fruity green tea rather than a mouthful of jasmine perfume. The green tea base was nice and smooth. I quite enjoyed this one and I think it would be even better iced!