Inkling Send Message

Samurai TTB #4

Michelle kindly included this one in the TTB at my request and I’m so glad she did! I’ve really enjoyed some of the other August Uncommon teas I’ve tried in the past and have recently been really enjoying more smoked teas, so this sounded right up my alley. And sure enough…I love it! It’s so rich and nuanced with the perfect blend of sweet and smoky flavors. This is one I’ll definitely be ordering for myself in the future!

Samurai TTB #3

I was looking for an English Breakfast-type tea to drink with a meal and grabbed this one since it didn’t list any additional flavoring and had “morn” in the name. Unfortunately, this was NOT what I was looking for. The base tea was very mild without that rich maltiness I want in a breakfast blend and was actually somewhat overwhelmed by the cornflowers. I honestly didn’t even realize cornflowers had a flavor, as I feel like they’re usually just added for visual interest. But this tea had a definite floral twist that I wasn’t expecting and didn’t welcome.

Samurai TTB #2

Didn’t love this one nearly as much as the Apple Refresh. The lemon lime flavor is very light and somewhat sour. Adding honey made it a more pleasant experience, but I don’t think it’s something I’d drink again.

Samurai TTB #1

It feels like Christmas came early with this huge box of teas to try! I didn’t have time to go through the TTB properly yesterday, so I just grabbed a handful of teabags to take to the office with me. This was the first one I tried. The name is very appropriate; this is a refreshing, lightly flavored black tea that tastes like a whole Granny Smith apple. No caramel or cinnamon, just lots of appley goodness on a nice smooth base.

Advent Calendar Day 17

Yay, Steepster is working again! From what I remember when I tried this blend first thing this morning, it had a pretty strong pumpkin flavor with a hint of spice and a slightly sour aftertaste. Pumpkin doesn’t tend to be my favorite, so I wasn’t a fan.

Advent Calendar Day 16

Ooo, this is nice! While I’ve definitely been enjoying trying out all the different flavored teas this month, a straight black tea will always be my favorite way to start the day. And this one is GOOD. The flavor is super rich and full-bodied, yet smooth with no bitterness or astringency. It’s very fruity, reminding me of raisins, but with a touch of dark chocolate in the aftertaste. This may be my favorite of the calendar so far!

Advent Calendar Day 15

This chai was heavy on the ginger and also unexpectedly sweet. It didn’t have that nasty stevia aftertaste, thankfully, so maybe the sweetness is coming from the candied ginger? Anyway, nothing super special or memorable, but a pleasant enough cup to start my day!

Advent Calendar Day 14

This smells EXACTLY like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but the flavor isn’t living up to the aroma for me. It’s a very smooth, light flavor, with some nuttiness and also, unexpectedly, a fruity note…apples, maybe? Amanda sent a very generous sample, so I’m going to try this again with milk and maybe some sweetener to see if I can coax out some of that delicious chocolatey flavor I’m smelling!

Advent Calendar Day 13

I love that it took almost 2 full weeks for me to run across a tea in Amanda’s calendar that I’d tried before! Even better, it’s one I tried and really liked, so I’m delighted to have it back in my cupboard. Just as creamy and coconutty as I remembered and I LOVE that it’s on a honeybush base. Why are there so many more rooibos blends out there than honeybush? Honeybush is so much more delicious, in my opinion at least!

Advent Calendar Day 12

Another new-to-me tea company with a tea blend that is 100% up my alley! I love a good caramel tea oolong feels like the perfect base with its smooth, buttery mouthfeel. While not the best one I’ve ever had, this one was really nice! The base tea is a pretty dark roasted oolong, which brings some depth and nuttiness to the flavor, the mouthfeel is super rich and creamy, and there’s definitely some caramel flavor going on, though I wouldn’t mind some more! May try sweetening this one or even making it as a latte to see if I can pull out more of that caramel deliciousness.