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This was in the Golden Moon sampler pack I received as a hostess gift this summer. Although other teas in that assortment were really enjoyable, this one fell flat for me. The flavor is surprisingly mild (more like a lightly spiced black tea than a true chai) and not very well-balanced. Oddly, though big cardamom pods are quite prominent in the leaf, the flavor is mostly ginger and cinnamon along with the assertive and slightly bitter base tea (probably a CTC Ceylon, by the look and taste of it). Milk smooths things out, but diminishes the spices even further. It’s drinkable, but there are definitely much better chais out there!

I love almost all the teas I’ve tried from The London Tea Room, but this one was a rare miss for me. I was so excited to find a blueberry-flavored blend that didn’t have hibiscus in it…pretty much all the blueberry herbals I’ve ever tried have included it (presumably for the color?) and that flavor takes over. But while I’m glad this one doesn’t taste like hibiscus, it doesn’t really taste like blueberry either. The medicinal flavor of the rooibos base is front and center here and I actually taste more lemon than blueberry. While I’m excited to re-stock on some of their other blends next time I’m in St. Louis (hello Coconut Oolong and Maple Walnut Sencha!), this isn’t one I’ll be re-purchasing.

My last Market Spice order was definitely a mixed bag, but this blend was one of the hits for me! I’m a sucker for nutty dessert teas, but I don’t remember trying anything that was macadamia nut flavored before. The nuttiness combines super well with the vanilla and the base tea is present but not too assertive. Really lovely with milk!

I’m not the biggest fan of florals (especially jasmine) so I probably wouldn’t have chosen this blend on my own. But my friend Rives who introduced me to My Cup of Tea LOVES this one and talked me into buying it. I’m glad she did! While the jasmine flavor is present, it’s counterbalanced by the citrus and pineapple so it does’t come off at all perfumey. There is a bit of dryness at the end of the sip, but it isn’t too much…just makes me want to keep coming back for more! I enjoyed it hot, but have found that it really shines as an iced tea. I am so excited about discovering this company and looking forward to trying more of their teas in the future!

This tea tastes like melted gummy bears! The fruit flavor is STRONG, but unfortunately quite artificial. I really didn’t care for it hot, but it worked better for me iced. Glad I found a way to drink it, because Market Spice only sells in 4oz quantities, so I have a LOT of this to get through!

A friend who lives in Dallas sent me a few teas from The Cultured Cup, including this one, and all of them were excellent! This particular blend isn’t my favorite, just because I’m not the biggest fan of grape-flavored things, but it’s definitely great quality tea. Huge, unbroken white tea leaves that give off a soft flavor that really does remind me of white wine.

This one was an impulse purchase the last time I ordered from TeaSource…pretty sure it was on sale. While straight green teas don’t tend to be my favorite, I’ve found myself reaching for this one surprisingly often! It’s very smooth and easy to drink with a mild vegetal flavor that reminds me of baby spinach. It’s certainly nothing special or memorable, but a nice “everyday” type green tea.

My last sample from Shae. I brewed this one at work this morning and didn’t realize my little electric kettle was almost out of water, so I ended up with my mug only 2/3 full. I generally stay away from “holiday” type teas, as cinnamon and orange just isn’t my thing. However, this one has a strong almond/marzipan note added, which makes it a bit different. Still not my favorite flavor combo, but better than I was expecting! I may try adding milk next time, as the Ceylon base was giving it a dryness at the end of the sip that I wasn’t crazy about. Still so fun to get to try all these new-to-me teas, though. Thanks again for the lovely surprise, Shae!

Another sample from Shae! I had this one with breakfast this morning and was honestly half-asleep, so I don’t remember much. :) It was nice and full-bodied and held up well to milk. Certainly a “decent cup of tea” but nothing outstanding. I don’t think I liked it quite as much as the Irish Breakfast I had yesterday, but still pleased I got to try it! I forget about Harney & Sons and they really do some excellent blends.

Yet another tea from Shae…and this may be my favorite of the bunch so far! Chocolate-flavored tea blends can be pretty hit and miss for me, but this one is absolutely delicious. Both the chocolate and raspberry flavors are coming through clearly and the base tea has a nice earthy richness that compliments the dark chocolate perfectly without any of the funkiness you sometimes get with puerh blends. It’s even better with a splash of milk!