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I have two big tea orders coming my way, so time to sip down my sample pile and make room! This was my breakfast tea of choice today. The leaf is pretty: small, dark, tightly-curled leaves. It brews up to a clear reddish-brown with a warm, malty scent. I often add milk to straight black tea, but this one is lovely all by itself: smooth and flavorful with notes of malt, plum, and dark cocoa. No bitterness or astringency even after a 4-minute steep. Delicious!

I tried this one at work today and was pleasantly surprised. For a grocery store bagged Earl Grey, this is really good! The black tea base is super smooth and silky (it almost reminds me of an oolong) with absolutely no bitterness or astringency. I typically drink my Earl Grey with milk, but this is one I enjoyed plain. I wish the bergamot flavor had been a little bit stronger, but that’s my only complaint.

Mmm, this is tasty! It has a rich nutty flavor with notes of caramel sweetness and just a touch of spice. It also has an unexpectedly creamy mouth feel which adds to the decadent experience. For me, this is one of those teas that can actually stand in for dessert. Delicious!

Despite the name, this blend really didn’t taste much like vanilla. The base tea is robust and malty (actually, I think I’d quite enjoy this one plain) and I’m also getting a fairly strong cocoa note from the carob bits. It’s pleasant enough, but poorly named in my opinion!

I’m still battling the tail-end of a cold, so decided to give this tisane a try at work today. Based on the name, I was expecting a straight ginger tea. But to my surprise, I’m also picking up on some lemony notes and a peppery kick at the end of the sip, followed by a licorice-sweet aftertaste. On an ordinary day, I think I’d find this mish-mash of strong flavors way too overpowering, but on a sick day, I’m actually finding the strong flavor rather enjoyable. It’s also proving quite soothing to my throat. I may need to add this one to my list of teas to keep on hand for illness!

This is a nice chai! It seems to strike the right balance between spicy and sweet: cinnamon and ginger are both present, but neither is overpowering and the cardamom adds a nice depth. The base tea is robust, but not bitter. This is one I could drink plain, but it’s even better with a dash of milk (and I’ll bet it would be lovely as a latte!). I don’t love it quite as much as my all-time favorite Reena’s Chai from TeaSource, but it’s proving to be a good substitute until I’m able to order more of that one.

I received one of the Downton Abbey limited edition teas for Christmas (the raspberry hibiscus herbal tea, which I already know I don’t like) and was so happy that I was able to exchange it for a tin of this instead. This is a nice, basic Earl Grey. Nothing special, but I feel that the base tea is well chosen and the bergamont flavor balanced: present, but not overpowering. It’s lightly astringent if you drink it black, but I always add a splash of milk so that doesn’t bother me. Glad to have some Earl Grey back in my cupboard, as it’s one of those staples I tend to reach for as my first cup of the day.

Making it through a rough day at the office with a cold by drinking lots of tea. This one has a strong ginger aroma and flavor; maybe if I weren’t sick I’d be picking up the lemon too. On a normal day, this blend would probably be too spicy for my tastes. As it is, I appreciate a flavor strong enough to cut through the sickness and the ginger actually seems to be helping a bit with my congestion.

This tisane is way too sweet for me and the licorice flavor is a bit overpowering. But that being said, it works! A sore throat feels significantly better after sipping this.

There’s been a bad cold going around my office and I’ve been the lucky recipient this week. Seemed like the perfect time to pull out this teabag I received in a recent swap! I’d never heard of this brand before, but judging from their website, they definitely seem to be focused on medicinal teas. This one didn’t give me any instant results (aside from a nice warm cup to wrap my hands around): it didn’t sooth my sore throat like Throat Coat does or clear out my sinuses like a straight mint tea can. All I could really taste was a vague herbal flavor and the bite of black pepper in the aftertaste; not sure what it would taste like if I were healthy!