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I was intrigued by this tea when I read Emilie’s recent tasting note on it and she was kind enough to send me a sample in our swap. Unfortunately, this blend just wasn’t for me. The green tea base seems nice, with no grassiness or bitterness, but the jasmine flavor completely overwhelms whatever blueberry taste is supposed to be here. I feel like I’m drinking a garden!

Caramel corn is one of my favorite treats, so I was so excited to receive a sample of this tea in my recent swap with slb2221! This blend is one of those “fruit salad” teas…lots of chunks of dried fruit and spices with no actual tea leaf that I can see. The scent as it’s steeping smells just like real caramel corn! But unfortunately, the flavor was a disappointment. Lots of sweet, buttery caramel, but nothing that’s reminding me of popcorn. (Actually, there’s a weird fruity flavor here that I’m really not enjoying.) Without the saltiness of the popcorn to cut the sweetness, it starts to get a bit sickening midway through the cup. Definitely not something I’d re-purchase, but glad I had the chance to indulge my curiosity!

slb2221 kindly sent along a sample of this one in our recent swap! I don’t think I’d pay $8/ounce for it, as I’ve had plenty of black teas that were just as good and cost a lot less (such as TeaSource’s Black Mao Feng). But cost aside, this is a very enjoyable black tea! It’s super smooth with no bitterness or astringency and lots of rich, sweet flavor. I’m picking up malt and sweet potato and maybe just a touch of honey on the first steep. Guessing this will also re-steep well!

This is a perfect Christmas tea…it tastes just like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange! You don’t get a ton of flavor when it’s hot, but as it cools down the rich dark chocolate starts to pop out with a sweet, almost floral orange note brightening things up. I enjoyed it plain last night, but I’m guessing this would also make a fantastic tea latte.

This is such an interesting tea! Honestly, I’m not picking up very much chocolate in my cup. The main flavors I’m noticing are marshmallow and malt. And those chili flakes pack a serious spicy kick! I don’t think this is something I’d reach for often, but I’m glad for the opportunity to try it. Thanks to slb2221 for the sample!

I’ve been sorely missing my Butiki Banana Walnut Butterscotch, so I was thrilled to find a generous sample of this tea in my recent swap with Emilie. I wasn’t disappointed! The scent and flavor of this blend are dead-on homemade banana bread studded with walnuts and slathered with butter. Delicious!

Of the Quarter to Tea samples I’ve tried so far, this one is my least favorite. It isn’t bad by any means, but I’m really not getting all the flavors the name promises. I taste little bit of chocolate and a hint of cinnamon and nothing that’s screaming “cheesecake”. I have enough tea left to brew a second cup, so I’ll have to try a longer steep time and see if that brings out the flavors more.

I enjoyed this one with breakfast this morning. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it! The almond was the most noticeable flavor for me, followed by a bit of apple and a very light spiciness. I didn’t really get any cake notes, but the tea was nice and smooth and the flavors blended together well.

After drooling over other people’s tasting notes for month, I’m finally getting the opportunity to sample some of A Quarter to Tea’s offerings, thanks to Emilie’s generosity (thanks for the awesome swap!) People have been comparing this company to Butiki, so Maple Pecan Oolong (which is a flavor Stacy also offered) seemed like a good place to start. And I was not disappointed! This one tastes just like I hoped from reading the description: a hint of sweet maple and lots of nutty goodness with just a hint of smokiness in the aftertaste. If this blend is representative of their other offerings, I can foresee this company becoming a fast favorite!

I despise the flavor of chamomile, but was feeling in need of a tea to help relax me tonight. I was pleased to find that the spearmint in this particular blend completely overpowered the scent and flavor of the chamomile. This still isn’t something I would choose to drink for the flavor, but it’s effective and drinkable for a chamomile-hater.