Inkling Send Message

Whoa, this stuff is intense! I followed Stacy’s direction and only steeped it for 1 minute, but I still got a STRONG hit-you-in-the-face malty brew. The pistachio flavor is definitely present as well, but for me it’s mostly coming through in the aftertaste. I don’t usually add milk to flavored teas, but I think I will be trying that with this one. It’s definitely a good morning wake-up brew, but as far as pistachio-flavored teas go, I prefer Pistachio Ice Cream.

Tried this one at work today and was surprised by how much I liked it! I do enjoy Earl Grey, but I typically prefer it with milk. This one was quite tasty without any additives! The extra burst of citrus (I think it’s lemon?) makes it quite refreshing. I didn’t notice any bitterness, but there was a bit of astringency to the aftertaste that I didn’t care for. Still, I would definitely drink this again!

I got a free sample of this with my last TeaSource order. Not sure if it’s the way this tea normally is or just my sample, but the ratio of rice to tea seemed to be 2 parts rice to 1 part tea leaves. I was a bit dubious about how it would taste, but it was actually quite delicious: smooth and silky with a nice toasty flavor and a slightly sweet aftertaste. Genmaicha isn’t my favorite type of tea, so I probably won’t be re-purchasing. But I’ll gladly finish this sample!

Butiki’s Pumpkin Creme Brulee has been my favorite pumpkin tea, but now that I’ve sampled this one I think I like it even better! The leaves are long and slender smell heavily of pumpkin. Brewed, this tea is smooth and buttery and sweet. The butterscotch hits my tongue first, followed by incredibly natural pumpkin flavor (how does Stacy do that???) and a light espresso aftertaste. I’d take a cup of this tea over a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte any day of the week!

I’ve always been primarily a flavored-tea girl, but the more quality straight black teas I try, the more I find myself craving them. This one is divine! The dry leaf is gorgeous: super thin, twisty leaves in variegated black and gold. The scent is rich and malty. Brewed, it’s a gorgeous reddish brown with a silky smooth mouth feel and so much flavor! I’m definitely tasting sweet potato and honey, but there’s also a bit of a caramel note to the aftertaste. And – just to make a good thing even better – this is one of those teas you can keep re-steeping all day long and still get amazing flavor in each cup. This one is right up there with Whispering Pines’ Golden Snail as the best black tea I’ve ever tasted!

Finally sampling the last tea from my Lupicia Happy Bag! Lemon is not my favorite tea flavor and I’m also not a big fan of red rooibos, so I really wasn’t expecting to like this one. But it was better than I expected! The base isn’t overly woody or medicinal and the lemon flavor has a nice sweetness to it that reminds me of a lemon drop candy. I still don’t think this is something I would re-purchase, but I’ll happily drink the rest of my sample tin!

Tried this one at work today and was NOT impressed. It doesn’t taste like chai at all! The main flavor is a strong artificial vanilla with a bit of cinnamon. The back base is completely smothered by the other flavors.

Mmm, Stacy does these fruity/nutty blends so well! This one is smooth and creamy and sweet and tastes just like a baked apple. The nuttiness of the pecans mostly comes through in the aftertaste. I’m not really picking up on the brandy, but I don’t miss it…this tea is delicious just the way it is!

I got a GIANT package of this in my Lupicia Happy Bag! It’s not something I would have picked out my own, but it’s actually quite good. It reminds me of a roasted oolong…smooth and slightly sweet with an intense roasted grain flavor and aroma.

I love almonds and almond-flavored things, so I was disappointed that this one sold out before I had a chance to try it. Thank you to Zack for swapping me some to try! It’s delicious. The dry leaf smells strongly of marzipan. Steeped, the flavor is more complex: plenty of sweet almond, but also a touch of spice, a hint of citrus, and a definite pastry flavor. Everything works together really well and it comes out as a very indulgent dessert tea (befitting the name for sure!). I drank my first cup black, but I’m guessing this would also be lovely with milk or as a latte.