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I’ve been hearing about this type of tea a lot lately so when I asked about it the tea shop in my area gave me a sample to try. I was instantly drawn to it after the first sip despite it’s slightly fishy scent. They say it gets better with age and I must say I am a bit intrigued to taste that possibility.

It is cold outside and the snow is falling in clumps and that calls for a wonderfully scented warming tea. I picked up this blend after work today and am now relaxing back and thoroughly enjoying this tea . The smell is sweet and fills the nose with a creamy scent. The taste is very mellow compared to the smell, but just the perfect level to not be considered “too much”. As the name says, khali-kahwa or really good cup and it is just that!

I went in to the tea shop with no real plan. Just that I wanted a plain black tea. No clicks and no whistles. I was suggested the Russian Samovar Black Tea. This tea has a very traditional black tea scent and a nice dark coloration once steeped. The taste is a very straight up black tea as I hoped for. Though there is just a little something extra I keep noticing with each swallow. What it is I can’t figure out….and I am in no way complaining. It is just a nice extra bite with each sip. I will have to make a batch tomorrow and see if I can figure it out then.

Expanding my taste buds to the world of Oolong! This tea has very little odor to it prior to steeping though it does a nice job of filling the room with an earthy tone while it steeps. Overall this tea is very calm in every way. The taste is very laid back and woodsy smooth. It almost has a mouth filling creaminess to it. I do like this tea quite a bit. And to think the last time I raved about an Oolong was when Sobe came out with those Oolong tea drinks……….shame on me.

Up’ed the score! Went to the Tea Haus and bought a few new teas as well as got my free cup of tea (Frequent Buyers Card)! I got, of course, the Banana Walnut. The reason I moved the score up is because as they made my cup the entire shop filled with the smell of this tea and it put the biggest smile on my face. Just in case I haven’t mentioned it…….this tea is amazing!

So good! The perfect tea for this 7 degree day. I feel that I may need to make a dessert drink flavored with this tea tonight while I am curled around my heater.

How is it I always forgot how much I love the scent of jasmine. Maybe it is a quirk in my brain that resets a few hours after each experience so that the next time I smell jasmine it is like it is my first time. A quirk I am so glad to have! I can’t describe the smell of this tea other than to say its a treat all its own. The loosely wrapped curls are just a beautiful thing to watch as they steep. The color of the tea steeped is a deep golden color. The taste is an overall floral experience. The jasmine hits your tongue smoothly as well as your nose. Such a treat! I am just babbling at this point, but damn I can’t help it. This is good stuff!

After work today my girlfriend and I ended up at Tea Haus, a tea shop a few doors down from where we work. This is a fantastic place to end up at any point in the day. While browsing I asked about any green teas that may be considered similar to a current personal favorite, the China Lung Ching. I was given a sample of this Japan Bancha to try. The aroma of the dry leaves is just so inviting. Such an earthy warmness fills the nose. My favorite!!! Plus the tea itself is just so pretty. The color is slightly darker than the China Lung which I was told is due to how each is dried differently. Once the steeping is done and poured into a mug that earthy green smell carries on with a little more umpfh. The taste is quite similar to the China Lung but its earthy vegetal taste stays consistent throughout. Where as the China Lung begins as such then ends with a slight sweetness. Overall this tea is quite enjoyable and upon my next visit to the Tea Haus I am going to have to get a bag of this to add to my collection.

I can’t say my score is truly fair. I just bought this tea when I got to work before heading to my desk. I steeped two bags in a quarter cup of water and added it to a cup of steamed unsweetened almond milk with a little honey. For now though the taste is wonderful and I do enjoy how the green tea adds a great noticeable flavor to the drink. If it holds up on its own as just the tea I have a feeling I will enjoy it in that way as well. Which is what I will be doing for lunch. So, this is to be continued………

I picked this tea up while wandering around Chicago on a mini vacation I took to see the fantastic band, Mates of State. Not only did I get to enjoy an awesome town and a great band, I also got to enjoy several tea shops. This tea has a very strong sweet and wood like smell. A smell I would gladly have wafting around at any time of day. Though it seems most of the smell is lost through steeping. All that remains is a very faint honey like smell. The taste of this tea doesn’t have much for sweetness, but as the description says it does send off notes of wood and a slight peppery finish. Occasionally I noticed an aftertaste of the sweetness I was smelling earlier. This tea is such a wonderful and warm treat to enjoy!