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This tea is so delicious! Enjoying a rare Saturday morning off with smooth caramel/vanilla notes along with the lovely accompanying base. As far as flavored teas go, this one is top-notch and I have been hoarding what little I have left. This is as close to vanilla tea nirvana as I have been able to find. None of the straight vanillas have this same fantastic taste of those I have tried. Happy weekend!

Neat, this is my 100th tasting note. :)

Dry: Fairly long and twisty dark brown leaves with huge pieces of pecans. Some of them are half or more in size and there are plenty. I had to shake the bag up to distribute them as the pecans kept settling. The tea smells delicious- rich and buttery and like it has been drizzled in sugary maple syrup.

Steeped: Light to medium brown clear liquor. Smells primarily like maple, but with a nutty finish in the aroma. I steeped 1.5 tsp in 8 oz water.

Taste: Yum! I have never actually had the Nilgiri Frost Oolong base, but I knew before I looked it up that this one must have it as the focus because somehow this tea taste like maples, buttery pecans, frost, and minerals. I don’t know how to describe what tasting frost is like, but this is it. Between the divine scent wafting from the cup and the lovely and interesting flavor, this oolong is a great choice for something new and unique.

Some flavor tags are missing from the new layout, but I would have added maple and frost if I could have in addition to butter, nuts, and mineral.

Having a lovely cup of SoHo this morning to start the day. I recall this one tasting more chocolatey than it does today, so I am not sure if the cocoa is fading a bit as it ages. I am primarily enjoying creamy coconut notes with a smooth black base. I think I ate too much junk food (and had one too many craft beers) this weekend and tea is helping to soothe a mild upset tummy. Used 1.5 tsp to 8 oz water. Might need to go to something pepperminty next.

I am playing with this one again this morning, but it is getting more bitter as it cools. Still creamy, almost nutty notes with muscatel in the base. I wouldn’t say cheesecake, but I still think it is a nice cup when it first starts out. Happy Sunday all!

I was called into work on Tuesday early in the day because of the storm rolling through Atlanta. I am not exaggerating when it was like Walking Dead out there. It took me 7.5 hours to go 30 miles. The hospital has kept us on an emergency staffing plan where we are not allowed to leave because there is no one to replace us. So, I’ve been living at work since Tuesday.. but I am finally home!

One of the things I really, truly missed besides basics like a bed (I’ve been resting on a couch between patient assignments), is my tea! I only scrounged up two old bags of Bigelow green and some unsweetened Lipton one morning before hitting the couch. So today I am going straight to comfort and am sipping apple pie tea. Mostly because I couldn’t remember the steep times and whatnot for Laoshan Black and I was too lazy/tired to look them up initially. But still, this one is warm and soothing. And now I may actually go to bed. A real bed! With a mattress and everything!

Felt like something sweet this morning and this was my original go-to tea for a dessert kick. I forgot how weird it looks in the cup though- very oily and cloudy with a red froth on top. If I didn’t know that is just how it brews up, I probably would have been worried, lol. I added a dash of whole milk to give it more creaminess and it tastes pretty good. It is lacking in the chocolate department, but still has that maple-y background and the sweetness from the sprinkles and chips.

In other news, it is supposed to snow today, so I need to pack a tea stash and survival bag for work in case I get stuck. Here in Georgia, if there is a raindrop, sometimes it seems like everyone immediately swerves on the interstate to crash into one another. If there are snowflakes, we are doomed! Last time we didn’t even have the actual snowflake (or any ice) and they closed schools. Hopefully someone will show up in the morning to take my patient assignment since I am supposed to be back Thursday and Friday already. I don’t relish the idea of living at the hospital until Saturday, ya know?

Dry: This is a bagged sample from my last Harney order (thanks H&S!). I can’t really see the dry leaf in the bag well, but it looks like a short black CTC type. Smells really fruity- tangy and super sweet. I am not sure if I would say passion fruit, but maybe stone + passion fruit blended together?

Steeped: Dark brown clear liquor. Smells like a nice black base with a less candy-sweet passion fruit aroma now as compared to the dry bag.

Taste: I like that the tea flavor is still coming through in the sips, though the passion fruit flavor has taken on a decidedly brisk/astringent edge. Still fruity and tangy as a brewed tea, but I’m thinking the 5 minutes listed on the label is too long for whatever base this is. This wouldn’t be a reorder for me, but if I had it again I’d try maybe 3 minutes and see how it goes. This one might also be best served iced. Glad I was able to try it though!

Working on my 2nd steep of this delicious tea. Is there anything better to start a Sunday morning off with? I have been freezing inside my house wearing winter clothes thanks to drafty walls and poor insulation, but this tea is doing nicely to warm me up with its dark chocolaty malt goodness. Now if I can only motivate myself to make a hot breakfast after enjoying this hot cuppa. :)

Dry: Well, this one contains my favorite Laoshan Black, so I love the sight of it with those long twisty leaves. It doesn’t contain as much as you might think though for the name- there was more Wuyi oolong in the infuser, along with toasted rice, cacao nibs, and I don’t know what else in the lovely dry leaf concoction. It smells like puffed rice and rich dark tea leaves.

Steeped: Brews into a light-medium brown clear liquor. Smells heavenly with aromas of malty chocolate and toasted rice.

Taste: Delicious! This tea tastes as good as it smells and lives up to its name and reputation. Smooth, rich, malty, dark chocolate blended with warm toast/starch flavors with an almost nutty aftertaste. No bitterness, no astringency, just pure goodness in my morning cup. I drank this straight and I am sure it would be equally delightful with something sweet added to coax the chocolate to the forefront, though it already makes a lovely statement alone. Holds up to a couple re-steeps, but then starts to become watery. I still think I prefer straight Laoshan Black as my first choice, but this is also delicious and will be a reorder for sure.

Dry: This is my first time drinking a sachet tea, but it looks like shorter black tea leaves in a silk or nylon-based teabag (I think I read it was silken on the wrapper) with a string and the H & S logo. There weren’t any directions, so I just plopped it in boiling water like normal English Breakfast teas.

Steeped: Dark brown clear liquor. Smells mellow, slightly malty, and sweet. I added a dash of whole milk as this kind of tea is usually meant to be taken with milk and/or sugar.

Taste: This is a nice breakfast tea, though I was surprised to learn it is 100% Keemun. I must be spoiled by Teavivre’s Keemun as this one was somewhat unremarkable. It is smooth, easily drink-able, somewhat malty, and has a sweet aftertaste. No smokiness or astringency noted. I like it and I’d drink it again, but it wasn’t my favorite breakfast tea ever. Thank you Harney and Sons for the free sample!