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My morning tea. Yes, I wanted to feel like a queen today. I can’t say this is my favorite black, but it is good. Definitely a keeper. I do taste a slight berry note in comparison with the Harney Decaf Ceylon I drank last night.

I am more of a taste/sight memory comparison reasoner if there is such a thing. And that probably explains why my taste in tea has changed since trying some of the good stuff. It is as hard to go backwards in your tea progression as it is with wine……

I received a few free sachets of this tea in my last Harney’s order. It was perfect timing on their part, because I had put this into my cart, you know, the pre-fill for when you are ready to order so you don’t forget? O-kay, maybe not.

Love. Need. The tea is smooth, malty, and simple. Perfect for the caffeine sensitive in the evening hours. Hmmmm. Now to brainstorm on ways to jazz it up when needed……

Second steep 5 minutes…..

This one is interesting….Earl Grey with rose. There is the light taste of the bergamot and definitely faint rose. Overall, it kind of adds a slight twinge. I can’t really describe it any other way….it cuts the sweetness and maltiness of the black tea base. It is definitely enjoyable in a purifying, spa kind of way. Not a favorite, but good.

I am willing to swap an ounce of this as I have three……off to add it to the swap thread.

Mmmmmm. I bought this one based upon reviews. I was looking for a tea that was deep in chocolate flavors, and i think this is it. There are just certain flavors that lend themselves perfectly to a certain type of tea….like grapefruit and white tea, peaches and rooibos, roses and black tea. I think chocolate, the deep dark kind, has found a home in pu erh. This is not your milk chocolate tea….it is dark and coffee like with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange, but wonderful with a little sweetener and milk.

The resteep is not as good, but still pleasant enough to drink.

This will likely be my last tasting note on this one, even though I have several ounces left in my stash. It is one of my absolute favorites, but I have found a replacement that is just as good for much less. I did lower the ratings because overall, it is hard for me to justify recommending this tea to others when there is an alternative out there at a considerable savings. If I could find a redeeming quality about the company’s tiered shipping practices (shipping goes up as you purchase more tea by dollar amount not by ounce weight…this sucks for purchasing more expensive teas) with no set point for free shipping to help offset the cost a little, I would recommend this one, too. Ah, I did think of one perk…they do offer three free samples per order, but once you have sampled all that you are interested in trying, the shipping becomes annoying. The company offers great service, but so do other vendors. I would rather spend my money on more tea than excessive shipping. Practices like theirs just make me look for ways to buy elsewhere.

Onto the tea…good and reliable as always, even on a resteep. The rose is in perfect balance with the black china tea base. Second steep at 5 minutes.

I keep needing to bump the rating down on this one. It is good, but I seem to always want a shot of cocoa powder added. It is like this tea has a personality complex….it does not know if it wants to be tea, hot chocolate, or an herbal infusion. Anyway, with the cocoa, milk, and sweetener added it is pretty pleasing, but on its own it is just good. I think it will be easy to move on to my own version after all.

This one just reminded me of another chocolate chai I had in my stash a while ago. Both are good, but spice teas are actually not my usual choice. The cost of the two is pretty close, so not even a noticeable savings to report. One difference is that the spice level is a bit more subtle in this tea, which is actually a bonus for me. Note to self: If you ever get a craving for chocolate chai, buy this one!

My 100th tasting note! It is time for a party and a special tea. Marco Polo is a great tea for an indulgent afternoon cuppa. It tastes of strawberries and is lightly floral. The base is perfectly blended to match the flavor. This is definitely one of my teas of indulgence!

Happy 100 to ME!

The afternoon tea of the day. This one is just so easy to drink. It is smooth and slightly sweet. A pleasure.

My first arrival from 52teas for this flavored black tea loving gal. Yum! The vanilla is complex and completely natural tasting…nothing artificial. And the assam tea is nice and smooth, even to the end. I see why others were begging for this to be in the permanent collection.