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Now that I’m almost out of this one I’m starting to like it a lot. Go figure. Tonight’s cup had a very good balance between the pear and the spice. The pear was the main flavor with the cinnamon and nutmeg acting as highlighters to the fruit. Delicious.

I’m still planning on ordering straight pear tea with my next DAT order, but I’m upping my rating on this one because this is a cup of yum.

(previous rating: 74)

This was my morning cup. I picked up several samples from H&S, and I chose this one because I’m a big fan of a good Irish Breakfast tea. The description on Harney’s site said this tea was even more robust than its Irish counterpart, so into my cart it went.

This is in fact a very robust tea. Strong and malty, it has enough of a caffeine kick to get you going on a Monday, but it’s smooth and rich enough to do it in style. It takes milk and sugar very well, and while it isn’t a complicated tea it is absolutely enjoyable.

Nice. The peach flavor is fresh and juicy, and the oolong has a thick roasty taste. The combination is very pleasant, and I can see myself drinking this a lot this summer. This is another tea I want to try iced or as a cold brew. I bet this is even better cold than it is hot.

I don’t love this. From the description I thought I would. In fact, I was sure I would, but the chocolate has that strange fake flavor that leaves a funky aftertaste. The hazelnut is nice, but there’s not enough of it for my liking. Oh well. This just isn’t a me kinda tea.

I’m pretty strict about the amount of caffeine my kids consume after school. They are both natural night owls, so giving them caffeine after noon is just asking for trouble. Since they are almost done with school (they still have a half day on Monday) and the first day of summer is tomorrow I decided to break out the SBT bag and let them choose a flavor. This eventually won out.

This tea does taste a lot like rainbow sherbet! It has a kind of mixed fruity sweetness and a creamy note that gives it a sherbet vibe. Both of my kids loved it immediately, and I have to say their mom downed her glass pretty quickly, too. Looks like this will be a reorder.

Tea break! I was needing something decadent, and this chocolate-y minty goodness fit the bill. Because I was being decadent I added some sugar and cream. The result is a tea that reminds me so much of Thin Mint cookies. There is the dark chocolate note followed by a kick of mint. It’s nice to have a tea that satisfies my sweet tooth enough to keep me away from the junk food that’s lurking in my pantry. ;-)

Backlogging.

This was my bedtime tea. Still my favorite decaf tea, and one of my favorite vanilla teas, too.

I loved yesterday’s tribute day. Thank you mj1851 for suggesting it. I thought it was a nice way to honor Mr. Harney. Also, after reading so many lovely tasting notes on H&S teas I’ve yet to try, I ended up placing an order for a bunch of samples. :)

Continuing with the tribute to Mr. Harney (a great idea from mj1851!) I decided this would be perfect with my late lunch. I made a Kenyan dish called Sukuma Wiki (braised collard greens and ground beef). I’m not sure the flavors in the food and the tea pair perfectly, but I like that they’re both from Kenya. :)

The tea is fruity with a tobacco flavor at the finish. As the tea cools there is a bit of a woody flavor – maybe some leather – and a bit of astringency. I like this one a lot. I can see the comparison to Assams, but this is unique enough that I can see myself buying a tin of it and enjoying it as an afternoon tea.

Yum!

This is nice! There’s a lot of frutiness going on. The first taste I get is dates and then something plum-y. There’s also a note of crusty bread. I’m not tasting the smoke which is sad. I think it would go well with the fruity notes and give the tea a bit more oomph. There’s no astrigency. In fact, this is a very smooth and mellow cup.

Not what I was expecting but definitely nice. I’m glad I picked up a sample with my last order.

I found out late last night about the recent passing of John Harney. I have enjoyed teas from Harney and Sons for years and years (Hot Cinnamon Sunset was one of the first teas I fell in love with!), and I thought I would make my morning tea another H&S favorite as my way of saying thank you to Mr. Harney.

Golden Monkey is a jewel of a tea. The leaves are beautiful. Black and gold, kind of small, and tightly twisted. Once steeped the tea is malty with a honey like sweetness and notes of caramel and cocoa. I wouldn’t describe it as a thick tea, but it does coat the mouth with a light sweetness that’s very nice. The interplay of flavors here is so enjoyable. This is one of the teas I could drink all day and enjoy every sip.

Thanks again, Mr. Harney.