Chi-Town Anglophile Send Message

Tonight I’m comparing this and two other Camomile-Honey-Vanilla combo teas. I’ve poured all three cups separately at the same time (quickly, consecutively). I’ve used one teabag per one 10 oz cup apiece, steeping for 5 minutes, the recommended time.
This one, the Ahmad was the lightest in color of the three cups, also the weakest tasting. I hate to say this, since I love various Ahmad teas, but this one is insipid. The perfume of it is lovely and light—but sadly, it doesn’t translate to the cup, at least not with only one teabag.
I can taste the camomile, and maybe a little vanilla, but I’m missing the honey. Quite frankly, I’m disappointed.
I’m also comparing the Twinings and Celestial Seasonings versions. But just looking and sniffing, then tasting, this seems to be the least satisfying of the three.
I shall use this one for mixing with other teas to blend in a mixed pot—it should work well for that, especially if I pair it with something I want toned down.

One of the most unusual teas I own. I bought this from 52teas when I was ordering Mom’s Spiced Peach Preserves Black Tea a few months ago. With a name of “Graveyard Mist”, I’d deliberately saved this one to try on Hallowe’en. So here it is!
Others here are more familiar than I with marshmallow root. If I remember the essence of marshmallow—that light sweetness—then that is what I taste. Strange how it’s such a strong yet subtle a flavor all at once. In combination with the spearmint, however, the predominant flavor tastes to me like…wintergreen, of all things.
If you like wintergreen, then you will definitely like this tea. I enjoy a good toasted marshmallow about once every five to ten years. That should tell you why I have to work a bit when trying to remember what marshmallow tastes like. They’re normally too sweet for me. It’s an interesting taste juxtaposition, with the green tea, malt, and spearmint.
I made it as hot tea, but it’s also cooled quite a bit, so I have literally enjoyed it both hot and cool tonight. This tea is for when you want a cup of something out of the ordinary. This is the tea to drink when you want to look up at the moon and just dream.

This is one of my go-to teas. I grew up with my Grandpa and Mother teaching me to drink black tea with lemon and sugar, so that’s how I prefer it. But tonight I’m drinking it black, to taste the tea itself. When it comes to a plain, satisfying black tea, Twinings Irish Breakfast is strong without being overwhelming, and it stands up nicely to whatever one chooses to put into it.
Tonight I’m comparing it to its sister, Twinings Irish Breakfast Decaf. Tastewise, this one is definitely fuller, deeper, and more complete. This is hardly surprising, since caffeine by itself is naturally bitter. So there are bound to be flavor notes in this regular cup that are missing in the decaffeinated version.
So grab this one in the morning, when that caffeine jolt is needed, with a thicker mouthfeel for a brisk beginning to your day. At night, you can still have that flavor, but in a more delicate fashion, when you’re trying to rest before bed. I usually make a pot of half & half. It’s the best of both worlds!

I’m testing this plain, no sugar, no lemon, so that I can just describe the tea itself. Twinings Irish Breakfast Decaf is one I always keep in my cupboard. I generally drink tea at night, so I need to watch my caffeine intake. I’m taste testing this against Twinings regular Irish Breakfast tonight.
Obviously, the Decaf is not as strong as the regular. There’s still a note of depth, but it’s far in the background when compared to regular Irish Breakfast. And that’s fine for evenings when one wants a nice cuppa that hits the spot, but isn’t going to make one twitchy when trying to fall asleep.
It’s not as strong in flavor or in depth of"oomph" as Irish Breakfast original. But it serves very well in a blend with herbal or even rooibos teas, when a deeper note is needed, but without a lot of caffeine. I usually make a pot of half this and half regular. I get to enjoy the depth of the original, with the lightness provided by this decaf. It’s a good balance.

It’s the first day of autumn, so I picked this for that reason, and also since it doesn’t have caffeine. It’s a rooibos tea, I don’t really taste that. Its mouthfeel is a trifle dry, but it’s not overly acidic. Hard for me to differentiate the hibiscus and cranberry flavors—there’s just a nice deep note. The citrus is mildly above that. Smelling the tea, there’s a subtle sour note, but I didn’t find that when I was drinking it. A nice, mild tea, especially if you don’t want to drink something caffeinated in the evening. The tea itself is a lovely coppery color liquid—and the tin it comes in is a nice coppery color, too!

This, for me, is a summertime tea. It’s excellent chilled, whether sweetened or not. I can’t really taste the sage. I always let RoT steep for a longer time than recommended, as I personally feel their teabags could use a bit more tea than they actually put in. It’s late August now, and I’ll be finishing my tin soon, as I’m not too keen on this one during the cold months.

I mostly make decaf teas in the afternoon or evening, since too much caffeine will have the usual unpleasant fidgety results at night. I also love fruit/tea blends in the summer. So I was very happy to find Harney & Sons blends this marvelous Midsummer’s Peach, which features decaffeinated black tea.
Since this is a decaf tea, it’s definitely milder. For more flavor, I simply steep it longer. I love peach teas, especially in the warmer months, so by definition, this smells and tastes like summer to me. There’s a little creaminess to the flavor, as well as a note of nectarine peel. It’s not as strong as 52Teas “Mom’s Spiced Peach Preserves” tea, which I rated a few months back. But this one’s a decaf, nor does it have any spices added to it—so it’s a different kettle of tea!
This is a very easy tea to like, whether hot or chilled/iced. It’s perfect for summer, and I highly recommend it, especially if, like me, you’re sensitive to too much caffeine.

I bought this tea based on the autumnal description. I agree with the creator’s love of fall and the smells and flavors evoked. I can say yes, I liked this tea—tho it smells rather different than it tastes.
Sniffing the packet of tea, it’s quite perfumy. It took me awhile, tasting it, trying to determine just what it reminded me of. Then I realized it was light and sweet, like…baby powder! No doubt that’s the honey flavor. The spices are definitely next in the taste sensation. There is a slight whiff of cider vinegar.
It is definitely a group of flavors which evoke the beginning of autumn. It’s early August right now, when the ripeness of summer is hinting at the changes to come. I liked this tea because it did remind me of autumn coming. But I’m ambivalent; I didn’t like it enough to recommend it strongly. So I recommend it gently.
Do try it; make up your own mind. It is enjoyable, but very mild.

This is a decent, refreshing green tea. I enjoyed its lightness. I’m afraid I don’t find it particularly memorable. I like Tazo products, so I wasn’t disappointed by this tea, but neither would I look for it, unless there were other less drinkable choices at the time.
It’s good, but I would neither say ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ to it. If I’m in the mood for green tea, it would work.

DECAF! This is a mild tea, which like any, gets stronger the more it is steeped. Bigelow’s package describes it as “A gentle blend with a lovely lemon finish”. That’s accurate enough. It’s not particularly distinguished as a flavored tea. The lemon predominates. It does blend well with other teas, which is how I primarily use it. I’m only sampling it individually now, so I have a record of it here at Steepster.
As it cools, I can see it would be a good tea to chill for a hot day. Do I like it? Yes. But I will still use it to blend with other, stronger teas, to make a milder pot. I like lemon, so this works for me—especially if I happen to be out of lemons, this will work to fill out that flavor.
I neither recommend ‘yea’ or ‘nay’. It’s decent; one can enjoy it.