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This is one of those nice nondescript black teas that are just flat good to drink; no one aspect asserts itself, but you look at your cup five minutes later and it’s gone. Just slips right past you comfortably.

Not a huge wake-up kick, but (for once) I didn’t need one … jet lag and intense schedule caught up with me and I slept from 9 pm to 7:15 this morning. Can’t tell you the last time I did that.

Woke up in my own bed after a week of air travel and hotel life craving great honkin’ wads of CHOCOLATE. Unfortunately, I couldn’t locate a tub of Betty Crocker double fudge frosting in the cupboard, so this seemed like a plausible substitute.

It smells wonderful dry. You know that first whiff you get when you walk into a really good candy shop? Yeah, that. Pouch sniffing on this one is imperative.

Steeped, it’s not as strong as its scent—few chocolate teas are, but still nice. The chocolate vibe is stronger with the cream, but that could change with the addition of a little milk or half-and-half. Aw, shucks…I may need another cup.

I hate airline snags and snafus, but am grateful that a re-route to Northwest Arkansas airport last week prompted my husband to make a quick detour on his way home to pick up this little sample.

Be it ever so humble, enjoy where you are today.

Out of a plastic sippy mug that’s just been rinsed out for several days, it’s hard to tell much, but I think I can safely say this is a fair “workhorse” bagged green tea. Fresh without much bitterness, even with sloppy steeping.

Oh, how I can’t wait for a good cuppa!

High point of the whole week: luncheon at Savannah Tea House Nashville with two of my favorite people on the planet. They private label Metropolitan Tea goodies there. This just sounded fun. Huckleberry. It’s just fun to say! Good black tea; the berry flavor was blackberry-like with a slightly sharper uptick at the end.

With butternut squash soup and a ham-apricot panini, I was able to relax a little, laugh a lot, and just bask in the blessing of getting to be with some long-lost friends.

Discovered a small design flaw in the pyramid bag today … when you stand around talking to friends while you wait for the machine to warm your water and spin it around by the tag, it comes loose kind of easily and goes flying across the room.

(Even slightly damaged, was probably the best cup of anything I’ve had for days.)

Working out of a temporary/makeshift office this week…but there’s a Keurig in it. The problem is … I don’t think I’m very impressed with it. Have had two cups of Twinings EB and I’m not getting much but “hot leaf juice” flavor out of this. Something about brewing through all that paper and plastic makes me wonder how any of the real tea personality can get through.

First cup of the season. Used a drip coffeemaker, had to improvise, and the lower temp and longer soak punched up the ginger half of the flavor significantly. Nice little cup of comfort after a 12-hour workday.

Plebian as it is, some of my most vivid tea memories and soothing tea moments usually involve a good ol’ cup of Lipton—another one after a day of Wicked and Evil Flight Delays and Cancellations, a sleepless night and a mild panic attack in a strange hotel room a million miles from home. Woke up, made a cup as strong as espresso with hotel water…ahhhhhh. Something familiar to ease the homesick.

Needed something gentle. Talk about severe storms headed this way has gone on for several days and has rubbed my nerves raw. I may have to break down and pay a visit to the storm shelter builders about digging a hole in our backyard…

This is wonderfully gentle, a nice sweet cereal flavor, but not so light it leaves you searching for something to taste. Trying a second steep as I write this…very pale, taste buds have to work a little harder, but still OK. Its mildness is very soothing.

C’mon storms, get your work done here and move on. I could use some sleep tonight.

Pawed through the collection to consolidate stray bags for work and travel and popped a sachet in a cup while I was sorting. Poor Lipton gets a bad rap way too often. They’ve put together a really mild and tasty evening tisane. I drink chamomile but don’t get excited about it; the pineapple is sweet and strong enough to shout it down a little.