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My mom helped me finish off my sample pack of this last night. She thought it tasted like liquid Grape Nuts, and I think she nailed it (for me, at least). Maybe Grape Nuts with a light dusting of cocoa powder. I’m still glad I got to try this one, but a second tasting confirms that it’s just not really my thing.

This smells super maple-y and wonderful, both dry and while steeping. The flavor’s pretty impressive too – the maple is assertive without becoming overwhelming, and it’s quite natural. I did let it steep for around five minutes, which resulted in a very strong, dark, malty base. There’s a bit of bitterness to it, but to me this is a nice foil for the sweetness of the maple. I’m really enjoying this – thanks so much for letting me try it out, Fuzzy_Peachkin!

This is intensely grassy and woodsy, but surprisingly light at the same time. No snickerdoodles here – I wish! – but I am picking up on the pine notes. This reminds me of some Darjeelings – the driest, grassiest, most herbal kinds. Those are not my favorites, and this isn’t either. Still, it’s my first yabao, and I’m glad to have been able to try it. It’s unusual, for sure. Thanks (very belatedly) for this sample, moraiwe!

Another sample from Teamore. I like this one better than the Thurbo, although they’re not entirely dissimilar. I’m getting lots of grassiness and a fair bit of astringency from this one as well, but here these notes are brighter and crisper and juicier than they were in the Thurbo.

This is very grassy and slightly astringent – pleasantly so, in my opinion. Not my favorite Darjeeling, but still an enjoyable cup. Thanks for letting me try this one, Teamore!

I don’t pick up any florals whatsoever from this one, just tons of citrus. I’m mostly getting lemon, and it’s unpleasantly reminiscent of some sort of cleaning product. The base is slightly smoky, and I’m finding I don’t care for the combination of smoke and citrus – the interplay between those two flavors is reminding me of Handmade Tea’s Blueberry Limón, which was an interesting tea but one that didn’t entirely work for me. Thanks for the sample, Fuzzy_Peachkin! And Teamore, you’re welcome to the rest of this tin if you’d like.

This one has a very strong honey flavor, and it’s quite sweet for a straight back tea. I definitely don’t get funnel cake or waffles or anything like that, but then I tend not to pick up on pastry/baked good notes in teas. It’s not for me – I don’t tend to like teas that are strong on the honey – but I am enjoying my cup. Thanks for the sample – and for allowing me to satisfy my curiosity – Fuzzy_Peachkin!

This is a very pleasant breakfast blend. It’s heavy on the Ceylon, which provides some lovely stone-fruit notes, although the Assam is also present. I’m not noticing the Chinese tea component as much. I’m also pleased to say I’m not getting any of the dreaded leather Fuzzy_Peachkin mentioned – I steeped this at the shorter end of the suggested range, and it seems to have done the trick. I noticed that the instructions on the packaging say to steep for 3-5 minutes, while the website says 5-7 – I’d only looked at the packaging instructions while preparing this, and so I went for a 3-minute steep. It does result in a fairly mild cup, so probably not the way to go if you’re looking for an in-your-face wake-up tea, but maybe that’s something to try?

The herbal lemony notes are pleasant, but there’s not much to the base – I can hardly taste it, in fact. I generally like some tea in my tea, and this gets low marks on that count even in comparison with other bagged grocery store greens. Thanks for this sample, Kaylee!

This is really and surprisingly good! The emphasis here is definitely on the cream (and this tea does taste distinctly creamy to me, more than it tastes of flat-out vanilla). The bergamot’s present, but it’s on the lighter side. The tea base (Ceylon?) is light and smooth. This is more delicate than the Earl Greys I usually go for, but I find myself enjoying it quite a lot. Thanks for this sample, Teamore! I can see myself keeping some of this (or another Earl Grey Cream – suggestions welcome!) in stock, especially for the winter.