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My staple tea for orange pekoe in bagged form. I tend to only use it now when travelling because I’m addicted to my looseleaf, but it is by far superior to me than Tetley or Lipton or PG Tips.

**Note on my steeping time . . . I’m a bag-in girl with this one, with added milk and sugar.

This tea makes me want to quote one of my favourite movies. “I know you can be overwhelmed, and I think you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be . . . whelmed? — I think you can in Europe.”

Well this one left me whelmed. Nothing stood out for me, and nothing made me dislike it. It was the quality I expect from a looseleaf brewed cup of black, but it wasn’t memorable at all. I guess since it is a staple tea of choice for most people, that’s a good thing? Myself, though, I like my blacks a wee bit more distinctive.

Damn I wish I’d watched this one brew. Most of my blacks barely unfurl and so I don’t think anything of just stepping away until the timer goes. But this one opened like a green or a white. Definitely going to watch next time.

Scent wise it is fairly standard to me, and when I sipped it black I felt it was a little weak. (I prefer my blacks to be pretty strong). I added a wee bit of sugar, though, and suddenly it had more flavour, and the honey notes were very present. I am really enjoying this, and am wondering how it’ll taste if I blend it with some Kenyan Tinderet next time.

You blend chocolate and mint together and you own me forever. At least when it is done well, like it is here. Sipping this one is like biting into one of Laura Secord’s mint squares, only with fewer calories.

I still prefer Read My Lips, but this one definitely hit the spot for me tonight with my cravings. The chocolate here seems a tad more milk chocolate flavoured than in Read My Lips, so dark chocolate lovers may want to sample it before buying.

{back logging}

Strawberries and white tea, perfection, right?

Well, it wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t horrid either. If you like your teas tasting more of tea than fruit then this is a perfect one for you. There was some lovely undertones of strawberry which blended nicely with the needle flavour. I’ve finished up the small amount of this one I’ve bought, but I definitely don’t hesitate to recommend it to people who like their teas more . . . teaful.

Second and last cup from the mailed sample. Still feel the same as before, it is a lot more delightful than I expected. But yeah, if you aren’t a lemongrass fan you should steer well clear of this one.

This was definitely not the tea for me. The first time I tried it I was sick with a horrid cold, and I didn’t mind it. I love black licorice and there was enough of the flavour in the tea for me to be content.

Now that I’m healthy I revisited the tea and was overpowered by the combination of the flavours. If you’re a fan of licorice or anise teas, you’re going to love this one. But if you’re like me and only like the candy, I’d give this one a pass.

I am in love with this tea. It reminds me so much of my first looseleaf tea that I ever had, which led me to my tea addiction of today. It’s mellow and fruity and just such a lovely tea to sit and sip while I’m doing just about anything. I enjoy it at anytime of the day, and at any temperature.

This is one that I will never be without in my tea collection, and which if I share with you, you know you’re one of my favourites!

{Backlogged Review}

Got this one as a sample in a mail order. It isn’t one I would have tried on my own, but I figured what the hey, it was free and in my hands.

Dry, I wasn’t a fan of the smell. I’m not sure which note it was that mixed it to where I wasn’t liking it, but I definitely sealed that package up again quickly. Afterwards I noticed that the wet leaves had a very similar smell, to the point where I had to take the trash out to rid it from the kitchen.

The tea itself? It was a blend of almond and licorice to my tastebuds. Which as much as I love licorice as a candy (yes, even black!), I’m finding I loathe in a tea. I didn’t finish my sample package of this one, instead giving to a neighbour down the hall.

If you’re a fan of white jasmines, please take my review with a grain of salt since I, apparently, am not. I like white tea, and I like jasmine tea, but these two flavours together are something that I’m not fond of. I couldn’t even make it through half the cup. The jasmine is by far the dominant flavour, and it became much too floral for my tastes. If you like the floral flavours, you’ll definitely love this one.