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Many thanks to Teavivre for the generously sized free sample!

The leaves on this are tightly rolled and shiny; they smell vegetal and a little bit dry. On a first steep, the leaves opened up and released the smoky scent characteristic of gunpowders. It’s not as delicate as I previously thought these teas were – I thought I had to be much more careful with them in order to keep them happy. But I think next time I’ll try a first steep on 2 minutes instead of 1, because it was a very light scent.
It was, however, delicious. I really enjoy the smoke, and the sweetness that washes over the palate afterwards. There’s a little bite to it which I really enjoy. Delicious!

The first time I had this, in-store, I loved it. It was blended with a bit of silver needles and rock sugar. But I can’t seem to get that flavor back. It’s always a little too astringent, or a little too weak, or a little too sweet. It’s not bad. It’s delicate, and the orchids and apples are great together, but it tastes a little bit too floral for my taste. I’ll up the rating if I can figure out how to brew it properly.

I got this as a gift from a lovely friend…
This is good tea. It’s warm and a little bit spicy, and the apple and hibiscus are wonderful. It’s a lazy rainy day sort of tea. Great with a little bit of tea honey.

Lovely dessert tea. It’s definitely best with some sugar and a splash of milk – things I don’t normally add, especially the milk, but it’s creamy and smooth. Right now I’m drinking it with milk and sugar and rose added, and it’s just delightful.

This is very… average. I feel as though it tastes the same as the Jasmine Dragon Pearls from Teavana. If I compared the two side-by-side, I’d probably notice a difference, but there’s really nothing remarkable about this tea.
It’s fairly heavily scented with jasmine which gives it a drier sort of mouthfeel. The green tea is sweet underneath, and it blends well.
It’s just nothing new.

EDIT: I like it a lot better on a second steeping. Maybe it’s because the water’s cooler, or maybe because it’s not as strong… I really don’t know what the temp/time was, since I just let it sit while I picked up a few chores. But it tastes sweeter and clearer now. I’m enjoying this cup. I probably won’t buy it again, but at least I have a ballpark idea of how to brew better tea.

I bought a sampler pack of Primula’s blooming teas awhile back – they all taste the same, but they bloom in different configurations. And they’re not bad teas. Just loose-leaf, I wouldn’t buy them, but they’re nice to show off for guests, and I enjoy sitting in class with my double-walled glass travel mug blooming one of these. Okay, maybe I’m a tea snob… I prefer the term “enthusiast.”
It’s a very light jasmine taste, and it’s great that I’ve never had any trouble with oversteeping, since I leave the ball in the bottom of the cup while I drink and sometimes it steeps for upwards of 30 minutes. I probably will buy them again, just because they’re not especially expensive and they’re cool to show to company. The jasmine flavoring is wonderfully light too. So many companies scent it so strongly that you lose the flavor of the tea itself.

I’m a pu-erh novice – I’ve tried a little, but not very much. This is the first one I’ve ever liked, though. I wouldn’t have ordered if it didn’t come in a sampler pack I ordered, but I’m glad it did.

I do get a lot of the fishy smell that other people are getting, but I don’t get it in the taste, which I’m glad for. (Although maybe I am and just don’t know it – I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t eat fish!) And it’s not fishy like a fish market would be… more like taking a walk in the woods near an ocean? There’s definitely an earthiness that comes out, especially on subsequent steeps.
But the liquor, true to its name, is definitely a beautiful golden-red color. It tastes very earthy, especially as it steeps more and more times (I’m brewing this gong-fu before class in the morning – I knew I wouldn’t have time to finish a mug, but I could do a few smaller cups!)
It’s very earthy. I don’t know if I’ll order it again, but it’s not a sample I’m running to get rid of.

This is okay. I don’t love the orange flavor – I think it’s a bit overpowering. And the cloves are very strong here – a bit too much for me, as I much prefer floral teas to spicy ones.
That being said, I got a box of this from a friend and it’s definitely drinkable. It’s warm and aromatic, and I think it’ll be great iced with a little bit of honey or sugar – just needs a bit of experimentation to get it right. And I’m glad that, even though it’s a teabag, it’s a Bai MuDan base so I don’t have to worry too much about oversteeping, which always worries me with bags.

I got this in a care package today from a fantastic friend – she sent an adorable little teacup, and chocolate cookies, and tea! So happy.

This is… okay. It doesn’t have the delicacy that I like in whites, and I’m not huge on the whole lemongrass thing. But it’s soothing, and it isn’t bad – it’s not like it’s full of ginger or something. It’s good with a bit of honey, and it’ll probably be good on sore-throat days.

I got this in a lovely care package from a friend of mine today. And Lord knows I needed it. I haven’t actually had bagged tea in a long time, but I’m not about to not drink it just because it’s not loose. I’m not that much of a tea snob. I just wouldn’t buy it for myself (though I think I’ll keep the bags in my… bag… for work and stuff like that, when I can’t get up to my dorm).

It’s not a bad tea. It doesn’t quite have the depth of flavor that something like the Jasmine Dragon Pearls from Teavana has, but it’s decent. It’s definitely floral with hints of sweetness. I can’t say I’m going to give up my loose leaf for this, but I’ll certainly enjoy it while I can.