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what is it about Celestial Seasonings chamomile?? in any of their teas containing chamomile (whether wholly or in part) i find it absolutely delicious! funny story, but i’ve never had chamomile except for in their teas, which i’ve been drinking for years. their Honey Vanilla version was so yummy i stuck with it & never looked back. although recently i had the opportunity to try Stash’s Chamomile which smelled quite yummy, very similar to Celestial Seasonings’ (sans mint & vanilla, of course).

but what is chamomile? it’s yummy and sweet, really. creamy even, if it were possible for herbs to have this quality. then again, upon visiting the spice alcove of a highly overpriced organic food store, i had the chance to smell ‘loose’ German chamomile, and it was quite stinky. dry, almost dirty, not sweet at all. what was going on? if that’s the real deal, then CS must doctor their chamomile tisanes highly, but i don’t care. i appreciate the comforting, flavorful experience, and yum is yum.

this particular chamomile, Sleepytime Vanilla, is a real treat. i think of it as a chamomile mint crème. i can’t help but think of their Honey Vanilla version, minus the honey, with a nice helping of spearmint. the mint figures prominently alongside the vanilla, but doesn’t overtake it. instead, you have a nice, delicate balance of both. a perfect prelude to sleep, that is after checking what’s app, facebook, twitter, youtube & instagram all on your iPhone. and listening to Anoushka Shankar’s ‘Pancham Se Gara’ on your iPod. twice.

have not tried the original Sleepytime or Sleepytime Peach, but as a curious nose sniffing about and a fan of the Celestial Seasonings graphic designer, i must try them.

unpredictably, i started with the Vanilla. yes, i must. have. vanilla. something about it in teas or coffees is so incredibly comforting to me, not to mention the fact that it takes on a number of different flavor nuances (real or fake), all under the guise ‘yummy’. well, at least for me. and i’m not even a really big dessert person- if you can picture the sort who readily bakes cupcakes, you’re not likely to find me in the kitchen. Cupcake tea, however, and you have my interest piqued. but this tasting note, much like my train of thought, is starting to wander…and just like that it’s time for bed!

having had great success with my first purchase from Pukka (it was Detox, a lovely herbal infusion that is primarily fennel & aniseed) i was tempted to purchase more & since this said ‘Harmonise’, well…

the experience wasn’t exactly harmonious.

tart diluted hibiscus is most pronounced in this & i get a faint aspartame-y, stevia-type aftertaste (could this be the vanilla?) that mingles with the tartness…not good. rose is somewhere i suppose, but this is primarily hibiscus. it does, however, impart a very lovely salmon pink color when infused. much prettier to look at than drink!

if you’re anything like me & can’t resist the urge to purchase this tea on account of its cute packaging (a very unique butterfly-esque Rorschach design with sunflowers, cattails and Cirque du Soleil dancers)…save yourself the money! this couldn’t even double as a nice potpourri.

i think this is an excellent, high quality green tea. definitely vegetal…i mainly get a grass note from this (like a faded, sun-dried grass note, not fresh grass), but if i think about it, i do suppose string beans also come to mind! people are so creative (or highly sensorially gifted) when it comes to descriptions on here, that i’m starting to think a little meditation is in order before one sips a cup, so as to prime their senses properly! as with tea, one must give their brain a good rinse before steeping! ;)

this tea has been a favorite green of mine for many months now, whenever i visit Starbucks. so if i’m not in the mood for my usual black/sweet teas with milk & sugar, i can just as easily savor a cup of this in all its simplicity.

i’m on the fence too, about which green i’m liking most: Tazo’s Lotus Blossom or Stash’s Organic green (with a bag of Pukka’s Detox- read: fennel, rye bread- thrown in for savory delight!) they’re all so different and yet so lovely.

my 3 minute 2 icecube rule worked on this just fine, as it has with all my other green teas…so far. but this tea gets bitter very fast & i have had many burnt cups at Starbucks because they indiscriminately pour scalding hot water over the leaves. then again their specialty is coffee, not tea. if this were Teavana, they’d dump you down the drain (along with your cup) if you steeped Gyokuro Imperial for longer than 45 seconds!

ETA: i’m not happy with the rating i gave this because i think it’s better than a 76 (it’s at least an 80), but face-wise i’m just a little over smiley.

this is glorious… will elaborate in another tasting note.

heavens! if you seek to perfume your viscera, this is most certainly your tea!!

i understand earl grey is a classic, beloved by many, i’m just not understanding why, given what i am tasting at this particular moment. is this for real? granted, i think Tazo did a good job sourcing quality tea & ingredients (they most certainly are what they are- and unashamed, at that!), i just think they’re rather cacophonous when put together.

when i first smelled this through the peephole, i was immediately hit with a blast of astringent bergamot that became increasingly metallic by the minute. i’m not sure if it’s the lavender that’s causing me to think i’m tasting a metallic, herbal quasi-citrus, as i’ve never tasted bergamot on its own, nor have i smelled it, though i do know it’s frequently used as a top note in perfumes.

anyway, i got a cup of this as an experiment, simply because i wanted to learn what earl grey tastes like (apparently i’ve never had it!) and my, was it memorable. this one is quite tinny & medicinal…very perfumey. i think that’s really the lavender speaking. the Earl is distinctive & ribald, a thoroughly pungent character! any feelings toward him are strictly black or white: i can’t imagine it’s possible to experience him in shades of grey! a necessary pun, i’m just sorry.

in this tea’s defense, i know i can’t stand lavender as a fragrance, and i’m sent running at the slightest hint of it, so it stands to reason that i wouldn’t like its taste. it truly makes me recoil. that may have been this particular earl’s downfall. for me it’s like clove: all or nothing, love or hate. quite remarkable then, that i managed to ingest it! Tazo’s EG reminds me of pine needle, or something akin to the monstrous patchouli in Thierry Mugler’s Angel. it doesn’t just flavor the punch, it spikes it with a vengeance. this is quite simply, potable cologne.

way harsh, tai.

i suspect i’ll really love Assam tea on its own (last time i had it is too far from memory to recall), since i really loved this (and this isn’t the first English Breakfast i’ve had btw). i bought a nice big box of this (around 50 bags?) discounted since i like to have a nice standard black tea on hand to double up any flavored blacks or tisanes without running out of them too quickly.

then i decided to have a cup of this on its own (2 bags) with a spot of coconut milk & brown sugar. how yummy! i truly appreciated it… i get that it’s bagged fannings, a bit tannic probably without additives, but i was quite pleased. can only imagine how the loose leaf will taste! that said, i look forward to trying more versions/variations of English Breakfast & straight Assam!

highly recommend this with coconut Silk & brown sugar.

yum yum yum. aniseed sourdough pretzel. more of a savory broth than a tea, but it’s delicious! not at all sweet, pairs perfectly with a nice green.

unadorned, this is the color of honey, straight up honey. almost can’t believe this is a black tea! the flavor is also as delicate & so lightly spiced, anyone remotely afraid of the word ‘spice’ could try this. when i add a few teaspoons of brown sugar to draw out the flavor, the brew turns a lovely amber resin.

no idea what the black tea base is, it’s so faint! but i enjoy this greatly. yes the cinnamon is present but not overwhelming, and that’s a refreshing discovery. where is the tea hiding? this almost feels like a tisane with a few tea leaves thrown in for good measure. regardless, it’s a nice change of pace from stronger, more readily astringent black teas.

had no idea of the apple in this until i read the notes. although i do believe it’s in here somewhere, as there is a light fruitiness imparted by something. at first i thought bergamot, as this reminded me quite simply of a nondescript breakfast tea with a twist of lemon. the apple comes, perhaps at the end of the sip, if at all. there again, a case of looking for something that doesn’t seem quite there. but i appreciate the fruity quality wholeheartedly, as this seems to me the silhouette of a robust earl grey, albeit lightly infused with spices reminiscent of chai.

do i sense the almond? perhaps…i have to meditate on it, or still my senses so as to perceive it, and that’s okay. i definitely pick up on the ginger, but it is also slight. it balances out the cinnamon nicely, though. cinnamon-ginger is always a good combination i think, certainly the cornerstone of a good chai & though this is not that, i’d go so far as to recommend thé des amants as an entrée to anyone who is chai-curious, or for those who have sworn off black tea altogether on account of its alleged intensity.

i’m really tempted to say this reminds me of hot iced tea! it has an ‘iced tea’ quality right off the bat; a very familiar flavor that is tenderly nuanced.

overall, this is romantic, comforting, perfect for lovers, or anyone seeking solace by the fireside.

the aroma is a mouthwatering mélange of dates & honey…when sipped, a truly delicious, fruity floral golden green tea, sprinkled with rose petals. i also get a definite strawberry note in this, so that takes care of the ‘red fruit’ at least in part. on the whole, no one note prevails save maybe the perfume imparted by a rich honey-date liqueur, but make no mistake, this isn’t thick or overly sweet. as Darjeeling can be likened to the champagne of black tea, so this is for green. taken without sugar, the infusion is dainty, elegant & graceful; the tartness of the fruits & green tea cut the otherwise gourmand aroma with astringent pragmatism, saving it from becoming what bitter purists might call a ¡confection! i imagine with honey this would be decadent. looking forward to try it that way & seeing this transform from Turkish delicacy into delight.

i really enjoy darjeeling, i really do. in fact, i think i love it. it’s usually my go-to black tea whenever i have straight tea. i recently acquired some of these lovely leaves for an outstanding price given the quality, FTGFOP! even though i’ve never sipped any finest tippy golden flowery orange pekoe, at least not to my knowledge, this is quite golden and quite tippy! ;)

okay, admittedly i can’t quite make out the color of its tips, but it certainly tastes golden, and imparts the same color in its liquor. or is it more like maple syrup in appearance? i think the color is somewhere in between citrine & rich maple syrup. a light, delicate color for a black tea; a royal amber, that’s what i’d say.

i can almost swear there’s a slight fruity note to this, as i have noticed with many black teas (with the exception of pu-erh), but don’t quite know what fruit it is. it’s almost floral, perhaps blossom-like…maybe there’s a bergamot hiding somewhere in here..

i do get the slightest bit of astringency from this, but it’s a comfy Darjeeling nonetheless.