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A friend of mine gave me a sample of this after I told her about my negative experience with Teavana’s Berry Mint Cassis. I was very hesitant to try another mint tea, but she convinced me that this one was much better (having tried both).

The tea bag smelled of spearmint, specifically the Freedent gum that my grandmother used to chew when I was younger. Once brewed, it smelled more like buttermints with a hint of grass. The flavor was mostly green tea with just a slight mint taste.

This was a good cup, though I do not see myself buying a box of it. It was certainly a nice change from the Berry Mint Cassis and proved to me that mint teas can actually be quite pleasant.

The first thing I noticed upon opening this tea was the strong smell of menthol. It was overwhelming and reminded me of the lingering aroma in an empty pack of cigarettes. The tea itself has large pieces of dried citrus (oranges, perhaps?) and what I think might be bits of apple pieces. I brewed enough to fill my 16 oz. tumbler and noticed again the menthol scent mixed with a little berry. The tea smelled mostly of mint though once it was finished steeping.

This tea is slightly bitter and very astringent. It also produced an uncomfortable cooling sensation in the back of my throat. I could taste the rooibos, but was mostly distracted by the way this tea made my mouth and throat feel while drinking it.

I managed to finish all 16 oz. but it took me a few hours of sipping to get it all down. I do not like this blend at all and cannot imagine wanting to drink this again. I still have plenty left so instead of letting it go to waste I will most likely try mixing this with other teas to see if I can bring out something good in it. If anyone has any suggestions for this one, I would love to hear them!

I see small bits of dried strawberry mixed in with the tea and when I open the jar it smells just like strawberry bubblicious bubble gum. I’m not saying this is a bad thing; it actually smells really good. The scent is much milder once the tea has been brewed, not nearly as strong and no longer smelling like candy. I can actually smell tea now, with just a hint of berry.

I like my tea sweetened (and black teas with cream as well), but I wanted to taste this one first without anything added. I’ve read a few comments that the pu-erh teas generally have a strong flavor. I saw one note that described it as “fishy”. I don’t get that here, but perhaps it’s because this tea has been blended with other flavors.

Adding sugar brought out an artificial taste I didn’t really like, but once I poured in a little cream it felt more rounded. I can taste the strawberry slightly and it seems like a good balance of flavors. I’m not getting any of the earthy or fishy tastes I’ve read about. Just a nice black tea with a pleasant berry finish.

My husband doesn’t like this tea at all so he has sweetly “given” it to me. :) I just finished my first cup and really enjoyed it. It’s a nice change from the Earl Grey I usually drink. I think I’ll keep it.

I love Earl Grey and was excited to find that Teavana had both an Earl Grey Black and an Earl Grey White. I haven’t tried the white tea yet, but the black tea is very good. The tea flavor is much stronger than the Earl Grey I usually buy, which is why I added Tea as a flavor/scent below.

Upon opening the bag, the first scent I caught was tobacco followed by the requisite bergamot. It smelled strong, but also comforting and warm. I brewed this tea much stronger than Teavana recommends, as it seems their teas are generally on the weaker side. The flavor was all tea, with the scent of bergamot rising up to remind you that this is, in fact, an Earl Grey blend.

This is the first tea from Teavana that I’ve tried and haven’t immediately thought about its potential to blend with other teas. This tea is great on its own, though I do wish the bergamot had a bit more of a presence. Until I find another Earl Grey I like better, I think this will be my go to when I’m craving that distinct flavor.

I’ve been mixing this tea with others in my cabinet, trying to find the blend that will make this more palatable. I’ve tried quite a few combinations, few of which are worth mentioning. But now, with just a few teaspoons left, I have finally found what I believe to be a beautiful match for the Azteca Fire.

I mixed equal parts Azteca Fire and Teavana’s Strawberry Slender Pu-Erh black tea, steeped for a few minutes, then added a bit of cream and demerara sugar. The result was absolutely delightful. It was, by far, one of the best blends I’ve tried. Some here have suggested that the Azteca Fire is best when blended with other teas, and I would agree. It seems that it is especially harmonious with black teas.

I will keep my rating the same since I’m still not fond of this tea by itself, but these two in a mug together are magic.

I don’t often drink green tea so this was a pleasant change from the herbals and black teas I’ve been drinking lately. The aroma was slightly fruity, though I wouldn’t say it smelled of pineapple or “tropical flavors” necessarily. I followed the recommended steep time and ended up with a tea pale in color and delicate in flavor. With a bit of honey, it was a fine cup for an afternoon treat.

I typically brew this herbal tea as I would chai, simmering the bits of chocolate and fruit in milk and water until the chocolate melts and turns the liquid a color similar to that of a pale hot chocolate. I enjoy the tea when made this way, but this time I wanted to do things a bit differently and brew the tea with water only.

Upon opening the bag, I see pieces of fruit and what appears to be shreds of lemon peel. The tisane is very fragrant and smells of chocolate first and foremost, followed by strawberries. I used twice as much tea as Teavana recommends, as this particular herbal tea tends to be on the weaker side. I added 2 teaspoons of raw sugar and a splash of cream before taking my first sip. The tea was a little too sweet and reminded me of the flavor one might get from an artificial sweetener. Perhaps there was already some type of sweetener in the tea itself? If so, it may have been better if I had used less sugar. Either way, this “flavor” was incredibly distracting and took away from the fruit and chocolate that I had hoped to taste. The appearance of the tea wasn’t exactly appetizing either, as there were drops of oil floating on the surface and on the sides of my mug. By the time I got to the bottom, I realized that much of the chocolate had settled there. When I drink this again, I’ll be swirling the tea every so often to be sure it hasn’t separated.

I still have an ounce or so left in my cupboard so I’ll go back to the chai preparation next time. I certainly won’t be purchasing more of this tea since Teavana has discontinued it, but I’m not sure I would have even if they continued to carry it. I have enjoyed some of their other teas far more so why bother?