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Second review. I went with my chai idea this morning and was pleased with the result. Nothing about it clashed, and the vanilla managed to stay strong against the chai spices. I added sugar and a splash of milk. Will do it again, I’m sure.

I also want to mention that while I was at a convention with Kaliska, who will be joining us shortly on Steepster, we brewed this double-strong in the hotel room. I poured it over ice with just a little sugar and Stoli Vanil vodka. The result toned down the vodka’s bite and added black tea’s pleasant bitterness, all the while being almost overwhelmingly vanilla. While I liked it more than I should have, haha, I think I would adjust the tea/vodka ratio just a little.

I had such high hopes for this tea. But now I feel like I shouldn’t have even wasted the sugar on it. It’s awful. There’s no way around it. It reminds me of some kind of terrible floral and orange scented floor wax. Also, my tea does not match the tea in the picture. There are no petals or bits of dried fruit to be found. I’m glad I only paid $1.75 for this.

I couldn’t help picking this up on my last trip to the Farmer’s Market. I had my eye on it the last time I visited and my curiosity hadn’t left me alone.

The first thing I noticed about this tea is how black the leaves are. I believe this is an Assam, as it is very bold and strong. (And I think I read that on its shelf label, but I was distracted.) The vanilla scent hits me as soon as I open the container. It’s like a slightly fruity cupcake. The flavor does not go lightly with the vanilla, either. It reminds me a lot of Adagio’s vanilla black, but I also taste notes of cocoa, coconut, and figs.

I recommend against brewing this any longer than five minutes, as I said before, it’s very strong and could become exceedingly bitter. Also, I can tell this is going to be a fun tea to experiment with. A scoop mixed into my chai would probably be decadent.

Making this quick because I need to leave for work in three minutes.

This chai is exactly what I expected to be, but unfortunately a little on the mild side. While it’s better than the DeKalb Farmer’s Market blend I have been drinking, it isn’t the best. Arbor Teas still has my heart when it comes to chai. Still, I’m going to enjoy it on this gross, cold day while I drive into the city.

Last cup of my sample. I let it steep a little longer to bring out the caramel flavor, which worked. I’m savoring it now before I have to leave for work. I see that LiberTeas has a few more tins of it up for sale, and while I would love to buy one, I’m going to a convention next week and need every dollar I can get. If it’s still there when I get back, though, it will be mine!

Yessss, I got a little more of this tea from RachanaC (A.K.A. Rachel). (So glad she was willing to give a bit of it up. I don’t know if I would have, myself, haha.) I get the urge to cling to the baggie forever, as this tea is extinct. Extinct and wonderful.

But no, it shouldn’t be that way. Someone here once said “tea is meant to be enjoyed and not hoarded”, and that stuck with me. So this is my first cup of the day. I’ve already reviewed this tea once and my love for it has not changed. I still love the realistic caramel taste, like it’s been toasted. It manages to be toasty without getting nutty, if you know what I mean. I’m going to be drinking this very, very slowly…

Next time, it gets a longer steep time.

Another oolong from RachanaC (A.K.A. Rachel)!

This tea looks particularly cool… the leaves are long and rolled up like stems.

This tastes very toasted. I agree with what others have said about this tasting like toasted pumpkin seeds. It reminds me of that very much. I’m starting to get a feel for what oolongs taste like, thanks to this. Warm, nutty, and pleasant. Would be good with breakfast as a mellow alternative to a kick-in-the-face black tea.

Trying this tea thanks to RachanaC (A.K.A. Rachel)! (If you’re on TeaTra.de, be sure to check out her samplers!) This is only my third oolong, so I am feeling very newbish as I sip this tea. I was thrilled by the way the leaves are rolled up into glossy dark green pebbles.

It brewed up to a pleasant, springlike yellow that makes me think of green teas. (And kinda makes me worry that I used water that was too hot.) The flavor is very nutty, like the description described, with faint hints of caramel. Something sort of reminds me of cocoa in the aftertaste.

All around, this is an interesting and complex oolong. But I think I’m going to have to compare my preparation with everyone else’s before I make another cup, so I can sip and review with confidence.

It’s been cold the past few nights, so this tea feels appropriate. Still loving it as much as before. Bright, robust, and slightly tart.

Ugh, I still think this tastes like the original flavor of Chapstick, even with a big blob of honey. Though the honey goes well with the mint, and it protects me from that mouth-drying tingle from the stevia. (I hate stevia.) Plus, I wish they had used ginger instead of chamomile.

But I’ve discovered that if I drink it as fast as I can, I get some good effects from the valerian. It makes me start to feel very comfortable wherever I am, which is nice when I’m ready for some sleep.