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After reading some of the ingredients — black tea, green tea, rose & jasmine — I was expecting a pretty strong tasting tea. This is not the case. The flavor is pleasant but quite light. I do taste jasmine but just barely, and I sort of just smell the rose. Many other Steepsters have noted this as a peachy green tea, and I can definitely see why — it tastes more like fruit than anything else. I think I will try this again with extra tea leaves — I’ve found in the past that sometimes you have to do this with David’s to get the full flavor. I also want to try Alphakitty’s recommendation of drinking it iced, as soon it warms up a little here!

I was given a sample of this, and while it’s a perfectly pleasant tea, I probably won’t be buying it. It’s a bit unimpressive after the other oolongs I’ve tried. I guess if I’m really in the mood for chocolate hazelnut, I’d rather have it in coffee or hot cocoa.

I was a little worried about this one, as I tend not to like spiced teas, but I was also very curious to try such a traditional blend. So glad I took the chance! This tea is awesome. Mint is the dominant flavor — and it’s an excellent mint, very close in scent and flavor to the mint I find growing wild — with the spices nicely rounding it out rather than competing with it. I think fennel might be the spice I taste the most but there is also something I can’t quite identify. Maybe the cardamom. I’m not familiar enough with cardamom to be sure. The green tea is so light in this that to me it comes across more as an herbal tea; on the whole, it’s very soothing and refreshing, a great tea to unwind with.

Second round with the same leaves for this, and this time added nothing to it. I’m breakfasting on this and a scone that is a little on the sweet side, and I find they balance each other nicely, the slight zip of the bergamot evening out maple sugar pastry.

I also tried this as a second and third steeping with the same leaves, the verdict being that the second time it’s still very good, but I should have stopped there. It doesn’t hold up to a third steeping.

Watching Sherlock and trying this for the first time. My initial impression is that it’s a very nicely balanced blend – I hate it when the bergamot is too strong – but it’s not as impressive as some of the other David’s teas I’ve tried. I’m still looking for my go-to Earl Grey, because while I don’t think it will ever be my favorite tea, I like to keep a little in the house for something different now and then.

My first David’s Tea order came in today and I am so excited! I used to go to their store in Boston, and while that was a pleasant experience, there was something so nice about getting all these colorful packages of tea wrapped up in tissue paper (and with free samples thrown in too!). Anyway, it was a hard choice, but I settled on trying the Vanilla Orchid oolong first. It does not disappoint. When I opened the package it smelled like a really good vanilla yogurt; the taste turns out to be a lot more delicate. At first I had a hard time distinguishing it, but just a little raw sugar (3/4 tsp) made the flavor bloom. This is also one of those teas that is fun to watch in the steeping, as the tightly rolled balls unfurl into massive leaves. I think I’m in love with this tea already.

A decent tea for the money, but as Jason noted, the astringency and bitterness can be very strong. Being careful with the steeping time helps, but really, I never managed to make this tea without it turning out at least a bit bitter. Some days I didn’t mind this at all, but other times it really bothered me. Overall I’d say it’s a tea to use sparingly, and not recommended for delicate palettes or stomachs. On the other hand, I haven’t had that many gunpowder teas, so I’m not sure whether this strong, one-note sort of flavor is typical for this kind of tea.

Drinking this because my David’s order was delayed (weather-related, I’m sure) and there’s nothing else in the house. Oh sad day.

Drinking the very last of my guayasa sample tin :( After reading over some of the other tasting notes I’m sad it never occurred to me to mix it with anything, I bet it would have been good that way. As it is, this cup is smooth and mild, sweet and grassy. This is the first guayasa I’ve ever had, so I’m not sure how it compares to others and I’m still a little unclear on what guayasa is. I’ve read several comments to the effect that it is highly caffeinated, but I get a lot more buzz from a black tea than I have from this.