Elyse's Blend

Sipdown of the morning. I will not be sad to see this one go. I had it with a dash of whole milk and it makes the somewhat artificial (to me) honey notes more subtle. Really more like bee pollen and powdered honey maybe. The base of this tea seems pleasant enough, but I just can’t get past the flavouring or whatever additives are in this. There are a number of other H & S teas that I enjoy more so I will just need to focus on them for my next order. Goodbye Elyse’s Blend!

In other news, sorry I haven’t been around as much as usual. Been busy with work and preparing for our upcoming ski trip. Woo hoo! :)

It does have a polleny smell when dry. The smell when steeped reminds me somewhat of these honey cookies I make – like cooked honey. The tea base seems to be very light and inoffensive. Smooth. I thought the honey tasted a bit odd. I do sometimes have honey in my tea but it’s usually when I’ve oversteeped it so maybe I just don’t know what to expect. I’m glad I tried a sample, but I probably won’t order it again. Nothing in particular wrong with it, just not to my personal taste.

Continuing to punch my card of H&S teas I have not tried, thanks again to SimplyJenW who made this possible. Announcement follows: Here ye, I am now an official fan of honey flavored teas. I love the blend of black tea and the taste of honey. I have not met an Assam I did not like, I think this is my first Kenyan tea, my only reference was they produce wonderful coffee. The Ceylon levels it a bit. It is very good, but I think the Tower of London still has a hold on me.

Slight malty flavor. Hints of flowery honey. Seems to be a more “delicate” black tea? No astringency. Very smooth and mellow.

I think this would be perfect as an afternoon tea time tea. Complete with scones, clotted cream and marmalade!

Mmm…delicious. Has a wonderful distinctly honey flavor to it without being obnoxious.

It’s never going to be a favorite, but if I keep an eye on the steep time it is a decent cuppa.
I still am not crazy about the dry mouthfeel that I get after it, but it’s not so off putting that I’m going to throw it away.

A rich, deep, robust straight black tea mix with a hint of honey (allegedly, I can’t really taste it).

This tea is like a classic, clean-cut soldier about to go into WWII. A Captain America sort. Saying goodbye to his mom. Looking crisp in his uniform. Ready for bravery.

It’s just a good pick.

There is something so warm and cozy about this tea. It’s perfect for a chill autumn morn (or afternoon or evening). It has a hearty, full-bodied flavor (IMNSHO) and the toasted honey aroma just adds to the sense of being embraced in a warm hug. Okay, maybe that’s too poetic for a tea review but every time I drink this tea I remember how much I like it.

To me, this is definitely a tea hearty enough for the cooler weather. I love it with a touch of sweetener and splash of half & half. When I’m in the mood for a “decent cuppa” that just tastes yummy but not deserty or overly sweet, this tea is in the top ten.

This tea was bitter, astringent, and very malty in a bad sort of way. I will eventually brew it again with lower temperature water and see if it improves. I won’t be buying this again in any case. I wish I hadn’t bought 4 ounces. Brewed it with boiling water, five minute steep and three tsp tea for 18 oz water.

I’ve had this before (ordered a sample with my last Harney box…), but was very delicate with the steeping, after hearing from ifjuly that this could be a bit tricky. I liked it very much that way (steeped 4 minutes at about 185°F), but wanted to see what it was like done how Harney recommends…
Before I get there, I need to say that I love how this tea smells… it’s like no other tea I’ve tried (admittedly, I’ve got LOTS more to try…). The heady honey aroma is really my thing…
Anyway, to the ‘full throttle’ tasting… My first sip and I knew I couldn’t drink this on its own. That’s ok; I was expecting it. Wayyyyyy too strong for me. So, doing what I never do, I reached for the milk and sugar, and adding that to the cup turned it into the most comfy, interesting sweetened tea I’ve had. The astringency was toned down to exactly how I like it in a milk/sugar tea (when I drink them, which isn’t very often….).
While I wouldn’t order a full tin of this, it’s something I’d want in my cupboard for those moments, however seldom they may be, when I’m looking for a milk tea.
So, I’m rating it based on that…. it’s a finicky tea, and needs to be played around with, but when I get it where I like it, I love it. :)