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Today’s version: bag in, half-and-half, a dash of turbinado sugar.

I actually think I prefer the cream-only version. Overall, I have raised my rating because as I learn more about the tea itself I’m becoming more and more fond of it.

Now, of course, I’m wondering, “But what if I used a bit of honey instead of sugar?” But that will have to wait for later.

Just ordered from 52Teas, can’t wait. Except I’ll have to, about a week or two.

Update, 7 days later: got an email yesterday saying this had been shipped. Thanks, Frankie! Oh, the anticipation.

Update, a few days later still: IT’S HERE! Oh, my, this is good. I steeped it a long time and added some half and half. Lots of pineapple and rum flavor. I was thinking of taking the second packet to work but I am not sure that would be wise, as I sit here with my nose taking in all the sweet fruity rumminess. We are working on a second steeping, cold this time, to try in the morning. And then I will go excavating in the infuser for bits of pineapple and coconut.

I started with Steepster to learn about various black teas. What I’m finding is that I really enjoy bush tea! Who knew.

Opened my sample packet and sniffed. Decided I would like to wear it dabbed behind my ears but perhaps not drink it quite yet. Resealed packet.

(Later) Tried cold-brewing and ended up with a pretty little wet silk bag of flowers and linden leaves in room-temp water. Decided to nuke it for 4 minutes, bag-in, in the microwave.

Result: pale, pretty blonde flowery liquid. As it continues to brew, the flowery scent yields to… something not as pleasant. Removed the bag.

Attempted to strain bag over cup since it was pretty soggy, using tried-and-true bag-in-spoon, string-wrapped-around technique. String separated from bag, causing bag to splash into mug and part of tea infusion to splash OUT of mug.

This stuff had better be damn good.

Now sipping it plain… Nope. No discernible flavor. Well, maybe a little. Probably a few drops of honey would bring it out a bit. But I think I’d rather have a plain jasmine-scented cup than this. I bought a sample bag and I won’t be buying more.

Among my favorites. First heard of this variety years ago while reading Centennial by James Michener — fascinated by the description of the mountain man’s first taste of this “smoky, tarry” tea. I probably sampled Twinings the first time. Started sampling Taylors teas a couple of years ago and this one is one I always have around. I take it with milk or half-and-half.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! In my morning listen to Mma Ramotswe and her associates, one of them confessed that she has never really cared for bush tea and does not wish to be rude, but wants to drink only “ordinary” tea from now on, brewed in her own personal teapot.

So I have been wondering whether that person was also speaking for me.

This morning I left the bags in my mug and added a generous splash of fat-free half & half. And decided I will continue to share and enjoy Mma Ramotswe’s kind of tea. I wonder whether she takes it plain?

I bought this because I have been on a listening glom of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency audiobooks and had no idea what bush tea was or what it tasted like, and I wanted to know. I wonder how many of us from continents other than Africa did essentially the same thing?

Anyway — this afternoon I am trying it straight up, my usual 2 bags to a pretty large cup (8-9 oz.) of microwaved water. I didn’t time it carefully.

I have tried it before with milk and with the famous fat-free half-and-half, and it’s growing on me.

All by itself, it smells earthy with a strong current of vanilla. More nutty than woody, maybe a bit like roasted pecans.

To me, it tastes almost NOTHING like it smells. All I can taste is the nuttiness. No flavor of vanilla at all. A much simpler taste than scent. Vaguely disappointing if I think of it that way, so I am now sipping it in a zen-like “be here now” non-judging manner.

It’s warm and comforting and I want to go back and sit with Mma Ramotswe while we sip.

Maybe more later, re-visited with something added to the tea.

Minor update: as the tea cools a bit, I’m getting caramel – maybe an echo of the vanilla.

Hmm. Having some now a few minutes after finishing a container of lemon-flavored yogurt. The sugar in the yogurt is making the tea taste like nothing, although the scent is still delightful. Must remember this. Leaving bag in mug to continue cold-steeping.

Still lovely. Everyone should assume that I’m going to have this every morning at breakfast until the box is empty, and then I’ll just open another box. Will resume the black tea sampling over the weekend.

Decided to try a second steeping. Alas, it’s thin and wimpy when cold-brewed a second time. Might work if brewed hot for second steeping, leaving the bags in the cup.

This tea is really, emphatically, sweet. Not just sweet as opposed to tart. Sweet. I used to drink it years ago and I swear the recipe has changed because I used to add both milk and sweetener to it. Now I use milk or fat-free half and half, but never sweetener.

I don’t detect the pepper as much, either. To me, this is a nice spicy dessert tea, very much like chai but not as cloying as the over-sweetened chai I have tried from time to time in restaurants.