25 Tasting Notes

drank Holiday Tea by Harney & Sons
25 tasting notes

This tea is packed with Christmas spice flavors: Cloves, cinnamon, orange, vanilla and almond. When I smell the brewed tea, the cloves, cinnamon, orange and vanilla are all about equally strong while the almond flavor is more subdued. On the palate, the orange is more noticeable and is together with the cloves the two most prominent flavors. The cinnamon and vanilla are definitely there too. The almond is still the most difficult flavor to detect. For some reason, I get a chocolatey flavor from this tea even though it does not contain any. It must be the combination of all the different flavors that makes it smell and taste chocolatey.

The Chinese black tea base is medium-bodied and not that brisk compared to an Indian black tea. The black tea base is the same in terms of body and briskness as most of Harney’s other flavored Chinese black teas with the exception of their Earl Grey blends which I find to have a stronger body than their other flavored black teas.

On the back end of each sip, there is a a very subtle warming, spicy feeling similar to ginger or black pepper which builds up as you drink the tea.

This is an excellent Holiday inspired flavored black tea blend with lots of spices, orange and vanilla flavors and is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit, although I like to enjoy this tea at other times as well but especially during winter. It’s a great tea to have with breakfast on a cold winter morning.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Black tea leaves with bright red/orange safflower petals and pieces of orange rind.

Dry leaves, aroma:
I get more orange and vanilla in the dry leaves than in the brewed tea. The cloves and cinnamon are also quite noticeable. The almond is probably the least prominent smell. The dry leaves somehow smell chocolatey to me. The smell of this tea reminds me of a Danish Christmas cake called “honningkage”, literally “honey cake” in English, which contains some of the same spices that are in this tea.

Liquor:
Medium to dark brown.

Packaging:
HRP tin of 30 sachets.

Flavors: Almond, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Clove, Cloves, Orange, Pepper, Spices, Tea, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 3 g 10 OZ / 300 ML
ashmanra

Haven’t seen you in a while! Welcome back!

Andreastt

Thank you so much! I have a few teas from Harney & Sons that I have not reviewed yet. I will be posting a review of Victorian London Fog or Hot Apple Spice next, I think.

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It’s a snowy and cloudy day in Denmark today and this tea is perfect for that kind of weather!

This feels like a proper Irish Breakfast tea – made from 100% Assam. It has lots of malty notes, tannins and some bitterness. But it’s actually a surprisingly subtle bitterness when you think of how full-bodied the tea is. The strength is right up there with the strongest bagged teas: Yorkshire, Typhoo etc. But this feels a little more refined, more aromatic and not as bitter. Unlike bagged teas, this is not dust but small broken leaves.

Harney & Sons’ says that “This tea recalls a time when the teas came from Assam, not Africa; and were small broken leaves, not CTC pellets. So this is a simple tea that can handle milk and sugar well.”.
I definitely agree with that. It is very nice and simple and takes milk and/or sugar well. I appreciate that this is not CTC as I am not a big fan of CTC teas. I have not had that many, but the ones I have had where too strong and not aromatic enough in my opinion.

The brewed tea without milk is a deep dark brown. When you add milk, it looks like milky coffee but with a noticeable red/orange hue. The brewed tea smells like… tea. There are strong malty notes but not much else. This is definitely not a complex tea. It’s simple and straight-forward.

In the mouth, there is a strong maltiness again and it is very brisk, but only has a hint of bitterness. It is more astringent than bitter. This tea is a full-bodied tea for sure. It is so strong that it colors my white mug brown instantly.

All in all, this is an excellent, bold Irish Breakfast tea that fits the bill when you want a simple, plain black tea that goes well with a healthy splash of milk.

I feel like you should be drinking this tea while listening to Thin Lizzy or U2 ;-)

Dry leaves, appearance:
Small broken tea leaves with a few golden specks here and there. 100% Assam.

Dry leaves, aroma:
A very subtle aroma. Smells like a classic, malty Assam.

Liquor:
Deep dark brown with a red hue.

Packaging:
8 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Malt, Tannic, Tea, Thick

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 3 g 9 OZ / 275 ML
Courtney

A perfect hygge tea for a dreary day. :)

Andreastt

Courtney: Hehe :-) Yes, Irish Breakfast is a great hygge tea. H&S Chocolate Mint is also a hygge tea in my opinion. The combination of chocolate and mint is something I associate with the colder months.
Tea in general is hygge :-)

Courtney

Very true! And I agree on the chocolate and mint, it’s a cold month combination. :)

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This Darjeeling tea from Harney & Sons is a blend of First Flush and Autumn Flush teas. The First Flush gives it a green, floral, vegetal flavor while the Autumn Flush gives it body. It’s still a pretty light-bodied tea, though. Probably light to medium-bodied.

The steeped tea reveals delicate floral, vegetal and muscatel notes, typical for a Darjeeling. There’s also a good amount of astringency – unlike most other black teas. Also unlike other black teas, it has that vegetal, floral flavor that’s so typical of Darjeeling. There are also some woody notes and maybe a hint of fruity citrus, but absolutely no malty notes like in an Assam.

I don’t think Darjeeling black teas are technically black teas (someone correct me if I’m wrong), because they contain a mixture of leaves oxidized to different degrees like an oolong. Some of the leaves in this are bright green, some are brown and some are completely black.

I have also tried Kusmi’s Darjeeling tea which is a Second Flush. That tea is also excellent. If I remember correctly, it is a little stronger in body than this tea and with more robust flavors but it doesn’t have the green, vegetal flavors like this one does – which comes from the First Flush teas.

Overall, this is a nice Darjeeling tea with flavors typical for that region. The flavors are very delicate, and completely different than other black teas like Assams and Ceylons.

I can see why Darjeeling is called “Queen of Teas”.

I find myself drinking this tea both with and without milk.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Big, whole, curly leaves with many different colors.
Mostly bright green, brown and black.

Dry leaves, aroma:
Light floral, vegetal and woody notes. No maltiness whatsoever.

Liquor:
Medium orangish brown.

Packaging:
4 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Astringent, Citrus, Floral, Muscatel, Tea, Vegetal, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 9 OZ / 275 ML

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This is pretty mild for a Chai. I find it interesting that there are no cloves in this. For me, cloves are the first spice I think of when I think of a Masala Chai. The two primary flavors here is the chocolate and the cardamom. There is also a good amount of cinnamon and vanilla. The ginger adds a very subtle spiciness at the end of each sip. The nutmeg is not really there, I don’t think. The 4 primary flavors is chocolate, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla.

I think they made the spices really mild in order to give the chocolate a chance to shine through – which it does. It’s very dessert-like and more decadent than a normal Chai. The flavor reminds me very much of LU Bastogne cookies.

This tea actually reminds me of a tea from Kusmi Tea called “Spicy Chocolate” which is a black tea flavored with chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.

The tea base here is a blend of Chinese and Indian black teas. It doesn’t say anything about CTC pellets on their website or on the tin, but it looks like the Indian black tea in this is a CTC, like their regular Chai. The tea also has a stronger body than usual – medium to full in body. The CTC pellets together with the ground cinnamon and nutmeg makes a dust that settles on the bottom of the tin (the whole leaves settle on top), which doesn’t look very good. So you have to dig deep in the tin every time you make a mug of this tea, in order to get some of those dusty parts on your spoon. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be this way, but it is very unfortunate in my opinion. You’d need a paper filter when you make this tea so the dusty parts don’t end up in your cup.

Overall, this is an excellent and flavorful tea with lots of chocolate and spice notes, but the dust in the tin detracts from the aesthetics of the tea, unfortunately.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Whole black tea leaves and dusty CTC pellets mixed with cinnamon chips, ginger root, cardamom seeds, cardamom pods and ground cinnamon/nutmeg.

Dry leaves, aroma:
Sweet chocolate and vanilla notes with the warmth and spiciness of cardamom and cinnamon.

Liquor:
Dark brown

Packaging:
4 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Cardamom, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Ginger, Spicy, Tea, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 9 OZ / 275 ML
ashmanra

Any chance the dust is vanilla bean specks? I thought Vanilla Comoro was dusty and didn’t drink the “ dregs” but they turned out to be vanilla and now we fight over them…

Martin Bednář

I never had this tea; but I think you may be right ashmanra, as they are indeed small.

Andreastt

ashmanra: I don’t think it is vanilla bean specks. It only says “vanilla flavoring” on their website so I don’t think there is any actual vanilla in it. The dust looks like very small CTC pellets mixed with brown and yellowish dust (ground cinnamon and nutmeg). It’s a shame that there is so much dust in it but it’s still a very tasty tea.

Andreastt

Martin Bednář: It’s a nice tea. I would recommend it if you like masala chai and chocolate. But the spices are mild compared to a regular chai and the chocolate makes it more dessert-like.

White Antlers

Vanilla prices are currently through the roof due to climate changes which are causing weather changes. It takes 4 years for vanilla vines to fully mature, then the plants only bloom for one day and they must be pollinated by hand on the same day. The pods need almost 6 months to cure after harvesting. The trend for ‘all things natural’ also put a big demand on vanilla bean farming and upped prices. All this to say that I doubt Harney & Sons is able to add real vanilla/vanilla beans to this tea and still sell it at a not exorbitant price.

ashmanra

White Antlers: I expect so, and I wonder if Vanilla Comoro might be getting no bean specks right now. I bake a great deal so I make my own vanilla. Years ago I paid $16 for a batch of beans. Then I really balked when it went up to $50 but bought the big pack and six bottles of vodka and made enough vanilla extract for about three years. That $50 pack of vanilla beans is now quite a lot more expensive, so I am glad I swallowed my outrage and bought it when it was $50.

White Antlers

ashmanra I rarely bake but I am hoarding about half a dozen vanilla beans and a few small bottles of bourbon vanilla extract.

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As promised, a black tea flavored with peaches and ginger. It’s sweet, fruity and summery from the peach with the zing of ginger. The ginger is really only a flavor – it has no spiciness at all. Only the aroma of ginger. So if you don’t like spicy teas, you might still like this.

The peach flavor is the strongest flavor while the ginger is more in the background. I would say a 75/25 split. I would probably have expected a more spicy ginger flavor.

Both flavors are pretty mild so you can actually taste plenty of tea flavor underneath. I think this is the most lightly flavored black tea I have had from H&S so far. The black tea in this is pretty mild – around medium-bodied – and has no bitterness or astringency. It seems more watery than their other black China teas, but that might just be my mind that is playing tricks on me, since it is the same base tea as in their other flavored blacks.

It’s a very nice tea and I will happily drink more of it, but there are some other fruity flavored teas from Harney & Sons that I enjoy more (Apricot, Black Currant, Paris, Earl Grey Supreme, Fruits D’Alsace). Those are all slightly better than this. But this is still excellent.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Black Chinese tea leaves with pieces of candied ginger and pieces of dried peach.

Dry leaves, aroma:
Juicy peach in the forefront with a hint of ginger.

Liquor:
Medium to dark brown.

Packaging:
4 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Fruity, Ginger, Peach, Tea

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 9 OZ / 275 ML

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drank English Breakfast by Kusmi Tea
25 tasting notes

I have had several tins of this tea in the past and got a new one for Christmas in 2020. But this time, it tastes very different from the two other tins I have had. The other tins were maybe half as strong as it is this time. It used to be a medium-bodied blend, but now it is full-bodied and almost as strong as Yorkshire Tea or Typhoo and brews to a very dark brown color (like the color of coffee almost).

This blend consists of 75% Ceylon and 25% Assam.

It has plenty of oomph and body, but is lacking a little in the aroma and flavor department in my opinion. Compared to Harney & Sons’ English Breakfast, this tea definitely has more body and briskness but the Harney version is much more aromatic and refined – and much more enjoyable. This is still not bad but I find that it’s a little too bitter/strong/brisk and not aromatic enough. There is that classic plain black tea flavor with some maltiness, a grassy flavor and a subtle hint of smoke. But the flavors are somewhat muted.

I would recommend this tea if you like a strong, plain black tea that goes well with milk and if you prefer to have body and briskness over flavor and aroma. I am not amazed by it, but it is fine. Nothing special.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Relatively small broken black tea leaves (Ceylon and Assam) with no golden tips.

Dry leaves, aroma:
There is not too much aroma here. It smells like tea with a malty and grassy aroma.

Liquor:
Very dark brown.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Grass, Malt, Smoke, Tea

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec 2 g 9 OZ / 275 ML

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drank Apricot by Harney & Sons
25 tasting notes

This one is unmistakably apricot! The sweet, fruity, nutty and warm flavor of apricot combined with the background taste of black tea. There is also a flavor here that’s reminiscent of butterscotch or dulce de leche. It’s especially apparent in the aftertaste and when you smell the empty mug. It’s really nice and decadent.

The apricot flavor in this tea reminds me of a toy my sister had when she was younger. It was a furry apricot thing that you could open and use to store things (as far as I remember) and that was scented with apricot. This tea smells exactly like that toy did, so it brings back memories of those times (probably 10-15 years ago now).

The tea is medium-bodied and very smooth. The apricot doesn’t overpower the tea but complements it.

Now that I have tasted their pure apricot tea, I can definitely recognize this flavor in their Fruits D’Alsace tea – which also contains apricot.

I think Harney & Sons did an incredible job with this tea. It has an authentic, unmistakable apricot flavor that feels very natural. It’s both fruity and fresh but also decandent and nutty at the same time.

This tea has my highest recommendation. It’s a no-brainer if you like apricot.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Chinese black tea leaves with pieces of dried apricot.

Dry leaves, aroma:
The sweet, fruity, nutty and warm aroma of ripe, juicy apricots.

Liquor:
Medium to dark brown.

Packaging:
7 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Apricot, Butterscotch, Fruity, Nutty, Stonefruit, Tea

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 9 OZ / 275 ML
ashmanra

I have way too much tea but I have already decided I am picking it up next time I go to The Fresh Market. It is so much richer than the peach tea.

Andreastt

ashmanra: Sounds like a good idea. How long has it been since the last time you tasted it? Are you referring to Peaches & Ginger? I also prefer Apricot over that one, but it’s not too shabby, either.

ashmanra

The decaf Midsummer Peach is good but not as good as Apricot. I am not a huge ginger fan so Peach and Ginger would not be high on my list.

It is possible that if you contact the Soho location you could order teas by the ounce instead of the pound. I did that years ago.

Also, their customer service is great. Tower of London was not available loose. I asked several times for it on Facebook and one day Mike Harney replied that he was blending a new batch and if I would PM my address he would send me a pound. I requested “two pounds if it isn’t any trouble” as I had friends who also wanted some. More people commented that they wanted some, too, and Michael said “we hear you! Here is a link for loose and it is here to stay!”

He also made Florence available in four ounce tins when I requested, so I guess other people were wanting it in smaller quantities, too. It certainly wasn‘t because I am a special, high dollar customer. I am your “average Joe.”

I hesitate to recommend such a daily drinker tea, but if you like plain black, their Queen Catherine has quite a place in hearts here. She stayed by my side every morning through cancer treatment. Nothing too fancy, just really good black tea.

Andreastt

ashmanra: That’s great customer service. I live in Europe so I don’t think I will be buying from the US (their official website, ‘harney.com’ doesn’t even send to most of Europe). So I have to buy from their European websites. They don’t quite have the same selection as the US website. But still decent. I just wished you could get Florence here. That’s the H&S tea I want to try the most right now. Sorry to hear about your cancer. Queen Catherine sounds nice. I have a tin of Irish Breakfast on the way :)

ashmanra

Their Irish Breakfast is pretty good! One of my daughters – about your age – loved it when she was quite young, maybe around age 12. Higher maths drove her to Lapsang, though, and she didn’t drink Irish Breakfast as much.

Your review of Peaches and Ginger is making me consider ordering at least a sample. I like a little glimmer of ginger, but not too much heat.

Andreastt

Nice. She has great taste when it comes to teas. I think Irish Breakfast is going to be right up my alley. I had a 125g tin of Kusmi Lapsang Souchong that I recently emptied. It took me 6 years. I guess that is evidence that Lapsangs are not my favorite teas but they can be nice once in a while when you want something different.

There is, to me, absolutely no spiciness in Peaches & Ginger but I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t like peach.

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drank Black Currant by Harney & Sons
25 tasting notes

This tea is exactly as described: A black tea flavored with black currant. A classic, timeless flavor that I consider a staple in the world of flavored teas. This was actually Harney & Sons’ first flavored tea – created by John Harney.
The black currant flavor is natural but a little on the sweet/perfumey/candy-like side of things rather than tangy. It tastes exactly like the black currant in Paris but here it is completely undisturbed by any other flavors.

The tea itself is your typical Harney & Sons black China base: Smooth and with little to no astringency/bitterness. It is difficult to taste the tea flavor behind the black currant but it is there, so the black currant doesn’t overpower the tea completely. There is a lingering flavor after you have taken a sip that tastes like you’ve taken a bite of a piece of toast with black currant jam, which is very nice. But the initial black currant flavor is more candy-like and perfumey.

I don’t know what else to say – it’s a very nice take on a black currant tea and I recommend it if you are into fruity flavors.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Chinese black tea leaves with dried black currants here and there.

Dry leaves, aroma:
A very pungent black currant aroma. On the sweeter side rather than the tangy side.

Liquor:
Medium to dark brown.

Packaging:
7 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Berry, Black Currant, Candy, Fruity, Tea

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 9 OZ / 275 ML
ashmanra

So glad you liked it!

Andreastt

I did :) But H&S Apricot is a tad better I think.

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Harney & Sons’ most popular tea by a long shot! I guess there are almost as many people who hate this tea as there are people who love it. It’s certainly unique and its pronounced sweetness and almost tongue numbing spiciness is something I have to be in the mood for to really enjoy and it’s not a tea I would want to drink several cups of each day.

The cinnamon flavor tastes both natural and artificial and is reminiscent of artificially flavored cinnamon gum/candy – think Red Hots and Big Red gum. Although you have not added any sugar to the tea, it tastes like you have added at least 1 teaspoon of sugar by default, which is very unusual. That’s also the part about this tea I have a love/hate relationship with, as I am usually not a fan of adding sugar to my tea.

In my opinion, there is not much aroma in this tea besides the candy-like cinnamon flavor which is plenty strong. It also contains orange peel and cloves but those flavors are barely there in my mind. It maybe has a hint of orange, but the cloves are nowhere to be found.

The flavor of the tea itself is completely lost in the strong cinnamon flavor but I guess tea flavor is not the point of this tea. The point of this tea is its sweetness and strong spiciness.

I highly recommend this tea if you are a huge fan of cinnamon and like a tea with an extremely pronounced sweetness.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Chinese black tea leaves mixed with orange peel and cinnamon pieces covered with cinnamon dust.

Dry leaves, aroma:
A strong, spicy cinnamon aroma. Slightly artifical smelling but smells incredible. It smells like autumn in a tea.

Liquor:
Medium brown with an orange hue.

Packaging:
4 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Artificial, Candy, Cinnamon, Honey, Orange, Spices, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 9 OZ / 275 ML

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I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of fruit teas in general, but that does not mean that other people will not enjoy this tea, so I would recommend it if you like herbal fruit teas.

Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of herbal fruit teas, as I often find that they have a watery body and mouthfeel with way too much acidity – and this tea is exactly that. It’s very fruity and tart and tastes more like fruit juice than tea. The only aroma I can taste is the strawberry – there is no discernible kiwi flavor in my opinion. It’s tart from the hibiscus and has the aroma of strawberries with an almost wine-like, sour smell. That’s it. But it pretty much tastes as expected. Harney & Sons probably did a great job with this tea – it is just not my favorite.

I will say that this tea is much better iced with sweetener than when it is hot and without sweetener. It’s probably very refreshing iced on a hot summer day. That’s the only way I would drink it.

Dry leaves, appearance:
Various big, mostly red pieces of fruits and flowers (hibiscus).

Dry leaves, aroma:
Strawberry, hibiscus.

Liquor:
Crimson red.

Packaging:
4 oz. loose tea tin.

Flavors: Fruity, Hibiscus, Red Wine, Strawberry, Tart

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 9 OZ / 275 ML

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Bio

My name is Andreas, I am from Denmark, and I am 26 years old.

I am a lover of fine teas and my favorite tea brand at the moment is Harney & Sons – which I discovered via Steepster back in 2011 or early 2012, but first tried in January of 2021.

I have been drinking high-quality teas since 2009, when I was thirteen. The brand that made me appreciate quality teas was Kusmi Tea – which I still love. But since then, Harney & Sons has taken the number one spot for me, and it has become pretty much the only brand of tea I drink on a regular basis.

I prefer black teas, or blends of black and oolong – both flavored and unflavored – and dislike most herbal and fruit teas.

I usually don’t care for green teas or white teas, either.

I enjoy most of my teas with a splash of milk and without sweetener.

I mostly review and rate teas I love because I think that’s the most fun, and because, most of the time, I buy teas I know I am going to like.

Favorite flavors:
Citrus – bergamot, lemon, orange.
Sonefruits – peach, plum, cherry, apricot.
Berries – black currant, strawberry, raspberry.
Dessert flavors – chocolate, caramel, vanilla.
Nuts – hazelnut, almond.
Spices – cinnamon, cloves, ginger.
Tropical flavors – coconut, guava, pineapple.
Herbacious flavors – peppermint, spearmint.
Floral flavors – lavender.

Not so favorite flavors:
Very acidic hibiscus, whiskey flavor, overly artificial flavors, extreme sweetness.

Location

Denmark

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