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I am a Japanese green tea lover on a mission to sample every gyokuro I can get my hands on. This one, from American Tea Room, is amazing.

I could tell this was going to be a special tea from the moment I opened the packet. The fragrance nearly knocked me over — to say the scent (and for that matter, the flavor) is vegetal is like saying Shakespeare is a competent writer. This is some serious stuff. I brewed it for the suggested 2 minutes, but at a slightly lower temp than suggested, because I am always paranoid when it comes to gyokuros. The liquor is pale green. The flavor? Sublime.

You want to talk umami? This is “swimming in a salty sea of seaweed” umami. I have never tasted anything like it. Other gyokuros I’ve tried pale in comparison. I am getting notes of seaweed, spinach, and very strong vegetal notes. I know some people hesitate when they hear the term “vegetal,” but there is nothing off-putting, bitter or unpleasant. This tea is delicious, strong and flavorful, with a lingering sweet finish. I did not add one grain or drop of sweetener, and that’s rare for me — I tend to sweeten almost every tea I drink, if only a little. But to corrupt this incredible flavor with sweetener would be very wrong.

As far as caffeine goes, this tea has it. I’m suddenly feeling very alert, and maybe I’ll even be productive with my work today instead of slacking off in my typical lazy fashion.

I would drink this every day if I could. Highly recommended!

Assam Harmony is a good black tea with a smooth flavor profile. Slightly astringent at first, it benefits from just a touch of sweetener. Then other flavors begin to emerge — drinking it, I am thinking of stroopwafels and chocolate covered biscuits. It doesn’t taste like caramel or chocolate, precisely, but it brings those to mind. There is a bit of maltiness, as one would expect from an Assam, but it’s not overpowering. Overall, it’s a fine breakfast tea, very easy to drink, and I think it would go with a variety of foods.

This oolong is what people think of when they imagine “Chinese restaurant tea.” A classic dark oolong, not exactly roasty, but with a toasted chestnut note. The sensation as you sip it is syrupy, sweet; almost heavy. It lacks the subtlety of, say, an Oriental Beauty oolong, but for what it is, it’s very good.

Thank you to Butiki Teas for the sample.

Gyokuro is just about my favorite style of green tea, so I’m always happy to sample it. In the sample bag, this didn’t smell like anything special, but when I brewed it, it yielded a flavorful cup with no bitterness whatsoever, and a nice umami flavor. The liquor is medium greenish yellow. Normally I add a touch of sweetener to gyokuro, but this one did not need any. I am getting vegetal and seaweed flavors, something almost a bit salty, but kind of sweet at the same time. It’s a smooth, delightful cup of green tea, and the flavors are such that I think it could convert someone who is not a gyokuro lover. Although vegetal, this doesn’t have that ‘boiled spinach’ aspect that some green teas and gyokuros have. Very tasty. I almost have an urge to eat the leaves. I will update later with the results of the second steeping.

This is a good all-around Yunnan. What I like about it is how smooth it is — there isn’t even the slightest hint of astringency or bitterness. It’s not the strongest Yunnan I’ve ever had, but perhaps that’s because I tend to brew my tea fairly strong, and this sample was on the small side. It’s not spicy or peppery, but a little bit biscuit-y. Very easy to drink. Overall, a nice mellow black tea with a pleasing flavor.

Let me preface this note by saying I’m not a big fan of heavily flavored teas. I decided to try this because I tend to be fond of almond and vanilla flavors, as long as they are not too strong or artificial. For a flavored tea, this is good, but it doesn’t really taste like almonds to me. It’s kind of fruity and mildly spicy, and reminds me of a cup of mulled wine or spiced cider. I can taste the tea, but the tea is definitely overshadowed by the flavors and spices. Again, this isn’t bad, but I don’t think I’ll buy it, because it’s just a little too much like a cup of hot cider for my tastes. If you like dessert-y flavored teas, this is worth a try, as long as you don’t expect it to taste purely like almonds. Thank you to Butiki Teas for the sample.

Sometimes in the morning I want more than just a straight cup of black tea — I want something with some extra flavor. This tea is perfect for those occasions. I have it in the pouches, so it’s great for travel or to take with me to the office. I’m fairly fussy about flavored blacks — I can’t stand anything that has an artificial taste or is overly fruity. This tea is perfect in that the flavors enhance the black tea; they don’t overpower or overshadow it. Also, the bergamot note is not overdone.

I especially like to make this one into a tea latte (in a 16 oz mug, using two teabags, brew 8 oz. of tea, then fill the rest with steamed/foamed milk). This goes particularly well with a waffle and some preserves. Yum!

I’ve had this tea for a while. I bought it at a tasting at Tea Gschwendner based on the tea sommelier’s suggestion. He said it was somewhat between a green and a white in flavor. I think it tends to come off more as a white tea, but more robust and “leaf-like,” if that makes any sense, than, say, a Pai Mu Dan type of white tea. It’s kind of nutty and toasty, has a great aroma, is not floral, and tastes best with a bit of sweetener added (I used liquid Stevia). The leaves are very large and impressive looking. This tea is pretty forgiving with regard to steep times — I once accidentally let it sit for 10 minutes (terrible, I know!) and it still tasted good, if a bit strong. If you like white teas, you really can’t go wrong with this one.

I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, so when I saw this blend I jumped on the bandwagon and ordered. I’m glad I did — it’s a wonderful blend. It does strike me as the sort of tea that would go best with food of some kind, so I drank it while eating a croissant, and the two went together perfectly. I think it would be equally good with toast, a scone, an English muffin, or any other typical tea accompaniment. It does need a bit of sweetener, IMO, but once that’s added, the flavors come out and they are well balanced. It’s not too fruity, as some blends can be — you can still taste the black tea. Looking forward to drinking this with breakfast tomorrow!

I’ve read a lot of raves about this tea; some people, apparently, go out of their way to stock up on it during the holidays. Naturally, I had to jump on the bandwagon, so I brought a box home. Finally got around to trying it. The verdict? Meh. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever had, and it doesn’t taste horrible, but it’s nothing special, and I don’t understand the hype. It’s a minty green tea, emphasis on the mint. It hardly even tastes like tea. It’s like a watered-down Shamrock Shake. Very sweet, very candy cane-like, just a weak, minty flavor. No bitterness or astringency, even though I oversteeped it on the second brew in a desperate attempt to bring out some kind, any kind, of flavor.

The whole thing is kind of puzzling, because I have yet to find a Celestial Seasonings tea that I like. And I’m not that much of a tea snob…I mean, I still drink Constant Comment and Tazo bagged teas from time to time. Ah well.