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Very nice!

I recently tried a sample of a jasmine dragon pearl tea (from Goartea), and I was amazed at how smooth and light it was. But I felt I was mostly tasting the jasmine scent, without much character coming through from the green tea. Definitely a high quality tea, though, because the overall feeling was just so nice.

Very strong smoky scent, of course. But, to me, this one is not overwhelming. The underlying tea has a lovely character which shines through – more like a dark oolong than like a black tea. Nice and mellow with a touch of briny saltiness. Leather and wood notes for sure, but with some slight hints of dark fruit as well. A great budget buy. I find that this is a tea I can drink on the regular.

Generic green tea flavor, like a typical gunpowder tea. Larger twisty leaves, with a good amount of very fine particles. Meh.

Solid earl grey tea for me. I’m not the biggest fan of earl grey teas, but the roses got my attention. I like it, and ocassionally find myself craving this one. The bergamot and rose petals do a pretty good job of taming the harsher edges of the (fairly strong) black tea and make this a satisfying cup.

I feel like English Tea Store generally has a few excellent picks for its more expensive loose leaf teas, but unfortunately there is not a broader selection of higher-quality teas. This particular one, however, is a rare case where I purchased a premium tea from ETS that I really regret.

This tea does have some rosey floral notes, which is usually a plus for me. Apart from that, not much to find that I like. The taste is sharp and disagreeable, and this one only seems to brew up quite bitter. I tried adjusting the temperature and steep time every which-way, and this one is a stinker through and through. Glad I only purchased the smaller quantity!

A really nice Chinese black tea blend. I’ve tried most of Harney and Son’s entry-level Chinese black teas, and I feel that this tea is greater than the sum of its parts. I feel like this one is a thirst-quencher, and once it cools a bit, this one has some major gulpability, LOL. Good for a couple of decent steeps – I go short with a 2-minute steep the first time to allow for a solid second steep.

It’s okay. Definitely has the orchid aroma/flavor this style of tea is known for. Kind of one dimensional, though. Brews very light but has decent body. You can get one re-steeping western style, but I wouldn’t recommend three. This is the highest grade of this style of tea offered by the vendor. The pricing isn’t too bad for what it is, but not enough here to get me hooked.

Wow, this one is new favorite for me! Very delicate tea, but great for a afternoon tea. Typical breakfast foods or heavier meals will overpower. Tea brews very light golden-yellow, which was worrying at first, but the flavors really deliver in this lighter-bodied tea. It has a complex bouquet of flavors, but most prominently I find hints of cherry (unusual for green tea to be so fruity!), osmanthus flowers, and greener nuts. Kind of on the pricier side, but delivers better than most teas I’ve tried in this price range.

This tea is a steal for $21.56/lb. I need to purchase this one more often. Pretty much has everything I want from a Keemun black tea – winey, deep, and has strong “orchid” notes. Both simple and complex at the same time, a good representation of what I consider to be the best variety of black tea. Definitely punching above it’s price range. I find that this is perhaps only slightly less enjoyable than some of the pricier varieties I’ve tried, such as Hao Ya “A”, Hao Ya “B”, or Imperial Grade.