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You have to be in the mood for syrupy sweet maple to enjoy this tea. There may be a hint of cinnamon or cake batter, but oh so much maple.
I just have to admire a flavored tea that steeps three times and is just as good on the third steep as the first. Thank you Nicole for making such a yummy blend!

A free sample received with a recent order, enough for a full pot. I was a bit leery of the small leaves when brewing for 4 minutes, but its not bitter. A nutty taste with a slight astringent bite to it. The second steeping is rather weak, not sure I’ll have more than one cup from this second brew pot. Life is too short to drink weak tea.
Not a bad tea, not very interesting either, nothing I need in my cupboard.

The first few tries to brew this ended up a bit weak, so I have used plenty of leaf to brew a pot today. There is a bit of astringent bitterness on the first sip, more so when it hasn’t cooled. I typical like piping hot tea, but this one it seems better to let it cool significantly. Dark chocolate and caramel notes linger when sipping a cooler cup. This is a decent example of Yunnan, but it seems a bit finicky to brew, so I won’t be restocking in my cupboard.

Sipdown!
As I have the last cup of this tea, I realize I don’t necessarily need more of this in my cupboard, but it’s a very drinkable, smooth Darjeeling blend. Since I don’t have many Darjeelings, I’ll probably purchase this again.

This tea is just ok, the almond and vanilla work well together and there isn’t an artificial taste. I might try it next with a bit of sweetener to see if that brings out flavors. It’s quite smooth, can’t really distinguish the black base underneath the almond and vanilla. The second steep is much weaker than the first, not really worth drinking.

A nice smooth example of Yunnan without bitterness. I got a sample size in a recent order and brewed it a bit strong this morning. The second steeping is a bit weaker, but still has a nice dark chocolate aftertaste. Not a bad cup, but not my favorite Yunnan either. Don’t think I need this in my cupboard, but would be interested in blending it with a bit of Assam.

Sweet cinnamon waffle goodness. If you aren’t eating waffles with syrup you can drink a sip of this and pretend that you are. If you don’t like the sweet maple taste, this one’s not for you. For me, I’d drink this occasionally or add something savory to eat like feta or goat cheese. This is a tasty sweet tea that I’ll need a bit more of in my cupboard.

National vacation day tea: I’ve never been to Kenya, but it and Tanzania are on my list. I am visiting my parent as my mom is having health issues so this is from my dad’s cupboard. I got him a variety of S&V teas a few Christmases ago and this was one he picked for repurchase. He can be particular about teas that leave an aftertaste, but this one is fairly smooth.
The tea has several notes, nutty, toasty, and malty with a slight caramel hay taste thrown in. I brewed a strong pot this morning, but a lighter afternoon brew might bring out some different notes. This reminds me of a much darker and smokier version of a yellow tea. A yummy cup that I’ll add to my next S&V order.

This is an interesting blend of congou and bohea that tastes most of tobacco. I’m not sure I’ve ever had the two teas separately, but Upton has some congou available that I might try a sample. This blend is definitely smooth, and can be brewed as suggested for a lighter cup, or add another spoonful for a more hearty brew. No bitterness here, but notes of toasty hay and burnt tobacco. Not sure I need more of this in my cupboard but it’s a nice mellow cup to savor.

SF Herb Dragonwell with a half a spoon of spearmint. I do like a minty green tea, and this one starts out sweet mint and ends buttery, nutty grass. A strange combination but somehow it’s working for me this morning. I’ll try this again with less spearmint to see the green tea shining through a bit more.