Murchie's Tea & Coffee

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2025 Tea #8 -A tea best for afternoons

Well, it’s in the name!  Afternoon!  An obvious choice, as usual. :) This is from Cameron B, thanks very much!  I like this one.  It’s unique and intriguing. It has a gentle smokiness, like a fragrant campfire.  Probably because there is rose here too.  So maybe if some roses were thrown into that fire.  So drama. There should also be vanilla and bergamot here, but I’m not noticing those as much.  I wish I were tasting all of these… what an interesting combination:  lapsang, rose, bergamot, vanilla.  Though I like the general effect of this tea, I guess I was imagining a better balance of the flavors.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 minute steep

The jasmine really comes through, which normally isn’t my favorite, but with the gunpowder and ceylon, it really blends for something both flowery and musty (postively) to remind you of books.

Kelmishka Homemade Advent Day 3! I’d been considering a Murchie’s order for a while, but I never got around to it, so I was happy to see this one this morning! The scent is so desserty too! I’m drinking this at room temperature sweetened with milk, and I’m really enjoying it! The spice combination strongly reminds me of S&V’s blueberry cinnamon crumble tea, though that has a rooibos base and this one is green/black. I’ve bought the S&V blend many times and would probably still choose that one because I prefer to minimize caffeine intake, but this version is a great option for people who prefer the opposite! I love a tea that somewhat approximates a baked good! I taste a light, baked cinnamon flavor along with a touch of fruitiness. It matches its name well!

I have limited experience with Assam, but I really like this one. Full bodied, delicious. I prefer this over Murchie’s Assam Superior Golden Loose Tea, which is considerably more expensive. That said, Murchie’s Darjeeling Estate is even more to my liking, and although different, Assam and Darjeeling play similar roles in my tea drinking habits. So I’m more likely to go for the Darjeeling, but this is a close second.

I’ve only tried a few Darjeeling teas, but this is the best I’ve had so far. Rich, full-bodied, not bitter. Delicious.

Tried this with oat milk and sugar this morning, and it was much better. There’s a maple-y note to it, along with the rich toasted chestnut. I do still get a hint of that odd savory/herbal flavor, with the milk it leans a bit more toward fennel than dill maybe. It’s not a bad thing per se, just odd, and I mostly taste it in the finish. I assume it’s just part of how I’m interpreting the flavoring, since I’ve had plenty of their other black teas and never noticed it before.

I’m not sure if this is one I would reorder, since I happen to love Lupicia’s chestnut teas, but definitely a good one to have on hand for the colder months.

Another seasonal tea. Not gonna lie, finding this one just okay. There is a buttery, nutty quality to it with bits of dark caramelized sugar. But I feel like the astringency of the base really works again those nice, smoother flavors. There’s also a hint of some odd herbal quality, almost dill-like? Not sure where I’m getting that from, but it’s a bit of a clash as well.

Will have to try this one out with milk, as that would help smooth the tannic base a bit.

This sounded interesting based on the description, but I’m mostly just tasting the Assam. There’s a hint of gunpowder I think, but the strong and malty Assam dominates. It’s not unpleasant, with dark caramelized brown sugar and raisin notes, but I guess I was expecting something more nuanced or complex? They claim it tastes like whole grain toast, but not really getting that at all.

Oh well, we’ll see if my opinion changes over the course of the 2-ounce bag!

One that I picked up in my fall and winter seasonals order, because why not? :P

It’s very nice actually, as orange spice teas go. I am not a clove fan, so I’m happy to not find a strong clove presence here. The orange flavor is quite bright and zesty, and there’s a touch of cinnamon adding sweetness and warmth. I’m not sure I really taste vanilla here, though I wish I did. The black base is nicely balanced between brisk and smooth, and flavorful without being too drying or bitter.

It’s not super Christmassy to me, just because the spices are very mellow, but it is an enjoyably zesty orange black tea that I’ll have no trouble sipping through. :)

Sipdown! (28)

The last of my Murchie’s teabag samplers! I do still have some loose leaf to sip down, but still nice to get the teabags cleared out.

I’ve been really interested in trying all of their green-black blends, and this one is similar to the No. 10 (one of my favorites). It seems to just include a stronger Ceylon base, which looks to be a CTC (and the description mentions a touch of bergamot, but the No. 10 already has that as well?). It’s lovely though, a nice balance of jasmine and citrus with the green and black teas. I always steep these using green tea parameters, so the difference in the Ceylon may not be as pronounced as it would be if you steeped it hotter. It does have a brisker edge to it, and I do think I prefer the No. 10, but it was fun to try!

Teabag sampler! After enjoying their No. 10 Blend, I figured I would give this a try, since it’s described as being quite similar. The ingredients lists are actually identical, but apparently the Ceylon used in this tea is stronger (from the photo, it looks like a CTC).

It’s quite nice. There’s a good balance of tea flavor with the lemony bergamot and soft jasmine. The description implies that there is more bergamot in this blend, but I think I would have to compare them directly to notice that. I will say, the black tea part of this is tasting a touch cardboardy to me, not sure if that’s the CTC or if for some reason I’m tasting the paper bag. Haven’t noticed that in any of their other teabags, so I assume it’s the Ceylon.

Enjoyable tea, but I think I do prefer their No. 10 Blend. And a good thing too, since I picked up 2 ounces of the loose leaf version in my last order! :P

Sipdown! (13 | 156)

Mostly sipped this with milk and sugar, but finished it off plain. Not a favorite for me, as the herbaceous peppermint and tannic base seemed to bring out the worst in each other. The peppermint wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the best either, so it did have a bit of a wet rag note to it as opposed to being super fresh. Also not enough vanilla for me.

Sipped with additions in bed this morning. I’ve started a habit of making myself a cup of tea (usually with milk & sugar) and going back to bed for an hour or so after I feed the puglets at 7:00. Really been enjoying that extra time to wake up a bit and scroll on my phone or read.

Anyway! I do think I prefer it this way, as the creaminess of the oat milk and a touch of raw sugar brought out the vanilla notes much more. However, this does have a prominent peppermint leaf herbaceousness to it, and to me, that part is a bit odd with milk.

Will definitely sip through the pouch, but this one won’t be a reorder for me. To be fair, I am almost always disappointed in these “Santa’s Secret”-style peppermint & vanilla black teas. And yet, I feel compelled to keep trying them LOL. I guess I can’t really blame the tea at that point! XP

Look at me, trying these new teas in such a timely fashion. Who am I and what have I done with myself? XD

This one is just okay. It mostly tastes like peppermint leaf (presumably amped up with peppermint flavor), I don’t really get much in the vanilla department. The base is fairly balanced, slightly tannic but not overly so. It is a little bit weak on flavor though, so the peppermint dominates. There’s just a hint of sweetness, I assume from the vanilla flavor. The sugar pearls are so cute…

Looks like I need to try this one with milk. Tomorrow’s tea of the morning it is, ha ha! :P

Sipdown! (6 | 149)

Since I have some loose leaf of a similar blend now (No. 10), I figured I would finish off this box of teabags. I do notice a slightly papery note from the teabag today, not sure why or what I did differently. Still a nice, easy-drinking blend with a mellow twist of citrus. Will have to revisit this one in loose leaf form if I sip through that No. 10 and still want a restock.

Another teabag selection from Murchie’s.

This one is lovely – it’s quite similar to the No. 10 Blend, which I also enjoy. They have mostly the same ingredients, but this has Darjeeling in addition to the Keemun and Ceylon black teas. I do taste the hay-like notes of the Darjeeling here, though I would have to try both teas side-by-side to know which one I preferred. This is just such a nice, mellow, easy-drinking tea for the afternoon. Quite smooth with a balanced flavor between the black and green teas, and discernible but gentle jasmine and a dash of lemony bergamot.

I’m already plotting another order, since they went and released two more seasonal teas a couple of days after I ordered (sob). I think some loose leaf of either this or the No. 10 will probably show up in that one… :)

This blend is a new seasonal blend from Murchies and I have to say… its a bit different than I thought. That being said, I still enjoy it a lot! I was expecting a lot of coconut flavor like the coconut cream but the marzipan flavor really takes over on this one which surprised me a little given the coconut flavor in their other blends. A definite rebuy to stock up for after the holidays are over!

NEW MURCHIES HALL ALERT!!! (also my cupboard is finally up to date as of 10/22/24)

I was a bit hesitant with this based on some notes I’d read but this to me smells and tastes just like eggnog. I really think that this would be great as a latte and even better sweetened! I really like this one… perhaps a new favorite caffeine free blend?

Sipdown! (14 | 143)

Just finishing off my 10-teabag sampler box, since I have loose leaf coming tomorrow!

Just a lovely eggnog-meets-pumpkin-pie tea that’s great with milk and sugar. It’s nice plain too, but even better with additions. It’ll be interesting to see how the loose leaf version compares, but I imagine it’ll be even tastier. :)

Had with oat milk and sugar this morning, and it was lovely. I still think it’s more of an eggnog tea than a pumpkin one, but yummy either way!

I had a Murchie’s cart all ready but hadn’t quite pushed the button yet, but they marked their fall teas (including this one) down by 40% this morning, and the 2-ounce size of loose leaf was already sold out when I looked. So I ended up panic-ordering 4 ounces instead ha ha, and will definitely be willing to share the extra if anyone is interested! :P

Another one from my recent order. I just got the box of 10 teabags because I didn’t want to commit to sipping though 50 grams ha ha. I’m not huge on pumpkin spice teas, but the description sounded good.

I’m glad I took the chance, as this is quite nice. It actually reminds me more of eggnog than pumpkin pie, because of the strong nutmeg presence. It tastes sweet and creamy with a custardy richness, and then there’s the right amount of warming spices – mostly nutmeg, but I do taste the cinnamon as well, and a touch of clove.

I’ve only tried it plain, but I imagine it will be wonderful with additions as well. Maybe I’ll try that for my morning tea tomorrow!

Sipdown! (12 | 141)

Finished off with milk and sugar. This had a nice maple aroma but ended up being too much clove and not enough maple for me. Milk and sweetener did help bring it out a bit more, but I don’t regularly add those things so I don’t really want a tea that requires them.

I did order some Sugar Maple, which had a very strong maple flavor when I tried it, to try to mix with chai and make my own version of this. :)

Got more teas in from Murchie’s, woo hoo!

Unfortunately, this one is disappointing to me. Steeped plain, I didn’t taste any maple at all (though I could smell it). With oat milk and sugar, I do taste a touch of maple. It’s just odd to me because their other maple teas are almost too maple-y for me. As far as the spices go, I mostly taste clove, which happens to be my least favorite ha ha. There is cinnamon and a bit of ginger as well, but mostly clove. It ends up almost reminding me of an orange spice tea.

Bah! I feel like I’m crazy, because other reviewers mention it having a lot of maple… :|