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Decent surprise. I got it at the recommendation on here along with the True Blue Oolong. I have been pretty tame in my oolong purchases lately, and figured I’d like this one. The aroma smells like Horchata instantly opening the tin, and waftes heavily of nutty vanilla and cinnamon.

Tasting it, it’s a on the thinner side. Aroma still great, the oolong is a bit overpowered by the cinnamon for me personally, but there’s a definite rice and vanilla note too in a generally nutty profile. The liquor is a little bit more darker yellow/brown than I expected in part from the cinnamon, and the oolong is a little darker than I expected overall, but still on the greener side. Rebrewed faintly.

I do like it, but I’m not sure about rating. I think a little bit of sugar or rice milk/almond milk might make this taste better, but I’m fairly pleased with it.

I’ll create full pages for these, but I’m running out of time.

I got to try the Goddess London Fog (likely mispelled or mislabeled) from Magic Hour, and it’s a floral earl grey blend with Tie Guan Yin. Vanilla, Lavender, rose, jasmine, and of course, the bergamot are added to it. It’s floral, it’s creamy, and it makes anyone feel like a Fairy princess.

The Butter Assam from magic hour is interesting. It’s not as smooth as the Pu-Erh butter tea, but it’s very good. It tasted like a scottish breakfast with cream and sugar already in it from the butter flavoring, even though it’s more butterscotch in profile overall. I oversteeped it, so I splashed some milk to cut back on it. I can see it being more of a morning cuppa, but pretty good. I’m glad I got to try it.

I’m so close to rating this one a hundred. I mostly get the same profile every time, but it’s so comforting. Butter, chocolate, smooth, malt, sweet potato, caramel, florals-it’s my favorite tea that I got over 300 grams of. I wonder how long it’ll last me.

*Orange Blossoms.

I wanted to try this one in the UK, but Kiani Tea was converting to its physical shop in the Royale Exchange (mispelled), and I wasn’t able to find it quickly enough at the British museum.

I got this one with shipping costing $28 US with the Gilani Glory, totaling out to close to $74 for a hundred grams of tea including the shipping cost, and….I’m kinda dissappointed. The Iranian black tea is not super forward, and a little green bordering on a softer oolong bell pepper flavor. The cardamom pops out more in the second steep, and the orange and rose are not super forward. It’s a relaxing tea, but I need honey or sugar to bring out the rose and orange blossom. I like floral black teas that are lighter, but it’s kinda flat on its own.

Because I’m lazy, I’m just going to write about the Gilani here too. It’s got a slightly different base, and it’s more floral with blue borage flower, yellow roses, and orange peel, it’s a more vague citrusy black tea. It’s like a Belgian Blue Moon in tea form, and not a whole lot of aroma or flavor.

I hope I change my mind on it because I was hoping for something unique, but I feel like a paid a whole lot of extra money for just ok tea. I’m sorry to be so critical of tea that’s trying something different and unique, but I’m not impressed for this price point.

I am so glad I got some before the tariffs. I’ll be good for a while…I think.

Served 3 bags in a large pot to D and D guests. I only let the bags soak for 3 minutes. It’s a little bit artificial, but not bad. I brew it individually to keep the jasmine softer at 2 minutes. It was easy for tea newbs to like. Can do two rebrews for the bag before it gets bitter when keeping it short. Not the best jasmine, but does the trick.

I kept coming back to the Mango Green they sold. There’s bergamot in that blend, so I keep going back to it because you don’t notice the bergamot. It’s more of a zesty/sweetening finish that shines with some honey.

Backlog:

I’ve got to say, I’ve been going through these bagged teas more often than a few others that I got from England. I only may have gotten a Mason and Fortnum tea at the cafe in the undercroft for Windsor Castle, but this Earl Grey is pretty reliable. It’s balanced, and can go without sugar when I brew it for too minutes with just enough malt and acidity to balance itself out. I actually like more than the Numi teas…

I’m trying to remember if its a 24 or 23 season one, but thank you Leafhopper! I plowed through this one quickly. Both sessions, it required longer steeps or higher temperature in the first few brews to push out the flavor. Afterwards, I shortened it to 10-25 second intervals getting roughly 8 the first time and six the second time. Earlier flavors were floral, creamy, and vaguely Jin Xuan tasting, and then the fruitier notes were peachy with the shorter steeps. Osmanthus and lily (of the valley) were the main notes I got, with some complexity in texture. Kinda light in flavor overall, but not a boring tea.

Fake review-I wanted to try this one, but then, it sold out. Anyone want to trade some?

Thank you Leafhopper! I plowed through this one in a single swoop of gong fu. I paired it with some salmon I baked with sage and garam marsala that had some mango in it. This was a good food pairing.

I had the tea on it’s own, and I get drying elements with fruity ones. Blindtasting, some mango by association, bell pepper, florals, straw, and a bit of astringency. Shorter steeps cut some of it up. I’ve honestly been picky over Darjeeling type teas lately, but I liked this one. It was flavorful enough to stand with the salmon and compliment it, and I finished this in four rebrews with each no longer than 30 sec.