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Not terrible but very lacking. It tastes like a watery orange PEZ candy dipped in orange oil with a tiny bit of cinnamon. Where’s the rooibos?

This one is more my style than the Soothing Caramel Bedtime, enough to drink a few cups in a row. Fuller mouthfeel with sweet cinnamon-rooibos-vanilla and faint cocoa and cardamom. Smells the same as it tastes. If I leave the bag to steep forever, it can develop a nice apple note. Lacks the punch I’m looking for, though.

Haven’t had Yogi teas in a while. I remember most of them being rather restrained and lacking life even when fresh. This one was no exception. It was mostly just a thin, sweet rooibos-caramel-vanilla-nutmeg flavor. Enjoyable enough I guess but definitely not something I’d seek out.

It might be old but it’s just another dull powdered turmeric tea to me. Earthy and tart but doesn’t have any of the brightness or spiciness that I appreciate about turmeric. Nothing to see here.

Not a bad mint mix but not the best. More on the spearmint side than peppermint with some tartness from the rose hips, lemon peel and hibiscus but those don’t add any flavor imo. Leaves my throat a little dry, making for a labored swallow which is always an awkward sensation. Can get stewy with the recommended 4-minute steep time.

The Tea Formerly Known as Eater’s Digest.

I like it. Mostly peppermint tasting with none of that stewed leaf/straw flavor. I’m getting a backing of woody cinnamon that’s perfectly balanced with the mint. It’s not like those shitty hard candies that are mix of mint and cinnamon. Got a little bit of licorice sweetness and a hint of ginger. Idk, I’ve kind of always enjoyed a mug of Eater’s Digest after a big Greek dinner with the fam but it’s not something I’d keep at home for whatever reason.

Traditional Medicinals’ HQ is in Sebastopol, pretty close to my current location. Cool town. Guayakí yerba mate is also headquartered there. And there’s a neat witchcraft shop tucked away somewhere.

I’m spending the night at my aunt’s so I’m raiding her herbal tea drawer. I don’t think I can get through all 50+ though.

Bamboo leaf is the first ingredient but I can’t say I’m getting anything from it. Rather, this tastes mostly like an earthy tart lemongrass, which I don’t typically care for. Faint flat spearmint with no cooling quality. It tastes pleasant enough, I guess. It was nice to have on a warm day as the sun slipped behind the mountain.

I got a box from a teafriend last night, hooty hooo. Thanks Togo!

Really nice looking leaf. Unfortunately, for me this wasn’t a prelude of things to come.

I prepared this western with 3.5g, 8oz water, 175F and 2 steeps of 1m15 and 2m.

In the wet leaf after the first steep, I could smell mostly umami broth with some anise and sugar cookie or maybe it’s just an anise cookie :P The aroma of the liquor was identical which was pleasing. In the mouth, it was medium-bodied but terribly astringent and lacked much flavor. Some zucchini and nuttiness with a very faint aftertaste of buttery nuts, like macadamia. There was also a persistent tartness emanating from the throat. The second steep was nearly the same, albeit with a little more flavor including anise and some vague fruitiness. I’m not sure if it was more astringent or if the first steep totally dried my mouth out. If it had just a hint of sweetness, I’d be inclined to rate it higher. Might make a good cold brew or do well grandpa but I won’t be seeking out more in order to try.

First hojicha? Dropping an initial tasting note as a reference because I’m not sure yet what to make of this tea. I will probably do an update as I move through the pouch.

This one is June 2017 harvest. Prepared western style with 2tsp, 185F, 8oz, first steep of 1.5m followed by the steep that time forgot. Dry leaf is wonderfully fragrant with sweet, strong roasted grain and a hint of pickle. Light-bodied, nutty, roasted grain, lightly caramel, sour, clean. That pickle scent in the dry leaf really comes forward in the liquor aroma.

I think I like it but time will tell with this one.

I found this puer to be pretty one-dimensional. The dry and warmed leaf smelled very strongly of stewed prunes. Rinsing revealed the aged aroma of the leaf. The thick, amber liquor was mostly dark-honeyed plums in flavor with a little mineral sneaking in. It aslso possessed a dark warm, woody quality but was not woody in flavor. Due to some astringency, I’d suggest starting off with steeps around less than 10s for the first handful and after that it really needs to be pushed because it can lose its flavor quickly and thin out, devolving into something sour but not unpleasant by any means. Aftertastes were light and range from smoked meat to dark honey, fading into unripe stone fruit. Bitey in the throat later on.

The most notable quality of the tea for me was a moderate warming/cooling effect in my chest. The energy was felt in my facial muscles and I also had this weird wrinkled-nose dog smile going on which made me laugh a little. Definitely feels like a post-dinner drinker for me.

I think this tea might be best for someone with proper storage to keep it aging along and to keep the astringency and sourness in check. Makes me wonder what higher humidity would do. Seems like a pretty average aging sheng but might turn into something a little more interesting in several years.