Erika M. Send Message

I was so excited to try Dragon Pearl Jasmine after getting recommendations of Harney and Sons teas from fellow Steepsters,when I first joined. I must admit the first cup that I brewed, I wasn’t too fond of it. I felt that it tasted too perfumey,if that makes any sense. I actually got a headache from drinking it. Since then, has been stashed in the back of my cupboard for a few weeks. So I wanted to give it another chance and I finally did!

I brewed the Dragon Pearl Jasmine to 195 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately five minutes. I found it fascinating how the tea leaves were rolled to look like pearls.
The aroma is a nice fragrance of jasmine that reminds me of a nice soft perfume or being in a beautiful garden filled with jasmine flowers on a beautiful warm and sunny day.
The taste was a very floral taste with sweetness.
The liquor was a golden color.
Overall, the Dragon Pearl Jasmine has a great flavor and great quality tea especially for tea lovers that enjoy floral teas,including jasmine. I found that while I was drinking the tea, it felt very calming and soothing.

Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, Organic Lavender Flowers, Organic Flavorings

I had bittersweet feelings about trying this last tea sample from Epi Tea.I felt nervous about trying this sample because I have yet to find a floral tea that I have enjoyed, however I am always excited to try a new tea.
I brewed the Lavender Earl Grey to boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five minutes.The tea came in a pyramid sachet that is biodegradable.
When I was drinking the tea, I noticed that I could barely taste any bergamot compared to what I usually taste in Earl Grey blends. The taste of lavender is definitely noticeable but not completely overpowering.The aroma has a fragrance of lavender and subtle hints of citrus from the bergamot.The liquor is a dark brown.
I would say that I would love this tea blend if they added a bit more of bergamot. I know that some tea drinkers love this because it’s different from the usual Earl Grey blends,but I believe that without more of a balance of the lavender and bergamot, I feel like it loses the essence of what I consider “Earl Grey” to be.

I would like to once again thank Epi Tea the opportunity to sample their pre-launched tea blends. I think that it is great that they are launching their company in a few weeks and that they value the opinions of tea drinkers, including our community at Steepster.
First and foremost, I would like to say that I love drinking English Breakfast blends, so I was excited about trying their Irish Breakfast.
The Irish Breakfast came in a biodegradable pyramid sachet. I brewed it to boiling temperature and it was steeped for approximately five minutes. The liquor was reddish-brown.
I personally believe that this blend makes an adequate cup of tea, however it lacks a “wow” factor. I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but it’s missing something that would make this blend fantastic.

Ingredients: Organic Black tea, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Ginger, Organic Cardamom, Organic Red Pepper & Natural Vanilla,Cinnamon and Ginger Flavorings.

I brewed it at boiling temperature and steeped it for approximately five minutes. While pouring my tea, I noticed the aroma of spices, including the red pepper. Honestly, I was a bit hesitant to take a sip and I’m glad I tried it. The liquor was a dark brown/black.
Well I must say that surprisingly, I kind of like this tea. I wouldn’t say that this was a taste that I would normally associate with chai tea but it’s interesting. I would say that the first sip, it tasted weird. The more that I drank the tea, I guess that it grew on me slightly.
I would say that when I looked at the ingredients on the label, I wasn’t sure if this blend would work. I personally think that maybe it should be renamed because I’m not sure that it would be considered to capture the essence of what most people consider to be a “chai tea”. I’m glad that I was able to have a new experience,which I would like to thank Epi Tea once again.

Berry Rooibos
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos, Organic Hibiscus, Organic Rosehips, Organic elderberries, Organic Black Currants, Organic Cranberries and Organic Flavorings.

I brewed the Berry Rooibos to boiling temperature. I steeped it for ten minutes as it specified on the sample label. First and first foremost I would like to say that when I have the opportunity to eat/drink organic foods or drinks,I love it. I with that I could do it more often.The tea came in a pyramid sachet that is biodegradable.
Honestly, this is my time drinking rooibos so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m definitely still learning.
Personally, I didn’t really enjoy drinking this one. I’m sorry. I’m a bit disappointed. I’m not sure if I’m biased because I’m not really a fan of black currants of raspberries or maybe the blend of these berries don’t particularly work great together.

I really appreciate that Epi Tea has sent me a few samples to try. Thank you.

This is my last Harney and Sons sample that Russel, from Harney and Sons, had sent me. I must say that this is my favorite! This is my first experience with drinking Oolong, but I doubt that it will be my last.
I brewed the Ti Quan Yin to 195 degrees fahrenheit. These tea leaves were neatly rolled up into tiny balls. I was amazed at how much they expanded after the leaves were steeped.
I steeped it for approximately four minutes. The aroma has a lovely floral scent. The liquor was a light yellow/gold to a medium gold. The taste was a fresh taste that reminds me of green tea with a floral taste that isn’t overpowering. I also tasted a slight vegetal flavor but there is a sweetness that balances it out. This was a smooth cup that I really enjoyed. I would recommend it.

I would like to thank Russel from Harney and Sons for sending me this sample. I really appreciate it!

This was the first time that I tried yellow tea. I brewed the Hu Shan Yellow buds to 175 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for three and a half minutes. It has a similar vegetal taste that I experienced when I drank green tea. It also has a slight sweetness with a nutty taste with a bit of spice.The liquor ranged from a pale yellow color to a bit of golden yellow.

The first time that I tried this sample was for my first cup of tea in the morning. I’ve drank it a few different ways: with milk and sugar, without milk and some sugar and without milk and sugar(that time I ran out of sugar that day).

I brewed the Mangalam to 208 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped the tea for about 4 minutes. I added approximately one and half to two teaspoons of loose tea.

What I experienced was a smooth yet brisk flavor. It has complex flavors to it; from having a bit of honey to being reminiscent of the experiences that I used to have when I was a coffee drinker( the nice dark and richness in taste).
The liquor was a caramel color(when I drank it with milk) to a deep brownish-red color. The aroma was a mix of fragrance,which included light honey.The body this tea was a medium, fullness.
This in my opinion has the possibility of being an alternate of my much loved English Breakfast blend in the mornings.

Russel from Harney & Sons sent me this tea sample.Thank you once again. :)

This is the first loose tea that I have tried. Previously, I have drank tea in sachets by Harney & Sons and I have gradually made the transition to starting to drink loose tea. I have been told by many that they prefer the taste of loose teas and believe that it is better quality and provides a better taste. After this experience, I agree.
When I opened the tea sample, I was a bit fascinated by the sight of these tea leaves. They were long thin leaves. Most of the leaves with a nice bright green and a few had a bit of yellow in the leaves,which might be as a result from the fixing of the leaves via hot woks during production.
I brewed the Huangshan Mao Feng to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.I steeped the tea for about 3 minutes. The first flavor that I tasted was a grassy flavor. While I continued to drink the tea,I tasted vegetal flavors with subtle smoky flavor. I also tasted a bit of a toasted nutty flavor. The liquor was a light green to a light greenish yellow. I believe that the vegetal flavor is complemented by smoky and nutty flavors that I tasted.

I appreciate Russel from Harney & Sons for sending me this tea sample. Harney & Sons continues to offer it’s customers great quality tea. Hopefully I can visit one of their shops soon. :)

This is my absolute favorite tea. This is the first tea that I bought from Harney and Sons. I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve always loved cinnamon so this was just amazing! It has a very strong taste of cinnamon, orange, and sweet cloves with Black tea. It has such a great taste. I don’t even add sugar because the tea doesn’t need it.The taste is smooth with just the right amount of spices. The aroma is alluring and the liquor is a light brown. I would definitely recommend it!