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I am going to have to learn to drink chai year round, not just in the winter…I got a triple gift tin as a thank-you gift at work to add to the other gift chai varieties that are beginning to gather dust in my office.

In this case, it wasn’t difficult to drink. This is mild, the spices are nicely balanced, the chocolate is detectible and the reiki mushrooms give it a nice, grounded pu-erh sort of feel. Low-caffeine, too.

No doubt it’s just a seasonal thing, but there was a big display at our nearest Walmart touting Sprite + Tea. Because we are parsimonious and miserly, there was no way we were going to buy an entire carton just for experimentation purposes. I did that more cheaply at home on the first truly warm, dry afternoon we’ve had for weeks. Half fridge-steeped Red Rose with a little apple mint, half plain Sprite.

Nothing to get excited about (next time, needs MUCH more tea), but it’s cold and wet and
not wholly unpleasant. Save your money and make your own to taste. I’m getting more of a kick, despite the occasional sneeze, out of watching the cottonwood trees snow lazily on the neighborhood.

My large (gift) pouch of this white tea hasn’t emptied very quickly. There’s never been enough strawberry in this one to suit me—it hints of berries instead of tasting like berries—but I think I found the boost it needs: a teaspoon of grenadine syrup. All better now.

It’s been a distressing few days. Yorkshire Tea Toast and Jam—discontinued (you’ve already heard me moan about that). Bigelow Decaf Lemon lift—discontinued. Changing Hands, my used bookstore happy place, lost its lease and closing. None of which is even a hiccup in the greater and grander scheme of things, but three favorites in the same week?

I tried to fool myself with a substitute last night. I’m not a Zinger fan, but had picked up a box for a thematic birthday treat for a friend, then changed themes. WIth a bag of Red Rose decaf to balance out the tartness, it was … still a substitute, but a fair one. Plenty of lemon to pep up the bland tea; plenty of plain tea to tone down the zing. It worked.

Discontinued. One of my least favorite words in the world, at least when it pertains to a tea I have grown to love and rely on. I have one box left, which I will ration sadly and carefully.

In the meantime, I will have to start a new quest for a strawberry black tea strong enough and authentic enough to suit me. Sigh.

Ever find yourself throwing a halfhearted tea bag into your out-the-door tumbler because you don’t have time to make good tea? This morning I did, thanks to ashmanra and this really, really nice breakfast tea.

The steeping instructions are right up my alley: boiling water, 45 seconds for a good cuppa; 90 seconds (and I quote) for “profound.” I went straight for profound. Beautiful fruit and cherry wood veneer. The proprietor recommends milk, and I’ll give that a go later, but it was so, so nice on its own!

A thoughtful work friend brought me back a little souvenir from a tea shop run in Springfield, Missouri (Chabom Teas + Spices). This is a new-to-me brand.

The Holy Grail of Decaf Black Teas does not exist. It is a myth that I will chase down until my poor old heart gives out. It’s either next to the pot of gold under the rainbow or with the black sock I’ve been trying to hunt down for two years. Ty-Phoo Decaf is the only tea I’ve tried that’s a contender.

That said, this one isn’t bad. Like all unflavored decafs, most of the flavor has been leached out in the treatment process, but it has a nice color and a nice, hefty body. Puts a little weight on your tongue. With an additive—little milk; little mint; little something—it might just fool me.

This is more a “random steep” note than anything else; I just used a bag of this very nondescript decaf as a holding device for the first fresh apple mint of the season. It’s been monsoon season in Missouri and the plant has been loving it…has already put out its first “tentacle” barely three weeks after we potted it.

As “tea” is actually the last thing mentioned on its ingredient list, I hesitated to add this to the lineup, but for what it is, it’s surprisingly tasty! Locally, we can find it at Atwoods, a farm and ranch store chain that offers free popcorn, saddle blankets, rabbit food, empty egg cartons, live chicks, and an interesting assortment of grocery whatnots.

Normally, I avoid bottled sweet tea because the citric acid reminds me of a bad chemistry experiment. The metallic sharpness spoils what could be a potentially decent drink. In this case, it doesn’t overpower the tea, nor does the sweetener (pure cane sugar; no stevia). It’s more “peach” than “tea,” but the fruit flavor is respectably accurate.

We have a front stoop instead of a front porch, but if I had one, I’d be on it with a rocking chair, the rest of the bottle, and my phone poised toward the maple tree knothole. Hootie has owl babies!

Part of a cute little gift threesome in glass test tubes with corks. English breakfast has never been strong enough to wake me…it’s more like gentle tug on the sheets at the bottom of the bed instead of being whapped in the face with a heavy pillow.

That said, this is adequate for office use. Says it’s a blend of Assam, Nilgiri and Ceylon. I say it’s heavy on the Ceylon, but the other players keep it from being too astringent and whiny. Tastes like “just tea.”