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Well, whaddya know…after all my trash talk about my hometown’s lack of tea sophistication, we stumbled on to a lovely pot of this Gao Wen at a coffee shop nestled inside a local nursery and greenhouse, of all places!

The cup smells toasty and malty—-the scent that makes me all gooey and goofy, and that’s what I noticed first, but there’s a little floral happy dance at the end. Hugo’s description mentions roses; I’ll go with orchids or something a little less cloying. Very, very good, and the fun setting made it even more tasty.

So far, every Hugo tea I’ve sampled has been excellent—now that I know where to find some locally, I’m looking forward to trying more.

Uh-oh. No notes on this one yet so I’m going to have to figure out the flavor without any help from fancier palates than mine. The cup was a little like a sensory jigsaw puzzle!

Plain old Missouri farm girl western-style steep; four minutes. The scent—-and I had to keep sniffing and thinking about it—reminded me of yeast that had been left to rise in the sun just a little too long, but in a good way. (Fermented a little, I guess.) The flavor doesn’t quite fit my usual favorite toasty or bready adjectives; it was more like a heavy Christmas fruitcake or plum cake—definitely a dark, heavy fruit thing going on.

I’ll add an amendment when I try the second steep, but in the meantime, thank you, derk—this is one I would never have stumbled across without you! It is unlike any straight black tea I’ve ever tried.

Sipdown and a bittersweet one at that; this vies with Lemon Swirl for my very favorite Cuppa Geek flavor ever. Even the last dab of dry leaf, with tea dregs and nothing left but strawberry seeds, were pleasantly, sweetly berry. Enjoyed it while Zooming with a far-flung best buddy, which made it a little sweeter.

It’s too early for the seasonal glums, but it’s cold and gray and I was in need a little pick-me-up. Thanks to derk, I have one: a little packet of cheeky, chimpy, perky, cheerful tea with banana bits and a flavor that reminds me of bright yellow banana Runts. I’m getting more fudge in the scent than in the flavor, but I didn’t steep very scientifically, either.

Lancelot Link and Mata Hairi (you’ll just have to Google it) would have approved.

I’m about three cups into my sample pack of this herbal concoction, and although I have concluded more leaf, more time, and more cowbell helps boost the flavor, it still seems a little thin to me. The carrot is a nice touch and makes me feel exceedingly healthy. Tonight’s cup was accompanied by a slice of candied ginger, and it paired so nicely, next time, the ginger may just go into the cup from the get-go.

This one is really growing on me. I do keep it light on the steep time (3:30) to diffuse the smokiness, but there’s a caramelly-fruity underpinning that makes it really pleasant on a cold morning.

Regarding unexpected non-pregnancy cravings, Mom would say, “Your body is trying to tell you what it needs.” I needed chamomile last night—not something I usually seek out, but I was tired down to the core and needed a good, hard “reset” sleep.

So…home brew…large helping of chamomile, couple dried orange slices, cinnamon stick and a Tylenol p.m. chaser. Sleep happened!

As to the DIY nightcap, the orange and cinnamon was a nice offset to the dried-flower vibe. Recommended.

Good morning. It was nice to wake up with the sun for a change instead of an hour before it. (That said, I hate time changes. By 6:00, husband and I will be ready to chuck it in!)

So since I have the grace of a little extra time this morning, I’m using it to enjoy my Spice and Tea Exchange splurge—I snagged a four ounce bag of Warm Bread Pudding to sweeten the winter months.

Nothing new to say about it; you can easily pick out the mild lemon and a distinctly raisin-y vibe, especially with a little milk. I suppose the vanilla is supposed to substitute for the bread—nothing tastes especially yeasty. But it’s a lovely, dessert-y rocking chair treat. (Some teas need a little back-and-forth motion to be fully appreciated.)

Been a bit of a drudgey week, and as citrus is supposed to be a mood-boosting superstar, I broke open my packet of this fruity little treat to evoke a little celebration for making it until quittin’ time Friday.

Dry, the fresh orange scent is nothing but natural. I steeped the first cuppa at four minutes, maybe a bit warmer than the recommended 175 degrees. While it was still hot, I was a little bit underwhelmed—-flavor didn’t catch up to the scent. However, as it cooled, I picked up the “freshly squeezed juice vibe” as advertised.

I think this will be a nice nightcap after a little twiddling with the parameters.

When this first arrived in the kitchen, I transferred the bags to a small tin…tonight I had to brush dust off the tin, so that tells you how often it is accessed.

However, this seems to be the week to trot out neglected things and give them a little love.

Other reviews tend to lean toward “where’s the maple?” and after three years, I echo their opinion. The maple was a little easier to ferret out when the bags were fresh. However, the ginger heat has always been pleasant on a raw evening or a dubious stomach, and that’s still the case.