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This one’s nice! I could smell the rich citrus as soon as the water hit the teabag. Reminds me a little bit of orange slice gumdrop candy, minus the overbearing sweetness. No overbearing tartness. Just bearing :)

One of my favorite webcams when I need eye candy is the Las Vegas Bellagio Conservatory. As I write this, they’re in construction mode for their spring display. You’ll appreciate the theme! https://www.earthcam.com/usa/nevada/lasvegas/bellagio/?cam=bellagio (I hope the link gets you there.)

I tried my second sample bag this evening as a nightcap, and confirmed my theory that an overnight cold steep was causing some bitterness. About half-cool, it’s juicy and pleasant. Martin mentioned a little lime flavor in his review. I’m getting that, too. Very pert and springy!

March 3; all our windows are open; we’re in t-shirts and barefoot. Unheard of in this part of the country. (This is not a complaint, just an observation.) Spent a little bit of time walking the backyard to pick up all the sticks the wind has thrown around all winter and sanding the ancient backyard glider. My internal solar batteries are humming happily.

In anticipation of some outdoor time, I steeped a pint jar of this lemonade blend overnight in the fridge. (Iced tea in March…there’s another anomaly!) Basilur treats its fruit flavor with respect and doesn’t hibisc-ify everything, so the lemonade part of this blend is perfectly, pleasantly lemony. The mixed fruit part does remind me of the canned fruit cocktail served in the school cafeteria—I would drink the syrup and leave the fruit, except for the maraschino cherry.

There was just a hint of bitterness that I’m attributing to the overnight steep, but not enough to ruin it. Next one, I’ll steep normally, then chill later to see if that fixes the issue.

Cheery, indeed! I looked this up on the Sonnentor website and the array of ingredients (there’s a little picture of each one) looks like a spring bouquet. We grow apple mint every year and I use it as a tea/juice/water additive constantly while it’s in season, but I’ve never seen it used in a commercial tea before. It’s a very subtle mint that doesn’t overpower the blackberry, raspberry, or strawberry leaves, all of which are also very understated. But together, it’s a really pleasant herbal blend. Martin, you’re the best!

I thought this was a new-to-me sample from Michelle. Evidently, so says my tealog, I tried this 11 years ago. Good grief. I can’t even remember everything I’ve done since breakfast.

However, since breakfast, I do know I have enjoyed another tumbler of this authentically chocolate tea and I’m loving it. Real cacao shells, and while I’m not exactly picking up vanilla separately, it makes the blend sweet and creamy enough to cover that whang-y mate flavor that I’m not enamored with.

The fact that this blend has stayed in the Savoy lineup is further evidence of its tastiness. On my short list next time we visit the storefront!

I had another opportunity to visit our one and only “place to get decent tea” coffee shop this weekend—a catch-up date with a bestie—and although it was a good opportunity to experiment with another one of the Hugo teas they serve by the pot, I liked this one so much last time, I happily chose a rerun.

The official description mentions tobacco up front and floral in the back, which is accurate. “Black tea masquerading as an oolong” might fit well, too. It was unseasonably warm, so I nursed the first cup and a refill, then put the rest of the pot on ice, which worked well, too. And of course, it’s always better when you’re jabbering away, catching up on months of essential life trivia with a friend.

I really need to drink up my pouch before the butterfly pea revolution ends (or maybe I’m already way behind the curve). My first and only note for this one is four years old, and knowing that, I’m surprised this cup isn’t stale and bland. The lemongrass may have lost a little steam, so there’s not as much citrus as I remember, but the part I liked best (and still do) is the blueberry flavor that taste like blueberries in a scone, not blueberry-biscus.
A little sweetness at the end of a lonnnnnng week.

Not sure I’ve ever sampled a baozhong before, but reading up on the variety, “fragrant” seems to be the common denominator, and it was. Very flowery scent, which I was afraid would be far too strong in the cup, but not so much. It was smooth, understated, and slightly sweetly grassy. Sitting in my sunny spot with the cup was a nice substitute for actual spring.

Now we’re talking. Not artificial, no alcohol or chemical whang, just authentic smells-like-a-Hershey-bar chocolate. I’ve been nursing a cup for a couple hours now, bag in, warming up the water as needed (is that granny style instead of grandpa style if you use a filter but keep adding water?) and reveling in the scent. Flavor is starting to weaken, but I’m on my third? fourth? iteration. Take that, fakey-fake chocolate teas :)