19 Tasting Notes
Initially, I’d worried that the spice might be too strong, but this is perfect! With a little milk and sugar, it tastes exactly like a spiced cookie. That’s all that needs saying about it, I think: delicious. Like gingersnaps and snickerdoodles. And how appropriate for Mycroft, too!
This tea is such a good fit for Jim and Sherlock it hurts… but I just can’t get my head around its conflicting flavours. It’s very strong, and very smoky. Because of that, the apple gets a bit lost behind the chai and lapsang souchong. I’m very glad I got to try it, though— this is one of those teas you could sip all day, and still be perplexed and fascinated by the end of it.
I will start off by saying that I am forever in awe of how character-appropriate Cara’s Sherlock teas are— this could not be more Sherlock if it tried! The chai spice and hint of smoke from the lapsang souchong complement each other perfectly. It’s like warm chai over a campfire at night, or a quiet and contemplative conversation with a worldly stranger. Love this one.
This one smells heavenly! Not quite like a batch of cookies out of the oven, but pretty close. It didn’t really taste like anything special without milk or honey; after adding them both, though, it was incredible. I’m still trying to figure out exactly why that brought out the best flavours in it. In any case, this makes a delicious, comforting dessert tea. I wish I’d had more of it in my sample pack.
This is very fitting for Sherlock and Irene. Cara wasn’t kidding when she said it tastes “complex”… I had two cups before I could decide how much I liked it! This was my first taste of lapsang souchong, so at first, I wasn’t used to the smoky flavour. I do like it, though. Steep it for longer if you want to bring out the strawberry notes.
Holy mackerel, this is strong! The citrus is really tart and astringent— enough to make your mouth pucker and your throat dry. After reading the other reviews for this, I saw someone mention cold-steeping it, so I tried that. It wasn’t too bad. I wouldn’t recommend this one; if you happen to have some on your hands, though, try cold-steeping one tea bag for 5-10 minutes to flavour a water bottle.
I like this for a bedtime tea every once in a while, when I want something stronger than herbal but don’t want to keep myself awake with a black tea. I’d agree that the vanilla is strong – maybe too strong, even – but you can still taste the rooibos under it, and the overall taste/smell is wonderful. It’s also great as a dessert tea with a bit of milk and sugar.
