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I got this in the mail the day prior to an early early morning shift. I only ended up sleeping two hours that night. So, before heading to work, I went for something stronger than tea. le gasp! Thankfully, this is close enough to tea to be justifiable. It possesses a wood-sweet front, a distinctly masala chai-ish middle, and a smooth/cooling finish. It reminded me of sweetened dandelion coffee, only lighter and spicier. A “coffee” I could easily drink again. (If only it had fennel, though. [le sigh])

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/05/09/review-teabean-white-coffee-infusion/

A lot of faux-Earls can either be on the generous end of “Suck”, or the receiving end of “Superb”. This falls squarely in the latter category. From sniff to sip, bergamot is the frontrunner, as it should be with any Earl. However, it’s more citrus than dry, which compliments the nut-sweet rooibos base. (And it does show up somewhere in the palate.) An awesome evening “h-Earl-bal”.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/20/review-friday-afternoon-red-earl-grey-3/

There are a lot of fruit medley-type blends out there. Many skimp on the berry and up the hibiscus quotient to disguise this fact. The result is usually something overly tart. Fireberry is as the name implies – berry juice that’s been lit on fire. Quite refreshing, sweetens well, and probably ices well, too. Light years ahead of Tiesta’s other fruit tisane, Granny’s Garden.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/17/review-tiesta-tea-fireberry-3/

As can be expected from a “tummy tea”, the two principle ingredients are peppermint and chamomile. A few other strong contenders such as fennel are also thrown in for good measure. I’m not usually the biggest peppermint supporter, but it was well balanced in this blend. There’s a medicinal bite at front, a nutty/creamy lean in the middle, and a satisfyingly floral finish. Great for sleepy tummy time.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/14/review-eurotcup-tisane-for-good-digestion/

It’s not the most nuanced Darjeeling on the market, nor is it the most sophisticated (I mean, it literally comes in a “tea fort”). But this Darjeeling is probably the strongest on the grapy note I’ve ever come across. It’s also light on the astringency, which gives it even more added points. Some of the floral profile give it a Ceylon feel. I liked it quite a bit.

Full Review: Pending on www.itsallabouttheleaf.com

This review sample had been on the backburner for some time because the vendor (a teashop out of New York) didn’t have a website. I changed my mind when I learned – from the owner – that it was a blend of linden flower, white tea, rose, lemongrass. That and it smelled all citrusy, floral, and…well…awesome. That impression also carried over to the taste. It was blended in such a balanced way that the floral element doesn’t dominate, nor does the lemongrass. You actually get a sense of the white tea base’s melon note on the finish. This was quite expertly crafted.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/23/review-sun%E2%80%99s-organic-garden-warm-your-heart/

Probably the closest to perfect I’ve ever seen an Assam come. Not sure if I agree with the “soft citrus notes”, but it did have a fruit/floral lean that was uncharacteristic of Assams of yesterbrew. There was a tad bit of malt to the middle but not much, and the astringency was thankfully understated. It’s a shame that this stuff is such a rarity now, though.

Full Review: http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2139/tea-review-teafrog-assam-rani-sftgfop-2/

Backlogging a bit.

Shang Tea’s specialty is white tea, and I was lucky to get their magnum opus in the sample pack I bought. I’d hoped it lived up to wildest expectations…and – boy – did it. This is one textured and nuanced Silver Needle, and I’ve had quite a few. Along with the usual mellow melon notes, nuttiness, grape line, is a smoothness echoing vanilla. Unusual but wonderful. It also holds up to three good infusions. Can’t recommend this enough.

Definitely not your usual, manly Earl by any stretch. However, it is a pleasant take on an old hat. I was quite surprised that vanilla, rose, and bergamot could work so well together. One never tried to overpower the other. That and rose didn’t make this taste like bathwater, which is a common complaint I have with petal-blended blacks sometimes. If I had any gripe it’s that the vanilla presence wasn’t strong enough. But then again, I’m spoiled on Cream Earl Greys. More of an afternoon black blend than a morning one but still worth a looksy.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/12/review-american-tea-room-organic-victoria-tea-3/

Norbu gives this tea the nickname of “lemony pu-erh”, and for good reason. Of the four infusions I did with this, flavors ranged from lemongrass, to lemon verbena, to wild white tea. Citrusy, nutty, rice-like, and with a floral finish. It doesn’t quite surpass the majesty of Nan Nuo Shan shengs, but it’s just about become my second favorite. And for an ’05, the price was rather reasonable.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/18/review-norbu-tea-2005-ye-sheng-wild-tea-log/