A vanilla and grass aroma floats sweetly from the long, flat leaves. These are perfectly preserved, and very vibrant shades of green. As the website did not have detailed brewing instructions, I went with my usual habits. I brewed a heaping teaspoon of leaves in 8 ounces of water heated to 75 degrees Celsius and steeped for 4 minutes. A pale gold cup scented with a generous grass and leafy greens aroma ensued. Despite the sweet scent of the dry leaves, this tea is mostly on the savoury side. Nutty, buttery and vegetal notes all compete for attention. The latter eventually take over in the form of green beans and kelp. A slight astringency in the finish reminded me of grapefruit, making for a refreshing cup. The leaves hold up well when re-steeped for another 4 minutes. The second cup is almost identical to the first, the only difference being a more buttery profile. A third 5 minute infusion is drinkable but pretty flat, the leaves seeming all but exhausted at this point. In later experimentations I found that this tea can withstand a long steep time without getting unpleasantly bitter. Some astringency does develop but it lends the cup a peppery bite more than anything.

Brothy with obvious vegetal notes and a sweet, grassy finish, this is what I think of when I think of Chinese green tea. Fairly mild but nonetheless flavourful and organic to boot, this is a good quality offering. However, there has yet to be a price list posted on Organic4Tea’s website, so it’s hard to give the tea a wholehearted thumbs up without this piece of the puzzle.

A sweet, grassy perfume with undertones of honeydew melon and cantaloupe wafts from the leaves. Large, fluffy and multi-coloured, these are truly spectacular. As with Bai Mu Dans, the two leaves accompanying the buds have been included here and are relatively well preserved. The brewing instructions for this tea are a little unusual. KTeas suggests 2 heaping teaspoons of leaves because of their large size, steeped for 2 minutes in 8 ounces of water heated to 70 degrees Celsius. A sunny amber-coloured brew with a slightly brothy aroma lights up the cup after the short steep. Very earthy and mineral tasting, this is not what you would expect from your typical white tea. The savoury notes detected in the scent come into play, creating a very buttery effect. The lingering vegetal sweetness of the aftertaste is the only feature that is more recognizable as a white tea. If I had to categorize this blindly I would peg it as a lightly oxidized oolong. A second 2 minute infusion leads to a remarkably similar bright and aromatic cup. Although a bit less intense, it still delivers a pleasantly sweet, smoky and nutty combination. After a third 2 minute steep the leaves are starting to fade but the buttery notes give the tea a last burst of flavour.

Out of curiosity (and sheer geekiness) I decided to brew a new batch of leaves for a whopping 5 minutes. Besides adding a burnt sienna tone to the colour, the cup is almost identical to the 2 minute infusion. There is more depth to the aftertaste, with it taking on more of a preserved plum character. But otherwise it is smooth as can be, with no trace of astringency or bitterness whatsoever. I also tried an infusion with water heated to 80 degrees Celsius with no ill effects. This tea is decidedly not very fussy.

Somewhat perplexing as a white tea, this is an interesting offering to break out of the ordinary. Thin bodied but displaying robust, earthy flavours with sweet undertones, this will please oolong fans as well. Plus it’s so inexpensively priced, especially for an organic and fair trade product, it’s certainly worth experimenting.

A vivid perfume combining peach, iris and lily of the valley aromas scents the well preserved sets of buds and leaves. The forest green needle-like leaves are dainty and give an impression of fragility. There is also something dreamy about them and their origin that makes me think of swaying bamboo forests, such as in the fight scene from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I was feeling lazy so instead of using a gaiwan as suggested, I brewed a generous teaspoon of leaves in 8 ounces of water heated to 75 degrees Celsius and steeped for 2 minutes. Because the leaves are rolled length-wise, they take longer than average to open up. The clear chartreuse cup presents a soft and savoury cereal-like aroma. Buttery, brothy and vegetal in the form of artichoke and asparagus notes, this is a tea for people who like their greens very green. There is little evidence of the floral notes of the dry leaves in the steeped tea’s flavour. With just a hint of dryness and mineral flourish to the finish, it is very easy to drink and rather thirst quenching. This tea has the reputation of being good for several infusions, so I tried a second 3 minute steep. Quite similar to the first, the second cup brings toasted rice and barley notes to it’s leafy green palette. A third 4 minute steep leads to a cup that is rather light and mineral. The vegetal notes are still perceptible but rather flat.

The mineral quality of the aftertaste is the most striking element of this tea’s smooth and mild flavour profile. I find it hard to wholeheartedly recommend this tea for purchase. Although it makes for an enjoyable cup and I prefer buying organic products, it did not stand out enough for me to seek it over other green teas I favour. Also at the time of writing a price list has yet to be posted on Organic4Tea’s website.

Compared to other silver needles I’ve tried before, this ranks as a solid offering but definitely not stellar. Although I enjoyed its round and mellow profile, I would probably not spend my money on this particular tea. When there are more impressive silver needles out there, why settle for less?

A well balanced blend of earthy and more ethereal floral notes, this jasmine tea is definitely worthwhile. Being an organic product makes me more likely to buy it over the thousands of jasmine teas out there. Also I like that the folks at Mighty Leaf include a lot number and an expiration date on the sample’s package. This is the kind of detail that shows a company is willing to go above and beyond in tracking their product’s quality and freshness.

The dry leaf’s aroma is quite enticing: it’s mouthwatering honey and melon notes are combined with a gentle hint of spice. The buds are long, downy and well preserved. The 2 leaves accompanying them didn’t fare quite as well, being more fragile. These are mostly broken into medium-sized pieces and an appealing shade of apple green. As per Jing Tea’s instructions I brewed a heaping tablespoon of leaves with water heated to 70 degrees Celsius. They generally recommend a large amount of leaf and a long steep time to get the most out of this tea. After a 5 minute steep the bright gold liquor is sweetly scented with muted honey notes. The flavour of this tea intensifies as it cools so I recommend holding back for a few minutes before drinking. A quick dash of nuts and grains in the top notes is followed by a smooth melon flavour that lingers refreshingly in the mouth. A slight mineral taste is a nice counterpoint to the fruitier notes in the aftertaste. Quite round in flavour and lightly syrupy in feeling, this tea delivers a feeling of fullness while being mild and subtle. I tried steeping the leaves again for 6 minutes. Although a bit thinner than the first infusion, the second steeping does provide a pleasantly grassy and fruity cup.

I do wish the flavours were a wee bit more pronounced but overall this is a good quality Bai Mu Dan. Light, smooth and uncomplicated, this is a nice tea to unwind with. Definitely recommend as a companion to the end of a long day.

Since KTeas doesn’t provide brewing instructions on their site, I cast around the interwebs for directions. I finally settled on brewing one heaping teaspoon in 8 ounces of water heated to 180 degrees Fahrenheit for one minute. After just a short steep, the cup is a deep amber colour and smells vaguely chocolaty. Full-bodied and robust yet remarkably smooth, this tea is very easy to drink. There is a hint of sweetness to the cup, with plum-like notes coming to the fore. At the same time, this heavily brothy tea alludes to savoury and mineral flavours. Scallops come to mind, as do bamboo shoots slathered in butter. The KTeas website mentions that users should expect a hearty chestnut aroma. While I do detect it, the savoury notes seem to far outweigh the nuttier flavours of the tea. There is the tiniest hint of astringency to the finish, but really just enough to leave the mouth refreshed and clean-feeling.

Taking a peak into my infuser, I see that the leaves are completely unrolled after the first steep. Still, I decide that being such a robust tea, it can surely take a second infusion, if not a third. For steep number two I brewed the leaves for a minute and a half. The astringency to the finish has increased but is still reasonably pleasant. The nuttier, grain-like notes are now more prominent, rounding out the savoury aromas of the cup. A third 2 minute infusion yields a somewhat drinkable cup. Compared to the previous infusions, I found it lacking in both depth and flavour so I would forgo this last steep in the future.

Because it is so hearty, this tea can easily be paired with many strong flavoured foods. Some unusual suggestions I came across that seemed to make sense were clam chowder, barbecued meats and gorgonzola cheese. More savoury than anything, this tea will please those who like to avoid greens with too much of a vegetal taste. Although perhaps not the most subtle or sophisticated example of Chun Mee out there, this is definitely a satisfying tea and a great value with its low price tag. Well done!

A heady scent resembling cloves, sandalwood and cedar spills out of the pyramid-shaped infuser. An interesting mixture of healthy looking rooibos leaves and various other vegetal bits and pieces mingle at the bottom. Failing to find brewing instructions on Tea Spree’s website, I relied upon my usual procedures for rooibos. I heated 8 ounces of water to 205 degrees Fahrenheit and then steeped for 4 minutes. The resulting cup bears the deep, red robe typical of a rooibos. The exotic wood and spice smell of the steeped tea is somewhat subdued compared to the dried blend. I take my first sip and YOWZA! This is quite the piquant cup! It’s spicy like Big Red chewing gum, x 10. There are sweet and sour notes underneath the heat, but the spiciness dominates with an iron fist. I can’t really finish my cup, the burning sensation is just too unpleasant. I decide to infuse the blend again for only 2 minutes this time, in the hopes of producing a palatable cup. Much paler, the brew now tastes oddly still too spicy yet watered down. The salty notes and the sour hibiscus-like notes are now more prominent as the spicy side recedes slightly. The overall effect is medicinal-tasting and bizarre, nothing like what I expected the listed ingredients to create.

This is a good blend for those who are looking for a very spicy alternative to chai. It is an unpleasantly fiery cup to my taste. Those who can’t take the heat should definitely abstain. This would be just the thing if I had severely congested sinuses. Unfortunately I wouldn’t reach for this other than medicinal purposes.

Dark green sencha leaves of various sizes are interspersed with marigold petals, the contrast in colour creating a very pleasing effect to the eye. The dried blend smells intensely of peach candy or bubble gum. I shouldn’t be surprised about this as ATR’s website explains that it is fragrant with the scent of “candied peaches and ripe passion fruit”. I had hoped that there wouldn’t be so much emphasis on the “candied” aspect in practice. I may be a dreamer but I keep wishing for authentic fruit taste in my fruit teas… But I digress.

Senchas can easily become bitter and this one is no exception. Following ATR’s directions, I brewed one heaping teaspoon of leaves in water heated to 175 degrees Fahrenheit and steeped for 2 minutes. Using even slightly warmer water will produce unhappy results, as I found out during other infusions. The brewed tea is an almost fluorescent greenish-gold. Judging by the colour it does indeed seem like I could gain immortality from this beverage, along with various other superpowers! The scent of the brewed tea reminded me somewhat of oolongs I’ve tried lately, as the sweet fruit aromas deliciously verge on the floral. Taste-wise, this tea is smooth yet punchy. The sencha provides buttery vegetal notes as well as a faint astringency to the aftertaste that makes the blend rather refreshing. The fruit taste leans more towards peaches than it does passion fruit. Thankfully the candied fruit effect is subdued in liquid form. Overall the transition between the taste of the sencha and the fruit flavour is rather successful: it is not so easy to tell where one ends and the other begins but they are both distinctly detectable. A second two minute infusion leads to a cup where toasted cereal notes come to the fore. There is a sourness to the aftertaste that has developed that I am not so fond of but the leaves are definitely still going strong and worth brewing again. A third 3 minute infusion falls rather flat though.

Once again, ATR proves that they have a flair for providing solid, quality blends. The fruit flavours would have needed a bit more depth and tartness to them in order to truly blow me away. However, this tea will please those looking for a mellow green tea with smoothly blended fruit flavours. This is particularly recommended as an iced tea.

The finely cut, dark brown tea leaves inside the silken infuser are interspersed with small bits of what seem to be citrus peel. This is odd because the ingredients on the website list black tea and bergamot oil as the only ingredients in the blend. There is no detectable bergamot scent to the dried leaves. Instead the tea gives off a smokey, biscuity smell. Having found no brewing instructions on the site or the sample’s package, I resorted to my usual habits when brewing a black tea. I used 8 ounces of water heated to 205 degrees Fahrenheit and steeped for 3 minutes. A deep coppery brown liquor ensued. Although subdued in terms of scent, the taste of the bergamot is out in full force. The citrus oil in this case has a vegetal quality to it, reminding me of the citronella essence used to ward off mosquitoes. The tea base provides a pleasantly smooth and malty backdrop, with a little dryness in the finish. There is very little bitterness present. This is quite a plus to me as I tend to use bagged teas when I’m on the go and not necessarily paying attention to how long the tea steeps in my travel mug. It’s nice when a tea can withstand an indefinite amount of steeping without turning into battery acid. Naturally sweet, this blend does not require the addition of a sweetener. However, as it’s got a fair amount of body and stoutness to it, it can certainly take dairy if one prefers to do so. The second 3 minute infusion is noticeably lighter in colour, and body but still has enough oomph to the bergamot flavour to still make it worthwhile.

This is an enjoyable, good quality version of an Earl Grey, especially when it comes to bagged teas. I generally prefer buying loose teas, but if I was looking to buy bagged teas as a present, I would certainly look to Tea Spree for their beautifully presented box sets.