The first is a dark chocolate infused with raspberry rooibos. This bar is my least favourite, though that isn’t saying too much since it is still quite good. I prefer my dark chocolate darker, but overall it is an excellent bar of deliciousness. The raspberry is fantastic and realistic. The problem with raspberry flavoured things is that they often come across as fake and gross, but this is excellently done. While the chocolate doesn’t come across as distinctly rooibos, you can tell there’s more than just the fruit added. The hint of rooibos flavour is vague, but not unwelcome.

The second chocolate bar is their milk chocolate infused with jasmine and tangerine. The website claims it is just a hint of tangerine, but I found it to be the strongest flavour overall. Normally I don’t prefer milk chocolate, but this bar is excellent and bold. The tangerine is fantastic, the chocolate smooth, and the jasmine, while less strong than I would have preferred, blends perfectly with the other flavours. My husband said this one was his personal favourite of all the flavours we tried.

The third and final bar is the dark chocolate bar infused with green earl gray tea. It is my personal favourite of the three. Rich and distinctly earl grey. Impressively, it even tastes specifically like it is infused with a green earl grey tea rather than black tea or just a generic bergamot.

All three bars are as smooth as silk and clearly well made. When I put together a small sample cart, the website told me that ground shipping to Canada would cost me $70, so either something is amiss there, or I would just ship it to my parents then have them send it up this way. U.S. shipping costs seem very reasonable, so that is a very doable option if needed. I would definitely buy these if I didn’t have to ship them and ohmygoodness. Their website says they’re going to be available soon at all London Drug locations in Western Canada. I live in Western Canada. *squeals of delight* Um, yes, onwards. I will definitely be buying these regularly once available at my local London Drugs, and if I had to ship them, I’d still probably get a box or so around Christmas for my, uh, husband. If you enjoy chocolate at all and are lucky enough to have any of this company’s chocolates at one of your local stores (a list of vendors is available on their website) please do yourself a favour and pick some up.

I actually let my sample steep longer then called for as I didn’t hit the website to read the brewing instructions which call for heaping teaspoon in boiling water for 3 minutes. I actually let mine steep for 4 ½ minutes but the resulting liquor isn’t bitter in the least. In fact, I would say that it has a natural sweetness so use a light hand with the sweetener. K Teas has achieved such delightful melding of spices that none really stand out. Instead it is a symphony of flavors, each supporting the other. This is also one of the few chai teas that I have ever tasted that is just as good with creamer as without.

As I am sampling teas from this vendor, I am composing a list of ones that I need to add to my tea chest. This one definitely makes the grade. And the fact that it is so reasonably priced doesn’t hurt at all. KTeas has quite the variety of teas and well worth checking out. None of them are expensive but in tea a high price doesn’t necessarily mean a good tea.

I have ‘owed’ this tea a review for awhile now meaning that it is a favorite of mine. It is one that I reach for on a regular basis and it is a reorder item in my tea collection (the highest compliment possible). Further, the owners of Merkaba, Ron and Kathy (sp?), are some of the nicest people and willing to take their time with you on the phone should you call to ask any questions about any of the products in their store. In fact, this tea was recommended to me by Kathy when I called their store about a year ago and a sample of it subsequently showed up with my order. Within a few days, I knew I had to have more and I placed a second order for a big bag of this stuff. I’ve somehow managed to suck down that entire quantity and recently placed another order to restock their Quangzhou Milk Oolong (also amazing) and for another stash of this.

The dry sample is chock full of ingredients and this is one that I advise shaking up the package a bit so that you can get a scoop inclusive of all of the ingredients. While the directions on my package state that you should use water temperature at 180 with just a 2-3 infusion, I can tell you that this one is VERY forgiving. I have actually prepared it with boiling water and let the infusion time drag out to as long as 5 min and still had an amazing cup. I do tend to scoop this one pretty generously and also add the pinch of German rock cane sugar that is recommended when preparing my cup. The result is one of the most delicious raspberry truffle black teas ever! The flavor profile is dominated by the sweet raspberry flavor and has a nice tasty chocolate undertone. The raspberry flavor is that of a sweet raspberry filling like you might find if you bit into a chocolate confection or a raspberry jam. The chocolate flavor is a secondary player in the blend and not strong enough to truly satisfy a chocolate craving. If the chocolate taste was just a bit more intense, then this would be a perfect 10. The black tea base is mild and of a good enough quality so as not to detract from the blend. This one also takes a splash of cream well—or if you want to play up that chocolate flavor, then a splash of chocolate milk! While I do prefer this as a hot cup, this also makes an excellent iced tea. This is dessert in a cuppa…YUMMO. At just $6.30 for 2 oz, this is Highly recommended

I put the water on to boil and looked over the dry blend.  The tea consists of an Assam that appeared to have been rolled into tiny pebbles.  Pods, seeds, and peels were abundant in the blend and seemed to be in good proportion to the tea.  The scent was spicy and heavy with orange and cinnamon.  Hints of licorice were nowhere to be found.

To prepare my cup, I followed the chai latte instructions found on the TeaFrog website.  During the steep, prior to adding the milk and honey, I noticed the scent of licorice.  After the cup cooled slightly, I bravely took my first sip and was met with a very distinct licorice flavor.  The other ingredients were present as well; they just seemed overpowered by the fennel and star anise.  Unfortunately, the licorice flavor was too much for me in this blend.  Although I was not a fan of this tea, I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting chai.  Assuming of course, that you like licorice.

Gaiwan time! One heaping teaspoon of fluffy leaf for three ounces of 175° water in my pre-heated porcelain demigod of teaware. After a minute, the tea is smooth, buttery, and faintly vegetal. It has a hint of tobacco quality in the scent which is even fainter in the flavour. At first I found this somewhat confusing since it took me quite awhile to realise that this is in fact a blend of green and black teas and not just green tea, as I had thought at first for no real reason whatsoever.

By the end of the first cup, I find I am craving a second, which I leave for one minute. As with the first cup, the black tea takes a strong back seat to the green. Again, the tea is noticeably smooth and somewhat buttery. I don’t feel the flavour is particularly memorable, but it is solid and appreciable. I pull out a third 1-minute steep, but the fourth falls flat.

After it is all said and done, I sit here mulling the cup over more than I usually would. The tea is solid, consistent, delicious, but it lacks something that I can’t quite put my finger on. It doesn’t have anything that makes it pop or helps it stand out. I like it, but nothing is making me feel motivated to love it. I’d prefer to get black and one green teas that I really love and experiment with blending them myself.

However, Peony has one thing going for it over Silver Needle; her ability to blend with others is exceptional. Needle suffers from being so light and subtle a beverage that it can only blend with other likewise light-bodied botanicals. White Peony has a deeper flavor and presentation, allowing it to act as a perfect base for somewhat heavier additives.

Two Leaves and a Bud obviously kept this in mind when blending their White Peony sachets. The only botanicals they added were pink rose petals. I’ve had white/rose blends before, and I cannot sing their praises enough. I was hopeful for this offering as well.

Being a sachet (and being at work), I was a bit more relaxed in my brewing; mug, hot water spigot, lid, covered for about four minutes. White Peony also holds an advantage of taking higher temperatures for a better brew without going vegetal. Not as well as a Darjeeling white but close.

I had a little trouble trying to dip the damn sachet, though. It kept wanting to bob to the top. After poking it a few times with a straw, it finally admitted defeat. It brewed to a light tangerine orange. The scent was incredibly pleasant, like a rose-hinted aromatherapy candle; only not as “affirmation”-y. I will confess the Bai Mu Dan seemed like it spinached a little during infusion, but that could’ve been during the high-temp water. The rose flavor balanced it out. This was an excellent white tea. And it kinda reminded me…

I thought Jan Brady was cuter anyway. It was probably the braces. Shiny.

Dry, Afternoon compares well with its caffeinated counterpart. It is packed with bits of dry spices and has the same powerfully sweet chai aroma. The tea leaves are dark and broken, but unfurl into good-sized torn green and black pieces.

I steeped a rounded teaspoon of the dry tea in 8 oz. of 212F for four minutes, which produced a light golden brown liquor with a light, spicy fragrance. Straight, it was spicy and astringent, with only a hint of bitterness. The teas were not as smooth as the caffeinated version, and came across as a bit harsh with the spices.

Because it is a chai, I broke my usual “no adulterations” rule and stirred in some half and half and a teaspoon of organic sugar. It did enhance the richness of the spices, but that harsh edge was still there, leaving a little bitterness at the back of my mouth in the finish.

As much as I like Autumn Morning, I’m less impressed with Afternoon, but that’s often my experience with decaffeinated teas. It affects the flavor, no matter how well it’s done. This isn’t a bad chai; there’s a lot to be said for the generous helping of natural spices that provides the majority of this tea’s character. But the tea base left me wanting.

What really drew me to this particular tea is the aroma. The scent of the pineapple was so strong that I didn’t even have the open up the package of samples to know that I was blessed with it. Indeed the sample itself contains chunks of pineapple along with green tea leaves of a rich deep color. Also included in this tea is brown sugar, honey, pineapple, rum, and custard. In fact, it includes all the ingredients of a first rate dessert without all the calories. Perfect for any diet.

No brewing instructions were included and I wasn’t able to find any on the site so I just took a stab in the dark. I set up my TriniTea using 4 teaspoons of tea, the setting for 180 degree water and a steep time of 3 minutes. Once brewed, the tea liquor is a clear light green. The aroma of the pineapple still stands out from the crowd. Unfortunately that doesn’t carry over into the flavor. I am able to pick out the tastes of the rum, the pineapple and the brown sugar but they are all muted. The choice of the green tea is a good one as it doesn’t distract from the main event.

NecessiTeas Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a good tea but for my tastes, I would like to see more pineapple. I want the taste to match the aroma. Don’t get me wrong though, I most certainly wouldn’t turn down a cup if it was offered to me.

Just two streets over from Rodeo Drive in the heart of Beverly Hills, the American Tea Room stands at the corner of North Canon and Brighton Way, distinguished by its crisp navy blue awnings and dark red panels. Inside, it is bright and airy, with high ceilings, large plate glass windows, and shelf upon shelf filled with neatly labeled canisters and packets of teas of every sort, exotic tea ware ranging from tiny cups of delicate blown glass to elegant cast iron tetsubins made by Japanese master artisans, and colorfully presented gift packs.

One corner of the store has recently been converted to an ultra modern tearoom, with little round white stainless tables, and a long glass-topped bar where the tea is brewed up fresh to order. Glass-domed cake stands display a mouth-watering assortment of colorful petite fours and teacakes, the creations of Valerie Gordon, of Confections by Valerie. Many of them are based on ATR’s teas and new ones are being added all the time.

David seated us at “the Lady and the Tramp table” (alas, no serenade!) a window table next to a tempting display of tetsubins and matcha bowls and prepared a sampler plate of American High Tea treats. First came a pot of their new Big Red Robe oolong in the American Tea Room signature tea set, which David had designed and manufactured in Japan. Available in black or white, the pot’s clean lines and smooth matte surface fit perfectly with the décor and the cups feel warm and organic in the hand. The tea—which I will be reviewing in detail elsewhere—offered soft notes of honey, wood, and cinnamon, with a winning floral fragrance, and paired nicely with the food that soon followed.

David brought us a platter and small cake stand laden with sweets, which Doug and I languidly made our way through, comparing notes as we went along. Everything was wonderful, but I must admit that the very first item, the Lavender Earl Grey teacake, turned out to be our absolute favorite. The tart glaze, combined with the moist, mellow sweetness of the herb-and-tea speckled cake, was the perfect balance. Doug’s comment: “Six of these on my desk at work would not last ten minutes. Extremely consumable.” The next teacake was not in any way inferior; this one had a caramel and spice flavor, with a sweet glaze that emphasized it.

Next came two petite fours: a luscious ginger-flavored one enrobed in dark chocolate, layered inside with wafer-thin slices of white cake and butter icing, and tiny bits of spicy candied ginger; and an Earl Grey petite four enrobed in white chocolate. Earl Grey goes very nicely in sweets. These were incredibly rich, and made of pure, high quality ingredients, as was everything. Small amounts are very satisfying.

And speaking of rich, next came a dark chocolate truffle spiked with pepper. It was sneaky, lulling me in with the smooth bitter sweetness of the chocolate, then shanghaiing my taste buds with a spicy after burn . Next came a crisp, buttery shortbread cookie covered with more dark chocolate and sprinkled with French sea salt. I discovered this chocolate/salt combination a few years ago and if you haven’t tried it—do! It’s amazing, the perfect contrast of flavors.

But wait, there was more! Little round butter cookies flavored with matcha tea that melted in the mouth to leave a lingering matcha sweetness and bite on the tongue, and finally, a super rich chocolate torte made with Venezuelan cocoa.

It was an amazing spread, but David wasn’t done with us yet. Next came steaming cups of his creation: Vanilla Mint Pu’ehr Chili Hot Chocolate. Wow. Like the pepper truffle, the burn of the chili pepper crept up on me, emerging through the deceptive natural sweetness of the other flavors to take my mouth hostage for some minutes. The tea base is made with loose leaf pu’erh, lots of aromatic peppermint, and fresh vanilla beans, and has a bold, heady scent in the canister and in the cup. The chili pepper-laced chocolate comes in little “hockey pucks.” David served us tiny squares of it and taken straight they had quite a bite.

And then—the matcha!

David, Randy, and I are all matcha fiends, and I was both thrilled and honored when David offered us his best. Surprisingly, matcha—an acquired taste for many people— is currently their best selling tea, along with all the wonderful accoutrements that go with it. One customer regularly buys over $1000 worth of matcha at a time.

We began with the Premium Organic Matcha, produced in what David described as “laboratory conditions.” The shade-grown, stone ground gyokuro from which it is made is IMO certified organic. He whisked it expertly in a beautiful chawan, then served it to us in tall, double-walled glasses that showcased the bright green color and long lasting froth, both signs of excellent quality. The aroma was sweet and vegetal, and the flavor? Delicious. Sweet, creamy, a little grassy, with notes of baby spinach and cooked baby asparagus. And, I might add, a boldness and edge, but not bitter! One of my missions in this life to convince people that good matcha is not bitter, and certainly not to be equated with the dull green, bile-bitter, gritty mess most people are familiar with. Good matcha, really good matcha, is pricey—and worth it. It’s loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, it packs a caffeine punch that gives you a much smoother ride than Red Bull, and many matcha drinkers, myself included, will tell you that it has a wonderfully focusing effect if you drink it at the beginning of a work session or exercise workout. Start with cheap matcha and all the fancy bowls, good water, and vigorous whisking will not make it taste good. If you will allow me a moment on my “tea math” soap box, a $50 30-gram can of matcha makes about 60 servings. That works out to just 83 cents a bowl. The trouble with loose tea is that you have to buy it all up front. A cup of hot bagged tea at a chain coffee house sets you back about $1.50. If you had to buy 60 of them up front, that would be $90. And that’s for ordinary tea, not matcha. OK, I’m done.

And now came the piece de resistance: Zuihou artisan matcha from David’s personal collection, made by the company that supplies the Japanese imperial family. ATR is the sole US distributor. According to David, Zuihou translates to something like “really expensive” and it is. But it was also fantastic: brilliant green and very frothy, more delicate in flavor than the previous one, sweeter, lighter on the tongue, creamier and more lingering. There was a sweetness down the sides of my tongue that reminded me a little of freshly picked corn. It was definitely vegetal, but, as I said, light and sweet. And not even the ghost of bitterness. I’d had some middling quality matcha recently, which gave me a greater appreciation of what I was tasting now. David said the flavor would linger in our mouths for a good twenty minutes and he was right.

It would have been sacrilege to eat or drink anything else after that. Instead, he and I spent some time with the canisters, providing me with new review samples across the spectrum of types and geographies, and giving me some background on them. David travels the world, choosing the teas for the shop, and has great stories. I always learn something new talking to him.

Finally , I restocked my supplies of two personal favorites, Milk Oolong and ATR’s apricot-and-saffron flavored house blend, Tangier. (It’s also a favorite of my friends, and the one I run out of the soonest.) Then it was time to head home, the sweet flavor of that last fine matcha lingering on our tongues. It’s a long and often frustrating drive from Redlands to LA, and vice versa, depending on time of day and traffic, but David and Randy’s hospitality and the variety and quality in their shop are always worth the trip.