All newly posted tea reviews, including blends and herbal teas, all brands, styles, and regions; does not include news or site updates. http://ratetea.com http://ratetea.com/review/2449/http://ratetea.com/review/2449/Wed, 22 May 2013 14:41:44 ESTBefore Tazo switched to what they call whole leaf sachets, this was one of my favorite of their blends. It remains so, and I definitely think it is improved, although not as much as some of them. Like the original tea bag, I find this has just the right amount of chamomile for me--enough that I notice it but not enough that the blend is dominated by the muted bitter aftertaste that chamomile imparts. And like the original, I find the aroma fruity and complex. I find the mint and lemongrass/lemon ba...http://ratetea.com/review/2448/http://ratetea.com/review/2448/Wed, 22 May 2013 14:29:42 ESTWhen Starbucks switched to what they call full leaf sachets, I noticed a big improvement in quality, often manifested in complexity of the aroma. This is one of the teas where I found the aroma increased most in complexity. This green tea is REALLY vegetal. Like, intensely vegetal, much more so than I remember the old tea bag as (Although they still sell the old tea bags, I haven't tried them because I only drink this tea in Starbucks). So much that it surprises me. I find the cup seems spinachy, ...http://ratetea.com/review/2447/http://ratetea.com/review/2447/Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:36 ESTI can't stand Earl Grey - and yet I have tried many of them. Sometimes I try when I am at a convention or hotel or in an office or deli that carries Twinings. In this case they were all out of the other kids of teas and it was this or coffee - so I gave it a go (hot with a bit of splenda). Not as good as some I've tried - the Bergamot was strong but not bitter-strong. Still, Earl Grey - with all its Bergamot Glory is just "not my bag".http://ratetea.com/review/2446/http://ratetea.com/review/2446/Wed, 22 May 2013 14:13:05 ESTI hate Earl Grey - and this one, in particular, is loaded with a bitter bergamot flavor. It's just not my bag, baby!http://ratetea.com/review/2445/http://ratetea.com/review/2445/Wed, 22 May 2013 13:56:24 ESTThis is a preliminary rating based on the smell alone - I just got a sample of this loose-leaf tea and can't wait to brew some up. I bet it'd be great in the winter as you can smell a sweet maple scent and as Sylvia mentioned a faint whisper of smoky wood. It looks appealing visually as well. I will update this review the moment I brew it!http://ratetea.com/review/2444/http://ratetea.com/review/2444/Tue, 21 May 2013 15:07:52 ESTI've had shu Pu-erh of this age that I thought was exquisite, like the 2005 Jing Mai Autumnal I got from Tao of Tea, so I know it exists, but this cake didn't do it for me. I had a generous amount of samples, enough to experiment a bit with brewing, but I still didn't like it. The dry leaf has an aroma typical of any low-grade shu Pu-erh, the sort of dusty, damp basement smell. The only positive thing I noticed about the dry cake was that the leaves separated easily. Upon brewing, it's a little bette...http://ratetea.com/review/2443/http://ratetea.com/review/2443/Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:54 ESTFor a bagged tea this was fine - just as good as Tazo's China Green Tips and many others. Slightly vegetal/green qualities and very good hot.http://ratetea.com/review/2442/http://ratetea.com/review/2442/Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:09 ESTFor a bagged tea this was fine - just as good as Tazo's China Green Tips and many others. Comes in a decent decaf also.http://ratetea.com/review/2441/http://ratetea.com/review/2441/Tue, 21 May 2013 09:26:00 ESTFor a decaf version this is great! Very sagey - a bit moreso than the standard version with fruity berry notes. A great tea hot or over ice. http://ratetea.com/review/2440/http://ratetea.com/review/2440/Tue, 21 May 2013 09:20:07 ESTBlech!!!!! Just drink some coffee already. This one smelled OK in the bag but was not quite barley, not quite chicory, brown/herbal smelling and not at all like coffee. Sorry. FAIL.http://ratetea.com/review/2438/http://ratetea.com/review/2438/Mon, 20 May 2013 14:47:06 ESTHonestly, I don't think this tea is all that bad. It's the first type I've ever had, and while it isn't a fancy and rare loose-leaf brand it's not terrible. It actually tastes similar to a lot of fancier and pricier teas that I've had -- why pay more if you're looking for a basic black? The tea itself is average, a basic black, nothing crazy to write home about. It has the taste of cooked greens and is quite smooth, without a bitter aftertaste. I'm personally a bigger fan of generic black bagged t...http://ratetea.com/review/2437/http://ratetea.com/review/2437/Mon, 20 May 2013 14:24:22 ESTFirst of all, the package design and possibly the name of this tea may have changed, but I was at a conference in a Sheraton Hotel that offered a few tea selections and since there were no green teas left I chose this. (It was that or a straight black tea so I picked this). I am not a fan of orange teas - but this one wasn't too bad - and no sweetener was needed. (Smells very fruity in the bag - a bit less so whilst steeping.). I prefer this to the "Zingers" by Celestial Seasonings - but I hate the...http://ratetea.com/review/2436/http://ratetea.com/review/2436/Mon, 20 May 2013 12:38:53 ESTI tried this one in the dining hall at Haverford college; yay. This is a roasted kukicha, making it both hojicha and kukicha, and I think it's dark roasted enough that it is more like typical hojicha than typical (green) kukicha or twig tea. It also contains quite a lot of leaf, not just twig, again making it more like typical hojicha than kukicha. It has a very bold, crisp flavor, bitter and almost tastes more like fresh green tea than other teas with this dark a roast. The dark color and roasty a...http://ratetea.com/review/2435/http://ratetea.com/review/2435/Sun, 19 May 2013 20:11:05 ESTI loather Chamomile tea and this was not even worth trying. BLECH!!!! To make it even worse it has mint or some other herb in there. Not my bag, baby!http://ratetea.com/review/2434/http://ratetea.com/review/2434/Sun, 19 May 2013 20:08:48 ESTWow does this have caffeine in it or what? Dark and Black - brews up quickly and easy to find everywhere that carries Starbbucks. I usually opt for Zen or another Tazo blend to this - but if it was this or Lipton? I'd take Awake for sure. Very strong black tea.http://ratetea.com/review/2433/http://ratetea.com/review/2433/Sun, 19 May 2013 20:06:43 ESTA decent bagged tea available everywhere (and I mean EVERYWHERE) that Starbucks is served - offices, Barnes & Noble, airports, even the local library - I can get a quick cup of this in a pinch. Vegetal and green - a bit "dry" tasting - so I add sweetener sometimes. (For shame, I know!) I love green teas but this is just average.http://ratetea.com/review/2432/http://ratetea.com/review/2432/Thu, 16 May 2013 14:51:24 ESTThis is my go-to, reasonably priced, bagged Earl Grey and has been since my undergraduate years at college. Our little coffee shop on campus supplied Bigelow brand and that was where I was introduced to this tea. I absolutely love the smell of the Bergamot from this tea and have yet to find any other bagged version that is comparable. The only other bagged example that came close was Celestial Seasonings Victorian Earl Grey, which is now discontinued. Strong and slightly bitter, I enjoy the taste as ...http://ratetea.com/review/2431/http://ratetea.com/review/2431/Thu, 16 May 2013 14:23:53 ESTI am not a huge fan of Chrysanthemum tea - unless it's iced and sweetened and then i get kinda-sorta get into it, but when I lived in NY I would go to the Ito-En flagship store and get a bunch of different kids. Their Chrysanthemum tea is fun to brew and watch the blossoms in the water. Smells a bit floral but also a bit like tumeric or a root of some kind (dry floral). Yellowish-brown and pale when you steep it - and it needs the entire 3 minutes.http://ratetea.com/review/2430/http://ratetea.com/review/2430/Thu, 16 May 2013 14:20:25 ESTFor the price - you can't beat ten ren teabags for a quick earthy-green on the go. Grassy and green pepper notes (to my nose/palate) and a light to medium body after a generous 3-4 minute steep. Mild and easy to drink - and I drink this one hot (not iced) with a little sweetener like honey or stevia. (Gasp!)http://ratetea.com/review/2429/http://ratetea.com/review/2429/Thu, 16 May 2013 12:13:28 ESTI love, love, love Darjeeling - especially in the morning - and this bagged version from 2 Leaves and a bud is easy to drink on the way to the office. I love it - even if it is overpriced.http://ratetea.com/review/2428/http://ratetea.com/review/2428/Thu, 16 May 2013 12:11:31 ESTI had this at a day spa and loved it - so I actually bought a box of the bags. Took me a while to get through but I really like the floral, green and "stemmy" notes of this conveniently bagged tea. Smells great.http://ratetea.com/review/2427/http://ratetea.com/review/2427/Thu, 16 May 2013 11:56:15 ESTDelicious but expensive. Smells so great in the tin. Floral notes (Duh - it's a jasmine!) and a a pale-greenish brew brew upon a short steep. Do not over-steep this one. I enjoy watching the little balls unfurl as the water hits them. I have never tried this on ice - but I imagine it'd be good. Oh, I love Jasmine teas and this is a good pick.http://ratetea.com/review/2426/http://ratetea.com/review/2426/Thu, 16 May 2013 11:42:27 ESTCheap!!!! And convenient. Not a holy grail but I love Jasmine teas and this one is good in a pinch. (Bagged.)http://ratetea.com/review/2425/http://ratetea.com/review/2425/Thu, 16 May 2013 11:38:47 ESTBetter than Lemon ift and a very brightly scented herbal blend. No tea - more of a tisane. Very lemony and great hot if you are congested.http://ratetea.com/review/2424/http://ratetea.com/review/2424/Thu, 16 May 2013 11:36:20 ESTBlah. "Office Tea" - I used to get this in an old law firm I works at who stocked a variety of Bigelow Teas. Blah. Not awful but not good either. Mediocre black tea that steeps-up dark and fairly fast. As others have said, this one is bitter at the end. Tastes ok at first - but bitter aftertaste,