Trailesque
Tea Reviewer
Member since Mar. 29th, 2018. Reviewed 166 teas.
Reviews of Teas & Herbal Teas
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 of 7 pages with 166 results
Chamomile (Sachet) from Harney and Sons
Style: Pure Chamomile Tea – Region: Egypt30 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 2/5
Jan. 3rd, 2021
The only other reviews so far give it 90 and a 100 points, so it looks like this is a contrasting view. I found it to be both a little bitter and bland, without much floral flavor or aroma. I got a sachet of this as a freebie with another order, so they may have been giving away some out-of-date product.
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Holiday Tea from Harney and Sons
Style: Flavored Black Tea – Region: ?????80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 3rd, 2020
This was another good value tea offered by Harney & Sons. Hats off to their tea blenders, that is an area they seem to excel in - taking mediocre teas, adding to them, and making them into something better. This seems like a cheap Chinese black tea that is nicely spiced up (with citrus, almond, clove, safflowers, and...
Read Full ReviewAll India from Harney and Sons
Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 2nd, 2020
This is a blend of black teas from Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri. The first 2 I am pretty familiar with, but the latter not really. As the name suggests, it is an all purpose black tea. For me it works best with some kind of milk, but it is decent with lemon also. One reviewer on their site drinks it plain, so I t...
Read Full ReviewChai Hara from Harney and Sons
Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: ?????75 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 1st, 2020
This seems to be an inexpensive Chinese gunpowder tea perked up with some spices - cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, fennel, ginger, and artificial flavorings to be exact. The resulting flavor is light but good, and the price is reasonable. Interestingly, they do not recommend preparing this chai in the traditio...
Read Full ReviewSencha Yabukita Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: Kagoshima, Japan90 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 22nd, 2020
This sencha does not taste or smell like anything else that I can think of. It is complex and nutty, with some broth, toasted rice, and lychee in the flavor and aroma. It is mostly lacking the sharp, capsicum/grass flavor common to inexpensive green teas. It is not a bargain, but I think it is a worthwhile purchase ...
Read Full ReviewUpton Organic Tamaryokucha from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: Japan75 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 1/5
Oct. 16th, 2020
Every once in a while, this low income dude likes to have a taste of what the rich imbibe. In this case, rich Japanese, probably. At the princely price of around $14 per ounce, this just might be the most expensive tea I have ever tried. And my predictable reaction is that it is not worth that kind of money, but it ...
Read Full ReviewUpton Korean Green Tea Jung-Jak Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: ?????70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 13th, 2020
A green tea from Korea that has some lightly smoky, earthy bite to it. It is robust but does not cross the line into nastiness, and sells for a reasonable price. I would gladly pick this up again.
Read Full ReviewUpton Vietnamese White Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: White Tea – Region: Vietnam50 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 1/5
Oct. 1st, 2020
This expensive white tea from Vietnam offers little that is new imo. It is very mild, with a pleasant white peach taste. The aroma is its most impressive feature, and it made me think of fruit salad, flowers, and woods. The second infusion was more flavorful than the first. A white tea enthusiast might find somethi...
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Bond Street English Breakfast Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Style: English Breakfast – Region: Blend65 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 28th, 2020
Here is a middle of the road English breakfast offering from Upton. It is pretty smooth, with some malty notes and tannins. It is not too heavy, nor too light. The aroma is woody and a little cardboard-like. This is meant to be served with milk, and that works nicely. I tried it with lemon also, but that brings ou...
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Monk's Mead from SerendipiTea
Style: Chamomile Blend – Region: Blend75 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
May. 30th, 2020
Here is a nice organic tisane, made predominantly with chamomile and bolstered with some fruits, rose hips, and hibiscus. So it tastes mostly of chamomile, but with a steely, acidic undertone. The aroma is fairly strong and floral. The price is a little high, but I guess that is due to the organic ingredients. This ...
Read Full ReviewSomerset Estate BOP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Sri Lanka / Ceylon50 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 4/5
May. 4th, 2020
An unspectacular but good enough Ceylon tea. The aroma has a hint of freshly baked muffins to it. A 3 minute steep (which is what the directions called for) results in a bland but perfectly drinkable beverage.
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Earl Grey Blue Flower from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Blue Flower Earl Grey – Region: Blend85 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 30th, 2020
I was blown away by this when I first tried it, but a little less so now. Btw it has a slight name and number change: it is now Blue Flower Earl Grey, NT16. The use of flowers and flavoring adds a unique and refreshing twist to the Earl Grey model. The base tea is fairly light, and I think they have reduced the inte...
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Chun Mee (Moon Palace) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Chun Mee – Region: China80 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 24th, 2020
This has a pleasant, grassy aroma that comes thru clearly. The dominant flavor is herbal bitterness, but it does not become overbearing when brewed according to the directions. The price could not be better for an organic product. This is a good choice for an everyday green tea.
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Java Blend (Java BOP) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Indonesia60 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 22nd, 2020
This is certainly a robust-tasting tea. It has some iron-like tannins and malty, smoky notes. The second infusion was a bit of a letdown - it had already lost a fair amount of its flavor by then. This was not super thrilling, but it was well worth the rock-bottom price.
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Kandy OP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Kandy, Sri Lanka90 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 21st, 2020
You simply can't go wrong with this tea. The average tea drinker who buys bags of Lipton or Tetley would probably agree, because this is like a premium version of those products. This is smooth and pleasant, but not lacking in flavor. It contains dashes of caramel, fruit, steely tannins and a fresh, leafy aroma. It...
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Thé Mélange Russe (Russian Blend) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Flavored Black Tea – Region: Blend75 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 5th, 2020
I wasn't even aware that this is a variation on an Earl Grey when I sampled it; I thought it was more of a standard Russian blend. So it is not a well-named tea; since when is Bergamot an ingredient in Russian style teas? But it is a pleasant cup with a very nice fragrance. A middle of the road black tea blend with ...
Read Full ReviewPowerhouse from SerendipiTea
Style: Herbal Tea – Region: ?????90 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Feb. 19th, 2020
This is an organic fruit and spice tisane that is made with apricot, apple, raspberry, orange peel, spearmint, hibiscus, turmeric, black pepper, and rosehips, plus some (organic) apple, raspberry, and orange flavoring. So quite a blend! It is not a typical tart and fruity hibiscus plus fruit flavor mix. The apricot ...
Read Full ReviewGolden Milk Mix from SerendipiTea
Style: Herbal Tea – Region: ?????75 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 17th, 2020
This is an interesting blend of spices that is designed to be infused with milk. I make mine with non-dairy milk, and that may have affected the flavor some. The result is a very hot and spicy tea. Black pepper and chili pepper are the 2 main ingredients, bolstered by some ginger, coconut, cinnamon, and turmeric. I...
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Koh Samet Sun from SerendipiTea
Style: Herbal Tea – Region: Blend80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 14th, 2020
This is a simple but charming tisane, made entirely of organic ginger, lemongrass, and orange peel. It is naturally very sweet, and even a teaspoon of honey or sugar makes it taste very sugary. The lemongrass dominates, with the orange and ginger playing supporting roles. I have to take a couple of points off for th...
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Season's Pick Vietnam Eastern Beauty Oolong from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Oriental Beauty – Region: Vietnam40 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Jan. 29th, 2020
This gets some good reviews on Upton's website and sells for an above average price, but it didn't do much for me. The aroma is pleasant enough, but the flavor is bland and weak. I can't recommend this one.
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Upton South Street Breakfast Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend65 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Jan. 6th, 2020
This is a new entry in Upton's growing list of breakfast blends; it was created as on of their 30th anniversary specials. It is not as robust or malty as some breakfast blends, but not extra mild either - it falls somewhere in the middle. This has a little nip to it. The price is a little high.
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Oolong Standard Grade from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa70 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 2nd, 2020
A flavorful and complex oolong that is better than your average Chinese restaurant tea. This has a very nice garden/forest like aroma. The flavor is complex and leans toward the brighter, cleaner end of the oolong spectrum. The price is a little higher than I would expect for an everyday oolong, but it makes sense g...
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New England Holiday Chai with Vanilla from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Flavored Black Tea – Region: Blend70 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Jan. 1st, 2020
A special holiday season release from Upton. Now here is a new concept - a "New England Chai." This has a mellow black tea base and is spruced up with vanilla and other spices - I could make out some cardomom and what I thought was allspice but appears to be clove. It is pleasantly spicy and has a nice aroma, but Up...
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C.T.C. Irish Breakfast Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Irish Breakfast – Region: Assam, India85 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 30th, 2019
A blend of Assam teas that turns out to be smooth and flavorful, and offered at an excellent price by Upton. It has been one of their top sellers, for a long time, and it is not hard to see why. This does not have the rough edges or iron notes that some breakfast teas have. It is earthy, nutty, and not a challenge t...
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Organic Ho-ji Cha Kamakura from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Hojicha – Region: Kanagawa, Japan80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 30th, 2019
This is a very nice hojicha. It is pleasantly roasty, but there is some complexity (dashes of soy sauce and caramel) and the underlying bancha comes thru well. The aroma is woody and fresh.
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