Butiki's Raspberry Truffle Review

Type:  Black
Origin:  India
Price:  Free sample (regular price – $5.00 for 1oz)
Vendor:  Butiki Tea
Brewing Method:  Per Instructed - 1.5 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 210°F, steeped for 4 minutes
Overall Score:   4.4 out of 5

Raspberry Truffle is a Kundaly Indian black tea base mixed with chocolate chips and raspberries; all organic ingredients.  The huge raspberry and chocolate chips stand out amongst the tiny black tea leaves.  I am tempted to pluck out and eat one of the chocolate chips from the blend just to see if it has been infused with the black tea and raspberry flavors... but I won't. 

The aroma of the dry blend is super sweet.  I can smell the fruity raspberry with a hint of earthiness in the background... not sure if that is coming from the chocolate chips or the black tea. 

The subtle aroma of the steeped blend is a mix of sweet, tart, and earthy.  I can smell the raspberries up front with the earthy and hearty black tea aroma in the back ground.  The liquor is a light brown color.

The taste is quite tart at first.  After each sip the tartness gives way to sweetness.  I can't really detect the chocolate by itself, but I believe the chocolate is what is helping the black tea flavor move more towards the front.  What I mean is, usually with flavored teas you just taste the flavoring.  However with this, I can taste the raspberry flavor AND the earthy tones of black tea.  I think the chocolate makes the actual tea flavor richer so it does not become hidden by the raspberries.

When it comes to adding milk, cream, or sweeteners to this tea... I like it the way it is.  I believe adding cream would mask the flavors too much while sugar might bring out the raspberry flavor more than it needs to be - unless you really like raspberries.

If given the choice, I would pick an actual raspberry truffle over this tea - mostly because of the lack of chocolate flavor.  However, this is a flavored tea that I wouldn't mind keeping in my stash.

Butiki's Pumpkin Creme Brulee Review

Type: Black
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Free sample (regular price – $8.50 for 2oz)
Vendor: Butiki Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 210°F, steeped for 2.5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.6 out of 5

Pumpkin Creme Brulee is a Ceylon black tea base with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and natural flavors (which I am assuming is where they get the cream flavor); all of which are organic ingredients. I noticed that the black tea leaves are in huge, twisted pieces - always a good thing. The overall blend is dark with the black leaves and dark orange pumpkin flakes. After failing to find a good pumpkin spice type of tea, I am excited to try this one in hopes of finding a great fall treat.

When I opened the package I felt like I just released autumn. The cinnamon and nutmeg aromas are prominent with the pumpkin aroma not too far behind. One thing I am happy about is that there are no cloves in this blend; not one single annoyingly spicy clove sticking its ugly little head out from amidst the black tea leaves. Anyone who adds cloves to a tea blend thinking that will "spice things up a bit" needs to be kicked in the shin. Hard.

The aroma of the steeped blend is spicy, but not too spicy. The pumpkin aroma is brought out more when hot water is added. The liquor is a nice deep orange color.





The taste is... just what I was looking for in a spiced up pumpkin tea... well, it is pretty darn close. The spices are at the perfect amount. You can taste the flavors and feel the heat without it being too overwhelming. Because of that, this tea is actually refreshing, like tea should be, instead of hot and dry like some other spiced up teas. The only thing I would ask for is a little more pumpkin flavor.

I am not getting much of a cream flavor, but I bet adding a touch of cream - just a touch - would send this tea over the top. Even without cream, I am most enjoying the "no clove" detail about this blend. Happy face.

White August's Mango Away Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Free sample (regular price – 7.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 206°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.2 out of 5

Mango Away is a black tea base blended with mangos and calendula flowers. The aroma of the dry blend is more subtle than I imagined. I really have to put my nose to the bowl of leaves in order to smell the sweet mango scent given off by this blend. The dark black tea leaves make the yellow calendula flowers pop. The tea leaves are of average size, but there are a lot of stems in this particular blend.

Just like with the dry blend, the freshly steeped leaves are not very aromatic. I have to hover over the cup to breathe the sweet and fruity scent of mangos. The liquor is a deep orange color.




The taste is incredibly sweet. It has a mellow mango flavor which is enough to work with the black tea flavor instead of masking it. I like this fruit flavored tea because of its subtlety. Usually I come across flavored teas that are so pungent and over flavored that you might as well drink a glass of fruit juice. I drink tea because I like tea – don’t cover it up.

This blend is a good example of a flavored tea that has been perfectly blended. The mango flavor walks hand in hand beside the black tea, not in front of it.

Again, the description is lacking a lot. I did manage to get the origin information this time, but I want more.

White August's Summer Picnic Review

Type: Black
Origin: Not Stated
Price: Free sample (regular price – 9.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 206°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.8 out of 5

Summer Picnic is a black tea base blended with juniper berries, black currants, cranberries, and strawberries. I barely opened the package before I could smell the berry tartness of the blend. The aroma is sweet with the strawberries and cranberries fighting it out to be the most prominent scent. The dry blend has an overall dark brown hue with the black tea leaves and dried pieces of juniper berries, cranberries, and black currants that I can see.

The tartness of the berries really comes out in the aroma while the blend is steeping. The liquor is a dark caramel color.





The first thing I taste is the sweet/tart combination of the collection of berries in this blend. The strawberries and cranberries stand out more than the rest. It is not bitter, but I get a bit of astringency from the black tea. The black tea taste is pretty much hidden by the other ingredients, but the fruitiness is not as overwhelming as I thought it would be.

If you are going to add anything to this tea, let it be ice. No need for sugar, sweeteners, or milk. Ice, however, would spunk up this tea and make it a nice, refreshing summer treat.

Just like with the previous reviews of White August’s teas, I would really appreciate more information. Three sentences describe this tea, but that is nowhere near enough for me. Because this actually involves tea leaves (unlike herbal blends) I would like to see some origin or estate information.

EIC’s Nuwara Eliya Pedro Pekoe Review

Type: Black
Origin: Pedro Estate, Sri Lanka
Price: Free sample (regular price – £5.00 for 50g)
Vendor: East India Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 4-5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5

Nuwara Eliya Pedro Pekoe is a black tea which was picked from 100 year old tea bushes on the Pedro Estate. The dry leaves smell fresh and clean with a roasted aroma. There is also a sweet, chocolaty aroma along with the freshness that the dry leaves exude. The leaves are incredibly large compared to other black teas because of the pekoe leaf grade. This means that most of the leaves will be whole, instead of bits of broken pieces.

The smell coming from the teapot while the leaves are steeping is sweet and malty. It also has a honey-like aroma to it. The liquor is in step with the aroma with its orangey, honey color.





The taste is not as subtle as the aroma. The savory, malty flavors hit me first, followed by the chocolaty sweetness in the finish. The tea isn’t bitter, but it is quite astringent… which I noticed only after the first sip. After about four sips, an apricot fruitiness starts to build along with the other flavors.

This is a good example of not letting the light color of the tea fool you. This black tea from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) may be lighter than other Ceylon teas I have had, but it does not lack the punch.

Arbor Tea's Greenfield Estate Ceylon Review

Type: Black
Origin: Sri Lanka
Price: Free sample (regular price - $9.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Arbor Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5

Greenfield Estate Ceylon is a high-grown black tea from the Uva District in Sri Lanka. The aroma of the dry leaves is interesting – kind of a mix between caramel and peach. It smells deliciously fruity for being an unflavored black tea. The leaves are medium size, dark brown, rolled, twisted pieces. The color of the leaves is consistent throughout the blend, but the aroma is quite complex.

The steeped tea smells chocolaty with hints of fruitiness in the background. It smells sweet, not smoky. The liquor is an orangey red color.





The taste is sweet, with a lot of fruity notes… especially peach and apricot. It has a very nice chocolaty finish. Dryness is present, but not too much to be an issue. It is definitely not bitter.

I really enjoy this tea. I finished the cup and wanted more. It has such a sweet, but not too sweet, flavor. I didn’t realize so many fruity flavors could be in one tea. It is bold without being too strong; no need to add sweeteners.

Arbor Tea's Rembeng Estate Assam Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Free sample (regular price - $9.95 for 3.5oz.)
Vendor: Arbor Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.2 out of 5

This Rembeng Estate Assam tea is, according to Arbor Tea’s website, located “…near the banks of the Brahmaputra River.” The first aroma I recognize is a sweet, malty, chocolaty smell coming from the bag. The dry leaves are longer than most black teas; they are thin, rolled, slightly twisted pieces. The hue is overall dark brown with rare bits of orange color.

The malty aroma is brought out more as the leaves are steeping. There is something kind of “roasty” about the aroma, as well… quite similar to very weak coffee. The color is a beautiful reddish orange.





The taste follows the aroma; it is malty, with a dark roasted flavor. It is more astringent than I would like, however. There are some fruity notes that pop up in the after taste – a mix of apricot and peach. The dark over tone of the roasted flavor still takes center stage, though.

This is definitely a bold tea that could give hearty Irish Breakfast tea a run for its money. This Assam isn’t bitter, but it isn’t the sweetest thing either. The dryness is a tough one to get through, but the dark malty flavor makes it worth it.

Arbor Tea's Masala Chai Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Free sample (regular price - $17.50 for 5.5oz.)
Vendor: Arbor Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.0 out of 5

Masala Chai is a black tea base (I am assuming Assam) with green cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper. Upon opening the package I can smell the cinnamon and cloves right away. It has an overall spicy aroma between the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. The dry blend is colorful with the yellowish ginger, brown cinnamon, and green cardamom against a black background of tea leaves. The vast amount of cloves worries me, though.

The liquor smells spicy as the cloves and cinnamon battle it out to be the most prominent scent. I can faintly smell the ginger in the background. The color is dark orange right out of the teapot and then it turns to a light brown when the milk is added.





Wow, despite my worries about the army of cloves in the blend, this chai doesn’t taste half bad. With the milk added, per recommendation of Arbor Tea’s website, it cuts the harsh spices and gives them a warming characteristic rather than a stabby one.

The cinnamon and cloves are still front and center, of course, but I can also taste the ginger in the background. The tea has a general warm, soothing feel, yet the hearty flavor still packs a punch. I could see this being a good breakfast or “wake me up” tea.

Arbor Tea's Earl Grey Review

Type: Black
Origin: China and India
Price: Free sample (regular price - $9.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Arbor Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.6 out of 5

Earl Grey is a mix of Chinese and Indian black teas flavored with bergamot oil. When I open the package, I can immediately smell the citrus bergamot – it is rather strong. And… that is pretty much all I can detect from the dry leaves. If I put my nose anywhere near the leaves it gets pummeled with the aroma of bergamot. The leaves are small, curvy, dark brown pieces with bits of orange color throughout.

The aroma of the freshly made tea is all about the bergamot, although, I can faintly smell the malty black tea in the background. The liquor is an orangey-copper color.





The taste is a bit harsh at first. Between the citrus and the black tea, it is quite astringent. The second and third sips reveal the boldness in this tea. It is not a very complex tea; I just go back and forth between the bergamot and the slight smokiness of the black tea. However, the flavors that it does hold are not shy about letting you know they are there.

I wouldn’t say this tea is bitter, but very acidic and slightly sweet tasting because of the bergamot. It tends to dry out the mouth quickly. I am not sure about this one. It is not one of the best Earl Grey’s that I have had, but it is not bad either. It is just sort of a meh... but at least the price is fair.

Rishi Tea’s Hong Yue Review

Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan
Price: Free Sample (regular price - $11.00 for 50 grams) LIMITED SUPPLY!!
Vendor: Rishi Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 195°F, steeped for 3 - 4 minutes
Overall Score: 4.9 out of 5

Hong Yue, also known as Ruby Black, is a rare and unique tea from Taiwan. The fresh aroma from the bag is incredibly fragrant! It reminds me of chocolate covered raisins – sweet, slightly grape-like. There is something a bit tart about it as well; maybe dates or cranberries. The term “fresh” keeps coming to mind when smelling the leaves and I think the reason is that it lacks a smoky quality that many black teas have which makes it even more unique. The dry leaves are black, long, twisted, wiry, almost uniform pieces. The leaves are rather large for being a black tea.

The raisin aroma is brought out more while the leaves are steeping. It also has more of a fruity, candy scent. The liquor is a gorgeous copper color.





Oh my… I don’t want to write anymore. I just want to sit, sip this tea, and think of nothing else.

The taste is fantastic! I have never tasted a black tea with so many fruity notes. A raisin or grape-like flavor is prominent, followed by a currant or cranberry tartness, and then a candied sweetness. It is not spicy or smoky or bitter. It is, however, quite astringent… which I noticed by the third sip. The boldness equals that of an Assam tea but without the smokiness, of course.

As I noted next to the price, this tea is in limited supply. This is truly something not to pass on if you want a high quality tea experience.

Speaking of, have you noticed the adorable white, speckled tea pot in the picture above and in my last couple of reviews? Rishi Tea calls that a Tsuki Teapot, Tsuki meaning “moon.” I won this little beauty back in February from a contest that Rishi Tea held. I love it! It is the perfect size for one person and, because of the firing process, each teapot produces different speckles so no two are alike.

Pearl Tea’s Earl Grey with Lavender Review

Type: Black
Origin: Not Specified
Price: Free Sample (regular price - $12.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-203°F, steeped for 0.5 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 1.5 out of 5

Early Grey with Lavender is just that… classic Earl Grey (black tea with bergamot oil) with lavender flowers. The bergamot is the first aroma that I smell. I can only smell a hint of lavender, after knowingly looking for the scent, because the bergamot is so pungent. The leaves are long, rolled, twisted dark brown bits with green lavender petals throughout.

The liquor is an orange or copper color. The aroma of the brew is mostly that of bergamot. I can smell a little bit of the lavender aroma in the background. It smells sweet and citrusy.





The taste is pretty much an overload of bergamot. I can’t taste lavender anywhere, even after several sips of searching for it. In fact, it’s hard to taste the black tea itself because the bergamot takes over. The brew is quite astringent and the citrusy tang aids in the dry mouth feel.

I have yet to figure out why Earl Grey is so popular. You might as well just drink bergamot oil, because infusing the leaves with this flavor is a waste of good black tea. Plus, I could not smell or taste any lavender… anywhere.

Pearl Tea’s Earl Grey de la Crème Review

Type: Black
Origin: Not Specified
Price: Sample (regular price - $12.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-203°F, steeped for 0.5 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.0 out of 5

Earl Grey de la Crème is black tea blended with oil of Bergamot and vanilla. As soon as I opened the package I would smell the bergamot oil and vanilla. The aroma of those two ingredients was quite pungent. The black leaves are tiny, twisted, and dark in color. There seem to be some type of blue flower petals thrown into the blend. I think their only purpose is to add color to the normally dark mix of black tea leaves and not necessarily flavor.

The aroma while the leaves are steeping is filled with the citrusy bergamot. I can’t smell much of the vanilla at this point. The liquor is a dark orange color. The color of this tea is a similar color of some of the leaves outside at the moment.





The tea tastes like a typical Earl Grey except with a hint of creaminess at the end. With the bergamot and vanilla flavors, this brew is super sweet. The bergamot flavor is present but not overpowering like some Earl Grey’s I have had. I think the vanilla helps cut into that citrus-like flavor and mellows the tea out to make a sweet and creamy overall flavor.

I can’t taste the black tea side of things – it is pretty much all about the bergamot and vanilla. Because of that, there is no bitterness or astringency to this cup. Pearl Tea’s says to add cream or honey to this brew if you want… but I think that would be an overkill of sweetness. It definitely has a “dessert” kind of taste without any sweetener.

Pearl Tea’s Assam Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Sample (regular price - $12.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-203°F, steeped for 0.5 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.4 out of 5

Assam is a black tea from India. The tea smells fresh, woody, and smoky. However, I really have to hold the tea close to my nose to obtain the aroma. The leaves are small twisted pieces which are rather dark brown in color.

The liquor is a nice copper color. The freshly brewed tea smells woody and smoky. Again, I have to put my nose to the cup to gather the aroma.





The taste is bold, brisk, and invigorating. It is slightly bitter and quite astringent – I start to feel my mouth becoming dry after only the second sip. Just like in the aroma, the taste is slightly smoky with woody characteristics, as well. In the aftertaste I also pick up a slight fruity-like taste along with the smoky flavor.

I brewed this tea closer to the 3 minute mark of their suggested steep time. Although, I normally brew my black teas around 4-5 minutes, this tea still has a nice bold flavor that would stand up well to milk and sugar – but who needs those?

Mighty Leaf’s Orange Dulce (Iced) Review

Type: Mix of Black and Green
Origin: China, Sri Lanka
Price: Sample (regular price - $9.95 for 15 Pouches)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 3 - 5 minutes, let cool to room temperature then added ice
Overall Score: 3.8 out of 5

Orange Dulce is Ceylon and China black and green teas mixed with jasmine flowers, citrus fruits, and vanilla flavors. I can smell the citrus and the vanilla as soon as I tear open the package. It has an overall sweet, floral aroma. The blend is mostly dark, small leaves with a few yellow and white jasmine flowers.

After the tea is steeped and iced, I can noticeably smell the vanilla while the citrus hangs out in the background. The liquor is a deep orange color.

The taste is quite sweet and refreshing. I taste the vanilla throughout and the citrus settles with the jasmine in the aftertaste. I don’t think this would need any sugar. The vanilla makes this blend extremely sweet on its own.

This tea is called Orange Dulce, but I taste the vanilla way more than the citrus. The tea was a refreshing treat overall. However, I wish I could have tasted more of the individual flavors like the citrus and jasmine instead of having to actively look for those flavors through the overwhelming vanilla.

Adagio’s Thai Chai Review

Type: Chai (black base)
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Sample (regular price – $7 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Adagio
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-210°F, steeped for 4-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.9 out of 5

Thai Chai is Ceylon black tea with a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coconut, and lemongrass. I did not spot one clove in the blend… and based on my last reviews on Adagio’s chai’s, I’m really ok with that. The first thing I smell is the ginger and cinnamon. Next, is the sweet and tangy lemon grass followed by the coconut. There are other spicy aromas in the background, as well. The blend is really colorful – the tiny black tea leaves almost get hidden by the slivers of lemon grass and pieces of coconut, cardamom, and cinnamon.

The liquor is a light orange color. While the tea is brewing, I smell the cinnamon and ginger first then the sweet coconut in the background. The overall aroma has a pleasant sweet and spicy mixture – one aroma doesn’t dominate the other.

When I sip the tea, I get the spicy flavors first, but the aftertaste is the sweet coconut and lemon grass. The slightly spicy ginger dances in and out of the sweet flavors. The tea is not bitter, but a little astringent. I feared an overbearing spicy cinnamon taste, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Adagio suggests adding milk or sugar, but I think this blend is fine on its own. It is hearty and full of flavor so it may be a nice “wake me up” breakfast tea. However, milk would mellow out the harshness of the spices and make it creamy and smooth.

Adagio’s Spiced Apple Chai Review

Type: Chai (black base)
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Sample (regular price – $7 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Adagio
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-210°F, steeped for 4-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.4 out of 5

Spiced Apple Chai is black tea with apple chunks and Adagio’s own Masala spices blend. Pungent spicy and fruity aromas hit me when I open the can. The sweet apple followed by the cinnamon and clove aromas can be identified. Big chunks of apple can be seen along with the tiny black tea leaves, cloves, and cardamom.

The liquor is a light orange color. The main thing I smell is the cloves from the freshly made tea followed by the fruity aroma of the apple. Cinnamon is close behind, but I have to fight through the cloves to find them.





I taste the spicy cloves first, but the sweet apple is right there with it. The apple flavor lingers on the tip of my tongue while the cloves settle in the back of my throat. The brew is not bitter, but the cloves attack the back of my mouth and leave it dry.

Milk and/or sugar may be able to mellow out the flavors and bring out the sweet apple flavor. I think this would be a great tea on its own if about half of the cloves were taken out of the recipe for the blend.

Adagio’s Chocolate Chai Review

Type: Chai (black base)
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Sample (regular price – $6.30 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Adagio
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-210°F, steeped for 4-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.3 out of 5

Chocolate Chai is a blend of chocolate flavored Ceylon tea with cardamom, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. This blend smells sweet and spicy at the same time. The cloves rush at me, but I can also smell the ginger and the sweet chocolate. The blend kind of reminds me of Halloween colors with the yellow, orange, and blacks swirling together.

The liquor is a beautiful amber color. I smell the ginger and cloves aromas easily. I also pick up on the faint sweet chocolate smell. However, I am not sure if I would have believed it to be chocolate if I didn’t already know that there was chocolate in this blend.





When I taste the tea, the ginger and cloves are front and center. They are very harsh on my tongue and the cloves are beginning to burn my throat. There is a slight bit of sweetness which I am guessing is the chocolate, but it doesn’t really taste like chocolate. The slightly bitter black tea settles in the after taste. Between the astringent black tea and the heat from the cloves it gives it a rather unpleasant mouth feel.

In adagio’s description they suggest adding milk to “make it extra rich.” I did not add milk, because it was only a suggestion, but I am assuming it would definitely mellow out some of the harsh flavors in this blend.

Adagio’s Masala Chai Review

Type: Chai (black base)
Origin: Ceylon
Price: Sample (regular price – $7 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Adagio
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-210°F, steeped for 4-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.2 out of 5

Masala Chai is a blend of Ceylon black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and spices. The first thing I smell is the cloves… well, that is pretty much the only thing I can smell. Even when I try to look for the other aromas, all I get are cloves burning the back of my throat and nose. The blend is mostly dark with bits of yellow cardamom throughout. The actual black tea leaves are tiny compared to all the other ingredients.

The liquor is a pretty orange color. The aroma of the tea smells like cloves more than anything, but I think the cinnamon and ginger has finally had a chance to show off their stuff. I can also faintly smell the smokiness of the black tea.





The taste, overall, is not that pleasant. I can taste the cloves then the ginger, but then I get distracted by the cloves burning my throat. In the aftertaste, I can taste the slight bitterness of the black tea on the back of my tongue. Unless you are a big time clove lover, I suggest adding milk to smooth out some of the harsh flavors.

Wow, there are WAY too many cloves in the blend compared to all the other ingredients. Cloves are very strong, especially while they are whole, and in this blend they are easily masking the aromas and flavors of the other ingredients. I really don’t like adding milk or sugar to tea, but in this case I might have to in order to drink the tea because the cloves are too much heat for my taste.

Canton Tea’s Bai Ling Gong Fu Review

Type: Black (a.k.a. Red)
Origin: Bai Lin, Tai Mu Mountain, Fu Ding County, Fujian Province
Price: Sample (regular price – £11.99 for 100g)
Vendor: Canton Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 190°F-200°F, steeped for 3 - 4 minutes
Overall Score: 4.6 out of 5

The Bai Ling Gong Fu leaves are very beautiful to look at. They are long, twisted, rolled strips painted with yellows, oranges, and browns. Tiny hairs can be seen on the leaves. The leaves feel very soft and silky to the touch. The aroma of the dry leaves is subtle, earthy, and slightly smoky.

The liquor is a light yellow color. The aroma is a little smoky and woodsy. Along with the aroma of the dry leaves, the freshly brewed tea’s aroma is also subtle.





The taste is on the milder side of blacks. It is very smooth, crisp, and brisk. The tea still has the earthy/smoky tones in the taste that I could smell in the dry leaves. It is not bitter and actually rather refreshing. The after taste is a mix of caramel and honey like flavors.

If you are one who likes to add milk to your black tea, you might want to resist the dairy on this one because of the already mild taste.

David's Tea's Black Celebration Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Sample (regular price - $6.00 for 50g. Also available in 100g and 250g packages)
Vendor: David’s Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 3 - 5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.8 out of 5

Black Celebration is a mix of black tea, orange peel, rose petals, apple, almonds, cornflower, cinnamon, papaya, pineapple, peach, cranberries, and rosehip – holy ingredients batman! The first thing I smell is the cinnamon and then a mix of different fruit flavors like orange, pineapple, and peach. Each time I smell the blend, a different fruity aroma hits me.

The blend reminds me of confetti. I think it is the most colorful blend I have seen yet. I can see chunks of pineapple, sliced almonds, rose petals, cranberries, and other dried fruits. I can barely find the black tea through all the other ingredients.

The liquor smells more like cinnamon than anything – it really overpowers the rest of the aromas. It is a pretty light brown color.





The cinnamon is front and center in the taste, giving it a spicy flavor. After I get over the cinnamon, I can taste the fruit, especially pineapple and cranberry. After I take more sips the cinnamon ends up being all I can taste.

I am kind of disappointed because I wanted to taste all or at least most of the fruit flavors, but the cinnamon just masks everything. Because of the cinnamon, the tea ends up being more spicy than sweet. Maybe milk would help mellow the harsh cinnamon out a little.