Intro
I’ve been trying to get more into tea and much like my book reviews, I want to document the process, so I have actual notes to compare against. I am, by no means, a tea expert so it’s entirely possible I’m not doing something the “correct” way.
Keats & Co (via Good Store)
The Hank/John Green, all profits go to charity store that has several seemingly random niches also does tea. I liked the idea of supporting a good cause, and they have a loose-leaf tea sampling pack with a strainer so it was a good place for me to start. Each tea with the pack made enough for a single cup so you could try different ones without committing to a whole bag.
If you end up buying anything from Good Store, you can use my referral link to get $10 off your order: https://oken.do/6iirt1fr
Blooming Wild Black
Link: https://good.store/products/blooming-wild-black-loose-leaf-tea
Type: Black tea, loose-leaf, caffeinated
Vendor description: Traditional caffeinated black tea with a honey sweet twist
Rating: 5/5
Vibes: Relaxing, chill
Review: A pleasantly, smooth black tea with a floral base and honey-like finish. I first tried it in the sample pack, and I have re-ordered the full size bag a few times now. Great for an afternoon where you want to stop for a calm moment.
Blue Fields Earl Grey
Link: https://good.store/products/blue-fields-earl-grey-loose-leaf-tea
Type: Earl grey, loose-leaf, caffeinated
Vendor description: Heady bergamot and vanilla grounded by earthy, caffeinated black tea
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Straight-forward, light
Review: The flavor is tea-forward with a slight spiced flavor behind it with a light after-taste. Not a bad tea by any stretch just not a lot of complexity.
Moonlit Mint
Link: https://good.store/products/moonlit-moroccan-mint-loose-leaf-tea
Type: Green tea, loose-leaf, caffeinated
Vendor description: A bitingly fresh blend of peppermint and spearmint awakens the mind and soothes the stomach, while the base of green tea adds an earthy undertone and long-lasting wakefulness with caffeine
Rating: 3/5
Vibes: Energizing, soothing
Review: I’m not generally a fan of mint, but it was well-balanced enough that I didn’t hate this one. I could see the appeal of this one when you have a cold or like mint. The green tea in this one had a bit more of a herbal tone to it.
Bright Star Breakfast Blend
Link: https://good.store/products/bright-star-breakfast-blend-loose-leaf-black-tea
Type: Black, loose-leaf, caffeinated
Vendor description: An everyday caffeinated tea balanced between tannins and florals
Rating: 2.5/5
Vibes: All business
Review: My notes on this were “black tea”. Maybe it’s pretentious, or my palate is not sophisticated enough, but I like tea to feel a little special and have depth. If you want a simple tea to have as a daily drink, this would definitely work.
April Meadows Green
Link: https://good.store/products/april-meadows-loose-leaf-green-tea
Type: Green tea, loose-leaf, caffeinated
Vendor description: Delicate enough to relax, caffeinated enough to power you through the day, blend of two green teas for added complexity
Rating: 2.5/5
Vibes: All business
Review: Like the Bright Star, I felt this tea lacked depth and complexity. If you want plain green tea, this fits the bill.
Sweet Briar Botanical
Link: https://good.store/products/sweet-briar-botanical-loose-leaf-tea
Type: Herbal, loose-leaf, caffeine-free
Vendor description: Sweet berries that burst with every sip, followed by gentle undertones of lemon, raspberry, and rose
Rating: 4/5
Vibes: Fruit granola
Review: Very fragrant with a lot of different things going on. The bag said it contained marshmallow root, honey bush, rose hips, lemon myrtle, raspberry leaf, elderberry, blue cornflower, pink peppercorn. The flavors were pleasant and interesting, but there were so many of them that the overall experience became a little chaotic and detracted from the experience.
Golden Moon
Link: https://good.store/products/golden-moon-loose-leaf-black-tea
Type: Black, loose-leaf, caffeinated
Vendor description: Earthy black tea warmed by bursts of citrus and cinnamon, perfect for warming hands on a chilly morning
Rating: 4/5
Vibes: Warm and fuzzy, refreshing
Review: An interesting mix of warming spices with a dash of citrus that kept it light. I imagine this tea would be best mid-afternoon on a chilly day. I didn’t get a lot of the earthy notes from the vendor description.
Harney and Sons
After ordering from Good Store a few times, I decided to branch out and see what the rest of the tea world had to offer. Perusing Reddit’s r/tea’s curated vendor list as a starting point, I was looking for a US vendor with a decent selection and that offered sample packs to try different varieties without commitment to a full bag. Harney and Sons fit the bill and I ended up going with sachet sampler box and organic teabag sampler box to start.
Paris
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/paris-tea
Type: Black tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: Paris is a fruity black tea with vanilla and caramel flavors and a hint of lemony bergamot.
Rating: 4/5
Vibes:
Review: Black tea with hints of vanilla and currant (subtle). It has a slight spice that lingers on your tongue and leaves a fruity after-taste. Overall, quite pleasant, and I think I enjoyed the tea more as it cooled down, and I got more of the currant/fruit flavors. I think the reason I’m rating it 4 is that it is quite a complex and unique taste that I’m not sure has a place in my daily routine.
Japanese Sencha
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/japanese-sencha
Type: Green tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: The mild vegetal flavors with light accents of citrus and toast make this a tea that can handle all your moods, every day
Rating: 2/5
Vibes: Eating your vegetables to grow up strong
Review: Weirdly enough, the taste of this one reminds me of accidentally getting hay in my mouth from when I grew up taking care of horses; it’s almost reminiscent of roasted spinach. It has a very light body and is smooth to drink.
Decaffeinated Ceylon
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/decaf-ceylon
Type: Black tea, sachet, decaffeinated
Vendor description: The light honey notes are subdued by the decaffeination process, which washes out some of the flavors
Rating: 1/5
Vibes: Chemical, empty
Review: Apparently most of the flavor got removed during the decaffeination too. The only thing left is a slightly stale tea flavor with the slightest hint of citrus.
White Vanilla Grapefruit
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/white-vanilla-grapefruit
Type: White tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: We loved the combination of flavors against the subtle backdrop of the white tea. No exciting name came to our heads, so we called it what it was: white, vanilla, and grapefruit.
Rating: 2/5
Vibes: Jarring
Review: Their description is pretty spot on; vanilla and grapefruit. However, I don’t think that’s a good combination to begin with. The citrus bitterness of the grapefruit clashes with the sweetness of the vanilla set against a relatively light tea flavor.
Hot Cinnamon Spice
Link: https://www.harney.com/collections/all/products/hot-cinnamon-spice-tea
Type: Black tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: Our most popular flavored tea worldwide, Hot Cinnamon Spice, is an assertive blend of black teas, three types of cinnamon, orange peel, and sweet cloves, with no sugar added
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Cozy and warm
Review: Just opening the packet with the tea in it hits you with a wave of cinnamon like you walked into the grocery store the first week they start stocking the cinnamon brooms. Some very refreshing orange citrus-y notes behind the primary cinnamon flavor over a well-balanced black tea blend. Definitely a more situational tea but a great option nonetheless. As I drank more of the cup, it got a little too sweet for my taste.
Tilleul Mint
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/wrapped-mint-tilleul-20-sachet-box
Type: Herbal, sachet, caffeinated-free
Vendor description: Delicate and woodsy linden leaves and flowers from Provence form the nimble body of the brew, while crisp, bright peppermint from Oregon adds a note of liveliness and pep
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Sick day
Review: I’m not generally a mint fan, but I think this one leans more herbal with a mint undertone rather than mint-forward. I could see this being a great tea to have when you are under the weather.
Darjeeling
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/darjeeling-blend
Type: Darjeeling/black tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: This tea delivers a good blend of bright citrus notes and darker notes of stone apricots and plums
Rating: 4/5
Vibes: Strong and steady
Review: Black tea and citrus forward with fruity undertones. It doesn’t have as heavy of the “plant” flavor that some black teas have (likely due to the shorter oxidation than standard black tea). Minor floral notes in the after-taste.
Mint Verbena
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/mint-verbena
Type: Herbal, sachet, caffeine-free
Vendor description: Our Mint Verbena is an invigorating herbal that combines two favorites: Caffeine-free mint and Lemon Verbena
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Refreshing
Review: The mint hits first then a subtle lemon flavor fades in. Supposedly lemon verbena tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in it. As a herbal tea, the base flavor is pretty good with very little “plant” flavor.
Raspberry Herbal
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/raspberry-herbal
Type: Herbal, sachet, caffeine-free
Vendor description: Our Raspberry Herbal tisane is a mixture of rosehips, hibiscus, orange peel, and raspberry flavor that produces a bright, great-tasting tea
Rating: 4/5
Vibes: Fruity, sweet
Review: Sweet and delicious herbal tea. Mostly raspberry, as you would expect, but a mellow floral (hibiscus?) undertone.
Organic Assam
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/organic-assam
Type: Black tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: Our Organic Assam is a rich, full-leaf, medium-bodied black tea. It has a slightly lighter liquor with a sweet honey flavor.
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: All business
Review: Yup, that’s black tea. Similar to a breakfast tea, pretty smooth and decent body to it. Drinking it straight is a little bland, and I’m not getting the honey notes the vendor suggests.
Organic Green
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/organic-green-with-citrus-ginkgo
Type: Green tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: A mixture of vegetal and citrus flavors with a unique ginkgo taste
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Light, earthy
Review: A bit of a plant taste but it’s cut with some citrus flavors that help brighten the taste up a bit.
Organic Ginger Turmeric
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/organic-ginger-turmeric
Type: Herbal, sachet, caffeine-free
Vendor description: Organic Ginger Turmeric is a potent blend of two powerhouse roots that are sure to become a staple in your tea cabinet. We’ve added apple, beetroot, and lemongrass to bring an extra touch of flavor to this ruby-colored brew.
Rating: 2/5
Vibes: Ginger and turmeric, nuff said
Review: The direct flavor is actually quite mild, and the added undertones from the apple and lemongrass help open it up quite a bit. However, the aftertaste is strongly ginger and turmeric and lasts quite a while. Unless that is your vibe and/or you value the eastern health qualities, this may not be for you.
Dragon Pearl Jasmine
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/dragon-pearl-jasmine
Type: Green/white tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: Dragon Pearl Jasmine is comprised of little, hand-rolled ‘pearls’ gently infused with jasmine flowers. The blend is pure joy, with the floral and sweet aromas of the light-colored brew.
Rating: 4/5
Vibes: Crisp, neat
Review: Jasmine forward flavor on top of a very refreshing and light green tea. I’d have to say this has been one of my most favorite green teas I’ve tried so far.
Pomegranate Oolong
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/pomegranate-oolong
Type: Oolong, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: A luscious and fruit-forward brew with a toasty aroma and ample flavors of bright pomegranate
Rating: 4/5
Vibes: Fruity, smooth
Review: A very smooth oolong with very little malt flavor. The initial taste is clean with a subtle fruity flavor, but the after-taste is primarily a refreshing pomegranate. I really liked how expressive the fruit flavors are in this one.
Organic Bangkok
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/organic-bangkok
Type: Green tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: The rich flavors of Bangkok, Thailand, are the inspiration for this tasty blend that combines green tea, lemongrass, vanilla, coconut, and ginger.
Rating: 2.5/5
Vibes: Tropical cleaner but in an okay way?
Review: Lemon up front, which fades quickly into the coconut. It’s kind of a weird vibe. I’m not really a fan of coconut so it just reminds me of sunscreen.
Organic Rooibos Chai
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/organic-rooibos-chai
Type: Rooibos, sachet, caffeine-free
Vendor description: Organic Rooibos Chai brings together caffeine-free Organic Rooibos, or “red bush” herbal from South Africa, with sweet Indian spices of clove, cardamom, and cinnamon.
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Spiced, relaxing
Review: The cinnamon and cardamom are the first thing you notice on this one. I haven’t had a plain rooibos yet to compare, but there is a slight earthy flavor that is a bit different from standard tea. Spiced drinks always remind me of winter, and I bet this one would fit right in on a cold afternoon/evening.
Organic English Breakfast
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/wrapped-organic-english-breakfast-20-sachet-box
Type: Black tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: Organic Chinese Black tea from Keemun makes a smooth full-bodied brew of this traditional breakfast blend
Rating: 4/5
Vibes: Simple, toasty
Review: A very plain, but still tasty breakfast tea. Has some roasted notes as undertones with little to no other flavor elements other than a clean black tea. It would go well with honey, cream, or milk.
Chamomile
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/chamomile
Type: Herbal, sachet, caffeine-free
Vendor description: A premium herbal tea with a light body that is perfect for winding down during a hectic afternoon at the office or at home at the end of the day.
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Floral, calming
Review: Flavor is very light initially but transitions to a floral, plant-y taste. The vendor stated that there are “very subtle” apple flavors that my palate was unable to pick up. Chamomile tea is regarded by some to be very healing and calming. I could see this being a good options for a late-afternoon or evening relaxation.
Organic Green with Citrus & Ginkgo
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/premium-organic-green-citrus-ginkgo-20-teabag-box
Type: Green tea, tea bag, caffeinated
Vendor description: Based on a hand-picked organic green tea from China, our refreshing Organic Green with Citrus & Ginkgo blend delivers the benefits associated with green tea and ginkgo. It features a dash of lemongrass and the bright taste of natural citrus.
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Bright, plant-y
Review: The base flavor of the green tea is very solid here and is complimented by a citrus and lemongrass flavor. I can’t say I’ve had ginkgo before, but there is a hint of floral flavor here that might be attributed to that. Overall, the blend is pretty well-balanced, if a little heavily vegetal for my taste.
Black Currant
Link: https://www.harney.com/products/black-currant-50-sachets-in-bag
Type: Black tea, sachet, caffeinated
Vendor description: This tea has the rich, fruity aroma of black currants. The currants in this tea give it a wonderful fruity flavor.
Rating: 4.5/5
Vibes: Sweet, smooth
Review: A very naturally sweet black tea with bold fruity notes. Probably going to be one of the ones I keep in house on rotation.
Yogi
I got an assorted sampler box of Yogi tea as a Christmas gift. They seem to be a wellness focused tea brand, and the assortment of teas I received leans into that a lot. These are stocked in grocery stores locally to me so that is a benefit of not having to order a week+ in advance. I’m not going to be speaking towards the wellness benefits as I don’t feel that I am qualified to do so.
Spiced Blackberry focus
Link: https://yogi-life.com/en-US/product/spiced-blackberry-focus-076950208681
Type: Black, tea bag, caffeinated
Vendor description: For the ultimate brainpower boost, we blended naturally invigorating black tea with bacopa, a nootropic herb that supports clarity and concentration. Blackberry and hibiscus create a bright, fruity flavor, while cinnamon adds depth and spice.
Rating: 3.5/5
Vibes: Mulled fruit wine
Review: The cinnamon overpowers the fruity flavors pretty significantly, which is a shame as the rest of the flavor components seem like a good combination.
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