Looking back, I’m surprised I rated the TJ’s English Breakfast full marks because I’ve kind of been avoiding it recently. That didn’t stop me from trying their Irish Breakfast, which wasn’t bad but wasn’t exciting either. Cheap tea tastes cheap, I guess.

This was okay. Kind of boring, too, but in an “enjoyable but not life altering way” and not a “I hoped for more from this blend” way like the chaimander.

I haven’t had yerba maté in a while, and it definitely has a distinct flavor to get used to, but the chocolate mint flavors of the rest of the blend are super helpful in that regard.

Need another cup of this before I make up my mind definitively, but that’s part of the fun story behind this blend.

Over the weekend, I discovered for the first time a place that serves Elmwood Inn by the cup, so that let me try a new blend without having to buy a bunch at once. This sounded interesting enough to give it a shot, and it was good! I may buy more of this the next time I’m buying from this company.

Late night driving sometimes means stopping for tea on the way, and this was a delicious choice.

This purchase felt like a real gamble. I’m not sure I actually like green tea, and while I have had one yummy hojicha latte, that’s not a lot to base a long-lasting purchase on.

Anyway, I like it! It feels like I shouldn’t, because it’s a very unique taste that reminds me of being in a Japanese restaurant more than the teas I usually like, but it’s good and I’m looking forward to drinking more.

I’m not ready to give this full marks (maybe because I don’t actually like caramel corn all that much, so who knows why I felt like I had to have this tea). That said, it’s good and interesting, Elmwood Inn somehow managed to make it taste like its description, and I don’t think I’ll get bored of it.

Not the best chai I’ve ever had, but a nice addition to my morning rotation.

I know it’s a breakfast tea, but this hit the spot yesterday when I was dragging right before an afternoon meeting. Not too strong, just the exact kind of malty flavor I’m trying to experience more of.

This blend felt like a bit of a gamble, but if the flavors are subtle, they are more or less what I would have expected from the branding. A welcome addition to my current lineup.

As a side note, I just want to say how glad I am that I now write these posts because over the weekend, I was trying to remember whether I liked a particular blend, but it was from before I started teablogging, so I had nothing to rely on!

Anyway, this was another good midmorning work tea. I’d gladly drink it again, even if I can’t say I’d notice if I never had it again.

Doesn’t knock one’s socks off, but it was a good mid-morning work tea.

A friend offered me a cup of this when I dropped by to visit briefly. It was good! I’d drink more green tea if it tasted like this!

While I’m in a “reevaluating tea” mood today, I want to confess that this tea is not as mind-blowing as it was when I first discovered it years ago. It’s good, but it’s not Smores or Dubai Chocolate-tier good.

I badmouthed this in my first review, but I’ve since remembered what I like about it even if it isn’t what I expected from a chai, so it deserves a review update.

I got this a while ago, when I was first trying to get into “real” black teas instead of the flavored stuff that’s my favorite.

It’s very strong, so I have had a hard time getting used to it, but I think I finally cracked the right way to steep it, and now I’m not dreading finishing the box.

This is a pretty good apple and cinnamon blend, but having cinnamon in it does not make it a chai, so points off for false advertising. It’s still good even when I borked the steeping this morning, though, so it has that going for it.

Green tea is not usually my favorite, and I think hojicha would take a while to get used to, but even without a bunch of milk, I think I’d enjoy it more than other green teas.

This tea is tasty! The orange flavor is good, and I like the cinnamon more than I might have expected. I am not giving it full marks because I think I’d tire of it quickly, and even though that raises some inconsistencies in my rating system, I’m sticking with it.

It’s not totally what I was hoping for (maybe I’m getting used to the oolong—the last licorice tea I had was just black), but it scratches the itch for a good licorice tea.

Good but not mind blowing!

This would be better except that I steeped it too long, so some of the underlying tea flavor is too strong. It is the kind of chai I like (more pepper and ginger than cinnamon), so I’m going to have to be more careful the next time.

This was pretty good, but I think it would be better if I’d steeped it differently. I don’t get the “one bag per person” instructions and how it differs from “one bag per cup.”

Chamomile is not something I generally like in tea, but the overall combination here works, and it’s a nice “warm me up” blend for a cold day.

Not bad but not my favorite. I liked the recent blend of Kenya and Ceylon tea a lot, and now I’m wondering if what I really liked was the Ceylon. I’m guessing I’ll find out!