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Long story short: I was given a T2 "advent calendar" tea sampler in a Secret Santa at work. These are my notes on the various teas it had in it. These are my opinions of the various teas, based on my personal sensorium and preferences. I've thrown in some opinions of other teas I had handy as well, which may help to give an idea of where my preferences lie.
T2 Gorgeous Geisha - strongly strawberry scented, which isn't really a flavour I'd associated with tea before. One of the flavours this is supposed to include is yoghurt, and there's definitely a creamy edge to the flavour. Loses flavour as you go through the cup, and the tea cools down, unfortunately. Second cup seems a bit more peppery in flavour rather than creamy, although this may just be because I'm taking very small sips at present because it's hot.
T2 Morning Sunshine - smells like black tea, not scented in any way. Tastes very much like black tea too. Yes, I can taste the malty notes they're on about, sort of a bass-line in the flavour. Also a vaguely floral after-taste, and a very slight bitterness from the tannins. Second cup still smells a bit on the floral side (which is odd, because this isn't a scented tea). [One to consider buying]
Twinings Darjeeling - Very harsh, vegetable smell (dried leaves, basically). Very clear tannin bitterness toward the back of the mouth.
T2 Packs A Peach - A fruit tisane rather than a tea, and very strongly peach-scented, although I can also smell something tropical in there. Fairly bland flavour-wise, although to do it justice, I must admit this was immediately after a mouthful of cold pepperoni pizza. I tend to be tasting things with the back of my tongue and the roof of my mouth when it comes to hot drinks, so I'm not noticing any sweet notes, although it does smell as though it should be having them (very sweet-smelling). As I'm getting to the bottom of the drink it's getting sourer - definitely a strongly flavoured sour note in there, so this one has all the flavoured components sink to the bottom of the drink, while the top of the drink is blander and less flavourful. Yup, definitely sourer toward the bottom of the cup, tasting that along the sides of my tongue. Last few sips are definitely sour.
T2 Singapore Breakfast - Smells sort of toasty - something toasted in there. Definitely an odd smell for a tea. Tastes vaguely toasted too. Not sure whether I actually like this one at all. Definitely tastes toasty. I'm almost tempted to make up toast water just to compare the two (I don't think I'll be making a second cup of this one, and I think I may have a bit of trouble getting through the first cup). Not really a flavour I was looking for, to be honest. Okay, the coconut flavour comes through as the tea cools down a bit. Nope, this definitely isn't one I was going to make it all the way through.
Twinings Lemon-Scented Tea - a black tea with a lemon scent, and an old favourite of mine for years. They don't sell it in Australia any more (my partner, who I love to bits and pieces, managed to import a whole bunch of boxes from New Zealand, which are boxes of 20 tea pot bags, rather the usual cup bags I'm used to) to my eternal regret (and apparently the eternal regret of some other folks as well!). Tastes very much like black tea, slight lemony flavour but it's generally just a fairly light black tea as far as I'm concerned.
T2 Tummy Tea - This is listed as an after-dinner thing, but I'm having it for breakfast, because that's when my first cup of tea for the day happens. Smells minty, but I think I'm also spotting the licorice which is carefully warned for on the package in the scent for it as well. Tastes like peppermint tea, mostly - fairly weak peppermint tea at that. I think I can spot the aniseed edges, but then again, that might just be leftover from the Fisherman's Friend lozenge I had before it. Yup, okay, there's definitely an aniseed after-taste in there, and it tends to leave me thinking "oh, I've just eaten a Fisherman's Friend lozenge", but it's actually the tea. Yeah, second cup definitely has that same "oh, I've just eaten a Fisherman's Friend" after-taste. It's all after-taste, to be honest, not much actual taste. Not sure that I really like it - it's a very sweet after-taste, with a hint of menthol around the edges.
T2 Melbourne Breakfast Tea - black tea with vanilla flavouring, and I could definitely smell the vanilla wafting off the dry teabag as I opened the package. Unfortunately, I have some negative associations with strong vanilla scents (there was a brand of fridge spray that used to be vanilla scented, and people at one of my workplaces used to use it for cleaning their desks, and the smell LINGERED) which means I will tend to be a bit errrmm about them. The tea itself once it's made smells like black tea with vanilla essence added (or in other words, just like my ordinary mug of cheap Liptons tea used to in the office where people cleaned their desks with the vanilla fridge spray). And yup, it tastes like standard black tea with a bit of vanilla scent dropped on top - lots of vanilla smell, but the underlying tea itself is unimpressive.
T2 Jade Mountain - Dry teabag definitely smells chocolatey, and I think I can detect the hazelnut in there as well. I've figured out where the toasted smell is coming from in this one - the green tea blend being used is a macha green tea blend which contains roasted rice, hence the "toasted grain" notes. These predominate in the actual made tea scent. Hazelnut touches in the first tastes of the tea, so that's nice. Wouldn't have thought of combining tea with hazelnut, even though I know it works well with coffee and chocolate. The toasty notes of the roasted rice combine nicely with the hazelnut in this one; it tastes more "nutty" than "burnt toast", so that's a start.
T2 Sweetest Dreams - Another tisane rather than a tea. The smell of this one is very reminiscent of 4711 eau de cologne - lots of lavender, lots of florals, a few citrus notes here and there. Sipping it is rather like drinking a tea designed to resemble 4711 as well - the flavour is mostly scent, which means the actual tea itself is a bit on the bland side but with the sharper, sourer notes I've come to expect from "herbal teas" rather than the bitter notes of a standard black or green tea. Lots of sharper flavour at the front of the tongue, lots of scent at the back. The after-scent lingers, and lingers, and lingers and then lingers some more. I only wound up having 1 cup of this one due to the lingering scent.
Twinings English Breakfast - Had a cup of this around 3.20pm due to trying to clear out the lingering scent from the last tea. Plain, unvarnished leaf-water. Slightly bitter, most of the flavour is at the back of the mouth, and fortunately, no scent complicating things. A very pleasant contrast to two or three days of various other flavours. The only thing plainer than this is ordinary Liptons teabag tea, or the cheapest available loose-leaf black tea out there.
T2 French Earl Grey - Dry teabag smelled citrusy / fruity, the actual tea smells more like apricots. Tastes like a fruity black tea - not really an intrusive flavour or scent, fortunately. [another to consider buying]
T2 Lemongrass & Ginger - Can definitely smell the ginger notes in the tea. But then, that's ginger for you. Can also smell the lemongrass underneath it, which is a bit more impressive. The ginger flavour definitely comes through, as does the ginger bite. Again, not much actual taste in this one, it's all in the scent and after-taste, which at present is all ginger. Not that I mind, to be honest - I actually do enjoy ginger as a flavour, so I'm not going to complain about this one. [add to the potential purchase list]
T2 Strawberries & Cream - Another tisane. The dry teabag smells berry-like, so does the made-up tea. This one has hibiscus flowers in it to make the tea red (like strawberries, yah?). First sip and the impression I got was of sourness and no real flavour other than the flavour I'm used to associating with hibiscus (a sort of sourness) in teas. Subsequent sips reinforce this - primary flavour is the hibiscus sourness, although I'm starting to notice the yoghurty-creamy flavour as well. Not being a fan of hibiscus, I think I'm going to be skipping a second cup of this one. Keep sipping, and yeah, there's definitely a berry flavour in there but it keeps getting overwhelmed by the sourness of the hibiscus at the end of each sip, which sort of ruins things for me. Yeah. Don't think I'm going to even finish this cup.
T2 Chai - Chai is supposed to be served with milk. I drink it without. This blend has very strong clove notes from the tea, as well as the dry teabag smelling very strongly of the sweet spices (clove, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon). And yeah, it's chai, it tastes like tea with sweet spices, it's a flavour I know and like and love (I do my own version with whole spices, and about the cheapest black tea you can find in the supermarket, in a teapot).
T2 Green Rose - Rose-scented green tea. Rose scent isn't intrusive - very light flavour, not much after-taste or after-scent lingering. Quite pleasant as it gets colder too, which is useful on a day where I'm very busy! Second cup turns out quite nice as well. Scent is more fruity than floral, to be honest, and there's a bit of a fruity after-taste.
Twinings Russian Caravan - Strong black tea with smoky flavour overlaying. Fairly bitter and dry on the tongue.
T2 Earl Grey - Very much like the Twinings version. Teabag smells a bit more citrusy, but the overall blend is much the same - light bergamot scent, and a fairly light black tea. Quite pleasant, but about the same quality overall as the Twinings (which is a tad cheaper and easier to acquire).
Twinings Green Tea & Lemon - Lemon-scented green tea. Started trying this one as a potential replacement for the Lemon-scented tea, but stuck with it because at least there's a bit less caffeine.
T2 Detox - dry teabag smells spicy, peppery. Actual tea smells spicy as well, but more turmeric and fennel. Can definitely taste licorice in this one - sweet after-taste and methol sensation at the upper back of the mouth. Definitely a sweet after-taste from this tea, although the actual tea itself doesn't taste much of anything. Don't think I'll bother with a second cup.
T2 China Jasmine - Jasmine tea is an old favourite of mine, and this one is very much like the jasmine tea (authentic from China, purchased in an Asian Grocery store) I have in the tin at home, only in teabag form! Light taste, slight bitterness at the end of each mouthful, and a light jasmine scent. Very pleasant, and a nice version of an old favourite. However, I'm still more likely to search out an Asian grocers and buy more of the the current stuff I have at home, if only because it's a mite cheaper for the same overall quality.
T2 New York Breakfast - Another scented tea. The teabag smells vanilla and cinnamon. Made up tea smells like cinnamon more than vanilla, and there's a bit of a cinnamon flavour as an after-taste to the tea. Last mouthful from the mug had a strong cinnamon taste to it. Not bad. Not brilliant, but not bad either. Sort of sweet in flavour, which I suppose is only to be expected from something which is trying to be an American tea flavour (the wonder is the blasted thing doesn't have High-Fructose Corn Syrup included as a component).
T2 Turmeric Ginger Ninja - This one is one of their tisanes with licorice root, which means it has the licorice after-taste, and I've pretty much learned I don't like that. Which is a pity, because the rest of it seems nice enough - as previously mentioned, I'm a fan of ginger, and turmeric isn't exactly something I'll turn my nose up at either. Unfortunately, the licorice after-taste just ... yeah, nah. Not interested.
T2 Southern Sunrise - Teabag smelled vaguely citrusy, tea (or rather tisane) smells very much grapefruit. It's a more of a yellow colour than the brown you'd be used to with teas. First sips and I can taste the sourness of hibiscus (ingredients list does list white hibiscus in there at about 5% of the mix). I like the smell, but the taste and the hibiscus sourness loses me. Pity, really, because if this one wasn't as sour, I might consider buying it, but the sourness really doesn't do anything for me. Yup, this is definitely one of those ones where the scent is lovely, but the actual taste isn't great. Might try the next cup with a teaspoon of sugar (I feel like honey would add its own scent to the mix, messing up the current scent matrix). Unfortunately, the scent only comes through on the first cup (the second one was decidedly scentless) and therefore it tasted of sugar water, which also isn't one of my favourites. So, that one gets scratched off the "might buy this" list.
T2 Sticky Date Delight - A rooibos tea, and the dry teabag smelled sweet and a bit caramelly. The made-up tea is also sweet smelling, and doesn't taste too bad. Strongly scented, so the main flavour is the scent, but no bitter or sour notes (thank heavens). The scent does tend to linger afterwards, but it isn't a highly floral one, more caramel and such. That said, I'm probably not going to bother with the second cup, mostly because while it does smell nice, I'm not that sold on sticky date pudding as a desirable flavour for tea. Caramel / toffee chocolate, maybe. But not tea.
T2 Go Go Goa - Spiced black tea. The dry teabag smelled vaguely peppery; the made-up tea smells more of the sweet spices (cinnamon, cardamom). Tea tastes like spiced tea - there's a definitely peppery touch to things, and a bit of a toasty flavour, but mostly it tastes like black tea, with the astringent notes at the back of the mouth.
T2 Pumping Pomegranate - Tisane. Dry teabag smells fruity. Tea smells even more fruity, but tasted hibiscus-sour. A teaspoon of sugar helps with the sourness (mainly by adding a touch of sweetness to the front-of-mouth taste). Overall, I'm not overly impressed with this one, mainly because I'm not a huge fan of massively fruity teas to begin with.
T2 Sleep Tight - This one is a herbal tea, and the dry teabag smelled a bit on the floral side. The made-up tea smells much more plant-based than most - cut vegetation smell. Doesn't taste of anything much - vaguely leaf-water taste, but not really anything spectacular about it all.
T2 Christmas Breakfast - The dry teabag smells sickly-sweet and definitely Christmas spicy (a bit like inhaling either fruit cake or gingerbread, or a combination of both). The finished tea smells very strongly of clove and cinnamon, and there's a definite touch of ginger in there as well, maybe a bit of nutmeg. The tea itself isn't too bad, but it comes with a mouthful of scent each time, which is what rather puts me off - the scent lingers at the back of my mouth (cinnamon & cloves) and overpowers the actual taste of the tea.
Overall, I enjoyed working my way through these, and I've learned these sorts of samplers are a good gift for someone like myself, who gets stuck in a rut a lot of the time. I tend to be rather cautious about trying new things, because "what if I don't like it?" - one of the scars of lengthy periods on a very low income (and being low-spoons) is I don't want to risk spending money (and effort) on things I discover I don't like. As it was, I wound up with a couple of different teas every day for twelve days, and discovered eight types of tea I'd be willing to buy from T2 (for the record: Morning Sunshine; French Earl Grey; Lemongrass and Ginger; Green Rose; Gorgeous Geisha; Jade Mountain; New York Breakfast; and Go Go Goa). All in all a lovely present, and a big thank you to my Secret Santa, whoever they were.
T2 Gorgeous Geisha - strongly strawberry scented, which isn't really a flavour I'd associated with tea before. One of the flavours this is supposed to include is yoghurt, and there's definitely a creamy edge to the flavour. Loses flavour as you go through the cup, and the tea cools down, unfortunately. Second cup seems a bit more peppery in flavour rather than creamy, although this may just be because I'm taking very small sips at present because it's hot.
T2 Morning Sunshine - smells like black tea, not scented in any way. Tastes very much like black tea too. Yes, I can taste the malty notes they're on about, sort of a bass-line in the flavour. Also a vaguely floral after-taste, and a very slight bitterness from the tannins. Second cup still smells a bit on the floral side (which is odd, because this isn't a scented tea). [One to consider buying]
Twinings Darjeeling - Very harsh, vegetable smell (dried leaves, basically). Very clear tannin bitterness toward the back of the mouth.
T2 Packs A Peach - A fruit tisane rather than a tea, and very strongly peach-scented, although I can also smell something tropical in there. Fairly bland flavour-wise, although to do it justice, I must admit this was immediately after a mouthful of cold pepperoni pizza. I tend to be tasting things with the back of my tongue and the roof of my mouth when it comes to hot drinks, so I'm not noticing any sweet notes, although it does smell as though it should be having them (very sweet-smelling). As I'm getting to the bottom of the drink it's getting sourer - definitely a strongly flavoured sour note in there, so this one has all the flavoured components sink to the bottom of the drink, while the top of the drink is blander and less flavourful. Yup, definitely sourer toward the bottom of the cup, tasting that along the sides of my tongue. Last few sips are definitely sour.
T2 Singapore Breakfast - Smells sort of toasty - something toasted in there. Definitely an odd smell for a tea. Tastes vaguely toasted too. Not sure whether I actually like this one at all. Definitely tastes toasty. I'm almost tempted to make up toast water just to compare the two (I don't think I'll be making a second cup of this one, and I think I may have a bit of trouble getting through the first cup). Not really a flavour I was looking for, to be honest. Okay, the coconut flavour comes through as the tea cools down a bit. Nope, this definitely isn't one I was going to make it all the way through.
Twinings Lemon-Scented Tea - a black tea with a lemon scent, and an old favourite of mine for years. They don't sell it in Australia any more (my partner, who I love to bits and pieces, managed to import a whole bunch of boxes from New Zealand, which are boxes of 20 tea pot bags, rather the usual cup bags I'm used to) to my eternal regret (and apparently the eternal regret of some other folks as well!). Tastes very much like black tea, slight lemony flavour but it's generally just a fairly light black tea as far as I'm concerned.
T2 Tummy Tea - This is listed as an after-dinner thing, but I'm having it for breakfast, because that's when my first cup of tea for the day happens. Smells minty, but I think I'm also spotting the licorice which is carefully warned for on the package in the scent for it as well. Tastes like peppermint tea, mostly - fairly weak peppermint tea at that. I think I can spot the aniseed edges, but then again, that might just be leftover from the Fisherman's Friend lozenge I had before it. Yup, okay, there's definitely an aniseed after-taste in there, and it tends to leave me thinking "oh, I've just eaten a Fisherman's Friend lozenge", but it's actually the tea. Yeah, second cup definitely has that same "oh, I've just eaten a Fisherman's Friend" after-taste. It's all after-taste, to be honest, not much actual taste. Not sure that I really like it - it's a very sweet after-taste, with a hint of menthol around the edges.
T2 Melbourne Breakfast Tea - black tea with vanilla flavouring, and I could definitely smell the vanilla wafting off the dry teabag as I opened the package. Unfortunately, I have some negative associations with strong vanilla scents (there was a brand of fridge spray that used to be vanilla scented, and people at one of my workplaces used to use it for cleaning their desks, and the smell LINGERED) which means I will tend to be a bit errrmm about them. The tea itself once it's made smells like black tea with vanilla essence added (or in other words, just like my ordinary mug of cheap Liptons tea used to in the office where people cleaned their desks with the vanilla fridge spray). And yup, it tastes like standard black tea with a bit of vanilla scent dropped on top - lots of vanilla smell, but the underlying tea itself is unimpressive.
T2 Jade Mountain - Dry teabag definitely smells chocolatey, and I think I can detect the hazelnut in there as well. I've figured out where the toasted smell is coming from in this one - the green tea blend being used is a macha green tea blend which contains roasted rice, hence the "toasted grain" notes. These predominate in the actual made tea scent. Hazelnut touches in the first tastes of the tea, so that's nice. Wouldn't have thought of combining tea with hazelnut, even though I know it works well with coffee and chocolate. The toasty notes of the roasted rice combine nicely with the hazelnut in this one; it tastes more "nutty" than "burnt toast", so that's a start.
T2 Sweetest Dreams - Another tisane rather than a tea. The smell of this one is very reminiscent of 4711 eau de cologne - lots of lavender, lots of florals, a few citrus notes here and there. Sipping it is rather like drinking a tea designed to resemble 4711 as well - the flavour is mostly scent, which means the actual tea itself is a bit on the bland side but with the sharper, sourer notes I've come to expect from "herbal teas" rather than the bitter notes of a standard black or green tea. Lots of sharper flavour at the front of the tongue, lots of scent at the back. The after-scent lingers, and lingers, and lingers and then lingers some more. I only wound up having 1 cup of this one due to the lingering scent.
Twinings English Breakfast - Had a cup of this around 3.20pm due to trying to clear out the lingering scent from the last tea. Plain, unvarnished leaf-water. Slightly bitter, most of the flavour is at the back of the mouth, and fortunately, no scent complicating things. A very pleasant contrast to two or three days of various other flavours. The only thing plainer than this is ordinary Liptons teabag tea, or the cheapest available loose-leaf black tea out there.
T2 French Earl Grey - Dry teabag smelled citrusy / fruity, the actual tea smells more like apricots. Tastes like a fruity black tea - not really an intrusive flavour or scent, fortunately. [another to consider buying]
T2 Lemongrass & Ginger - Can definitely smell the ginger notes in the tea. But then, that's ginger for you. Can also smell the lemongrass underneath it, which is a bit more impressive. The ginger flavour definitely comes through, as does the ginger bite. Again, not much actual taste in this one, it's all in the scent and after-taste, which at present is all ginger. Not that I mind, to be honest - I actually do enjoy ginger as a flavour, so I'm not going to complain about this one. [add to the potential purchase list]
T2 Strawberries & Cream - Another tisane. The dry teabag smells berry-like, so does the made-up tea. This one has hibiscus flowers in it to make the tea red (like strawberries, yah?). First sip and the impression I got was of sourness and no real flavour other than the flavour I'm used to associating with hibiscus (a sort of sourness) in teas. Subsequent sips reinforce this - primary flavour is the hibiscus sourness, although I'm starting to notice the yoghurty-creamy flavour as well. Not being a fan of hibiscus, I think I'm going to be skipping a second cup of this one. Keep sipping, and yeah, there's definitely a berry flavour in there but it keeps getting overwhelmed by the sourness of the hibiscus at the end of each sip, which sort of ruins things for me. Yeah. Don't think I'm going to even finish this cup.
T2 Chai - Chai is supposed to be served with milk. I drink it without. This blend has very strong clove notes from the tea, as well as the dry teabag smelling very strongly of the sweet spices (clove, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon). And yeah, it's chai, it tastes like tea with sweet spices, it's a flavour I know and like and love (I do my own version with whole spices, and about the cheapest black tea you can find in the supermarket, in a teapot).
T2 Green Rose - Rose-scented green tea. Rose scent isn't intrusive - very light flavour, not much after-taste or after-scent lingering. Quite pleasant as it gets colder too, which is useful on a day where I'm very busy! Second cup turns out quite nice as well. Scent is more fruity than floral, to be honest, and there's a bit of a fruity after-taste.
Twinings Russian Caravan - Strong black tea with smoky flavour overlaying. Fairly bitter and dry on the tongue.
T2 Earl Grey - Very much like the Twinings version. Teabag smells a bit more citrusy, but the overall blend is much the same - light bergamot scent, and a fairly light black tea. Quite pleasant, but about the same quality overall as the Twinings (which is a tad cheaper and easier to acquire).
Twinings Green Tea & Lemon - Lemon-scented green tea. Started trying this one as a potential replacement for the Lemon-scented tea, but stuck with it because at least there's a bit less caffeine.
T2 Detox - dry teabag smells spicy, peppery. Actual tea smells spicy as well, but more turmeric and fennel. Can definitely taste licorice in this one - sweet after-taste and methol sensation at the upper back of the mouth. Definitely a sweet after-taste from this tea, although the actual tea itself doesn't taste much of anything. Don't think I'll bother with a second cup.
T2 China Jasmine - Jasmine tea is an old favourite of mine, and this one is very much like the jasmine tea (authentic from China, purchased in an Asian Grocery store) I have in the tin at home, only in teabag form! Light taste, slight bitterness at the end of each mouthful, and a light jasmine scent. Very pleasant, and a nice version of an old favourite. However, I'm still more likely to search out an Asian grocers and buy more of the the current stuff I have at home, if only because it's a mite cheaper for the same overall quality.
T2 New York Breakfast - Another scented tea. The teabag smells vanilla and cinnamon. Made up tea smells like cinnamon more than vanilla, and there's a bit of a cinnamon flavour as an after-taste to the tea. Last mouthful from the mug had a strong cinnamon taste to it. Not bad. Not brilliant, but not bad either. Sort of sweet in flavour, which I suppose is only to be expected from something which is trying to be an American tea flavour (the wonder is the blasted thing doesn't have High-Fructose Corn Syrup included as a component).
T2 Turmeric Ginger Ninja - This one is one of their tisanes with licorice root, which means it has the licorice after-taste, and I've pretty much learned I don't like that. Which is a pity, because the rest of it seems nice enough - as previously mentioned, I'm a fan of ginger, and turmeric isn't exactly something I'll turn my nose up at either. Unfortunately, the licorice after-taste just ... yeah, nah. Not interested.
T2 Southern Sunrise - Teabag smelled vaguely citrusy, tea (or rather tisane) smells very much grapefruit. It's a more of a yellow colour than the brown you'd be used to with teas. First sips and I can taste the sourness of hibiscus (ingredients list does list white hibiscus in there at about 5% of the mix). I like the smell, but the taste and the hibiscus sourness loses me. Pity, really, because if this one wasn't as sour, I might consider buying it, but the sourness really doesn't do anything for me. Yup, this is definitely one of those ones where the scent is lovely, but the actual taste isn't great. Might try the next cup with a teaspoon of sugar (I feel like honey would add its own scent to the mix, messing up the current scent matrix). Unfortunately, the scent only comes through on the first cup (the second one was decidedly scentless) and therefore it tasted of sugar water, which also isn't one of my favourites. So, that one gets scratched off the "might buy this" list.
T2 Sticky Date Delight - A rooibos tea, and the dry teabag smelled sweet and a bit caramelly. The made-up tea is also sweet smelling, and doesn't taste too bad. Strongly scented, so the main flavour is the scent, but no bitter or sour notes (thank heavens). The scent does tend to linger afterwards, but it isn't a highly floral one, more caramel and such. That said, I'm probably not going to bother with the second cup, mostly because while it does smell nice, I'm not that sold on sticky date pudding as a desirable flavour for tea. Caramel / toffee chocolate, maybe. But not tea.
T2 Go Go Goa - Spiced black tea. The dry teabag smelled vaguely peppery; the made-up tea smells more of the sweet spices (cinnamon, cardamom). Tea tastes like spiced tea - there's a definitely peppery touch to things, and a bit of a toasty flavour, but mostly it tastes like black tea, with the astringent notes at the back of the mouth.
T2 Pumping Pomegranate - Tisane. Dry teabag smells fruity. Tea smells even more fruity, but tasted hibiscus-sour. A teaspoon of sugar helps with the sourness (mainly by adding a touch of sweetness to the front-of-mouth taste). Overall, I'm not overly impressed with this one, mainly because I'm not a huge fan of massively fruity teas to begin with.
T2 Sleep Tight - This one is a herbal tea, and the dry teabag smelled a bit on the floral side. The made-up tea smells much more plant-based than most - cut vegetation smell. Doesn't taste of anything much - vaguely leaf-water taste, but not really anything spectacular about it all.
T2 Christmas Breakfast - The dry teabag smells sickly-sweet and definitely Christmas spicy (a bit like inhaling either fruit cake or gingerbread, or a combination of both). The finished tea smells very strongly of clove and cinnamon, and there's a definite touch of ginger in there as well, maybe a bit of nutmeg. The tea itself isn't too bad, but it comes with a mouthful of scent each time, which is what rather puts me off - the scent lingers at the back of my mouth (cinnamon & cloves) and overpowers the actual taste of the tea.
Overall, I enjoyed working my way through these, and I've learned these sorts of samplers are a good gift for someone like myself, who gets stuck in a rut a lot of the time. I tend to be rather cautious about trying new things, because "what if I don't like it?" - one of the scars of lengthy periods on a very low income (and being low-spoons) is I don't want to risk spending money (and effort) on things I discover I don't like. As it was, I wound up with a couple of different teas every day for twelve days, and discovered eight types of tea I'd be willing to buy from T2 (for the record: Morning Sunshine; French Earl Grey; Lemongrass and Ginger; Green Rose; Gorgeous Geisha; Jade Mountain; New York Breakfast; and Go Go Goa). All in all a lovely present, and a big thank you to my Secret Santa, whoever they were.
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