Harney and Sons Egyptian Chamomile

This was given to me from a friend after I told her about my growing love for Tazo Calm.  Although Tazo is a blend of a few ingredients, the chamomile is the most prominent one and I've just been liking the natural sweetness that this tea has.  She mentioned that this tea tastes a bit different from normal chamomile so I'm curious to find out how different it really is.

Outsides:  Harney and Sons does what any tea company you should be caring for does and packages their teabags in individually-wrapped foil sachets (with paper on the outside so it looks pretty).  The ingredient is pure Egyptian chamomile.  I put the teabag in 8 oz of boiling water for 5+ minutes.  The color of the liquid is yellow and the tea smells fruity and sweet.

Insides:  When I think of chamomile tea, I think of a sweeter herbal with a fruity-floral scent and a thicker mouthfeel.  This particular chamomile tea tastes fruitier but also the scent is much more fragrant than what I'm used to getting with chamomiles.  There also is the slightest cooling sensation when it goes down the throat.  The liquid doesn't have as much of a mouthfeel as normal chamomile but I'm honestly not sure whether that's because I should have brewed it at 6 oz, my friend gave me slightly old tea (tea in teabags is usually dust and fannings or really small tea and that tends to degrade a lot faster than loose-leaf) or it's just different.

Tilt: Harney and Sons sells this in many varieties including 1.5 oz loose for $5.75 (including their classy-as-hell tin) or a 20 count box for $6.  Yes, that's a bit expensive but I think that the quality in Harney and Sons products makes them worth it.  Chamomile is one of those tissanes that you're probably going to have in your house whether you like it or not so the only thing really unique about this is the different taste notes.  Chamomile is an herb so it should be safe for children and I think it's good sweetened and iced.

Overall:  Whether you like it or not, chamomile tea is a bit of a necessity for everyone.  You don't need to get this if you already have a chamomile tea but if you don't, I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a pure herb.

My Rating:  Buy It!

Harney and Sons is a British tea company that sells mid-quality tea at a pretty reasonable price.

Harney and Sons Paris Flavored Black Tea

 

So, I go on Reddit's /r/tea fairly often and one of the companies I see mentioned fairly often is Harney and Sons with the Paris blend being the blend I hear about the most.  I've seen some of their teas at Macy's but they are way too expensive and in bags anyway.  However, Amazon has a good selection of the loose-leaf tins and you can even buy by the pound if you like it.  Paris sounded particularly interesting because it's a blend of black currants, vanilla and bergamont.

Outsides:  This particular tea was in a 4 oz black tin, which is actually quite informative.  It tells you the caffeine level, how strong it should taste, what it really is supposed to do (relax or wake you up), so I thought that was really cool.  There's only the tin protecting the leaves.  The initial smell you get is very heavy on the berry and vanilla with an interesting tartness mixed with the sweetness.  I brewed 1.5 teaspoons on 8 oz of 95 degree Celsius water for about 4 minutes.  The brew is a darker black tea color and doesn't have as strong of a scent but is still strong.

Insides:  First off, I've tried drinking this with milk and sugar, but I prefer reducing the amount I add from 2 teaspoons to 1.5 and just drinking it plain.  There isn't a really pronounced bergamont flavor despite it being in the list of the ingredients.  Rather, it's a hint that brings a nice citrusy zest to the berry vanilla flavor that's going on.  I think this tea tastes a bit like a berry mouse or some kind of berry desert.  It's pretty naturally sweet so you can definitely drink without sugar.  The tea seems to be a blend of ceylon and is strong but not overpowering to the blend.

Tilt:  So, the tin it came in is really good quality and the label design is simple yet classy.  The tea is pretty unique and is hard to give a real food analog, but is also pretty drinkable and something that I personally reach for.  This would be nice to drink in the fall since the berry flavor is a bit reminiscent of summer but the vanilla flavor gives it a bit of extra richness that would be a bit more appropriate for this time.  I've heard people describe it as tasting like pipe tobacco, but since I don't know what it tastes like, I would still say some kind of berry desert.

Overall:  It's unique but still something you might grab for.  It's a unique bergamont blend and I'm really excited to try more from Harney and Sons.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Harney and Sons is a British tea company.