Loose Leaf Tea Sampler Gunpowder Green Tea, Lychee Congou Black Tea, Rooibos Herbal Tea, Formosa Oolong and More; Tea Assortment Variety. Approx 90+ Cups

*NOTE* The description of "4oz sample tins" refers to the volumetric measurement of the tins that the tea comes in (ie, they would hold 4oz of water), NOT the amount of tea that you get. By weight, you get about 1oz of each type of tea.I usually wait until I've fully tried a product before reviewing it, but this sampler was so excellent I've decided to write my review after having tried only 2 out of the 6 teas. First of all, it's an excellent value. Most tea samplers are a complete ripoff where you barely get any tea. As someone who is new to the world of tea but rapidly falling in love and discovering my tastes and preferences, high-value samplers are a godsend. Not only do you get a substantial amount of tea (about 1 oz per tea), plus you get to keep the tins (which can easily run $10 for 6 tins)! Excellent for deciding which teas I want to buy in bulk later on and having storage so I can keep a set at work too.So far I've tried the Rooibos and the Gunpowder Green:Rooibos (1.25oz): I've never tried Rooibos before, but I'm glad I was able to as a part of this sampler. It was rich and full-bodied on its own, but I could see it pairing well with milk and sugar, and it practically begs to be paired with some cinnamon.Gunpowder Green (1.6 oz): I love green tea, but I've mostly had Japanese green tea which is often steamed rather than cooked the way Chinese green tea is. Gunpowder is a Chinese green tea and has varying levels of smokiness due to the way it's processed. I was hoping I'd like it and be able to buy it in bulk as my main tea staple, but I was nervous about the description of "smoky" and wanted to try a small amount first before committing to a whole pound. When I opened the tin I was disappointed at how small the pellets were, because a friend had given me a bit of another rolled green tea and those pellets were easily twice the size. To my delight, these leaves unfurled just as large as the tea my friend had given me! I wouldn't describe the taste as smoky so much as savory, similar to Hojicha for Japanese green tea drinkers, but it has a sweet, lingering aftertaste that good Japanese sencha has. I love it and will definitely buy the 1 pound bag from Solstice Tea when my sample runs out! I was able to get two steepings out of this tea (the third was very weak), but I love my tea strong and tend to steep it for longer than recommended so you might be able to get even more steepings. I brewed it with just under boiling water for several minutes each time and it never got bitter.Puerh: I'm very curious to try the Puerh (aged black tea), and I'm happy that this sampler gives me the opportunity to try a small amount of what I'm sure is good quality tea (each of the six pellets is individually wrapped in paper, 1oz). Puerh is difficult to find good quality in small amounts, so I'm grateful I can try it here and decide if it's a tea I want to explore further without requiring a large investment.I've never had Oolong before either (0.9oz), it's supposed to be something in between green and black tea, although it smells more like the Puerh to me (very savory).The lychee congou (Chinese black tea, 1.1oz) smells like heaven, although I've had black teas that had a wonderful nose but none of the flavor came across in the taste, so I'm curious to try this one as well.Finally there's a Lyerpadi Estate (Indian black tea 1.1oz)...I know I'm not a big fan of black tea hot, so I'll probably brew this one up as an iced tea.

pretty good sampler, I am fairly new to teas. LOVED the Lychee tea- so intense in flavor and aroma. Great even on the 2nd infusion. I was a bit disappointed with the Pu-erh. I never had one before. The aroma was nice, like a wet forest, top soil kind of smell. It was not so complex in the flavor department. Standard oolong was standard, nice, but not amazing. Rooibos is totally new to me..smells and tastes like medicine and tobacco. Not my thing. Trying the Iyerpadi now. Not much different than lipton, honestly. Have not had the gun powder, I suspect it will taste like my stash of pure leaf brand. I would probably give this sampler a 3, but the Lychee is so good, I would buy it again if it was the only way I could get that tea!

Gunpowder green: Not fresh tasting. Bitter, smoky, overcooked buttered spinach flavor. Not for me, thanks.Iyerpadi Estate: extremely broken pieces, basically fannings. Needs to be given a really short steep or else it is really astringent. Malty flavor if brewed carefully but still not great IMO.Rooibos: Yeah, it's alright. Kind of mild and woody flavor, which is typical of rooibos. Not as aromatic as some.Formosa Standard Oolong: Fruity, woody, and roasty notes. This one is reasonably nice IMO.Lychee congou: Nice aroma, but kind of watery and bland on the taste. Basically scented water. This is a common problem with many aromatized teas.Pu-erh tuo cha: Oh gosh, no. This is a cake made from compressed fannings, and basically turns into mud when steeped. Really acrid, chemically taste. I have had actual, good pu-erh since having this, and this is not a good example of the type at all.

I love my iced tea and hot teas at the right times. The presentation is great, the assortment is nice, and most of the flavors are just okay... for me. I had not tried several of the types and really enjoyed trying them, even if it turns out they "aren't my cup of tea". I don't hold that against the teas; it's just my palate/preference.The package would make a GREAT gift for a tea lover. My only suggestion to the makers would be serving suggestion. Since it's loose leaf without "instructions", it usually took a couple of tries to get the proper ratio.

I love these tea samplers. I don't drink a ton of tea so the small tins are perfect for me for awhile. I always try to get this pack:Gunpowder Green Tea, Iyerpadi Estate Black Tea, Rooibos Herbal Tea, Lychee Congou Black Tea, Formosa Standard Oolong Tea, and Pu-erh Tuo Cha Tea CakesThe variety on that one is perfect, with a great mix of green and black teas with distinct flavors. You have the lychee tea for something a little fruity and off beat. And the Rooibos as a great decaf alternative.

Being a newbie to loose teas, I really loved this sampler and especially the information card that comes with it. You get plenty of tea to try each one numerous times. My fiance and I have tried all of them and we both enjoyed each, his favorite being the red rooibos and mine being basically all of them. The pu ehr is definitely a unique tea, not unpleasant but the aroma can be surprising if you aren't prepared for it. I like variety and trying new things, so I was happy that was in there.The teas are packaged and labeled well, and the box itself is very cute. This would make a great gift for someone, or is a great starter pack if you're like me and a little overwhelmed and lost when you're trying to pick a type of tea to try. I'll definitely be ordering more tea from Solstice.

As a first-time loose-leaf tea drinker, this was an excellent sampler pack. It had enough variety that I was able to get a feel for what kind of tea I like. I think everything was good, but really loved the rooibos and lychee (not so much the pu-erh). The tea came in nice little tins that keep the tea fresh and the packaging was good as well. Since I bought this sampler pack, I've purchased even more tea directly from Solstice Tea Traders' site and I always received quality tea, good prices, and fast shipping.