Celestial Seasonings
Morning Thunder with cream and splenda

I dig this mix of Yerba Mate and Black tea. The taste is somewhere between the taste of black tea and coffee. I am an ex-coffee fiend, so anything that gives me a little taste of my old life is welcome.

It is a very forgiving brew. I've used a wide temperature of waters with only favorable results. Unlike tea the taste doesn't suffer if you choose to dip the bag in the water several times rather than waiting for the full stew times. This is a good one for a busy morning.

The name of this tea gives my wife a laugh. She says it reminds her of the sounds I make in the bathroom when I first wake up in the morning. I'm not sure what that means, but I think she's making fun of me.

You may cover a fish with spinach, but can't hide its smell.

-Bengali Proverb (via Wikiquote)

Unknown Brand
Came with a tea set from Wal-mart featuring a rooster

For Christmas I received a teaset with a rooster on the pot and two teacups. The gift also included several bags of black tea and green tea. Today I tried the black tea.

The tea bag didn't drain the water well which I found odd. Normally when I pick up a tea bag I see the water drain out. This teabag just retained the water. I was dubious.

It was my morning tea though, so I dropped in some sweet and low and drank it. It could have used a splash of milk, but it wasn't horrible. I mean, its probably in my bottom 15% of teas that I have tried but its not in the bottom 5%.

Now the 100 teabags I picked up a Wal-Mart in Denver for 98 cents -- that was in my bottom 5%. I used Splenda and a lot of milk to force my way through that mistake.

Ultimately, leadership is about the strength of one's convictions, the ability to endure the punches, and the energy to promote an idea.

-Benazir Bhutto (via Wikiquote)

Oregon Chai
Sugar Free without milk

I haven't been drinking Chai because of the carbohydrates involved. In the spirit of eating too much this Christmas season I picked up a container of Oregon Chai concentrate (sugar free). I mixed it with 2% milk, but it lacked the harshness that I like. I had three cups this way, but still felt incomplete.

I decided to try the last cup of concentrate without milk. I realized then that it was the milk that was overpowering the chai. It didn't matter though, I still just don't care for the taste of it.

All of which isn't to say anything bad about Oregon Chai. The non-sugar free version is one of my favorite vices.

In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.

-Leo Tolstoy (via Wikiquote)