While winter in the nation’s capital has proven to be exceptionally exciting this year, one calming elixir that always seems to soothe the soul is a cup of hot tea. Although having a large cold brew and focusing on every detail in life may be alluring, it’s important to take a step back every so often and just unwind with a simple yet satisfying brewed tea. That is what I have been doing for several days now, with the help of Jaf Tea. The 75-year-old Rainforest Alliance certified tea company sent me a box of some of their premium teas to taste and enjoy for this review.

The design of the box itself was sleek and premium. The tea bags were all wrapped in their own individual paper and foil packages. The selection included English Breakfast, Ceylon Earl Grey, Black Tea, Green Tea, Green Tea with Soursop & Banana, Green Tea with Strawberry & Kiwi, Chamomile Tea, and Cool Peppermint Tea. With 80 packets of tea, this box has a wide and plentiful selection of unique takes on some classic hot flavors while still offering a solid traditional basis of tea.

For this review, I brewed a cup of English Breakfast, the normal Green Tea, and the Black Tea. Each tea bag had instructions on the proper temperature and steeping instructions for Jaf’s optimal cup of tea. I tried each tea on its own with no additives, but then opted to add sugar to the green tea and sugar and milk to my cuppa English.

The English Tea was the most robust of the bunch. It has a base of black tea flavor with added notes of aged citrus, specifically bergamot. This tea is bold and potent to say the least. The English Tea really does add a whole new dimension to breakfast since and can be a bit overpowering. The addition of milk and sugar help mellow out the tea’s flavor and make it a smoother drink.

The Green was a much needed milder tasting tea. It was naturally sweet, with only some light bitterness on the backend of my sips. The matcha flavor was present and tasted very floral without any harsh chlorophyllic notes which often accompany lower quality green teas.

The final tea I tried was the fruity Black Tea. This tea reminded me of the milder and sweeter English breakfast. It was naturally syrupy tasting and didn’t require any additional sugar. The brew was lighter than the other two teas and had some of the least amount of color. While not the most memorable, this tea was still sippable and pleasant albeit a bit weak.

Overall, the teas offered by Jaf tea exceeded my expectations and were a delightful boost for my early morning and afternoon.

-ARM