I try to avoid strong flavorings with my tea blends (aside from the chais) because I want the flavor of the tea to predominate.
Tasting notes: I use an organic fairtrade chunmee green tea (chunmee is a basic chinese green) when tasted by itself it has a bit of natural sweetness. The panfired green is a straightforward green with a solid flavor from start to finish, good for blending The guangdong is similar to the panfired with more astringinsey and the flavor is stronger on the finish
I use very full but smooth (no bite) black teas for the bases of my blends. The Assam is fair trade and organic with golden tips The Darjeeling is organic and broken leaf, as a result it brews up a lot quicker and a lot stronger (not a lot of nuances in flavor) than other Darjeelings. The Ceylon is a wirey leaf, with a smooth full flavor The Yunnan is not as full as the other black teas but it does have a nice sweet finish, so it adds a nice dimension to the mild breakfast blend.
My herbals are naturally caffeine free, unless they contain yerba mate as a base.
Most of my herbals are chosen for being traditional tea substitutes which is why I don't carry decaf blends.
Tasting notes: The Rooibos and Honeybush are both organically grown, naturally caffeine free, and are very similar in taste which is full and sweet. The sweetness differs though, rooibos is sweet in an earthy way whereas honeybush is sweet in a floral way. I also do a chamomile blend (organic chamomile). Chamomile has a pineapple/apple flavor to it and has been used traditionally to aid in sleep and digestion.
