Okay, this is the fourth Ember recommendation I've seen, so I'll bite. Why is it better than an insulated carafe and an insulated mug?
With an insulated mug, you aren't putting more heat into the drink but just trying to keep it for longer. In my opinion, insulation works great for cold drinks (I use a giant insulated cup for my cold drinks) but not so much for warm drinks.
If you don't let the water escape the taste stays fairly stable.
I could see the sealed one (the "Cup") as working better though.
The thermos has a sipping cup on top that I can pour a couple oz of tea into.