Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank Bee Pollen Black by Old Barrel Tea Co

4024 tasting notes

Yep, more new teas. As I said, I’ve been really bad lately, heh… :P I saw Old Barrel advertising their Ginger Chai as a seasonal offering, and I’ve been loving chai and spiced teas lately, so of course I had to get it. And a few other teas came along for the ride, along with the Hatch green chile powder (which smells amazing by the way).

This was an admittedly risky choice. I haven’t historically gotten along with bee pollen, to me it smells and tastes a bit like a wet dog. But the mention of cake got to me, LOL.

And I’m glad I ordered it, because this is actually really nice. It’s smooth and sweet with a nice mellow vanilla cake/frosting sort of note, and the bee pollen actually tastes like pollen, and gives a bit of a honey vibe. Almost similar to chamomile, really. I like the rooibos too, the gentle woodiness goes well with the other flavors.

Tasty! I guess taking a risk paid off this time ha ha… :P

Flavors: Cake, Chamomile, Creamy, Frosting, Honey, Pollen, Rooibos, Smooth, Sweet, Vanilla, Woody

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- May Sipdowns: 17
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 30

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing