1392 Tasting Notes
To get through sampling more teas from the 2025 TTB, I made a small cup of each one rather than a full-sized mug. Since I still have a bit of Cookie, I thought it would be fun to do a comparison with the Deb Cookie Butter in the TTB. Surprisingly, I think I prefer the Cookie Butter! Lupicia’s base tea is very brisk, which isn’t bad, it’s just how a lot of Lupicia black teas seem to be. The base on the Cookie Butter blends in with the flavoring more, which means that the creamy, sweet, cookie-ness can take center stage.
(cross-posted on both teas’ pages)
To get through sampling more teas from the 2025 TTB, I made a small cup of each one rather than a full-sized mug. Since I still have a bit of Cookie, I thought it would be fun to do a comparison with the Deb Cookie Butter in the TTB. Surprisingly, I think I prefer the Cookie Butter! Lupicia’s base tea is very brisk, which isn’t bad, it’s just how a lot of Lupicia black teas seem to be. The base on the Cookie Butter blends in with the flavoring more, which means that the creamy, sweet, cookie-ness can take center stage.
TTB 2025. I rather like this! I agree that it’s probably more “melon” than “prickly pear,” but I made it iced with sweetener and it’s quite refreshing that way. The tin also suggests adding a squeeze of lemon… maybe I need to just go get some lemons now…
Anyway, progress on the TTB slowed today because I, uh, can’t be trusted to use a toaster oven. Thankfully everything is ok and nothing actually caught fire. But there was a lot of smoke and that kept me out of the kitchen for a while (don’t worry, the TTB isn’t being stored in the kitchen so it’s still safe!). I should be able to keep chipping away at it tomorrow.
2025 TTB. Love me a coconut oolong, but this one is just ok. The coconut flavoring is tasty. I think it’s just that the base tea is finicky. I made two mugs of this and while I can confirm that it’s better with sweetener and careful monitoring of steep time, I don’t feel any great need to hold on to it.
The moment I opened the bag, it smelled so much like a candy cane. This isn’t the greatest peppermint I’ve ever had but it’s pretty good. Bright, minty, a tad sweet. My best guess is that this leaf is fresher than similar ones. It’s not whole leaves or bright green but definitely greener than the almost-brown peppermint from some other brands. Probably going to keep this one tbh.
2025 TTB. Hibiscus, cinnamon, and a sour berry note. Not bad-sour. I can see the sangria-adjacent vibes. I don’t really like sangria though so I may not be the best judge of flavor profile accuracy. I think this blend falls into the category of “interesting, just not to my personal taste preferences.”
TTB 2025. This doesn’t really taste like I expected it to from the name. I don’t know if it’s the echinacea or the marshmallow root (or both, or something else), but it has that slimy quality that I don’t really love. Like licorice, but there isn’t any in here. More than anything else, this reminds me of Calabash Tea’s Eleuthero Vandross blend. And I think both fall into the same category for me: teas for sore throats and sickness, but not necessarily for fun. Plus the ginger is very very soft and I like a stronger ginger. A blend like this has its place but for me that’s a very limited place.
