307 Tasting Notes

drank Red Bush Chai by Teajo Teas
307 tasting notes

They were out of the sample I ordered, so I had to pick another. Piccolo recommended this one, so I gave the OK.

I’m either learning that I just don’t prefer rooibos, or I just am not getting anything from these blends, so take this note with a grain of salt.

I double leafed this one, but I must still be brewing it wrong. Usually I have to underleaf a chai since they’re soo spicy, but I’m not quite getting what I want out of this. Maybe if I boil it for a very long time? The steeping directions say 5mins at 212F, which isn’t what I did, because I’ve never had to steep a tea for that long at that high a temp before. I haven’t quite mastered the learning curve for this one yet, but I might run out of this sample before I do. The sample size is 8-10 servings for 8oz cups, I usually do a 12 oz cup, so this might only last me 3 tastings if I keep doing double leaf. =(

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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drank Red Mango by Teajo Teas
307 tasting notes

It’s only very very VERY lightly mango, I’m getting mostly rooibios flavor, which I’m not the greatest fan of, I’m discovering. I sat there just sniffing the liquor for the longest time waiting for hints of fresh mango, any type of mango really. It’s more like faint mango whisperings, and very synthetic. I caught it only in the scent when I’m outright gulping it down. I thought it might make a nice before bedtime dessert tea… but the only fulfillment it gave was ‘before bedtime’. I’m not sure I’ll finish up the sample.

Preparation
1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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It smells like orange creme. Yum. But it doesn’t taste like it. =(

This tea bothers me in the fact that it’s never what I expect it to be, so I keep trying to change up brew times and such to find that perfect combo. I’ve tried this one at least twice before but forgot to log it both times- but I didn’t have much to say about it either.

The creme (cream?) smell is fairly strong on the first steep, I keep typing it creme because the smell reminds me of the Cadsbury creme eggs that my coworker keeps at her desk at all times. I actually get no earl grey smell from this, other than that citrus bit, but it blends in more with the creme smell so I don’t think ‘tea’ when I get a whiff.

The black base is not too heavy, and is fairly disguised by the scent for me on the first few sips. It’s more dry mouth feel and light black tea notes. I quite like it, but I don’t flavor the scent so much. It makes me crave orange creamsicles.

Second steep is more or less straight up earl grey, but nothing spectacular. The bergamot scent pulls through much more strongly, but still in the sweet sort of way. I think from the way I feel about this, I might prefer the tarter smelling earl greys, which could be true because I’m loving their Earl Grey Bravo. Sort of feeling sad I have a full size of the Moonlight and only a sample of the Bravo. I have plenty of EG in the cabinet though, so it’s not such a loss. This will definitely be a dessert type tea for me in the future.

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This is a continuation of last night’s tea session. The third steeping and beyond were average tasting of a more mature green tea, although the roasted taste lightened with each steeping so by the sixth it was almost gone completely. The first two steepings were much too strong for me personally, but the tea mellowed out eventually the more you infuse it and that’s where it really shined. Whether I’ll have the patience to sit through those first two infusions again is another matter…

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Warning: Long note ahead! At heart (and work) I am a scientist. I take copious notes when I am in the mood.

The dry leaf smell is definitely Roasted Green Tea. Yum. The leaves are large, and not as tightly furled as other teas I’ve had, but tight enough to not be fully unfurled after a two minute steep.

It came as a generous sample in a vacuum sealed, plastic lined, foil baggie with a large, clearly printed label. The label is colorful, which is nice, but provide no brewing instructions. The back side of the package is clear so you can see the tea leaves. I quite like the packaging, but I wonder if the transparent packaging will protect it from UV at all.

I washed my leaves in room temp water before brewing.

The post-steep smell of the leaves is the normal slightly floral smell of green tea. Not overly fresh, but it has lost the roasted smell.

The first steep was strong in roasted smell and taste, almost to the edge of a bit too dark for my tastes, but still definably green tea.

The second steep is still pretty strong on all notes. 1:30 steep. Perhaps I added too much leaf. The leaves are still not all the way unfurled.

This is probably one of those I would end up resteeping again and again and again merely because it still has robust flavor, but because of how strong it is, but it’s not one that I would WANT to have gallons and gallons of unless I was serving a bunch of people for dinner. The tea is not too strong to distract from the flavor of food, but IMO not one I personally would showcase .

On the other hand, it is still giving up a good burst of caffeine with each steep. Probably more suited to a morning/afternoon tea than an evening tea.

The third steep is at a nice level for me, still fragrant, but not too dark or robust. But I tend to like my teas on the lighter side to the tongue while fragrant to the nose. I believe most of the leaves have unfurled, but they’re still crinkly.

I’m going to stop and save the fourth steep for the morning, else I may be up all night. Stem to leaf ratio is smaller than I tend to expect, but that’s probably contributing that ongoing strong flavor.

This tea was not what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a bad tea. It’ll probably need experimenting with until I figure out the best way to brew it to my personal tastes. Overall, I think it’s a good everyday type green if you’re one that likes the taste of roasted greens. I might brew it in the mornings if I need a strong pick-me-up and take the rest to-go. Next time I brew, I’ll probably try using less leaf (if I remember).

I was sent this sample free for review and am under no obligations to provide a positive review. I’m using the ingenuiTEA by Adagio Teas.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
carol who

Great review! Such good detail. I also wish that the package had directions on it. I don’t know much about teas like this and didn’t do a wash first. I was less than happy with it. Maybe now I should try it again following your directions. If you were to give it a score, what would it be?

Flyawaybirdie

I admit that the first two steepings I was generally unhappy with. I think next time I’ll wash with hot water to take some of the edge off. It actually settled quite well during later steepings, I was surprised to see I could leave it to sit in hot water for a long while and it wouldn’t go bad. A good thermos tea, I’m thinking, once you get pass the first few infusions.
I’m not quite comfortable with the numeric rating system yet, but for the moment it’s one that I would consider buying again only for the ‘sits well in a thermos’ quality, otherwise, it’s only average. (C+?) Maybe that translates to a 78? I need to figure out a scoring system of my own. Actually it was like (#steep) (1)D, (2)C-, (3) C, (4+)B-…. if that makes any sense. I went through 6 infusions before I got bored but it still tasted like tea, but I was brewing the same 2tsp of leaves for 16ozH2O each time. =)
lol sorry, that might have been much more than you were asking.

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drank PG Tips by PG Tips
307 tasting notes

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It’s a never ending cycle… at least until I’ve figured it out. Currently it’s ‘feel bad all day’ because I haven’t had tea, and/or ‘feel bad at night’ because I can’t sleep because I had tea too late. lol

I still can’t figure out if I like this one or not. I made a few mugs over the weekend, and two pots today. It SMELLS like chocolate- like the faint whiff you might get if someone at the next table was enjoying a hot chocolate. But it doesn’t taste like chocolate. I kind of wish it smelt like when you’re baking brownies and that lovely chocolate smell fills the kitchen. I wonder if there are any teas like that.

Fair enough, I feel like the first steep of this tea always tastes burnt, even if I leave it in for something like 20 sec. I’m probably doing it wrong, which is sad because I have an entire tin of the stuff. The other steeps are like ‘what is this? I don’t know. What does it taste like? Ummm….". I don’t get the mango, I don’t get the vanilla, I do get the black tea. Maybe I need to rinse the leaves in cold water first?

On the other hand it smells delicious while it’s brewing. And the leaves look soo pretty after you drain them.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C

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I had to add it because I couldn’t find it. __

This is I suppose what I would call upper tier Asian supermarket tea. The price is not the most expensive on the shelf per oz, but more than the other teas, about $4.99 for 6oz. Which is actually quite cheap for tea comparing to online tea vendors.

Wash the leaves before the first steep. I forgot and it was yuck. After washing though the leaves steeped into a bright oolong flavor, which is funny because I normally associate oolong as a more deep flavor.

The leaves expand alot. A LOT. I think that perhaps you could get away with using less leaf with it then. The leaves uncurled are full leaves, some with the stems still attached.

I’m using a teapot I haven’t used in awhile, it’s a bodum tea pot with one of those tea press mechanisms, however, I just took the infuser out of the pot after steeping. This pot, despite all of its faults, makes me happy because it is bright orange.

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drank African Red Bush by Tazo
307 tasting notes

I hardly know anything about roobios teas. The selling point to me tonight versus the other teas I have on hand: caffeine free. My tea habit has escalated quickly in the past few months, and this week especially I was really feeling the caffination.

This is quite an interesting taste, not one that I expected. While nice and mellow, there’s an surface taste of slightly tangy/sour. It’s hard to describe, but my first comparison would be yogurt. A fitting end after a dinner of greek food, and a relaxing cup while I watch the Women’s free skate in Sochi. =)

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I get easily excited and tend to get into the habit of collecting things I get really really excited about- books, fountain pens, fragrance, tea and any number of things. Mostly I’m just really excitable.

My favorites are oolongs! Also high for me are greens and ripe pu’erh. But I do like most teas and I’ll try most anything at least once. I just don’t like rooibos, smokey, or banana flavored things.

My name is Christina, but there’s also another Christina with a cat as a profile picture, so I go by Flyawaybirdie.

Feel free to drop me a message anytime. I love messages/letters/etc.

NOTE!: My cupboard is not up to date. Not even close. But it does have a bunch of teas I have pretty substantial quantities of, so I put them in there anyways because I’m unlikely to run out soon. Also, if I wrote a note on it and didn’t include a TTB name or a sipdown note, I’m likely to still have some even if it’s not in my cupboard, so feel free to ask if you want to swap!

Steepsterite since 2014. :D

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