New Tasting Notes

November Sipdown Challenge Prompt – a tea that is good on the go

I almost always have this tea in my travel mug when we are on the road. Traveling makes me tense sometimes, and if tulsi can soothe even a little bit it is worth it. Plus it is a delicious tea and so much better than plain tulsi by itself to me. I have a giant Bellocq tin of this thanks to Superanna!

okkk after drinking my custom blend and this i might be becoming a nettle tea fan… its slightly sweet at the very end, fresh in the middle, very light and herby but also kinda earthy? love <3

I really hate licorice root in tea but I tolerate it In this one because I know that it’s healthy and good for me.
The licorice flavour overpowers everything else, unfortunately. I would’ve liked to have got more of the mint.
I originally bought this for my Mom but she passed away last month so I will drink it but I highly doubt it will be a repurchase since I usually prefer ginger tea when I have a cold.

Reminds me of a mineral Assam, but with a lingering malty, yeasty sweetness. Super smooth and just slightly astringent as it cools. Strangely the plum note emerges as it cools as well.

TTB! This was too straightforward for me. I guess I would have liked more intrigue. I actually preferred the cold resteep! It was just a little tart and fruity, maybe orangey.

Sipdown 31 – 2025

This is so festive and fun. Love the roasty chestnut note with the spices.

My last Dryad sample, woohoo!

To me, this is just okay. It doesn’t really have enough black tea in it, I get a touch of smokiness but no real black tea flavor. Mostly it’s very strong, earthy ginger with some other spices in there as well. Tastes like a very potent herbal ginger chai with a hint of smokiness. I was hoping for more balance.

This is the second steep of a pot I started yesterday. The first steep was nice, bready and slightly sweet. This second steep is much sweeter, butterscotch and still very smooth. Is there black tea in here? Tastes more like a honey buttered biscuit. I’ll try a third steep and would jump at a chance to buy more of this!

A sipdown! (M: 1 Y: 88) — prompt: A flavored green tea

I steeped this earlier this month, but I found out I haven’t removed it from my system. And I had a file where I have written down unwritten sipdowns to make a list for a month or two. But that file is lost. So, my count won’t be exact this year. But there were just 3-4 teas, so it is fine for me, and all prompts filled by that were already marked. Maybe I can ask my brother if he can find all the teas that went with qty to the zero once “issued”?

Anyway, this fruity green tea is pretty standard. Nothing too fancy, but tasty enough even after 5 years since Crafted on: date. Fine for mindless drinking and generally accepted by every single one. But, I am glad to have it finished and thus I think that all teakruthi teas I had here were drank.

However, my mom has retired and brought back from the office a Cinnamon Chai I gave her for Christmas 5 years ago. So… there are teas to drink I guess. Hopefully it iwll be still tasty. It was in sealed bag all the time and opened just once or twice. She said it is a strong tea and that’s why she didn’t drank it much.

Oh no! I’ve started my advent early. But it’s only because Tuesday is a travel day and I’ll miss it. This is nicely vanilla and smooth; and brewed twice from a tea bag. A good way to start the day and kick off advent season. Thanks Kelmiska!

Tastes like blueberry soap unfortunately

November Sipdown Challenge Prompt – a bedtime tea

These loose flowers are now nine years old. I am not a big chamomile drinker, especially plain, but I am determined to finish this. This is as good as any chamomile, but it isn’t something I reach for. I actually used it for soothing my dog’s feet and it worked wonderfully for that. I also like it iced in summer as a lunchtime refresher that is also good for my tummy. I think if I make a pitcher to drink cold, this will finally be a sipdown.

the first taste you get when you sip it is really unexpected… its almost like a milder neocitran kind of taste and then it settles into the lemongrass and other flavours. i hate neocitran so it reminding me of that is a minus for me.

I’ve had a bag of this tea forever. I think I picked it up at a hotel breakfast buffet a few years ago. I finally decided to steep it last night.

Ugh. Nope. Very tang-y. Like, sour tangy, and a bit musty. It was very old, so that may explain the must. It sure sounded good. Maybe it would have been better when the tea bag was fresh. Definitely not one I would pick up again.

Just one more day before I start on my Adagio advent calendar. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve had Adagio teas in the past and wasn’t much impressed. But I’ve had several of their samples in the past month or so, and I’ve enjoyed several of their teas now. Either they have improved or I have changed my taste. Don’t know which, but I am looking forward to their tea advent calendar!

Sipdown

A definite someday re-purchase. This is rich, chocolate-y, and boozy. I have had it for breakfast and lunch, as well as with afternoon tea with or without snacks.

I drink it plain, but with milk, sugar, and a splash of grog or even just plain with a splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream I think it would make a nice warming festive drink if you imbibe.

my own custom blend of nettles, echinacea, calendula and bee balm. great for recovering from a cold :) very grassy

My last Apolis sample, yay!

I prepared this hot, even though it’s meant for iced tea. It’s nice enough, mostly candy strawberry with a touch of sweet spearmint. Apparently it has cantaloupe flavor as well, I guess maybe I can taste it if I think about it, but otherwise it kind of melds in with the strawberry. The base is a touch smoky and earthy, but also somewhat tannic. Maybe a blend of multiple black teas from different regions? I could see it being nice as an iced tea in the summer, the touch of spearmint would make it quite refreshing.

TTB! This tastes pretty much how you’d expect. I wouldn’t need it again, but I did enjoy that it wasn’t quite as overly smoky as some lapsangs.

This is a second tea I am writing a tasting note from their Discovery collection. An old classic.

I do notice a few pieces of lemon in the pyramid sachet and, well, the tea is quite non-descript; very boring and somehow classic. But lemon was quite good one, adding nice freshness and seems it was indeed a lemon and not just a flavouring. I am pleasantly surprised.

So, yep, it tastes as expected. Sadly the base is just a bitter something.