New Tasting Notes

This is so good, and not at all what I was expecting; sweet potato and honey with undertones of caramel, chocolate malt, and pine resin. So smooth, and only the barest hint smoky. My new favourite lapsang for sure, can’t believe I didn’t try this sooner!

Herbal TTB! This was pretty herbaceous and unremarkable. Based on the ingredients, it’s supposed to be for health and not flavor.

Herbal and Decaf Traveling Tea Box, Summer 2025.
Sun Garden. Apsara.
Bulk cellophane bag of dried herb blend: Camomile, Peppermint, Rose Petals, Calendula Flowers, Cornflower. Prepared as directed: 2.5 g. steeped in 8 oz. boiling alpine spring water for 5 min. All I smell and taste is chamomile and peppermint, in a slightly vegetal background. Not sure what happened to the 11% rose petals, maybe they were from a non-fragrant variety of rose, though I couldn’t visually distinguish them from potential calendula and cornflower either, despite being in supposed greater quantity. No red petals as in the advertising photo posted here. Fortunately I like both chamomile and peppermint, which were well-balanced in a terrific cuppa relaxation from Riga. I may try blending some of my chamomile stockpile with peppermint leaves, now that I’ve had a chance to try this one! I would recommend, and rate this as 70.

Herbal and Decaf Traveling Tea Box, Summer 2025.
Orange Mango (°Cold Brew). Basilur.
String-tag paper tea bag containing dry herbs in a foil sealed pouch. Prepared as directed: steeped in 8 oz. spring water at ambient for 4 hr. I probably could have let this steep overnight, because it tasted a little weak at first. But sweetening with a spoonful of sugar accentuated the flavors nicely and made for a tasty cold infusion! The hibiscus and rose hip was barely noticeable as a slight sourness, and the stevia lent a bitter note. Likely the rose hip and hibiscus aren’t extracted very efficiently by the cold water. But the terrific orange and mango flavors sang right through it all, tasting real and very good. Not real complex, but nice as a punch replacement and possibly as a mixer for something alcoholic. I could see a screwdriver type drink here. I’ll recommend and rate as an 85.

2025 sipdown no. 51

This was a really lovely tea. The cherry came through clearly with the chocolate more subtle, but definitely there. I polished this off in 13 months and the flavour was already faded, but not so much it wasn’t still enjoyable. It’s a shame this one isn’t more readily available, as I would pick more up.

Just a quick review. 10g in a 170ml teapot, brewed at boiling, gongfu style.

Brews quite dark. A sweet shou with cream and caramel notes that surprised me! My favorite cake from the shulloween pack, I’m sad this isn’t a generally available cake, because it would be a perfect daily drinker

Just ok, not too smoky, not too smooth. A decent example of smoked tea, but I don’t need more of this.

Herbal and Decaf Traveling Tea Box, Summer 2025.
Sea Buckthorn & Orange. Apotheke.
This was a string-tag paper teabag in a sealed, plasticized, paper wrapper. Steeped as directed: 4 min. in 8 oz. boiling spring water. A terrific combo of orange and (new to me) Sea Buckthorn, with a background of spearmint, and mere notes of hibiscus or rose hip adding some tartness. Refreshing, natural-tasting, and even better with a lump or two. Awesome juicy orange aroma on the infusion, too, that continued improving as the liquor cooled to ambient. Has a nice, clean finish. Never got any notes of apple, but it wasn’t needed— maybe just there for sweetness. Highly recommended and will rate this a 95. Another win for Apotheke! I’m going to have to investigate the range of their offerings and check availability in the US.

Cold Brew!

I can’t think of a more appropriate flavour profile for a tea named Glogg. It’s deep, dark and intense with STRONG notes of hibiscus, stewed red fruits, and a bold punch of spices. Cinnamon and clove especially. Really strong mulled wine notes. I am drinking this cold, but wow do you ever get the sense that if you drank this hot it would warm you from the inside out on a bitter cold evening right quick. Like, this is the kind of tea you feel like would be served to you in a metal camping mug using a ladle…

I dug deep in the tea drawer and came across this little tin left over from an advent calendar. One of my all time favorite teas is Cranberry Pear by David’s. It is no longer available. This one is certainly not that one. It’s not at all bad. A little sweeter than I like maybe, but nice enough to drink on a quiet evening with a good book.