223 Tasting Notes
For the first time trying this, I had it hot. The dry leaf smells very strongly of strawberry but there is a certain warmth from the pepper as well. I love pepper in tea! There is tons of strawberry pieces and peppercorns in the leaf. While this was steeping, my sister came in to the kitchen and asked where the jelly was – this smells exactly like strawberry jelly cubes!
I can taste soft strawberries – not tart, but not too sweet either. The pepper adds a good kick at the end of the sip. I didn’t think these two flavours would mesh well, but the bite of the pepper really compliments the strawberry. The flavours don’t overpower the tea base either – it is slightly earthy and very robust. Very good!
I like this more than I did when I first tried it. Liking it sort of snuck up on me. It was good the first time I tried it, but I really do like the way the white chocolate tones the mint downs, softens it and rounds it out. I think mint can often be to harsh and overpowering, but not in this blend. I also love the sweet honeybush in this – it isn’t overpowered by any of the other flavours.
I’m really going to miss this tea when it is all gone, but happily, I’m not out of it yet. It is so delicious. The fruit flavours are light and natural and balance well with the green tea. I found that a lower steeping temp and longer steep time gave the best results for this tea.
Preparation
I made a large pot of this to relax with this morning. I think it was an excellent choice. Although I really like this tea, I don’t think it is one that I could actually drink that often – I have to be in the right mood for it. One thing I noticed this morning is that while it was very hot, the smoke was extremely strong and I didn’t get any other notes, though as it cooled a little bit, it got that underlying sweetness which makes me love this tea. It is so suprising that such a harsh, savoury tea has that sweet note.
My second tea from this company – and so far, they have really impressed me. This produces a light green liqour that smells like cherries and maybe strawberries. Vanilla is there – although I cannot say it is a very prominent note, it sort of binds the notes in the scent together and makes it very smooth.
This really is a fabulous tea. It is very smooth and the berry flavour is very natural-tasting (there is nothing worse than berry flavours that taste artificial). On the sip, the taste is mostly the sencha, but with creaminess from the vanilla and berries coming through ever so slightly. The aftertaste is where the berries really shine – sweet, not tart but not cloying.