72
drank Traveler's Tale by Dryad Tea
4512 tasting notes

Trying to clear out some of the lingering samples on my tea counter! I got through most of the ones from Dryad shortly after I ordered them, but there are a few stragglers still hanging around…

This tea is described as having roasted chestnut and caramel with a hint of star anise. It has all the bases ha ha – black, green, rooibos, and maté. I steeped it at a green tea temperature, but am wondering if the green tea here is hojicha as I didn’t notice any conventional green tea-looking leaves. So probably should have steeped it hotter, but oh well!

Anyway… It’s a pleasant enough tea. I definitely get the star anise, it’s a bit more than a hint but not overpowering. Otherwise, it’s vaguely caramel or cream-like. I don’t really notice chestnut, or a distinct nuttiness in general. So really, the anise ends up being the main flavor for me, which I don’t mind. It’s almost like a creamy black licorice tea? But overall quite mildly flavored. As for the base, I mostly taste rooibos and black tea, though they are also very soft. It’s a bit muddled, which isn’t surprising as it seems to be quite a few different teas mixed together.

Now I want to try making some kind of black licorice pudding, because that sounds interesting. I think I saw Nigella make one once, I’ll have to go find that recipe… :)

Flavors: Anise, Caramel, Creamy, Licorice, Muddled, Smooth, Soft, Star Anise, Sweet, Woody

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, wax melts, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 14
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 175

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

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