111 Tasting Notes
Yummy!!! You know what this tastes like? Apple pie filling!
Spiced, thick, ooey-gooey apple pie filling. It has a very weighted feeling on the tongue which surprised me since a big part of the base is a white —which makes itself pleasantly present with a slight floral taste that really sweetens up the apple to compliment the spices.
I positively love the spice combination, and it’s just perfect for Fall! If Verdant makes up some more of this blend, I’ll be sure to get some! :)
Preparation
I like this way better now. I don’t know if it’s the time of year, or if my tastebuds have just changed, but I definitely enjoyed this. I decided to give it another go since it’s Fall which is when I go nuts for chais. So I purchased a sample size with my last order, and now I’m wishing I ordered a pouch.
The first time I had this the only thing I could think was that it tasted like something that should be glazed over beef or a sauce on some savory dish. (plus the ginger popped SO much for me before that I could hardly stand it) But now the tea seems appropriately spiced. It warms you from the inside out and it has a nice heavy feeling on the tongue, which is as expected from the Laoshan Black base which tends to give your tongue a coated feeling.
If there was one thing I’d want different from this tea, it’d be to taste the cocoa-y notes from the base a bit more. A chocolate chai would be fabulous. Perhaps this blend plus a few cocoa nibs would do the trick? :)
Preparation
I’d been holding off on writing a tasting note for this one, as I’ve just been struggling to think of something to say.
This is one of the best black teas I’ve ever had. It’s also the sweetest. The one I gave that title to before is Mi Xian Black, but they’re sweet in a different way. Mi Xian Black is sweet in a fruity way, whereas this tea is sweet like SUGAR. Fancy powdered sugar used only on the best of pastries.
If I could afford it, I’d drink this every day. But like Mi Xian Black, it’s a tea I only drink once every two weeks or so, and when I do make it, I re-steep it to get every ounce of sugary yum.
There’s a certain flavor that encircles the powdered sugar taste that I’m having a hard time putting my finger on. I’ve read through some other tastings notes for this tea, and I guess the best way I can think to describe it is that its pastry like, though I’m not sure if that’s quite what it is.
For people wary of getting into black teas, or for people who want a black tea that tastes sinfully good without any additions, this is the one to get! :)
Regardless, it’s wonderfully good. To the point that I’m tempted to say it’s bad just so I can buy up everyone elses share ;)
Preparation
The last from my first Della Terra order.
Oddly, this one tasted a lot like Oatmeal Raisin Cookie except without the raisins. I tasted cinnamon, and an oaty-sort of pastry flavor, and didn’t really get any pumpkin or pie impressions. This surprised me, since this one is such a hit with most Steepsterites. :(
Once again, I just couldn’t enjoy the black base. I hurriedly finished my Della Terra order off so I could go back to drinking my other teas.
Overall, my opinion of Della Terra is higher than that of Davids (as despite how much this just tasted like Oatmeal Raisin Cookie again the flavors of what I’ve tried are quite good) but I think I’m too snobby to order again.
Preparation
Another of the three teas I purchased in my first Della Terra order.
My thoughts for this are mostly the same as my opinion on Classic Apple Pie. The flavoring is REALLY good (this was my favorite of the three I had) but the base tea is just too low quality for me now. I’m too snobby for this tea in other words, as much as I wish I liked it more.
The flavoring was incredible though. It legit tasted like oatmeal raisin cookies. The raisins included in the leaf really popped in the flavor, it had that cinnamon OVERLOAD flavor that I love, and I could actually taste an oaty-pastry flavor.
This would be a keep-in-the-cupboard-forever tea if the base tea was better. That said, it still prevented me from eating a bunch of cookies I otherwise would’ve had to sate my Fall-sweet tooth.
Preparation
One of the teas I got in my first Della Terra order.
I was quite anxious to try Della Terra once my Fall-sweet tooth kicked in. (Which is now essentially over. Now I want spicy things. Chai teas, and homemade speculaas cookies!) since people seemed to have far more respect for them than they do for DavidsTea.
While I will say that the quality is better than that of Davids, to be honest, I’m still not a gigantic fan. Don’t get me wrong, the flavoring itself is quite good, but after being spoiled rotten by the quality of Butiki and Verdant for the past several months, I find I just don’t really enjoy it as much as I would’ve a year or two ago. The flavoring is quite good, but the base tea tastes really cheap. It gets bitter if I steep it any hotter than 185 degrees, and I’m accustomed to either boiling or 200 degree temperature for my blacks.
It’s a shame, because the flavoring is REALLY good. It’s so apple-y and real tasting. It doesn’t taste like candy apple, it tastes like APPLES loaded with cinnamon which is major YUM but the base tea just isn’t up to the same standard as the quality of the flavoring. If this flavoring was to be paired up with a quality of tea like Butiki or Verdant, we’d have a real winner here.
Regardless, this still helped my sweet cravings earlier this month, so even if it wasn’t as enjoyable as I hoped, mission accomplished at least. :)
Preparation
So I sorta panicked and purchased this the day it came out… :)
Anyway, I definitely agree with an earlier description that this tastes expensive, because it totally does. xD
The scent of the tea is mainly that of Premium Taiwanese Assam, and the cocoa-y notes are dominant at the beginning. At the swallow you get refreshing fruity notes from the Darjeeling, and surrounding the entire flavor is the damp earthy flavor from the Congou Keemun.
What’s nice about this breakfast tea is that it isn’t incredibly strong and bitter like a lot of others. Instead it’s flavorful, and refreshing. I’m drinking this as a bit of an early evening pick-me-up and it’s doing the trick quite nicely! At the same time though, it isn’t so refreshing that it has a thin texture, it’s still nice and malty and is just right! It’s the baby bear of breakfast tea ;)
Preparation
Another good rainy day tea. :)
I’ve drunk through a pouch or two of Zhen Qu, so I’m pretty familiar with it (even though I always have to double check the spelling…) and with that in mind, I just wanted to say that the flavoring in this tea is incredible. It tastes like a natural extension to the tea. The chocolate brings out the natural cocoa-y taste of Zhen Qu, the marshmallow naturally sweetens the tea without being in your face about it, and the orange comes right at the swallow, a slight citrusy touch that adds a ton of character.
The flavors tone down the peppery nature of the Zhen Qu, but doesn’t hide its identity at all. Zhen Qu is quite a distinctive tea, and I would’ve recognized that as the base at once even if I hadn’t already known.
All in all, this is a super yummy tea that satisfies a sweet tooth while still being a cup of tea. A perfect example of a flavored tea done right. :)
Nom nom. Today’s been all rain stormy. On days like this cuddling up on the couch with a super indulgent tea is super comforting and cozy. So when Butiki arrived in the mail today, this sample was the first tea I broke into. :)
Anyway, this tea is so so good. The liquor is a dark amber, which is fitting. The texture is thick and rich, and the chocolate is like a semi-sweet dark chocolate which is perfect since I’m a lover of dark chocolate. :) The raspberry compliments with it perfectly, neither flavor overwhelm the other. It’s just like biting into a thick truffle with raspberry filling, except without the million calories.
Yummy! :)
That sounds amazing!