1433 Tasting Notes
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge, April 2022: A tea that includes a color in its name
Of course I fall in love with the tea whilst sipping on my last cup. Ugh.
So, this tea – it totally deserves its name. It tastes red like rust, like wine, like cherries. It’s so earthy – with notes of leather, wood, tobacco, cooking herbs, and smoke. Its bold, brisk profile is a nice contrast from the floral/fruit-inclined teas I normally favour. As it cools, it becomes subtly creamy and spicy. It reminds me a little of a sheng puerh.
Flavors: Allspice, Bittersweet, Cherry, Cherry Wood, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cocoa, Creamy, Drying, Earth, Floral, Herbs, Honey, Leather, Malt, Nutmeg, Pepper, Raisins, Red Wine, Rosemary, Sawdust, Smoke, Spices, Tannic, Thyme, Tobacco, Wood
Preparation
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge, April 2022: A tea with the flavor of your favorite jelly bean
I let this cold steep in the fridge – for over 24 hours now? It came out perfect though: chilled ripe watermelon (not candied at all though, unlike a jelly bean. It even has vegetal melon tones) on a crisp, yet malty black tea blend foundation. It’s absolutely refreshing. Too bad it’s a grey overcast day; it would’ve been perfect for sunny balm of yesterday, but the tea wasn’t ready yet!
Flavors: Bread, Floral, Fruity, Honey, Malt, Nutty, Smooth, Vegetal, Watermelon
Preparation
Janaury 2022 Blend (I think.. either that or December)
This was one of the many 52Teas’ pouches I polished off over the last few days. There is a lot happening in this blend but the dominant features are definitely the coconut and hojicha (with wonderful cocoa accents, both added and naturally found in the tea). It comes across as a hot chocolate taste-alike. Didn’t really pick up on the baimudan, but that’s fine.
I love hojicha more in theory than in practice. Still, after finishing this tea off, I desperately crave a hojicha soft serve – with coconut and chocolate additions. My hojicha cravings are a paradox.
Flavors: Chocolate, Cocoa, Coconut, Creamy, Roasted, Smooth, Sweet, Woody
Preparation
February 2022 Reblend
Always a joy to drink this one again, and sad when I finish it up. I’m glad it’s so popular because it means this isn’t a permanent farewell (also, there’s still some available.. hmm, tempting).
Flavors: Citrus, Cream, Lemon, Smooth, Vegetal
Preparation
I’m still making up my mind on this tea, but I’ve gotten to a point where I’m drinking it every other day with +4 steeps and am trying to ration it – so I think I may like it. :P
First impressions: like if Milk Oolong and a particularly violet-inclined Tieguanyin had a stylish baby. There’s an extra dimension of “sweet berry” that make this more than a simple floral cream delight. Yeah, there are some lovely natural and flavouring notes in this one. I want it always.
Flavors: Berries, Butter, Cream, Floral, Milk, Smooth, Sugarcane, Sweet, Violet
Preparation
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge, March 2022: A sleepytime tea
I’m so pleased with this tisane. It reminds me ever so slightly of David’s Teas Dulce & Banana, which didn’t please everyone but is greatly missed by me. Love that combo of caramelized bananas and apple-ish chamomile (I enjoy chamomile). This one is extra indulgent because the nutty ingredients and cinnamon spice place it comfortably in banana bread territory (with walnuts). I happily don’t notice the honeybush much; it’s ok. My only quibbles are that pecans would’ve been better than walnuts, and cocoa is meh (an impression of frozen chocolate banana with nuts – especially if cooled).
This isn’t a true sipdown, thankfully; I never go out of my way to drink up my precious sleepytime teas anyways. I want many more evenings with this one!
Flavors: Apple, Banana, Caramel, Chamomile, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Dark Chocolate, Nutty, Walnut
Preparation
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge, March 2022: A tea flavored like your favorite pancake/waffle topping
This tea blend smells exactly like its namesake (I don’t remember buying this tea). I had a rough start with my first session, but sessions 2-4 were amazing (documented below). Overtime, I was increasingly reminded me of my favourite crepe: Lemon Sugar (yes, I know there are more exciting dessert and savoury varieties, but this is my absolute favourite. Also, yeesss, a crepe is only technically a pancake but I thrive on technicalities.).
1st attempt: Despite the amazing aroma, it steeped up way too bitter and chemical. Tastes a bit like Lemon Pledge Polish. This was a cup of great sadness.
2nd attempt: Ok, this tastes like something good. Lemon Glaze with powdered sugar on top of a bold malty black tea. Ethereal and brisk all at once!
3rd attempt: Less leaf is definitely better. I can get a delicious second steep out of this though.
4th attempt: aaaaand it’s gone. :(
Flavors: Brisk, Citrus, Frosting, Fruity, Lemon, Malt, Powdered Sugar
Preparation
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge, March 2022: A French tea
I have so many French teas from December still. I’m honestly sad to see any of them go, but one had to be first, and of course it’s my only MF tea.
I now have in my possession Violet Cremes. I bring this up only because my fam and I noticed that this tea shares the fruity violet notes (and petals) with it. Violets are delicious.
I will miss this complex blend of vanilla, violet, pepper, and fruity delights on a bold black tea base. À bientôt, delicious tea (wishful thinking – the best I can do is next December).
Flavors: Astringent, Bergamot, Berries, Blackberry, Citrus, Floral, Fruity, Malt, Pepper, Vanilla, Violet
Preparation
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge, March 2022: A tea with spinach/artichoke notes
Spinach and artichoke aren’t notes that spring quickly to mind when I drink tea – although, I do associate the former a tiny bit with Dragon Well/Long Jing style. While not quite as pronounced, this Da Fang tastes a like a close relative of Dragon Well: it’s nutty, with a squeeze of lemon on a light, calcium-rich leafy green base. It brings to mind Gomae (spinach, sesame sauce). It’s pleasingly smooth, and without that bitter kale-like note that some green teas have; it’s a forgiving tea.
I love this tea’s profile and am glad What-Cha included it as a sample (I even horded my last cup’s worth, but open packets of green tea need to go at this time of the year). I’d definitely consider picking up more at some point.
Steep Count: 3
Flavors: Citrus, Floral, Lemon, Mineral, Nutty, Smooth, Spinach, Vegetal
Preparation
February 2022 Tea Reblend
I’m still getting the feel for this chocolate-y Irish Cream flavoured black tea, but it seems fitting to make a cup of this on St. Patrick’s Day! The black tea blend is complex – also, vanilla is life right now (and makes this tea count towards “floral” month).
No partying or festivities today though, beyond drinking this tea. Tomorrow is my nephew’s 2nd birthday (the one who also loves tea and who gave me plague during Christmas break), so I best save my energy for that!
Flavors: Cocoa, Cream, Irish Cream, Malt, Smooth, Tangy, Vanilla, Whiskey
Oh it’s so amusing when I love the last cup of a tea the best and then want to stock up on it again. (sarcasm).
I usually have better luck; the dregs at the bottom of the pouch often make me question if I actually liked that tea after all :|
CrowKettle, have you had Ancient Spirit from WP? Since Brendan likens this as ‘Ancient Spirit’s little brother’, I wonder how you (or anybody else!) think it compares.
If I had I don’t have any memory or recording of it! I read that write-up too as I polished it off and it made me curious; I wish I’d more so I could send it out to all of you for “testing”, but it was only a sample to begin with. Did “Ancient Spirit” feel like it lived for woodwork class too? I don’t think I’ve had a tea this woody in a long time!