1429 Tasting Notes
Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge January 2022: New Tea
I received this tea as a Christmas gift from my sister and it was enjoyable, if somewhat lacklustre. I don’t really get mango (or pear) except in the aroma while steeping. What I do taste is canned peaches; this may be due to possible mango/apple/pear flavouring chemistry.
The fruit flavouring is definitely secondary to the bai mudan base itself, which has its own fruity notes as well as prominent notes of cucumber and hay. It’s nice and I’m glad I got the chance to try it, but I’m not sold on the combo.
Flavors: Apple, Cucumber, Floral, Grass, Hay, Mango, Peach, Smooth, Stewed Fruits
Preparation
Continuing to love this passion fruit jasmine bergmot concoction immensely and bumping up my rating.
I generally think the combination of green and black tea base is a bad idea; I tend to avoid them at all costs. However, in this blend the slight bitter-sour note, incurred from steeping at a temperature normally too high for green tea, creates a lovely effect; it makes the passion fruit taste more “real” – filling it out more. It’s good stuff and satisfies my craving for tart-sweet tropical fruits.
Steep Count: 2
Flavors: Astringent, Bergamot, Floral, Fruity, Jasmine, Malt, Mango, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Sour, Tart, Tropical Fruit
Preparation
Backlog. Made this up as a late (mid)night latte – the pink beetroot really pops when steeped this way.
I don’t make enough tasting notes for this one; I’ve written only one in the ten years its been in (and out) of my life! After all this time, I still rely on this tisane to deliver quick, easy, and dependable nutty dessert-tea goodness. No fuss or stress! It’s also one of my mom’s favourite of all time (which is the main reason I repurchase it whenever it’s available). This is a David’s Tea classic, and gives me the warm, nostalgic fuzzies.
Flavors: Almond, Apple, Cinnamon, Nutty, Sweet
Preparation
Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge January 2022: Spicy Tea
Well, this didn’t last long. So long, carroty turmeric lattes! This could’ve also fulfilled the “new tea” and “latte” portion of the challenge, I guess – but I’m going to try and fill those with different teas (I’ve so many to choose from).
Also, now that I can smell things I can say the blend reeks of earthy ginger. I’m so grateful that this was in my possession while stuffed up.
Flavors: Carrot, Earthy, Ginger, Pineapple, Spicy, Sweet, Turmeric, Wood
Preparation
It’s a little more casual than last year, with prompts that can be fulfilled at any point in the month. Still fun though! So far it’s motivating me to finish off some of the larger quantities of teas :)
Love how I totally missed the “2021” typo. Always takes half a month for me to adjust to the new year number.
Spring 2021 Harvest
Running with an impulse a few months back, I ordered a bunch of white teas from Yunnan Sourcing. Now my bad decision has come home to roost and I have so much white tea now (300g across the board) – many of which are very different from what I’ve grown used to (I’m going to have to tinker with a few of them to find parameters I like)!
I’m starting with this one because I “get it”. I can do a 3-4 minute western steep and it yields a satisfying cup of familiar notes of cucumber (raw veg), hay (umami/grass), and gentle squeeze of lemon (fruity).
I love the juxtaposition of that ethereal “spa-water” flavour profile with the thick, lush mouth feel. The sweetness in this session is verging on honey-like, but it’s not quite there yet; it’s still slightly unripe green melon.
I’m also drinking this gongfu style alongside it, and it’s quite a different experience (so intensely sweet with light malt notes). I’ll do a separate tasting note for that some other time.
Steep Count: 4
Flavors: Cucumber, Floral, Fruity, Grass, Hay, Lemon, Melon, Mineral, Sweet, Umami
Preparation
Ok, on one hand, it may be a poor tea purchase decision. Not that I would know anything about that. :)
On the other, here you are pushing against your boundaries and ingrained tea habits. Look at you go! Learning all the things.
I love how much different steeping methods can change the flavor of a tea. Sometimes it’s like drinking a completely different tea.
Backlog. I drank this during my teabag inventory check. Taken without milk.
After drinking the surprisingly smooth Numi Breakfast I was in search of something a little more abrasive. This bright, tannic tea did the trick, although I also found it had an interesting “dusty red rose”note. This bold tea has hints of metallic, which doesn’t bother me much anymore. You can tell this is a mix of citrusy ceylon, raisin-like assam, and muscatel darjeeling. Not bad in a pinch.
Flavors: Astringent, Brisk, Floral, Malt, Metallic, Muscatel, Raisins, Rose, Tannic
Preparation
Twelve Days of Tea 2021 – Day Nine (Last one!)
My first cup was a nightstand tea that ended up serving as excellent breakfast tea – spiced red fruit almost in the vein of glühwein, but with a subtle jammy quality. The second was hot and still pretty good. My sipdown was more muted but still enjoyable.
I am familiar with the cookie filling flavour this tea is inspired by (sort of), although I wasn’t certain why this flavour profile tasted so familiar to me. Then someone dropped off Croatian baked goods on Christmas, which were followed by German cookies – many with different variations of spiced jam filling; somewhere in that cookie-eating daze there was a filling that tasted identical to this blend. I wish I’d eaten that cookie alongside this tea.
And this marks the last of my advent teas. Until next year, delicious teas!
Flavors: Candy, Cinnamon, Ginger, Jam, Lemongrass, Nutmeg, Plum, Spices, Stewed Fruits
Preparation
Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge January 2022: Favourite Pie Flavour
Sipdown! While the blend is not technically going for banana cream pie, I think this charmingly flavoured tieguanyin is close enough to invoke strong memories. The banana flavouring in this is extremely creamy and sweet, whilst the tea base hearkens to spring patio sessions – chilling with the violets and crocuses; it’s a lovely bouquet.
Also, full disclaimer: I love all pies and vaguely-pie flavoured teas: strawberry rhubarb, lemon meringue, bumbleberry, pumpkin, key lime, etc. (ok, apple is at the bottom in a long list of no.1’s). My Grandma used to make them all (I can only make key lime), but banana cream was a rare simple treat.
Steep Count: 3
Flavors: Banana, Butter, Cream, Floral, Grass, Vegetal, Violet
Preparation
Twelve Days of Tea 2021 – Day Six
Sorcery! This tea tastes exactly like its namesake. Freshly made hot banana bread with melting butter and a hint of nuttiness (and I can smell this buttery banana goodness too, Yay!!). In previous sessions I could taste the black tea base more, which reminded me it was still tea. Today’s sipdown is on another magical level though. How did this happen? Maybe the 10-15 min wait before drinking smoothed it out more.
Delicious stuff anyways.
Flavors: Bread, Butter, Malt, Nutty, Smooth
Preparation
Twelve Days of Tea 2021 – Day Five (better late than never)
This one is lovely! I’m almost not annoyed that there’s no green oolong this year (plus my French advents more than made up for that.. although the offerings were generally less impressive than the ones Anne tends to create). I also kind of regret not picking up more of this in the store because it’s so unique (completely sold out), but Darjeeling teas, of all oxidization levels and styles, are something I prefer in small, sparse amounts.
Tart cranberry notes and buttery chestnut give me the impression of a luxurious, festive variation on a PB&J. The choice of a Darjeeling Oolong as a base is so perfect and well-crafted here – offering complex but complimentary base notes. I can’t think of a better combo.
I’m sad to see this one go and hope it pops up again in future advents or as a featured wintertime reblend.
Steep Count: 3
Flavors: Butter, Chestnut, Cranberry, Fruity, Malt, Muscatel, Nutty, Smooth, Sweet, Tangy, Tart