1429 Tasting Notes

70

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
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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88

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
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Kelmishka

Sounds like an interesting blend!

Evol Ving Ness

Happy-making happy post.

Crowkettle

I’d write more tea notes but I’ve just been drinking this one every day for the last week, so…

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80
drank Forever Nuts by DAVIDsTEA
1429 tasting notes

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
Boiling 8 min or more 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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79

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
Boiling 8 min or more 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Kittenna

Oh dang, there’s a January sipdown challenge?! Time to head to the discussion threads!

Crowkettle

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 :)

Crowkettle

Love how I totally missed the “2021” typo. Always takes half a month for me to adjust to the new year number.

Kittenna

Ahahaha, there was a typo? I didn’t even notice. Also same, struggling to remember that it’s 2022 and already wrote the wrong date a few times.

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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
185 °F / 85 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Evol Ving Ness

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.

Evol Ving Ness

Also, 300 grams is not so bad. It could’ve been a kilo.

DrowningMySorrows

I love how much different steeping methods can change the flavor of a tea. Sometimes it’s like drinking a completely different tea.

Crowkettle

I’ve never had this much white tea on my person before, but it should be fun to play around with all of them. Maybe I’ll get back into gongfu style XD

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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
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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76
drank Plum Pryanik by 52teas
1429 tasting notes

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
195 °F / 90 °C 8 min or more
Evol Ving Ness

Well done with working through the advents!

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84
drank Banana TieGuanYin by 52teas
1429 tasting notes

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
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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83

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
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 16 OZ / 473 ML
Kelmishka

I just revisited this one a couple days ago and had a similar experience… so good!

Evol Ving Ness

Another magical level. :)

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86

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

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Profile

Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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