1429 Tasting Notes

80

I didn’t think the white wolf would be such a soft tea. I was expecting the mint and anise to nip, but it’s so fluffy!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8EFVDq0crs

Mint, anise, and vanilla are all well-balanced here, forming a fresh and sweet beverage. There’s a hint of smoky spice creeping into the finish that I’m enjoying. It’s almost musky. The delicate white peony base is powdered over by those wispy ingredient notes but I get glimpses of gentle lemon and melon fruit profiles under the surface.

I feel like I’m wrapped up in a warm fuzzy blanket at my parents place, looking out of the solarium window after a snowfall. The back of that house overlooks a canyon/creek and all the tall pines! When the sun starts to set the lights from the house 100 meters across the ravine from us become visible. With snow, everything becomes so quiet and it seems even farther away.

Long story short- this tea makes me feel nostalgic, romantic, and cozy. I’m glad I have lots and lots of this tea, because this is totally my thing.

And to think I bought it solely for the association with wolves, and the suggestion of cedar, which there’s little to none of. I thought the lack of cedar would disappoint me but it doesn’t!

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 5 min, 15 sec
Lala

Maybe it should be named fluffy wolf.

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I couldn’t resist the look of that White Wolf blend any longer and finally caved in a few weeks back. So here I am now, with so much white tea, and even more yellow tissue paper. I’ve never seen a tea parcel look more like a birthday present! This tea was generously included as a free sample.

Anyways, how does it taste? Lavender, lavender, lavender, melon, white grapefruit, garlic-onion.. whoops! That last one is coming from the aftertaste of my exquisite tuna-mayo-garlic-green onion lunch mix. Come on, I know you’re all jealous of my fabulous meal (a container of mouthwash couldn’t fix this).

That lavender is definitely the dominant note in this one, but I don’t feel it gets soapy. It blends into everything extremely well, actually (including the tuna onions). It creates soothing “spa-like notes”, and something almost nutty and juicy mid sip. I could see me wanting a nice cup of this during the rainy spring season.

Edit: I enjoyed the cooled down second steep even more than the first. The lavender takes on a sweet minty quality, and lemon/white grapefruit notes pop out. Yes, this is a good tea with fish.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 4 min, 0 sec
OMGsrsly

You got White Wolf?! Even though it’s minty, may I try one serving?

Crowkettle

Of course! Just a warning- from the aroma, I’m guessing it’s even mintier than I thought :)

OMGsrsly

That’s fine. I’ll save it for a minty day. :)

ashmanra

I liked that one best I think, of the Bellocq teas I ordered. I love their presentation!

Crowkettle

The website and the packaging are beautiful! I almost didn’t want to open the tea because I’d have to remove the white ribbon.

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Boiling water, 4 minutes 30 seconds, no milk or sugar.

Ah, I haven’t had a lot of plain black teas lately and didn’t realize how much I needed this! Malt, honey, and some raisins- I missed you! Token astringent bite, I missed you less! If I let my imagination run away with me I can taste caramel and cocoa, but I think I may be overexcited.

Thanks, Heather, for giving me your last cup’s worth yesterday! Also, an indirect thanks to Cavocorax for sending her this sample in the first place.

You know what sucks? Fire alarm testing day in apartments.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec
Anna

That’s clearly a whole new level of suckage and one I have yet to experience.

yyz

Awful, especially if you’ve got work to do. One of my student ‘experiences’ was in this building that had so many false alarms the fire department wouldn’t come for what seemed like hours. Thankfully I lived near lots of cafes and restaurants amenable to students.

Michelle Butler Hallett

UGH.

However, Tiger Assam …

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drank Pineberry Honeybush by 52teas
1429 tasting notes

Thanks Cavocorax for these many sessions of strawberry marshmallow goodness! I was curious about this one.

This blend isn’t bad, and I really like the sweet creamy notes that come out later. The pineapple throws me off a little, however. I don’t think I like hot citrus pineapple; maybe I should use the last bit for an iced brew.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 15 sec
OMGsrsly

I’ve only had it cold brewed, and I really like it that way.

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drank Tamarind Pop by Butiki Teas
1429 tasting notes

This one was originally from OMGsrsly. I’m sending the last few cups off to Heather today so I guess I should get around to trying some!

I love the sugary-sweet and malty aroma of this one. The main notes to me are vanilla, caramel, and cocoa, with a touch of astringent sharpness. Huh, I wasn’t expecting to like this one! I’m not sure I get tamarind, but I like the sharp burnt sugar notes and citrus rind that I do taste.

The experience reminds me of unsweetened dark chocolate. I should probably add a little sugar to see if I get something different but I’m too lazy, and I ’m ok with this as it is right now.

Edit: TeaEqualsBliss, and Cavocorax both mentioned Cream Soda- Yes! Especially as it cools. The tamarind is starting to come out too. Fun tea.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
Anna

I think I might try this one next!

Crowkettle

I was pleasantly surprised by this one :)

TeaLady441

Did I? Ha. I don’t remember, but maybe I should grab an oz some time! I think I just had a little sample of it so wasn’t sure what to think.

Bonnie

I noticed that nobody is mentioning Stacy’s contest. People should vote for the tea they want to win. (I can’t remember last year’s winner, duh! Old age!)

Crowkettle

Yes! I’m excited about that contest. I check it every few hours (because that’s more productive and appealing than research). :P

Anna

I second what CrowKettle said. Especially the part about the research.

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75
drank Hemp Matcha by Matcha Outlet
1429 tasting notes

Two scoops of matcha, two scoops of soy protein powder, a bit of fresh ginger, and a cup of cranberry juice. Can’t really taste the matcha but this contraption is good- nutty, sweet, and tart. It’s almost creamy too. It makes up for not having a banana (or any fresh fruit) in the apartment right now.

Normally, this is a nice, mild flavour, even though it’s Robust. the nutty hemp blends into the natural notes of the green matcha well. I’m not sure this is something I would get again but it’s a pleasant flavour.

Edit: I had 3 scoops this again today in a smoothie with pear, ginger, lemon, cranberry juice, and a little soy protein for fizz. I’m down to my last scoop.. almost time to buy more matcha!

Bonnie

Hemp milk tastes wierd so I can’t imagine hemp matcha.

Crowkettle

This is the first time I’ve ever tried anything with Hemp in it, so I don’t know how it compares, but this doesn’t taste strange. To me it tastes like normal green matcha with a few extra dimensions filled out.

OMGsrsly

Mmm, more matcha!

Crowkettle

I don’t know what to get, or how much I should get.. I want to try so many flavours.

OMGsrsly

The pineapple smells so good! I haven’t tried it yet because of the cold…

Crowkettle

I’m curious to see how that and the raspberry(?) one work out for you :)

I’m thinking of going with cheesecake, pumpkin pie, more caramel, and french vanilla/maple syrup but can’t decide on the flavour level.

OMGsrsly

The raspberry & whatever one was tasty, but I can still barely taste. The pineapple is just so strong it sits there on the counter and the smell seeks out my nose! I’d probably get the lowest flavour option for most, if not all, of them.

Bonnie

Hemp milk tastes strange to me, so I imagined hemp matcha would taste weird too. Glad it was ok.

OMGsrsly

Raspberry and cream is definitely good. I want to try the strawberry and champagne one (apparently they have either strawberry or champagne now). And black cherry. And sea buckthorn. I’m going after all the fruity flavours for some reason.

Crowkettle

I want to try almost all the matcha flavours, all the ones you just listed included.

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80
drank Mi Xian Black by Butiki Teas
1429 tasting notes

Note to self: Drinking a whole pot of tea before walking into an exam may not be the best idea in the future. Probably should have double checked that scantron.

Today this tea was as amazing as I remember it being- juicy, smooth, and totally worth it.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec
Courtney

Hahaha! I hope you did great anyway :) What are you studying?

Crowkettle

This semester it’s basic anthropology and Slavic studies :)

Courtney

Very cool. I love anthropology! If I ever get through my current list of degrees hah, I’d love to pursue it. What do you think of this one compared to the Taiwanese Wild Mountain? I can’t decide which to keep! #teaproblems

Crowkettle

That’s a tough choice, and one I’ve been trying to make too! I haven’t done a side comparison of the two yet, and find myself drinking them for different reasons. I pull out the Mi Xian when I want something smooth and fruity with a bright nip. The Wild Mountain is softer and sweeter to me, like baked goods. I usually drink it when I want to wind down.

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I wish I liked Darjeeling teas more. They smell like fantastic, sour-sweet fruit and hay. There’s been a couple that I’ve enjoyed consistently, and a few instances, influenced by steep variability, where a particular sample wasn’t as abrasive as it was previously.

That latter is actually what happened with this Darjeeling. I haven’t enjoyed this one all too much, and was in no rush to make the last cup. Maybe the temperature was lower (around 180F) than it usually is, but it’s so mellow today, like a second steep! It tastes floral, with a bit of sweet fruit and sour citrus. The cup led to the trademark mouth puckering too.

This is so good! I was thinking of getting a variable temperature kettle for school, but sometimes it’s nice to do the guesswork and get lucky! It just shows me that some teas (puerh, chai) have very specific “settings” that need to be met before the “best” of them (for me) is brought out.

Preparation
3 min, 45 sec
Autistic Goblin

variable temperature kettles are awesome! I find I enjoy my tea more usually when I make it at the right temp lol

OMGsrsly

I’ve used my new kettle once, and I’m a convert. I tend to shy away from picky teas because I dislike it when I don’t get them right, or even just nearly right.

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90

I want one of those “I Love Leafhoppers” magnets. They’re cute and our fridge could use some decoration.

Small glass gongfu, short, variable steep style.

Every time I drink this tea I feel like I’m spoiling myself. I don’t drink this often, not because I’m hoarding it- “things” just have to click together first. That’s fine though, as it will last longer that way!

Preparation
Boiling
Butiki Teas

Yay, glad to hear you like the magnet! :)

Plunkybug

I’d love to try this one, though I haven’t gotten to the mi xian black you gave me in the last swap yet, but I will try it soon.

Crowkettle

I’m going to bring this one along when we meet up next, for you and Shayne! :)

Crowkettle

I’m planning on getting a magnet (or two) in my next order.

Plunkybug

Nice! Thanks!

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drank Thai Tea by Love is Tea (LIT)
1429 tasting notes

Ok, I need to buy some star anise, among other things, to give this more oomph. Today I made it up chai stove style (which is a silly way to do it as there are no spices in this right now). I plopped in some ice cubes, because why not, and added sweetened condensed milk. It sort of worked. Next time I’ll follow a recipe or something.

Cavocorax gave me enough of this to play around with for a while, which is great because I’ll need it!

Sil

sooo i’m a weeee bit tired but the mental image of you tossing tea up into the air cackling came to mind when you mentioned cavo gave you enough to play around with heh

Crowkettle

Ha! It sort of feels that way too, especially after the mess I made in the kitchen with this failed attempt.

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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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