961 Tasting Notes
Strange VariaTEA TTB #4
I first heard about Trader Nick’s on fellow Steepsterite Roswell Strange’s podcast Geek Steep. (Side note: if you aren’t listening, GO LISTEN! I always hit play on the newest episode the moment in lands in my feed and I’m never disappointed by that choice.)
I immediately went and checked out their site and this particular blend went straight on my wish list. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie and I love smoky black tea, so this sounded like it was practically made for me!
Needless to say, my expectations were probably unrealistically high. It’s a fine tea, just not the spectacularly magical experience I was secretly hoping for. Not a lot of smoky notes coming through for me; mostly milk chocolate and a bit of bourbon. A perfectly pleasant sip, but probably not something I’ll go out of my way to drink again.
(That being said, I’m so grateful for the chance to try a cup via the TTB rather than spending the money on a whole bag of a tea I end up not being crazy about. Thanks to Roswell and VariaTEA for putting this one together!)
Flavors: Bourbon, Milk Chocolate
Preparation
Strange VariaTea TTB #3
The dry leaf of this tea is so pretty and it smells lovely. Unfortunately, once it’s steeped the lavender totally takes over! I don’t taste blueberry and I definitely don’t taste angel food cake; it’s just coming across as a lavender black tea. To be fair, it’s a very nice lavender…not too soapy or perfumey for my tastes. But I was hoping for more based on the name.
Flavors: Lavender
Preparation
Strange VariaTea TTB #2
This one smells SO good…and the flavor almost lives up to the scent! Not sure if it’s quite reading carrot cake for me, but it definitely has spice cake vibes. A good balance between the spices, nuttiness, and sweet, cakey flavors. T2 has been hit and miss for me, but I’d call this one a hit!
Flavors: Cake, Nutty, Spices
Preparation
Strange VariaTea TTB #1
I haven’t done a TTB in ages, so it was so fun to dig into this one!
I love smoky teas and I love marshmallows, so this was an obvious first pick for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much of either flavor in this cup…it was just a smooth, slightly sweet black tea with the tiniest hint of smoke coming through in the aftertaste. A pleasant enough cup, but not quite what I was hoping for.
Flavors: Smoke, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
This came as a free sample with my order. I’m not the biggest fan of houjicha, but the toasted, nutty flavor does seem pretty perfect for the cooler fall temperatures we’re getting here in Wisconsin this week! Probably not something I’d order again, but I’ll sip down this sample.
Flavors: Nutty, Roasted
Preparation
Mmm, this is nice! Despite the pale color, the flavor is surprisingly robust with floral notes and a honeyed sweetness. It is just the tiniest bit drying at the end of the sip, which keeps me coming back for more! Guessing it will also resteep well.
Flavors: Drying, Floral, Honey, Sweet
Preparation
I love a good coconut oolong! My favorite is from The London Tea Room in St Louis and I was excited to possibly find a replacement a little closer to home. However, I missed the fact that this one also includes pineapple. The flavor is much more pina colada than straight-up coconut. Not what I was expecting, but still quite delicious! Going to try icing it next time.
Flavors: Coconut, Fruity, Pineapple, Tropical
Preparation
Yunnan black teas tend to be my favorite, so I had to try a sample of this one in my recent Rishi order! Unfortunately, I found it to be just okay…which was disappointing considering the price point. It was quite smooth with a pleasant bready flavor, but I found the flavor surprising thin and watery despite using my usual steeping parameters. I will try over-leafing my next cup to see if that improves the flavor, but I probably won’t be repurchasing this one.
Flavors: Bread, Malt, Smooth
Preparation
Since I grew up (and still live) in the Milwaukee area, Rishi is THE tea that gets served in my local coffee shops. Which means I’ve neglected them as a source of tea for my personal collection because I’m always thinking, “But that’s what I’ll be having next time I go to Stone Creek with my coffee-loving friend.” However, a local tea friend recently invited me to go in on a group order with her and I was delighted to discover that their tea catalog goes far beyond the half-dozen or so usual suspects I rely on to avoid having to drink coffee.
This was one of the samples I ordered and I think I’m going to have to go for the big bag next time. Lemon ginger is a fairly basic flavor profile that a lot of companies offer, but in my experience it can go SO wrong: artificial lemon flavor that tastes like cleaning fluid, too much spicy ginger taking over everything, not enough ginger just making the lemon taste weird…the list goes on.
But this one is perfection! Pure, natural-tasting lemon; just the right amount of ginger bite; notes of mango and lime in the background adding a bit of pop; and just the right amount of licorice root sweetness. It was great plain at my desk today, but I really see myself reaching for this with a touch of honey next time I’m feeling a bit under the weather.
Looking forward to seeing what other goodies my Rishi sample pile holds!
Flavors: Ginger, Lemon, Lime, Mango, Spicy
Preparation
A Minnesota friend recommended I try out Pinch ‘n Rub and specifically mentioned enjoying this blend. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a kiwi tea before, so I was curious to try it! I was a bit disappointed to find that it didn’t really have much kiwi flavor. I’ve tried it both hot and iced…either way, I taste more of the apple and pineapple. It’s still an enjoyable fruity herbal blend, just not what I expected from the name.
Flavors: Apple, Fruity, Pineapple