1013 Tasting Notes
Strange VariaTEA TTB #26
The dry leaf of this blend is LOVELY, with big chunks of cinnamon sticks and curls of coconut and it actually does smell like a cookie! I brewed it as an unsweetened latte and found the flavor to be more “cookie” than “chai”…definitely leaning more into a sweet, baked goods cinnamon flavor than the more spicy ginger and cardamom I associate with chai. I really liked the flavor as I was sipping, but (as with too many David’s Tea blends) the stevia took over in the aftertaste and tainted the experience for me. Without the stevia, I think this would be a favorite for me!
Flavors: Cinnamon, Cookie, Stevia, Sweet
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #25
There was no description on the bag, but I smelled the Lapsang so decided to give it a try. It really threw me when I realized there was jasmine in here too! I’m not sure the combination of floral and smoke is working for me, but it was certainly an interesting blend to try.
Flavors: Floral, Jasmine, Smoke
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #24
My husband picked this one to go with breakfast this morning based on the aroma alone. I think he enjoyed it more than I did, but it was a nice chocolate hazelnut blend on a good robust black tea base! Would probably make it as a latte if I drank it again.
Flavors: Hazelnut, Milk Chocolate, Sweet
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #23
After a week of unseasonably warm weather here in Wisconsin, temperatures have plummeted and fall is here! Grey, chilly weather just screams chai latte to me, so I grabbed this one from the box and steamed up some milk to go with it…and was shocked by how much I enjoyed it! Maybe it just hit the spot so well for the mood I was in, but this came across as a perfectly balanced chai blend: lots of flavor, but not too spicy and not too sweet. There’s enough left in the bag for another latte or two and I may be hanging on to it for the winter…
Flavors: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Spices
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #22
Based on the ingredients list, I was expecting this to taste like Nutella. To my surprise, chestnut comes through way more strongly than the hazelnut…and I’m not mad about it! TeaSource’s Roasted Chestnut is one of my all-time favorite blends and this is really reminding me of that one. The chestnut definitely predominates, but I also taste cinnamon and perhaps just a hint of banana. Not sure it’s really reading “crepes” for me, but it’s sweet and nutty and rich and I’m guessing it would be delicious as a latte!
Flavors: Banana, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Sweet
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #21
I didn’t get much cranberry from this, but it definitely had a soda-like quality with a pleasant lemon/lime flavor and a nice effervescence from the green rooibos. (Side note: why don’t more tea companies use green rooibos instead of red??? It has a way more pleasant flavor, IMO.) It was a bit weird drinking it hot (like a warm, flat soda) but I’ll bet it would be super refreshing iced or as a cold brew. If we were headed into summer instead of winter right now, I might hang onto this for some summer iced tea!
Flavors: Citrus, Lemon, Lime
Preparation
Generally speaking green rooibos is a lot more expensive than red rooibos because so much less of it is produced every year. It’s a bit of a viscous circle because the reason less is produced is mostly just because of the overall popularity of red rooibos – but blenders are kind of incentivized to use red over green because of the lower cost/availability which only furthers it’s popularity because of the greater reach… :/
Also, for quite some time South Africa was experiencing a really terrible drought so yields were lower just in general which caused the prices of both to jump up quite significantly because there was less supply for the same demand. There was even less incentive for production of green rooibos because, well, why spend your resources producing something that’s harder to sell? :(
That stinks, but makes sense. Thanks for sharing your insider info in this area! :)
Strange VariaTEA TTB #20
I wouldn’t mind using this blend as potpourri, because it smells amazing! Unfortunately, the flavor didn’t live up to the aroma for me personally. WAY too much hibiscus, and I also found the mix of hibiscus and mint a bit odd.
Flavors: Herbaceous, Hibiscus, Mint, Tart
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #19
I had no idea what this blend was supposed to taste like when I grabbed it from the box, but I could see and smell the coconut, so I went for it! Turns out this tea has not one but two of my favorite flavors: coconut and caramel both! It’s super smooth and buttery and rich and I’m quite enjoying it.
Flavors: Butter, Caramel, Coconut, Smooth
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #18
This sounded like a refreshing choice for another unseasonably hot fall day…and it was! I tried a couple of sips hot and then poured the rest over ice, which was definitely the way to go for this one. (I’ll bet a cold brew would be really nice too.) I definitely taste the lemongrass along with the lime and maybe just a hint of blueberry. The base tea is also imparting a nice grassy note that adds some complexity to the flavor, but thankfully no bitterness or astringency. I’m a fan!
Flavors: Blueberry, Fruity, Grass, Lemongrass, Lime
Preparation
Strange VariaTEA TTB #17
I was getting a nice hazelnut flavor from my first few sips, followed by a strong stevia aftertaste. As it cooled down, though, the stevia took over and it honestly just tasted likely slightly nutty sweetened water. This is a pass for me.
Flavors: Hazelnut, Nutty, Stevia, Sweet
