961 Tasting Notes

70
drank Holiday Tea by Harney & Sons
961 tasting notes

Wow, this stuff is SPICY! I smell the orange, but the flavor is mainly lots of cinnamon and clove that warms up my whole mouth and leaves a tingly aftertaste. Black, I’m finding it a bit too spicy for my tastes, but I’m guessing it would make a nice chai latte! Thanks for the sample, Kyla!

Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Orange

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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40
drank Earl Grey Creme by Teavana
961 tasting notes

Thank you to Kyla for sharing this tea with me! I love classic Earl Grey and I’m also a pretty big fan of vanilla-flavored tea. So (in theory at least) a cream Earl Grey should be the perfect blend for me. But this is the third one I’ve tried and I really haven’t loved any of them. For some reason, the flavors never quite meld right for me. The bergamot in this one is strong and assertive and combined with the vanilla, it just makes it taste like the vanilla has somehow gone sour. It also has a fair bit of astringency to it, but it mellows nicely with a splash of milk. I think I will be passing this one on to another Earl Grey loving friend. Still grateful for the opportunity to try it, though!

Flavors: Astringent, Bergamot, Cream, Sour, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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90

Golden Orchid has such amazing reviews on Steepster, I think it would be almost impossible for any tea to live up to the hype. And honestly, for me it didn’t. It was very good: strong and malty with distinct chocolate notes and a hint of vanilla. It also re-steeped beautifully. But I found myself craving a bit more of that sweet vanilla flavor than I was getting. I did notice in Brandon’s description that the vanilla tends to sink to the bottom, so maybe there wasn’t enough in my sample? Or maybe I just had over-inflated expectations. Anyway, this was very good, but not something I’ll be rushing out to purchase tomorrow. Thank you to beelicious for the sample!

Flavors: Chocolate, Malt, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
beelicious

I tried to shake the bag up before scooping out some for you… Never an easy thing to coax vanilla beans to distribute themselves fairly in a cup of tea!

Inkling

Honestly, the tea may have been exactly what it’s supposed to be. I was just SO impressed by Golden Snail and this one didn’t quite blow me away. It was still really good and I am so grateful to you for sharing! :)

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45
drank Constant Comment by Bigelow
961 tasting notes

Bigelow has always been my least favorite brand of tea, so I’ve never tried this one before. But Bigelow was my only option this morning, so I decided to give Constant Comment a try. It was a pleasant surprise: not amazing by any means, but not undrinkable either. There’s a mild orange flavor and a tiny hint of spice layered on top of a smooth, nondescript base. It also didn’t go bitter even though I left the tea bag in while drinking it. Not something I’ll buy for myself, but I’d drink it again.

Flavors: Orange, Smooth, Spices

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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95

Thank you to Kyla for sending me a sample of this delicious tea! I think this is the best Earl Grey I’ve ever had! The base is smooth and flavorful and perfectly balanced with just the right amount of bergamot. It takes milk beautifully, but this is one of the few Earl Grey teas that I would consider drinking straight. Absolutely delicious!

Flavors: Bergamot, Malt, Smooth

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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100

This tea has been on my wishlist for ages and I finally got to try it today, thanks to beelicious. AMAZING! I’ve had a lot of delicious dessert teas that I thoroughly enjoyed, but this one takes things to a whole new level. I literally felt like I was drinking a melted eclair as I worked my way through this cup of deliciousness. Is so incredibly sweet and rich and creamy…and that’s without any sweetener! I need to order a great big tin of this, because I can tell right now that my sample isn’t going to last the week!

Flavors: Caramel, Cream, Custard, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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85
drank Marco Polo by Mariage Frères
961 tasting notes

Two delicious strawberry teas in one day! I am a very happy girl right now. This is exactly what I was hoping it would be: strawberry shortcake in a cup! The vanilla and strawberry flavors both come through clearly and are natural and sweet without being cloying. The black base is smooth and balanced with no bitterness or astringency, just a tiny bit of a tart aftertaste that actually enhances the strawberry flavor. Thank you so much to beelicious for the sample!

Flavors: Smooth, Strawberry, Sweet, Tart, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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90

This tea has been on my wishlist for a while now, and beelicious was kind enough to send along a sample in our recent swap. It was just as good as I was hoping it would be! The scent is so decadent: just like real chocolate-covered strawberries! And the flavor is rich and fruity and perfectly bittersweet. No funky taste from the puerh base at all. I think I’m going to have to purchase this one when my sample runs out!

Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Dark Chocolate, Strawberry

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
AllanK

I bought this in my Lupicia order. I’m glad you liked it. I still have to try it. Maybe tomorrow morning.

Nichole/CuppaGeek

It’s on my list to try tomorrow. Sounds delish.

Inkling

I hope you both enjoy it as much as I did! :)

AllanK

I have to start using the wishlist feature. I don’t think I have any teas on my wishlist.

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80
drank Spiced Nog by Butiki Teas
961 tasting notes

Thank you so much to Kyla for the sample of this one! Honestly, I’m not super into eggnog. But I must admit, this tea is quite delicious: creamy and sweet, with just a touch of spice. I’ll have no problem sipping this one down!

Flavors: Creamy, Nutmeg, Vanilla

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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45
drank Pumpkin Spice by Harney & Sons
961 tasting notes

I haven’t tried very much from Harney and Sons yet, so I was excited to see lots of H&S samples in the package I received from Kyla today. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that Butiki’s Pumpkin Creme Brulee has forever ruined me for every other pumpkin tea. This one wasn’t bad, really. There was actually some pumpkin mixed in with all the spices! But it was a sharp flavor like raw pumpkin, not the sweet, creamy cooked-pumpkin taste I was hoping for. It was also a little heavy on the cinnamon for my tastes. But on the plus side, the cinnamon completely drowned out that nasty rooibos aftertaste that I dread!

Flavors: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Pumpkin

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I was introduced to loose leaf tea by a roommate in 2012, but it wasn’t until I stumbled upon Steepster in 2014 that I discovered a world of tea that went beyond Teavana and the grocery store.

My tastes continue to evolve, but black tea is currently my favorite. I am especially drawn to strong, malty breakfast blends to wake me up in the morning and flavored dessert teas to sip throughout the day.

Just about everything in my cupboard is available to swap, so feel free to ask!

Location

Milwaukee, WI

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