95 Tasting Notes

49
drank Kokomate by Tiesta Tea
95 tasting notes

I can’t decide about this tea.

I drink mates primarily during what’s known in my house as ‘migraine week’ because they help keep the migraines at bay. I’ve been sticking with Matevana and Mocha Nut Mate but have always wanted a little more variety for those times as mates seem to be variations of the same flavor. Granted, I didn’t expect this one to be terribly different, except that it has coconut and cinnamon.

I just can’t decide. The roasty, toasty mate flavor is there, much like the Mocha nut mate but there’s a sweetness there too and I can’t decide if it’s cloying, wrong in combination with the mate, or totally right. It at times wants to taste vaguely pina colada-y, sometimes rooibosy, and sometimes matey. It’s quite confusing.

I do know I don’t dislike it, but I probably wouldn’t order it again, at least at this time.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 6 min, 0 sec

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67
drank Marzipan by TeaGschwendner
95 tasting notes

I’m trying to clean out my tea cupboard as it’s the only remaining cupboard that didn’t get an obsessive ’I’m trying to sell my condo and maybe this will help’ cleaning frenzy because there’s not much in there I want to get rid of so my strategy now is to drink the stuff that’s in bags instead of my cute little tins so it looks neater (yes SpecialTeaz Chocolate chai, this means you’ll be mingling with Adagio’s Chocolate chai to save room, I think it’ll do you both some good). This little guy is in a bag so I went for him this morning.

I used more leaf than I normally would and that appears to have helped bring out the marzipan flavor. I have to say, it’s pretty darn yummy at the moment. I wish TG’s stuff resteeped better, but I guess it’ll help me clear out my cabinet a little sooner.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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89
drank Pumpkin Chai by DAVIDsTEA
95 tasting notes

Got this in a swap, I think from Daisy, perhaps? It’s been sitting in my cabinet waiting for a day when I just wanted a cup instead of a full pot. I caught the cold from hell and spent the last two days at home, sleeping until 1ish. Upon waking, I figured a full pot of black wouldn’t be the best idea if I wanted to sleep more so I made a cup of this each day.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love 52 teas and all, but I sometimes find they use a spice in their chai-type teas that I don’t like. I have their pumpkin cheesecake but it had that same spice that bugged me. I like this much better. It really hits the spot that I was looking for in terms of the tea equivalent of the pumpkin spice latte. I’ll have to order this sometime!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Daisy Chubb

Yay glad it hit the spot!
I’m quite partial to this one over 52 teas pumpkin as well, but I’m hoping the other pumpkin teas will grow on me too :)

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drank Cafe Latte by Utopia Tea
95 tasting notes

Got this in a swap, can’t remember from whom though. Thank you, whoever you are!

I want to like coffee tea, I really do but I cannot seem to find one that I fancy. I’ve tried JavaVana and Serene Teaz’s Cafe Latte and they’re just not for me. This one is no exception.

Granted, this probably would have been better had I not ruined the first steep with some creamer of questionable freshness (I don’t think there are supposed to be chunks in there!) but it was just meh to me. I think the first steep would have been better but I’m pretty sure I still wouldn’t have been a huge fan. Perhaps that’s because I only like “coffee” beverages loaded with sugar and other flavors.

The Serene Teaz cafe latte is up for swap if anyone’s interested.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec
TeaEqualsBliss

If you are ever interest in a swap – I could send you a mystery package next month (can start gathering anytime tho!) LOL

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57
drank Candy Cane by Adagio Teas
95 tasting notes

This tea is just what I needed to remove the exclamation mark after my Bah Humbug! I’m certainly not going to go around pooping Christmas cheer, especially not with a visit to my mother’s looming, but I probably won’t kill anyone either. Pretty impressive progress for just drinking tea.

I will warn those who err on the side of more leaf, I do the same and today the candy canes are REALLY strong. I’m sure my second steep tomorrow morning will be a little more mellow and more my speed.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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17
drank Candy Apple by Adagio Teas
95 tasting notes

Same story here, got this as a sample with an order from Adagio (I think my tea of the month club, actually). I forgot my tea mug at work yesterday and wasn’t feeling ambitious enough to make tea and find a different mug this morning so I figured I’d just dip into my bag stash in my desk. I used the keurig in my office to get hot water but I have no idea what temperature it reaches. Plopped the bag in and wha? There’s no string?!? Um, ok, that’ll be interesting in about 5 minutes.

5 minutes, one stirer, and a few scalded fingers later I tried the tea and there’s something off about it. I did add some sugar substitute, generic, from Target, which can sometimes give my tea a different flavor (I find splenda or another natural one works best) but I’m not sure that’s it. I get just a tiny hint of apple and then this other flavor. It kinda makes my face mess up for a second after swallowing but I keep drinking it so take it for what you will.

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53

Finishing up my stash of this from last year. This was one of my first non-Teavana tea purchases because it smelled like their white chai. This tea screams Christmas. I know they have a Christmas tea (that they sell all year round), but this really should be it instead (disclaimer: I’ve never had the other one). This tea is bold and spicy. A little goes a long way here and I find that I can’t drink this for too many days in a row or my tongue gets a little tingly (and not in a fun way) from the cinnamon in it. The second brew is almost better than the first since you’re not socked in the mouth by cinnamon.

This tea WILL leave a very stubborn lingering scent in any tin you use so proceed with caution there unless you plan to stock this forever. Seriously, I’ve washed the tin 3+ times now, let it sit with a baking soda paste overnight, and had dry baking soda in it for at least 2 weeks now and I can still smell spice. Almost tempted to keep buying it just so I can use that tin again but it’s just too strong for me much of the year.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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89
drank Chestnut by Adagio Teas
95 tasting notes

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89
drank Chestnut by Adagio Teas
95 tasting notes

Increasing my rating. Seriously love this tea. Why can’t this be part of their normal collection?

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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53
drank Berry Blues by Adagio Teas
95 tasting notes

Let me preface this review by stating that I am not a blueberry fan. The berries themselves aren’t too bad but I generally hate anything with blueberry flavoring or actual berries in it; muffins, pie, etc. My husband got me two adagio tea of the month clubs for my birthday, herbal and black and this came with the last shipment. Given my feelings about blueberries I wasn’t terribly excited and figured it would go up for swap. Then I opened it and smelled it. Hmmmm…it doesn’t smell evil.

One night I was in the mood for tea but none of my typical desserty herbals and rooiboses (rooibosi?) sounded appealing so I figured, what the heck, and gave this a try.

It’s not the little cup of grossness I imagined. In fact, it’s kinda tasty. I’ll chaulk this up to the fact that it was made from real blueberries. I may even consider getting this again.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 6 min, 0 sec

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Bio

Hello!
I’m Amanda, and I’m new to the world of tea. I got sucked in by a sample at Teavana and have been exploring ever since. I prefer loose tea but will slum it with the occasional, high quality bag.

I live just outside Chicago with my husband and our dog.

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